Darkest Night

A rush of gratitude swelled in her chest. Thank you, Needletail, for bringing me here. As she thought of her friend, Violetpaw stiffened. A silver tail was snaking between the trees.

She forgot her game. “Needletail!” She had to catch up to Needletail. It had been so long since she’d seen her. “Wait for me!” Haring into the darkness, she raced after the flash of silver. Needletail kept moving, her pelt flitting like starlight through the shadows. Leaves crunched beneath Violetpaw’s pads. Wind ruffled her ears. “Needletail! Wait!” Why was Needletail running away? “I have to talk to you.” She ran faster, but Needletail kept ahead. The lithe she-cat seemed to be moving effortlessly, while Violetpaw struggled to follow. Brambles snagged her fur. Roots caught her paws. Violetpaw felt her lungs burn with effort. She struggled on, her limbs heavy, the air seeming to thicken around her so that she felt as if she were struggling through water. Needletail kept darting ahead like a fish. “Please! Wait!”

At last, Needletail paused. Violetpaw glimpsed her green eyes as they flashed in the shadows.

“Why chase me now?” Needletail’s mew was cold and mocking. “You made your choice.”

Dread surged through Violetpaw, jolting her awake. “No, I didn’t!”

A voice sounded beside her. “Violetpaw? Are you okay?”

Violetpaw was still half dreaming. Needletail’s scent was heavy on the air. “I never wanted to lose you.”

“Violetpaw. Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

“It was never a choice!” Her own mew surprised her. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was in the temporary den she’d made with Hawkwing and Twigpaw. She could feel the warmth of their bodies. Darkness swathed her. It was the middle of the night.

Hawkwing was blinking at her. “You were dreaming.”

She dragged her thoughts from her dream and blinked back at him. Beside them, Twigpaw was snoring, lost in sleep.

Violetpaw realized she was with her whole family. Twigpaw came with us to SkyClan. The thought still surprised her. Twigpaw had always seemed so comfortable in ThunderClan.

“Are you okay?” Concern shadowed Hawkwing’s round eyes. “Was it a bad dream?”

“Not a bad dream.” Violetpaw shifted in her nest. She didn’t want to explain. “Just weird.”

He frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Violetpaw rested her muzzle on her paws and closed her eyes before he could ask any more. As she did, an image of Needletail flashed in her thoughts.

Panic spiked her pelt like burning splinters. Her friend was in the river. Darktail was holding her beneath the water. As Needletail struggled beneath his paws, the rogue stared blankly at Violetpaw. “Maybe you’re right,” he meowed. “Maybe I should give Needletail another chance. What do you think?”

“Oh, yes!” Violetpaw remembered the dumb relief she had felt. “Please give her another chance! I’ll do anything you want!” It hadn’t been enough! Grief twisted her heart. If only I’d tried harder.

Horror pulsed in her paws. She wanted to run, to let the chilly night air wash the memory away. But she couldn’t let Hawkwing see her pain. She hadn’t told him the whole story about Needletail, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. What if he wants nothing to do with me after he hears that I let her die?

“Thanks.” Violetpaw sniffed the mouse that Twigpaw had brought from the prey pile. It smelled stale. Hawkwing stretched beside her in the dawn light. He yawned.

Violetpaw felt a flash of guilt. “Sorry I woke you last night.”

“It’s okay.” Hawkwing sat down, nodding thanks to Twigpaw, who had brought him a vole. “I went back to sleep pretty quickly.”

“What happened?” Twigpaw dropped her own mouse and settled beside them. “Did you wake up last night?”

“Violetpaw had a bad dream,” Hawkwing told her.

“Not a bad dream.” Violetpaw repeated, trying to make herself believe it. “Just a weird one.”

“You seemed pretty upset,” Hawkwing meowed.

“It doesn’t matter.” Violetpaw wanted to change the subject.

Twigpaw took a bite of her mouse. “Violetpaw’s always been sensitive,” she mewed, chewing.

Around them, SkyClan had woken up. Fallowfern shared tongues with Bellaleaf. Blossomheart was showing Finpaw a hunting crouch, but she looked up and nodded when she saw Twigpaw and Violetpaw. Violetpaw nodded back quickly before focusing on her prey. She knew the she-cat was her kin, and she had been nothing but kind to her, but Violetpaw didn’t quite feel comfortable around any cat but Twigpaw or Hawkwing.

Leafstar rummaged through the fresh-kill pile. It was still well stocked from yesterday.