Rising from the Ground/Ten

TEN. STORMSHADOW

 All my windows still are broken

I burst into a scene in which a white tom darts out and Gwyn is lying on her side, a deep gash glaring at me from her stomach. Every part of me wants to dart straight to Gwyn’s side and see if I can get her to safety. But I recall my mentor’s words: A circumspect river warrior is one who will remain safe, while the overconfident ones will perish.

My eyes scan my surroundings and I test the air. I check to make sure the mysterious white tom has gone. What a heinous act anyways, slashing open Gwyn’s stomach to try to let her suffer through a horrible death.

Determination swarms through me at the thought of Gwyn dying. I roll her carefully to her side and slip her onto my back.

Unsteadily, I carry her back into the camp of Hidden Spirits. The hostility is still there, but I place Gwyn down and address the gathering crowd. “I know you see her as an enemy, but I promise you she is an ally. I plead you to close her wound so she is healthy enough to return to the main camp where we will not bother you any more.”

After a few moments of hesitation, the camp sets to work. A few bring over herbs while the leader of the camp settles herself next to Gwyn to begin working. I shuffle back and watch them, too scared to go too far in case the gray she-cat needed my help.

I consider running for main camp and telling Ravenflight of the news, but I immediately cross out the idea. I’m not leaving Gwyn as fodder to the camp, even if they seem to be friendly enough.

I wait day and night for her revival.

I sit vigil next to her until one day, news arrives.

~

“Stormshadow,” someone nudges me. I topple over, my eyes barely open. “Stormshadow, hey, you look terrible.”

“So do you,” I mumble, trying to peer at whoever is speaking to me.

“It’s Sootflight,” the fly warrior sounds exasperated, “Ravenflight has been worrying her head on where you were.”

“It never occurred to her that I might have still been in the camp I had taken Gwyn to?” I pry my eyes open to see the solid gray-brown tom.

Sootflight sighs, “Not with all the possibilities of someone finding you guys and kidnapping you, especially since you have Gwyn in tow.” His eyes spot Gwyn’s limp form and they darken. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” I confess, “I heard her screams and came outside. I saw a white shape disappear and her body was just laying there, with her blood drenching her.”

The other tom shivers. “A white tom…”

“Do you know who it is?”

Sootflight purses her lips. “Artic would know,” he murmurs bitterly, “he and Gwyn were close. There was some sort of memory haunting him the entire time he had been here, and when he and Gwyn first came to IceClan, Gwyn had a similar injury like this.”

“A similar injury?” I echo, astonished, “I would assume it’s the same tom then.”

“Why do you say that?” Sootflight seats himself, his eyes remaining on the gray she-cat’s body.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she gets two similar injuries.” I furrow my brow, “Artic…”

Sootflight licks his paw, feigning nonchalance. “You would have loved to have met him. I bet you and Artic would have gotten along well. You’re both kind and patient with she-cats like Ravenflight or Gwyn. They’re quite similar,” his whiskers twitched, “you and Gwyn work perfectly.”

I feel a rush of embarrassment, “She intrigues me,” I admit, “but I’m afraid of her at the same time. She did murder both of Ravenflight’s partners.”

The fly warrior grimaces. “She has a dark side that covers her bright side. But since you’ve arrived, Gwyn has been smiling more often and she’s happier than she ever was. You melt that shell she has around her.”

“Not enough for her to tell me the truth,” I murmur sadly, gazing at Gwyn’s serene face. Even in the pain she must be feeling, she looks at peace.

Sootflight stands. “Come on, we should head back to main camp. You’re no good here, moping over Gwyn’s injured body. Is she healthy enough for us to take her back to camp?”

“I don’t know,” I stifle a yawn, “but I’ll carry her.”

“No, I will,” Sootflight nudges me away from Gwyn, “You need your rest. We’ll carry her back in the morning, okay? You go get some shut-eye.”

I stumble to the den assigned to me and curl up in my already made nest. Sleep comes immediately but it’s not anything like I’ve ever expected.

~

“Stormshadow,” a voice rouses me up. I sit up and blink the drowsiness out of my eyes. Confusion clouds my vision as I stare at a starry and beautiful forest. To my surprise, a white tom stands before me and Gwyn’s broken body is still beside me.

I assume the worst.

“Who are you?” I stand in front of Gwyn’s body with my pelt bushed up, “Did you do this to her?”

The tom laughs. “No, I’m Artic.”

I lower my hackles and stare at the rather handsome young tom. “You’re Artic?” I gasp, “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Gwyn.”

I glance down at the gray she-cat. “What about her?” My voice catches in my throat, “Are you warning me to stay away from her because she might murder me too?”

Artic furrows his brow before shaking his head. “Of course not.”

I wait for him to elaborate. The white tom curls his tail over his paws. “My purpose tonight is really to give you a task. I need to talk to Gwyn about certain things, and she won’t let me in. It’s like trying to swim in a frozen river.”

I understood about swimming.

“You want me to melt her icy demeanor?”

Artic smiles, “You’re good at it after all. Gwyn needs someone to lean on and you’re the only tom who’s willing to be there for her.”

My eyes remain on Gwyn’s. “I...there’s some unfathomable feeling I feel whenever I’m near her,” I confess, “she’s so magical.”

Artic begins to fade.

“Remember your task, Stormshadow, perhaps voicing your feelings would melt whatever defenses Gwyn has around her.”

 But I'm standing on my feet