SHADED BY THE MIST.
By Bramble
For Smudge's Create a Character Competition
I will never forget the day that Mistflight betrayed me.
I suppose you could say it was the day that changed my life.
I remember that day as being a cold and a chilly one, as leaf-bare had started to sweep throughout the Clans. In ShadowClan, it was colder than usual, with even the toughest warriors fluffing out their fur whenever they went outside of camp.
All I wanted to do was to huddle in my nest in the warriors’ den, to shelter from the cold. On the particular day that my life changed, I was doing that – well, only until Mistflight came into her den, her head raised triumphantly. I saw my dark blue-gray approach me, and I felt her nudge my shoulder softly.
“Leafshade,” I heard her whisper in her soft, delicate voice. I could hear my sister’s tail running across the ground as she spoke. “I want to talk with you.”
“In here?” I yawned, tired and not willing to wake up. “Go on, then…”
Mistflight shook her head at me. “No,” she mewed, her voice flat. “I want it to be a private talk.” Mistflight put a lot of emphasis on the word private, and I wondered why. “We’re going outside of camp for it – now.”
I groaned. Why, Mistflight? I protested silently, but I covered that up. Stretching with one paw, and slowly rising out of my nest, I groaned: “Fine. Let’s go.”
The two of us went out of camp, both of our pelts fluffed up in the cold. I was expecting Mistflight to stop quickly – but no. We padded through the whole of the Clan’s territory, until we reached a stream at the edge of the Clan’s territory.
Finally, that was where we stopped.
Mistflight abruptly sat down by the shore of the stream, staring into its depths. I sat next to her, brushing my pelt with hers. “What is it, Mistflight?” I whispered.
Mistflight couldn’t even bear to look at me. She shook her head, and mewed: “Leafshade, I’m sorry.”
I felt dread inside of me. “Sorry for what?”
Mistflight then turned to me, her fangs bared. I gulped in fear. “We’re not siblings,” she hissed at me. “I was brought into the Clan, and I can’t believe you’ve never known.”
I staggered back, shocked. What? “But how? I –”
“Your parents told me long ago,” Mistflight hissed back at me. “You’re so naïve, Leafshade. I’m ashamed to have trusted you.”
Then she leapt at me, and suddenly my vision went black.
*
Mistflight was exiled after that, after the Clan discovered her attempt to kill me.
Since that day, I’ve been scared. I fear Mistflight – I don’t know where she is now – and I’ve become more reclusive. I have scars – inside and out – and I will never forget this moment of fear that I had…
…The moment of which I was shaded by the mist.
It's meant to be short - less than 500 words!! However, I do hope that you enjoyed it!
As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.
Until next time,