Emberpaw stared at his paws as Solstar walked away. Daypaw and Sunpaw sat beside him, a rabbit in front of each. The silence of their father’s disappointment still hung heavy in the air.
Daypaw was the first to break the tension. “We should eat before we go out again, right?” She nudged her rabbit toward Emberpaw. “Let’s share mine, and we can share yours when you catch one!”
Emberpaw sighed and stood up. “You and I both know I’m not going to catch a rabbit. How many times have we taken this test now? I never get one.” He knew he was whining, but he didn’t particularly care. “You guys should rest since you were running. I think I’m going to try and make it to the beach to fish for a little while.”
Daypaw and Sunpaw shared a look, but Emberpaw pretended he didn’t notice. He knew both of them would come if he asked, but he also knew they really were tired from running down rabbits. Though, he thought sourly, it’s not like I didn’t try. Unlike his littermates, with their lean bodies and thin coats, Emberpaw was ungainly, and his fur was so thick he would overheat in moments under the hot desert sun. Even when he put in as much effort as them, even more, he could never just chase anything down.
“You need to eat at least before you go,” Sunpaw insisted as he sprang to his paws and quickly stepped into Emberpaw’s path.
“I’ll eat later.”
“Now.”
“Later!”
“You can’t leave by yourself, though.” Sunpaw changed the topic.
Emberpaw didn’t miss a beat. “I can, and I will.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“I’ll be able to see any danger coming.”
“Tell that to the warriors. Haven’t you seen all of Solstar’s scars?”
“It’s hard not to; they’re on his face, Sunpaw. I’m stupid, not blind.”
“Stop putting yourself down.”
“I’m going to the beach now.”
Sunpaw puffed out his chest and loudly said, “Okay. I’ll let you go if you can wrestle me down.”
Emberpaw sighed dramatically. “This again?”
“How are you going to protect yourself at the beach if you can’t even beat me in a fight?”
“That’s different,” Emberpaw argued. “Harestreak is always bragging about how you’re going to be the best fighter or whatever. Besides, I can use my teeth and claws in a real fight.”
Sunpaw snorted. “Come on, shouldn’t you at least try? You always-”
“Alright,” Daypaw finally pushed her way between the two. “That’s enough bickering. Emberpaw, let’s just eat. Sunpaw, let him do what he wants. The path to the beach isn’t that dangerous.”
The toms grumbled lightly, but they didn’t bother arguing. Daypaw pushed her rabbit toward Emberpaw, and he took a bite, the warm blood refreshing on his tongue. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he took a bite and desperately wanted to wolf it all down himself, but he kept his portion small. Lately, he felt as if he could eat and eat and never feel full, so it wouldn’t matter whether he devoured the rabbit entirely or just took a couple of bites.
This didn’t escape Daypaw’s attention, though. “I’ve had enough.” She pushed the rest of the rabbit toward Emberpaw.
“You’ve barely eaten anything.”
“I had a lizard before I went hunting.”
Emberpaw dipped his head, feeling embarrassed. He knew that his sister was lying and hadn’t actually eaten anything else, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse the rest of the rabbit. He mumbled his thanks and quickly scarfed it down.
“There, don’t you feel better?” Daypaw asked as she began to groom Emberpaw’s forehead. “If you’re hungry, you should eat. Silversmoke says that when leafbare arrives, it’ll be harder to come by food.” She moved on to try and groom the rest of his pelt but quickly got a mouthful of long hair and spat it out. “You’re shedding again.”
“I’m always shedding.”
Sunpaw finished his rabbit and stretched out. “His coat’s just too thick, that’s all. Why don’t we all go down to the beach?”
“I’d prefer to go alone,” Emberpaw lied. “Besides, you look exhausted. Both of you should take a nap while I’m out.”
Daypaw sighed and carefully used her claws to remove some more of Emberpaw’s shedding fur. “Can you at least take Nightlight with you?”
“I-”
“Please?” Sunpaw added in. “You’ll be safer with her. Besides, she likes swimming, doesn’t she?”
Though the pressure was gentle, it still broke Emberpaw’s stubbornness. “… fine.”
“The sun is setting soon, Emberpaw. We should catch a few more and then head home.” Nightlight’s voice was gentle as she dropped a kingfish beside their freshkill pile.
Emberpaw sighed. He was dripping wet, sore from fighting the waves, and still hadn’t caught anything. “How do you make it look so easy?”
“Experience, little one. Give it time.”
“Hah…” Emberpaw hauled himself to his paws. “Okay, I guess.” He hesitated before asking, “Can I eat one before we go?”
The tip of Nightlight’s tail twitched once. “Didn’t you just eat before we left?”
“I’m still hungry.”
“Emberpaw…”
Sighing again, Emberpaw shook his head. “I know. The Clan should be fed first. Let’s hurry home.” He picked up a couple of the fish by their tails, resisting the urge to bite into them. Nightlight gave him an approving nod and gathered the rest of their prey.
The two set out under the dying light of the sun as it slowly sank below the horizon. Their path took them through the center of ScorchedClan’s territory, alongside a deep gash in the ground that the warriors constantly demanded the apprentices to stay away from. Once, Sunpaw and Emberpaw had knocked some stones down the edge of the chasm to see how deep it was, but it was so deep they couldn’t hear the rocks hitting the ground. Emberpaw and Nightlight walked at least four foxlengths away from it at all times, as was the rule, so they couldn’t fall in.
Since their mouths were full and they couldn’t speak, Emberpaw’s mind began to wander. The ocean water had been cool, but it was already evaporating in the hot desert evening, leaving his fur salty and itchy. Daypaw would definitely try to groom it, like she always did, and end up hacking up a few hairballs. Then Sunpaw would laugh and share some prey with them, and Nightlight would probably come to make sure Daypaw wasn’t choking too badly.
Emberpaw’s eyes slid to the black and white cat ahead of him. Nightlight wasn’t just his mentor. She had stepped in to raise Emberpaw and his littermates after their actual mother abandoned them with ScorchedClan. His tail lashed once as his thoughts turned to Solstar. His father had never taken any interest in the kits and barely spared Emberpaw a glance. Rationally, Emberpaw knew he shouldn’t care. He had Nightlight and Daypaw and Sunpaw, and the others in ScorchedClan had never treated him too severely.
Still… Reason and rationality never stopped Emberpaw’s heart from hurting. He wasn’t as impressive as his littermates, and thus Solstar rarely acknowledged his existence. Sunpaw always said he shouldn’t care, but it always stung when their father would look at Sunpaw with pride or compliment a catch that Daypaw made and then go on ignoring Emberpaw.
The salty taste of the fish was making Emberpaw’s mouth water. Enough saliva had dripped onto the fish that they slid from his mouth, thudding against the ground, and Nightlight looked back. “You okay?”
“I was just thinking, sorry.” Emberpaw hastily stopped to pick up his fish when he felt the ground shift. Quicksand? “Hey, Nightlight, we should-”
Emberpaw never got to finish. As if the chasm was some giant monster opening its mouth, a crack suddenly burst forward from the edge and opened the ground underneath Emberpaw’s paws. He wasn’t even able to scream before the sand collapsed from under him, and he went hurtling down into the shadowy depths. He felt himself flip several times as he desperately tried to right himself and land on his paws, but he slammed harshly into the side of the chasm, rolling down a steep slope. Though he desperately tried to hold on, his momentum caused his claws to be ripped right out from his paws, and he shrieked in agony as he helplessly slid off the slope’s edge and plummeted deeper.
Sometime later, Emberpaw’s eyes opened. He couldn’t tell where he was at first, only that his entire body ached and his mouth tasted of blood. “Daypaw?” His voice was shaky. Was I ambushed?
The memory of the chasm rushed back to Emberpaw suddenly. He tried to leap to his paws, only for his back leg to arc with intense pain the moment he tried to put any weight on it. His throat felt too raw even to shout, so he settled for a hiss and sat back down, holding his injured leg out at an awkward angle. Though he didn’t have any training as a medicine cat, he was relatively sure that it was broken. Why did I never ask Sootfeather about what to do with a broken leg?
Emberpaw closed his eyes and tried to get his bearings. He felt the gashes all along the sides of his body, and his face felt itchy. When he touched it, his paw came away covered in drying blood. Drying? How long have I been down here? If it had been long enough for his blood to try, certainly Nightlight would be close to camp now, and then she would return with warriors to help him. That thought brought solace to his heart as he closed his eyes.
Everything sounded strange down in the chasm, as if Emberpaw had moss in his ears. “Hah…” He let out a deep sigh and carefully stood up, not letting his leg touch the ground. All of the injuries on his body made it feel like his fur was on fire, but that was okay. Soon, the warriors would be here and could help him home. Duneflare and Sootfeather would give him some herbs, and he’d be better in no time. There was a ringing in Emberpaw’s ears, like quiet birdsong, but he patiently ignored it.
Nightlight is going to be back soon, and I’ll be rescued.
Three days passed as Emberpaw repeated that line in his head. He could see the faint light from the sun above as it moved across the sky, but he never heard anyone call his name, and no one came down. He had already eaten the fish that had fallen below with him, and his stomach was clenched tight with hunger.
Eventually, Emberpaw’s aching heart hardened and cleared his mind. They’re not coming, are they? Of course not. It was too dangerous, and Solstar would never allow an able-bodied warrior to risk their life trying to rescue an apprentice who had never even caught a rabbit. With his head still throbbing and his chest stinging with some emotion he couldn’t name, Emberpaw made up his mind. I just have to make it home. I won’t be a burden to ScorchedClan any longer! Even he could make it out, somehow.
Taking a deep breath, Emberpaw shakily stood on his three good legs and began hobbling his way along the chasm’s side. There has to be somewhere that the chasm isn’t as deep. Once his claws healed a little more, he could scramble his way up the side and make it back home.
At the bottom, the chasm was narrow and only extended a few tail-lengths on either side, but it went as far as the eye could see. The chasm closed up near the top, but down below, there was a tunnel that Emberpaw stared down before resolutely walking in. The ground is sloping up, so it’ll open back up later. Just a little more, and I can go home. The thought of returning home was the only thing keeping Emberpaw going down the seemingly endless passageway, his body in agony as the untreated wounds protested his movement. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he walked. Whenever his body got tired, he slept, and he continued his solemn march when he woke up. His head felt fuzzy, and he knew he wasn’t thinking right, but it didn’t matter. All that matters is making it back home.
Everything was the same, no matter how far Emberpaw went. Water dribbled off the tunnel’s walls from somewhere unknown, sating his thirst, though he never found anything to eat. The stone tunnel itself felt as if it were pressing down on him at all times, threatening to collapse, and his body screamed in anguish no matter how long he rested. He could already feel the heat rising from a couple of the gashes, and he instinctively knew they were infected. I can’t wait to see Duneflare and Sootfeather. They’ll know what to do.
The thoughts of his Clanmates kept Emberpaw going. Nightlight and his littermates were probably out of their minds right now. Perhaps Silversmoke or Harestreak would have a patrol meet him down this tunnel and bring him back home. Solstar might have a change of heart and show him some affection…
As Emberpaw’s thoughts became more deluded, his body became more and more sluggish. The days without food were making him weaker. Just a little more…
Just as Emberpaw entertained the idea of laying down and giving up, he could feel the slightest wisp of wind on his whiskers. He thought of the times he would run alongside his littermates, relishing how the wind felt in his pelt. Then, the realization hit him. Wind! The tunnel opened back up! The way the ground had been sloping upward meant the chasm must only be a foxlength or so deep now. He could definitely make it out!
Despite the pain in his body, Emberpaw picked up his pace. A light appeared soon after the wind picked up, and Emberpaw almost sobbed in relief. Silversmoke might have posted a patrol at the chasm’s edge in case he made it to the more shallow edge. His head pounded, and he felt as if he were forgetting something, but that didn’t matter. This nightmare would be over soon…
As Emberpaw made it to the end of the tunnel, he burst through, expecting to see the edges of the chasm walls and a friendly face peering down at him.
What? As Emberpaw’s eyes adjusted to the light, his blood ran cold. He wasn’t just out of the tunnel – he was out of the chasm. It led to the grasslands! Almost sobbing, Emberpaw turned around, seeing the desert in the distance. I can go home.
A thought struck Emberpaw suddenly, and he stopped in his tracks. But… if the tunnel led here and no one had to jump down the chasm… Heart pounding, he sat down and tried to push down the hysteria rising in his chest. Then why didn’t they come for me?
The realization that ScorchedClan really had abandoned Emberpaw struck him like lightning. He stared at the desert in the distance, his heart throbbing, and he wailed his pain to the blue sky. As if that cry had been the last bit of strength in his body, Emberpaw collapsed onto the rocky ground. Am I going to die? It wasn’t the most unpleasant thought. It’s not like anyone is coming for me anyway. Would it be the infection that took him? Or a hungry coyote?
Emberpaw closed his eyes. He hoped his death would be peaceful, at the very least.
Sharp pain wrecked Emberpaw’s body sometime later. He didn’t want to open his eyes and see what terrible creature had found him. StarClan, can’t you take me now? He hadn’t really followed his father’s faith, but it would be nice to pretend there were some magic cats out there who could deliver him from the pain.
When the pain turned to irritating stinging, Emberpaw felt his frustration grow. Is a tortoise trying to eat me!? With a growl, he forced his eyes open and lifted his head to see what was attacking him.
“You’re awake? Good.” A black she-cat was crouched beside Emberpaw, pressing chewed herbs into his wounds. “You can chew these disgusting things yourself.” Without waiting for Emberpaw to respond, she used her tail to sweep a small mound of leaves and berries toward his mouth. “Swallow the berries, spit the leaves back out.”
“Who..?” Emberpaw tried to force the words out, but his throat was dry and sore. He coughed harshly, and the she-cat scoffed.
“Just eat those berries. I couldn’t drag your fat body all the way to the pond, so that’s all I could do for hydration.”
Emberpaw felt affronted at the stranger’s words. He wasn’t fat, just large. Still, as he bit into the sweet-tasting berries and started chewing on them, he realized the she-cat wasn’t lying when she said she couldn’t drag him.
Though the black she-cat was clearly older than him by many seasons, she was smaller than even Daypaw had been when they were new apprentices. Her body was littered with so many scars that Emberpaw had almost mistaken them for markings, and her eyes were full of mistrust and irritation.
“Um…” Once Emberpaw had eaten the berries and his throat was no longer dry, he tried speaking again. “Who are you?”
The she-cat’s yellow eyes darted to meet Emberpaw’s for a moment. “… Bunny.”
“Bunny?”
“Yeah.”
Emberpaw wanted to laugh, but he found he didn’t have the heart to. His emotions were still raw. After chewing on the leaves and obediently spitting them out for the she-cat, he asked, “Hey, Bunny?”
“What?” The she-cat was clearly annoyed even as she continued to treat Emberpaw’s wounds.
“I kind of wanted to die there, you know?”
Bunny scoffed and pressed her paw on Emberpaw’s broken leg, causing him to shriek. Her claws were sharp as they dug into his skin. “What would you know about death? You’re barely a kit. Stop being dramatic. Nothing is worth giving up on life over, so just shut up and let me fix these stupid wounds. Did you get into a fight with a badger or what?”
In all of his life, Emberpaw had never been spoken to so harshly before. He felt his fur warm up. “Y-you don’t know what I’ve been through! Sheathe your claws, will you?!”
“I don’t particularly care.” Bunny stretched out Emberpaw’s broken leg, causing him to wail and thrash, but that only worsened the pain. She did, in fact, not retract her claws, and they were hooked into his skin. “Stop moving so much, and let me bind this. Unless you want to lose your leg entirely? I can find a sharp rock and cut it off now.”
“What? No!” Emberpaw was appalled and tried to pull his leg away. “You can’t cut it off!”
Bunny’s whiskered twitched slightly. “See? I told you, you’re being dramatic. If you actually wanted to die, you wouldn’t care if I chopped off all your legs.” Emberpaw found he had no response, so he laid his head back down and let Bunny work on his injuries. Before too long, she was done.
“Okay. That’s everything.” Standing up, the black cat glanced down at Emberpaw. “When was the last time you ate?”
“… just a bit go. Those berries…”
“Berries don’t count!” Bunny said harshly. “When was the last time you ate any prey?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You don’t- ugh!” Bunny’s tail lashed as she turned. “Try not to die before I get back, okay?”
Emberpaw wasn’t able to respond before the she-cat sprang over some thistle and disappeared into the tall grasses. Blinking, he finally realized he wasn’t at the mouth of the tunnel anymore. Somehow, Bunny had actually dragged him to a secluded area of large purplish flowers that grew like stalks of grass. They smell so lovely… Lulled by the pain slowly leaving his body and the wonderful scent of the flowers, Emberpaw finally fell asleep.
“Get up.”
“No.”
“Ember.”
Emberpaw glared at Bunny, his tail lashing. “It’s Emberpaw. And leave me alone. My leg is still broken.”
“It’s already been a moon!” Bunny retorted. “It’s fine, and you know it. If you keep whining and not exercising, your muscle will drain away, and you’ll be useless.”
“You’ve already said I was useless.”
“Even more useless.”
Grumbling, Emberpaw hauled himself to his paws and gingerly put his leg down. He winced at the pain, but Bunny was right. The bone itself was healed. “I’m up. Happy?”
“Start moving.” Bunny turned and stalked out of the burrow they had taken refuge in. It once belonged to a badger or coyote, but Bunny and Emberpaw now lived there. They each had a nest of soft moss, which was much better than the pelts Emberpaw once used in the desert, and he had put several stalks of the sweet-smelling purple flower – beebalm, as Bunny told him it was named – into it.
Emberpaw hobbled around, trying to get used to walking on four paws again, and he eventually joined Bunny outside. She was basking on a sunlit stone, eyes closed, and her ear twitched as Emberpaw approached. “Oh good, you got up. Make five laps around the thistle circle.”
Knowing better than to argue, Emberpaw started walking along the perimeter of their little camp. It was ringed by dense thistle bushes – actually, the entire area had been filled with them, but Bunny had forced Emberpaw to remove the inner circle of plants to form a clearing. He shuddered as he thought of how many thorns he had accumulated in his pelt. Bunny hadn’t even helped him remove them.
Still, despite Bunny’s abrasive nature, she wasn’t cruel to Emberpaw. She gave him compliments and insults in equal measure, and she was quick to tell him when he was good at something. He did the physical work she was too small for, and she brought him prey. Sometimes it was crowfood, and sometimes it was warm – Emberpaw was acutely aware that Bunny wasn’t a particularly talented hunter. When the prey was warm, she must have stolen it from someone or something. Either way, he was always grateful to her.
As Emberpaw watched a butterfly flit past, he mulled over how lively the grasslands were compared to the desert. Though he had firmly pushed his former Clan out of his mind, his thoughts always returned to his homeland. It was desolate and hot, whereas the grassland burst with life. In the daytime, hummingbirds and butterflies filled the sky. At night, fireflies lit up the clearing with their mysterious glow. He had seen so many animals and plants he never knew existed, and that was just in the small clearing. Who knows what else is out there to see?
“Hey, Bunny?”
“Have you completed your laps already?”
“You would know if you opened your eyes.” Emberpaw had long since gotten used to this sort of bickering. He was relatively sure it was how she showed her affection – when they saw rogues, she just glared and said nothing else. “Anyway, when I’m healed, are we going to stay here?”
“Who said I’m staying with you?”
“I did.”
“Yes, I’m going to stay here.” Bunny finally opened her eyes. “There’s plenty of prey and water, and I don’t have to run through the desert here. The forest and marsh aren’t options since I can’t climb with these stupid claws, so we’ll stay here.”
Emberpaw subconsciously looked down at Bunny’s paws. Her claws, he had quickly learned, couldn’t retract. When she had dug her claws into him while tending to his leg, she hadn’t meant to. It just couldn’t be helped. “I’m glad. That means I didn’t remove those thistles for nothing.”
“It was for your training,” Bunny said before opening her eyes. “You’ve already done six laps.”
Blinking, Emberpaw realized she was right. “Oh. What now?” He secretly hoped she would approa
“Keep going until you pass out.”
I don’t know what I expected.