- Apr 2, 2023
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Mosspaw's paws hurt from walking along the cave floor for so long by the time they decided to rest. The rest of the group seemed to think it was night time, or close enough anyway, and she had just nodded along with them even though she really had no idea before shuffling off to find somewhere to lay. She had barely exchanged a word with the rest of them since they all got trapped together. She had not said much of anything at all since they all got trapped together. An empty feeling had settled over her that weighted her down almost too much to speak. It was all she could do to keep putting one paw in front of the other.
Letting out a shaky breath, she curled tightly in on herself, trying to find some comfort by wrapping her tail around her body. She found little of it in the hard stone beneath her. Her sleep last night had been fitful, and tonight looked to be no different. More than anything she wished she were back in her nest in Riverclan. The days before she set off on this journey seemed like dream to her now. All she had to worry about back then was keeping up with her training and keeping her siblings out of trouble. Every day she had known exactly what she needed to do, and had done it to the best of her ability. Everything had been alright. Hazecloud, Lakemoon, Iciclefang, Dovethroat, Fernpaw; they had all been safe and alive.
They were safe and alive, she reminded herself harshly, she had to believe that.
Not wanting to think about their fate any longer, she turned her thoughts instead to her family. It made her heart ache to remember them, but it made her feel a touch better too. The warmth of their goodbye's was a comfort against the cold of the cave. Her mothers' had both praised her for volunteering. They had said she was strong and brave. Trapped in the darkness that rendered her utterly helpless, Mosspaw did not feel strong or brave, not right now. She had caught some prey for the group, but really she had relied entirely on the others to guide her. She listened to their every decision silently and followed along. That was the only hope she had to survive and make it out of this cave, and it was a faint hope.
The one promise she had made to her parents was that she would come home safe, and now she was not sure if she would be able to do even that. She might never see them again.
Mosspaw began to cry. It was only a tear or two at first, and that much she allowed herself. In the dark no one would see it after all. Once the dam broke though, she found that she could not stop it, as more and more began pouring forth. She curled up even tighter in an attempt to stifle the sound as her body was wracked with soft sobs. Everything else fell away, and for the moment she was just a young girl who desperately wished she could go home.
Letting out a shaky breath, she curled tightly in on herself, trying to find some comfort by wrapping her tail around her body. She found little of it in the hard stone beneath her. Her sleep last night had been fitful, and tonight looked to be no different. More than anything she wished she were back in her nest in Riverclan. The days before she set off on this journey seemed like dream to her now. All she had to worry about back then was keeping up with her training and keeping her siblings out of trouble. Every day she had known exactly what she needed to do, and had done it to the best of her ability. Everything had been alright. Hazecloud, Lakemoon, Iciclefang, Dovethroat, Fernpaw; they had all been safe and alive.
They were safe and alive, she reminded herself harshly, she had to believe that.
Not wanting to think about their fate any longer, she turned her thoughts instead to her family. It made her heart ache to remember them, but it made her feel a touch better too. The warmth of their goodbye's was a comfort against the cold of the cave. Her mothers' had both praised her for volunteering. They had said she was strong and brave. Trapped in the darkness that rendered her utterly helpless, Mosspaw did not feel strong or brave, not right now. She had caught some prey for the group, but really she had relied entirely on the others to guide her. She listened to their every decision silently and followed along. That was the only hope she had to survive and make it out of this cave, and it was a faint hope.
The one promise she had made to her parents was that she would come home safe, and now she was not sure if she would be able to do even that. She might never see them again.
Mosspaw began to cry. It was only a tear or two at first, and that much she allowed herself. In the dark no one would see it after all. Once the dam broke though, she found that she could not stop it, as more and more began pouring forth. She curled up even tighter in an attempt to stifle the sound as her body was wracked with soft sobs. Everything else fell away, and for the moment she was just a young girl who desperately wished she could go home.
