Jayfeather blinked his eyes open to darkness, his body aching too much to move. Having no idea what was around him, he sighed inwardly, in too much pain for even that. How had he managed to talk to Snowpaw earlier.
"Jayfeather!" Leafpool must have been there and notice him open his eyes, because her paws thundered on the ground toward him. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"
Though it sapped all the energy from him when he spoke, he summoned his strength. "Didn't I already tell you this?" he asked, wincing at the throbbing in his chest.
Through his pain, he could hear her sigh impatiently, "The more you're difficult, the longer you'll have to suffer." Jayfeather sighed, knowing she talked sense.
Faintly, he heard a voice fro outside. "Leafpool?" his brother's gentle voice sounded.
Leafpool ushered out of her den to talk to Lionblaze and, straining his ears, Jayfeather listened to what they were saying.
"How is he?"
"Irritable as always. He's awake right now, if you want to see him."
Pawsteps thudded on the ground and Jayfeather felt warm air brush against his cheek. "Jayfeather?" he heard a soft voice murmur. "Are you okay?"
His heart warmed as he realized just how much Lionblaze cared for him. "Bad," he admitted. Reluctantly, Jayfeather let himself wander into his brother's mind. Surprisingly, there was no hatred buried under that spontaneous affection, only fear. Where was Lionblaze's uncontrollable fury?
Lionblaze must have known that Jayfeather was reading his thoughts, because he could feel a darkness swooping between them. A slight frown bore into him from above.
"Even when you're hurt, you manage to irritate me," Lionblaze remarked. Sympathy took over the rest of his thoughts. "You will be fine, won't you?"
For a moment, Jayfeather wondered if he should just say that he would, but then realized he couldn't, not to him. "Only if nothing is broken," he reminded him calmly, hoping that Lionblaze wouldn't overreact.
A long sigh echoed above him, then a quick lick on top of his head, and pawsteps out the entrance. "Lionblaze!" Leafpool called him back sharply.
"Yes?" the muffled voice came in reply.
"I'll need your help with him."
What does she need Lionblaze's help in? Jayfeather pondered.
He stiffened as the two cats padded over to him. "I need you to hold him down as strongly as you can," Leafpool instructed. "I need to check on him, and it will hurt. I don't want to get clawed by him."
Before Jayfeather could protest, Lionblaze held him down and Leafpool flashed out her paw and rubbed hard on the side of his chest, back and forth. He was aware of consciousness slipping away from him as the excruciating pain took control of him and he writhed under Lionblaze's powerful forelegs.
Through his pain, he could hear her sigh impatiently, "The more you're difficult, the longer you'll have to suffer." Jayfeather sighed, knowing she talked sense.
Faintly, he heard a voice fro outside. "Leafpool?" his brother's gentle voice sounded.
Leafpool ushered out of her den to talk to Lionblaze and, straining his ears, Jayfeather listened to what they were saying.
"How is he?"
"Irritable as always. He's awake right now, if you want to see him."
Pawsteps thudded on the ground and Jayfeather felt warm air brush against his cheek. "Jayfeather?" he heard a soft voice murmur. "Are you okay?"
His heart warmed as he realized just how much Lionblaze cared for him. "Bad," he admitted. Reluctantly, Jayfeather let himself wander into his brother's mind. Surprisingly, there was no hatred buried under that spontaneous affection, only fear. Where was Lionblaze's uncontrollable fury?
Lionblaze must have known that Jayfeather was reading his thoughts, because he could feel a darkness swooping between them. A slight frown bore into him from above.
"Even when you're hurt, you manage to irritate me," Lionblaze remarked. Sympathy took over the rest of his thoughts. "You will be fine, won't you?"
For a moment, Jayfeather wondered if he should just say that he would, but then realized he couldn't, not to him. "Only if nothing is broken," he reminded him calmly, hoping that Lionblaze wouldn't overreact.
A long sigh echoed above him, then a quick lick on top of his head, and pawsteps out the entrance. "Lionblaze!" Leafpool called him back sharply.
"Yes?" the muffled voice came in reply.
"I'll need your help with him."
What does she need Lionblaze's help in? Jayfeather pondered.
He stiffened as the two cats padded over to him. "I need you to hold him down as strongly as you can," Leafpool instructed. "I need to check on him, and it will hurt. I don't want to get clawed by him."
Before Jayfeather could protest, Lionblaze held him down and Leafpool flashed out her paw and rubbed hard on the side of his chest, back and forth. He was aware of consciousness slipping away from him as the excruciating pain took control of him and he writhed under Lionblaze's powerful forelegs.
By the time she stopped, relief flashed from Leafpool's pelt. "It's not broken," she breathed. He breathed out a sigh of slight relief but Lionblaze's relief was overwhelming.
Purring as Lionblaze nuzzled him happily, Jayfeather gave him a quick, strained lick on the top of his head. But Leafpool pushed Lionblaze out of the way and said, "We still need to fix him. It's almost as bad," she said grimly. "It's dislocated. And putting it back..." she trailed off, shuddering.
Jayfeather flicked his tail to dismiss Lionblaze. Once he was gone, he asked Leafpool, "How do you think you're going to do it?"
Her voice was shaky as she replied. "We'll have to smash a rock where the bone juts out to get it back since we can't yank it."
Realization poured onto Jayfeather as he realized that, although he had survived Petalfur's attack, it would be probably worse trying to recover. "When?" he asked feebly.
"You'll get better much faster the sooner we put it back in place."
He shook his head. "Not now," he begged. He could tell his mother was just as afraid and didn't want to. The normal anger towards her didn't seem to be coming. Most likely he just didn't have enough strength.
"The longer we wait, the worse it will get when we finally do it."
He sighed, resigned, and squeezed shut his eyes tightly. "Go ahead," he whimpered.
"Turn over onto your belly," she instructed, pity filling her voice. As he did as he was told, he heard Leafpool grasping a rock between both her paws and heaving it upward. "Ready?" she panted. He didn't have to respond, because suddenly a weight hit him on his chest, knocking the breath out of him. Agony surged through him as he struggled for air. Then all went quiet.
A ruffling on his fur woke Jayfeather up. "Snowpaw?" he croaked, unable to recognize the scent, but able to tell it was a she-cat but not Leafpool.
"It's Willowshine," he heard a strong voice respond. Why is Willowshine here? he wondered, confused. "I came for some herbs," she went on, as if she were answering him. "I figured I'd help you a little." Was that affection he heard in her voice? "How are you feeling?" she concluded, settling down next to him.
The pain was dull and his chest didn't hurt anymore. "Better." he spoke softly, and breathed in the warm scent of her fur.
She stood up. "Come with me," he heard a whisper.
Jayfeather struggled to get to his paws, and he felt a little shove from his side. He felt weak back standing, unable to hold himself up. How long have I been unconscious? he wondered.
Leaning heavily on Willowshine, he stumbled out the camp letting her lead him. His paws felt heavy under him, and he finally asked, "Where are you taking me?"
"Only somewhere where no one will see us. You'll be back before any cat notices," she assured him. A purr rising in his throat, he forced himself to hurry his pawsteps. "We'll go into that bush," she said, even though he couldn't see it.
Jayfeather crept in and fell asleep immediately, only aware of Willowshine breathing next to him for a moment.
"Jayfeather!" Willowshine hissed in the middle of the night.
Lifting his head, he asked sleepily, "What?"
"Shh! There's a cat outside!"
Before Jayfeather could respond, a rustling and a shocked voice startled him. "Jayfeather? Willowshine? What are you doing here?"
"Er...," was Jayfeather's only response.
The growing realization on Lionblaze's pelt led to anger. "Why?" he asked him furiously.
Willowshine spoke up quickly. "Lionblaze, I-"
He cut her off. "Go back to your clan. They must be worried," he said with a growl. "And Jayfeather, come back before any cat realizes you're gone!" He leaned over and helped Jayfeather up.
"But-" he started to protest but stopped when Lionblaze's tail covered his mouth.
Slowly waking up, Jayfeather realized his brother was right. He had to end this now before things got too hard. "Willowshine?" he called.
"Yes?" she asked sorrowfully. She was padding slowly back in the direction of the RiverClan camp.
He wobbled up to her and touched noses with her, aware of Lionblaze's gaze burning into his back. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "We can't do this."
"I know...," he heard. Then a rush of pawsteps told him that she had left.
Fur brushed against his. "Are you okay?" Lionblaze growled. Jayfeather just nodded and let his brother guide him back to camp.
Purring as Lionblaze nuzzled him happily, Jayfeather gave him a quick, strained lick on the top of his head. But Leafpool pushed Lionblaze out of the way and said, "We still need to fix him. It's almost as bad," she said grimly. "It's dislocated. And putting it back..." she trailed off, shuddering.
Jayfeather flicked his tail to dismiss Lionblaze. Once he was gone, he asked Leafpool, "How do you think you're going to do it?"
Her voice was shaky as she replied. "We'll have to smash a rock where the bone juts out to get it back since we can't yank it."
Realization poured onto Jayfeather as he realized that, although he had survived Petalfur's attack, it would be probably worse trying to recover. "When?" he asked feebly.
"You'll get better much faster the sooner we put it back in place."
He shook his head. "Not now," he begged. He could tell his mother was just as afraid and didn't want to. The normal anger towards her didn't seem to be coming. Most likely he just didn't have enough strength.
"The longer we wait, the worse it will get when we finally do it."
He sighed, resigned, and squeezed shut his eyes tightly. "Go ahead," he whimpered.
"Turn over onto your belly," she instructed, pity filling her voice. As he did as he was told, he heard Leafpool grasping a rock between both her paws and heaving it upward. "Ready?" she panted. He didn't have to respond, because suddenly a weight hit him on his chest, knocking the breath out of him. Agony surged through him as he struggled for air. Then all went quiet.
A ruffling on his fur woke Jayfeather up. "Snowpaw?" he croaked, unable to recognize the scent, but able to tell it was a she-cat but not Leafpool.
"It's Willowshine," he heard a strong voice respond. Why is Willowshine here? he wondered, confused. "I came for some herbs," she went on, as if she were answering him. "I figured I'd help you a little." Was that affection he heard in her voice? "How are you feeling?" she concluded, settling down next to him.
The pain was dull and his chest didn't hurt anymore. "Better." he spoke softly, and breathed in the warm scent of her fur.
She stood up. "Come with me," he heard a whisper.
Jayfeather struggled to get to his paws, and he felt a little shove from his side. He felt weak back standing, unable to hold himself up. How long have I been unconscious? he wondered.
Leaning heavily on Willowshine, he stumbled out the camp letting her lead him. His paws felt heavy under him, and he finally asked, "Where are you taking me?"
"Only somewhere where no one will see us. You'll be back before any cat notices," she assured him. A purr rising in his throat, he forced himself to hurry his pawsteps. "We'll go into that bush," she said, even though he couldn't see it.
Jayfeather crept in and fell asleep immediately, only aware of Willowshine breathing next to him for a moment.
"Jayfeather!" Willowshine hissed in the middle of the night.
Lifting his head, he asked sleepily, "What?"
"Shh! There's a cat outside!"
Before Jayfeather could respond, a rustling and a shocked voice startled him. "Jayfeather? Willowshine? What are you doing here?"
"Er...," was Jayfeather's only response.
The growing realization on Lionblaze's pelt led to anger. "Why?" he asked him furiously.
Willowshine spoke up quickly. "Lionblaze, I-"
He cut her off. "Go back to your clan. They must be worried," he said with a growl. "And Jayfeather, come back before any cat realizes you're gone!" He leaned over and helped Jayfeather up.
"But-" he started to protest but stopped when Lionblaze's tail covered his mouth.
Slowly waking up, Jayfeather realized his brother was right. He had to end this now before things got too hard. "Willowshine?" he called.
"Yes?" she asked sorrowfully. She was padding slowly back in the direction of the RiverClan camp.
He wobbled up to her and touched noses with her, aware of Lionblaze's gaze burning into his back. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "We can't do this."
"I know...," he heard. Then a rush of pawsteps told him that she had left.
Fur brushed against his. "Are you okay?" Lionblaze growled. Jayfeather just nodded and let his brother guide him back to camp.
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