Shattered Sky/Chapter 8

==Chapter description==
:Twigpaw's leg aches as the sun goes down, and she's very tired and thirsty. When she snuck out through the dirtplace tunnel, the apprentice had suspected that Brightheart, the cat on guard, would have caught her. She feels guilty as she walks farther from camp, knowing that Ivypool and Alderheart would be worried. Twigpaw summons the determination to keep going, telling herself that if the two cats really cared about her, they would've put more effort into finding her kin. The she-cat picks up her pace, pain throbbing through her leg. She has left the lake far behind; all of her surroundings are new an unfamiliar, causing her fur to bristle at every noise in the undergrowth. Twigpaw tries to remember the route she, Alderheart, and Ivypool had taken before, thinking to herself that she only knows the way to the tunnel under the Thunderpath. After that, she remembers that SkyClan had once taken shelter in a barn, but she knows nothing more. Twigpaw pauses, wondering if she's being mouse-brained, and if she should turn back and return to ThunderClan. She then comes to the conclusion that she needs her kin more than ever, as Violetpaw is in ShadowClan. There's a possibility she'll have a father, and Twigpaw decides that would be wonderful.
:Twigpaw thinks of Alderheart and Bramblestar's relationship, noting how they argue frequently, but love each other very much. The she-cat suddenly arrives at a stream, hissing that she hates getting her paws wet. Even the stream on the WindClan border reminds her of the time she almost drowned in the lake. On the way to Gatherings, her Clanmates were there to protect her from drowning. Now, Twigpaw is alone with nobody to help her if she gets into trouble. The apprentice imagines her father standing next to her, encouraging her to cross. She wades into the stream, the current tugging at her fur. As she climbs out on the far bank, pride floods through her as she imagines her father's nod of approval.
:Suddenly, Twigpaw hears a noise similar to the barking of a fox, but deeper. She turns around to see three lean, muscular creatures with short fur and sharp teeth bounding towards her. The apprentice spins around and dashes away, ignoring the pain in her injured leg. Twigpaw wonders if the creatures are dogs, remembering how Ivypool had told her about them. The she-cat thinks that she's never seen one before, let alone three, and these dogs look very hungry. As the gray cat runs, she sees a Thunderpath in the distance, realizing she'll be trapped between that and the dogs. Twigpaw casts a glance over her shoulder; the dogs are gaining on her. The only thing she sees that could help her is a tree next to the Thunderpath, and she remembers Ivypool telling her that dogs can't climb trees. The apprentice races toward the tree, hoping the creatures are dogs, and that her mentor was right.
:Twigpaw reaches the tree, scrambling up the trunk. A dog snaps at her tail, but she whisks it away just in time. Safe in the branches, she looks down at the dogs, thanking Ivypool for her advice. The gray she-cat's heart pounds from fear and excitement, and she climbs higher just to be safe. Twigpaw's confidence returns; she tells the dogs to bark off. High up in the tree, leaves cluster around her, and she mutters that she needs to find somewhere where she can see better, wondering if she'd be able to see the barn from Alderheart's vision. Twigpaw edges her way farther along the branch, but sees nothing in the distance that might help her find the right direction. The apprentice looks down, watching the monsters roar past her. She gags on the acrid fumes coming from them, and her head begins to spin. The she-cat tries to go back to the safety of the crisscrossing branches, but her paws feel clumsy, and the branch shifts under her.
:Twigpaw tries to edge backwards, but her paws slip, and she lands with a thump on the Thunderpath. Dazed, the gray cat looks up to see a huge monster bearing towards her, the Twolegs inside staring and their jaws wide open as if they're yowling. The she-cat thinks they look terrified, and the monster is still hungry after it has eaten them. The monster comes rushing toward her, and the world vanishes into darkness.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:Shattered Sky
Category:A Vision of Shadows arc
Category:Chapter subpages