Midnight's P.O.V.

Dawn came up quicker then I wanted. I felt like I got no sleep at all, my muscles stiff and my body and face stung from the cuts. I had taken Dodger's body to the burial ground with Fawn and so had Fox and Blossom. Death was a a popular thing now-a-days, eh? Death can creep up on you and before you know it, your in agony. There's no good way to die; suffocating brings pain to your head and chest, wounds being pain to your body and head and starving brings pain to your stomach and makes you weak. Its terrible. The thought of dying brings chills to my body.

I sat on the ground and watched Leaf leave the Tribe. "Where you going?" I called to her. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes were filled with frustration and tiredness. 'Poor Leaf,' I thought, sizing her up. She looked skinnier then ever. "Need more medicine and to dig up the skulls of those who will no longer have meat on their heads." I nodded and watched her go. Her hip bones jutted out if her skin like she'd sharpened them and her cheek bones were also sticking out miserably. 'I'm going to fetch some prey for her.' I decided and I stood up; no one would be awake for a while so I'd have time.

Padding out of camp, I came to the bloody territory where the battle had occurred just last night. It seemed like it was moons ago. I tasted the air and no prey came to my senses.

So, I sat down and just thought.

Dodger, Soot and Thrush died in that battle. Lily, Kink, Slash and Shell were in critical condition, but not enough to be sure they were going to die. All four were strong and Leaf and Strike both were sure they'd pull through. WindClan and ThunderClan had taken our territory and it wasn't fair that they didn't give at least a bit of it back. They took the whole thing and didn't even ask, because of what StarClan had told them. It was ours first and we were sure going to take it back. If we had to loose over half of our warriors, it'd still be worth it. Not really, but you get the idea.

I shook my head to clear my head and I looked around. My pelt was hot already, and the sun wasn't even up fully yet. Today was going to be another hot day. I looked at the ground and I noticed the snow was gone, melted to slush and mud puddles. My nose twitched, there was a rabbit hopping around. I licked my lips. There were four more behind it. 'Hello, newleaf.'

I stalked down carefully onto the ground and pushed myself closer to the family of rabbits until I was so close I could almost taste their flesh. My mouth watered hungrily. I wriggled my haunches and pounced onto the biggest rabbit, snapping it's neck and killing it. I saw the four smaller rabbits dashing to the hole and I ran after them, tearing the muddy ground and grabbing another, killing it with a single killing bite.

I cursed softly as I realized the other three were gone. I retrieved the other rabbit and set then down beside the hole and buried them, climbing into the rabbit hole. I slowly went into the hole until I couldn't see. I was freaking out and I wanted so badly to back up and take the other two back to camp, but I knew the Tribe needed the prey.

I pushed forward, my heard hammering in my chest and eyes wide. The narrow path came to an opening and I heard soft, scared noises coming from in front of me. The three were trying to get out but I was blocking the way. I got down and followed my nose, jumping into the black air. I felt a soft object hit my paws but it slipped away. I dashed back to the opening and blocked it, slashing at a rabbit as it tried to get away. I heard it tumble away and I followed the noise, killing it and putting it in the path to get out. I sniffed to see if the other rabbits were still there, but the scent led out of the hole.

I picked up the prey and carefully stalked back out. I squinted at the sudden light and set the dead rabbit down, digging up the two other rabbits and carrying them to camp.

My neck was sore as I got up the trail, going into the camp and dropping the two smaller ones and taking the last one to Leaf's den. She should be back by now. I squeezed into the den and looked around. Lily, Kink, Slash and Shell laid peacefully in the nests, cramped in the back of the den. Slash seemed to be much better, Kink not so much. Shell and Lily didn't seem to heal at all from last night but that was to be expected.

I sat beside them and laid the fresh-kill down. Slash shifted as I sat down, tucking his nose further under his thick tail. I waited patiently until Leaf and Strike padded in. "Leaf, you haven't eaten for at least three to four days. I caught a rabbit for you and Strike." I insisted, nosing the dead rabbit toward her paws. She dipped her head and dropped the herbs. "Take the dead leaves out and make new piles." She ordered quietly, "After you're done eating, that is." Strike stopped taking herbs out and instantly started eating the rabbit. Leaf chowed down as well, ripping the white fur off and eating the cooling flesh.

I padded back out into the warm clearing, the sun was blazing down onto Mini and her kits were running around. She deserved the sleep. Shadow had explained to me that only a few WindClan cats came but they chased them off before any more damage was done - only the fresh-kill pile was raided and they had caught them destroying dens - but no real damage was done. No kits harmed and no herbs stolen.

I watched Ash play around with a dead stick, batting it gently and laying down. He always seemed to be down or bored. Sunshine and Froya circled each other, occasionally lashing out with claws unsheathed. Crow was watching with eyes narrowed, watching Sunshine carefully. He was very protective of his sister. Raven and Sorrel stalked around the camp, jumping at warriors whenever they got to.

I looked around. Most of the warriors - that weren't injured to badly - were out in the sun. Even though it was just after dawn, the sun was still blazing down on the camp, melting the snow and making puddles everywhere. With all that snow from the snow-drift, I wouldn't be surprised if we got a flood.

Water sounded good, actually. My black fur felt like it was on fire already, my tongue was dry and my throat was dying for water. I sighed, water would have to wait.

'Mostly border patrols... hunt in between...' I thought, eyes narrowed, looking around the camp for the perfect patrols.

"Whip, it's time you took a patrol out. Go check Jagged Rocks territory line with Moon and Thorn. Slash, take Wolf and Fawn to WindClan and catch some prey while your there. I will take Bella, Brindle and Adder out to the very edge of our territory and to the twolegplace." Slash looked over at Whip and hesitated but reluctantly got up and took out the patrol.

I got Bella, Brindle and Adder and padded out, leading them. It was even hotter out here, no shade ti take cover from the suns rays. I didn't want to complain because leaf-fall was harsher and less nice, but this heat was killing me. "This heat is just... terrible!" Adder groaned, panting.

Ignoring his comment, I looked for a water source as we came to the very edge of our territory. The edge of territory was some sort of... end in it. It keeps getting smaller as twolegs begin to take over. The twoleg dens were being built outside of our territory, and as much as we wanted it to stay that way, we all knew that the day when they bring their monsters over will come and they'll take over our territory fully. WindClan's too, hopefully.

A small lake type thing was just outside of our territory, and since it was taken by no one, I kept going. We all knew what was beyond the territory line, other then twolegs and their noisy monsters. Huge grey dogs and vicious cats, but the cats we could handle. Done it before, we'd do it again. But the dogs, they are very, very vicious. Ivy's father left to become a kittypet and screeches had filled the air as his body was ripped apart. Nursery-tale after nursery-tale had passed on the story but no one really knows if it was the dogs. 

I mean, almost everyone who has passed the territory line has faced them but they never do come near our camp... except with Mystery and all but they always go back to where they came from. No one really knows where they came from. 

Many cats had said they went up to the "Moonpool" and stayed just behind it, or that they live with twolegs, but no one knows for sure. 

I realized I had stopped just past the border as my thoughts were interrupted by harsh whispers. "Midnight! Midnight, don't go past the territory line!" Brindle hissed softly and I turned to her. "You know whats back there, those wolf things! Don't go over there!" Adder nodded and Bella looked worried but didn't say anything.

"I need a drink. I'm the only one with a long haired-black pelt in this patrol and I am dying of heat." I replied, padding slowly and wearily over to the smallish puddle. It was drained most of its water but I could reach down and get to it. I Circled it and looked around, pricking my ears for sounds beyond the twolegplace. Nothing.

I stretched my neck and opened my mouth. It smelled like algae, but I didn't care. It seeped to be a small little marsh type thing. I lapped at the water and felt satisfied as the water slitered down my throat and cooled my stomach. I moved my paw to get a better grip at the soft grassy ground and my front paws slipped off the edge and I fell into the mucky water. 

'I needed a drink, not a swim!' I cursed softly and splashed desperately at the waters surface, clawing at the muddy sides. I looked up at the blue sky and looked for a way out. I splashed around and looked below me. My legs thrashed but there was nothing for me to stand on. The water seeped from my head to my eyes and mouth and as I thrashed around, the water began to pull me under.

"Midnight! Are you okay?' Adder gasped, his voice echoing on the muddy walls. "I'm fine, get someone to help pull me out!" I replied. My legs burned with the effort of trying to stay afloat and finally my legs just stopped kicking. "I'll be right back, keep an eye on him!" I heard Bella yell. Her call sounded far away and I looked up and saw Adder and Brindle's head pop over the edge. "Midnight?" Brindle called. 

My eyes stung as I tried to watch them through the murky water. "Gaah!" I screamed through the liquid, bubbles sliding out of my lungs and to the surface. I touched the bottom and then my lungs screamed at me to get air. My head pounded and my heart lurched as I pushed off of the bottom, slimy weeds wrapping around my ankles effortlessly. Half of my body broke the surface of the water and I gasped for air. I couched up water but I knew if I didn't get out soon, I'd be a goner. 

I coughed and coughed until my throat hurt so bad I thought I had swallowed thorns instead of water.

"Midnight! I'm coming down there, hold on!" Adder yelped but I knew Brindle would never let it happen. 'Where is Bella?' I thought. I thrashed at the water and I clung to the wall of mud. I got a grip and hope sparked in my chest. I pulled up, grabbing the wall with my hind legs as well. "Keep going!" Brindle called and my muscles burned and ached. My arms were using all the strength they had and the mud was slippery. 

I groaned in effort. I sunk my claws deeper into the mud and pulled myself up farther, whipping my arm up higher. "That's it, almost there..." Adder meowed, I didn't dare look up at him, or I'd fall. I hooked my other arm into the mud and just as I pulled myself up, my paw slipped and before I knew it, I was in the water's grasp once again. 

My head smashed against the muddy wall and my mouth gaped open, letting out all the air I had. My body sunk into the water and I opened my eyes just a bit. The sun's rays beamed into the puddle, shinning the water around me, making the mud glisten. Claw marks where I had gripped and fallen were darker then the rest of the mud, almost black. I looked over to where Adder and Brindle was and saw that Adder had his head stretched down still. My heart ached. He almost had me.

I remembered a time when Fawn and Dodger and I had been stalking around the territory alone at night, how we had had jumping contests and fighting contests. 'Dodger...' For a heartbeat, I imagined me being with him and I breathed in, the sting as water filled my nose and lungs. I gasped and drank more in. I was drowning.

I coughed in the water and then breathed in. I was panicking and I thrashed my legs around. My hind leg connected with a rock at the bottom and I looked around. My lungs screamed, head pounded and my heart hammered. I heard voices above the water screaming at me but I couldn'ty find a way to let them know I was okay. 

My face felt hot and I was getting dizzier. My vision was getting darker and I looked up at the bright blue sky. It was turning whiter, but at the same time my vision was getting blacker. 

As black as midnight.

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