Long Shadows/Chapter 14

Chapter Summary
Jaypaw's PoV


 * Jaypaw is exhausted after scraping all of the bedding out of the elder's den. He walks up to his mentor, Leafpool, who tells Jaypaw to rest, since Cinderheart and Brambleclaw brought in fresh moss. He opens his mouth to object, and says that he would like to go out. Leafpool tells him to be careful. Jaypaw wishes that Leafpool would stop mothering him, and says that he has Squirrelflight to do that. He goes through the tunnel and passes Whitewing and Birchfall. The mottled gray tom heads for the lake. Jaypaw carefully finds his way towards his stick. He hears whispers and Rock if he has a message. His head spins, full of thoughts about everything that has happened. He then asks Rock if the Clans have always fought one battle after the other. Jaypaw continues to hear the whispering, and asks the voices what their use is if he can't hear them. He closes his eyes, his head resting on the stick.


 * His wet belly fur wakes up Jaypaw, who finds himself in the tunnels. He realizes that Rock isn't on the ledge, and notes that he's nowhere in the caves. Jaypaw hears soft paw steps coming from behind him. He turns around to see Fallen Leaves. The ginger-and-white tom sadly says that he thought Jaypaw wasn't going to come back, and asks him if he's going to stay. Jaypaw feels a stab of sympathy for Fallen Leaves. He wonders what it would be like to be trapped in the tunnels alone. He recalls the time when Fallen Leaves helped him, his littermates, and the WindClan cats find the missing kits. Jaypaw asks the ancient cat what happened to his Clammates. Fallen Leaves replies that he doesn't know, and that Jaypaw and his friends were the only cats he'd seen for a while. Jaypaw meows that he has to now what happened. He thinks about the prophecy and he has a feeling that it's somehow linked to The Ancients. He brushes passed Fallen Leaves and heads toward ThunderClan territory through the tunnels. Fallen Leaves is tells Jaypaw to wait, but Jaypaw keeps going and mutters that he has better things to do than hang out with Fallen Leaves. As he heads towards the light, he hears voices. One cat calls out to him, calling him Jay's Wing.