Trials of Mine (echo within yours)

That night, Beechfang collapsed in SkyClan’s camp, resting her cold and weary bones in her nest. Her lids closed heavily. When her tossing and turning was done, they lifted once more. Her den was gone.

Sleep tugged at her limbs. The night was pleasantly cool, a warm breeze occasionally stirring the brambles that sheltered her. Slumbering forms around her rose and fell in rhythmic breaths. Beneath their soft signs was the sound of heavy rain battering the world outside. Overhead, a crack of lightning told the story of the storm. The forms, the brambles, the air—it wasn’t hers. None of it was hers.

Beechfang was not an easy sleeper on the best of days, but perhaps the long day of training in the cold had worn her down enough tonight. She was out almost the moment her head hit her nest.

The first thing she noticed when she blinked awake was that the nest she was curled in felt wrong. Not quite right in shape, and the air around her was pleasantly cool, which made it far warmer than it had been when she'd fell into her nest that night. Scents of unfamiliar cats around her pulled her the rest of the way out of sleep, and Beechfang let out an annoyed huff. The scents around her were just a bit too earthy to be Skyclan. The smell seemed more like Thunderclan, almost.

Her eye narrowed as she contemplated, head lifting to survey surroundings that confirmed she was definitely not anywhere in Skyclan's camp, let along Skyclan territory. The shapes of unfamiliar cats were all around her, and the sound of heavy rain made her ears flick back in dismay. The sudden crack of thunder made her flinch, wide eye turning toward the den entrance. It wasn't the sound of thunder that scared her, but rather the bright flash visible outside the den walls that made her long fur stand on end.

"Oh foxdung," She muttered sourly, curling in upon herself tightly. She wanted no part of whatever strange nightmare this was likely turning out to be. If it was Starclan trying to warn her of something, well, they could take their warning and shove it where the sun didn't shine, as far as Beechfang cared. She closed her eyes tightly. If she managed to fall back asleep, she'd wake up in her own den, right? A night of little sleep was better than whatever unwanted dream her subconscious mind had managed to create.