lions inside [c]

Muddythorn could do nothing other than stare in shock as the branch came crashing down, with Wolfstar underneath. With a loud noise, the branch fell on both Ashstorm and the leader. He felt it whoosh past him, luckily missing his actual body. "I'm fine Beechface! Don't think Wolfstar is though..." He added in a small voice. Even though the apprentice felt bad, he still found himself thanking Starclan that, for all the cats the tree could have hit, it was the one of them that had lives to spare. For some reason, he wasn't really in the mood to irreversibly lose a clanmate today.

He ran around to the other side of the branch where Beechface was, hoping to be of some help at moving it. At first, he just tried to shove it with his shoulder, but the tree was a lot heavier than it first looked. "Push at the same time as me, I can't get it to move on my own." His voice was much more shaky than his mentor's seemingly calm one. Before, he heaved again, he glanced down at Wolfstar and a shiver went through him. It was one thing knowing your leader should come back, but it didn't stop the fact that, even if it was only momentarily, he had died. Closing his eyes this time, he pushed again. It would do no use to leave him under the tree.

Darkness.

Wolfstar opened his eyes to darkness. At first, panic overtook him, and he stumbled forward blindly on heavy paws, claws sheathing and unsheathing as a terrible pain wracked his body. Every muscle, bone, tendon, ached, and each time he drew breath, it was like a badger sat upon his chest. He fought to grip the ground beneath his paws until finally, dizzily, he collapsed, legs beneath him, head swimming dizzyingly. For several moments he lay there, fighting for breath, before eventually, little by little, his lungs cleared, the pain faded, and when he opened his eyes once more, he saw stars.

A sigh of relief, and he blinked several times before everything came into focus. He knew where he was, and what had happened before he woke up here - this had to be StarClan. But if that was the case, where..?

His head swung upwards, and with a sigh of relief he met the familiar bright yellow eyes of his mother. "Murkpelt,"

"Wolfstar," she murmured affectionately.

He struggled to his paws, expecting pain, but there was none. Instead, he was met with his mother's forehead against his own, her worried purr rumbling against him. "I wish I didn't have to see you like this, but I am glad to see you, son."

Wolfstar fell to his haunches, his ears back, and pulled away, his brow furrowing. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him, fluffy tail flicking across his maw. "I know you have to go... so, go... try not to come back too soon," she turned, pressing her nose to his forehead, and then it went dark again.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in SkyClan's territory. He heard panicked noises, voices, and groaned, writhing beneath whatever it was that pinned him to the ground. "Beechf-" his voice faltered, he coughed, lungs tight and painful again.