where stars tread (s)

Frostpaw blinked her eyes open.

She felt… light. Empty. As if the sickness inside of her had been clawed out, and nothing had replaced it. The world still spun, and it was so so bright, but the heat in her chest was gone, leaving some strange, empty feeling. Huh. Maybe Heatherberry’s herbs had finally worked?

Wait.

The forest stretching out around her was covered with stars.

Hmm. She felt like she really ought to be panicking about this, but all Frostpaw could bring herself to feel was tired. So this was it, huh? Lead a short, sickly life, to die in agony far from home; not that it mattered. She curled up again, content to let the cool mud press against her flank and watch the birds roost overhead, mind distant and unruffled. She should be panicking. Why wasn’t she panicking? Should she try to? That was what one was supposed to do, right?

She was dead.

Her heart beat a little faster, and Frostpaw woke up.