The medicine cat held tightly onto his breath. He could barely keep his eyes open.
But the figure didn't seem to respond hostile to his offer. Instead, Spiderpaw took a pace back until he saw one faint paw, and then another.
The shadows fell back for a second and Spiderpaw had to collect his thoughts.
A dark, crimson she-cat with damaged skin and fur was standing before him. Her eyes glew the deepest green, coated with the deepest emotion Spiderpaw couldn't understand. The she-cat wasn't much taller than he was. Her legs were slim and covered with cuts and wounds, and her ears were pointed with unease, but Spiderpaw, for a second, didn't feel as threatened as he did before.
He knew exactly who he was standing before.
"Is that really you?" Spiderpaw uttered barely. "Redshade?"
"You're in shock, Spiderpaw," the she-cat replied. "Sit down and collect your breaths."
Spiderpaw couldn't believe what he was hearing. Too shocked to refuse, he immediately sat down and tried to get himself together and come to terms with what was happening.
"How do you know my name?"
Redshade sat down before him. Spiderpaw felt pierced by the glow that her eyes gave off. Heronkit was still shaking behind him.
"You've been here before," Redshade murmured. "But I want to know why you have returned."
Spiderpaw felt even sicker when Redshade paused and her eyes narrowed into angry cuts. "Especially you, Heronkit."
Heronkit stuttered. "After I wasn't allowed to talk to you - I - I didn't know what was going on anymore."
Redshade seemed to simmer down a little.
"You never mentioned this," Spiderpaw stammered.
"Of course not," Redshade meowed. "The poor kit tries to keep everything a secret."
Spiderpaw tried to look the shadow in the eyes - but he couldn't. "Was she meant to?"
"If the choice were mine, she wouldn't have known in the first place," she meowed.
Spiderpaw felt a question burn within him. The situation felt so tense, but he couldn't resist himself.
"Did Ashpaw find you?"
The glow in Redshade's eyes lit up a little. She didn't beam and her face stayed cold, but as she spoke, Spiderpaw could hear a sense in her voice that was nicer than the petrifying place he was in.
"Yes," Redshade replied. "He did."
"Is he here?" Spiderpaw asked. "I'd love to know if he's okay."
Redshade paused. "He's fine," she meowed. "But he's no longer here."
Spiderpaw tilted his head. He wasn't sure what to make of the she-cat's statement.
"What do you mean?"
"I did what I had to do," Redshade grumbled.
Spiderpaw felt too shocked to ask further. But Redshade seemed to sense the panic in his eyes. "Don't assume the wrong thing," she meowed. "I have returned him to where he belongs."
Heronkit let out a small gasp of panic, and Spiderpaw was shocked when she stepped forwards. "You were caught?"
Redshade dipped her head. "He wasn't meant to be here. He was devastated when I returned him."
Redshade took a pause and turned away. Spiderpaw could make out several scratches on her neck. "He thought I didn't love him and I was returning him because I couldn't be bothered with him."
Spiderpaw and Heronkit were both silent. Spiderpaw felt as if his eyes turned to ice as Redshade continued, her voice silent with despair.
"I didn't want him here. I know he won't be happy without kin in StarClan, but I would rather fade away than have him stay here. If he saw the punishment I got for protecting him..."
"If he was trained here..."
Spiderpaw tried his very hardest to speak.
"You mentioned StarClan," Spiderpaw meowed. "From my understanding, StarClan isn't just divided..."
Redshade cut him off, but he heard exactly what he expected.
"We aren't StarClan," she murmured. "We are the Place of No Stars."
Spiderpaw nodded his head. "But why is there a division?"
Redshade's eyes glew with despair as she turned back to him. "StarClan do not accept cats who have committed treacherous deeds in their lives." she meowed. "I can't explain much other than the fact that this place is so dangerous, Spiderpaw. You need to leave."
"But you seem like a good cat," Spiderpaw meowed.
Redshade's eyes narrowed - but not with anger. In fact they tilted the other way, as if Redshade hadn't heard such a phrase in a long time. "Thank you, Spiderpaw," she meowed. "But every cat makes mistakes."
"But you still must go," Redshade meowed. "I don't want you getting hurt."
"Redshade," Spiderpaw meowed. "M-My sister is here," he gulped.
Redshade closed her eyes, and Spiderpaw shook.
"I know."
"She seems to be so happy on land," he meowed. "I don't understand why she comes here. She must receive the best training."
Redshade opened her eyes gradually. "I'll show you, Spiderpaw. I'll show you if you tell me you'll leave safely."
Spiderpaw quickly nodded, and Heronkit made her way to his side. Spiderpaw gradually got to his paws and began to pace as Redshade padded silently through the undergrowth.