[Dust]

His mind was swirling with fear, trapped in his own dream as his limbs flailed helplessly, scattering bits of reed and moss around his nest - it was like he couldn't escape his own dream. Claws unsheathed as the apprentice struggled harder. Faster. Mewls turned into loud whimpers escaped his mouth as a burst of energy overtook Frostpaws limbs, quickly followed by a sudden silence. The scrap of fur looked dead as he lay motionless in the nest, a stark contrast to just a few seconds ago. Wake up... Wake up... A loud gasp brought Frostpaw to life as he jolted awake and up in his nest, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind. Heaving his chest, he let out a shaky breath, bringing a trembling paw to lay over his muzzle. Closing his eyes once more as he panted wildly to catch his breath, the silver tabby rocked back and forth on his paws in his crouched posture. Another nightmare. The monster got closer this time. Slowly, Frost opened his eyes staring idly at the entrance of the den as light streamed in. Is it sun-high already? Long nights filled with restless dreams showed on his everywhere. His usually bright blue eyes dead with no emotion and a tiredness lingering in each paw-step he took. With a soft sigh, he seemed to finally compose himself as he got up on his paws, the warm tang of blood filling his nostrils. What? Turning his head to inspect his body, a long thin scratch had formed itself on the edge of his tail. Frostpaw silently got to work, his vision blurring as he sat down quickly and pulled it towards him, licking the wound viciously until the bleeding slowed and coagulated. With an extreme amount of effort, he pulled himself back to his paws and made his way into the clearing. Blinking against the harsh light of day, the weary apprentice gave his pelt a good shake and gingerly made his way towards the center of camp.

[ @king kaleb! ]