River (Book 1) A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 11

•Brackenstar•

Brackenstar shifted slightly. He yawned. Pale dawn light was streaming into the dusty cave. Suddenly, Sunpaw and Beepaw came bursting into the cave. There was an orange-and-white tom behind them. Cranestar. Brackenstar loathed the older tom with a passion. Cranestar had a wild, crazed look in his eye. "Have you seen Riverstorm?" He growled. Brackenstar answered honestly, "No." He honestly hadn't seen Riverstorm. It had been too dark last night when he, Sunpaw, Mossypaw, and Beepaw had come to the cave. He had met the young warrior at a Gathering only once. The dark gray tom was kind but quiet. Cranestar growled again.
"Stop lying." He grunted. "Dark gray. Impudent, ignorant, dastardly young tom. Wastes prey just to claim it was another Clan that did it to provoke a war. You know exactly who I'm talking about." Brackenstar nodded thoughtfully.
     "I do know who you're talking about, but I haven't seen him." He was trying to stall his fellow leader to keep him off of Riverstorm's tail. He had a feeling Cranestar was not here for a friendly chat with his warrior. Cranestar snorted.
"Sure." He drawled. He rolled his eyes. When they focused on Brackenstar again, they had a murderous look in them. "I'm going to look for my warrior. He needs to be brought home." Brackenstar had another feeling: that if Cranestar found Riverstorm, he wouldn't make it home.
Cranestar whipped around and headed for the den entrance. Brackenstar followed him. The orange-and-white tom was heading toward one of the Descendant's dens. He poked his head inside. Brackenstar heard a shriek that was quickly cut off. Cranestar came out and kept walking. Brackenstar's eyes widened. Had the older tom just killed a Descendant? He hurried and glanced inside the den after Cranestar left. Sure enough, there was a body of a she-cat lying on the ground. She had beautiful silver fur. Brackenstar heard a hiss behind him. He turned around to see a dusty brown she-cat. Light. She swiped at his face with her claws extended. Then she paused as she saw the body.
     "Stormy. Stormy? No!" She turned back to Brackenstar. "You monster! You killed a Successor!" She lunged for him. He took a step back to avoid her.
"You don't understand," he pleaded. "It was him." He flicked his tail towards the silhouette of Cranestar. The tom was running now. Brackenstar could see a dark gray shape ahead of him. Cranestar was gaining on the shape. Riverstorm! Brackenstar thought with a pang of fear. "Riverstorm!" He yowled. He ran after Cranestar. He could hear Light chasing after him. "Riverstorm! You need to run!" He yowled again. Cranestar was closer than ever. But Brackenstar was gaining on them. He tackled Cranestar to the ground. He slammed his paws into the tom again and again. Light joined him, but she wasn't helping much. She turned and attacked Brackenstar as well. He was overwhelmed now. Now Cranestar was on top him. He battered Brackenstar over and over, again and again. Light's claws raked his cheek. Brackenstar could that his face was wet. Was it blood or tears?
     He turned toward the figure of Riverstorm, still running. "Run! Keep running! Don't look back!" He choked out as loud as he could. Run. Please. He begged silently. He could afford to fight. He had more lives than Riverstorm. The problem was that Cranestar did too. His attempts to shove the older tom and Light off of him were feeble now. Cranestar struck him yet again. His claws were unsheathed now. Time seemed to slow. Brackenstar's face was numb now. His paws seeming to strike in slow motion. He exhaled as Cranestar struck harder. Then he blinked.
     He was standing in a now familiar place. StarClan's hunting grounds. He stared at the tom before him. "Rocksplitter. Save me." He begged. His brother only stood there looking at him. His chiseled features stared at Brackenstar imploringly. It seemed as though the dark gray tom wanted his help. Brackenstar was the one who had just lost a life. He could see the faint shape of his already lost lives wandering around. The shape flickered and then grew more apparent. Brackenstar's life that he had just lost had joined StarClan. Only four more to go before he joined StarClan for once and for all. Then the breath whooshed back into his body.
     Cranestar was standing above him still. Light was staring at him. "How...?" She started to ask. Cranestar snarled at her.
     "Shut up." He snapped at her. His eyes were glazed over with a hungry look. "How many lives do you have left now?" He whispered. Brackenstar grunted. He heaved himself to his paws. Cranestar slammed himself down onto Brackenstar again. Brackenstar heard his spine give a loud snap. Sharp pain flooded his senses. He couldn't think, couldn't see right. The only thing he could see was the snarling face of- his arch nemesis?
Darkmist laughed an evil sounding laugh that showed he was enjoying Brackenstar's suffering. The dark tom lunged for Brackenstar's neck. He clamped his teeth around his throat. The only thing Brackenstar could comprehend was that Darkmist and Cranestar were trying to kill him. He tried to fight back, tried to make an effort, tried to save himself from losing another life, but they were too strong.
He found himself in StarClan again. Rocksplitter was staring at him. Another layer was added to the figure of Brackenstar's lives. He felt as though his spirit grew fainter. He was losing hope. He was going to die here, again and again. He would never see his kits again. He inhaled again. The sharp tang of blood hit his nostrils.
Cranestar battered him. Darkmist's jaws were digging into his neck. Even Light was trying to hurt him in one way or another. They truly intended to kill him. He could barely see that there were other members of the Descendants watching the scene. Nobody made a move to help him. Then he saw Mossypaw, Beepaw, and Sunpaw being held back by some of the she-cats. Then Darkmist jerked his head. Brackenstar's neck made a snapping sound.
He was in StarClan again. He only had two lives left now. He was going to die. "Rocksplitter. Will you tell my kits that I love them?" He asked. The tom stared at him.
"You can tell them yourself." He growled. He smelled his blood again. Oh great. He thought. He was back for round four.
Darkmist was laughing. "Only two more, Cranestar." He said smugly. How did the dark tom know? Brackenstar hissed weakly.
"Not true. I have four left." He lied. He had barely managed to croak out those six words. Darkmist snorted.
You think I'm going to believe that?" He laughed. "Then I just get to kill you four more times." Brackenstar felt sick, and not just because of the taste of blood in his mouth. Suddenly Darkmist brought his paws smashing down on his mouth. His jaw cracked. Pain exploded again. Then everything was dull. It seemed as though what was happening wasn't even real. But he knew that it was because his jaw, neck, and spine hurt too bad. He had long since given up fighting. The only thing he was fighting now was losing his second to last life.
Rocksplitter shook his sleek, gray head. "Keep fighting. You have to keep fighting." He repeated over and over. Brackenstar didn't know how he could; his neck, spine, and jaw were most likely broken. "Keep fighting, my dear brother." Brackenstar silently begged him, or even anyone for help.
Darkmist and Cranestar were above. "What else can I break?" Darkmist asked. Brackenstar growled with as much gusto as he could muster. He was going to try to fight. He attempted to stand up, ignoring the pain. He couldn't stand, he was too broken. Suddenly a dark gray shape flashed past him.
Riverstorm pounded Cranestar to the ground. He battered the orange-and-white tom. He scored his claws down the tom's face. "Having the 'most powerful warrior' in all the Clans as a mentor really pays off." He taunted. Now Cranestar got to feel what it was like for Brackenstar to be beaten and well- killed. Riverstorm was slashing the tom mercilessly. Cranestar could barely fight back now. Then he went still.
     Brackenstar felt someone lift him onto their back. He was starting to fade. His consciousness was leaving him. He fought the darkness at first, but then he embraced it. He heard a voice telling him to fight it, but then he would be able to escape the pain. He would get to be with Rocksplitter. Then he thought of Dawnmist and Ashflower. He would get to see some of the ones he loved most. Finally. He heard the soft voice urging him to wake up again, but he didn't want to. He couldn't have even if he wanted to.
     Suddenly he saw Ashflower in front of him. She urged to him to try to fight the darkness. But it felt so good. Why was she trying to make him feel the pain again? How could she be so cruel? Maybe she really did love Darkmist more. Maybe she had all along. Maybe she had broken his heart purposefully.
     No. He wasn't thinking clearly. She would have never done that to him. She truly loved him. She had always loved him. She wouldn't make him suffer. He embraced the darkness. He would finally be with his mates and brother again. His pain dulled. He was tired, so tired. He would rest now. Then he thought of his kits. He had to stay alive. It was too late now. Ashflower's face was sorrowful now. The last words he heard before he slipped into the darkness were, "I'm sorry."