The Abandoned Warrior

Chapter 35

            Time had passed since DuskClan's threat. Leaf-bare was almost upon the forest now, and Snowfeather could tell by the bare trees and the cold skies that the first snowflake would fall in a matter of days.
            Snowfeather would've liked to believe MoonClan had stopped DuskClan, but she couldn't. Several minor attacks had come and gone over the past weeks. A cat would be injured here and there, they would trespass, nothing big, but Snowfeather sensed they would be back soon. A moon had almost gone by, and Snowfeather still remembered how the words had chilled her.
            Snowfeather tried to focus on the positives. She still had Lionstripe and Rivertail, the cats she couldn't bear to lose. Would she lose them though to DuskClan?
            Snowfeather awoke to find the clouds gray. A cold wind swept across the camp, making her shiver. Not a single raindrop fell, and Snowfeather gazed up at the swirling gray clouds, wondering if a snowflake would fall.
            She felt Lionstripe creep up beside her. He wrapped his tail around her and purred, though Snowfeather did not purr back. She sighed, turning to Lionstripe.
            "What's wrong?" he asked.
            "DuskClan," she murmured. "It's nearly been a moon. You heard what they said, Lionstripe. They'll be back soon, I can feel it. I don't want to lose you or Rivertail."
            "You won't, I promise," Lionstripe told her. "Don't worry, Snowfeather. We still have a few sunrises left. Nightstar will think of something."
            "But what about all the attacks?" Snowfeather asked. "None of us have had the guts to step on morning patrol for weeks!"
            "Maybe we will today," Lionstripe said. "Please, Snowfeather. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
            "Alright," Snowfeather said, gazing down.
            "Do you want to share a squirrel?" Lionstripe asked.
            Snowfeather shook her head. "I'm not that hungry. You can though," Snowfeather said.
            He shrugged and headed towards the fresh-kill pile, leaving Snowfeather alone in the camp. The winds picked up some more now, and Snowfeather gazed at the clouds again. She felt footsteps behind her, and she turned, seeing Rivertail.
            "Hey," Snowfeather said.
            Rivertail did not give a reply back. Her eyes drooped from lack of sleep, and she moved slowly as if her whole body ached.
            "Are you alright, Rivertail?" Snowfeather asked.
            "Fine," Rivertail grumbled. "I'm heading on morning patrol today. Are you coming, Snowfeather?"
            Snowfeather shook her head. "Not until we settle the DuskClan dispute."
            "Alright," Rivertail said, heading towards the small group of cats gathered for the morning patrol.
            "Rivertail, wait," Snowfeather said. The tabby she-cat turned around, gazing at Snowfeather. "Please stay safe," Snowfeather pleaded. The she-cat nodded then headed with the rest of the cats.
            With nothing else to do, Snowfeather headed over towards Lionstripe who nibbled on a squirrel. As Snowfeather sat down next to him, he looked up. "Rivertail's going on morning patrol?"
            Snowfeather nodded. "I hope she stays safe. Do you mind if I have some of that squirrel? I think I need to eat something."
            "Sure," Lionstripe said, pushing the half-eaten piece of prey towards her. Snowfeather only nibbled at a little, enough to sustain her for awhile, before pushing it back to Lionstripe who finished the rest.
            Snowfeather and Lionstripe sat in camp for awhile, talking to each other every once in awhile. There wasn't much to say, really.
            Time passed, and Snowfeather got up, about to head to the den to rest. The sound of frantic footsteps and moving of leaves made her turn around. Rivertail burst into camp, blood dripping from her face. A few wounds were present on her pelt, dried blood crusted on her fur.
            "It's DuskClan! A group of cats are attacking! They're heading to camp!" she yowled. Cats begin to screech and panic until Nightstar let out a large yowl.
            "SILENCE!" she hissed. "Get the queens, kits, and elders out of here! Warriors and apprentices need to fight!"
            Snowfeather watched as elders helped carry kits. Queens rushed their kits out of the camp, worried expressions fully present on their face.
            Snowfeather turned to Lionstripe in horror. He opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it moments later.
            As the last elders and queens got out, Snowfeather heard a large yowl, only to find several DuskClan cats climb up the tall rocks that protected the camp. They hissed and yowled, their claws unsheathed.
            Snowfeather leapt at a cat, hissing. The cat pushed her down, leaving a claw streak on her pelt. She yowled in pain then pushed the cat into the rock wall, knocking the cat unconscious. With red blood staining her white pelt, she turned, trying to find Rivertail or Lionstripe.
            Rivertail was nowhere to be found, though she found Lionstripe fighting with a larger tom. Snowfeather raced towards the large DuskClan tom, knocking him away from Lionstripe.
            "Thanks," Lionstripe breathed. "Where's Rivertail?"
            Snowfeather shrugged.
            "We've got to get out of here," Lionstripe told her.
            "No, we have to fight for MoonClan!" Snowfeather argued.
            "It's no use, Snowfeather. Come on," Lionstripe said. Snowfeather wouldn't budge though. Instead, she turned in the other direction, looking for Rivertail.
            She felt Lionstripe follow her, not arguing with her this time. As they padded by, Snowfeather turned away in disgust  The dead body of Skyblossom lay in a pile of blood. Her eyes were faint and unseeing. She felt Lionstripe turn, and she spoke slowly, "No, Lionstripe. Don't look."
            Snowfeather turned, seeing that the MoonClan cats had found a secret weapon--the rocks. Cats slammed DuskClan cats into the rocks, and Snowfeather turned, seeing Pantherstar crouched on top of a rock, watching the battle below.
            Coward, she thought.
            "ENOUGH!" Pantherstar hissed. Cats continued to fight, making Pantherstar hiss again. "THAT'S ENOUGH, I SAY!" he yowled. Cats slowly stopped fighting, and he leaped down from the rock.
            "Pantherstar," Nightstar growled.
            "Did you like our little attack?" Pantherstar asked.
            "You're nothing but a coward, calling off the attack. We could've taken you!" she hissed.
            "I did not call it off because we were losing," Pantherstar said, gazing at all the cats who stood frozen in fear. "I called it off for the sake of your clanmates. Look at them, they're dying, Nightstar. This was just a little...prelude perhaps to what the real battle will be like in a few sunrises."
            Nightstar growled. "Get out of here, Pantherstar, and all your little DuskClan slaves too."
            "Very well," Pantherstar spoke. He said something to the clanmates that Snowfeather couldn't quite catch, and the remaining cats leapt over the rocks like they had done before. "We'll be back in three sunrises," he said.
            Nightstar stood in shock, about to fall from exhaustion. Rivertail leapt to her side, and Snowfeather turned, seeing Fishstorm's deformed body crumbled by some rocks.
            "What do we do, Nightstar?!" Cats called out.
            Nightstar sighed. "It is what I never wanted to happen. MoonClan is finished..."
            Cats called out in gasps, and so did Snowfeather. She turned to Lionstripe, seeing the shock on his face. She could imagine how terrible it felt. This was his home that he had grown up in, and now, it was gone.
            "Go off on your own, I guess," Nightstar muttered. "If you want to continue the clan, do your best. I'm leaving it up to Rivertail."
            Rivertail's eyes widened. "You're putting the fate of the clan on my shoulders?!"
            Normally, Rivertail would've been excited about this, but now, Snowfeather suspected she did not want anything to do with it.
            "I accept, Nightstar," Rivertail said.
            Snowfeather turned to Lionstripe. "Where do we go? Are we going to continue with the clan?"
            Lionstripe shook his head. "That would be a suicide mission. Look, I heard of a clan far from here. I've heard other cats talk about it from time to time, especially at gatherings. It's called FoxClan."
            FoxClan, wasn't that one of the clans going up against MoonClan? It must've been near SnowClan. Snowfeather nodded. "I've heard of that clan too. How long will it be to get there?"
            Lionstripe shrugged, then smiled. "You've forgotten that I have lightning speed, Snowfeather. We could be there in less than a moon."
            Snowfeather smiled. "Perfect." Her smile faded though as she saw Rivertail. She padded over to her friend whose wounds had stopped bleeding now. Snowfeather looked at her own pelt, seeing dried blood stained on her pelt.
            "Rivertail," Snowfeather said. "Are you sure you can do this?"
            "Nightstar has trusted me," Rivertail said. "Are you coming, Snowfeather?"
            Snowfeather shook her head. "I'm afraid not, but I wish you the best of luck, Rivertail. I'll miss you..."
            "I'll miss you too, Snowfeather. You're the best friend I've ever had," Rivertail spoke, tears forming in her eyes. A single tear dropped to the ground, and she turned, padding away.
            Snowfeather felt Lionstripe stand next to her, and as they walked, Snowfeather looked up, seeing the first snowflake swirl down from the sky. Leaf-bare had arrived...