A Rogue's Tail(A Warrior Cat Fan-Fic)

Chapter 20 A New Dawn

          Watersplash didn't ask any questions, just launched herself up the nearest tree, Bluepaw following behind her. The silver she-cat faced the wind, and before long, caught the scent of Deathclan. It was heavy, too. She scuttled down the tree and asked, "How many?" "More than a whole attack patrol!" Bluepaw said fearfully. Watersplash felt a shiver down her spine. A whole attack patrol..... that was about 40 warriors itself!

          Watersplash's nose twitched. Oh Starclan no! she thought. She'd miscalculated. They were out of time. "RUN!" she barked to her apprentice, bounding to the camp. She pounded into the Rustclan camp, nearly tripping over Solarkit, who squeaked in indignant surprise.

          "Watersplash??" Fogmask mewed, astounded. "Where's Beyrlstar?" she said hurriedly. "At the Snowclan camp, talking about battle strategies. Five warriors went with him, in case Deathclan was about," he mewed.

          Five less warriors..... that meant those same five warriors weren't here to protect the camp! "No, you don't understand! Deathclan isn't out in the forest, they're here!" Watersplash yowled. She growled to herself, seeing Fogmask's befuddled face. "No time to explain!" she yowled and leaped upon the Highrock.

          "Everyone! Deathclan is about to attack!" she yowled across camp. Startled yelling occurred across the camp until Sootshadow yelled, "Quiet!" Watersplash stared at him in awe. She'd never seen him like that! "Like I said, Deathclan is about to attack, with numbers greater than an attack patrol!" she said again.

          Everyone knew what that meant. She leaped down from the Highrock and over to Fogmask, who began shouting commands to fortify the dens and entrance with thorns. "Fogmask!" Watersplash mewed. He turned to her, listening. "I'm going to find Beyrlstar," she mewed. "No!" he mewed.

           Seeing her determined expression, he sighed. "Take four warriors with you!"

          She shook her head. "We need all cats here!" she argued.

          "I'll go," Snowfrost barged in.

          Fogmask nodded in reluctant approval and the she-cats fled out of the tunnel toward Snowclan camp. Even though her chest was burning, Watersplash kept going until finally the Snowclan camp was in sight. A guard stood outside it, a young warrior by his looks. He glanced up, startled, as the two she-cats thundered toward the camp.

         "Hey-!" he yowled, but they just pushed past him into the camp, Watersplash yelling "Sorry!".

          The Snowclan cats looked at them in confusion as they entered, fur spiked and gasping. Scarletstar and Beyrlstar padded out of the leader's den and looked at them in confusion.

          "Watersplash, Snowfrost, what are you doing here?" Beyrlstar asked.

          "Deathclan is invading camp!" Snowfrost yowled, and the five Rustclan warriors bounded to Beyrlstar's side, Shadowfire among them. "Willowwhisper!" he murmured fearfully.

          "I must return to my clan," Beyrlstar said as he dipped his head to Scarletstar. "Then we will come with you," Scarletstar mewed, her wise voice strong. The Snowclan cats yowled in approval, hungry for battle.

          "To Rustclan camp!" Beyrlstar yowled and took off, the mob of cats pounding after him. As they again neared Rustclan camp, Watersplash could pick up the sound of battle. She looked to Shadowfire and Snowfrost beside her and let out a battle yowl, the blood roaring in her ears as she raced toward the camp.

          Inside, the sandy ground was already awash with blood. Watersplash leapt onto a black she-cat, tearing at her fur viciously.

          "These cats fight like rogues to kill!" Beyrlstar yowled, his voice sounding throughout the camp. "So we shall too!"

          Watersplash nodded and narrowed her eyes at her opponent. She took a deep breath and forgot her mercy and compassion, and leapt claws out into the thick of battle.

           She sent cat after cat away to nurse their wounds, but it seemed like when one vanished, two more replaced them.  Watersplash yowled in pain as a sharp claw cut a deep groove in her cheek, and then in her pelt.

          Snowfrost leapt into battle beside her, helping Watersplash fend off her enemies. Soon though, she and her friend were surrounded, their enemies bearing down on them like rain. Now the Deathclan warriors separated Watersplash and Snowfrost from the rest of the battle. No one was coming to save them.

          "We're dragging your sorry pelt back to Blood for all you've done!" A Deathclan warrior yowled. Watersplash just snarled in reply and flexed her claws, Snowfrost behind her, both sides waiting for the other to make the first move.

          But apparently neither side was going to make the first move. "Look out!" Bluepaw called, and Watersplash looked up just in time to see Bluepaw, Mistpaw, and Jaypaw dislodge a tree from the top of the camp. It came sliding down towards Watersplash and Snowfrost, not to mention the Deathclan warriors.  

          "Move!" Watersplash yowled, barreling Snowfrost through the Deathclan warrior barricade as their distracted enemies were crushed by the tree. Silence echoed in the camp, and Watersplash shakily moved herself far from the tree.

          Heads peered around to look at Bluepaw and her littermates as they skid down the camp sides. Everything was silent until Watersplash purred and went up to her apprentice. "Well done," she said. 

          And with that the silence ended, both Snowclan and Rustclan cheering for the three apprentices. Watersplash looked around camp and purred as she saw all of her friends were alright. The Resistance cats, Shadowfire, Willowwhisper and the kits, Snowfrost beside her, Fogmask looking worn but triumphant..... but.... where was Beyrlstar??

          "Beyrlstar!" Whispersong's voice yowled, mournful among the cheers. Watersplash raced toward her leader, Fogmask in tow. "No Starclan...." she mewed as she gazed at her leader. Beyrlstar was covered in blood, both from his enemies and from himself. The brown tom was on his side, eyes closed.

          "He's not breathing," Whispersong mewed, her head low, Midnightmoon giving her comforting licks. Both medicine cats' ears were bent in despair.

         "I... I don't understand," Watersplash began. "Don't all leaders have nine lives?" Of course Beyrlstar didn't have all of his nine lives, but still....

          The medicine cats' shoulders sank, and Fogmask answered, "This was his last one."

         Watersplash gasped. "I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye," she mewed mournfully. Soon, both clans clustered around Beyrlstar's body, paying him their final respects.

          "Watersplash, Fogmask," Scarletstar interrupted. "My clan will take our leave," she mewed, her eyes filled with pain and loss. Watersplash dipped her head in respect. She did not know much about Snowclan's wise old leader, but she knew that Scarletstar and Beyrlstar had been friends a long time.

          "Good luck, and may Starclan guide your path, Fogstar," Scarletstar mewed as the Snowclan cats began to leave the camp.

          If it was possible, Fogmask's eyes seemed to darken further. "Oh Starclan.... I completely forgot," he mewed. He turned to Watersplash, doubt filling his eyes. "I don't think I'm ready," he mewed to her.

         "Well, I know you are," she replied brushing up against him. "We'll take care of the clan until you return from the Moonpath," she added. The Moonpath was the trail up the largest hill in the Clan's territories. At the top was an ancient oak, blessed by Starclan. New leaders touched the tree with their noses, and, in the dream that followed, would be blessed with nine lives from Starclan and earn the 'star' part of their names.

          Fogmask gave a reluctant nod and left out of camp with Willowwhisper and  Midnightmoon, who would help him in his journey.

          Watersplash watched until long after he left, feeling a sense of finality. The final battle was drawing near.... she could feel it.