RainClan's Fate; The Apprentice's Destiny | Warrior Cats Fanfiction

~Chapter 11~

No. No, this can't be real.

Silkpaw couldn't process anything. As her brother's wail of grief rang out across the clearing, Silkpaw just stood there, numb, as Amberpaw hurried over to Mousepaw's side. Where Silkpaw should have gone. She, Silkpaw, should be over there, right now, comforting her brother and grieving over her mother's death.

But she couldn't move.

The pain of losing her mother was too big. As sadness gripped her heart she felt like he world was collapsing. A wail of grief escaped her mouth, and finally she broke free of her sadness and raced over too Mousepaw's side. Amberpaw was already there, staring at Dawnlily as if she'd just seen a ghost; her expression was hard to read, but she looked mostly shocked.

Silkpaw pressed her fluffy pelt against Mousepaw's own. They were both in pain, obviously, in more ways than one. After the battle with EmberClan, that brown tabby she'd been fighting had left her with some nasty scratches. Her leg was stinging and her legs were sore. She collapsed on the ground and gently pressed her nose to Dawnlily's soft cream-coloured pelt. The pelt that she'd grown up sleeping against.

Whoever did this will pay, Silkpaw's mind whispered, but she firmly pushed those thoughts away. No, revenge doesn't solve anything. Whoever did this was just being loyal to their leader...but why did they have to kill this particular cat?

Mousepaw lay down beside her. Amberpaw was called away by Toadfeather, and soon other cats joined them by Dawnlily's body. There was Foxheart and Moonfire, the two other queens that had been there at the time of Silkpaw and Mousepaw's birth, Tigerpelt, Silkpaw and Mousepaw's father and Dawnlily's mate, Silverheart, Dawnlily's best friend.

"Don't worry."

Silkpaw turned her head to see Snowpaw. The black-and-white she-cat pressed her fur against Silkpaw's, which she found comforting.

"Thanks," Silkpaw replied, her voice full of sadness.

"Dawnlily was a great warrior, and mother," Snowpaw continued. "The Clan respected her. It's okay, Silkpaw — your mother died the way a true warrior wound, in battle, protecting her Clan."

She died for us. Silkpaw tried to believe it, but somehow she couldn't. She wished that she could, because it would make her feel a lot better. She curled her tail close to her body and looked away from Snowpaw.

"Do you know who killed her?" Snowpaw asked. Silkpaw didn't answer; of course she didn't know who killed Dawnlily! She was too busy with the brown tabby apprentice she was fighting. Snowpaw sighed and began washing her dusty, ruffled pelt.

Stormpaw appeared beside her sister. She didn't say anything but gave Silkpaw and Mousepaw a sympathetic look, which made Silkpaw angry. I don't want your sympathy! All I want is for Dawnlily to come back!

She choked back another wail of depression. Dawnlily couldn't be dead. She was a brave, strong warrior and a living mother, respected by the Clan. She had a mate and two kits. She couldn't just die. Silkpaw rested her head on her paws, her nose touching Dawnlily's neck fur, and prepared to stay there for the entire night.

~~~~~

After the elders had taken Dawnlily's body for the burial, Silkpaw protested that she should go with them, since Dawnlily had been her mother. Of course, Tigerpelt told her that it was the elder's job to bury the dead warrior, not the apprentice's. Stupid senior warriors, Silkpaw thought as she headed back to the apprentices' den.

Of course, just as soon as she curled up in her nest, she heard Burntstar's yowl ring out across the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Rockledge for a Clan meeting."