AshClan's Future {COMPLETE}

Chapter 30

Echoheart crept through the snow, her tail barely brushing the pale white surface. She kept her sense sharp, picking through the sharp scents of pine and frost. In the muddle of all the scents, Echoheart finally caught scent of prey. The faint scent of squirrel, she continued her silent stalk forward until she found the trail. She breathed in the scent as she grew closer and closer. At long lost she spotted the squirrel, a splash of red fur like blood across the snow. She steadied her breathing, the squirrel was completely oblivious to the danger that loomed just behind it.

Echoheart took a few more silent steps forward, before clearing her mind and taking a mighty leap forward. Her paws caught the squirrel and she killed it with a swift bite to the throat before it could even realize what was happening. Echoheart licked the blood off her lips, her stomach growling but she ignored it. This needs to go to the sick cats. She wearily reminded herself.

While prey wasn't a huge issues this leaf-bare, the sickness had been ravaging AshClan. Half a moon ago, Goldenstar developed whitecough, but she was far from the worst. From what Echoheart had heard from Moonwhisker, Leafpaw was unable to move from her nest and Ripplestep and Mistypool weren't much better off. Scorchlight had also joined the medicine cat den just a few days after Goldenstar and his sickness grew worse with each passing day. Dustkit hadn't gotten any worse and had been kept separated from the others in Goldenstar's den along with Dustlaw and were being cared for by Moonwhisker while Eagleclaw took care of the others.
There was growing fear for the cats in the medicine cat, for Echoheart her fear lied in Ripplestep. Ripplestep had been one of the most important cats in her life, the only cat who never hurt her, who never doubted her. An image flashed in Echoheart's mind, the image of Cedarclaw covered in his own blood, eyes wide with terror. Echoheart shook her head slowly, she couldn't think about him now. She picked up her squirrel and started to retrace her steps to gather the rest of her prey.

Ever since that night, Echoheart hadn't felt...anything. She didn't feel regret, she didn't feel heartbreak, she didn't even feel rage. She felt nothing towards Cedarclaw, but she remembered the feeling of her claws ripping into his pelt, it was something that made her feel the slightest sensation of...satisfaction.

It had been something she had been wanting to do Riverstorm for a long time, to prove how strong she was. After so easily shredding Cedarclaw Echoheart knew for a fact that she could easily take on Riverstorm and win. I don't want to kill her. Echoheart noted. I just want to put her in her place. I want to give her what she deserves.

Echoheart knew those thoughts weren't right, but she couldn't help it. She did her best to suppress them most days but with Riverstorm as acting second deputy alongside Ivyheart, Echoheart, she just knew this power would go to her head. AshClan is doomed if Riverstorm ever becomes deputy. Echoheart thought with a flick of her tail.

Echoheart finally gathered up the rest of her prey and met up with the rest of the patrol. She had caught the most prey among the others, but that was common these days. "Nice catches everyone." Roseclaw mewed. "Let's take it back to camp, we have sick cats who need these."

Echoheart followed the patrol, keeping her distance from the others. She knew that her Clanmates could tell something was wrong with her, but she just didn't care. The walk back to camp was a short one, but once they entered something felt off. The scent of grief was heavy on the air. Who died. Echoheart's ear twitched. Please don't let it be Ripplestep. Echoheart thought. Not the one cat I have left.

Echoheart knew that her mother was sick as well, but Mistypool never seemed to care when Jayclaw would scold Echoheart. She never stood up for me, why should I care? Echoheart set her prey down and started looking around for answers. It was obvious that the rest of the patrol could sense it as well.