Redblaze's Regret {COMPLETE}

Chapter 6

 Redblaze slept fitfully that night, and dreamed of Flamepelt again. But this time, it was a different dream, one that was not filled with the sounds of cats screeching and the scent of blood. This time, Redblaze found himself in the forest, and it was warm and sunny, and the scent of Flamepelt wreathed all around him.

"Flamepelt?" he called hopefully. He looked around but couldn't see his former mentor anywhere. "Flamepelt, are you there?" Around him, the reeds and ferns swayed in the breeze, rustling lightly, and farther away Redblaze could hear the river lapping at the bank. But he couldn't see Flamepelt.

Padding forward cautiously, Redblaze began to make his way through the forest. Flamepelt's scent was fresh, so why couldn't he see him? "Flamepelt?" he called again, less confidently. A twig snapped ahead and his ears twitched as he crept towards the sound. As he approached a small clearing, another scent caught his nose: blood!

"No!" he exclaimed and started into a run. He burst into the clearing to the bloodied body of Flamepelt on the ground. Standing next to him, her claws and jaws dripping with blood, was Minnowpaw. She turned to Redblaze as he approached, and a malicious gleam entered her eyes.

Rage burned like fire through Redblaze's body, and he leapt at Minnowpaw. "You murderer!" he screeched as his claws met her pelt. He knocked her down and began clawing at her. "You killed him!" He felt her fur rip beneath his claws, coming off in clumps, and her blood soaked his paws. "You killed him and then you ran away, you coward!" He kept slicing at her, feeling a strange sense of relief and revenge. "I hate you!"

Panting, Redblaze finally stopped his vicious onslaught. Looking down, he realized that Minnowpaw was dead. Her silver speckled pelt was shredded beyond recognition, and hot red blood poured from her wounds. Her blue eyes, which had just looked so evil, were now blank and expressionless. Stepping back, Redblaze eyed himself. Though his paws were wet and sticky with blood, he didn't have a scratch on him. He cast one final glance towards Minnowpaw before turning his back to her body.

Redblaze jolted awake in his nest, unnerved by the lingering scent of blood. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, and he struggled to figure out how he felt about his dream. He'd killed her in just a few moments, without thinking, like she was just a piece of prey. He hadn't felt any remorse, any guilt, even now that he was awake. He shuddered. It was just a dream, he reminded himself, but it didn't help much. Looking around, he saw that most of the other warriors had woken, and the sky outside the den was light.

Redblaze stood, stretched, and left the den. He groomed his pelt for a few moments, hoping the strokes of his tongue would wash away his uneasiness. After a while he grew calmer and stopped. A cool breeze ruffled his fur, and it felt nice.

"Redblaze!" He heard Birchclaw calling his name, sounding annoyed and unfriendly. The deputy was approaching him, his expression stern. "Dawn patrol. Now."

Redblaze gulped. Clearly Birchclaw was still angry with him. He dipped his head. "Yes, Birchclaw."

He bounded away quickly to join the rest of the patrol, and his heart sank when he saw that it was Sorrelstream, Reedpaw, and Poppywhisker. He suppressed a groan; Birchclaw had done this on purpose, he was sure of it.

It was obvious that the rest of the patrol wasn't too excited to see him either. Poppywhisker's eyes narrowed and a small growl escaped her, and Sorrelstream rolled her eyes, her ears twitching. Reedpaw looked unsure and awkward, but stuck to Sorrelstream as the pale ginger she-cat led them out of camp.

The patrol was silent and uneventful. They stopped every few fox-lengths to remark the borders, and Reedpaw scented a starling almost immediately. The black and white apprentice made an impressive leap to catch it and killed it quickly. The patrol praised her and moved on.