.:OLD:.Warriors of the New World ~Book 1~ Starfall

Chapter 15

~Chapter 15~

Flamepaw looked up just in time to see the deputy of Thorn clan drop from the tree branches above her head. The cat that had injured her sister and put her in critical condition dropped onto her shoulders and sent her and him spilling into the dirt. She was on her feet in a flash and lunging at his tail, fang bared. She missed and he countered with a bite of his own. HIS teeth met their mark and sank deep into her shoulder. She howled in pain and Reedstar barreled into Blooddrop. He was thrown clear and Flamepaw dropped into one side, paralyzed in pain from the powerful bite. Blooddrop rolled onto his paws and leapt onto Reedstar, latching his jaws on the back of Reedstar’s neck. His eyes opened wide and he coughed blood.

He turned his head and shouted with all his remaining strength “RUN! I’ll distract him!” Blood streamed from the edges of his mouth and Blooddrop let go and tried to go after the escaping four cats but Reedstar bit his tail only to have Blooddrop regain his devastating bite on the back of his neck. Sparkdance and Mintsprout helped Waterpaw up but Flamepaw stood, bristling in pain and fury. “Come on!” Sparkdance shouted, bringing Flamepaw back to the time. “But…Reedstar is…” she began. “Reedstar can take care of himself!” Sparkdance spat “Us, on the other paw, have cats to care for and lives to save so move your tail!” he hissed in frustration. So Flamepaw joined them in their unsteady lope back to the camp. With one final look back they left their proud leader alone to fight with one gruesome injury that could cost him a life. Flamepaw ignored the pain in her feet, the pulsing blood in her ears and every hair on her body standing on end and blood soaking the fur around her wound. She cantered stiffly alongside Sparkdance, hoping he would say something but only silence gripped the four cats.  They carefully made their way up their territory and when they reached the mouth of the camp Waterpaw felt faint with relief and blood-loss combined.

She leaned heavily on Mintsprout, who struggled under her added weight. They helped her carefully to the medicine cat’s den and past the terror-stricken eyes of the rest of the clan. They laid her down slowly onto the softest of the small nests made for injured cats. Waterpaw’s chest rose and fell shallowly as she lay bleeding in the moss nest. Mintsprout pressed cobwebs in clumps on Waterpaw’s worst wounds but they kept bleeding. Pinenose and Leafturn stood, fear on their face as they watch their daughter fade. Mintsprout, after a while of splitting silence said “The bleeding has finally stopped…” She looked at the terrified parents and said “All we can do now is wait. Leafturn, can you press this last bit of cobweb on Flamepaw’s wound? Pinenose, can you find me some more cobwebs around the camp? Try the hollow log.” She said, obviously saying to avoid leaving the camp. They nodded and tended to the work at hand. Moonhigh came quickly and Reedstar had not yet returned.

The whole clan was covered in a shroud. Though no cat dared speak it, the prospect on their proud leader was grim as was Waterpaw’s. Even if Waterpaw survived she would have scars not only on her pelt but in her heart. Flamepaw was allowed to go back to the apprentice’s den but she refused to leave her sister’s side. Waterpaw’s breathing slowed to a sleeping rhythm and Flamepaw went into the clearing for a break. The clearing was bathed in moonlight and she sat down by the entrance of the medicine cat’s den for a second. Before she could twitch a whisker Sparkdance was at her side. “You’re worried about your sister, huh…” he said solemnly. “Yeah. I don’t want to think of how bad this could end but it always seems to find me.” She whispered, tears filling her eyes.

Sparkdance rested his head on hers and pulled it onto him. Feeling weak with worry, she leaned into him and let her mind drift away. She breathed in his warm and welcoming scent. Then, another smell hit her sensitive nose; a smell of blood and one that was like crow-food but worse. She looked up to see Sparkdance also eyeing the entrance of the camp, nose twitching. As she sat up slowly, a figured dragged itself into the light of the moon. Its sorrowful moaning filled the camp and soon every cat had appeared at the entrance of their dens. As the creature pulled itself into the brightest light, a wave of horror twisted every cat’s face. The half-dead, bleeding and wailing cat was Reedstar.