WARRIORS: THE HOPES

Chapters 36-39

Ch 36

"Petalwing!" Tears fell from Coldair's eyes like a waterfall. Frost hits frost. The sharper shard will rip the neck of the other. Hope saves no one. Tansykit's prophecy told Coldair everything he needed to know. The word frost alone had scared him. Petalwing was screaming, dragging something behind her.
"Coldair! We need to get Frostflake back to camp!"
Coldair looked at Frostpaw, no, Frostflake. There was so much blood that he wanted to vomit. His jaws hung open and his pale blue eyes were sightless. He was crying blood. He watched as a new scar formed on his fur. He flinched. It ran from his eye to his flank. Blood poured out. Petalwing grabbed him by his tail and pulled him down the hill. Coldair lifted him by his scruff, preventing his body from dragging.
"What happened?" he yelled through the blood soaked fur.
"I-I don't know! He was getting his name and he started spasming. He coughed out blood and…more wounds kept appearing!"
"Petalwing…he isn't in StarClan. He can't be."
"Then where-" she gasped "He…how could he-"
"Someone took him to the Dark Forest"
"But…who?"
Coldair shuddered. He didn't want to bring back the suspicion of him working for Hailspiral. "I believe it only could have been my father," Frostflake choked and screeched. His claws hung out, unsheathed. He was fighting someone, and losing. Don't let him be fighting my father. His father would rip him apart, just like he had done to so many others. He hadn't been alive for it, but the elders would tell gruesome stories of Shellstar's last battles, but his son took his last life, with nothing but deathberries.

Ch 37

Coldair reached the camp entrance. He was still crying. They had both almost died only yesterday. Now here he was, dragging his bleeding body into camp, feeling helpless. Creekkit and Sprigkit were playing in the camp entrance. It doesn't matter. They saw the Goldenthorn's dead kit. There's nothing we can do.
Creekkit shrieked. Petalwing tried to shush him, but Coldair knew if he were Creekkit, he'd scream just as loud. The sight of Frostflake must be traumatizing. They laid him in the medicine den. He was twitching. Petalwing threw cobwebs over his entire body like a spider stringing up prey.
"We have to save his eyes!"
"No, we have to stop his stomach from bleeding and patch the cut on his throat." Petalwing demanded.
"But he'll go blind-"
"He's dying! It doesn't matter!"
But it did matter, to Coldair at least "Okay, you work on that while you tell me how to save his eyes!"
Petalwing stopped. She looked at him with fire in her eyes. "If this really is Hailspiral, I can't have you in here, Coldair."
"What?" He couldn't believe his ears.
"I don't trust you! Especially with the life of my apprentice! You haven't proven yourself as a noble, loyal warrior. You talk to yourself in the fields, and your eyes stare like your father's did!If it was my choice, you'd lose your warrior name and leave ShadowClan!" her snarling felt so out of character. Petalwing was kind and gentle, but hearing she wanted him exiled, just like his father. It was too much.
He ran.
"Coldair? What's going on? Was that Frostpaw?" Leaftuft blocked his path out of the camp.
"It was. He's stuck in the Dark Forest."
"What?"
"And I'm leaving the clan. You're all better off without me." Coldair huffed, breaking eye-contact and pushing past her.
"What makes you say that!" She spat. Green eyes glazed with anger.
"Petalwing said so, and my father is the one who attacked him"
"If you leave I'm coming with you."
Fire flared through Coldair "No you are not! You're the deputy!"
"And you're the bravest warrior I've ever known. You have to stay." she nuzzled him. He loved Leaftuft so much. He never wanted to leave this moment.
"You are so hard to say no to."
"I know," she purred. He saw Shimmerkit and Tansykit. Tansykit's prophecy flashed through him again. He whispered it aloud "Frost hits frost. The sharper shard will rip the neck of the other."
"What?"
"I need to speak to Tansykit, but…"
"But what?" she pressed into his shoulder.
"You have to be the one to save him. Petalwing won't let me anywhere near Frostflake."
"But every cat will trust you if you save him!" she pleaded. She was right. Petalwing wouldn't doubt him, but Leaftuft had to do it. "Yes, but you can prove yourself as a deputy."
"Your's is more important."
"I don't care. Stay right here, my love" Coldair turned urgently to the kits.