Warriors: Descending Darkness

Chapter 15

Day looked around camp when they entered the hollow, his nose twitching.  The other Windclan cats watched him, not approaching Harestar or Ravenpaw as he followed them to Grayspot's den.

Ravenpaw hadn't stepped foot into the small cave, but as soon as she did, the smell of bitter herbs washed over her before Grayspot's scent did. He first looked at the two she-cats, his gaze slowly traveling to Day. Meadowpaw came in, starting to gather herbs to treat the scratches.

"What happened?" Grayspot asked, helping his apprentice, his eyes focusing on the herbs they were gathering.

"Some of the rouge clan cats attacked us."  Harestar answered.

Grayspot began treating her scratches as Meadowpaw tended to Ravenpaw, "Anyone we know?"

Harestar nodded, "Deadeye, Mintstripe, and Voletooth."

Grayspot's eyes widened with disbelief, "Voletooth too? I haven't heard anything about this from Reedtail or Raindrop."

Ravenpaw stayed silent listening to the conversation, trying to make sense of it all. She winced every time Meadowpaw pressed a herb against one of her wounds, but didn't make a fuss. She wanted out of the medicine den as soon as possible, wanting to ask Wingpaw questions about Day.

Her plans were interrupted when she left the den, Grayspot and Harestar left in the den to talk, Day following her out. Day stopped her from heading over to her littermate who was watching from the apprentices' den.

"Night was here, wasn't she?" He asked her.

Ravenpaw hesitated, before nodding, "Yes...she was...she's probably gone now."

"She was fine though, right?"  He asked and Ravenpaw studied him, recognizing the emotion on his face as the same one her mother wore when Featherkit would do something dangerous.

She nodded again, "Yes.  Are you her littermate?"

"Yes."  Day responded, looking relieved.

"If you don't mind me asking," Ravenpaw sat down, "what happened between you to?  She didn't want to stay here long and run into you."

"Nothing happened."  Day muttered a quick response, beginning to walk away.

"Also," Ravenpaw's tail pointed in the direction of her clanmates, "What's their problem with you?"

Day looked towards all the staring cats.  "Umm...well..." he shifted his paws, "I may have encouraged cats to leave their clan...and after seeing so many of their clanmates die, they did. So now every remaining clan cat doesn't trust me."

"Why would you tell cats to leave their clan?" Ravenpaw asked, trying to keep her anger from rising to the surface.

"Clans are unreliable." Day stated, confident in what he was saying, "Just look at your clan. From what I understand, the clans almost died off because there wasn't enough prey being caught by the hunters. Then when the clans get here, they die from wolves because half the cats can't defend themselves."

"Cats are stronger together. And the hunters were doing fine despite the lack of prey. If it's anyone's fault, it's the twolegs for scaring off all the prey with their monsters!" Ravenpaw's pelt began to bristle at Day's accusations.

Day rolled his eyes, "Cats should only have to rely on themselves. If they depend on others, they end up dying like the one clan in the forest."

Ravenpaw frowned, her eyes narrowing, "What?"

"That one clan...Thunderclan or something...I heard they were attacked again by the wolves last night. However many remained of them has dwindled to just four and two of them are close to dying."

Ravenpaw stood, darting back into the medicine den but running into Harestar as she exited. She looked down at Ravenpaw before her eyes traveled to Day, narrowing.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Ravenpaw hurriedly meowed, "Day says Thunderclan was attacked again! We need to help them!"

Harestar looked back at Grayspot's den before touching the tip of her tail to her apprentice's shoulder, "We can't."

"But-" Ravenpaw started before Harestar cut her off with a wave of her tail.

"If Windclan had any warriors to spare, I would be more than happy to help Thunderclan, but I cannot risk sending any cat to help at this time.  The clan comes first."

Ravenpaw didn't answer, knowing that Harestar was right.  The clan did come first, but she couldn't stand by and do nothing. Crowbreath told her to save the clans, and that included Thunderclan regardless of what Harestar said. Harestar seemed to take Ravenpaw's silence as agreement, her attention turning back to Day.

"Shall I have a warrior escort you out of camp?" She asked him, her eyes narrowing again.

Day shook his head, turning to leave. Harestar watched him walk across the camp, leaving. Ravenpaw watched his back until Harestar turned to go to her den.  She darted across the camp, stopping Day before he left.

Quietly she whispered, "Where do I find the Thunderclan camp?"

Day looked surprised but responded back with a quiet meow. "Head for the forest, cross the river, and look around. If you find a huge empty cave, you've gone too far."

Ravenpaw nodded, turning back and padding over to Wingpaw. When she sat down, her littermate gave her a questioning look, but Ravenpaw ignored it. She would leave for Thunderclan as soon as everyone was asleep.