Warriors: Shadows of Blood (COMPLETE)

Chapter 32

A pale morning light beamed from behind heavy clouds drifting across the sky. The forest was very quiet. The silence was broken only occasionally when birds chattered briefly in the trees. Bloodfur slowly emerged from the thorn tunnel, Mistybreeze at his side. They carried Swiftstalker's body between them on their backs.

His heart ached as they padded to the center of the camp and carefully lowered Swiftstalker to the ground. He pressed his muzzle against his black fur for a moment before raising his head. Bloodfur had expected the clan to confront him the moment he set paw in the camp. But no cat seemed to notice him. They were all too lost in grief.

Greenpine and Timberstorm were crouched over Ashcloud's body, their eyes closed and ears flat. Beyond them, Boost rested his chin over Copperstripe's shoulder. Blood stained the tabby's pelt. Coldpebble pressed his muzzle against Crowmask's flank. Mistybreeze let out a cry of grief when she saw her father's body. She left Bloodfur's side to join her brother, pressing her pelt against his.

"Bloodfur!" Bloomfire's cry caught his attention and he spun, ready to apologize to her for everything he'd done. But when he faced her, his heart skipped a beat.

She stared at him, her eyes round and anxious. She sat close to her kits, who were huddled around something, their heads low and ears flat. He saw Creamheart beyond Heatstorm and Foxflower, staring numbly at the cat she was trying to save.

No... No, please don't let it be... Bloodfur's heart pounded as he shot across the clearing to them, and Bloomfire stepped back to let him in the circle, closing her eyes. Flameheart lay in the grass on his side, his flanks rising and falling rapidly. Blood ran from a deep wound in the side of his stomach. Creamheart had pressed cobwebs over the wound, but blood continued soaking through and dripping onto the ground.

"Bloodfur..?" Flameheart rasped, his green eyes flickering open.

"I'm here." Bloodfur's voice caught in his throat. He crouched beside the tabby, his heart throbbing. Heatstorm growled faintly at Bloodfur, but he ignored it. "I'm so sorry!"

Flameheart stared up at him with exhausted eyes as he breathed quickly. "You came to warn us..." He murmured. "I hoped you would come back... I-I was afraid I wouldn't see you again."

He twitched his ear I'm surprise. "You wanted to see me again?" He rasped. "After everything I did?"

"Of course," The ginger tabby murmured. "I've known since the day you were born... that you were not the cat Hawkfeather thought you were. You have always had a good heart." He gazed at Bloodfur. "I'm s-sorry we lied to you. It's my fault you went down the wrong path."

"No, it's not!" Bloodfur protested. "I shouldn't have been so angry." He rested his chin on Flameheart's shoulder, swallowing a lump in his throat. "You did what you thought was best for me, and you were right. I had the best parents I could have asked for."

He felt his foster-father purr under him before he jerked and coughed. Bloodfur moved his head back from his shoulder and saw blood running heavier from his wound. He pressed a paw to his pale underbelly, looking to Creamheart anxiously. "He needs more cobwebs!"

The cream and brown she-cat looked down, shaking her head. "It's too late," She murmured. "I'm sorry."

Bloomfire and her kits did not react to this news, and Bloodfur understood that they had already known. It was why she had called him over. To see Flameheart one last time. He choked out a cry of grief and pressed his muzzle against the tom's cheek fur. "Thank you," He croaked. "You raised me as your own and loved me so that I wouldn't feel abandoned. You were the greatest father." He licked Flameheart's ear. "I wish I'd really been your son."