WITHERING HERBS || A Warriors Fanfiction

|| chapter thirty

Owlpaw took in a deep breath as he watched a piece of the branch break off and fall towards them. Reddish-brown fur flashed at the edge of his vision.

It was Adderflight, PetalClan's medicine cat.

The apprentice watched as the splintering branch fell right in front of him, inadvertently creating a way to escape. In a moment, Finchtuft was swarming up the branch, leaping expertly as he jumped his way to the top of the crevice. He stood on the firm ground and backed out of Owlpaw's sight.

Adderflight followed. His steps and jumps were more clumsy and slow as he struggled up the branch. The medicine cat finally made it. Robinstar and Lilybreeze launched themselves up the splintering branch and landed on solid ground. The branch creaked as they leaped off.

Owlpaw felt as if he were rooted to the ground with terror. Fear sent icy streaks of horror through the tom as another creak from the tree filled his ears. He felt a sharp shove from his right.

"Go!" It was Logbite. The she-cat's gaze was lit up with a ferocity Owlpaw had never seen in her eyes before. She practically shoved him forward, which caused Owlpaw to stumble.

Duckfrost, appearing out of nowhere, grabbed Owlpaw's scruff and dragged him towards the branch. Lurching forward, the apprentice shook off the warrior and jumped nervously up the branch. It groaned as he continued to jump up the branch.

Owlpaw felt relief pulse through him as he made it onto solid ground. Pressing his paws firmly against the ground, he turned around to see Duckfrost wildly scrambling up. His eyes were wide and panicked as he hauled himself up and whipped around.

"Logbite! Get up here!" he screeched and suddenly Owlpaw saw that the she-cat was trying to get up the falling branch. It splintered and everything seemed to stop.

Logbite mustered an enormous leap, her back legs clearly shaking from the effort as she launched herself up. Her flanks were heaving as she scrabbled at the flat wall of stone. The branch shifted and everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched.

The branch landed on Logbite's back, and with an ear-shattering roar, she fell. A SNAP! pounded in Owlpaw's ears as he looked nervously over the edge.

Logbite lay at the bottom. Her neck was twisted and her mouth was open in a soundless, panicked, horrified, agonized yowl. For a moment, her gaze brightened as she suddenly choked, letting out a coughing noise that sounded restrained, before falling limp and exposing her twisted, broken, bloody back. It was contorted and broken, the bones clearly sticking out where they shouldn't have been.

"We need to get out of here," snarled Hazelberry. Everyone's gazes seemed to drag toward her as she hissed, "Come on."

She marched off. Owlpaw, with a quiet and resigned sigh, trailed after her.

"Come on!" The medicine cat demanded, whipping around. Her lips drew back in the beginnings of a snarl.

PetalClan and PineClan shared a glance before trudging after her.

^~^~^~^

"Finally, we're here," announced Hazelberry after she squeezed through the small, leafy entrance of the Gathering island.

Owlpaw gazed around. The whole island seemed a little less than perfect. The tree seemed weaker and not as confident as it had been, its branches now reaching nervously into the dark sky. The nighttime sky confidently shoved them away and the tree shriveled under its harsh, starlit gaze.