Facing A Forest of Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Frostfeather stretched her legs as she finally got up and started to leave the den for the day. The sun was slowly approaching the center of the sky, showing just how much time had truly passed.

Jewel, the white and silver she-cat, was resting near the other side of the camp. Falcon, a dusty brown tom, was stretched out beside her. Frostfeather could hear Blue, meowing loudly inside Brokensong's den. Drizzle was hovering by the den entrance, her white and gray fur spiked with excitement.

"Come on Blue you said we would go practice our hunting crouch," Drizzle complained.

Frostfeather picked her way across the camp, approaching the apprentice-sized she-cat. Blue's voice drifted out of the entrance, "Brokensong asked me to sort the coltsfoot," he squeaked.

"I don't even know what that is..." Drizzle grumbled, her tail slapping against the bare earth.

Frostfeather gently nudged her with her paw, "I could take you out to practice hunting," she offered kindly.

Drizzle looked up, her light blue eyes shining, "we were supposed to go out with Lionpaw. But Sootsplash and Meadowshine are still asleep, I think she might still be sleeping too."

Frostfeather recalled the previous night, when Meadowshine told Frostfeather that she and Sootsplash would be taking Lionpaw for a walk on the docks. They had wanted to have some alone time, but for what she was not sure.

"Yes, they were awake late last nite," Frostfeather meowed, "it would be best to let them rest."

She was about to suggest they go out and hunt, but she was stopped before she got the chance. A mournful wail echoed through the alley, into the camp. With it, came the unmistakeable tang of spilt blood.

"Something's wrong," Frostfeather whispered. Brokensong was already padding from the mouth of her den, her expression grave. Frostfeather followed her, with Drizzle right behind.

Elkleap and Stone came charging into camp, a ragged body atop their shoulders. Frostfeather gasped as she realized it was Cairn.

"What happened?" Brokensong demanded as she strode towards them. Elkleap gently rested the leader's body on the ground before answering.

"Cassius jumped us on the border. He was crazed!" Elkleap shouted, his sides heaving with his frantic breaths.

Blue had hobbled forward but seemed almost frozen at the sight of his father's bloody body. "I need you to get me lots of cobwebs," Brokensong meowed, turning to look at his troubled yellow eyes.

Without even a whimper, he turned and ran towards Brokensong's den. The medicine cat had already started looking over Cairn's wounds.

"This bite in his throat is what's causing the most damage. If it doesn't stop bleeding, I'm not sure I can save him," she muttered. At that instant, Blue reappeared with his mouth stuffed with cobwebs.

Brokensong gently took a small clump, stretching it over the gash in Cairn's throat. Pineheart finally walked through the entrance, with Raven barely conscious pressing into his shoulder.

With a sigh, the black and white tom slumped over and passed out. "Raven's hurt," Pineheart mewed anxiously as he bolted to Brokensong's side.

She looked back at Blue, her good eye squinted as she looked him up and down. "Are you feeling ok enough to go tend to Raven?" she asked slowly.

The small tom nodded hastily, his eyes still alight with terror for his father. "Just dress the wounds with cobweb for now. We will worry about infection after they have stopped bleeding," she instructed him.

Flicking his tail, he streaked away back towards her den. Below her shaky paws, Cairn had grown unnaturally still.

Brokensong growled, pressing her paws against his chest. With rhythmic pushes, she tried to bring the tom back to consciousness. But it was too late.

"What happened?!" A voice rose in distress at the camp entrance. Frostfeather turned, watching as Sun'ka burst through the camp, her patrol hard on her paws.

"Cassius attacked us," Pineheart meowed, "I think he was upset Cairn was letting us stay here. He said he was going to kill us all."

Frostfeather felt her blood turn cold in her veins. Cassius wanted them dead. Sun'ka bent down, resting her muzzle on Cairn's flank. "Goodbye sweet father," she whispered.

As she straightened, she turned to the surrounding Dockcats and IceClan warriors. "This day has brought a tremendous loss," she began, "Cairn was a noble leader."

Her voice shook as she cast her gaze down at Cairn's lifeless body. "He didn't deserve to die this way," she whimpered.

Elkleap stepped forward, pressing his side against Sun'ka. "Yes, you are right. Cairn did not deserve to die because of us. We are forever humbled by his generosity," he meowed.

Brokensong's expression was blank, unreadable. Frostfeather wondered what was going through her mind. Blue had wandered back over to their sides, his paws caked with Raven's blood.

"I stopped the bleeding," he meowed, sounding somewhat relaxed despite the alarming situation.

"That's excellent," Brokensong purred, bending down to touch her nose to the young tom's head.

"Is Cairn starting to feel better?" he asked hopefully, peeking around Brokensong to look at his brown tabby fur.

All of the gathered cats held their breath. Brokensong's whiskers quivered with sadness as she replied, "I'm sorry Blue. Cairn is.. dead."

Frostfeather's heart twisted as Blue nuzzled his muzzle into Cairn's fur. As he did, the other Dockside cats started to push forward so they may also nestle their noses into his cold fur.

The Clan cats hung back momentarily, watching in silence. Elkleap padded forward and gently touched his forepaw to Sun'ka's flank. She looked up at him, her eyes so full of grief for her slain father.

"We should probably leave," Elkleap murmured, "I don't want to see any more death from this trouble we've caused."

Her gaze hardened, the grief pushed back to be replaced by a cold determination. "No! Cassius isn't just going to boss us around," she growled, "if he wants to fight, then we will fight."

Jewel, the eldest of the Dockcats, spoke up from her place beside Cairn's body. "This is not a time to talk of violence," she meowed, "we will need to prepare to take Cairn to the Den of the Sky at dusk."

They fell silent, gathering close around Cairn's body. Frostfeather felt her muscles relax as she sat in vigil beside the others. I guess we aren't really so different, she thought to herself. She could still remember their short vigil for Smallfire, but it felt like a lifetime behind her.

She took a deep breath, the last wisps of Cairn's scent tickling her whiskers. I'm sorry we did this to you, the wretched thought filled her mind as she curled her tail closer around her side. IceClan do not belong here.