High Speed Winds

Chapter 7

She scanned the camp, and her lingering suspicion was confirmed. Shardfang was nowhere to be seen.

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Scanning the crowd of cats for further investigation, she also found that Opalstorm and Scarletpelt were in a state of distress. Even the easy going and calm Hailstorm seemed worried.

Opalstorm bounded to the nursery to find Curlstar, who was checking on the queens and kits, while Hailstorm alerted the other warriors.

Panicscar stood, all of a sudden alert at the fact of a missing cat, but she then took in the fact that Shardfang wasn't a very popular cat in the clan at all, and she wondered if he'd simply left on his own.

No... he would've at least told Opalstorm and Scarletpelt, and chances are that they probably would've followed him, the scarred gray she-cat realized with a jolt. So was he taken?

Panicscar pushed past Vineclaw and out into the jungle. The ginger tom gave her a glare filled with hatred, but continued watching over MistClan.

Her eyes alert, Panicscar bounded deeper into the undergrowth.

As her fur caught on a thorn branch, a muffled mew sounded from within the bush.

The words were barely distinguishable, but Panicscar could make out the voice of Shardfang.

The scarred she-cat moved aside branches with her paws, hissing as they got in her paw, and made her way into the branch.

The black tabby tom sat against a tree, his paws flailing around weakly.

"Help—" Shardfang was interrupted by a paw that stuck into the bush from outside.

Panicscar eyes widened with surprise as she scented holly. The poisonous berry was dangerous enough to keep a cat asleep for days. The dark paw was covered with cobwebs, and the red berry's juice was soaked in the white mesh.

Shardfang watched helplessly as the cobwebs were thrust between his jaws.

The deep voice of a cat could be heard meowing, "Now, sleep. When you awaken, you'll join your father and mother... in StarClan."

Panicscar stepped from out of the shadows, so that Shardfang could see her.

The poison was already seeping down his throat, and nothing could be done to wake him. His eyes closed, and his breathing deepened.

The tabby tom's eyes flickered open a final time before he slipped away into unconsciousness.

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Shardfang's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he lay there on his side, still drowsy. The tom stared at the bright starlight that glowed around him.

Realizing where he was, the tabby tom leaped to his paws, and as panic pierced his his heart like a thorn, he thought, Oh StarClan, I hope I'm not dead.

"You're not dead," the black cat heard a voice, and jumped out of his fur.

Turning around, his eyes widened as he saw two cats. The first was a vicious looking she-cat with many battle scars along her pitch black pelt, and she had sparkling gray eyes. The next was a tabby tom, who stood tall and proud, with dark brown fur, and most strikingly, silver eyes.

My... parents, Shardfang thought with surprise as he stared at the couple in complete and utter awe.

He shook off his surprise before meowing, "Well, I hope to StarClan that you're right. Am I a medicine cat? Hmm, I don't think so at least."