Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 21

She had to do the only option. She couldn't dig under the prison, the den wall was too deeply dug.

So Midnightpaw took a deep breath, giving StarClan a million prayers, and dashed to the entrance of the prison.

She reached inside the prison, breathing hard, waiting for a shout from one of the rogues. But none came.

Midnightpaw suppressed a huge sigh of relief.

"Leafdawn?" she whispered.

She didn't hear anything for a few heartbeats.

Then:

"Midnightpaw?"

That was Leafdawn's voice.

"Leafdawn!" Midnightpaw made sure to be quiet as she dashed over to nuzzle her friend. "I missed you so much— oh!"

She had just seen Leafdawn's face— and how bad it was.

Her ears were nicked and scratches were all over her face. A gash was in her cheek.

And a deep, jagged clawmark ran over her right eye.

"Did Bloodclaw do this to you?" Midnightpaw murmured.

"My eye..." Leafdawn's left eye was open and it was glazed over. She seemed to be in deep pain.

"Don't worry," Midnightpaw assured her. "I'll treat you. I-I'll get you back."

"I... I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come," Leafdawn murmured.

"Leafdawn, the whole Clan thinks you're dead." Midnightpaw gazed at her. "I'm the only one who believes you're alive."

"T-thank you." Leafdawn shook a little and her open eye glazed over more. "It...hurts..."

Midnightpaw was worried about the eye wound. The eye was still there, but it was puffy and closed. Blood was still flowing from the wound.

"I'll get you out of here," Midnightpaw whispered. "Do you know a way out?"

Leafdawn's only reply was a soft murmur. She was swaying a little.

"We're going to run out of the camp," Midnightpaw told her. "It's very risky, but it's the only way. Got it?"

Leafdawn nodded, still swaying.

"Ready to run? Let's go... now! Lean on me!"

Midnightpaw shot out of the den, Leafdawn leaning on her for support. The tabby's pace was much slower than it normally was because of her wounds, and it was slowing Midnightpaw down as well.

They had somehow left the camp without being seen when suddenly a weight pinned Midnightpaw down. She gasped but inhaled dirt. Her muzzle was pushed into the ground.

She could hear Leafdawn's ragged breathing near her.

"Thought you could get away, could you?"

The voice was Bloodclaw's. Midnightpaw struggled to try to get out of his grip but failed.

Suddenly Bloodclaw's grip disappeared.

Gasping for air, Midnightpaw sprang to her paws. She looked to see who had probably saved her life.

Leafdawn was standing there, claws unsheathed. Her one open eye glared at Bloodclaw, who looked a little bewildered.

"Thank you," Midnightpaw told Leafdawn breathlessly. "We need to get out of here!"

But she saw that that wasn't going to be very easy. The rogues now had encircled the two she-cats and were growling. Bloodclaw had probably signalled them to wait there.

"I don't know which of you I should kill first." Bloodclaw flashed an evil smile. "Perhaps I can get an opinion. Frostclaw?"

The former ThunderClan cat came up to her leader. "Kill the ThunderClan cat first. Do it swiftly. The other one is hurt and can't do much."

Midnightpaw couldn't take it anymore. She launched herself onto Bloodclaw, letting out a caterwaul. Her claws were unsheathed as she swiped at him.

"You have no right to treat Leafdawn like you did!" she hissed. "Can't you see what you've done to her?"

Bloodclaw reared up onto his hind legs, sending Midnightpaw tumbling to the ground. He then dashed over and before Midnightpaw could react, he pinned her on the side.

"I don't care," he growled. "She betrayed the Clan."

"Because you treated her so badly!" Midnightpaw exclaimed.

Bloodclaw swiped at her face, just missing her eye. Midnightpaw felt a surge of panic.

What am I supposed to do? she thought wildly. I can't get free. And Frostclaw's watching Leafdawn... I'm probably going to be killed! She tensed, waiting for the blow.

"Let her go, Bloodclaw!"

A grey blur pushed Bloodclaw off Midnightpaw, who shakily stood up.

Wavepelt sent blow after blow at Bloodclaw. "Who are you, a savage? Oh, wait. You are!" Her flanks were still full of milk— she must have insisted to go on the patrol which was now fighting furiously with the rogues.

"H-how did you find me?" Midnightpaw asked.

"Silkfrost noticed that you hadn't met her at moon-high and that your nest was empty," Wheatwing told her while fighting a white rogue with black ears, "and we found your scent. Bushtail made the guess that you were off to find Leafdawn. So we followed the scent trail and— boom! Here we are!"

"Leafdawn's here," Midnightpaw told her mother.

"She— is?" Wheatwing's eyes widened. "She's alive? Go get her and get to camp quick!"

Midnightpaw dashed off and barreled into Frostclaw, who was about to attack Leafdawn.

"Don't attack her anymore!" she growled. Leaving a dazed Frostclaw, she turned to Leafdawn. "Quick! Let's get out of here while the rogues are distracted. You can lean on me again."

The two of them trotted off again. The circle of rogues had broken, and they got through easily.

"We need to get to camp," Midnightpaw told Leafdawn. "But wait... that might be too far. I think we'll need to go to the WindClan camp." It could be too late by the time we actually get to the ThunderClan camp.

Leafdawn, only half-conscious, nodded.

"Come on," Midnightpaw meowed. The rogues were safely away from them now, so they could walk.

"I'm sorry that we didn't come sooner," Midnightpaw whispered. "If you can't survive those wounds, it'll be my fault."

***

Midnightpaw didn't really know where the WindClan camp was. But thankfully, a WindClan patrol saw her and rushed out to meet her. Pinefoot was leading it with Foxflight and a couple of other cats who Midnightpaw couldn't remember their names.

"Why are you trespassing?" Pinefoot demanded.

"Can't you see that she needs help?" Midnightpaw made an effort to calm herself. "Sorry. I was going to Highstones and she was my escort. On the way back we got ambushed by rogues. Leafdawn could die this very second. I would go to my camp, but it's probably too far. Please, I need Moorwhisker and Heatherstalk's help!"

"Why would we—" one of the WindClan cats started, but Pinefoot interrupted him.

"I see how severe this is," he mewed, eyes widened. "Follow us."

They started to trot back, and Midnightpaw and Leafdawn followed them. Leafdawn was getting slower and slower as they ran.

Pleas, Leafdawn, don't die! Midnightpaw pleaded silently. Flowerpaw isn't here to save you this time...