Blazing Darkness

Chapter 15

Gingerspot hung her head sadly. A brown lifeless body hung across Stormcloud's and Mistyberry's shoulders. Gingerspot was letting Branchstar lean against her shoulder because he was too weak to walk the whole way back to camp.

As they padded through the bramble wall outside camp into the clearing her heart froze as she heard cries of horror and disbelief.

Gingerspot guided Branchstar over to where Mistyberry and Stormcloud lay Berrypaw's body in the middle of the camp. Her heart broke as she saw Goldenflower collapse beside her dead kit.

"No! No! No!" she cried. She rapped her tail around Berrypaw and dug her muzzle into her fur. It seemed like time stopped as Lionpaw padded into camp happily with Smokefur at his side.

"Look I caught two mice and a squirrel. I can't wait to show...." he trailed off as he saw Berrypaw. Lionpaw screamed in horror and pain as he raced over to his dead sister.

Gingerspot wanted to run out of camp as fast as she could to run her claws through that stupid dogs throat. She watched painfully as Lionpaw threw himself over Berrypaw's body.

Gingerspot turned away, she couldn't bare watching any longer. She padded over to the nursery to visit her mother. The ginger queen was sitting in her nest grooming herself.

Flameheart looked up as she entered the den. "What's all the comosion about in the clearing," Flameheart meowed between licks. Gingerspot's head dropped sadly, "Berrypaw is dead."

Flameheart stopped in mid lick and looked at her in disbelief. "Your kidding, right?" she croaked. Gingerspot shook her head. Flameheart rushed out of the den to go look at her dead clanmate before returning with her head and tail drooping.

"She was so close to becoming a warrior," Flameheart meowed sadly. Gingerspot nodded. Then she heard Branchstar yowl, "Let all cats gather around to hear my words."

Gingerspot and Flameheart padded out of the den. Branchstar was sitting beside Berrypaw as Sunclan began to gather around.

As the cats settled around him and Berrypaw he began, "Today we are here to honor and remember Berrypaw. She fought viciously against a dog twice her size. That to me shows skills of a true warrior."

"Starclan, before you take our clanmate I want to welcome her as a warrior to you," he meowed. Gingerspot felt a happy warmth knowing that the young cat would still become a warrior.

"I, Branchstar, leader of Sunclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code and I commend her as a warrior in her turn. Berrypaw you will now be known as Berrysplash. We will forever honor your bravery and loyalty as we welcome you as a full warrior of Sunclan."

The sky seemed to shake as the cats raised there heads to yowl into the sky, "Berrysplash! Berrysplash! Berrysplash!"

Gingerspot felt the sadness that was weighing her down lift as they welcomed the new warrior.

Then something caught her eye. She gasped as she saw a cat with stars in its pelt. It was a she-cat with a brown tabby pelt, close to Berrysplash's. Then there was another cat. Gingerspot almost fell to the ground in disbelief.

It was Berrysplash. She looked healthy and strong. The she-cat bounded over to the other brown tabby she-cat. Gingerspot marveled at how similar they were. Berrysplash then suddenly looked right at Gingerspot. Then light brown tabby she-cat dipped her head in a farwell and bounded away into a white mist with the older she-cat.

Gingerspot looked around, wondering if any other cat saw that. Goldenflower was still curled around Berrysplash's body and Lionpaw was sitting beside her too.

Branchstar was bowing his head to honor Berrysplash. Gingerspot looked around with confusion. Why was she the only one who saw that?