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My deepest, deepest, deepest apologies for taking so long to provide this new chapter for you dear readers! I've been working on some things in life and also some behind the scene things... Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
-Heather
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Echolight's mouth opened wide, a yawn escaping her mouth. The sky was dark; all of the cats were asleep.
Except for her, Runningstream, and Iriswhisper. The two of them had volunteered to take Rosepool and Featherwing's spots, as they were too tired to do the night guard.
Echolight let out a sigh, extremely bored. She wished the night would go by fast, so she could enjoy a long nap in her warm nest.
Beside her, Iriswhisper shifted her paws, obviously bored. On the other side of her, Runningstream gazed ahead, her gaze emotionless.
Echolight looked forward as well, trying to focus on the task she had been assigned.
Suddenly, she heard something. A voice, it sounded like. Her ears strained to hear, but the voice disapeared as soon as it had come.
"Did you guys... Hear that?" She whispered to the other two guards.
Iriswhisper shrugged, her gaze scanning the camp, and Runningstream shook her head.
"I didn't hear anything. What was it?" Runningstream asked, biting her lip. She seemed worried.
Echolight was about to explain it, but decided against it. It must have obviously been her imagination: she was sure the other two would have heard it if it was not.
So instead Echolight averted her eyes and instead did her duty and watched the camp. Her ears remained perked, however, for other sounds.
Sure enough, she heard the noise again. She wasn't quite able to determine whose voice it was, although it sounded frantic and scared.
Echolight scrambled to her paws, very certain of what she had heard. Her heart began to pound a bit faster. A cat must be in trouble! Perhaps it was even a traitor!
"Please tell me you heard that," she begged them.
Iriswhisper and Runningstream were paying close attention to Echolight now; and their eyes widened. Echolight was relieved at their reaction, that she hadn't been going insane.
"We need to go investigate that!" Echolight whispered loudly, her heart continually beating faster. The two she-cats nodded, and almost immediately Echolight began to run in the direction of the noise.
Her heart pounded in her paws as they hit the ground, over and over, as she neared the area where she had heard the noise. Her eyes scanned the area as trees and bushes flew by.
After running for quite some time, she suddenly stopped, her heart pounding fast.
She turned around, expecting to see Iriswhisper and Runningstream, but they were not there.
I must've been running too fast, she thought ruefully. They must've got lost. And now I'm all alone...
All.... Alone.....
Suddenly, she was pinned down. Her back was pressed to the ground, and she cried out in shock. She had been so unprepared, that when she was pushed to the ground, the wind was knocked out of her lungs. She struggled to regain her breath as the attacker held her down, their eyes gleaming with hate.
Finally, her breath came back to her. However, she said nothing. She closed her eyes shut and waited for the kiling bite that would be the end of her.
After a few moments, she tentatively opened one eye. The cat standing above her hissed, and Echolight trembled.
She wriggled around under the cat's grasp, trying her hardest to escape the claws of the traitor. It almost seemed she was going to escape when all of the sudden, two other cats appeared.
The cats padded up and for a moment stood there. Then, the two cats moved the other cat away and held Echolight down.
They didn't attack, however.
Echolight was just about to question them when she felt a shadow over her head. She glanced up, and noticed a tree.
On the branch directly above her was the cat who had pinned her earlier. Along with a large rock.
The rock fell.
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"Please don't. No. Please!"
Dawnpetal's eyes flashed open, her eyes widening as she pounced out of her nest. Her eyes hardly had time to adjust to the light.
"Whats the matter?" She yelled, blinking fiercely to be able to see. Once her sight was clear, she looked and saw Featherpath trembling in her sleep.
Dawnpetal was slightly relieved- it wasn't a cat who had been killed, instead, it was Featherpath. She sat next to the she-cat and began stroking her back.
"Wake up," she said firmly, but with a kind tone. Featherpath eventually stopped squirming and slowly sat up. Her eyes were wide, however.
Dawnpetal stroked her back as Featherpath took a few deep breaths. Dawnpetal observed that Featherpath had bags under her eye- meaning the she-cat had been loosing sleep.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Dawnpetal asked quietly, stretching.
Featherpath nodded, not meeting Dawnpetal's gaze. Dawnpetal could sense that Featherpath did not wish to discuss the details of her dream.
"You stay here and relax," Dawnpetal instructed, standing up and heading out of the den.
Her tail flicked once as she scanned the camp for other cats, her gaze landing where the guards would normally be.
To her shock and horror, she discovered they were missing.
All three of them, Echolight, Runningstream, and Iriswhisper... Gone? She scrambled up to the guarding spot, wondering if her eyes just hadn't been working right.
"Iriswhisper? Runningstream? Echolight?" She called, looking around worriedly.
Rainsong, who had just exited the warriors den, seemed to have noticed Dawnpetal's anxiety, and walked over to her.
"Hello, Dawnpetal," the she-cat meowed. "Is everything alright?"
However, before Dawnpetal could answer, Rainsong seemed to figure out what she had been worrying about.
"Perhaps they've gone out to the dirtplace," Rainsong suggested, her gaze averting from Dawnpetal to the area where the dirtplace was.
Dawnpetal nodded slowly, telling herself that had to be the reason for their absence. However, an uneasy feeling still clenched her stomach.
"Right," Rainsong nodded, touching Dawnpetal with the tip of her tail. "I'm going to go get on a hunting patrol or something. Perhaps I'll meet them on my way out."
Rainsong padded away while Dawnpetal sat with her thoughts.
Smallcloud chose that moment to exit the medicine cat den, his eyes shining with a smile as he bounced over to Dawnpetal.
"I think I'm all healed now!" He exclaimed, hardly able to sit still due to his excitement. "I can go hunting now!"
Dawnpetal purred affectionately for the tom, happy he could finally continue his warrior duties. The smaller warrior had missed feeling helpful to the clan.
"Why don't you see if Rainsong needs some cats for her hunting patrol?" Dawnpetal asked, wrapping her tail around her forepaws. "I know she wanted to do one."
Smallcloud looked over at Rainsong, who was talking to Morningrose. He smiled and immediately bounded over to the two.
Dawnpetal smiled and returned to her thoughts.
"I do so hope they are okay," Dawnpetal told herself, biting her lip.
With that, she returned to the medicine cat den to take care of Featherpath.
~¤~
"Take Tigersplash and Lightdream with you," Morningrose finished, and Smallcloud nodded.
"I'll go get them," Rainsong said, dipping her head before leaving with Smallcloud right behind her.
Morningrose's gaze followed after them for a few moments before thinking of the other patrols.
"I'll think I'll have the all the apprentices and their mentors mark the borders," she said out loud, not realizing she had spoken her words out loud.
Echopaw had been approaching Morningrose at that very moment and her ears flickered at the mention of apprentices.
"What are we doing again?" She asked, which caused Morningrose to be shaken out of her daze.
"Oh, did I say that out loud?" She asked, then grinned sheepishly. "I didn't realize it. Sorry! But yes, you and your mentors will be going on patrol today."
"I'll go get the other apprentices and tell them," Echopaw bobbed her head once more and then hopped away.
Morningrose stood up from where she was sitting, glancing around the camp for other cats to give assignments. At that moment, she realized she didn't know where Iriswhisper, Echolight, and Runningstream were.
"Echoleaf?" Morningrose called to the cat who was closest to her. The she-cat's ears perked up when her name was called, and walked over to the deputy.
"Yes, Morningrose?" She asked, a small bit of confusion in her tone. Morningrose and Echoleaf didn't talk much, so it might have been a surprise.
"Have you seen Echolight, Runningstream, or Iriswhisper?" Morningrose asked Echoleaf, hoping she had more information on where they could be.
Echoleaf frowned a bit, her brow creasing.
"I haven't seen any of them. I did see them last night, though. Why do you want to know?"
Morningrose kind of shrugged, looking around the camp as if they would race in at any time.
"Well, tell me if they ever show up, okay?" Morningrose asked, giving the she-cat one of her friendliest smiles.
Echoleaf gave her a small smile back, then turned to look at the camp.
"Morningrose, I have a question." Echoleaf began, her voice a bit uncertain.
Morningrose turned to meet her gaze, and tilted her head a bit.
"Do you ever wonder if this is all worth it?"
Morningrose's ears flicked as she heard the question, and pondered on it.
"What do you mean by 'it'?" She asked, genuinely curious.
"Well... So many cats have died in such little time. Our clan is shrinking each day. So I was wondering. Why do we continue on? Why not disband and save cat's lives?" Echoleaf's voice trailed off.
Morningrose swallowed, a bit unsure on how to answer this question. She had asked herself that question too, many times over the past week. But she took a deep breath and answered the question.
"Although we have lost many warriors, I believe there is still hope. If we give up now, then the traitors will win." Morningrose became more confident as she continued to speak.
"We must shows those traitors we aren't afraid of anything," she said, slightly lifting her chin.
Echoleaf looked Morningrose over before she smiled.
"That's true. Thanks for the reassurance." She dipped her head a final time before leaving.
At that very moment, Runningstream and Iriswhisper finally appeared. Their fur was ruffled, and they seemed like they had been running for hours.
"We can't find Echolight!" Runningstream cried, her eyes wide as she tried to catch her breath.
Iriswhisper beside her seemed just as worried, panting heavily as she looked at Morningrose.
"Wait, what?" Morningrose felt her eyes widen as she looked them over.
"W-we were standing guard," Iriswhisper said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "And then she... She went off and... We dont know where she is..."
"Not again," Graystar murmured. The gray she-cat had just woken up right in time to the scene happening in front of her.
Smokefern and Featherwing approached Morningrose, as equally shocked and worried as Morningrose was.
"Do we need to send a search party out to find her?" Smokefern asked, his tail swishing rapidly behind him.
Graystar padded up closer to the cats and sat down. Her gray fur was untamed, as she seemed to have just woken up.
"Most likely," Graystar said, flattening her ears. Graystar's eyes scanned the camp, possibly looking for candidates for the job.
"Icespark! Smokefern and Featherwing, too," Graystar called. "We need your help. Echolight is missing!"
Icespark nodded her head, walking over to the other two she-cats and Morningrose felt a bit relieved.
That takes care of that... She thought, thinking of what she needed to do next.
I think I'll go check on the apprentices now, She thought, standing up and heading over to their den.
When she arrived at the den, she noticed Viperpaw was still in her nest, awake but apparently refusing to admit so. Echopaw and Dewpaw were already awake, whispering worriedly about- so it seemed- Viperpaw.
Tinypaw was still in her nest, snoring like a bear.
Morningrose entered slowly, hoping her presence wouldn't upset the apprentices.
Immediately, Dewpaw and Echopaw stopped talking and looked at the deputy. Morningrose waved her tail, smiling.
"Hey," she said to them, her smile still planted on her face. "Are you all ready for a border patrol?"
Echopaw jumped up from her seat, blinking apologetically.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell everyone," she apologized, and beside her Dewpaw stood up. Tinypaw was woken up by the sudden movement.
"Huzzat?" She said, her head popping up. "Do I need to get Runningstream?"
She seemed a bit sleepy still, her nose scrunching as she adjusted to the brightness of the room.
Morningrose purred, the apprentice seemed silly since she had just woken up.
"Yes, Tinypaw." She averted her gaze from Tinypaw and looked at Viperpaw.
Viperpaw buried her nose deeper into her nest.
"Well, once you are all ready, come out and meet me. I'll be organizing patrols." With a flick of her tail, Morningrose exited the den.
While exiting the den, she could hear whispers come from the warriors den. She felt guilty doing it, but she listened into the den.
"I said I was sorry! What can I do to get you to forgive me?"
Basilwisp's whisper sounded desperate as he talked to his mate, Leafsky. Morningrose's ear flicked as she listened in to the conversation.
Leafsky didn't reply for a few moments.
"Sorry, Basilwisp. I just need some time, okay? Things have been happening so fast, and I've hardly had time to hear my own thoughts."
Morningrose thought she could hear footsteps behind her, so she decided to stop listening and headed to her usual spot to organize some more patrols.
"Morningrose!"
Dewpaw's voice entered into Morningrose's ears and Morningrose turned to face the apprentices.
Rosepool, along with the apprentices, made their way to the deputy.
"I think I'm the only available mentor at that moment," Rosepool explained giving Morningrose a smile.
The deputy grinned warmly and dipped her head.
"Make sure you're back soon," she advised.
Rosepool nodded firmly, and with a flick of her tail, the group left the camp.
Morningrose exhaled, thinking of her other tasks she needed to accomplish. She hardly had time to address her thoughts when Featherwing arrived in camp, with the rest of her patrol behind her.
Her eyes were full of anguish and grief as Morningrose noticed Icespark beside Smokefern dragging a limp body.
Morningrose held her breath, and in her heart she immediately recognized the cat.
Echolight.
The untidy, but kind warrior who had always been so willing to help out in patrols...
She was dead.
Morningrose took a deep, shaky breath as the realization flooded over her.
Graystar walked slowly to Morningrose, and sighed sadly.
"The traitors have struck again," she shook her head in despair.
At that moment, Smokeflash and Kestrelberry, who had been sitting at the fresh-kill pile, made their way to pay their respects.
The two toms sat next to Morningrose and joined Morningrose in her grief.
"Echolight was a great warrior. It's a shame she had to end this way..." Kestrelberry said mournfully. Smokeflash beside him nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on Echolight.
"We'll definitely discover the traitors," Morningrose said, lifting up her chin. "Don't worry."
She looked up in the sky, her eyes determined.
"I know we can."
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Who killed Echolight? Comment your vote down below! The cat with the most votes will be exiled in the next chapter.