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talonslockau · 1 year ago

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Fire and Ice - Chapter 41

Chapter 40 || Index || Chapter 42

They pelted through the trees, their soreness from the long journey vanishing at the injured howls of their Clanmates. The sounds of battle grew louder and louder, until they were a cacophony of anger and pain at the edge of the ravine. The five cats scrambled down, loosing rocks and pebbles in their way, before tearing through the entrance of camp.

Inside was a frenzy of fighting. Everywhere Firepaw looked, he could see cats exchanging blows. No corner of camp was safe; even Speckleflight was fighting, bitterly attacking a brown-and-white molly with tangled fur that he recognized from the last attack. There were so many invaders; Shadowclan would have had to bring their whole Clan to manage an attack of this scale.

The returning cats hurled themselves into the battle. Smallear was the closest, fighting with a dark gray tom that looked a bit like Yellowfang. The apprentice jumped on the warrior's back, throwing him off balance as he dug his claws into him. The Shadowclanner howled and bucked beneath him, trying to get him off, but Smallear leaned forward and tore into his chest with his long fangs.

The invader cried in pain and struggled towards the bramble wall as Firepaw clawed at him, before finally leaping off as the other tom clawed his way through and fled. He nodded quickly to Smallear before diving back into battle, where a brown tabby with barely any tail was facing off against Sandstorm. "Need a claw?" He called out to her, scoring his claws down the enemy's hide before she could answer.

She didn't look at him as she snarled into the Shadowclanner's face. "You don't belong here!" For a moment, he wasn't sure which one she was talking to, but as the tom whipped around to retaliate against Firepaw's strike she dove forward and bit down hard on his shoulder. Squealing like a kitten, the warrior ran away from the two, his stub of a tail tucked between his legs.

The tides of the battle had turned with their arrival. Dappleshine had joined Speckleflight, and together the two of them sent the patched molly she was fighting running for safety. He could see Cinderpaw across the clearing wrestling with a spotted warrior, digging in with all her fangs and claws as they struggled to get away. Quickflash came over to help his daughter and with a strong chomp to the invader's tail sent him fleeing as well.

Gradually, silence came over the camp. Cats began looking for their mates and family, making sure that they were okay. Sandstorm beside him went running over to her brother, who had a nasty scar on his neck and was limping towards the healer's den. Just as Firepaw was about to go assemble with the other apprentices, he heard a bone-chilling scream ring out across camp. "Goldenflower! Goldenflower, no!"

He darted to the nursery immediately, close by enough that he was one of the first to arrive. As he entered, he shuddered at the sight that greeted him. Goldenflower was alone in her nest, her soft ginger fur stained red with blood that oozed out from a deep wound across her chest. Frostfur was frantically grooming it, trying to stop the bloodflow, but he could tell she was doing nothing to stem it. As he entered with several other warriors, the white queen looked up at them. To his surprise, her eyes were not angry, but pleading, filled with tears as she gazed at them.

"Help her… Please, someone help her!" She nosed at her mate as her body wracked with sobs. "Come on, Goldenflower. Stay awake, just a bit longer."

"She needs to get to Spottedleaf's den." It was Dappleshine, her voice gentle but urgent as she approached the other queens. "I'll take this side. You take the other." She did her best to gently scruff the unconscious queen as Frostfur tearfully nodded and took up the other side.

"I'll tell Spottedleaf!" Firepaw vowed, darting out of the nursery and heading straight for the healer's den. The path was open, the other fighters sensing that whatever had caused Frostfur's mournful cry could not be as bad as their own wounds.

"Spottedleaf, Goldenflower's bleeding bad-" He only got a few words out before he came to a startled halt. The den was ransacked, herbs trampled in the dusty earth and nests scattered open. It was obvious a fight had taken place, yet it was the back that caught his attention. There, a small gray molly was facing away from him, her whole body shaking as she crouched beside a still figure.

"Oh no." He padded forward softly, coming up beside Dewpaw. Tears were falling from her eyes as she sobbed over Spottedleaf, unmoving and silent. The calico's green eyes were glassy, staring emptily out at nothing as blood spilled from a deep gash in her neck. "Dewpaw, I…"

"He killed her!" She cried, digging her gray nose into her mentor's long fur. "She saved me! I couldn't fight back- I didn't know how-" She let out a long wail, her grief echoing through the den. "This is my fault! If I'd been a better apprentice, she'd still be alive!"

"Don't talk like that." Firepaw hissed, pressing against her reassuringly. "This is Shadowclan's fault. They're the ones that attacked healers and invaded our camp." He looked around, realizing Dappleshine and Frostfur would be there at any moment. "Where's Yellowfang? They didn't-"

"She drove him off." Dewpaw hiccupped beside him. "I didn't see-"

"Spottedleaf!" He turned around in time to see Dappleshine rush past to the body of her sister, leaving Frostfur alone with Goldenflower. "Oh no, oh no no no. She can't - they didn't -"

"Goldenflower needs help, Dewpaw." Firepaw murmured softly. "I'll go find Yellowfang, but she needs care now. She might not live until I return."

"I-" Dewpaw sniffled, closing her eyes before standing tall and turning to see the two queens. Even though tears still streamed down her cheeks, her face was filled with determination. "Bring her here. Bleeding, you said?"

"Yes." He watched as the small molly pawed familiar yellow flowers out of a stone cubby, licking them up and beginning to chew as she stuck her paw into another cubby hole and pulled out cobwebs. She limped quickly over to Goldenflower, spitting out the mush of herbs on her wound before beginning to plaster cobwebs over it. Though her tears were beginning to splash down on the queen’s ginger form, Dewpaw’s brow was furrowed, intensely focusing on her newest patient. "Right. I- I'll go get her." The ginger apprentice squeezed around the healer at work and darted out of the healer's den into the dark camp once more.

There were many eyes on him as he emerged. "What's going on?" It was Bluestar, ignoring a dripping cut over her eye to look at Firepaw.

He didn't get a chance to respond before a yowl sounded through the clearing. "Bluestar! Goldenflower's kits are missing!" He turned to see Speckleflight emerge from the nursery. "Snowkit hid under a nest, but the rest have vanished!"

Her shoulders sagged at the news. "Brokenstar… This is his idea of revenge." She murmured sadly. "What of Goldenflower? Will Spottedleaf be able to save her?"

He looked out at the crowd that had begun forming around them, his heart sinking as he watched their hopeful faces. "Spottedleaf…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Spottedleaf is dead."

There were gasps of shock and horror. The Clan reeled at his words, unable to fathom such horrible news. Healers never died in battle. They were outside the warrior code, immune to many of the battles that defined Clan life. For one to fall to another cat's claws…

"She died honorably, defending Dewpaw from a Shadowclan warrior." He opened his eyes as he spoke, looking out on the crowd. He didn't see Yellowfang among them. "Dewpaw is helping Goldenflower right now."

Bluestar was hunched over, suddenly looking many seasons older. "This… this is terrible." She murmured, Firepaw straining to hear her words. "Thunderclan has paid a great price today."

After several moments of silence, she sat up, her blue eyes blazing. "This cannot stand. Brokenstar must pay for his crimes." She spat, standing tall as she gazed over her warriors. "He cannot be allowed to invade our camp, kill our healer, and steal our kits.” She looked around at her warriors, who were hanging on her every word.

After a few tense moments, she raised her head to the storm above. “He must die!" She screeched, her words echoing through the camp.

Lightning cracked at her words, silhouetting the leader in bright white before fading. "Starclan agrees.” She growled, the warriors around her nodding and flexing their claws in anticipation. “But the storm coming will be a fierce one. I cannot risk more lives rashly hunting down the code-breaking rogues that did this." She stepped back, looking over the Clan that stared silently back at her.

"But Bluestar, what of Goldenflower's kits?" Speckleflight spoke up from beside the nursery. "Who knows what those Shadowclan snakes are planning to do with them? We must rescue them as soon as possible!"

"We know exactly what he intends to do with them." Their leader sighed bitterly. "They are nearing two moons old by now. Prime apprentice age, from what Mosspaw told us." There were murmurs of fear at her words, but she silenced them with a lash of her tail. "Brokenstar would not take them just to injure them. They will be safe until the storm passes."

"We cannot wait for a little rain! It will steal their scents and make it impossible for us to follow them. We must go now!" Tigerclaw growled, digging his claws into the earth.

"The rain is nearly here anyways. If we send out a battle party now, the scent will be lost by the time they reach the border, and they stand the risk of being caught in a storm in unfamiliar territory." As she spoke, lightning cracked again, much closer this time. "We stand a better chance of success if we wait. It will also give us time to summon our allies for this fight."

The large tabby huffed. "Yes, our 'allies'. Where is Yellowfang?" He looked around at the crowd, but the old healer did not appear. "Why did she leave Spottedleaf and Dewpaw alone in there?"

"Dewpaw said Yellowfang was the one that drove off their attacker." Firepaw interjected pointedly. Surely the dark gray molly had proven herself by now? She had been faithfully healing alongside Spottedleaf for over a season now. Many here had had their wounds treated by her.

"Perhaps Shadowclan took her as well. We know they've been hunting her ever since the last attack." Bluestar pointed out, to which a few in the Clan nodded in understanding. "It doesn't matter. Our plan remains the same. I will see the council in my den." She lashed her tail, obviously dismissing the rest of them. Tigerclaw eyed her and stalked off towards her den, his long tail lashing angrily.

The crowd moved away, finding places to lick their wounds and shelter from the coming storm. Firepaw looked up at the sky; normally, it would be morning by now, the sky bright and colorful. Now, however, it was still dark as night, with the storm beginning to swirl angrily overhead.

As he looked around camp, he realized Bluestar was still standing there, her gaze fixed on him. "Uh, Bluestar?" He stuttered, taking a step forward. "Is there something you want from me?"

"There is." Bluestar looked around, but no one was watching them at that moment. "I do not believe they took Yellowfang. She would howl from here to Fourtrees before that happened."

Firepaw's heart sank at her words. "You don't think-"

"I don't know." Bluestar admitted, glancing away. "Her disappearance in our time of need is suspicious and disturbing. But if the Clan heard that, they would find her guilty in a heartbeat." She shook her head. "There has been too much innocent life lost today. I must have the truth, not blood."

He considered that. He remembered what Redtail told him in his dreams not so long ago; that Tigerclaw offered the Clan vengeance, an easy solution to all their woes. They would not consider a different answer if it allowed for them to sate their appetite for blood. "So what do you suggest?" He asked at last.

"Find her." He perked his ears in surprise, about to protest before she silenced him with a lash of her tail. "You took care of her for close to a moon. I was not blind to your slipping away during that Gathering, either." He lowered his head shamefully. "She trusts you. She cares for you. And you know her better than any cat here. If any cat can find her, it will be you."

He nodded, overwhelmed by the faith and trust Bluestar was placing in him. "I will do my best." He promised at last.

"I have faith that will be enough." She wiped a paw at her still-bleeding cut and stood. "The storm will keep our warriors in camp for some time. You will be on your own."

"I understand." He watched as Bluestar padded off to her den, where the council was doubtlessly waiting for her. It was then, as though on some silent signal, that the rain began to fall.

It was only moments before it was a downpour, soaking him to the bone. It felt as though even Starclan was mourning what had happened, just like all of camp. Yet he couldn't stop to rest. Thoughts raced through his head. Where would Yellowfang have been likely to go? He was certain that she hadn't returned with Shadowclan, given they had been hunting her down. He padded towards the nursery, where several holes had been ripped into the bramble wall. Perhaps she had seen a Shadowclanner escaping with-

"Firepaw!" Graypaw was hurrying across camp towards him. "We've been waiting for you. What's going on?"

He flinched away from the nursery. "I- Nothing. Everything's fine." He hesitated as he looked at Bluestar's den. She had specified he was to be on his own. He couldn't risk telling Graypaw where he was going.

"Really?" The gray tom lowered his voice. "I saw you talking to Bluestar. What did she tell you?"

He paused. He couldn't lie to his friend, not when they knew each other so well. "She wants me to go find Yellowfang."

"On your own?" The dark gray tom arched his back as though bristling, though the rain soaked through his fur and made it impossible to stand on end. "But it's dangerous out there! We don't know if all the Shadowclanners are gone!"

"That's what she told me." He admitted. "But maybe it's alright if-"

"You disgusting traitor!" They whirled to see Dustleap and Longtail ganging up on Ravenpaw, who was shrinking away from them. "It wasn't enough to reveal our camp to Shadowclan? You had to let them take our kits as well?" Longtail's namesake was lashing furiously. "There's no room in this Clan for Shadowclan snakes like you."

"And I once called you a brother." Dustleap spat from beside the tabby warrior. "Was it worth it? Abandoning your family for a den of code-breaking rats?" He lashed out, missing the dark apprentice by a whisker as he flinched away.

"What's going on? Why are you yelling at Ravenpaw?" Graypaw asked as they hurried over, the mission momentarily forgotten.

"He's a spy!" Dustleap spat at them. "He's the one who revealed our camp! He's the one that told them where our kits are! And he told them the perfect time to attack, while he was away from camp!" He turned back to Ravenpaw with a growl. "And now we're gonna show him exactly what we do with traitors!"

"You can't!" Firepaw burst out. The two tabbies looked back to him with narrowed eyes. "Because he's coming with us."

"Coming with you?" Dustleap snorted. "For what?"

Firepaw glanced at Graypaw, realizing he'd backed himself into a corner. "He's coming because, uh, we need him, you know, since-"

"Since I need all three of them to go." They all looked to see Dewpaw striding through the rain, her gaze hard and stony as she glared at them. Though the rain made her even smaller than usual, it felt as though she were looking down on them. "Why are you still here? I didn't ask you to stand around chatting!"

"He's not going anywhere!" Dustleap spat. "What's so urgent you need these three apprentices for, anyways?"

"I'm missing an herb I need to treat Goldenflower." She met his gaze angrily. "I need as much of it as possible, and I sent these three to get it for me. Unless you want to see her die?"

Dustleap growled lowly at that. "No, but-"

"Good. I'm glad you agree." She glared at the three apprentices still crouching before her. "Now go!"

Firepaw nodded quickly. "Er- yes. Of course." With that, he bolted for the entrance, hearing Ravenpaw and Graypaw on his tail.

They didn't stop until they had clambered up the ravine side and made it halfway to the training hollow. "That was close!" Graypaw panted to the other two. "Dewpaw really saved our hides there. Who knew she could act so well?"

"No kidding. She even convinced me for a moment!" He looked behind him to see Ravenpaw shivering, his eyes sightless and unfocused. He looked smaller than ever, his short black fur soaked and clinging to his scrawny body. "Ravenpaw?"

"I-I'm dead." Ravenpaw croaked after a moment. "Tigerclaw- he's gonna kill me. I'm gonna die."

"Ravenpaw…" Firepaw hesitated, padding towards him softly. "You can't give up. Not because of those two."

"He told me himself!" The black tom shouted above the howl of the wind before looking down at his paws. "While you were at the Moonstone. He- He said that he was gonna kill me. I only convinced him not to because when Bluestar returned, she'd know he did it from scent alone." He shook all over as he recalled the conversation. "Th-Then he told me to leave, run away and never return, but I- I couldn't move and then you showed up and-"

"Easy. Easy." Firepaw hushed him and pressed against him. "It's gonna be okay. We won't let Tigerclaw kill you. We'll stop him."

"How?" Ravenpaw moaned, his ears dipping sadly. "No matter what I do - no matter where I go- he'll find me. He promised he would."

"So you just gotta find a place he won't find you. Easy!" Graypaw retorted, his voice quiet compared to the splashing of the rain around them.

"Like where?" Ravenpaw asked, his eyes darting around as he searched for a tormentor to emerge from the woods. "There's nowhere he won't go!"

It was then that Firepaw remembered Nightwish's words. Remember your journey, she had told him. And as his mind raced back through the past day, he realized what she meant. She was right; he did know everything he needed to know, now, in this moment.

"But that's not true." The ginger tom pointed out as they both looked at him. "Remember our conversation with Barley? He invited us to the barn, but Tigerclaw-"

"He refused." It dawned on Graypaw quickly. "What was it that he said to Bluestar? Something to do with the Code and Twoleg territory?" His yellow eyes gleamed as he spoke. "Even if Barley offered Tigerclaw the chance, he'd turn it down. Firepaw, that's genius!"

"Barley even said he had too many mice to catch himself. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you stayed for a little while." He pointed out to Ravenpaw, who was frowning at both of them. "You'd be safe from your father. And I'm sure he'd let you stay, at least until we figure out how to reveal Tigerclaw's crimes. You wouldn't even be that far away."

"Are you sure?" Ravenpaw asked, looking between both of them. "What if Barley doesn't welcome me? He is a loner, and-"

"Just tell him you've caught adders before. Not many cats could do that!" Firepaw interrupted warmly, nudging his head against his friend's shoulder. "Go on. We'll clear your name, and make sure Tigerclaw and the Clan don't come looking for you."

"How will you do that?" Ravenpaw asked as he stood, his shivering beginning to quiet now that he had a shimmering ray of hope.

Firepaw raised his chin and looked Ravenpaw in the eye. "We shall tell them you are dead."

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