Grasswing looked around, panicked. That couldn't possibly be Bluekit, could it? But there was the scream again sounding just like her.
"MOMMA! MOMMA HE-" Bluekit's scream was cut off abruptly.
Grasswing didn't hesitate any longer. "Applefrost! Organize a patrol to find Bluekit! Quickly!"
Applefrost nodded. "Got it!" He said, running as he did so.
Grasswing plunged into the green undergrowth, sharp brown brambles whipping her face and thorns poking into her pads. A raven called a alarm through the silent forest, as Grasswing burst into the clearing. Her eyes widened at the scene before her
Stormclaw was in a attack position, lashing his sandy gray tail, blue wings wide open, ready to take off at any moment. Foxscar, who had one ginger paw on poor Bluekit. Grasswing winced when she saw the heavily bleeding claw marks along her kit's side.
"Foxscar! What is going on here?" Grasswing cried. "You can't kill Bluekit!"
Foxclaw sneered, dragging one red strained claw over Bluekit's neck. "Oh, hello sister, nice seeing you," Foxscar said, slowly bringing a paw up. "Me and Bluekit were having a little chat about what Starclan might be like." He smiled evilly.
The fox killing Bluekit! That's supposed to be Foxscar! Realization hit Grasswing in the face like a blow. Letting out a yowl of fury, she leapt at her brother, but Stormclaw was faster, smashing into her and kicking her away from Foxscar.
"You...Starclan cursed...rat!" Grasswing yelled as she and Stormclaw rolled around, clawing and biting, a furry mess of brown and grey fur.
Foxscar smiled again. "Now that she's distracted, let's continue, shall we?" Foxscar said, bringing his claws down, closer and closer until...
Applefrost crashed into him, yowling, claws unsheathed. Wavemist, Sapleaf, Rushpaw, and Quailsong followed him, ripping Stormclaw off Grasswing and throwing his bloody body to the snowy ground. Stormclaw slowly lifted himself up, hissing with rage, and spotted Foxscar and Applefrost fighting.
"If we can't take your kit, we'll take your mate!" Stormclawsaid, pushing past the warriors and into the battle. Wavemist tried to follow him, but it was too late. Foxscar and Stormclaw had Applefrost pinned down. "Noooo!" Grasswing yelled, as Foxscar bit into Applefrost's neck.
"See you later, freak." Foxscar sneered, lifting into the air. Stormclaw tried to, but his wings were too damaged and Wavemist held him down, while Sapleaf flew after Foxscar.
Grasswing ran to Applefrost, tears streaming down her brown fur, dripping onto the red ground.
"Applefrost, please don't go, don't, please!" Grasswing tried to stop the flowing river of blood to no avail. It ran over her paws, making a small pool.
"Grasswing..." Applefrost whispered weakly. "Bluekit's okay?"
"Yes, yes she is, Applefrost, just keep breathing." Grasswing cried.
"Ah...I didn't die in vain." Applefrost said, turning his head to Grasswing as to see her better. "I love you Grasswing, don't you ever forget that. Tell...tell the kits, too..." With that Applefrost, breathed his last breath, and joined the stars.
Sapleaf came back just as Grasswing let out cry of grief. "I'm so sorry for Applefrost," she said softly, hanging her head. Turning back to the others, she explained: "Foxscar got away, unfortunately, but I'll tell Birdstar to search for him. In the meanwhile, what are we going to do with him?" She spat him out as if it were disgusting crow-food. Stormclaw could only glare at her.
"Birdstar will know what to do with him when we get back to camp." Wavemist reassured them. "Come on let's get going. Sapleaf, carry Applefrost, while the rest, form a circle around Stormclaw in case he tries to run off."
They all followed Wavemist's orders, all of their heads down, trudging through the freshly fallen snow, towards the camp.
Birdstar ran up to them the moment they got through the tunnel. "What happened?" She exclaimed. "Foxscar happened." Sapleaf said sadly.
"All of you except Sapleaf go to Butterflyheart to check for injuries. Sapleaf, come to my den to explain. Bring Stormclaw, too." Birdstar and Sapleaf trotted off, pausing only to gently lay Applefrost's body on the ground.
Grasswing picked up Bluekit and went with the others to the medicine den. Butterflyheart had the same reaction as Birdstar, and Wavemist, with the help of Rushpaw, told her what happened as she tended to their wounds.
"My, what a horrible thing!" Butterflyheart remarked, spreading some type of herb on Bluekit's scratches. Bluekit only whimpered. "It was," agreed Wavemist. "If only I could get my claws on him..."
"Alright, alright, don't give Bluekit nightmares." Butterflyheart said, cutting Wavemist off.
Soon, Butterflyheart was finshed. "Okay, give Bluekit these poppy seeds," Butterflyheart showed Grasswing two tiny black seeds. "They're help with the shock and make her sleep. Do you think you need one?"
Grasswing shook her head. "No, I don't. I...I have to sit vigil for Applefrost."
Butterflyheart searched her eyes for any hatred, but found only cold, empty, sadness. "I don't think you should do that," she said, worried for her friend. "You've had a exhausting day. I think it's for the best."
Grasswing shook her head again. "It's the least I could do for him. He was so loyal, so brave, to me. I wish I could repay him."
"But you have," Butterflyheart protested. "Every day you've been there for him, protecting him, comforting him. You're the best mate he could ask for."
"Thanks, Butterflyheart." Grasswing mumbled. "You're the best medicine cat any cat could ask for. But still, I want to sit vigil."
Butterflyheart decided not to argue and let her go.
Outside, the cold night was refreshing on Grasswing's fur. She breathed it in, and to her, it tasted like starlight. Bluekit was falling asleep on her paws after eating both poppy seeds, so Grasswing carefully set her down on the nest where they slept.
Cinderkit, Mosskit, Swiftkit, and Dovekit, bounded up to her as soon as she enter the cozy den. "What happened?" Mosskit asked, staring at the scratches along Grasswing's side.
"And where is Applefrost? Birdstar said to say here until you came." Cinderkit put in.
"I'll tell you in the morning. For now sleep. Everything will be better in the morning." Hopefully, Grasswing thought. She sat by her kits until they fell asleep, which didn't take long.
Finally, Grasswing could slip outside. She padded up to Applefrost's body, and was surprised to see Quailsong there. Well, she was his sister. Grasswing thought.
She sat by her until Quailsong suddenly muttered: "Foxscar was behind all the killings." Grasswing blinked. "Oh." She wasn't sure what to say.
"I was also having his kits, and I was going to tell him today, but you know what happened." Quailsong continued. Grasswing just nodded. "Where are they keeping Stormclaw?"
"Over there," Quailsong said, pointing with her tail. Grasswing looked over there and saw a messy pile of twigs and leaves, hardly resembling a den. Two cats were guarding the entrance, too dark to see who.
"Aren't you angry?" Quailsong said in a soft voice. "Excuse me?" Grasswing questioned.
"I mean, Foxscar killed your mate. So, aren't you angry?" Quailsong explained. Grasswing thought for a moment. "Let's not talk about that now." Quailsong understood and was quiet.
Grasswing thought all night about Quailsong's question. Was she angry? Did she want to get revenge on Foxscar? These thoughts and many more whirled around her head until dawn. That's when she found her answer:
Yes.