"Quick!"
Brightpaw's voice smashed into Swiftpaw's eardrums like cool water on a burning desert. He spun around, terror melting in his eyes as the dogs came closer.
Brightpaw was gesturing at a small gap between the rocks that was big enough to hold them both. "In here!"
Without hesitation, both cats plunged into the gap, pressing closer together, Swiftpaw standing in front of Brightpaw. Then they saw it. The dogs. There were about six or eight coming after them.
Something had woken the dogs, and Swiftpaw and Brightpaw had made a run for it to avoid being seen. Mission accomplished, thank StarClan.
Then Swiftpaw noticed something. The dogs smelt strongly of prey, ThunderClan prey.
These mangy mutts were stealing their prey!
"How… Dare you?" Swiftpaw hissed.
"Swiftpaw?" Brightpaw mewed.
Swiftpaw raised his hackles. "Brightpaw, run, okay? Run back to camp, get the strongest warriors together, and come back. I'll hold these things off. Okay? Go!"
Swiftpaw never heard her reply. With a furious yowl, he lunged out at the nearest dog, claws unsheathed. The dog turned towards him, but never got the chance to move.
Swiftpaw, now almost a fully grown cat, lashed out at the dog's nose, slicing it open, then gripping onto the mutt's face with his claws. Blood spattered the ground, and the dog howled in agony.
Another dog lunged at Swiftpaw, attempting to grab his flank, but Swiftpaw swung his abdomen out of the way, and clung onto that dog's muzzle with his back claws. Claws swiped the dog's eye, and it yelped.
Suddenly, the first dog tossed the frightened apprentice into the air, forcing him to let go. Swiftpaw flew through the air, and came crashing down on the ground, knocking the wind from him.
The dogs barked their pleasure. Swiftpaw knew he had to get up, when suddenly, there was another yowl. More warriors? Swiftpaw thought.
No. It was Brightpaw. She lunged at the nearest dog, biting into its foreleg. It growled and tossed her off. She hit a rock, but quickly recovered. However, the dog was inching forward, teeth bared.
Brightpaw would never be able to fight that thing off. With a yowl of fury, Swiftpaw charged, lunging at the dog, and doing a flip in the air. He clawed the dog's muzzle, making it fall back in surprise.
Swiftpaw landed protectively in front of Brightpaw. "I told you to run!" He hissed.
"I couldn't!" She meowed. "I had to-"
Suddenly, a dog grabbed Swiftpaw's flank, pulled him up in a bloody grip, biting with all his might, and shook the poor apprentice like a piece of prey. Then, the mutt threw the cat on the ground at his paws.
Swiftpaw's back was very bloody. It held gashes and bite marks that looked insanely deep, and Swiftpaw himself looked very frail.
Looking up, Swiftpaw saw that a dog was charging at Brightpaw.
"No!" He tried to run towards them, but the dog that attacked him bit down into his flank again and wouldn't let go.
The dog attacking Brightpaw reared up on his hind legs, and screeched, "PACK, PACK! KILL, KILL!" And with great hatred pouring into his eyes, he bit down into Brightpaw's face.
Brightpaw yowled in agony, clawing, biting, and trying to get away. But the dog shook her everywhere, biting into her beautiful face like prey.
Finally, Brightpaw couldn't take it. With a furious yowl she swung a claw at the dog's eye. It hit.
The next scene was terrifying. The dog pulled back, taking part of Brightpaw's face with it.
Blood spattered on the ground as Brightpaw flew back, hit a rock with incredible force, rolled onto the ground, and lay still.
Swiftpaw was speechless. Brightpaw's once beautiful face was now brutally distorted. Suddenly, anger boiled up in Swiftpaw. With a yowl, he twisted around, slicing open his attacker's nose. The beast let go, and Swiftpaw dashed at Brightpaw's attacker, leaping up and clawing at his flank. The dog reared, hooking Swiftpaw under his back, and fell down, driving the breath out of the apprentice.
The dog got up, and all the dogs began to bite and claw at Swiftpaw. Gashes were all over his back, his legs felt like water, and he felt himself losing blood.
"StarClan, help me!" He yelled. He lashed out a claw at the nearest dog, making a sharp cut across its muzzle. The dog howled in fury, and gave Swiftpaw a kick that drove the breath from him. He went flying, skidding across the ground and stopping beside Brightpaw.
Weakly, he moved his bloody figure until her was facing her. Brightpaw's ear and right side of her face were gone, and as was her eye. She gazed at him weakly, but her eyes were full of terror and hurt.
"S-Swiftpaw?" She rasped.
Swiftpaw blinked at her. And stretching out a bloody paw, he laid it on hers and breathed, "I'm here, Brightpaw."
"We're going to die, aren't we? We'll never get our warrior names, we'll never see our parents again… We'll never see our friends again, or our mentors…"
A short silence passed, and Swiftpaw bit back a sob. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with determination. Pulling himself towards her, until their noses were almost touching, Swiftpaw gave Brightpaw something he hoped she'd never forget.
"Listen to me, Brightpaw," Swiftpaw hissed. "You are going to get through this, okay? You're going to get back to camp, you'll be a warrior. You're going to hunt, eat fresh-kill, have kits, and live to be the oldest elder of ThunderClan, okay?" He knew she would, a burning determination told him so.
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine… Look, they'll find us soon, and they'll and take care of us. We'll be warriors soon!"
"But will it be worth it?"
Her words struck Swiftpaw's heart like a monster. Swiftpaw took a moment to crane his neck, look at his wounds, the pool of blood around them, the dogs' bloody jaws and insane eyes, his blood on the rocks, and Brightpaw's distorted face.
There was a lump in his throat bigger than a vole. He swallowed it, and smiled very sadly. Then, licking Brightpaw's wounded face, he whispered, "The choice is yours. Sleep, Bright, and when you wake up you'll be home."
Brightpaw's eyes grew heavy, and soon she had fallen unconscious. Swiftpaw licked her face, the face he would always consider beautiful, and then turned his attention to the dogs, who had been watching the whole thing. He struggled to his bloody paws, almost slipping in blood.
"Well," he sneered. "Now it's time you tasted a ThunderClan cat's claws."
Yowling, he lunged at the nearest dog, diving under its belly and raking his claws on its skin. He barely heard its yelp, because he had gone for the other dogs. He raced behind the seemingly pack leader, and it turned and lunged at him. Swiftpaw was ready. He raked his claws at the beast's eyes.
As the dog was distracted, Swiftpaw jumped, biting down into the pack leader's throat. He purred in satisfaction at the dog blood running into his mouth. The dog twisted and turned, but Swiftpaw wouldn't let go, not until the stupid mutt felt the pain ThunderClan felt, what he felt.
What Brightpaw felt. Rage burned in his veins as he thought of her. Why didn't she run? What did she do to deserve the pain she felt? Why was StarClan letting this happen?
He felt another dog grab his flank and rip him off, throwing him in the air. Swiftpaw made a clumsy fall on his paws, but didn't fall. A dog lunged at him, but he jumped out of the way, his blood leaving a trail behind him. He landed in front of Brightpaw, but this time falling to his paws.
I'm going to die, he thought. This is all my fault… Brightpaw is hurt… I'm hurt…
"Swiftpaw…"
Swiftpaw turned to his friend. She was half asleep, half awake, her head cradled in her own blood.
"I wanted our… Warrior names… to be… Brightfall and Swiftflight…"
Swiftpaw's heart broke. It was then he finally realized that he loved her. However, he would never father he kits, he'd never cuddle up with her in the warriors' den.
Cloudtail would have to.
Swiftpaw forced a smile. "You'll be Brightfall," he whispered. "You'll be the best warrior ever to walk the forest."
Brightpaw was already asleep.
Struggling to his paws again, Swiftpaw turned toward the dogs. The pack leader was getting ready for the kill blow.
"Well," Swiftpaw purred. "If I die as an apprentice, then I suppose I'll go out fighting like one thing."
The pack leader lunged at him, claws extended, teeth bared. "PACK, PACK! KILL, KILL!"
Swiftpaw stared defiantly up at him, and finished his final sentence.
"LIKE A WARRIOR!"