The Bravery of One
Swiftpaw's Tale
Flamheart88
"Brightpaw…" Swiftpaw was unsure how to put this. "Brightpaw, I love being around you! Every time I see you my heart beats so loud I think ShadowClan can hear it and-"
"Swiftpaw, I-" Brightpaw opened her mouth to respond.
"What? I'm sorry, but I just can't help it and-"
"Swiftpaw. I'm sorry. I don't feel the same way about you." She admitted.
"Oh." An awkward silence stretched between them.
"I'm sorry." Brightpaw repeated, then she left to go to the apprentice's den.
Swiftpaw just sat there, outside in the chill moonlight, stunned. The young black and white tom didn't move for some time.
When he did get up, there was a numb look in his eyes, as if he didn't believe anything he heard or saw. "Oh." he said to himself. Swiftpaw felt like curling up in his nest, far away from Brightpaw, and sobbing his heart out. But he didn't.
Instead, he made a plan. Forget Brightpaw! He told himself. She's just a stupid apprentice anyway.
He remembered Bluestar's rejection of him and the other apprentices, and vowed to change that. He knew if he could find the dog stealing their prey and kill it, he would be made a warrior for sure.
Swiftpaw slipped into the apprentice's den. He had overheard the warriors say that the dog had made its den in a cave at Snakerocks. "Fernpaw! Ashpaw!" he prodded the youngest apprentices. "Wake up! You too, Thornpaw!"
Fernpaw lifted her head, and nudged Brightpaw. "What is it?" Ashpaw mumbled sleepily. Thornpaw stirred.
"All of you! I have a plan!"
"A plan for what?" Thornpaw yawned.
"To become warriors!" meowed Swiftpaw gleefully.
"How?" Fernpaw asked eagerly.
"We can track down that dog and kill it! I know where it is!"
Fernpaw looked taken aback. "But that's so dangerous! We could all be killed!"
"Don't be silly, Fernpaw! It's only one little dog. Probably just a loose Twoleg puppy." Swiftpaw scoffed.
"I'm not sure…" Fernpaw meowed hesitantly. "I'm sorry, Swiftpaw, but I can't."
The words echoed in his head. 'I'm sorry' That's what Brightpaw had told him.
"It's brave of you to try, Swiftpaw, but I can't either." Ashpaw told him unhappily.
"Suit yourselves." Swiftpaw meowed, trying to sound nonchalant. He padded out of the den calmly, but with a thunderstorm swirling inside of him. "I'll handle it by myself, I guess." Swiftpaw called behind him.
He tramped through the forest solo, towards the big gray boulders of Snakerocks.
"Swiftpaw, wait!" a voice called out from behind him.
Brightpaw? What was she doing here?
"Swiftpaw, I'm sorry about the others." The ginger and white she-cat squeaked. "But I think your plan is a good one, and I'm willing to help." she explained.
Swiftpaw wasn't sure how to respond. "Alright." He managed in a gruff tone.
Brightpaw looked relieved and dashed up to run beside him.
"We've made it." remarked Swiftpaw, gazing at the sand-dusted silver stones.
"Where's the cave?" breathed Brightpaw.
"Right there." he growled.
A black cave loomed before the apprentices, and out of it, crawled a vicious german shepherd.
"This may be harder than we thought." gasped Brightpaw. But more dogs kept flowing from the cavern. Till they were surrounded by bloodthirsty, snarling black and tan dogs.
A dog lunged for Brightpaw, narrowly missing her. "Run!" Swiftpaw yowled. Brightpaw did as she was told, dashing up a nearby tree. A dog leaped up before she could make it to the top, biting down hard on her leg, and dragging her back down.
In the midst of the fight Swiftpaw heard Brightpaw screech in pain, and forgot his cuts and bruises to race to her aid.
She lay bleeding on the ground. Swiftpaw gasped in horror when he saw what the dogs had done. Half of her face was torn off, and one eyeball was gone completely.
"Get up!" yowled Swiftpaw. She staggered to her feet. "Go! Up the tree! They're coming!"
Brightpaw managed the climb with Swiftpaw's support. When she was safe up in the towering Birch, only then did Swiftpaw begin to climb. He was almost there… So close to safety! When teeth closed around his leg and he was dragged back down into the mass of dogs.
They bit him and scratched him over and over. Faintly Swiftpaw heard Brightpaw screech in horror from her perch, and he saw her ready to leap down. But he managed a single word. "Stay."
He felt jaws clamp on his throat, heard the howls of triumph and Brightpaw's yowls. He saw the blood gush from his wound. Everything turned hazy, the forest swimming before his eyes. But none of this mattered. It was all worth it. Even if Brightpaw didn't love him, she still was safe. And he still loved her.
Goodbye, Brightpaw. I'm sorry. As that final thought flowed through Swiftpaw as he lay dying, he reflected how meaningful those two words were. It was all worth it. All of it.
Swiftpaw's body lay immobile on the ground. He had died a warrior. No one could say anything otherwise. And, Brightpaw knew, he had died for her. And that was what mattered.