My attacker's green eyes gleam. He lets out a chuckle as he puts a claw to my throat.
"Done, Rosewing? I'd say I'd make it quick, but that would mean I'm lying to you."
I relax. At least if I'm going to die, I don't have to show Toadfang I'm scared. He'd been banished, after all. For plotting to kill our former leader, Beechstar, and the former deputy, now the leader, Cinderleaf. I had revealed his plot to the whole Clan. Toadfang was next in line for deputy, after Cinderleaf. All he had returned for was revenge on me. No need to alert the Clan, because he would get what he wanted. I was going to die.
Toadfang's claw is just starting to scratch my throat. I'm scared. I have so much life to live. I'm sure there are apprentices to train, friends to make, battles to fight, a mate to love, kits to raise. Now I won't have any of that. I can feel myself trembling. Suddenly, a flash of gray and white bowls Toadfang over with a yowl.
"Toadfang! You murderous, lying, miserable excuse for a cat! You stay away from her, traitor!" they snarl, slicing at Toadfang's neck.
"Let me go, fox dung!" Toadfang replies. He wrenches himself from my savior's claws and flees, not getting far before he falls, dead, to the ground. I collapse. I had been so sure I was going to die. I can only lie still, panting in relief. Suddenly a young face looms into view, and I gasp. This is my savior, and the last cat I expected to come to my aid. We had been friends, but since we became warriors, we hadn't talked much. We'd drifted apart. Now we barely spoke, except for relaying orders to each other from Cinderstar.
"Birchclaw?" What was he doing here, and why had he saved me? Why, when we hadn't spoken in moons?
"Rosewing. I heard you leave camp, and I knew there'd been rumors about Toadfang returning, so I followed you," he meows. "I figured he'd come back for his revenge on you for getting him banished."
"You were right. I knew he was back, I always knew he would return eventually. I've been expecting it for the past few moons, ever since Beechstar lost her last life and Cinderstar became leader. I knew that once Toadfang got word of that, he'd be spitting mad and out for my life." I reply.
"Well, I'm glad you're safe." Birchclaw mews.
"Me too! You have no idea!" I purr. "Listen, Birchclaw, I don't know why we ever stopped talking, and I'd like us to become friends again, if that's okay."
"Really?! I don't know why we ever stopped being friends. I would be honored to be your friend!" he responds. He looks at me, a glow in his eyes that I haven't seen since we were apprentices. I know that, even though I could have died, it was a good thing Toadfang had come back. I never would have become friends with Birchclaw again if I hadn't snuck out of camp, ready to fight him, even if it meant sacrificing myself, my life, for the Clan I love.
With a start, I notice a glow in the sky. It's already nearly morning. I look at Birchclaw, and he nods, understanding. We'd better get back to camp. I pad over to Toadfang's brown tabby body, laying, a heap of fur, in the grass that is now speckled with the dew of the new day. Grasping the scruff of his neck, I drape him over Birchclaw's back. Ready now to head back to camp.
Birchclaw and I return to camp, lugging the dead weight of Toadfang, or what's left of him. Cats gape as we push our way to Cinderstar's den.
"Toadfang?! I thought he was gone for good!" whispers Crowstripe.
"We heard rumors, but I never suspected..." Specklefire, one of our queens, trails off. Her kits, Eaglekit, Crowkit, and Swallowkit start to dash after us, but she stops them.
"Why would he dare come back here?" gasps the deputy, Palenose. He follows us to find Cinderstar.
Pushing my way into Cinderstar's den, I greet her respectfully, then tell her the whole story. She nods, and dismisses us to our dens. As I lay down, trying to fall asleep, I think about my savior. Why would he have saved me? We've been nothing but distant the past few moons. I suppose he felt the same as me, wondering what happened to our friendship. Except he was the one who was brave enough to renew our bond. As I drift into unconsciousness, I have a sense of contentment with my re-found friend. My friend, my hero.