This is my challenge for Birdflame. Enjoy! R&R!
I opened my eyes and yawned. I walked out of the warrior's den and stretched. As I sat down blinking the sleep out of my eyes Badgernose came over to me.
"Songcloud? Would you like to go hunting with me and Foxtooth?" he asked me curiously.
I nodded drowsily. We trudged out of the camp to find Foxtooth waiting by the entrance. Walking through the forest, we stopped ever so often to sniff the air. Badgernose caught a thrush that was about to take off. As we neared the border for Windclan, I lifted my nose and inhaled. Rabbit. I looked around trying to find the source of the scent. I saw it digging through the undergrowth just on the other side of the border. Mouse dung. It's theirs. I saw Foxtooth crouch down and sneak up on it.
"What are you doing! That's Windclan prey!" I hissed to her. Badgernose nodded in agreement.
She looked at me. "I'm waiting to see if it will cross the border!"
"But what if there is a Windclan patrol? They'll think you are hunting on their territory!"
"There is no Windclan cats around!"
"Think again." A voice hissed in front of us making me jump. Three Windclan cats crept out of the heather with the fur on their pelts rising in hostility. The rabbit hopped quickly away. Foxtooth stared in surprise. Growls erupted from their throats. A brown tabby she-cat crouched down and lunged at Badgernose. He tackled her to the ground. A black tom raked my muzzle with his front claws. Blood spattered on the ground. I crouched down, leaped forward and pushed him to the ground with my front paws. He kicked at my tummy and I rolled over and raked his belly. He let out a cry and jumped back hissing. He ran forward and slashed at me. I gripped his leg with my teeth, until I tasted blood. The cat howled and snapped at me with his teeth. I bit down harder. He ran away, when I let go. I bared my blood-stained teeth and flattened myself on the ground ready to chase him, but I suddenly felt a weight on my back. Claws dug into my pelt making me cry out in pain. I flopped on my side and felt the claws loosen. I ripped myself out of it's grip and turned to fight.
"Songcloud!"
I turned my head and saw Badgernose trapped under a Windclan cat much bigger than him. The cat had him in a death grip. I lunged at him and raked my claws across the Windclan cat's side. He yelped and let go of Badgernose. He flattnened his ears and tried to pounce on me. I stepped to the side. He hit the ground and I grabbed his tail and bit down. He cried out as I heard a crunching sound. I let go and he ran onto the moor. I turned back and Badgernose thanked me as Foxtooth slammed a warrior to the ground. A Windclan cat spoke behind us. We turned around.
"If you think you can just hunt on our territory and not suffer the consequences, your wrong. That rabbit was ours." The black one spat at Foxtooth. I know him. I thought. That's Sandswept. I saw him at the gathering.
"I wasn't hunting it. I was waiting to see if it would cross the border." She protested as the warrior she was holding tried to bite her.
"I saw you about to pounce. This is Windclan territory!"
"I wasn't about to pounce!"
"Thunderclan cats think they can waltz right in to other cats territory and get away with it."
"No we don't!" I said defiantly to the warrior. The warrior that was pinned to the ground broke free and jumped up hissing. Sandswept hissed as well. Foxtooth and Badgernose flattened their ears to their heads and hissed back. Foxtooth lunged at the Sandswept, her claws unsheathed. He jumped to the side to avoid her fury. Badgernose swiped at him with his claws. The other Windclan cat dodged them and tipped his head down and butted hard into his belly. Having the air knocked out of him, Badgernose fell down winded. Foxtooth jumped on Sandswept's back and he rolled on top of her, crushing her underneath his weight. He got up and watched her try to catch her breath. Foxtooth staggered up. He lashed at her with his hind paws. She fell down again. In my fury, I stood on my hind legs and swiped at his muzzle with my claws. The other Windclan cat pushed me to the ground. I kicked out with my hind legs and swept his feet out from underneath him. He fell down and Badgernose pinned him to the ground. I slashed his shoulder. He rocked his body back and forth, trying to get out of Badgernose's iron grip. Foxtooth lashed out at the other warrior and he stood on his hind legs and grabbed her with his claws. I bit into his back and he let out a cry of pain. We slashed and tore each other's pelt. Sandswept bit Badgernose's shoulder. He let go of the Windclan warrior. Badgernose hissed. Sandswept darted forward. Badgernose reared up on his hind legs and brought his full weight on him. The Windclan cat did the same and they wrestled, hissing and spitting, and Badgernose ended up underneath him. Sandswept bit down on his neck swiftly and Badgernose struggled, then his eyes glazed over and he went limp. Sandswept stood back and stared at the young warrior. I glanced at him. I opened my mouth as I gazed at Badgernose's bleeding motionless body and howled. Foxtooth looked at me in surprise while trying to keep the warrior at bay. She followed my gaze and her mouth hung open in a silent cry of grief. I looked at her. My eyes widened.
"Look out!" I exclaimed.
As she turned around the black warrior she was fighting swiped his paw across her face, hard. She growled and bit his paw until she tasted blood. He ripped his paw out of her mouth and raced across the moor limping. I felt claws pull me to the ground. Sandswept had taken me by surprise. Foxtooth pulled him off me and growled. Her grief and pain was replaced by anger and rage. She went at him ripping fur and biting flesh. She hit him blow after blow. He was too surprised to do anything. She sliced his nose open and he whimpered, stumbling over a tree root. Foxtooth glared at him with a murderous look in her eyes. She gripped his shoulders and bit his neck. His eyes widened.
"Foxtooth! No! Don't kill him! Don't stoop to the same level as him!"
Foxtooth let go and looked at me. "Badgernose was your best friend. Don't you want to avenge him?"
I stared at her, not believing what I as hearing. Where had my kind friend gone? "Yes. Of course I do. But Badgernose wouldn't want that."
Foxtooth looked at the ground. She took a deep breath. "Fine." She looked back at the warrior that was cowering in fear. "I will let you go. But I don't want to see you here again." She leaned closer until he could feel her hot breath. "Or I will kill you." She said menacingly.
Sandswept nodded and ran off. Foxtooth watched him go with sadness. I looked at Badgernose's body.
"He died with honor." I pressed my muzzle into Foxtooth's fur.
"I'll miss him so much." She returned the gesture.
"Let's bring him back to camp and report this." I said. Foxtooth nodded. We gripped Badgernose with our teeth and dragged him through the trees. We ducked through the gorse entrance to the camp and set him on the ground. I sat outside the leader's den while Foxtooth told our Whitestar. When she was done telling her, Whitestar walked out of her den and jumped on the Highrock.
"All cat's old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting." Her voice rang across the clearing. Cats slipped out of the dens and gazed questioningly at Whitestar.
"Foxtooth, Songcloud, and Badgernose were attacked by a Windclan patrol." She looked down at Dawnberry with sorrow. Dawnberry is Badgernose and Foxtooth's mother.
"Badgernose died." Gasps were heard in the group of cats. Dawnberry cried out in grief.
"He died with honor." Whitestar raised her head to the sky. "May Starclan light his path." There were murmurs of agreement in the clearing.
She jumped down and slipped into her den. Me, Foxtooth, Dawnberry and a couple more cats shared tongues with him on last time. After that, we buried him and sat a silent vigil. As the sun went down and the moon came up, I looked up at the stars. Where ever you are Badgernose, I thought. I hope you are safe.