A/N: This is a challenge for The Clan of Clouds! I've been inactive on there for a while and I came back and decided to do this challenge! Go check out the forum, it is super awesome!

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Attack

"Hey, want to go hunting?" Redpaw shyly asked his crush, and fellow apprentice, Rosepaw.

"Sure!" she chirped, getting to her cream-colored paws, "Down to the river?"

Relieved that Rosepaw had accepted his invitation, replied, "Sure!"

Rosepaw beckoned for the dark ginger tom to lead the way. He walked slightly ahead of her as they exited camp.

There was a comfortable silence between the two apprentices as they made their way towards the river at the bottom of their territory.

The StreamClan camp was on the top of a hill that marked the northern end of the territory. Throughout the tree-dotted marsh, several small streams crisscrossed the land, but there was one big river near the southern end that was known for its salmon.

The two apprentices leapt over a fallen oak tree. They were now within eyesight of the bubbling stream.

"Race you!" Rosepaw laughed, charging ahead.

Redpaw's mouth sported a large grin as he chased after his friend.

"Beat you!" the pretty cream apprentice purred as she sat down on the sandy banks of the stream, her tail curled over her small paws.

"Yeah," Redpaw panted, catching up to his Clanmate, "Let's fish!"

"There's one right there," Rosepaw whispered, stretching a dainty paw out over the water, her thorn-like claws fully extended. She swiped at the water and flung a large, fat salmon into the air. It flopped down on the bank and wriggled around before Redpaw finished it off with a bite to the neck.

"My turn!" the dark ginger tom boasted as he flung an even fatter salmon out of the river and killed it with a swift claw swipe.

"Nice," Rosepaw joked, "But what about this?"

The small she-cat tore a salmon the length of her tail out of the water and flopped it down. She bit its neck and sat proudly beside her prize catch.

"Amazing!" Redpaw gaped, "It's huge!"

"Yup," Rosepaw purred, "Let's get these three back to camp, shall we? I can't believe our luck tonight!"

"Me neither," Redpaw agreed, picking up his one catch and assisting Rosepaw with carrying her fishes back to camp, "I wonder what Meadowrose and Flashfeather will say!"

Meadowrose was Rosepaw's mother. Flashfeather was Redpaw's mother. They were both extremely proud and supporting parents, and always stepped in when either of the apprentices needed a kind word or two. It was also true that Meadowrose and Flashfeather have always been best friends.

"They'll be so proud!" Rosepaw purred. Redpaw knew the thought of making her mother even prouder delighted the young apprentice.

"Yep," Redpaw laughed around his salmon, "Let's give the big one to Thornstar!"

"Great idea!" Rosepaw exclaimed excitedly, "and then let's give yours to our mothers. The other can go to our fathers-."

Rosepaw's green eyes saddened, as did Redpaw's. Their fathers had both died fighting off LightningClan in a raid a few moons back. Their deaths had brought Meadowrose and Flashfeather together even more, not to mention giving Rosepaw and Redpaw a common point of grief.

"What about the elders?" Redpaw broke the sad silence.

"Yeah."

Redpaw and Rosepaw traveled with their heads down as they trekked back to camp. They only looked up when a deep, throaty growl reached their ears.

"Ah!" Rosepaw screamed and dropped her prey. Redpaw screeched too.

Two massive black dogs were standing in front of the cats. Their ears were pinned back and the hair along their spines was bristling like a thicket of brambles.

"Run!" Rosepaw yowled. Redpaw pelted after his friend.

"They're gaining on us!" the dark ginger apprentice screeched as he dared to look over his muscular shoulder. He felt hot breath on his heels as he pushed forward with all his strength.

The next few moments were a blur to the dark ginger tom. He saw a bundle of cream fur topple over, the barks of hungry dogs, and then he felt himself pelting towards Rosepaw just as she staggered to her paws.

Redpaw leapt between his crush and the gaping jaws of a massive dog. He forced out his last words to Rosepaw, "Run!"

The white teeth closed around his body. He felt black flames lick at the edge of his vision. Then his world went black and the pain left his limp frame.

The dark red tom opened his yellow eyes. He was standing in mid-air, and next to him was Frostedclaw, his father. The white tom was staring at his son sadly. The longer Redpaw looked at his father, the more the stars dotting his pelt were visible.

"Look down, brave warrior," he murmured sadly.

The dark red apprentice looked down to where his paws were and saw the dogs. And Rosepaw. And his body.

As he was looking, a patrol of cats streamed into the clearing. Seven at least, ten at most. The dogs took one look at the angry, feral cats and tore off, Redpaw's body left behind.

"Redpaw!" he heard Rosepaw's voice, faint, like the bubbling of the river or the wind through the leaves of the oak trees.

He wanted to cry out to her, to say he was okay, but he couldn't. And he wasn't okay. He was dead.

"I'm sorry, son," Frostedclaw meowed, wrapping his silver-tipped tail around his son for support.

Redpaw sighed, a deep, sad sigh, and tore his eyes from the scene below him, though his yellow orbs were drawn back like a housecat to its bowl of food.

The red tom saw Rosepaw sobbing into his bloody fur, and the other cats in the patrol expressing their sympathy for the apprentice.

"I love you..." Redpaw heard Rosepaw's faint meow again. A lump formed in his throat and he turned away.

The tom and his father padded off into StarClan territory, both choosing to stay silent. Redpaw knew this was the end of his life in the living world, and his father knew it too, but neither chose to discuss it. They just accepted the fact like it was no big deal and padded away from the sad scene that had been playing out just a moment ago.

Redpaw paused and turned over his broad shoulder, and though he knew Rosepaw couldn't hear him, he meowed, "I love you too."

Little did he know, that down below, in the waking world, Rosepaw did hear him. The cream she-cat let a slight smile play on her lips. She knew she was loved – and always would be – even though her lover was gone.

…

A/N: Sad, I know. But…no excuse, I guess. Did you like it, Blizzard? Even though you changed your penname I'm still calling you that. Haha.