Grief by WyldClaw
Plot: This is what I think Cloudtail was thinking when he was digging Brindleface's grave in "A Dangerous Path". I don't own any cats mentioned in this fic. I'm sorry if it is short and that Cloudtail may seem out of character . it was my ver first warrior's fic. There are some slight Cloudtail/ Lostface hints. . There is one line from "A Dangerous Path" that I do not own. Please read and review. Thanks!
X fic is belowX
As I dug my claws into the earth fear and grief seemed to overcome me. Each time I scooped up earth I felt my guilt prick my longhaired white fur. Why did Tigerstar have to slay Brindleface? She was so young. She didn't do a thing to him!
I pictured her as I last saw her- her beautiful dappled grey tabby pelt with those leaf green eyes full of concern and worry for me-a kittypet turned warrior who wasn't even related to her. The last thing I said to her was that if I met the dog I'd 'bring it back for fresh kill". I never realized she'd become the fresh kill for the dogs. Why did it have to be her? Why was Brindleface the one to be killed for the dogs? It just wasn't -
"Uh C-cloudtail" her short furred pale gray daughter Fernpaw's soft voice quivered in the, air breaking my thoughts.
"Huh?" I stopped digging up the dirt and looked up.
she replied. "You're getting earth everywhere. It's everywhere around us."
I was so startled- she sounded just likes her dear mother. " oh my.."
"What's the matter?" her brother Ashpaw- a pale gray tom with darker flecks and dark blue eyes- asked.
"N-Nothing. It's just when your sister spoke just now I heard Brindleface's voice coming out of her."
the siblings seemed satisfied with that explanation and I resumed digging the grave. As I dug her grave, a mixture of anger and grief and fear washed over my fur with every pawful of dirt. I felt a tear prick my eye-. I never even got to say goodbye. when Fireheart brought me to ThunderClan so many moons ago Brindleface readily took me under her wing in as if I were her own kit. She taught me everything and did not mind that I was a kittypet kit not her own kit. I remember the relieved look on her face when I went out into that blizzard and brought back my first kill, a vole. Sure she yowled at me afterwards about how according to the stupid warrior code, kits can't hunt for the clan. I know that deep down inside, she was very proud of me. Fernpaw and Ashpaw were the ones who tried to get me to stay in camp, but mousebrained me wanted to help the clan. Heck I even dragged them along! There was also fear that came with seeing her body. The fact that Tigerstar could have easily sacrificed any one of us made my fur shudder. It could have been one of my den mates, like Ashpaw or sweet Fernpaw. Poor Lostface nearly lost her life trying to hunt down the pack and Swiftpaw lost his life. I helped nurse her back to life and comforted her
Although her face will be scarred forever, in my mind she is still the loveliest cat in all of ThunderClan. Though Bluestar gave her that horrible name to me she would always be my beautiful Brightpaw, the she cat I had a crush on for moons, don't worry Lostface. I'll kill those dogs for what they did to you. I silently vowed I finished digging the grave and Fernpaw and Ashpaw gently put her body into the grave.
"Should …some cat say a few words?" I asked. There were no elders around to give the proper burial words.
Fernpaw nodded. She spoke wisely from the heart. "Blessed StarClan, please watch over this wonderful cat so unexpectedly brought to you. Brindleface was an incredible amazing she-cat kind to all kits even Cloudtail who wasn't her own –"she paused. "Please welcome her into your ranks with open paws. She is –w-was- very generous cat. though I didn't get to be with her for very many moons I will miss her terribly but know that she may be with you her memory with live in my heart forever. Goodbye. Mother. " She ended.
"I'll miss your wisdom and courage," Ashpaw added. "Cloudtail, is there anything you'd like to add?"
"Thank you for raising me Brindleface. You were the kindest foster mother a tom could have. I'm sorry if I acted like such a mouse-brained hothead at times, I hope you forgive me."
We silently kicked up dirt over it so that all that was left is a mound of dirt over her body. All three of us looked at one another and Fernpaw looked like she was about to shed tears. I touched her face with my tail. "It's going to be okay Fernpaw"
"At least she didn't suffer much" Ashpaw commented. "And she hasn't really left us, sis. She'll always be in our hearts and she can watch over us from StarClan with Swiftpaw. She can help guide us from there"
"True, Ashpaw,"
I scoffed at the mention of StarClan. What can a bunch of dead cats do? I doubt they even exist! If they would, they'd have stopped the dog pack from savaging Lostface.
We kicked dirt into the grave and covered it up until it resembled a raised mound of earth. We turned to leave but Fernpaw called out , "Wait". She got a nearby flower petal and put it on the grave. "Brindleface always liked flowers."
" She did." I nodded.
"She used to say that she loved newleaf with all the flowers blooming." Fernpaw told me.
We headed back to the camp. "Cloudtail, why did Brindleface have to be murdered like that?" Ashpaw asked me.
I couldn't answer that. "I don't know why she was chosen to die like that."
"T-tigerstar is just plain evil!" Fernpaw stated. "What will we do about the dogs?"
"he is, Fernpaw. I'm sure Fireheart has a plan..". Ashpaw told her.
The mention of the dogs made me think of Lostface. My beautiful Lostface. I wanted to make those dogs pay for what they did to her, what they did to swiftpaw and to Brindleface. I vowed to myself as we reached the camp that I would avenge Brindleface's death- those dogs will be sliced to bits by the time i'm done with them. And tigerstar? He might want to watch his back
The End