Chapter 2
Blossompaw dug her teeth deep into the cat's leg and with a yelp of surprise he turned around.
"Leave my sister alone you flea-pelt" Blossompaw yelled, fuelled with rage and adrenaline she launched herself at the older cat taking advantage of his surprise and landed on his back, she dug her claws in deep and stuck on like a burr. Seizing her chance she pummelled her back paws on the rogue till his fur was matted with blood, the tom reared up knocking Blossompaw of his back, quick as a flash he turned around to face his attacker, Blossompaw fluffed out her fur to nearly twice her size. The cat leaped at her but she was ready and shot underneath him scoring his belly as he flew overhead. The larger cat stumbled and Blossompaw knocked his legs out from underneath him. The tom landed flat on his belly, dazed, Blossompaw wasted no time and jumped around him nipping in here and there giving him scratches all over his body. But the tom was not defeated yet, he jumped up and with unsheathed claws cuffed Blossompaw round her head, dizzy and blood dripping into her eyes, Blossompaw just managed to dodge his next attack, and returned a feebly aimed blow. Shaking the blood from her eyes, she saw the tom standing less than a fox-length away.
"You're good" he said "if you want you could join us, you only young and still have a lot to learn but you have potential. What d'ya say". For a brief moment Blossompaw saw absolute power, cats kneeling to her, total loyalty. She shook her head
"I will never join you" she meowed defiantly, and darted in to give him a deep scratch on his nose. Blood dripping from his muzzle "you will regret this" he promised and ran the way he came from.
"And don't you come back" she cried after him.
Blossompaw raced over to her sister who was lying on her side, but still breathing,
"Are you alright?" Blossompaw asked worryingly
"I fought of that other one did you see?" She meowed weakly, Blossompaw just nodded half-listening to her while checking her wounds
"Go and find the others I'm fine I just got knocked in the head a bit too many times" she half-joked. Blossompaw reluctantly left her sister lying on the grass "Bumblebee?" She called "Bluebird?"
"Over here, quick!" She heard Bumblebee call, Blossompaw raced to where she heard Bumblebee's voice come from. "What's the…" Blossompaw looked down at her mentor's still body, bloodied and bruised
"Is she dead?" She whispered
"No, but if we don't get her to Rainstorm quick she might be, help me carry her" Blossompaw helped heave her friend's body onto Bumblebee's back, and walked alongside him steading Bluebird's body as they walked slowly to the stream, Blossompaw enjoyed the closeness, and fur brushing against fur despite everything that had just happened. Blossompaw gasped, in her daydream she forgot about Lillypaw and said guiltily "we've forgot Lillypaw, I'll go fetch her, I won't be long"
"No need I'm right here" a voice behind her made her jump and Bluebird's body rocked uneasily on Bumblebee's back. Bumblebee said nothing he just gritted his teeth and pushed on. Blossompaw resisted the urge to run over and lick her knowing that Bluebird needed her more.
"We've got to get Bluebird back to camp "gasped Bumblebee. Lillypaw's face turned to horror as she saw the state of her sister's mentor.
"I'll run ahead" she said and raced across the stream not caring how wet she got, she arrived drenched on the other side but didn't even pause to shake the water off, Blossompaw thanked the stars that she had such a brave sister.
Bumblebee waded into the water and Blossompaw followed keeping Bluebird's head above the water while Bumblebee swum strongly across. Both were tired from the swim and need to rest, but neither suggested it, they just padded slowly towards camp.
Blossompaw was exhausted by the time she and Bumblebee had got Bluebird back to camp but she hadn't even taken the full weight of Bluebird and couldn't even imagine how tired Bumblebee must feel. She had admired his strong determination to get her mentor back here.
As soon as Bumblebee got Bluebird to the centre of the camp he collapsed and Bluebird slid ungracefully off of his back onto the floor. Cats immediately started to crowd around Bluebird
"Is she dead" Blossompaw heard a cat whisper. A blue cat with white spots pushed through the crowd and bounded toward Blossompaw
"What happened" he demanded, a calico put herself between the apprentice and leader.
"Slow down Skystar can't you see she's exhausted, she looks dead on her paws"
"Ok Sweeteyes, but when she wakes up I want to her all about it"
Rainstorm shoved through the cats crowding around the she-cats body halting all conversation. He smeared a foul smelling mixture onto the gash, and placed cobwebs on top. The blood had stopped but her breathing was shallow.
"Build a nest around her" he ordered "if we move her we might open the wound again, she has lost a lot if blood and will die if she loses anymore"
The cats who had gathered around Bluebird went off in search of moss to put around Bluebird. The cat who had spoken to Skystar padded up to Blossompaw and started to lick her clean, Blossompaw let her mother's rhythmic lapping soothe her into a restless sleep.