Softheart yawned, stretching as she opened her eyes. She happily stood up, shaking her fur, trying to rid her tiredness. She then padded outside, a smile on her face. Seeing every cat up and out of their den except Bravepaw, she padded over to the apprentices' den.
"Morning, Bravepaw!" she mewed, but her face quickly dropped, seeing her little cat wasn't there.
"Bravepaw!" she called, rushing out of the apprentices' den, and looking around with worry in her teal eyes.
"Softheart? What's wrong?" Cherrystar asked, padding over to the queen.
"Bravepaw is gone!" she mewed, tears in her eyes. Nightclan's leader tensed. Never before had one of their apprentices' left camp or went missing.
"Thornpelt! Riskyclaw! Songmew! Come with me to find Bravepaw! The rest of you look for him in camp in case he's hiding!" Cherrystar told her clan, who nodded. The four cats left, leaving the others looking for the kit.
After hours of searching for the young apprentice, the four came back without any luck, and saw a horrifying sight. Nightclan's camp was destroyed, as cat bodies laid on the ground, motionless and covered in blood.
"Wha... what happened?" Cherrystar mewed, unable to move or look away from the sight.
"F-foxes and b-badgers!" Bluepelt cried, shaking as she looked at her leader. "Foxes and badgers invaded the camp!"
"Softheart..." Cherrystar slowly padded over to the queen's motionless body, gently touching her side with her paw. The once frantic mother was now dead.
"Grim?" Bravepaw mewed, looking up at the fox, who looked back at him.
"Yes, young one?" she replied, waiting for him to speak.
"Why do you have that thing around your neck?" he asked, looking at the red collar that had a small, glowing lantern on it. "Are you someones kittypet?"
"Of course not!" she answered, almost with a hiss. "I am no one's kittypet! I simply found this collar, and was able to put it on!"
"Oh. Okay." he mewed quietly, putting his head down. Both animals sniffed the air, and Bravepaw had a mix of excitement and sadness on his face.
"This is my clan's camp," he mewed quietly. "But it smells like other foxes."
"Come on, kit," Grim barked, laying down. "On my back."
Obeying the only fox he trusted, he got on the female's back, and held on tightly to her lantern collar. Backing up and taking a running start, Grim easily jumped into the camp. Both she and Bravepaw gasped at the sight. The dens, fresh-kill pile, warriors, herbs, everything was scattered.
"MAMA!" Bravepaw cried, running over to his mother's dead body. He tried shaking her with his tiny paws, begging for her to get up, but she wouldn't budge. She just laid there, teal eyes glazed over.
"There's another one!" Blacktail hissed, glaring at Grim.
"Kill it!" Deadsoul snarled. Each warrior gathered around the fox, hissing, growling, and snarling. Grim didn't move. She simply swayed her tail back and forth, red eyes watching each one of them. When Mistyclaw got to close for her liking, Grim let out a vicious bark, catching the she-cat off guard, and making her backup.
"There's more of us this time!" Redfoot reminded them. "Let's kill it before more come!"
"NO!" Bravepaw cried, running in front of the fox.
"Move, Bravepaw," Cherrystar ordered, stepping up to the young apprentice. "Get away from that thing."
"Listen to your leader, kit," Grim barked softly to the tom in front of her. "Just go. I'll be fine."
"She's my friend!" Bravepaw cried once more, ignoring the two females who spoke to him. "I did a bad thing, and left camp, and she helped me get home! A fox even chased me, and she killed it! She saved me!"
"Stop trying to protect this fox!" Blacktail snarled. "She's nothing!"
"She's my friend!" he hissed, glaring at the warrior, who glared back.
"Is this true, fox?" Cherrystar asked, looking at Grim. She bowed her head once, telling the leader it was. The feline stood there for a moment, before turning to her clan.
"We can't attack her," she told the other cats who gasped. "She saved out apprentice, and brought him home safely. Starclan has gifted us a different fox."
"But, they're all the same!" Iceheart mewed, stepping forward. "How do we know if she's not just playing with us, and waiting until our guard goes down?"
"You're right to question me, cat," Grim barked, looking at the light gray tom. "But if I wanted to attack, I already would have. Instead, I'm standing right here, with Bravepaw in front of me, and I have no intention of harming this clan."
"T-then what are y-your intentions?" Bluepelt asked shakily.
"To guard this clan," she replied, her tail twitching once those words left her mouth. "I won't let anymore foxes or badgers invade this territory."
"For how long?" Cherrystar asked.
"For a few nights. Then, I'll be on my way." she told her.
"You're not really gonna do it, are you, Cherrystar?" Riskyclaw asked, watching his leader.
"I am," she mewed. "Fox, please guard our camp, in case those foxes and badgers return. We will repay you with foo-"
"No," she interrupted. "I'm fine. I can go without food. It's close to leaf-bare, and you cats need it more. Besides, you have kits and elders."
"Thank you, fox." she mewed.
"My name is Grim. Not 'fox'." she barked, before looking down at Bravepaw. The young apprentice smiled up at her, rubbing into her leg.
"Grim," Bluepelt mewed quietly, making the fox look at her. "Would you please help me find some more herbs? The badgers knocked them over and scattered them when they came here. They're no good anymore."
"Of course." she replied, looking back. "But, I'm going to bring someone."
Bluepelt was surprised as she watched the fox scoop up Bravepaw, and place him on her back.
"Let's go!" she barked, following the medicine out of the camp.
"Why did she take our apprentice?" Thornpelt asked, looking at Cherrystar.
"I'm not sure," she mewed quietly. "Perhaps she enjoys his company?"
"Just as long as she doesn't eat him or any cat, she's fine with me!" Riskyclaw mewed happily, padding over to Honeyfang.