Chapter 3
The night surprisingly went smoothly, no warriors reported spotting any other cat in camp.
But as a KestrelGale went around the camp to inspect each den and make sure everyone was safe, she padded into the elders den to prod LeopardFang and ShadowStripe awake and they wouldn't move. She prodded a little harder. Nothing. She gently rolled LeopardFang over and saw that her throat was gashed open. They were both laying in conjoining pools of blood. KestrelGale backed up as she noticed she was standing in it and backed out, a shocked look of horror replaced the previous relief of thinking no cat had been harmed the night before.
She yowled in terror and as soon as other clan mates saw where the new killing had happened she fled to Amberpool's den to speak with the medicine cat.
WillowDusk only came over in time to see his mate flee, overhear the anxious low voices of his clan mates just outside the elder's den, and pelted after her. He caught up just in time to see Amberpool nudging a small pawful of thyme and a poppy seed toward her. Just enough to calm her down. "Just enough to keep you from shock, the kits need it. Take this and lay down in your den for a while, you should feel a little better soon. WillowDusk go with her, alright?" AmberPool mewed as KestrelGale ate the herbs and seed.
He nodded and escorted KestrelGale back to the warrior's den, letting her lean against him slightly.
AmberPool then called for her apprentice StreamPaw and they went to the Elder's den to check LeopardFang and ShadowStripe's bodies. DappleStar, furious, pelted onto the tree stump after the elder's bodies were lain in the center of camp. Yowling out the gathering words "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the tree stump for a clan meeting." The only cat not in the clearing already was DawnWing. She padded slowly out to sit within hearing distance, Stormfeather coming over to sit near her. She shushed her 3 kits, Sunkit, Blazekit, and Bossomkit.
DappleStar said her next words only loud enough for the rest of the clan to hear and no one outside camp. "I will not stand for any more deaths in this clan. We don't even have the luxury of mourning our deceased elders this day. I have buried too many already, and my next and last resort is to either move the clan or disband it. I have too much pride in this clan's history and power to do that unless there are any more deaths." She paused, almost hissing angrily but steadying herself. "That rogue will pay with his life for this. Most of you will not be staying in your own dens tonight. DawnWing, has a stone den which can't be entered from anywhere but the front so she can stay in there. But I have a plan. But as much as I despise this idea, it's the only thing I can think of that might work. I will not force any cat to put themself in this situation, I want who ever does this to do it willingly. We will put a few cats in one of the dens that can be broken into from the back, considering that's how he's gotten in so far, keep guards just outside, all of you will be pretending to sleep besides one of you outside will be obviously awake. That is how we can attempt to capture him. And if you can't capture him, kill him. I won't waste my clan's safety on taking a prisoner long enough to even find out why they're killing us off."
"But what about myself and Streampaw, DappleStar, we need access to our herbs." AmberPool called out after a moment.
"Put together a few pouches of a small amount of each of your herbs you think you may need. It's only over night." DappleStar replied.
After AmberPool nodded her resignation, DappleStar went back to her speech. "So, unless any other cat has any ideas to put forth I say we go ahead with this battle plan. KestrelGale I want you to sit this one out as far as being in or guarding the den we are using to trap him. I want a third cat to go around and block the entrance he breaks into the bracken wall too as soon as he is noticed. So, think about this, you will be risking your life possibly. I don't want any of you to take this lightly."
"I want to do it!" Came a sudden mew from the center of the cluster of clan cats. It was OwlPaw.
"No! You are not only my son but the only remaining apprentice, the future of this clan. I won't allow it-" DappleStar shot back, lashing her tail.
"It is actually a good idea, DappleStar, let him do it along with a coulpe other warriors, in the warriors den, try to keep the remainder on the clan in an area of the clearing not as easily seen besides those of us guarding DawnWing. It'll make that murderer think we arent doing much more to protect our clan than we were last night. We will keep him safe, I promise. I volunteer too." StormFeather interrupted.
"He's my apprentice, DappleStar I can say he's ready for this responsibility. Were it not a little later in the season I'd tell you he's ready for his warrior ceremony. I may not be allowed to help but let him, please." KestrelGale added.
DappleStar took a deep breath and shut her eyes for a few moments, obviously thinking hard about the decision she would have to make just now and finally nodded slowly. "Fine. But the rest of you doing this, I want you to make SURE he makes it out of this night alive. If this doesn't work, we may be leaving this area tomorrow and looking for new territory to settle in. I won't let that thing wipe this clan out."
"I'll join them." FrostClaw said sternly, clawing the thin grass beneath her paws. "You wouldn't let me go on the patrol to look for this cat, let me help this time."
"I will as well. If my son is going to put himself in danger so will I. I have more lives to spare than the rest of you. I will stay in the den as well. Moonfire, KestrelGale and WillowDusk you guys protect DawnWing. AmberPool and StreamPaw I want you two in the den with her as well.
After the clan anxiously got some freshkill in their bellies and rested as much as they could, like the day before, only some cats needed more rest than others if they were to stay awake the remainder of the coming night. Owlpaw lay next to his mother, curled up next to her and almost dozing while KestrelGale did the same as she lay up against WillowDusk. Any other time DappleStar would chastise her son for acting like a kit but with the threat of one of them being killed later, she couldn't help but enjoy it for now. She lapped comfortingly at his fur, smoothing it like she used to when he was young.
As it began to get dark, the clan got into their positions, KestrelGale, WillowDusk, AmberPool, and StreamPaw protecting DawnWing in the nursery. DappleStar and OwlPaw settled down inside the warriors den with StormFeather and FrostClaw outside keeping watch. OwlPaw actually began dozing again after a while, and DappleStar let him, She was wide awake, her ears swiveling in the direction of every minute noise. She caught either StormFeather or FrostClaw open one eye and peer into the den for a few moments before pretending to be asleep again.
After what seemed like hours they heard an almost noiseless tugging on the brambles building the outer back wall, they tried to steady their breathing to appear to sleep through it and within no time felt the presence of the large tom slip silently into the den. DappleStar opened one eye to see the large, patch furred white tom lift a paw towards Owlpaw and light lightning she leapt at him, claws latching onto his back. She heard a low ominous, but odd sounding snarling hiss erupt from his throat as he bucked beneath her, hitting his side up against the brambles so hard he stumbled and fell into them, knocking over the wall and tangling them both in them. StormFeather and FrostClaw jumped to their clan leader's defense. "Let me try to handle this myself!" DappleStar yowled. The two rolled around, struggling against the brambles and against each other, slashing wildly at one another, blood splattered off of each ones claws, none of the clan knew from which cat it came. Finally the struggle came to a halt and neither cat moved, they both lay there almost lifeless, barely breathing. Owlpaw padded up nervously behind StormFeather and FrostClaw staring agape at the scene in front of them, both cats were slashed up pretty well, DappleStar worse because of the large white cat's talon sheathed claws. Finally their clan leader stopped breathing entirely.
After a few minutes DappleStar's wounds began to heal and her breathing began again, steady and stronger. She had lost a life, and she was now down to 6 (Clan leaders gained 9 lives from StarClan when they gained the rank of leader). She stood up shakily, a spitting hiss directed at the unkept, patchy, blood streaked body next to her and limped over to her clanmates. They turned to help her get over to the middle of camp.
"He may not be completely dead. We need to make sure of it." She said and turned back around to look towards the cat's body...which was now gone. They hadn't killed him, and had probably managed to make him angry. Dapplestar gasped and looked around baffled at her clan mates. "I don't want to do this, all of you but, we may have to leave the territory. I won't risk any more of you, we have lost enough of this clan already. No one else sleeps until dawn. AmberPool and Streampaw, grab as much of your store as you can carry, but down't over weigh yourselves in case we need to flee. You can always try to find more when we get to where we end up going. I'm thinking of traveling to the 4 forest clans across the mountains. But we can no longer stay here. I'm sorry all of you but I'd rather you be unhappy with me and alive than stay here and be killed off one by one."
"AS much as I enjoy our home, I agree. No more deaths. We haven't even had time to mourn the deaths that have already happened. It's what StarClan wants too I can feel it." AmberPool added, and anxious flick of her tail.
Stormfeather hissed to himself angrily. "I hate this cat for ruining our home here. And we just run away with our tail between our legs. Give me one good, fair fight against the fox heart I'll tear him to pieces." He snarled.
"I agree with you, StormFeather, but this cat doesn't fight fair, he's not a warrior. He knows nothing about the honor of the warrior code. He won't come out and fight us in the open BECAUSE HE'S AFRAID TO!" Frostclaw replied, her voice growing to a frustrated, despairing yowl directed at the dark trees, to the cat to was hunting them night after night.
Somewhere in the deep forest, a ways away from the safety of the clan's camp, a sleek furred white cat with dark grey markings on her legs, head, and tail grinned in triumph. Her slitted aquamarine eyes glinting a malicious glare in the few shafts of moonlight filtering through the thick trees. Jeff was doing exactly what she wanted him to.