The Sky's Rise

Chapter Six

Sunmist looked at familiar eyes and realized it was Darksky. Darksky looked at her with pity and Sunmist prayed to StarClan that she would remember their friendship and not tell that she was there. StarClan granted her wishes and Darksky began to yowl again as they went forward. I have one more prayer for you StarClan. Please, let Shadestorm get back to camp quick enough to warn our Clan. Sunmist prayed and inched her way down the tree. It felt like forever when her paws finally hit the ground again. She was about to sneak forward when a loud yowl came from the top of the hill. Her gold and black head shot up, her eyes wide with panic until she saw Shadestorm, Cloverlight, Robinfeather, Nightclaw, Liontail, Stormcry, Whitepatch, Crescentear, Frostbird, Fawnfur, Stonestorm and at the lead was Featherstar. Clawstar was standing two fox lengths away from the brown and silver ThunderClan leader.

"You stole from us again Featherstar. Enough is enough!" Clawstar hissed. His Clan stayed silent, their bodies tense and waiting for his signal.; his simple tail flick for the attack to begin.

"I told you once Clawstar. ThunderClan didn't steal prey from you!" Featherstar yowled, her sea green eyes burning in fury.

"Liar!" Clawstar hissed and flicked his tail. With the small movement, his Clan leaped forward, claws unsheathed and fangs gleaming in the moonlight. ThunderClan jumped forward with Feathertails' permission and the fight began. ShadowClan warriors streamed around Clawstar, who was standing still. Featherstar did the same and their eyes met, both filled with anger. Blood splattered the ground as cats battled. Sunmist glanced around and saw Clawstar had Featherstar pinned on the ground. With a shrill yowl, Sunmist raced forward and knocked Clawstar over. She nipped his hind leg and soon Featherstar was on her paws again.

"This is my fight Sunmist." Featherstar hissed and Sunmist nodded, though fear gnawed at her stomach. Featherstar is on her last life. Sunmist thought, but as she looked at her strong leader, fear slowly melted.

Featherstar and Clawstar fought and Sunmist twirled around. She saw Robinfeather winning his fight with Blackstripe, a white tom with a black stripe down his spine. She looked around again and saw Stormcry and Whitepatch fighting side by side. Stormcry raked his sharp claws down the light brown flank of Snarljaw while Whitepatch sunk his fangs into the black hind leg of Batcry. The blue-grey pelt of Jayfur was slinking up to Stormcry. Sunmist hissed and threw herself at Jayfur, sinking her claws into his side and her teeth into his thick scruff. He threw her off and pounced on her, pinning her to the blood stained earth. She kicked his stomach with her hind paws and clawed at his muzzle until he finally went away, but not before he ripped his teeth down her left ear, making a trail of blood seep into her ear as it tore. She looked up again to see that most of the ShadowClan warriors had retreated, but Slyshade, Crowfoot, Shadedream and Clawstar still remained. Crowfoot and Shadedream were battling Fawnfur, Frostbird and Stonestorm while Slyshade clawed at Shadefur and then, she looked at Featherstar and Clawstar. They were circling each other, fur tangled in their claws and teeth bearing. A loud yowl sounded from Sunmist's left, but before she could look to see who made it, Clawstar made his move. With large muscles, the light grey ShadowClan leader pounced and landed in front of Featherstar, claws unsheathed. Sunmist waited for Featherstar to move, but it never happened. Instead, a trail of blood dripped out of the ThunderClan leaders' neck and she crumpled onto the ground. Sunmist hissed in shock, hurt and fury and flung herself onto Clawstars' back, clawing at his spine. He spun around and she felt a small pain in her stomach, but she ignored it and kept fighting. Soon, Nightclaw, Liontail and Crescentear joined her, taking one life from the murderous leader. As he fell to the ground, a blood curdling gurgle sounded from Clawstar, his eyes wide open. Then, all was silent for a few heartbeats. Suddenly, Clawstar blinked, got to his paws and stared. Crowfoot, Shadedream and Slyshade padded up to Clawstar and flanked him protectively.

"Featherstar!" Nightclaw yowled and crumpled to the blood stained ground beside his mother. Liontail joined him while Sunmist padded over to the corner. She saw a still body lying to her right and with a choking cry, she raced over to it. On his side, lying in a pool of warm sticky blood, was Shadestorm.

"No!" She gasped and nosed at his fur, trying to make him wake up.

"Thank you for being here for me." Shadestorm's voice was bubbled from the blood trapped in his slowing lungs.

"I'll always be here, but you have to be here too." She murmured, her voice choked.

"I will. I just need to sleep." He sighed and then moved no more. Sunmist was washed by grief, but soon, she realized that Clawstar and his followers were still there. Her grief was replaced by rage and she stood up, claws digging into the blood soaked dirt.

"How dare you!" she caterwauled. Clawstar faced her and ThunderClan looked up.

"Have your warriors no meaning of the code?" she screeched.

"Of course my warriors know the code!" Clawstar called back.

"Are you sure about that? In the warrior code, it says that a warrior does not kill, yet there are two dead cats!" she countered. All eyes turned to her and the gut wrenching screech of Cloverlight filled the air as she raced over to Sunmist, falling beside her brother.

"This battle was uncalled for Clawstar and this will be brought up in the Gathering!" she hissed and stood defensively over Shadestorm's dead body. Clawstar didn't answer her. Instead, he lashed his tail and padded over the border unsteadily, Slyshade, Crowfoot and Shadedream following. Stonestorm, Fawnfur, Stormcry and Crescentear followed them, snapping at their hind legs. Sunmist noticed that Darksky was standing on the ShadowClan side of the border, but instead of helping her leader, she stared at Sunmist with mourning eyes. She didn't want this war. She didn't want anything to do with it, but because her leader told her to, she fought. Sunmist realized and with a sigh, she looked at her clanmates, feeling a little dizzy.

"Who is well enough to help carry Shadestorm and Featherstar?" Liontail asked the clan.

"I am." Sunmist murmured.

"So am I." Nightclaw mewed.

"Me too." Whitepatch answered. Liontail nodded as he padded over to Sunmist and helped her lift Shadestorm's body as Whitepatch helped Nightclaw with Featherstar. Sunmist shuddered as she lifted Shadestorm's already cold body. They padded forward slowly. Frostbird and Fawnfur walked with Cloverlight. They were trying to keep her steady while fighting their own pain and sadness. It was about half was to camp before Sunmist felt the pain in her stomach again. Her pace slowed and everyone passed her.

"Sunmist, are you okay?" Liontail asked from behind her.

"I think so. My stomach just hurts." She answered but stumbled, barely catching herself.

"Are you sure? You seem-" He stopped as he gasped. "Someone help!" Liontail screeched, his voice filled with alarm as he stared at the ground. Sunmist crumpled to the ground, feeling dizzy and full of pain.

"She's bleeding!" Liontail yowled as he lied Shadestorm's body down and bounded to Sunmist. A large gash ran deep within her stomach and she was bleeding heavily. Where she had walked, a trail of blood showed. Everyone raced over to her.

"Go get help!" Liontail ordered and Nightclaw and Stormcry obeyed, racing back to camp. Whitepatch slowly lied Featherstar's body down and padded up to Sunmist.

"Sunmist, please, please, don't do this." Liontail whispered in her ear. She moaned in pain and began to cough.

"Sunmist, don't leave me here. I love you." He added slowly and Sunmist's world went black.