Disclaimer:
I do not own Warriors.
Swirlpaw walked into camp with a large mouse in her mouth, she smiled happily. She hadn't seen Spottedleaf in over half a moon. She could finally relax without the constant watch of the annoying StarClan cat. She had also caught the plumpest mouse out of the three apprentices that went on a hunting patrol.
As she placed the mouse in the fresh-kill pile, Spottedleaf's words suddenly started to echo in her head. "Beware the tiger in the shadows. The dock will be slashed if a swirling cat doesn't stop him. For both cannot live, both must die. Or eight will suffer a terrible fate." The words continued to echo, giving her a terrible headache.
"Swirlpaw, are you okay?" Rosepaw mewed, looking at the gray apprentice.
"Yeah, yeah. Just a headache." she growled.
"Do you need to see Leafpool?"
"No, I'm going to go out for a walk. Just for some fresh air."
"Alright, I'll tell anyone who needs to know. Just come back soon, I don't want to end up worrying about you."
"Of course, I'll be back soon. I promise." Swirlpaw mewed, walking toward the entrance. She decided she'd walk to the lake and back. Everything was nice, there was a soft breeze that carried around scents. As she walked down the pathway, she heard a sudden yowl that frightened her. Followed by another echo of Spottedleaf's voice. Except it only went partway.
"Beward teh tiger in the shadows. The dock will be slashed..." it stopped there and echoed, again and again.
Another painful yowl, quickly Swirlpaw followed the yowl, she was suddenly filled with the horrible stench of ShadowClan. She was near the border, only about five fox-lengths away. She listened, the yowl came again. It was much closer, lower down toward the lake. She ran down, listening, suddenly she heard the yowl again, it was getting fainter with weakness. Swirlpaw recognised it as Dockpaw's voice. He was in trouble!
Swirlpaw quickened her pace, she arrived only a fox length from the lake, in a shaded area. She ran low into a thorn bush. She looked, from beneath, she saw her brother bleeding, he was lying on his side, his sides heaving. A sudden lunge from a brown tabby told Swirlpaw all she needed. She looked, it was Brambleclaw, blood soaked his paws, Dockpaw's blood.
There was something off about him though. A weird scent, and a strange gleam in his eyes. Then he started talking. "Squirrelflight should have chosen me. I was the better cat. Why did she ever choose such a horrible cat as her mate? Why!" he lunged again, but he didn't hit Dockpaw this time. "She was never the one who... We went on the journey together! I helped her! We were friends! Best friends!" he lunged and slashed at Dockpaw. The apprentice yowled in pain.
"Why me though Brambleclaw?" Dockpaw asked, some blood came from his mouth.
"If I kill her kits, she'll feel pain. Horrible pain! Then I'll kill her precious mate! Then finally her! I will do it! I will rule!" the warrior yowled. He lunged again, but Swirlpaw couldn't take this anymore. She lunged from the bush, and hit him. Out of surprise he fell.
"Leave my brother alone!" she yowled.
"Swirlpaw! No! He'll kill us!"
"No Dockpaw. I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to die along with him." she whispered hoarsly.
"What! No you won't! Run, I'll be okay."
"The dock will be slashed, if a swirling cat doesn't stop him." she mewed under her breath.
Brambleclaw was staring. "Well look at this. Another kit of that traitor, here to let me kill her."
"No Brambleclaw! I won't let you kill her." Dockpaw mewed.
"It's alright Dockpaw, I know what I must do." she mewed quietly.
"Yes, you must die!" the deputy yowled, lunging for her. Swirlpaw followed, the two fell into a roll, circling each other, getting dangerously close to the edge of the lake.
"No!" Swirlpaw heard her brother yowl, but she knew it was to late. She looked toward him, and smiled, then, with as much strength as she could muster, she pushed both of them over the water. They sank like rocks, going deeper and deeper at the drop off. Brambleclaw's eyes shone fear under the murky water, he tried swimming up, but Swirlpaw grasped his leg, and bit hard into it as it thrashed through the water. With a gasp the deputy lost the last of his air, and started sinking.
He was drowning. He was dying. Swirlpaw smiled, she knew that she had saved them, and also knew that there was not a chance that she could get to the top of the water. So she embraced the water, and muttered, using the last of her air. "Brambleclaw hid in the shadows. He slashed at Dockpaw, but I, Swirlpaw, saved him. Neither lived, so both died." at the last word, she closed her eyes. And she felt everything ebb away, no feeling in her body.
She opened her eyes, and saw the murky water, and Spottedleaf coming after her, beconing with her tail. Swirlpaw nodded, and started moving toward the medicine cat. She had accepted her destiny. She went to join StarClan, happy that she had saved the ones she loved.
One kit down. Four to go... Not that they'll all die in this story...
Possibly... I know, I killed off a character, sad. I know.
You may have guessed by now, that this story isn't following Ashfur and Squirrelflight so much.
But their kits.
Don't worry though, we will get back to them, eventually. Probably the last chapter.
I don't know, I can't tell the future.
