A Deadly Decision:
"ShadowClan, attack!"
I jump to my paws, shaking. It was the middle of the night! Who would get out of their nests n the middle of the night to attack their neighbors?
That's right. ShadowClan. Strangely, their rival clan hadn't marked their borders today. Now ThunderClan knew why. They had been resting before they could ambush their camp. My mate, Dapplestorm, is next to me, quivering. She's expecting my kits in a few moons, but it's too early for her to move to the nursery, no matter how much I want her to. Besides, even ShadowClan wouldn't attack kits or nursing queens! Or would they?
"Get to the nursery!" I hiss, shoving Dapplestorm with my muzzle. "You may be able to hunt, but you are in no shape to fight!"
For once, she doesn't argue. I push my way out of the warrior's den to an alarmingly bloody scene. ShadowClan almost all their warriors, by the looks of it, to attack us with, and I won't deny it. Facing so many ShadowClan warriors makes me afraid. Every cat in ThunderClan is raised with the nursery tales about evil ShadowClan cats coming to eat you and kill and torture you, tossing you too the foxes once they've clawed all the strength and wits out of you. And now it seems like the stories are true, with dark shapes writhing around the clearing, eerily glowing eyes reflecting the moonlight. Battle cries ring out every few moments, and the screeches feel my ears. My mind is full of horrid visions, of ShadowClan cats skinning my clan mates, of my whole clan lying dead, on the ground, without a single casualty from our attackers.
One yowl tramples the others. "What is this attack for?" I recognize the voice of my sister, Skystar, leader of the clan. "Why have you attacked our camp?" "ShadowClan needs more territory. Who else to attack but the ThunderClan weaklings?" Another voice responded. I narrowed my eyes, rearing onto my hind paws until I could see the tom who had said that. Thornheart, ShadowClan's fiercest warrior. The deputy, Darkstorm, stood beside Thornheart, but he was not my target. Darkstorm, luckily for him, was not the one who had killed my parents, murdering them in cold blood before my very eyes.
Plunging through the howling, tussling crowd of cats, I drop into a crouch and creep up behind Thornheart, relieved when Darkstorm plunges into battle, locked with another cat. I don't bother to see who that cat is- I'm just happy I don't have to fight both of ShadowClan's strongest warriors at the same time.
When StarClan was handing out gifts, I was given a reckless sense of courage and a big head. Yowling, I leap for Thornheart a moment after he realizes I'm there, meaning he's had the time to turn around and use one big, broad paw to send me flying. My chest stings where he raked his claws across it, and the place where I hit my head on the ground as I landed is already aching, causing black spots in my vision.
Thornheart stalks over. "I was right," he sneered, looming over me. "ThunderClan cats really are weaklings!" I try to struggle, flailing my paws. A few times I managed to snag his fur, but I didn't draw blood. He pins me down, preparing to finish me off and send me to join my parents in StarClan, but a caterwauling bundle of tortoiseshell fur slams into him, knocking Thonrheart off of me. I manage to struggle to my paws, forcing myself to ignore the pain and the spots dancing across my vision and instead focus on what's going on around me.
"Go and help the others," the she-cat hisses. I'm fairly sure that it's Dapplestorm's mother, Spottedfur. Her scent is familiar, and she has the same twinkling amber eyes when she looks at me. "Thanks," I reply, before adding, "I will." Turning around, I scan the battlefield, trying to figure out who needs help most. It turns out to be Foxpaw, one of our newest apprentices. He's been cornered by two ShadowClan warriors, tossed like prey between the two.
Summoning strength from my reckless courage, I pound over to Foxpaw, pouncing on the first cat's back. I realize it's Redfeather who I'm clawing now, with his dark red tabby fur almost black in the dim light. When I look at our shadow, all I can see is a moving bundle of fur, as if Redfeather and I are one. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Foxpaw scrambling away to safety and the second cat, a she-cat named Ivydapple, stalks towards me.
My vision is growing darker, slowly but steadily, and I know I don't have too much longer to fight. I jump off Redfeather and hurtle away, heading for the apprentice den to see if Foxpaw made it back there alive. "Help!" Two screeches cut through the air at the same time. One belongs to Skystar. The other- What have I done? How could I not have seen that it was Dapplestorm who saved me from Thornheart?
I follow the direction of her voice, wishing their was some way I could save both my leader, who was on her last life, and my mate. But Dapplestorm was expecting kits, and if I could only choose one cat, it would have to be her. I reach Dapplestorm too late. Thornheart has already raked his claws over her throat and left. "No!" I wail, collapsing next to Dapplestorm. "Not Dapplestorm! Why didn't I make sure it was really Spottedfur earlier?" He burrowed his muzzle in her sweet-smelling fur, but the scent of death was already creeping over her.
The one cat who I have loved most for seasons is dead, and so are our unborn kits. But my sister can still use saving. I raise my head, staggering to my paws. Now two different sets of claws slice at my heart; the pain of my wounds and the pain of my grief, both sharp and fresh as the chilly night air. Weaving through my fighting clan mates again, I lunge at the ShadowClan deputy as he crouches over Skystar. Darkstorm yowls, startled, and rolls, trying to squish me, but I take a gulp of air and cling on, going limp.
He staggers under the sudden burden of my weight, before twisting around his head and nipping my paw. I let ago, thumping onto the ground. In a flash, Darkstorm is on me. Raking his belly with my hind paws, I kick him off and turn to Skystar, only to see her crawling into the shadows. Her eyes are dull, and she opens her mouth as if she is about to call defeat.
This can't happen. Quick as lightning, I turn around and flash at Darkstorm, raking his throat. It might have broken the code, but it has saved our clan. Ivydapple lets out a cry of shock, and then one of terror. "Darkstorm! Darkstorm's been killed! Retreat!" "ShadowClan, retreat!" echoed Thornheart, dashing over to nuzzle Darkstorm's forehead before turning to glare at me. "That was my father!" "You killed my parents!" I retorted. "It's only fair! Besides. I didn't know!"
Growling, he takes a step towards me before calling to Redfeather and jerking his head towards Darkstorm. "Help me carry my father back to camp." Redfeather nods, hurrying over before glancing, his expressing full of rage and fury, at me. I meet it evenly. My mate is dead, and the tiny lives inside of her. ShadowClan's problems will never mean anything to me, the horrid murderers. At least Skystar is still here. I do not doubt that Sootcloud would make a good leader, but the less change, the less bloodshed, the clan goes through, the better. And even without that, Skystar means more to me then any other cat, besides Dapplestorm and our unborn kits.
"Dapplestorm's dead!" The horrified cry rings out. I spin around. It's Snowwhisker, her brother. "Thornheart murdered her," I added, my voice raw with grief. "I-I saw him!" For a few moments, everything is silent. Then, Skystar slowly pads forwards and drags Dapplestorm's body to the middle of the clearing. "Tonight we shall grieve, "She mewed hoarsely. "Tomorrow she shall be buried. Sootcloud, please organize a hunting patrol of the cats least injured. Everyone else, see Featherwing immediately." Quietly, the procession begins as the shock slowly sinks in. A few cats who were close to Dapplestorm, like me, collapse to the ground in grief, determined not to miss a moment of grieving. The other's just widen their eyes sadly, their expressions hollow, as they trudge to the medicine cat. Great StarClan, what have I ever done to deserve this?
"Sometimes it is just a cat's time. You can do nothing to stop it; destiny is impenetrable. She died as she lived, fighting to protect her loved ones and her clan. Dapplestorm saved you. Would you rather she die of greencough? Unlike when it comes from sickness, her death was quick and clean. She had little time to suffer the pain; Be glad; She will not want to see you like this. Stand strong- be proud- like the cat she fell in love with. Serve your clan always, and look to the stars when you need her help. You are one of the clan's strongest warriors. We cannot afford to lose you. Every cat grieves for some cat or another, but life continues on, and you must get used to it. Dapplestorm loves you; You love her. Accept life as it has come, for it is a gift to at all. Just like in Dapplestorm and your kit's case, lives can be killed before they have even started. You have lived your life with your love. Now it is time to let her go. Peacefully. Do not struggle. She is safe in the stars."
The whispers came smoothly, from a familiar voice, but I don't bother looking up or sniffing the air to check who it is. I will never forget Dapplestorm, even if it means I go blind and mute and deaf. No matter how much I suffer, how much I go through, I will always miss Dapplestorm. Her death has broken my heart, and I will never let it heal. If I stop thinking about her for one moment... I am afraid she shall slip away. Slip away from me and from my clan, without my thoughts keeping her with us. "I'm sorry, Dapplestorm," I whisper. "I should have gotten there sooner."