Chapter Twenty-Two

Shadowheart's POV

The battle patrol walked slowly through the forest. Echostar took the lead with her head raised, ready to face the angry ReedClan cats ahead. Shadowheart tried to steady his heart as he followed his Clanmates. As much as he wished it, this was not going to end peacefully. Icestar demanded proof and would not get it. The only thing the red-eyed tom would accept was war. The pale morning sky had turned a dark gray by the time sun-high rolled around. It was if the heavens above were sadly awaiting this battle to come.

Reaching the ReedClan border, the stench of the marshland warriors reeked heavily around them. Icestar had waited with his own warriors across the river. Upon seeing the LeafClan cats, he led his cats across the river to meet them. Echostar stayed tall as they reached their side of the border, her tail raised assertively.

"Have you brought your proof?' Icestar greeted with a growl.

The translucent-furred tom posed aggressively, his muscles rippling under his sodden pelt. Shadowheart shuddered as the powerful leader's vicious red gaze raked through the LeafClan warriors. Stonetail stood close by, the dark gray tabby coldly staring ahead.

Echostar lifted her chin. "My word should be proof enough, Icestar. What would I possibly gain by murdering an elder?"

A snarl formed on the ReedClan leader's muzzle. "I'm not foolish enough to go by one's word alone," he lashed his tail. "You should have learned that the hard way. Or did living alongside a traitorous menace not teach you a single thing?"

The fur sharply rose along Echostar's spine. Fury lit up her gaze as she flattened her ears. "The blood of these warriors will be on your own paws," she snarled darkly. "If you want a war so badly, my Clan will grant that wish!"

Icestar let out a yowl, cannoning into Echostar. The warriors all surged forward then, and the border was soon full of writhing screeching cats. Shadowheart was quickly knocked off his paws, landing on the ground heavily. Pain seared through his shoulders as his attacked pinned him to the ground. He almost instantly recognized Mudspeck, one of ReedClan's most vicious warriors. Shadowheart writhed under the white she-cat's claws, but this only made her dig into his shoulder's deeper. Blue eyes burning hatefully into Shadowheart's fur, he lifted his head to bite down hard on her left foreleg.

Screeching painfully, the brown flecked warrior angrily shook him off. Shadowheart rolled to his paws just before she slammed down on top of him. Swiping at her muzzle, Mudspeck jumped back before lunging at his throat. Just barely missing, Shadowheart dodged and flung himself onto her. The two warriors rolled along the ground in a whirlwind of claws and fangs. Breaking apart, Shadowheart was suddenly slammed into. Another cat had been thrown into him—a silver-furred ReedClan tom he didn't recognize. Shoving the warrior off of him, Shadowheart gazed around.

Longwhisker was grappling with Stonetail, while Duskstrike and Nettleleaf fought a dark brown tabby off side by side. Sagepelt fought back to back with Alderleaf, both facing against two black-and-white toms. Amberfur was ripping the warrior Lakefrost off of Timberfall, while Streamwatcher ran to his Clanmates aid. Lionclaw squared off nearby with a blue gray tabby tom, and Rainfall exchanged heavy blows with a silver tabby tom. Firelight was close by, cornered by two ReedClan apprentices.

Rushing to his friend's aid, Shadowheart bouldered the closest one—a light gray tom—away. The second apprentice, a black she-cat, turned towards him in surprise. Firelight dove forward then, slashing her claws down the apprentice's flank. A sharp screech of pain came from the black ReedClan apprentice, and she quickly rushed away. The light gray tom watched his Clanmate run, and faced them angrily.

Mudspeck came galloping back, landing squarely on Firelight's hindquarters. Yowling in a mix of fury and anger, the ginger she-cat spun around to face her attacker. As the two she-cats faced off, the silver-furred tom from earlier rushed at Shadowheart. Shadowheart met him head on, slicing the warrior's ear tip. Retaliating in anger, the ReedClan tom sunk his fangs into Shadowheart's shoulder. Blood gushed from his shoulder, and Shadowheart desperately tried to the shake him off. Raking his claws across his attacker's flank, Shadowheart staggered back as soon as they let go.

An agonized wail came from nearby, followed by a heavy thud. Nettleleaf was hovered over Duskstrike in distress. The sandy brown tom was laying motionless on the ground as blood pooled under him. The blue gray tabby Lionclaw had been fighting stood close by, blood dripping from his muzzle. Rainfall came rushing to his Clanmates aid, yowling angrily upon seeing Duskstrike. He lunged towards the tabby with claws outstretched. Before any cat could react, a gray streak zipped across the ground. The apprentice from before had come running to his Clanmates defense. Rainfall tried to veer away from the apprentice, but he was too late. Claws sunk into the young cat's throat, and blood spurted out. Rainfall stared in absolute terror as the apprentice crumpled to the ground.

Blood continued to gush out of his wound as he struggled to breathe. In mere seconds, the apprentice became ominously still; his yellow eyes staring blankly ahead. One of the black-and-white toms that had been fighting Sagepelt and Alderleaf earlier let out of wail of grief. He rushed to the apprentice's side, his green eyes full of pain.

"I'm sorry Ripplefeather," the tabby told him quietly. "Fishpaw is dead."

Ripplefeather lifted his gaze. He snarled at Rainfall. "You did this! You killed my son!"

Flattening his ears, Rainfall stepped back eyes wide. "I-I didn't mean to! He just appeared out of nowhere! I-I..."

"Murderer!" Ripplefeather hissed, leaping at him.

Sagepelt was suddenly there in an instant, tackling the ReedClan warrior away from his son. The two toms grappled in a vicious fight, while Rainfall stared down at his paws in horror. Firelight raced towards him, shoving the tabby warrior to his paws.

"Get moving!" she spat. "You can grieve later!"

Rainfall flinched at her sharp tone. Eyes darkening, he charged back into battle. Firelight turned her gaze sharply on the blue gray warrior.

"This is for my Clanmate!" she spat, sinking her teeth into his throat.

Shadowheart watched in horror as he heard a crunching sound. The warrior let out a gurgling sound, trying feebly to break out of Firelight's grip. His body went limp finally, and she let him hit the ground. Glancing down at the lifeless body of Fishpaw, Firelight turned and ran back into the fray of cats. Oh StarClan no, Shadowheart stared at the limp warrior's body. This isn't how it should've been!

Icestar and Echostar still fought nearby, locked in a vicious battle. The two leaders were relentless in their attacks, both bloody and battered. Shadowheart stepped forward when he realized just how close they were to the river. Echostar swiped violently at Icestar's muzzle, and the tom retaliated by sinking his teeth into her shoulder. Yowling in agony, Echostar lost her footing and fell back into the river; taking the ReedClan leader with her.

"Echostar!" Shadowheart screeched, racing towards the river.

His screech rang out over the fighting cats, and they all glanced over his way. The battle stopped in an instant, the warriors realizing their leaders were missing. Shadowheart stared down into the river in terror; rain began to break from the dark sky up above then. The battle field was suddenly pelted with rain, the blood of the cats washing away into the river nearby. Shadowheart felt numb as he waited for Echostar to re-emerge, but neither she nor Icestar broke the surface.

StarClan please no, he pleaded. Please don't let this be it!