Warriors Escape From The Dark
Chapter 23
Swiftleap woke with a start, his claws were unsheathed and his pelt fluffed out to twice its size, even though he had seen the dark forest cats return to Starclan cats safely, he still had distressed dreams. He smoothed down his puffed up pelt with his tongue. He suddenly felt a second tongue rasp along his ear, he flicked his head around and saw Sagewillow looking at him hopefully, her amber eyes dazzled in the moonlight. He leaned toward her and gently touched his nose to hers. She flinched away after a few moments. Swiftleap stared after her in confusion, she looked at her stomach and moved her tail away from it so Swiftleap could see her slight bulge, he pricked in surprise and then filled with delight.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Swiftleap whispered, he could obviously tell that the kits had been in there for a few moons. Sagewillow looked doubtful, Swiftleap shuffled next to her and placed his tail on her plump flank.
"Something's wrong…" Sagewillow whimpered. Swiftleap nudged her gently with his forehead, she looked at him directly, her eyes were beginning to water.
"How can you tell?" Swiftleap queried. Sagewillow faced her stomach before answering.
"I just can, it's hard to explain but something just isn't right," She replied, lowering her head slightly. Swiftleap stroked his tail down her side and used it to gently feel for movement, she was right, nothing was fidgeting or even slightly kicking from her stomach. He stood up achily, feeling the cool air fly around his legs. Sagewillow did the same, flinching as the air hit her legs as well, they both padded out into the clearing and headed for the medicine den, their pelts brushing against one another.
"It's pretty chilly tonight," Sagewillow chattered, as her jaw shook wildly. Swiftleap observed the trees above them that surrounded the camp, they were all bent one way because of the breeze.
"Yeah, and windy," He added. They quickly scurried to the medicine den and slid inside as soon as they arrived. Swamppaw was the first to wake, his bright blue eyes shone through the darkness like moons in the sky. He gave Splashheart a soft nudge, they had obviously slept next to each other because of the wind, it was a lot chillier in the medicine den because of the lack of cats. Swamppaw gave Splashheart another nudge, a little harsher this time. She raised her head and looked at him, he pointed his nose toward Swiftleap and Sagewillow, causing Splashheart to look as well. She stretched her jaws apart in a huge yawn before sitting up and allowing Swiftleap and Sagewillow to come closer.
"What's the matt-" A huge cracking noise stopped Splashheart midway through her question. Swiftleap sprinted out into the clearing, a huge oak tree was on the verge of snapping from behind the medicine den, its trunk was on a ridiculous lean and Swiftleap didn't even think before sprinting over to the apprentices' den. He smashed his way in and began running around the apprentices, shouting their names over the wind, they all looked up sleepily and glared at him like he had stolen their feathers that get left for their nests.
"There is a huge tree about to fall over, run! Now!" The apprentice's eyes all filled with horror and they immediately fled from the den, except for one. Ravenpaw was shaking frantically from the back of the den.
"Help! My paw, its…its caught!" She shrieked. Swiftleap heard another loud crack echo from above them, he also a heard a low squeaking. The tree is falling! He leaped toward Ravenpaw and instead of fleeing he surrounded her tiny, shaking body with himself. She whimpered beneath him, he tried to soothe her as good as he could but he wasn't her mother so there was nothing he could do, even though he felt like more of a father than Shredflame did. Suddenly a huge trunk smashed into the roof of the den.
"Ravenpaw!" Swiftleap was about to turn away when he heard a terrified squeal, he glanced at the place where it had come from and only just caught a sight of Grasspaw, the grey she-cat was gone shortly after, her tiny body, crushed beneath the trunk. Swiftleap slammed his eyes shut and turned away, sheltering Ravenpaw as good as he could. The wind began to slow down and the clearing became a lot more crowded. A she-cat screeched louder than anything in the clearing and Swiftleap felt Ravenpaw trembling beneath him, she raised her head slightly and then shot away from him.
"Grasspaw! Grasspaw, I'm here! Where are you?" Ravenpaw called, her meow sounded full of terror and excitement, it stopped and the clearing fell silent.
"My kit!" Swiftleap heard Ashclaw's grief-filled caterwaul split the silence and Swiftleap slowly padded out with his head lowered. He caught a glimpse of Splashheart and Sagewillow staring at the trunk, their eyes were filled with terror but he quickly looked away.
"Grasspaw, no!" Ravenpaw squeaked, her meow sounded as if it had been cut off, he looked at her and saw her collapse beside the trunk. He walked to her side, once he saw Grasspaw he knew why it was horrifying, half of the little she-cats body had been crushed beneath the tree and blood was pooling out her mouth, her head sitting the wrong way and her eyes were clouded, it would have been quick but painful. Ashclaw fell to the ground beside Swiftleap and Ravenpaw, she gave her kits head a few gentle licks and then began to cry. Her tears caused the ground around Grasspaw to go damp.
"Great Starclan," A tom's voice sounded from behind Swiftleap and Ravenpaw. He turned to see Shredflame staring at Grasspaw's limp body, he saw Ravenpaw and began to go near her but was quickly stopped by a loud hiss.
"Don't you touch her!" It was Ashclaw, she sounded furious, her teeth were bared in a snarl and she looked ready to pounce. Swiftleap wrapped his tail around Ravenpaw tightly, making sure Shredflame couldn't reach her even though Ashclaw looked absolutely petrifying. The black she-cat slowly padded toward her mate, her teeth still bared.
"She's my kit too!" Shredflame suddenly retaliated, he stood his ground and faced his mate, she hissed at him and then sat down in front of him.
"You never treated them like your kits," She spat. Shredflame dropped his jaw in surprise, and then slammed it shut with his teeth still showing.
"They don't deserve a father, considering their mother is a rogue that has spent her whole life living in a fantasy," Shredflame snarled. Ashclaw unsheathed her claws but didn't flinch from her spot.
"Well, their father was the one that broke the warrior code and mated with a rogue," She sneered. Shredflame simply growled and then stomped away from Ashclaw, with his tail thrashing about. Ashclaw turned around and faced her remaining kit. She parted from Swiftleap and ran to her mother's side. Ashclaw wrapped her tail around Ashclaw and held her close against her chest, Ravenpaw began to sob, causing Ashclaw to do the same, the clan all lowered their heads and fell silent for Ashclaw and her kit.