Chapter 25 already? Wow, we're halfway through the story!
Chapter 25- Warning
"What are you gasping about, Buckstar? It's only Blackfrost." Hollypaw told him.
Buckstar softly exhaled. The black warrior was staring strangely at him, a brow raised. "Sorry, just thought you were something else for a moment."
Blackfrost just gave a grunt and examined him. "What did you do? Try to fight with the prey?"
"Actually, Blackfrost," Buckstar said, ignoring Blackfrost's insult, "we did."
The black wolf looked surprised. "Really?"
"A fox attacked us." Hollypaw growled.
Blackfrost's head tipped to the side. "I've…never heard of that."
"I know." Buckstar growled and winced as his wounds started to sting again. "Not even prey is safe anymore."
"Nothing is safe, Buckstar. You know that." Blackfrost said.
Buckstar nodded sadly. "Not even dreams."
Blackfrost sighed. "You found that out the hard way, didn't you?"
The Alpha blinked and bowed his head.
Hollypaw put her tail comfortingly on his broad shoulder, but he gave yelp of pain. She had put her black tail on the injured shoulder.
"Oh, sorry." She apologized and immediately took it off.
"We have to go to Fernleaf, Blackfrost." Buckstar grunted, gritting his teeth from the pain.
The warrior nodded and flicked his tail. He started to walk through the entrance, but he then looked back over his shoulder, his ice blue eyes narrowing. "I almost forgot. Dawntail wants to see you, Buckstar. She said it's…important."
Buckstar closed his eyes and he heard the warrior pad off. What does Dawntail want now? He thought angrily. I thought she had already accused me enough. Guess not. What did I do now?
He felt Hollypaw's muzzle as she nudged him softly. "Buckstar, my leg's starting to hurt."
"Let's pad fast, then." The Alpha growled and slipped into the camp, his apprentice at his heels. They limped towards the Healer's Den, and found that the Healer was not there, but instead her apprentice.
She was sitting near the pool, staring at the water. She did not stir as they came in and just kept staring intently as if the pool was some sort of prey.
Hollypaw let out a light cough and the Healer apprentice jumped in sheer surprise. She whirled around to them and immediately looked concerned. "Oh my…what happened?" She hurried towards the wolves and started to examine them.
"Long story…" Hollypaw mumbled.
Buckstar looked at her then nodded. "I'll explain it to you later." He said to the light brown she-wolf.
Twilightpaw shook her head. "No need. This looks like the wound Fernleaf covered for you earlier." She said, pointing to Buckstar's injured cheek with her snout.
The Alpha blinked. "It was."
"I'll have to wrap it for you again." The apprentice told him and went to the shelves of the den. She picked out a few cobwebs delicately with one of her paws and brought them back to Buckstar.
She began wrapping his wound in the web and she noticed his shoulder wound. "Actually, I do want to know what did that to you!" She cried.
Buckstar gritted his teeth. He wished wolves would stop worrying for him so much.
"A fox." Hollypaw said and groaned as she stretched out her injured hind leg.
"Don't move that quite yet!" Twilightpaw said tersely as she finished wrapping up Buckstar's shoulder wound. "It might be sprained."
Hollypaw let out an inaudible grumble. Then louder she said sarcastically, "Great, just what I needed."
"A fox, you say?" Twilightpaw did not seem to be affected. "Back where I'm from, foxes were normally as aggressive as this."
Hollypaw let out a snort. "Really? So…you didn't hunt foxes?"
"Of course we did!" Twilightpaw chuckled. "Our warriors liked the challenge! Though, usually we Healers had our paws full healing them."
"I could tell." Buckstar said as she moved on to examine Hollypaw's leg. "You're really good at healing. For an apprentice, I mean."
Twilightpaw sighed. "I had a really good mentor. Even though he was half-deaf, he still was one of the best Healers I have ever seen." To Hollypaw she said, "Stretch out you leg just like you did before."
Hollypaw did so and let out a howl as Twilightpaw touched her leg with her snout.
"It's sprained." The Healer apprentice confirmed and gently pushed the apprentice's hind leg back to its normal position. "You might want to rest until it is fully healed."
The black she-wolf let out a groan and sat down.
Buckstar nudged her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, it won't be that bad."
"But it'll be so boring!" She growled.
Twilightpaw looked offended. "You're glad I'm here to keep you company, at least!" She snapped.
Hollypaw rolled her eyes and kept silent.
"You'll be better tomorrow, Hollypaw. You'll see." He looked at Twilightpaw. "Right?"
"Depends." The Healer apprentice growled, her voice taut.
"What do you mean it 'depends'?" Hollypaw hissed.
Buckstar flicked his tail over her mouth to keep her from saying anything else. "Just be patient. Patience is one of the qualities an excellent warrior has to have, Hollypaw. Remember that."
"I'll try, Buckstar." His apprentice sighed. "I'll try."
The Alpha turned to Twilightpaw. "Where's Fernleaf?"
"She went out to look for herbs." The light brown she-wolf replied. "She won't back until much later."
Buckstar whispered, "Take care of Hollypaw for me."
Hollypaw looked indignant. "I don't need any taking care of! I can take care of myself!"
"I will." Twilightpaw sighed, glancing at the apprentice.
Buckstar gave her a curt nod and slipped out of the den, his shoulder sore from the wound, but not infected.
He searched the clearing with narrowed eyes. Where's Dawntail? He asked himself bitterly, I thought she wanted to see me…
Instead, he caught sight of Lilyfrost. She was on her way to meet Sagetail, who was talking to Redpaw by the stream.
Buckstar's blood suddenly rushed to his head. She was the one who started all of this! He hissed in his mind. That little she-devil!
His mind clouded with dark thoughts. I'm going to teach her a lesson she will never forget! He began to run towards her, his deadly claws extended and white fangs bared, ready to meet the warm touch of flesh.
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Sagetail saw him first.
"Lilyfrost, look out!" He cried as Buckstar pelted towards her, his light brown pelt bristling in fury and eyes blazing madly. Sagetail even thought he saw a flash of red in those two hunter green orbs.
The she-wolf let out a cry and sidestepped out of his way, causing the Alpha to run into Sagetail.
Buckstar knocked the wind out of him as they tumbled backwards, crashing into Redpaw. The apprentice howled and jumped out of their way.
Buckstar let out an enraged growl and opened his jaws to bite into Sagetail's shoulder, but the brown wolf batted him away with a clawed paw.
"Which one's which?" Redpaw cried.
"I don't know!" Lilyfrost hissed. "Buckstar, stop it!" She called into the writhing mass of light brown pelts and claws.
The Alpha dug his claws into Sagetail's flank and opened his mouth once again, sharp teeth prepared for the bite.
At the last moment, Sagetail let out a powerful kick with his strong hind legs into Buckstar's underbelly that sent the wolf tumbling away from him and into the small, running stream.
Buckstar did not move, the water soaking into his fur. He was unconscious.
Sagetail slowly got up and shook his ruffled fur.
"Are you okay?" Lilyfrost asked him, her eyes troubled.
Sagetail nodded. "He's out. I guess he had another one of those 'attacks'." He looked at his flank and saw the marks that the Alpha left behind.
Lilyfrost frowned. "He was aiming at me…" She breathed. "That can't be an attack."
Redpaw was frightened. "He's getting up!" He cowered behind Sagetail.
The Alpha shakily stood up, his pelt dripping with water. He let out a cough and sneezed.
Lilyfrost backed away, distrust written all over her expression. What had Sagetail done to deserve this? She thought. What have I done to deserve this?
Sagetail snarled and stepped in front of Lilyfrost protectively. "Go, Lilyfrost, in case he attacks again."
Redpaw growled defiantly. "I'll fight with you, Sagetail!"
Lilyfrost kept silent, still watching Buckstar. Redpaw looked at her and then at Sagetail.
His mentor hissed for him to go, but the apprentice shook his head. It finally took the powerful wolf's shove to send Redpaw running into the Pack Den.
The Alpha turned his head to look at them, guilt in his eyes. He stepped out of the stream and ran out of the camp.
Lilyfrost watched him go, her heart sinking in despair. She was losing him. Losing him fast. She felt Sagetail lick her ear reassuringly.
"He's gone. For now."
She let out a whine. "I want to know why!" She sniffed. "He's become this…monster. I feel like I don't know him anymore."
Sagetail put his tail on her shoulder and just listened as she started to weep.
"Is it something that I did?" She cried. "What is something I said?"
Sagetail sighed. "Who knows? It could be…"
Lilyfrost suddenly let out a low moan. "Oh no, no, no."
"What?" Sagetail asked.
"It was last night. I know it."
The light brown he-wolf flicked his ears in interest. "What…happened last night?"
"I slept with him." She broke out in sobs.
Sagetail gasped. "Wait, you mean you…and Buckstar…"
Lilyfrost bared her teeth at him, causing him to reluctantly back away. "Not like that, bear-brain! I slept next to him!"
Sagetail's brows furrowed. "Oh."
"Dawntail must have seen." The silver she-wolf hissed and dug her claws into the ground. "She must have gotten the wrong message. I know her too well."
Sagetail nodded understandingly. In the few days he had been here, that she-wolf had struck him as being overly jealous and protective of Buckstar…maybe to the point that she would even kill.
As if on cue, the she-wolf herself slipped out of the Nursery, her light ginger pelt glossy as always. She even was looking a bit plump, showing her pregnancy. She spotted Lilyfrost and curled her lip threateningly.
Sagetail once again stepped in front of her and bared his teeth protectively.
"Sagetail, I can take care of myself!" She growled and pushed him away, much to his surprise.
Dawntail stalked towards her, her tail raised challengingly. "Well if it isn't Buckstar's mate!" She hissed.
Lilyfrost's pelt bristled. "It wasn't what it looked like, Dawntail-"
The pregnant she-wolf growled. "I find that hard to believe. He had to choose between me and you and he made his choice."
Sagetail looked confused. "What's going on?" He asked.
"Go, Sagetail." Lilyfrost told him, still glaring at Dawntail.
"Are you sure?" The he-wolf asked, looking doubtful.
Dawntail snickered. "Lilyfrost's new 'wolf with wings' aren't you, Sagetail?"
Lilyfrost bared her teeth. Sagetail just growled, lashing his tail angrily.
"You know you two look so much alike…" Dawntail said casually.
"So I've heard." Sagetail hissed.
"Leave. Now!" Lilyfrost shoved him roughly, causing him to stumble into the ground.
Dawntail chuckled. "A bit rough, aren't you? Buckstar likes that you know. At least back when he was my mate!" She snarled.
Sagetail's expression turned from furious to worried. He was concerned for Lilyfrost's safety. He figured he would leave, but stay close in case Dawntail decided to leave Lilyfrost unscathed. He left her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lilyfrost saw the light brown he-wolf pad away, his tail low to the ground. He's so annoying sometimes…She thought angrily.
Dawntail advanced, her claws gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. "I wished it wouldn't have come to this, Lilyfrost. But you leave me no choice."
Lilyfrost backed away and crouched defensively, her pelt bristling. "You won't kill me!" She hissed. "You won't!" Dawntail kept walking, her hard gaze undeterred. "You couldn't…you can't!"
Dawntail pounced, landing on Lilyfrost's underbelly and the she-wolf gave an agonized cry as the pregnant she-wolf's claws dug into her side and her silver fur turned red with blood.
"I'm not going to kill you just yet…" Dawntail hissed in her ear. "But let this be a warning to you. He still loves me and as long as he does, no she-wolf would stand in my way. If not,"
Sagetail suddenly appeared, his pelt bristling in fury.
Lilyfrost gritted her teeth in pain as Dawntail's claws sank in deeper.
"If not," Dawntail repeated. "These little episodes will get progressively worse…understand?"
Before Lilyfrost can respond, Sagetail barreled into Dawntail, the she-wolf clawing at his eyes. They rolled on the ground for a few minutes until Dawntail separated from Sagetail.
"Get out!" He cried. "Get out, you filthy excuse for a wolf!"
"I would say the same for you!" Dawntail hissed and pelted out of the RainPack camp.
Lilyfrost shakily stood up, coughing weakly.
Sagetail ran towards her, concern flooding in his sage-colored eyes. "You need to see Fernleaf!" He said.
Lilyfrost shook her head and tears started to form in her eyes. "No…"
"But-"
"Leave me alone." Lilyfrost sniffed. "Now."
Sagetail lashed his tail. "Not while you're like this!"
"I said now!" Lilyfrost hissed and bared her teeth. She felt like clawing the wolf, but her nature would not let her.
Sagetail frowned and left her, mumbling to himself.
Lilyfrost winced in pain and she looked at the camp entrance, fury boiling in her lilac-colored eyes. "Dawntail…" She breathed to herself. "If it's a fight you want, there's no doubt you'll get one, little missy, because you asked for it and there's no turning back."
Where did Buckstar go? Big cliffie here! Please R&R and you all get cookies (I am feeling very generous today and sharing my wonderful cookies to all my faithful reviewers!)
-Evanessence