Here's the next chapter! This might surprise a lot of you but this is the final chapter of Warriors of OceanTide. But don't worry! The adventures of ScarletLight, LongClaw and StepStorm are not over yet! The sequel, Leaders of OceanTide should be up soon.
StepStorm
As the five cats got closer to Asa's den they could hear the sounds of loud snarling. A lump rose in StepStorm's throat. What was going on? StepRock lifted his tail in the signal for them to be cautious. StepStorm thought LongClaw was going to throw a fit but the brown she-cat just nodded before dropping into a crouch.
StepStorm did the same along with the ForestRose cats and ScarletLight. As they crept forward they could hear the voices of another animal only this voice was all in rapid barks.
Asa's voice rang out in the same bark-like fashion and the two seemed to go at it back and forth. StepStorm wished she had some idea of what they were saying to each other but the tone did suggest something other than a friendly chat.
As the cats broke through the grass that separated them from the wolves, the other wolf growled something and launched himself at Asa. From the looks of it, he was much bigger than she was and she was easily getting overpowered by the larger wolf.
However it didn't look like Asa was just sitting by and letting this happen. She was fighting with everything she had against this wolf. Her teeth and claws were trying to do major damage but it looked like she was having trouble with that.
"We have to help her," said ScarletLight. The orange she-cat rose to her paws. "She helped us and we have to help her."
"What about the cure?" growled MintFang. "Our tribemates need them. If we get involved in a fight like this we may not come out of it alive." He gestured with his tail to the snapping teeth of the wolves. "We could die while getting involved with something like this."
"So ForestRose cats are just cowards then?" spat LongClaw. She stepped towards MintFang, her eyes blazing in anger. "You are going to let the creature that saved us die!"
MintFang looked like he wanted to murder her but SharpRock stepped forward. "MintFang. You can return to ForestRose with the cure. I will stay here to help LongClaw and ScarletLight fight to help Asa."
StepStorm blinked in surprise when her name was not mentioned but the way LongClaw and ScarletLight were looking at her, they wanted her to go with MintFang. They wanted her to make sure OceanTide got the cure. She just nodded to her friends. They were much better fighters than she was.
"Alright then," said MintFang. "But you better come out of it alive."
"I promise you that," said SharpRock. "Now get going!"
"Go on StepStorm. We'll be alright," said ScarletLight. "We'll catch up in a bit."
"I've never fought a maned wolf before. This is going to be interesting," LongClaw hissed as she unsheathed her claws. She was already in her fighting zone.
StepStorm nodded before running after MintFang who had already begun running. She glanced back once to see how her friends were doing but the tall grass blocked her view of them. A lump rose in her throat as she heard the battle cries of cats. Would they be alright? Was this truly the best thing to do?
"Run faster!" snapped MintFang from ahead of her. "Or I'm going to leave you behind. You want OceanTide to have the cure or not?"
"I…" StepStorm trailed off.
"What are you doing?"
StepStorm jumped and looked to her left. Running next to her was a cat made out of flames. "Spirit Flame?" she whispered.
"What are you doing?" asked the cat again. Even though it was made out of flames, the tall grass didn't catch fire as it ran. "I thought you to be better than this."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The Spirit Flame just shook its head and began to fade away.
StepStorm skidded to a stop and looked back in the direction of Asa's home. What was she doing? She was a coward. How could she show her face back to the tribe like this? How could she face FastFlight and SandWhite and tell them that their kits were dead? She could never return like this.
"What are you doing?" snapped MintFang. He had stopped and looked back at her.
StepStorm looked at him. "I'm no coward," she said. "I understand why you want to get back to ForestRose. You have cats there that are waiting for the cure. Maybe even a cat that is important to you. But I. I was running away now because I thought I was too weak to do anything to help. I know I'm weaker than everyone and I keep using that as an excuse. No more! I refuse to rely on everycat to save me and protect me. I want to become an OceanTide warrior that can stand on her own paws! So I refuse to go back now!"
MintFang's mouth dropped open in shock but StepStorm was already running back. As her paws hit the ground she could feel the wind behind her pushing her on, making her faster. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Spirit Flame laughing as it ran besides her.
When StepStorm got closer she saw the three cats were on the larger maned wolf's back. Asa was sitting on the ground panting heavily. Multiple bite wounds scored her body. However she didn't look like she was down. In fact it looked like she was resting to attack again.
StepStorm focused her attention on the other maned wolf again. The three cats would attack and retreat while trying to avoid those bone snapping jaws. However it looked like some of the teeth nicked LongClaw. SharpRock looked to be favoring a paw and ScarletLight's tail was bleeding. This was bad. Asa had gotten back up and joined the battle again but the other maned wolf still looked like he could go on forever. He had multiple wounds from the cats' claws but the most severe wound was a bite across his back, probably from Asa.
StepStorm narrowed her eyes as she examined the maned wolf. It had to have a weakness of some kind. If the battle kept up like this then it was obvious they were going to lose. It was then that StepStorm noticed that the wolf seemed to be moving rather oddly compared to Asa. Looking at the legs she noticed that one of the paws had a long scar running along it. Probably a wound from the past but it was something. A weakness.
The tortoishell learner yowled at the top of her lungs and dove into the battle. Unlike the others she aimed for that paw and with all her strength she clamped her teeth on the paw. The wolf yowled in pain and Asa took the chance to clamp her jaw around the wolf's neck. Combined with the four cats, the maned wolf's attacks quickly got weaker and weaker until its movements stopped completely.
"What are you doing here?" cried ScarletLight as she hurried to StepStorm's side.
"I know now that I cannot run away," said the young tortoiseshell proudly. "I cannot be a true warrior unless I can stand on my own paws."
"Well thanks," said SharpRock. "I'm proud of you even though I am a member of ForestRose."
"Thank you for helping me fight," spoke Asa as she walked over.
"Why did he attack you?" asked LongClaw.
"Maned wolves are loners. He probably thought he could have my territory." She laughed. "He probably didn't expect to get attacked by a group of fierce warrior cats." She turned serious. "Thanks for the help. I would have to leave or die unless you came in. Now go back to your tribes all of you. I can tend to my own injuries but your tribes need you now."
"But…" said StepStorm.
ScarletLight placed her tail on her friend's shoulder. "Come on StepStorm. We should get back. Asa knows what she is doing. We have to take care of OceanTide."
"I will make sure you get some of the cure," promised SharpRock. "We would not have been able to win without help of you StepStorm. If you hadn't got it distracted then we probably would have lost. I thank you."
"You are a real nice tom you know that?" teased LongClaw. "Better stop after we become enemies again because otherwise you will be killed by me."
"Right back at you," he said to her.
The trip back to ForestRose was uneventful. SharpRock was able to get half of the cure back to the OceanTide cats who ran back to their own camp. It was then when the true test began. As soon as they stepped into the camp, roars of protest came the cats that were still awake.
"What are you doing back here?" sneered SwiftBreeze. "Going to make our tribe even sicker? SpiralClam is dead!"
StepStorm turned cold. Her mentor was dead. They were too late to save her.
"We came back for a reason!" yowled LongClaw. "Now listen all you monkey-brains!"
"I don't think insulting them will make them listen," sighed ScarletLight.
"Why are you defying your exile?" ShiningDark stepped forward. SpiritCave was a few pawsteps behind him along with GrayShark.
StepStorm noticed that her friends were waiting for her to speak. "We brought the cure!" StepStorm said.
"What?" said ShiningDark.
ScarletLight dropped the banana leaf with the precious cure inside. "We have met with a wise creature, a maned wolf called Asa who gave us this cure. It will help the tribe."
ShiningDark seemed dumbstruck and he looked back at SpiritCave. The spiriter nodded. "They speak the truth," he said. "The Spirit Wind sent them on this mission for the cure. This is what will save the tribe." The spiriter looked around at the tribe cats. "Any cat who objects will feel the wrath of the Spirit Wind. These cats are no longer in exile."
"GrayShark. Get this cure to HealingWave right away," ordered ShiningDark. His deputy complied.
"Wait," said LongClaw as ShiningDark turned away. "We completed this mission, and saved the tribe. StepStorm had nothing to do with this illness at all. No apology? Well fine. At least let her become a warrior."
StepStorm's eyes widen. ShiningDark looked like he wanted to murder LongClaw. "Why?" he growled. "Your exile has been revoked. Be happy with that."
LongClaw did not back down. "We would never have been able to get through this without her!" She gestured to the wounds on hers and ScarletLight's pelts. "We might have died if she wasn't there. She had the bravery of a warrior. So she deserves to be one. She was the one who was truly sent on this mission to save the tribe. Not us."
"Is it true?" ShiningDark asked SpiritCave.
"Yes," replied the spiriter. "The Spirit Wind had chosen her for the mission. She has even spoken to OceanTide and ForestRose themselves."
Murmers ran through the tribe. ScarletLight and LongClaw stared at StepStorm in surprise.
"You met OceanTide and ForestRose?" whispered ScarletLight.
"Sheesh. That's amazing," whispered LongClaw. "How did you mange that?"
"But she's an outsider!" cried DriftingStick.
"Be quiet!" snapped CurlingStream. "She helped save the tribe! Be grateful!"
"Fine then," said ShiningDark. "But you will not get a true ceremony for I still cannot view you as a true member of the tribe."
StepStorm shook her head. "That's alright."
"Yeah," said LongClaw. "Cause when I become leader I will give her the best ceremony ever."
That earned a few chuckles from some of the cats.
ShiningDark glared at LongClaw before turning to StepStorm. "Under the Spirit Wind. I grant you a warrior name. Not out of my own wish but the supposed wish of others." He glanced at LongClaw and ScarletLight. "From this day forth, your name shall be RippingStorm. To symbolize what you are doing to this tribe."
"RippingStorm!" yowled LongClaw.
"RippingStorm!" yowled ScarletLight.
The rest of the tribe picked it up and the newly named RippingStorm basked in the glory of her new name. She didn't view it in the negative way ShiningDark did. She was happy. She was now a true warrior of OceanTide. She looked over at the leader and saw he was heading back to his den. He looked back at her and an amused twinkle was in his eyes before he went inside.
RippingStorm didn't know what that meant but she didn't have time to think about it. "Come on!" said ScarletLight. "We need to make you a nest in the warriors den! Even with cats getting cured they will still be weak. We need to take care of the tribe now!'
"I can't wait to catch another shark," said LongClaw as the three friends headed for the warriors den.
