Yowling and hissing, the warrior clans bolted through the narrow gorse tunnel that marked the entrance to the ThunderClan camp. Scrabbling frantically through, smaller apprentices and wounded warriors crawled through the thorn stricken tunnel while those with fight remain within them guarded the rear in a desperate attempt to stem the bloodthirsty tide of BloodClan.
Spottedleaf gently herded the wounded cats towards the nursery where there was room for Cinderpelt to treat them. Over the gorse barrier, she could hear the frantic sounds of warriors clashing with rogues. Trying in vain to ignore it, the tortoiseshell kept her eyes open for a flash of orange fur amongst those filtering into the camp from the tunnel. Where was Firestar?
The stench of blood filled the air as Spottedleaf watched her clanmates filter in. Dustpelt was heavily scratched and was being propped up against Fernpaw. Brightheart rushed in followed by Cloudtail who was backing his way behind her through the tunnel, hissing at some unseen assailants before joining Brightheart. Tallstar escorted by Onewhisker and Mudclaw burst through before racing off to join those of WindClan who had made it to the camp.
"Greystripe what's happening out there?!" Spottedleaf mewed trying to remain calm although the panic was evident on her face as the tom and Sandstorm pulled themselves through the gorse barrier.
"BloodClan had too many," Greystripe winced as Spottedleaf immediately put a cobweb on a particularly nasty cut above his forehead, "We couldn't hold them off. Those of us that didn't make it here scattered towards ShadowClan and RiverClan territory and will try to form up later. Why haven't you and the others evacuated yet?"
Spottedleaf sighed and began working on Sandstorm's wounds. "Dappletail and the other elders refused to move and we needed more time to gather the necessary herbs and get the queens to leave. I'm at my wits end. Tell me where Firestar is, need to speak to him."
Greystripe and Sandstorm suddenly went pale and exchanged a nervous glance between them as though neither wanted to say exactly what they were both thinking. Eyes filled with sorrow, Sandstorm padded beside Spottedleaf, resting her tail gently upon her.
" I think you might want to sit down for this," she mewed softly.
Cold dread began to sink like lead in Spottedleaf's stomach as she felt Sandstorm's tail gently guide her down. " W-What do you mean?" She stuttered nervously,"W-where is Firestar?"
"He fell." Greystripe choked bowing his head in his grief.
"What? But he still has eight more lives," Spottedleaf mewed quietly, tears welling up in her eyes, "He'll be back...right?"
"He died fighting Scourge," Sandstorm sighed sadly, "I'm not sure if he can come back."
If Spottedleaf heard these words, she gave no sign. Let a out a pathetic, mournful wail as the intense grief came over her, Spottedleaf collapsed on the cold ground, the sounds of battle deaf to her ears. What should she do now? Could she go on? She had to, it was what he would have wanted after all.
"Spottedleaf can you hear me?" Spottedleaf snapped back to reality to see Greystripe looking at her worriedly.
" Yeah," she mewed wiping away a tear with her paw.
" The barrier won't hold for much longer," Greystripe meowed grimly, "You need to gather Cinderpelt and the kits and get to safety. Head for WindClan territory!"
"I can provide an escort," said Tallstar, "My warriors will know the quickest way."
"Understood," Spottedleaf nodded bundling up what herbs she could be fore racing to the nursery.
Cramped within the den, Cinderpelt was frantically applying whatever care she could to those wounded. On her way in, Spottedleaf passed Dustpelt, the tabby's shoulder bleeding heavily but only wrapped in the most basic of bandages. Under any other circumstance, Spottedleaf would have ordered Dustpelt to stand down and rest but at the present, they could afford no such luxury. Smelling their mother, Squirrelkit, Leafkit and Finchkit immediately bounded over before burying their faces in their mother's fur, terrified out of their minds.
"Mama what going on?" Squeaked Leafkit closing her eyes shaking.
"Yes what is going on?" Cinderpelt mewed quietly padding over. Recognising the flicker or pain inside her friend's eyes, Cinderpelt rested her tail gently on Spottedleaf's flank, "Is everything okay?"
"We need to get out now," Spottedleaf mewed, pushing her grief aside for a moment as much as it pained her to do so, "The clans will buy us what time they can."
"Got it," Cinderpelt nodded determinedly, picking up the bundle of herbs that she had ready, "But where are we headed? Surely there can't be anywhere safe within the territory?"
"WindClan camp," Spottedleaf could have cried out in relief at the sight of Ravenpaw followed by Onewhisker. The small black tom stepped forward, "We'll escort you there as safely as we can."
"Thank StarClan," Spottedleaf mewed, "But we don't have much time before..."
The cats then froze as they heard Greystripe's warning yowl echo through the clearing.
"BloodClan have broken through!"
Smirking as he watched his war host pile in through the pitiful defences that the forest cats had erected, Scourge leapt into the heart of combat. Lashing out with lightning fast speed and precision, Scourge sent a skinny she cat scarpering for cover with a heavily torn ear.
No sooner than had he seen her off than was Scourge faced with two more warriors. Seeking to encircle him, the warriors leapt at him simultaneously, catching Scourge's pelt with their sharp claws. Despite himself, Scourge had to admire the ferocity in which the clan cats were fighting, matching if not exceeding that of his own warriors. Ducking to avoid a carefully aimed blow to the ear, Scourge surged upwards, catching the cat's throat with his upper cut and causing severe the other could intervene, the black tom tore gouged viscious marks across his muzzle, sending him reeling back.
As the warrior stumbled away, Scourge suddenly caught a glimpse of a small party of cats, two toms, two she cats and some kits, skirting the edge of battle heading for a cleverly concealed hole in the gorse barrier.
"You won't escape me forest scum," he hissed charging towards them through the thick of melee. Realising what he had locked on too, a white furred tom launched himself at Scourge. Snorting at his impudence, Scourge easily evaded the white warrior's flurry of blows before swatting him aside with one powerful blow.
"Cloudtail!" Scourge heard a she cat yowl as the white warrior crawled away to safety. Scourge paid no heed but instead raced after the fleeing case, diving through the tunnel, after them.
Panting through a mouthful of Squirrelkit's fur, Spottedleaf padded alongside Cinderpelt as the refugees headed for the sanctuary of the WindClan border. The poor medicine cat was going as fast as she could but her crippled leg was forcing the patrol to travel at a slower pace, despite Cinderpelt's protest otherwise.
"Just go on without me," Cinderpelt insisted as she limped alongside, "I'll be fine."
" Not on your life," Spottedleaf mewed through Squirrelkit's fur, "We're not leaving you..."
Spottedleaf's ears prickled suddenly as she hears the sound of fast approaching paws and she could see the bushes behind them her kit's fur tightly, Spottedleaf braced herself as she watched a small black tom leap out of the undergrowth. An uncharacteristically cold spike of anger pierced Spottedleaf's heart. She knew this tom.
"Scourge! Get back!" Ravenpaw growled handing Finchkit to Cinderpelt, "Onewhisker, get the others to safety. I'll hold off Scourge."
You can try," Scourge sneered as he and Ravenpaw leapt at each, hissing and clawing, At each other savagely. Spottedleaf watched mesmerised by the combatant's quick darting movements as Ravenpaw dueled the dark tom. She was suddenly brought back to reality as Onewhisker hurriedly nudged her side.
"We need to go now!" He urged.
Nodding, the others grabbed the kits and sprinted away from the sounds of battle. No sooner than had they taken a few steps, did Spottedleaf look back, horrified at what she saw. Despite his noble efforts to buy time, it was clearly evident that Ravenpaw was merely being toyed with by Scourge. Already bleeding for a dozen deep cuts and tiring quickly, Ravenpaw swiped at Scourge, who had yet to sustain an injury. Ravenpaw wouldn't last much longer.
"I'm going back to help him" she declared.
"You can't be serious," Onewhisker protested, "You can't fight Scourge. Ravenpaw made his choice."
"And I'm making mine," Spottedleaf stated handing Squirrelkit to Onewhisker,"Just get my kits and Cinderpelt to safety."
Not even looking back to see if Onewhisker had obeyed, Spottedleaf raced off towards the duelists. Before she could reach them, Spottedleaf saw Ravenpaw take a heavily blow to the head and was rendered immobile while Scourge raised his paw for the killing blow.
" Back away from him!" Spottedleaf screeched leaping at Scourge full force. Caught off guard, Scourge was thrown off of Ravenpaw only to skid to a stop.
"You'll pay for that," he hissed circling Spottedleaf menacingly, "Mind you, you look familiar."
"Perhaps you remembered since you killed my mate," Spottedleaf hissed, only to have to dodge as Scourge lunged at her. The tom was small but by StarClan he was fast.
" Ah yes, now I remember," he sneered, "You're that Firestar's mate. Take pride in the fact that he provided me a worthy challenge unlike this runt." He flicked his tail at Ravenpaw.
Angered, Spottedleaf lashed out at Scourge, catching him across the muzzle. Wincing in agony, Scourge hissed and lashed out with a series of rapid strikes, scratching Spottedleaf several times.
Casting her thoughts back to when she was a warrior's apprentice, Spottedleaf pulled back memories of moves once she thought long forgotten. She had to time it perfectly. Dodging one swipe, Spottedleaf swung around and in one fluid movement, clawed Scourge's shoulder, staggering the black tom.
" Not bad," panted Scourge.
"I wasn't looking for your approval," hissed Spottedleaf. But Scourge was far from out of the fight. Darting forth with insane speed, Scourge pounced on Spottedleaf, digging his claws into her flank as his momentum brought them crashing down.
"But not good enough," he spat on her ear. Winded and unable to move under the tom, Spottedleaf closed her eyes and thought of everything she would be leaving behind, her friends, her kits, her love. Swallowing, she awaited Scourge's final heavy blow to her throat.
"Firestar," she breathed, "I'm so sorry."
