Chapter 37:

Flame:

Age 27 moons…

"Traitors!" Several cats exploded through the undergrowth, rushing right into us. I had just had the breath knocked out of me by Ivypool, so I didn't have the strength to push back. Soon, I was pinned to the ground for a second time…

I let out a hiss when the dark brown tom that had pinned me rakes his claws across my stomach. Pain shoots up my spine in an instant.

He's too strong! Panic sets in and I start to struggle.

"Hawkfrost!" Blackclaw shouts at the tom pinning me. "Fight me, coward! Or can you only fight cats half your size?"

Hawkfrost looks up at him, rage burning in his cold blue eyes. Much to my astonishment he falls for the taunt and lets go of me, turning to challenge his accuser. Fighting raged around me as I stand up, ignoring the searing pain and the blood staining my fur.

I launch myself at a small tortoiseshell she-cat, who was too busy dodging blows from Stormfur to notice me. I bite down hard on her fore-leg, causing her to lose balance. Stormfur takes the initiative to slash her across the face, getting dangerously close to her eyes.

"Grrr!" She howls and rips her leg away from my snapping jaws. She turns and dashes off into the heather, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

"Retreat!" Hawkfrost calls, breaking off from his battle with the dark brown tabby. His group of cats heed his order and follow after him into the heather.

"That must've been the next battle patrol heading to the WindClan camp." Ivypool breathes, sniffing at a wound on her shoulder. "Good thing they bumped into us when they did."

Stormfur steps forward. "Blackclaw and I will follow them to make sure they don't come back." He casts a concerned glance towards me as I slumped to the ground, exhausted. "Take him back to the WindClan camp and see if you can help out there."

"I should be with Night and Frost. In ThunderClan." I murmer.

"You can't cross the border with that wound." Ivypool points out.

Blossomfall sighs, then sits close to me and stares closer at the wound. "I can take him back to the ThunderClan camp.. I'm sure Kestrelflight is busy enough as it is."

"Who cares where you take the rogue! We have a battle to win!" Blackclaw meows, being obnoxiously loud as he checks his apprentice over for injuries.

Discussion kept up for a few more moments. In that time, the pain in my stomach had started to die down and the bleeding had stopped. I was glad that it wasn't a deep wound. Blossomfall helps me stand up as Stormfur and Blackclaw disappeared into the heather

"Why are you even here at all?" Blossomfall sighs, trying her best to keep her fragile nerves in check as we began the long journey across the heather.

I did not answer her question. I was not keen on answering a question that would be asked dozens of times when all of this was over. That was, if I survived.. It was quite obvious that cats had died and were going to die because of this battle. It was unfortunate that we had gotten here at this exact moment...

Maybe we were supposed to be here?

"Stop daydreaming." My ThunderClan comrade lets out a voice loud to enough to catch my attention. We were in a forest now. A small stream flowed in front of us, covering our faces in a damp mist.

"Can you swim?"

I poke at the water with one of my jet black paws, frowning. "Of course I can swim. Can you?"

"Not really.."

"Then why did you ask me?" I couldn't help but purr. "It's not deep anyways.."

"I know. It's just.. ThunderClan cats aren't very good swimmers. We leave that to RiverClan."

I rolls my eyes. "Swimming is a very useful skill. Even if you don't like it." I let go of the small she-cat and wade into the water, flinching as it lapped at the long wound tracing down my stomach area. The stream wasn't very deep, or strong, but it was cold. I slowly cross it, trying my best to avoid tripping on the sharp rocks. I haul myself onto the shore and look back over at her. "It's not deep. Come on."

She hesitates then jumps into the stream. Her fur stood on end as she made her way through it.

This is wasting time! Hurry up or I'll leave you! I wanted to spit the words at the young ThunderClan cat. But I knew better than to act that way. At last, she crossed and joined me on the other side. Together, we walked through the forest towards what I thought was the ThunderClan camp.

I could guess it's location because there were a lot of sounds echoing from one direction. One thing about the larger than life trees here is that they actually kept sound trapped in the forest. There were many echoes fading and appearing.

"This way." The ThunderClan Warrior explains, keeping a careful eye on my injured form.

"I know." I whisper, bristling slightly to the sounds of agonized battle.

Sadly, after a few moments of walking, I couldn't deal with the pain in my stomach and ended up leaning on Blossomfall. I kept staring at her eyes, distressed to see that they were teeming with fear.

"I don't know what to do anymore!" She finally manages to say something. "I'm supposed to be helping the Dark Forest in the fight, but here I am helping a kit!"

"What's so bad about that?" I ask. "I don't know much about these cats you speak of, but if they're what the Clan cats say they are, then they aren't worth the loyalty of a ThunderClan Warrior."

"It was my disloyalty and jealousy that pulled me to them." She frowns, her ears twitching nervously. "I was angry that my mother was showing more favor to my sister."

I shake my head. "It's wrong for a parent to show favor. You had a right to be angry. And, speaking from experience, everyone makes mistakes."

"Well, this mistake might get me banished from my Clan."

"If ThunderClan does that to their own Warriors for deceptions like this, then coming here was a waste of time." I leave it at that, not wanting to stress her out more than she already was. I could scent blood and could hear the cries of injured cats just ahead of us. I also spot movement amongst the bushes outside of it.

I'm back, ThunderClan… I'm back… But I doubt you will recognize me.

~ To Be Continued ~