Wow. So I read through some of my old chapters and I must apologize for my poor grammar and the fact that I was awfully un-descriptive… so I am trying to rewrite all of the past chapters where my grammar is as awful as it was… sorry again… And I am terribly sick right now, I've missed a week of school already…But in other news, we adopted a new puppy! He is a big sweetheart though the poor thing is afraid of nearly everything :( We are working hard for him though, he is adorable! Please adopt & spay and neuter your pets! :)
Next chapter will be the second to last chapter. Thank you so very much for sticking with me through this!
DahliaStarr: Hehe, quite dramatic huh? I am still pondering the sequel, I have it mostly planned out… I think it'll mostly revolve around a tom though; see how well I can write from a guy's perspective. Remind me that I must be: Insensitive to she-cat's feelings, think I'm pretty tough, and to be disgusting. Haha! Here's your update! :)
Amberflame: hello! :) Yeah, I'm leaning towards a tom too, and I feel the same way about cliffhangers! Hehe! Well thanks for reviewing! Here's an update!
Starbomb: Hm good thinking there, Rosewater does have very leaderly qualities! Speaking of which, did you know that leaderly isn't a word? Hm… hehe… thanks for reviewing; my loyal reviewer! :)
ScourgeXScarlet: Hey there! *Sigh* don't we all want to hit Adderstar with a frying pan? XD
Foxbracken: I love your name, if I haven't told you before :) Rosewater and Stonefang's kits would be adorable :) Thank you so very much for reviewing!
Cinderleaf of SnowClan: Very cool and interesting name, Cinderleaf! Hehe! Thank you so much for reviewing, I love to see people's input! :)
Pengirl: Hi! Honestly, I'd prefer to just be called Mistyflower; I know somebody at my school named Misty… and lets just say she's not my favorite girl… haha. Sorry I haven't updated ASSOTAC! I can work on it today… so go ahead and review Mistyflower's story for further chapters so that I can do a few of them in maybe one day! :)
XSpiritwingX: Hi! Holy poo! That made me laugh out loud! I have to say, I've never heard that expression before, hahahahahahaha! I love hearing your input on the story. Very cool idea for the sequel to be on Goldenkit… hm… might have to ponder it.
Please: Hey there! Don't die! Here is your update! :)
Chapter 36: Rebound
To Rosewater, it seemed that falling, entangled in a life-threatening battle with Adderstar happened much slower than in reality. As Adderstar tore apart her back Rosewater could only cry in weakness. She couldn't fight while in the air.
So instead, she struggled to dig her claws into the tabby fur of Adderstar, into his large muscles. Adderstar just yowled in anger and ferocity as he leaned over to sink his long yellow fangs into the back of her neck.
Rosewater knew that she was in an awful position. One wrong move and it was over. Over over. Off to join Leopardheart, Brightpaw, and Morningfeather. As careful as she could while falling through the air, Rosewater gripped Adderstar with her front paws.
Skillfully, she used her hind legs to find enough ground while batting at him with them to push herself up higher. As she rose slightly above him, his jaws tore her neck open more. Rosewater cried in pain as blood from her new wound trickled down onto Adderstar.
With a hiss, she twisted her neck as much as she could to grab his ear in her mouth. She continued to claw at him with her hind legs, clawing open his exposed belly that his hind legs were trying to guard, and failing. Yes! She thought. I'm winning!
The rushing water below was roaring in Rosewater's ears now. She cast a glance downward to see it coming up fast. With a final effort, she pushed off of him. His teeth tore open her neck but after released their grasp. She gave a shriek of pain, but now she had the high ground. She used her claws to push him further down as they both sank into the water.
Rosewater normally enjoyed the rush of nice cool water to wash away her worries and concerns. But when there was blood pooling out into it, it was much more concerning.
Immediately, Adderstar tried to push his way up from underneath the river to get a breath, but Rosewater held on strong to keep him beneath her. Though she could feel her own breath giving away, she glanced down at Adderstar to see his jaws parted open. Of course… he doesn't know how to swim…
The water sent the cats tumbling further down the water. Rosewater struggled to avoid the large rocks in the way, but she couldn't do it. With a hard thud the current washed her up onto one. Rosewater coughed and hacked up what she had swallowed as she hooked onto the rock, her hind legs still attached to Adderstar's tabby pelt.
However, now that the tom had the advantage of land to him, he got to his paws shakily. He couched and hacked though his eyes glittered darkly. Rosewater looked weakly over at him as she bled out onto the stones.
Adderstar grinned at her as he got up to shake his short coat. The river had washed out all the bloody wounds that Rosewater had given him, but the vicious neck injury that he had given her was still bleeding profusely.
"Mouse-brained little warrior." Adderstar spat. "Do you really think that such a small young cat could stop me?" he grinned. "And now I can take away ThunderClan. It's survival of the fittest after all." He lifted a paw to place it down hard on Rosewater's neck.
Rosewater squirmed underneath him, struggling hard to be released. "So tell me Rosewater." He leaned his jaws down to her ear, his breath rotten in her ear. "Are you ready to die?"
Rosewater felt cold rage fill her up. She released a hiss and twisted around swiftly, Adderstar's paw caught underneath her, she hurried to her paws. Adderstar quickly re-gathered himself to block her from the leap to land. "You've still lost." He growled. "No where to run." He smirked.
Rosewater tilted her head at him cockily. Through the fear and pain and the threat of death looming over her, she managed to find some strength. Some fire sparked inside of her. "No where to run." She repeated. "But somewhere to swim." Without waiting for a reaction, Rosewater spun around and jumped into the cold fast water that screamed downhill.
She heard a hiss of frustration from Adderstar as he leapt on land. Rosewater pawed at the flimsy clear water. Remember what you've learned. She told herself, using strong strokes to push herself up towards the surface. She broke free from the watery chains on her to gasp for air as she struggled to remember what she'd taught herself.
She looked up to at the sky to see only pitch black. The moon not showing. Good to know StarClan is on our side. She thought sarcastically. She looked to her right to see Adderstar racing alongside with the flow of the stream. "You have to come to land sometime!" he snarled.
Rosewater turned away from him to keep paddling until the river broke into the calm waters of the lake. She felt the tension in her shoulders relax at the easy strokes as she swam along. Adderstar raced along the shore line. Growling and hissing as he went with frustration.
With a deep breath, Rosewater pushed aside the pain in her neck and continued to swim further along. I'll probably reach ShadowClan soon. She thought sadly. That won't stop Adderstar from following me though…. Her legs were tiring and she continued to bleed out into the water.
"Rosewater!" The dark cream she-cat looked up at the sound of Iceblossom's voice. She located the white she-cat standing by the edge of ThunderClan by the shoreline. "You must come to land! You'll bleed to death if you stay out there much longer!" Rosewater recognized the she-cat standing near Snowfeather and Stonefang. Rosewater smiled at sight of her mate.
"I… I can't." she looked desperately over at Adderstar who had run over to the ShadowClan border and waited for her with a look of pleasure on his face.
"Rosewater! Stonefang can hold him off while we try to heal you up!" Snowfeather suggested.
Rosewater just nodded numbly as she started to swim towards show, fear growing in her stomach.
Adderstar waded into the water. Rosewater looked over to see the ThunderClan cats heading off at a trot to cross the Thunderpath. But wait. There was a monster, asleep by the shore. She saw Iceblossom padding across slowly at first. But the monster roared to life.
"No! Iceblossom! Watch out!" Rosewater screeched.
The monster began to race towards the white she-cat. The medicine cat froze, staring with fear at the upcoming monster. Rosewater pushed herself to swim faster. Rosewater caught the striking white coat of Snowfeather. StarClan! Why aren't you watching us!
Snowfeather raced up to Iceblossom and nudged her forward though the monster was dangerously near. She heard the faint voice of her former apprentice. "Run! Go!" But it was too late. The monster crashed into them. She heard a blood-curling scream though she couldn't figure out which one it was.
Rosewater felt helpless as she swam as fast as she could to reach them. The monster continued rolling along as if it hadn't struck two cats, two cats with lives and families that loved them. Rosewater could hear her heart beat in her chest as Stonefang bolted over to the fallen she-cats.
Rosewater turned to face Adderstar, subsiding her fear with anger as she looked at the smug expression on his face. He was only a fox-length away now.
"You'll have to get through me first." The tom snarled.
"No, you'll have to get through me." Rosewater's blue eyes caught the ones of Oakstar. The leader of ThunderClan was nothing more than a blur of brown fur as he barreled into Adderstar. Adderstar was caught completely off-guard by the ThunderClan leader and was bowled over by the smaller tom.
Soon it was just them tangling around, bloodshed and fur in their wake, with shrieks and screams as they went along. Rosewater reached the shore, the sturdy land felt good underneath her paws, though she was still shaking to the core.
"Oakstar!" she meowed. "You must leave Adderstar now!" she could feel pleading rising in her meow.
"No. Go, you must be helped." Oakstar grunted.
"I'm not nearly as important as you are!" Rosewater argued.
"Rosewater, take this as not a command, but a personal request. A request from your friend." Oakstar met her eye for a heartbeat and Rosewater understood.
She took off towards the Thunderpath where Stonefang was hunched over two bodies. Rosewater's heart sank down. Down low, her face dropped. Stonefang looked up at her, his eyes glittering with sadness.
Rosewater padded to his side weakly, to lean against him for support. She looked down at the bodies. Stonefang was nearly frozen with shock, and Rosewater could feel herself shocked as well. Iceblossom lay at an awkward angle, blood trickling down her jaw. Her flank didn't rise and fall. She didn't move at all. She was dead.
Tears fogged up Rosewater's vision and she buried her muzzle into Stonefang's fur. The grief she felt right now was too much. Not particularly for Iceblossom, of course she loved and respected the she-cat, but her world was coming crashing down little by little.
She kept her eyes shut as he pressed into Stonefang. She felt his muscles move underneath her. "Rosewater." He said with his soft and soothing voice. "Look."
Weakly, Rosewater lifted her wet, bloody mess of a head to peer at the two bodies again. Iceblossom's was the same, but Snowfeather's flank so very barely rose up and down. Rosewater saw the white she-cat's green eyes shut rapidly. Her leg was bloodied and nearly flattened. Rosewater realized the monster had just crushed it. But Snowfeather was still alive.
"Help me!" she cried as she rose to her front legs, her hind legs sprawling out behind her. "I can't move my leg!" she wailed, her tail swishing over the bloody mess it was.
"We need to get help!" Rosewater meowed, blinking away tears of both grief and relief.
Stonefang touched Rosewater's nose with his nose. "You need to go to the hill and get Petalwind." He meowed. "stop by camp and get some warrior to come help me as well."
"No, Stonefang, I can't leave you and Oakstar here alone." Rosewater could feel her voice quivering. She hated that. It made her seem so weak.
"Go Rosewater." Stonefang meowed, meeting her eyes. "I'll be fine."
Rosewater looked at him with worry. She'd already lost so many, she couldn't lose Stonefang too. "Fine." She meowed, her voice hard. "But don't you dare get her." She said, her tail lashing. "I love you Stonefang."
Stonefang smiled to her weakly. "I love you too Rosewater."
After a heartbeat, Rosewater tore her gaze away from Stonefang. She set of quickly towards camp, her paws itching and her tail twitching. She took one more glance over her shoulder to see Stonefang helping Snowfeather to get off the un-active Thunderpath.
Blinking away tears, she quickly picked her way closer to ThunderClan camp. She peered ahead of herself at the bright green forest. Her eyes found two still bodies. She picked up her speed to reach them and drew in her breath when she did.
Lying dead was the brown tabby and white pelt of Leafshine. Her green eyes were glazed over and her flank was still. Rosewater felt fresh tears spill down her face. Death is everywhere. She thought miserably before she looked to the next cat, a brown tabby tom who she recognized as the WindClan tom named Brownclaw. Rosewater dipped her head in respect.
With a large sigh, she continued onward to ThunderClan camp. She found herself trotting through pools of blood, though she didn't see any other cats brawling anywhere. She shortly reached ThunderClan camp and cringed when she heard the caterwauling yowls coming from inside. With a deep breath, she pushed herself inside.
She was met by the same violent sight as earlier, cats screaming under the darkness of night. The bloodshed was awful. Everywhere she looked. And not to mention the bodies. Bodies of WindClan cats. Rosewater felt tears prick at her eyes again when she saw the body of Swanwhisker… and was that the dark gray pelt of Rockheart? Rosewater held back her tears. With a shuddering breath, she glanced at her paws.
"Rosewater."
The dark cream she-cat raised her head to meet the dark blue eyes of Stormwhisper. The gray she-cat was covered and blood and wounds. "Rosewater!" she repeated. "Have you seen Oakstar? He left quite some time ago to go get help from ShadowClan." Stormwhisper's eyes glittered with worry for her mate.
"Yes I have! He's fighting Adderstar! You must send help!" Rosewater begged.
Stormwhisper looked at her. "I wish I could go." She murmured. "But I must stay and monitor the fight here…" she looked at the warriors. "Grayblaze, Leafsparrow, Forestclaw, and Lionfire." She called out.
Rosewater's heart slowly rebuilt at sight of her brother's golden pelt as he came running up. Thank StarClan he's alright!
"Go assist Oakstar by…" Stormwhisper looked at Rosewater for help.
"By the Thunderpath." She said, her voice shaking slightly. "And I need Lionfire to come with me to the hill." She said more quietly. "That's where the queens, elders, and medicine cat is hiding."
"Only Petalwind is there right?" Leafsparrow confirmed. Rosewater nodded grimly. "Then where's Iceblossom?"
Rosewater opened her jaws but found herself lost for words. She didn't want her voice to crack like before, it made her seem too weak to be in a battle. "She's dead." She meowed solidly. "Got hit by a monster on the Thunderpath while coming to help me." She lowered her head for them to see her bleeding neck.
"Iceblossom…. She's dead?" Stormwhisper said in a hushed voice. Rosewater gave a small nod. "She…" Stormwhisper's blue eyes shadowed with grief. "She was my sister." She murmured.
Leafsparrow lowered her head. "She will be missed greatly." She sighed.
Lionfire was eyeing Rosewater. "You need to get to Petalwind soon." He meowed, staring at her neck.
Rosewater sighed, pushing away the pain of it. "I know… let's get going then?" She suggested. Lionfire nodded in agreement, slipping out of the hollow. Rosewater looked back over her shoulder before snapping her head back around to follow Lionfire.
"Excited to see Goldenkit?" Rosewater asked, her voice dry and herself weakening as she padded along the scent trail towards the hill.
Lionfire's eyes shone. "Of course!" He purred. His eyes flashed. "I sure hope he's alright…" He murmured. "Larchwing too… and of course Brightkit, Honeykit, and Sunkit." He continued.
Rosewater smiled at him weakly. "I'm sure they'll be fine." She meowed. "They aren't in this battle after all."
Lionfire's eyes darkened. "But they very soon could be." He murmured.
Rosewater sighed. She looked forward to see the steep climb up onto the hill. She shuddered. It was hard to believe that she had nearly fallen to her death so little ago. Her mind wandered to Oakstar. Please StarClan, watch over him.
"Father!" Rosewater's eyes snapped up from watching her paws to find herself watching a small golden kit bouncing over.
Lionfire smiled. "Hey Goldenkit!" he meowed.
Featherfoot's silver head popped up from the tall grass, her ears fastened back and her eyes wide with fright. When she saw who it was, she relaxed, sliding out of her hiding spot. "Rosewater!" She yowled. "You're alive!"
"Just barely." Lionfire muttered, eying her neck.
"I'm fine." Rosewater snapped at him. "I just need Petalwind to take a look at it." She explained.
Featherfoot's eyes glazed over. "Petalwind's with Rushfall right now." She meowed.
"Where?" Rosewater asked. "Is she alright?" her voice laced with worry.
"I think so." Featherfoot murmured. "Come with me." She turned around, nearing the closer edge of the hill where Rosewater caught sight of the dreadfully skinny black she-cat laying at an awkward angle, Burningheart crouched over her and Petalwind plastering cobwebs over her.
"Rushfall!" Rosewater bounded forward to lean beside her friend. Rushfall's blue eyes blinked open.
"Rosewater." She smiled. "Good to see you again."
"I can say the same."
"Did I say that you were allowed to speak yet?" Rosewater looked at Petalwind, the she-cat had her tail twitching with amusement and irritation.
Rushfall rolled her eyes. "You said it yourself, I'll be fine." She meowed. "Especially with that tasty rabbit Burningheart managed to catch me, it's more than I've eaten in weeks!"
Burningheart lowered his head. "It was a scrawny rabbit too." He muttered.
Rushfall whipped her tail at him. "Don't be so disrespectful." She scolded.
"To a rabbit?"
"Oh put a mouse in it."
Rosewater grinned as they bickered. Rushfall and Burningheart were good with eachother. Each complimented eachother perfectly. Her heart sank to Stonefang, which reminded her of why she was here.
"Iceblossom is dead."
"What?" Petalwind's head snapped up from her work. Her fur fluffed out with disbelief. "Iceblossom can't be dead! Even WindClan wouldn't stoop to killing her!"
Rosewater lowered her head. "She was hit by a monster. Same with Snowfeather."
"They're both… dead?" Squirrelfang butt in, Rosewater just noticing the elder curled up nearby.
"No!" Rosewater shook her head. "Snowfeather is still alive, but… her leg…"
Petalwind blinked her eyes. "How far is she? Do you think that I could help her?"
"Perhaps if you hurry." Rosewater nearly pleaded.
"I'll be fine Petalwind." Rushfall spoke up. "Go and help Snowfeather."
"No." Lionfire hissed. Goldenkit looked up at his father with surprise.
"Why not Lionfire?" Rosewater turned to her brother.
"Petalwind has to look at you first. You're too weak to even make it back to the Thunderpath." Lionfire argued.
Rosewater opened her jaws to argue but she was cut off. "He's right Rosewater. You need to let me fix you up. And you aren't allowed to fight with your medicine cat." Petalwind meowed firmly.
Rosewater sighed, rolling her eyes as she lowered herself. "It's nothing really." She meowed gruffly.
Petalwind ignored her; setting to work at chewing some of the herbs she had brought along into a poultice to rub against Rosewater's bloody wound. Rosewater gritted her teeth. It stung, but she wouldn't complain, she couldn't. Petalwind then got more cobwebs to cover the wound.
"I'd advice you stay here." She meowed.
Rosewater shook her head. "I can't." she meowed sincerely. "But Lionfire… why don't you stay here with Burningheart to protect them against anything that happens? And Petalwind can come with me to Snowfeather." Rosewater meowed.
Goldenkit dipped his head. "Whatever you say Rosestar." He scoffed playfully.
Rosewater turned to him. "I wasn't talking to you." She purred.
Goldenkit dipped his nose in the air. "I speak for my father."
Rosewater smiled but then looked at Lionfire. "So, is it understood?"
"Whatever you say Rosestar." Lionfire meowed, rolling his eyes. "Be careful though."
Rosewater touched her nose to her brothers. "You too." She meowed. She turned to Petalwind. "We need to go now. I've gone back and forth for so long, my legs are aching, but we need to."
Petalwind nodded. "Would you like some traveling herbs? With as much running and fighting as you've done, it's like you've run to the Moonpool and back a dozen times."
Rosewater purred, leaning down to lap up the foul-tasting herbs Petalwind had pushed to her. "You sure did come prepared."
Petalwind stiffened. "I prepare for the worst." She answered.
Rosewater nodded. "Nice to hear so, because we are going through the worst."
Petalwind's eyes darkened. "Iceblossom…" she murmured.
Rosewater didn't respond to that. She kept her eyes forward ahead of her, focusing on the sound of her heartbeat and the sound of her paw steps as she treaded towards the far away Thunderpath.
A scent caught her nose. She halted and opened her jaws. WindClan! No StarClan! Not now! Rosewater slid out her claws. "WindClan is here." She hissed. "stay behind me." She told Petalwind.
The white she-cat with brown patches stepped back, her eyes glistening with fear and her fur fluffed out to the extreme.
"Don't hurt us!" Rosewater blinked, surprised at the voice of a WindClan cat. She paused for a moment, confused. She then saw them. Three cats emerging from the long grass. She recognized the largest one to be the large tom called Grayblood. The second was a slender warrior named Bluewhisker, and the third a small pale gray she-cat, Dewpaw.
"What are you doing here?" Rosewater snarled.
"We don't want to fight!" Dewpaw squeaked.
Rosewater blinked in confusion. "What?" she murmured.
"We don't want to fight." Grayblood repeated in his gruffer voice. "We hate living in WindClan… we don't know where to go to escape the battle. Surely the other Clans would reject us." He murmured, glancing at his paws.
"Don't trust them." Petalwind whispered in Rosewater's ear. "If we send them to ThunderClan they could easily turn on us."
Rosewater twitched her ear in acknowledgement of Petalwind's words. She met Grayblood in the eyes boldly.
"I know a place for you to go." She meowed.
"Where?" Bluewhisker asked, her voice soft.
"The Horseplace."
Dewpaw spat. "I don't want to be a kittypet!" she hissed.
"It could only be temporary." Rosewater defended. "You won't run into any battles there."
Dewpaw opened her mouth to protest but Bluewhisker slapped her tail across the apprentice's mouth. "That's a wonderful idea." The she-cat purred. Grayblood turned, in direction of the Horseplace.
"Thank you Rosewater." He meowed. "Peace maker of the Clans"
"Rosewater! Petalwind! They're here!" Rosewater picked up the pace at the sound of her mate's voice. She sprinted over to the large gray tom who stood beside Snowfeather, and Leafsparrow who was hunched over the still body of Iceblossom
"They're still time." Leafsparrow rasped, motioning towards Snowfeather. Snowfeather looked to her former mentor with hurt in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have gone onto the Thunderpath… I didn't even save Iceblossom." The white she-cat murmured. Pity stabbed Rosewater for her first apprentice.
Rosewater leaned forward to lick her on the forehead. "Don't worry Snowfeather." She meowed. "StarClan admires you." Snowfeather smiled weakly, her eyes lighting up slightly.
Petalwind set to work immediately. Rosewater turned to Stonefang. "Where's Oakstar?"
"Forestclaw and Grayblaze went to help him fight Adderstar." Stonefang explained.
"I'm going over there." Rosewater meowed.
"No!" Stonefang's voice cracked. Rosewater looked over at her mate. "I'm not losing you again." Rosewater was surprised at the fire that lit in Stonefang's green eyes.
She leaned forward to touch her nose with his. "I need to go." She meowed softly. "I have to."
Stonefang's eyes held whispers of all that he wanted to shout, but the wise tom held his tongue back. He licked her forehead. "Be safe."
Rosewater dipped her head to him. She padded up to the old Thunderpath. What's the likeliness that a monster shows up at the day of our battle? She wondered angrily. Not bothering to look around, she quickly sprinted across and into ShadowClan territory. Oh joy. She thought. Good old ShadowClan.
She peered ahead of herself and into the pine trees, straining her ears. She heard a scream. Rosewater bolted, her reddish tail streaming out behind her. She weaved through the trees quickly, not bothering to take in her sights; she was too focused on the yowls.
Then she saw a moment of the scene. Forestclaw was no where to be seen. Grayblaze stood behind Oakstar. Oakstar was bloodied and battered. His face barely recognizable as well as his scent, overcome with the smell of blood and fear.
Adderstar stood before him. A pronounced smirk on his face, though the tabby tom was bleeding heavily. Adderstar lashed out a strong blow, his claws out. It raked across Oakstar's face, leaving prominent long scratches across the leader of ThunderClan's face.
Oakstar screamed.
He turned tail and ran, with Adderstar close on his tail. He looked helpless. Grayblaze turned to follow quickly too, not wasting a moment.
It took Rosewater a moment to take in what was happening. Though she didn't wait a moment longer before streaking after the three toms. Brambles snagged at her pelt but she kept pelting through. She couldn't lose their scent though she had already lost sight of them.
She heard another scream.
She picked up the pace, dodging everything in her path until she reached a clearing with nettles nothing but dark shadows on the ground. And the blood. Fresh scarlet blood slowly dripped from a frail body. Rosewater peered her eyes. In the moonlight, it turned the brown tabby fur of Oakstar to silver. And under Adderstar, it turned Oakstar's already silver fur, to blood.
Rosewater's heart dropped.
Her world spun around crazily.
Grayblaze had his head dipped to the sky, yowling in grief. Adderstar looked at the tom with a smile on his face.
Oakstar was… dead.
It had been his last life.
Rosewater gave a blood-curling screech. She launched herself at Adderstar, knocking him off balance. She gave a screaming rage, her claws drawn, her eyes bloodshot, narrow and furious. She battered Adderstar back quickly, her claws drawing quick blood.
Adderstar was caught off guard, bloody and weak from Oakstar's attacks, Rosewater noticed that he seemed close to death. Inspired by this, she dodged his deadly blow towards her and ducked underneath him to spin around and claw at his exposed belly. Adderstar yowled as his stomach was torn open. He rose to his hind legs and fell onto his back.
Dead.
Rosewater huffed and panted. Her claws coated in layers and layers of thick blood, dry and wet. Her normally calm blue eyes were wild and angry. She turned towards Oakstar's body near her father who was hovering over it.
Oakstar was dead. There would be no final words for him, except for the blood-curling scream he had given when he was killed.
By Adderstar.
But Adderstar was dead now. Things were over. Rosewater told herself again and again as she tried to calm herself in the heat of the moment.
"Foolish little she-cat… Do you not understand that leader's have nine lives? Maybe because you only have one. Or should I say had?"