"And I told you that trout are better tasting!" Squirrelflight said to Brambleclaw.
"But pike gives you more meat!" Brambleclaw argued back. They continued for a while, debating the relative merits of the two fish, before Leafpool stopped them.
"Why do you bicker so much?" She asked. It was true; in between weekly hunts with Firestar and soppy moments, there always seemed to be a new topic every quarter-moon.
"Because we get to make up afterwards." Brambleclaw replied, a loving look on his face.
"Truth be told, our little debates remind us that we're not just one unit but two halves of a whole, with feelings and thoughts other than our partner's." Squirrelflight replied.
"I'll never get you two." Leafpool groused, before adjusting the flower that Mothwing had given her in her wreath.
"As long as we get each other!" Brambleclaw laughed. "Squirrelflight, d'you want to get some land prey?"
"Shall we do it with the apprentices? They should be done with the elders in a while."
"Sure." On the opposite side of camp, the three newest apprentices were around camp, having taken their own share of duties the day before.
"Clearbrook, you told me that you'd teach me that bird-stalking technique!"
"So I did. I'll finish this and then we'll head off, okay Mousepaw?"
"Alright!" Mousepaw chirped.
"...And then I told that badger to-" Berrypaw boasted.
"You were too busy hiding to tell it to do anything. Check your ego." Mistleflight responded. "In fact, I need to teach you more defensive skill."
Hazelpaw snickered, allowing Silverstream to cuff her around the ears. "Last I checked, missy, you haven't gotten the moves to subdue a badger down yet, either." Hazelpaw stopped snickering. "You can stay here. I believe Whitestorm wanted to have a word with you about something."
"Fox dung!" Hazelpaw hissed, going to the elders' den.
"For the last time, you are four moons old and will not be going out of camp with them!" Lavenderfur snapped at Acornkit, Lakekit and Barkkit.
"Rambunctious lot, huh? I bet these young warriors couldn't handle a badger ride!" Ravenpaw playfully bared his fangs at the kits, who squealed eagerly. "Me first!" Acornkit exclaimed.
"As the young lady wishes."
Barleypelt and Mousefur padded over. "We can't let these other two be deprived!" They claimed Barkkit and Lakekit, stomping around the camp while the kits squealed in joy.
Then, a black-and-white shape hurtled through the camp barrier.
"Actual badger!" Acornkit squealed. The kits were quickly let down and shepherded into the nursery, the warriors went on guard, ready to strike, and Leafpool and Cinderpelt inched toward the cobweb. Just as Sunblaze was about to spring into battle, Brambleclaw got a good look at the badger.
"Wait!" He cried, causing warriors to look at him in bemusement. "What brings you here, Midnight?"
Instantly the tension in the camp dropped a bit, as Firestar sheathed his claws and padded up to the badger along with Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw.
"We thank you for passing on the message of the forest to us." Firestar spoke.
"Was my job. Did not cause much trouble to help young warriors."
"Either way, we appreciate it." Brambleclaw said, standing with Squirrelflight.
"Enough time for talk. Is great danger coming now. Wolf coming. Has scented cat and wants meal and plaything."
Ferncloud looked vaguely sick. "Plaything...?" She asked.
But Midnight did not elaborate, craning her broad head toward the camp wall. Growling could be heard. Sorreltail gave a gasp from within the nursery.
"My kits are coming!" Cinderpelt rushed over, while a team of warriors formed up around the nursery.
Then the barrier was broken, and all hell broke loose. Yowlings of cats and howlings of wolf sprung up as the warriors in camp flung themselves at the gargantuan beast. But the wolf shrugged them off like a warrior would shake off snow, and they kept going. It advanced toward the nursery, when Doeflower did something very brave and very stupid; she went for the wolf's eyes. Leaping toward the great beast, she had her claws outstretched, ready to half-blind the great brute.
The wolf was surprised for a split-second; claws raked down its eye, spilling blood onto the stone. But the wolf wasn't done yet; still bleeding, it jerked its maw upward and opened its mouth. Doeflower lost her grip, tumbling down into the jaws of the wolf.
It bit down. Doeflower let out an anguished scream, half-pained and half-defiant, and the wolf let her fall. She had nearly been severed in half; even StarClan wouldn't be able to heal this.
"YOU PIECE OF FOX-DUNG! YOU MOUSE-LIVER! I'LL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS AND FEED THEM TO THE CROWS!" Cloudtail roared, latching onto its tail. Stonespark followed swiftly, grasping its leg. But still it advanced. It made its way to the nursery, where it shook Stonespark off as if she were a kit. It crashed through the nursery.
"That's right, Sorreltail, push..." Cinderpelt coaxed. Warriors were trying to distract the great brute, but it had gotten Sorreltail's scent. It lumbered forward.
"Help her." Cinderpelt said, pushing her sister-by-mate into the back of the nursery. Then she dashed, using sharp claws to scale the beast. She swiped at its sensitive nose, causing it to howl in pain. As it attempted to use the same trick it had on Doeflower, she nimbly dodged, going for its ear this time.
Meanwhile, Stonespark, Cloudtail, Whitewing and Firestar had hung back a second; Doeflower looked up at them with half-glazed eyes. She gave them a small half-smile, one that spoke of tiredness and regret and a million other things that she could not say; her flank went still and she was gone. Cloudtail gave an audible yowl of grief, while Stonespark was trembling. Whitewing said nothing, but stared at her dead grandmother. Firestar had tears pooling in his eyes.
A scream from the nursery broke them out of their mourning; it was into the fray once again.
Ferncloud roughly licked the third kit as Cinderpelt continued to dance around the beast. Its flank was littered with wounds, but still it had not run. Just as Sorreltail bore her fourth and final kit, the wolf got a lucky hit on Cinderpelt's stomach. Dustpelt flung himself at the beast, and it stumbled into the open.
To everyone's surprise, it spoke.
"Enough." It said. "I already kill one herb-cat and one fight-cat, and you tire me. I offer trade. Who your leader?"
Firestar made to step forward, but Graystripe was faster. "I am."
"I take you and rest of lake-cat never worry about me again." The wolf growled.
"Graystripe, no!" Firestar outburst.
"You accept?" The wolf asked.
"I do." Graystripe sighed.
"Don't leave me!" Silverstream cried.
"It's the only way I can guarantee that you won't be killed." Graystripe said. Before anyone could say anything, as Stormfur opened his mouth and Firestar made to lunge at the beast, the wolf picked Graystripe up like prey and loped away.
"GRAYSTRIPE!" Silverstream yowled in unison with Firestar. After a short time, hurried running was heard at the entry to camp and Tawnypelt, Rowanclaw, Talonfeather and Applepaw burst through the thorn tunnel at nearly the same time as Feathertail, Crowfeather and Grasspaw did.
"We heard screaming." Feathertail panted, obviously out of breath. "What happened?"
"We're obviously too late." Rowanclaw lamented, looking at Doeflower's body on the stone floor. Leafpool nudged Cinderpelt into the open, where the stars were just beginning to come out – the she-cat's eyes reflected them as she made the gargantuan effort of lifting her head.
"Don't go, Cinderpelt, please!" Leafpool's mewl rang across the silent camp.
"I wish I could stay." Cinderpelt said, touching her nose to Leafpool's.
"Hang on! I'll get some cobwebs, some marigold... something!"
"It's too late. Sometimes you've just got to let the patient go."
"This isn't how it was supposed to be!" Brackenfur cried, coming up with Brightheart and Thornclaw.
"You were going to be the medicine cat who was going to live until they were so old that their teeth fell out!" Thornclaw cried.
"You were going to meet your nieces and nephews!" Brackenfur exclaimed.
"You would get to see Leafpool blossom and take an apprentice of her own!" Brightheart fretted.
"It wasn't meant to be." Cinderpelt replied. She suddenly seemed to look at a space next to the crowd. She smiled a small bit, blood trickling out of her mouth. Then her head flopped onto the stone, and all was still.
Midnight emerged into view of the other Clan cats, bearing a fresh back-scar from the fight with the wolf. Rowanclaw, Grasspaw and Applepaw bristled, but Crowfeather, Feathertail and Tawnypelt's gazes glimmered with recognition.
"It is good to see you again, Midnight." Tawnypelt said. "I just wish it wasn't like this." A wreath sat upon her head, but no one noticed in the aftermath.
"Were there any other casualties?" Crowfeather asked, regretting it as soon as he saw Stormfur wincing.
"Graystripe." Firestar replied dejectedly. He pressed on. "He made a deal with it. The wolf agreed to take him in exchange for leaving the Clans alone."
Feathertail gave a cry of horror; her family rushed to be with her.
"We have lost a lot today." Firestar said. "We must rebuild."
Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw: *Bicker about fish, the weather, etc*
Leafpool: You two need marriage counselling.
Birchpaw/Hollypaw, passing by: It's how they flirt.
Cinderpelt: It wasn't meant to be. *Dies*
Yellowfang, to Bluestorm: And they say our deaths were dramatic.