Chapter 14
Blood chilling cries split the air, causing Ripplesky's stomach to churn nervously. His Clanmates were being hurt, and there was nothing he could do to save them. As the silver tom sat there listening to the battle, he couldn't help but feel like a burden. He had been born with so much potential, but the fire had stolen it all away from him.
Suddenly, the ferns around him began to rustle wildly, causing the medicine cat to jump. "Who's there?" He unsheathed his claws, ready for a fight. Ripplesky then realized it was nothing more than the wind. Giving his chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks, he settled back down in his hiding spot.
Every so often, the tom could see dark figures as they fled from camp, yowling in pain. Narrowing his eyes, Ripplesky tried to see if he could recognize any of them, but the pine forest was too dark to make out details.
Just as he thought the battle was reaching its end, a horrified scream sounded in the direction of the Thunderpath. I know that voice! Springing to his paws, the medicine cat trotted in the direction of the cry. As he ran, his heart began pounding like a trapped bird.
He was exposed now, meaning a ThunderClan warrior could attack him at any minute.
To his relief, he reached the area the cry had come from without being attacked. Looking down into a small dip, Ripplesky saw a long limbed ginger warrior standing over a much smaller tabby shape. Within seconds, he recognized Willowpaw. The ShadowClan she-cat squirmed under the warrior's weight, but she wasn't strong enough to free herself.
"Get off me! I'm a medicine cat," Willowpaw begged as she struggled to free herself.
The ginger tom dug his claws in deeper, before whispering into the young she-cat's ear.
Ripplesky let out a growl, before bunching his muscles, ready to help Willowpaw. Just as he was about to leap down into the small dip, a flash of orange fur shot past him, landing onto the ThunderClan tom's back.
The ThunderClan warrior let out a surprised yowl, before falling backwards. Willowpaw shot up, her amber eyes wide with fear. Glancing up the slope she exclaimed, "Ripplesky!"
Bounding down the side of the dip, Ripplesky paused beside his friend. "Are you all right?" he demanded.
She nodded slowly. "I-I think." Willowpaw directed her attention towards the two wrestling warriors behind her. "Cherrynose saved me."
Ripplesky followed her gaze, his stomach churning as he watched Cherrynose fight with the ThunderClan warrior. The ShadowClan deputy was much smaller than her opponent.
Suddenly, the ThunderClan warrior pulled free of Cherrynose's grip and charged up the slope. "You won't get away with this, Amberclaw!" Cherrynose hissed, before pelting after him.
Ripplesky and Willowpaw ran after the deputy, hoping to help out in whatever way possible. As they ran, the silver medicine cat noticed a flash of bright light shining up ahead. Skidding to a halt, he tried to figure out what it was. As quick as lightning, the tom realized it was the shining eyes of a monster as it barreled down the Thunderpath.
"You've got to stop! The Thunderpath!" Ripplesky screamed, his lungs gasping for air.
Cherrynose and Amberclaw were too far away to hear him. The two continued on running, until it was too late. Within seconds of running onto the Thunderpath, a monster knocked into Cherrynose, sending the deputy flying. Amberclaw, who had been a few paces ahead of her, made it safely onto the other side, before disappearing into his own territory.
"Cherrynose!" Willowpaw gasped, running to her Clanmate's side. Ripplesky hesitated on the side of the Thunderpath for a few moments, before running out to help Willowpaw.
To his surprise, Cherrynose was still alive. Her back legs appeared to be broken, and she was covered in blood. "We've got to move her," he told Willowpaw.
Willowpaw frowned, before gently grabbing Cherrynose's scruff. Together, the two medicine cats began to maneuver Cherrynose to safety. As they set the deputy down on the springy grass, she let out a moan.
As Ripplesky watched her, his heart twisted. Even if Cherrynose survived, she would never be able to walk again. Her back legs had been crushed beyond repair, meaning she would have to give up her position to join the elders. She looks so miserable. "We should put her out of her misery," he whispered.
Willowpaw stared at him in shock. "You mean... kill her? How could you say such a thing?"
"Just look at her, Willowpaw! She's in so much pain, there's no point in keeping her alive. It's better to end her suffering now than carry her all the way back to camp just to have her die a slow and painful death. Besides, even if she lives she'll never be able to walk again." Ripplesky rested his tail on Willowpaw's shoulders.
Willowpaw jerked away, her eyes watering. "I... I don't know," she sniffled. "Cherrynose? Can you hear me?" If the ShadowClan deputy could hear Willowpaw, she didn't make it apparent. She was probably in too much shock to realize what was going on around her. "I suppose you're right," the light brown tabby breathed out as she looked at Ripplesky. "How are we going to do it?"
Ripplesky hesitated. "We'll have to do it ourselves," he muttered, unsheathing his claws. Slowly, he padded up to Cherrynose's side and placed his paws down on her neck. The deputy groaned, but remained oblivious to what was going on. Taking a deep breath, he sunk his claws down into her neck.
Blood immediately pooled out of the wound, turning the tom's paws red. Memories of killing Nightsky came washing over him, making him sick to his stomach. Trying his best not to gag, Ripplesky sunk his long claws even deeper. Cherrynose gasped and tried to squirm away, but she could not move.
Squeezing his eyes shut, the RiverClan tom just waited for her to go limp under him. He couldn't bare to watch the light die from the deputy's eyes like he had Nightsky.
"She's dead, Ripplesky." Willowpaw pushed him off the deputy's body, tears rolling down her face.
Blinking, he glanced down at the cat he had just killed. Would Cherrynose be mad at him for taking her life? Pushing the thought away, Ripplesky helped Willowpaw haul the dead body back to camp.
"Are you mad at me?" he whispered, afraid to look at Willowpaw.
"No."
The rest of the walk was silent. By the time they reached ShadowClan's camp, the battle was over. As they crept into camp, Ripplesky could see tufts of fur covered in blood scattered across the clearing. A few bodies were sprawled out at the back of camp, causing his stomach to knot up. So many lives had been lost...
"Cherrynose?" Bramblestar raced up to the medicine cats, his green eyes wide with sadness.
"She died saving me," Willowpaw rasped as she slowly laid Cherrynose's dead body down on the ground.
Bramblestar squeezed his eyes shut, before running a paw along his deputy's battered body. "What happened to her?" He asked, his voice so quiet Ripplesky could barely hear.
"Amberclaw broke into the medicine den and started tearing up the herbs. I didn't know where Honeyleaf was, so I tried defending the herb store myself. He was too strong for me, though, and he threw me up against the side of the den. That's when I slipped out the back and started running away..." Willowpaw trailed off as a muffled cry sounded in her throat. Cedarheart pressed against her daughter, before giving her a few comforting licks.
Taking a deep breath, the medicine cat apprentice continued, "I tripped over a bramble, and slid down into a dip. Before I could get away, Amberclaw pinned me to the ground. He told me he was going to kill me, and that's when Cherrynose came to rescue me. She chased Amberclaw onto the Thunderpath, before being hit by a monster."
"We tried to save her, but there was nothing we could do. She died a few moments after we dragged her off the Thunderpath," Ripplesky spoke, the fur along his spine bristling.
Bramblestar hung his head. "Cherrynose was an excellent deputy, and I know she would have been a wonderful leader."
"I will never forget her," Birchtail meowed as he limped up. The RiverClan tom glanced down at the dead ginger she-cat, a look of grief plastered on his face.
Bramblestar hesitated beside Cherrynose's body for a few moments, before yowling, "I must announce a new deputy at once." His green eyes scanned the crowd for a moment, before resting on Dawnfire.
"Dawnfire," he called out. "I say these words before Cherrynose, so that she may hear and approve my choice. You will be the new deputy of ShadowClan."
Dawnfire stood there in complete shock. "I-I'm honored," she finally choked out, dipping her head to her leader.
"Dawnfire! Dawnfire! Dawnfire!" The ShadowClan and RiverClan warriors yowled.
Once the cheering had died down, Birchtail padded over to Ripplesky. "Go help Honeyleaf and Willowpaw," he ordered.
Dipping his head, Ripplesky padded over to the ShadowClan medicine cats. "How can I help you?" he questioned.
"Take this cobweb to Plumfur and Stormsky," Honeyleaf said, flicking her tail in the direction of two warriors.
Grasping the cobweb in his jaws, the silver tom padded over towards Plumfur and Stormsky. The ShadowClan cats were both laying on their sides, panting. "Where are you hurt?" Ripplesky asked them.
"I have a bad wound on my leg," Stormsky rasped, holding out his front right leg. Stretching the cobweb out, Ripplesky began to wrap the wound. Once he was done, he moved over to Plumfur.
After caring for the wounded warriors, Ripplesky plopped down on the ground, exhausted. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the sun was slowly rising, covering the pine forest in pale orange light.
"Are you ready to go?" Birchtail whispered. The deputy's eyes were swollen and red from a lack of sleep.
Slowly, Ripplesky stood to his paws. "Yes," he responded as he limped over to the camp entrance. His entire body was aching, and he felt sick to his stomach.
"Thank you for all your help." Honeyleaf dipped her head to Ripplesky.
"It's nothing. If you need to borrow any herbs, just let me know." Suddenly, Ripplesky realized his paws were still covered in Cherrynose's blood. To his relief, Willowpaw was coated in blood as well, meaning no cat would suspect a thing. They'll probably just think I stepped in her blood when I pulled her off the Thunderpath.
"May StarClan light your path!" Birchtail meowed as he slipped out of camp. The long walk back to camp was silent. The RiverClan warriors were too exhausted to speak. They just wanted to get home and curl up in their nests.
When they reached the Twoleg bridge, the sun was high in the sky. The bright light burned Ripplesky's eyes, causing him to squint.
"It won't be long until we're home," Waveheart whispered to his son as they pushed their way into the reeds. "I'm very proud of you," his father added, before giving him a lick on the ear.
The silver tom let out a rusty purr. "Thanks," he rasped before slipped through the camp entrance. Before any cat could interrupt him, Ripplesky darted into the safety of his den and curled up. His entire body was sore from last night's events, so all he wanted to do was sleep.
Within seconds of falling asleep, the medicine cat found himself in the familiar StarClan clearing he had gone so many times before.
"I ought to rip your throat out!" Silverhawk spat, unsheathing his claws. As the ragged warrior stalked over towards Ripplesky, Snowdust stopped him.
"That's enough!" The white she-cat spat, her eyes narrowed. Turning to face Ripplesky she growled, "Why did you disobey our orders? You were supposed to kill Morningstar!"
"I couldn't do it," Ripplesky said defiantly, puffing out his chest.
Snowdust snorted. "You're a joke." She began to circle him, her tail lashing back and forth.
"That's what I said," Silverhawk growled, before smirking a bit.
Snowdust shot him an angry glance, before raking her claws across Ripplesky's shoulder. The silver tom winced in pain, but did his best to remain calm. He couldn't allow them to know he was scared.
"You don't scare me," he growled hotly, flattening his ears to his head.
Snowdust chuckled. "Your fear scent says otherwise." Without warning, she leaped onto him, knocking him to the ground. Ripplesky kicked up with his back legs, before rolling free from Snowdust's grip. As the two cats wrestled, the medicine cat could feel his chest tightening up. Oh no!
Using this to her advantage, Snowdust lunged forward and pinned Ripplesky down by the neck. Silverhawk raced to her side, and held down the silver tom's legs. He squirmed under the weight of the StarClan cats, but it was useless. As Snowdust hurled insults at him, Ripplesky could feel his lungs burning for oxygen.
"Can't... Breath," he choked out.
"What's that? You can't breath? How's this!" Snowdust dug her claws deeper into his neck, cutting off the last remaining air he had.
Just as things were about to fade to black, Snowdust and Silverhawk's weight disappeared. Am I dead?
Coughing, Ripplesky sat up. His mind was whirling, and he didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he realized Snowdust and Silverhawk had been attacked by a familiar dark pelt.
"Nightsky!" he rasped, his eyes wide.
Nightsky glanced back at him, before returning her attention back to the fight. "Run, Ripplesky!" she ordered as she gave Silverhawk another blow to the muzzle.
Ripplesky darted into the undergrowth, ignoring the pain in his chest. He couldn't stop to catch his breath, or wonder how Nightsky had come to his rescue. Suddenly, the undergrowth behind him started rustling.
"It's just me!" Nightsky told him as she pelted past him.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Ripplesky continued on. As they ran, the scenery around them began to change. The once beautiful forest was now dark and smelled like rotting flesh. The ground underpaw was coated in slime, and ragged brambles trailed across the forest path, tripping him up.
Finally, they reached a dazzling light border. It was so bright, Ripplesky had to look away.
"Come on!" Nightsky yowled as she disappeared into the light. Ripplesky paused for a few seconds, before following after her. At first, the young tom stumbled blindly through the light, before collapsing in soft grass. Blinking up, he realized he was in a beautiful forest, much like the one from earlier.
"W-What is this place?"
"This is StarClan's territory," Nightsky explained, taking a seat beside him.
"But I thought-"
"Those cats tricked you, Ripplesky. They aren't StarClan cats at all; they're from the Dark Forest."
"The Dark Forest?" he echoed, surprised. Of course! He realized with a jolt. No StarClan cat would ever behave the way Snowdust, Silverhawk and the others had. They were far too aggressive. I can't believe I was so stupid.
The two medicine cats sat there in silence, before Nightsky blurted out, "Why did you kill me?"
"I-I had to," Ripplesky choked out. How could she bring this up now? Didn't she realize how shocked and upset he was?
"Whatever," his former mentor spat. "What's done is done. But don't think I've forgiven you just because I saved you. I will never forgive you for taking my life. Ever!" Nightsky barred her teeth in a snarl, before stalking off into the undergrowth.
Ripplesky watched her go, a growl rising up in his throat. He didn't want Nightsky's forgiveness. She deserved to die.
Blinking, Ripplesky realized he was back in his den. As he sat up in his nest, a pain shot through his shoulder. Glancing down, he noticed a deep cut where Snowdust had clawed him. How can this be? he thought in shock.
"R-Ripplesky...?" a voice croaked.
Looking up, the silver tom noticed Mudfoot standing there. The dark tabby had a horrified expression on his face, and he was shaking violently. "You look like you've saw the ghost of One Eye!" Ripplesky chuckled.
Mudfoot opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally the RiverClan tom muttered, "I saw you kill Cherrynose."
Thanks so much for all the reviews! I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you will all enjoy it. Since I ended with such a big cliffhanger, I will try my best to update as soon as I can. Also, in case this confused anyone. Nightsky has always been in StarClan. The Dark Forest cats only said she was in the Dark Forest as a way to maipulate and trick Ripplesky into believing that they were from StarClan. This will not be the last time we see Nightsky, either. Many other questions will be touched upon later in the story regaurding her and other dead characters.
As always, thanks for reading!
