The sky was a dark gray. A fitting omen, considering the recent challenges ThunderClan had been experiencing. Their leader Bluestar had been experiencing depression and a rapid decline in her competency as clan leader due to the unexpected betrayal of Tigerstar, her trusted deputy. Fireheart sighed as he stalked through the camp, the somber mood permeating the very air with a sense of utter hopelessness.
As the deputy, he had a responsibility to lead the clan, yet he was supposed to serve as the second voice of authority. BlueStar was supposed to be the first, evidently a role she could not fulfill anymore given her mental status. Thus, he had to take on double the burden. The biggest issue rested on the fact that she had renounced StarClan, something that forewarned of disaster and ruin for the clan.
"Hmm… where is Frostbite?" He wondered, thinking of the enormous husky that his clan had adopted when he was but a mere pup, dumped on the doorstep of ThunderClan's camp. Despite the vehement protests of many of the other cats, BlueStar had taken pity on the helpless pup and had taken him in. The giant dog, judged as an abomination by the other four clans, was like a son to BlueStar and a brother to him. He had been an invaluable asset to the clan, aiding in defending against attacks from other clans and hostile wildlife along with bringing down larger prey items for the fresh-kill pile.
Normally he would have been right by his adoptive mother's side, helping to keep her company as she sat in her den, bringing her fresh-kill and replacing her moss. Despite his unorthodox size, the dog had a heart just as big as he was. All he wanted to do was to please and make his clanmates happy.
Shaking his thoughts, Fireheart saw his nephew Cloudtail in front of him. Remembering that he had to be relieved of his vigil, Fireheart padded to his side. "All quiet?" He meowed. "Do you want to sleep now or go hunting? We could go through Tallpines if you want and meet Princess."
Before Cloudtail could answer, Fernpaw and Dustpelt burst from a nearby den. "Fireheart! You have to come see this!" Fernpaw yowled, panting as her chest heaved rapidly. Dustpelt gave her ear a couple of a licks, trying to calm her down.
Fireheart opened his mouth but closed it quickly. If the urgency of her tone was anything to judge by, the threat couldn't wait for questions. Looking behind him, he saw that Sandstorm had joined them. "I heard what happened, Cloudtail told us." She meowed briskly.
Fireheart nodded in response before turning to Dustpelt. "I don't want the apprentices involved, Fernpaw is already upset enough as it is. Take Ashpaw and Darkstripe and take them hunting. The fresh-kill pile needs to be refilled."
Dustpelt gave him a long look before nodding in response.
"I'm coming with you." Bluestar's voice echoed through the camp. Fireheart and the other cats whirled around in shock to see the weakened form of their leader slink from her den, her blue fur ruffling in the gentle breeze.
"I haven't seen Frostbite in over five hours… I have to find out where he is." Bluestar said, standing strong despite the rapid degradation of her mind.
"Of course, Bluestar." Fireheart responded, bowing his head to his leader.
Taking the lead, Fireheart led the group into the forest, determined to discover what kind of threat faced them. They would deal with it regardless of what it was.
Meanwhile…
Brightpaw, blood dripping from the vicious cuts across her muzzle, clawed at the muzzle of the enormous dog that had cornered her and Swiftpaw. The black-and-white form of Swiftpaw stood in front of her protectively, claws extended and teeth bared, despite knowing that he stood little to no chance against the vicious brutes.
"This is all my fault…" Swiftpaw thought remorsefully, feeling Brightpaw's shivering form against his back. If only he had haven't insisted on so stupidly trying to prove his bravery that he was going to get both himself and Brightpaw killed.
"Swiftpaw… I'm scared…" Brightpaw whispered, the white-and-ginger apprentice pressing herself against the tree. "Don't worry Brightpaw… I'll protect you…" Swiftpaw meowed, fully knowing that he lying. Whether to her or to himself, he did not know.
"Pack, pack, kill, kill." The dog barked, its packmates beginning to pace around the helpless duo. Swiftpaw hissed at them. As the biggest dog, presumably the leader, launched itself at the apprentices, a resounding bark echoed through the clearing.
Swiftpaw and Brightpaw watched in shock as a massive, silver-furred form barreled through the undergrowth, burying its massive teeth into the lead dog's throat. The brown mutt let out a howl of pain as the other animal pinned it to the ground, savagely ripping at its flesh.
"Frostbite!" Swiftpaw yowled in relief and shock, watching as the towering husky viciously tore his opponent's throat out, the dog's form going limp. Frostbite spat out the blood in his mouth as he stood protectively in front of the two apprentices, his normally smiling muzzle bared in a vicious snarl.
"Anyone who wants to harm these two have to go through me first!" He growled, thumping the ground with a paw. "Climb the tree, now!" He barked at the apprentices, the two cats scrambling up the trunk to a safe height. The other dogs, not particularly caring that their comrade was gone, let out vicious barks before hurling themselves at the husky.
Swiftpaw and Brightpaw watched in shock as Frostbite engaged in a ferocious battle with the dog pack. Despite their outnumbering him by almost eight-to-one, he was more than able to hold his own against them thanks to his massive size and training.
Yet they slowly but surely began to overwhelm him, their heaving, tumbling bodies forcing him to give more ground as he sustained multiple bites and claw wounds.
Blood splattered the ground, both Frostbite's and the other dogs' as the battle went on, filling the air with the scent of iron. Swiftpaw and Brightpaw could do little but watch as Frostbite savagely broke a dog's neck, only to receive a vicious bite on the leg by another.
The battle continued for a few more minutes before the dog pack retreated, three of their members having fallen at Frostbite's paws.
Swiftpaw and Brightpaw cautiously scaled down the tree, the latter hissing in disgust as she stepped on a puddle of blood. Swiftpaw's eyes widened as he saw Frostbite's still form lying on the grass ahead of them.
"Fr… Frostbite…" Brightpaw whispered, tears filling her eyes as she watched the blood streaming from the various wounds all over the husky's body. The two apprentices ran to the dog's side. "Swi… Swiftpaw, Brightpaw… You're safe…" Frostbite huffed, a feeling of relief filling his body as he watched the duo pad to his side.
"Wh… why'd you come?" Swiftpaw meowed, feeling his own eyes get wet as he watched the husky's body shake with agony. Taking a shuddering breath, Frostbite managed to give a weak smile. "I would never… let them lay a paw on my clanmates." The husky whispered, feeling his broken ribs pound in pain.
Brightpaw and Swiftpaw didn't respond, the two apprentices burying themselves into his blood-soaked fur, their forms heaving with wracked sobs.
Now…
"Great StarClan… Frostbite…" Fireheart whispered, tears blurring his vision as he saw the blood-soaked form of the great husky, the comparatively diminutive forms of Brightpaw and Swiftpaw holding his limp head.
Graystripe and Sandstorm watched on in shocked silence, tears coming to their own eyes. Fireheart could tell that Graystripe's thoughts were flashing back to the death of his mate Silverstream.
Bluestar yowled. The pain and shock of a thousand moon's worth of agony filled the clearing as she leaped to her adoptive son's side.
"Frostbite… Frostbite, speak to me!" She cried, burying her face into his neck. "Bluestar? Don't blame… Swiftpaw and Brightpaw for this… They are innocent…" Frostbite managed to choke out.
"Please Frostbite, you can't leave me, after all that's happened already…" Bluestar meowed, cradling the husky's head in her paws, even as his breaths slowed and his fur became colder. "Mom… I love you, I love all of you… Thank you all for giving me a home and a family, thank you for loving me…" Frostbite whispered, reaching up with a paw to gently grasp Bluestar's paw.
Fireheart and the other cats remained silent, unable to say anything. One by one, from Graystripe to Sandstorm to Fireheart, the cats raised their heads to the sky.
Swiftpaw and Brightpaw, having managed to detach themselves from their savior's body, followed suit. Bluestar simply laid there, continuing to cradle Frostbite's head, even as the husky's body went cold and his breathing stopped, his paw falling to land on the cold ground.
They stood in vigil, for they had not only lost a clanmate, they had lost a brother and a son.
It took five cats, including Graystripe and Fireheart, to move Frostbite's body back to the boundaries of the camp, where he was buried just a few meters outside boundaries, every ThunderClan cat coming out to pay their respects for the great husky.
Bluestar's sanity had deteriorated even further, her lack of faith in StarClan further compounded by the death of her adoptive son.
Brightpaw and Swiftpaw were the only two remaining around Frostbite's grave after the other cats had went back to their dens for the night.
The two apprentices stood in silence, watching the yarrow flower that served as the husky's grave marker fluttering gently in the breeze.
"Is Frostbite in StarClan right now?" Brightpaw meowed, head bent with sorrow. "I… I don't know, but if anything's for sure, I have to atone for my mistake. I was the one who almost got us killed by those dogs, I was the one who cost Frostbite his life…" Swiftpaw whispered, his voice heavy with remorse.
He placed his paw on Brightpaw's, the other apprentice looking to him in surprise.
"But we will endure. Let us become proud warriors, to honor Frostbite for his sacrifice." Swiftpaw swore, bowing his head to Frostbite's grave.
Brightpaw followed suit, the two apprentices staying quiet for a few more moments before retreating back to their respective dens.