I can't believe I have nine reviews and two chapters! Thank you! Anyways, please read and review! I realize you don't want Leafpool to die... well, I'm still debating. Should she live and her kit die or should she die and her kit live? Poll... please don't forget to answer it. 'Cause if you don't answer, I'll answer myself... -cackles wickedly- Oh, and thanks to Mooncloud, Dewfrost, Halfpelt, Grizzlepelt and Tigerstripe, for giving me those wonderfulistic reviews!
Chapter 3:
Lost Hope
Moonlight streamed from the round, silver orb in the indigo sky. Shadows stretched from their hiding places of daytime, and began to roam the forest, lusting to consume the bodies of the cats as they padded along the path, their bright eyes fixed ahead of them.
Brackenfur, Whitenose, Birchpaw, Dustpelt and Cloudtail had come to exterminate a fox living in their territory. They had volunteered to go, and Firestar was quite worried with them going, but, of course, he allowed it, for it was for the good of the Clan.
As Brackenfur trudged through the deep snow, he raised his head, blinked, and parted his jaws to sniff. He smelled the stink right away—fox!
Whitenose and Dustpelt smelled it, too, for they also gave each other dark glances. Cloudtail nudged Birchpaw, nodding towards the place where a fox had marked its' territory.
"Ew!" Birchpaw growled. "The rat! I'll claw his fur off!"
Brackenfur nodded. "Don't worry, Birchpaw, you'll get your chance. In fact," he went on, his amber eyes sparkling, "You might be chosen to become a warrior if we succeed."
Birchpaw gasped. "Really?"
Dustpelt flicked his ear with the tip of his tail. "Don't count on it," he meowed to his son warmly, although all cats knew how the deputy loved his sons, Spiderleg as well as Birchpaw.
Cloudtail suddenly halted, his dark blue eyes widening with surprise as he meowed, "Watch out! Dustpelt!"
Brackenfur whipped his head to where Cloudtail and Whitenose were darting away. A huge, lean red body streaked forth from the brush, crusted with frost, its pale eyes wild and fangs glimmering in the moonlight.
"Dustpelt!" Howled Birchpaw worriedly as the dark tabby snarled, and crashed head first into the red canine. Brown and red blurs were all they were, struggling around on the ground.
Brackenfur was quicker than his Clanmates, perhaps because he wasn't worried for a family member, currently, but he slammed into the dogfox with anger filling his bites and snarls.
The dogfox's eyes blazed hate and anger as he left a battered brown tabby form and attacked Brackenfur.
Finally having snapped out of their "trance", Birchpaw, Whitenose and Cloudtail began to help Brackenfur.
Whitenose leapt into the air, her fangs glimmering like white stars, her full weight hitting the creature with force. Cloudtail came from under him, clawing the fox's belly into shreds.
Birchpaw's amber eyes were filled with hate, rage, despise and bitter remorse as he cannoned into the canine's throat, ripping it, tearing it into pieces.
The fox let out a howl of agonized pain, as it writhed about, Birchpaw, Whitenose, Cloudtail and Brackenfur clinging to its form.
Soon, it went limp beneath all of the weight the cats put onto it, and their eyes shone with triumph. Sadly, that triumph was short lived.
Birchpaw's eyes caught that dark tabby fur of Dustpelt's, and he let out a squeal of terror, his orbs of rich life suddenly drained of their energy. He darted to his father's side, letting out a howl of horror.
Cloudtail froze in his tracks, gasping, and Whitenose cried, "Oh, no!"
Brackenfur let his paws take him to the dying warrior, his once bright, arrogantly shining eyes glazed with death... or, almost.
The tabby's fur was ripped and torn, clumps hanging off and lining the snow. His bloodshot golden eyes were slowly dimming, and the snow beneath his sad form was turning scarlet.
"Dustpelt..." Brackenfur murmured, nuzzling the tabby quietly. "We honor you, Dustpelt, for defending your Clan and risking your life to save us."
Dustpelt glanced up at Brackenfur weakly, and smirked briefly. "Brackenfur... you talk as if... as if I w-were... dying..."
Birchpaw let out another wail, and Dustpelt shuddered. "Please, my son, don't let my lineage die out... live up to your Clans' honor, and never let your Clanmates down, remain loyal, and pick a perfect she-cat to give kits to ThunderClan... tell Ferncloud, Spiderleg and Earthpaw I... l-love them..." His eyes dimmed. "I love you, too, son, but I'm off to join my family, friends, mentors and kits in StarClan..."
With that, Dustpelt, loyal warrior and deputy of ThunderClan, gave his last breath, and went to hunt with StarClan.
-Wails-
Poor Dusty! Anyways, I'll leave you to read the story and murder
me. This takes place a moon after my last chapter, when they go out
to hunt down a fox... sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Next
one will be longer, I promise. (I realize this chapter was short, but I just hope it isn't too poorly written... sorry it it was rushed, the next one shall be better, I promise! I had a bit of a road-block at that spot...)
