"You're out of your mind!"
"No you are! I don't know how we're related!"
Briarpaw purred with laughter as her siblings argued over shrews and rabbits. Herself and her siblings, Blossompaw, and Bumblepaw were sitting in the apprentice den after a long day of training. It was a windy day, the breeze ruffled her soft brown pelt through the bramble walls of the den. Her fur, once soft with kitten fluff, was now sleek and thick with strong muscles rippling underneath. Her and her siblings had passed their assessments the day before and Firestar gave his approval. She was almost a warrior!
"You both have thistledown for brains because rabbit is the best!", she declared joining in.
"How-!," Blossompaw's incredulous response was cut off by a high pitched shriek that could barely be heard over the unforgiving wind.
"Everyone leave the camp!!!!"
Briarpaw looked at her siblings and found confusion on their faces matching her own. She quickly leapt to her paws and poked her head out of the warm den, flinching as her face was assaulted by a stream of furious wind. Screwing up her eyes, she saw Lionblaze on the top of the rockpile, his gaze wild with fear.
"What's going on?," Duspelt's alarmed meow drifted from the fresh kill pile, where himself and Brightheart had been picking through in search of prey.
"A tree is falling!"
Briarpaw felt her siblings stiffen in shock. About a million different questions flew through her head. What if our camp is destroyed? Where will we go?
"Clear the dens!" Lionblaze's command pierced through her troubled thoughts and she stumbled out of the den. She turned and saw her siblings following behind her.
"You heard him!" Firestar's yowl was almost lost in the sound of the wind, "Clear the camp!."
Immediately the camp was in chaos, warriors sprinted to the nursery and elders dens yowling over the wind.
"Cmon furball, move!"
Briarpaw was shoved forward by her mentor Thornclaw. She glanced up at the golden tom and was dismayed to see fear present in his eyes. He noticed her staring and attempted to compose himself without much success. She scrambled out of the hollow, digging her claws into the earth.
She glanced behind her and saw her siblings doing the same. Blossompaw was almost at the top of the ridge, climbing determinedly, but Bumblepaw was stuck halfway up clinging to the cliff, eyes wide with fear.
"Mousbrain!", Sorreltail hissed behind him, "Keep moving!"
But poor Bumblepaw looked too terrified to take another step. His eyes locked with hers, wild with fear.
Foxdung.. She cursed under her breath and climbed down toward her terrified brother. Her claws scraped the earth as she angled herself to take his weight.
"Briarpaw!," He gasped, eyes wide with panic, "I can't do it!"
She blinked encouragingly, voice sweet as honey, " Bumblepaw! We are almost warriors! And you are one of the toughest toms I know! Just a few more steps and you'll be safe!"
"More like the only tom you know…" He muttered under his breath. Briarpaw reminded herself to claw him for that later.
She sank her teeth into his scruff and started hauling him up, gasping as her grip on the slope faltered as she took his weight. She was regretting her decision until she felt half of her brother's weight disappear. Blossompaw! Thank Starclan!
She blinked gratefully at her sister and got a muffled reply in return. Together, they hauled Bumblepaw over the edge and stood panting.
"Great starclan Bumblepaw! You have to lay off the freshkill!," Blossompaw gasped her eyes sparkling with humor.
"You nearly killed us you great lump!," Briarpaw added, her chest aching from exertion.
Suddenly a pale blurr rushed past her and back into the camp! Longtail no! Briarpaw heard the low moan of a falling tree and raced after him without thinking.
Heart pounding, she raced into the elder's den after him and grasped his scruff in her jaws.
"Briarpaw-" Longtail was cut off by a deafening crash as the tree fell on top of them.
Briarpaw heard a loud shriek and felt a sharp pain on her legs before she slipped away into blackness.