Crowfrost sat at the entrance to the camp, trying and failing to calm himself. Heronpaw had come back without Petalpaw. How stupid could he be? Didn't he realize how much the Clan needed her? He dug his claws into the frozen ground. He ignored the pain that shot up his paws from the pressure.
He was so on edge that when Falconstorm returned Crowfrost jumped.
"You're relieved." Falconstorm said calmly. The warrior settled down and curled his tail around his front paws like nothing had happened.
Crowfrost stared at him, incredulous. "Where's Petalpaw?"
Falconstorm shot him a glance from the corner of his eye. "Heronpaw didn't say."
Infuriated by Falconstorm's indifference, Crowfrost nearly swore. Why was it impossible to talk to this cat? He forced himself to be calm.
"Is she coming back?" he said through gritted teeth.
Falconstorm blinked. "I don't know."
Crowfrost had had enough. He stood over his father and glared at the tom. "I can finish the watch." he said, trying to keep an edge from his voice.
Falconstorm twitched an ear. "Alright." He stood and made for the fern tunnel. He paused before entering and looked over his shoulder. Crowfrost could feel his father's eyes on him, like the warrior was trying to get his attention. He pointedly ignored Falconstorm.
A moment later, the swish of ferns told Crowfrost that the senior warrior had re-entered camp.
Crowfrost sat, stewing. He was growing tired of trying so hard and ending up with nothing to show for it. Not that he needed or even wanted praise from Falconstorm. He just wanted to be included. He wanted cats to keep their promises.
Hadn't she promised that if he did what she asked that his Clan would be safe? Now they were more vulnerable than ever.
"StarClan curse them." Crowfrost hissed under his breath.
"That isn't a very nice thing to say." A silky-smooth voice drifted to his ears from just beyond his vision. He stiffened.
Finally. He thought. He straightened up and fixed his eyes on a spot a few tail-lengths away where the ferns were shifting. Their green fronds parted and a pale gray she-cat slipped into view. Her paws made no sound as they skimmed over patches of moss on the forest floor.
Crowfrost blinked. Green ferns? Moss?
When had he fallen asleep?
He looked around and found himself in a familiar forest that he knew was not his own. Pale starlight filtered down from the crisscrossed canopy of fully leaved trees. Ferns and bushes littered the soft brown ground and moss was found on every surface. He let his fur lie flat in the suddenly warm night.
"I can't be asleep on watch." He said flatly as the she-cat drew nearer. She rolled her green eyes at him and made a soft 'tch' sound. She stepped right up to him and brushed her tail along his side.
"You'll wake if there is a disturbance." She reassured him. She looked him up and down with her piercing gaze. Crowfrost raised his chin and looked down at her through half-lidded eyes.
"Well now." She purred. "You've become a fine warrior, haven't you?"
"Just as you promised." Crowfrost said.
"Just as I promised." The gray she-cat repeated in a self-satisfied tone. "See? There was nothing to be worried about."
Crowfrost's belly lurched at the thought of Blackmoth and Blizzardstar's lost life. He narrowed his eyes at his companion.
"There were casualties." He said in a low voice. The she-cat rolled her eyes and tossed her head.
"There are casualties in every battle." She said. "Isn't one warrior worth the deputy of a rival Clan?"
"Blizzardstar lost a life." Crowfrost reminded her. He dropped his gaze to the ground and flexed his claws in the soft dirt uncomfortably. A sudden shock of pain shot across his cheek. He jerked to the side with the force of the she-cat's blow. Her claws were out, glinting in the moonlight. Her eyes smoldered.
"Do not question me." She snarled. "I kept my promises." There was an accusation in her tone.
Crowfrost winced as he felt the claw marks that now scored his cheek. The fur there was wet with blood. Shame burned at his ear tips.
"I tried to stop them." He said, his confidence melting away with every word. The she-cat let out a harsh, mocking yowl.
"A kit could have done better!" She said, circling around the black warrior.
He felt a surge of frustration and indigence.
"What was I supposed to do? You told me no other cat could know!" he shot back. He flinched back as the gray she-cat lifted her forepaw again as if to strike. After a heartbeat the anger in her eyes softened slightly and she dropped her paw.
"I suppose you're right." She said. She turned from him and padded towards a small white flower that was poking out from a moss-covered tree stump. She leaned down to sniff it, closing her eyes in apparent appreciation of its scent. Then her eyes flew open and she snapped the head of the flower off in her teeth.
Crowfrost shied away as a singular, ripped white petal drifted to the ground at the she-cat's feet. She spat out the head of the flower and curled her lips back over her teeth.
"I mean, what harm could have been done by letting the most important cat in the Clan go gallivanting off across multiple enemy territories with a cat who is insane?" The she-cat said. She lifted a forepaw and stomped on the lone petal. She twisted her foot, grinding the delicate thing into the ground.
Crowfrost flinched. He remembered when she had shown him the truth about Heronpaw. His twitching, rambling fits in the middle of the night. His paranoia and sudden personality change. He remembered the worst of it; the night after he had confronted his brother about Petalpaw when Crowfrost had witnessed Heronpaw arguing with nothing but thin air.
"I should have tried harder." He mumbled half to himself.
"Yes." The reply was terse. There was a long moment of silence during which Crowfrost was forced to wallow in his shame and guilt.
"I will admit…" The she-cat began. Crowfrost lifted his head hopefully. "…that you fought well. I'm relieved to find that Talonscore was able to teach you something." She looked over her shoulder at him. He dropped his gaze back to his paws. He watched her feet approach him and felt her tail touch his chin. He lifted it until he was face to face with her.
Her narrow face and striking eyes made his heart skip a beat.
"I'm proud of you, Crowfrost." She said. Crowfrost blinked in shock.
"But I failed." He said after a moment. Her eyes narrowed and she whipped her tail out from under his chin. He winced. He had said the wrong thing. Again.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't say I picked you for your confidence, or brains." She opened her eyes and fixed them on his. "You may have failed, but I hope I am right in saying that this failure will drive you to success in the future."
Crowfrost nodded firmly. He had learned his lesson. She was always right.
"Petalpaw will be okay, right?" He couldn't help but ask. The she-cat waved her tail dismissively.
"Of course. I wouldn't risk her this early in your training." She said. Crowfrost felt a rush of relief at her words. His mistake hadn't ruined everything as he had feared. The anxiety that had been clouding his mind cleared and another question rose to the surface.
"Am I the only one?" He asked carefully. The she-cat didn't look up at him. She was too busy examining her claws.
"The only what?" She said flatly.
Crowfrost hesitated, then pushed on.
"The only cat being trained by StarClan."
She looked up at him and tilted her head. She scrutinized him for a heartbeat.
"No." Her reply was lofty. "But you won't be meeting any of them any time soon."
Crowfrost wanted to ask why but he kept his mouth shut. He glanced down at his paws and shifted them awkwardly. He chanced another glance up at his mentor. She looked over at him from the corner of her eyes. She rolled them again.
"What?" her mew was drawn out with frustration. Crowfrost jumped at the chance.
"What if I need help? If I don't know who my allies are then- "
"You have no allies." The she-cat snapped. Her green eyes flashed. "None but me."
Crowfrost bowed his head and chastised himself inwardly. Was he trying to ruin this? He had been chosen by a StarClan cat for an important mission and all he could manage to do was anger her and question her decisions. He curled his tail under him in a submissive gesture.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled to the ground. He shifted his paws close together and flattened his ears.
"Don't pout." The she-cat said. Crowfrost could almost hear her teeth clip the words off as she spoke them. He straightened himself and forced his eyes to meet hers. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes.
"There is one," she finally said in a soft voice, "that you could call on if you need to."
Crowfrost's ears perked up, but he didn't dare ask another question.
"Slatefang is loyal to the warrior code. He will help you." The she-cat continued. She licked a paw and drew it over her silvery ear fur. "He doesn't know of me or of StarClan but his loyalty will be an asset to you."
Crowfrost blinked in surprise. He didn't know much about the gruff warrior. He hadn't paid Crowfrost or his littermates any attention when they had entered the apprentice's den. The black and gray tom had paid them even less attention when he had become a warrior.
The disappointment must have shown on his face for the gray she-cat narrowed her eyes at him and her tail twitched. He quickly hitched a contemplative look on his face instead. She twitched an ear but said nothing about his infraction.
"Remember," she said, taking a step towards him and brushing her tail along his flank, "I chose you. That should be enough."
Crowfrost shivered at her touch. It made every hair on his pelt stand up. A warrior of StarClan had chosen him. She had faith in his ability. It was enough. It had to be.
He stiffened his shoulders and lifted his head.
"It will be." He said. The she-cat nodded.
"Good," she purred. She turned and flicked her tail at him as she padded towards the trees. "Come. I'm going to teach you something new tonight."
. . .
Petalpaw watched Heronpaw's retreating figure. Her heart jumped into her throat as he disappeared into the snowy undergrowth. What was she doing? CedarClan needed her! Plumleaf needed her! Panic began to grip its icy claws around her belly.
Hornedpaw let out a choked moan beneath her. Petalpaw let the fear pass over her head like a wave and refocused her attention on the injured apprentice. His eyes were fluttering open.
"Acornfall?" he croaked.
"Hush now." Petalpaw mewed, stroking the apprentice's ginger fur with a bloodstained paw.
"It's going to be alright."
Hornedpaw's eyelids quivered for a moment before they shut and he let out a sigh. Petalpaw turned to Hornedpaw's mentor, Skyclaw, who was sitting at the ginger tom's head.
"Who is Acornfall?" Petalpaw asked.
"His mother." Skyclaw said in a hoarse mew.
"Is she back at camp?"
"She's dead."
Petalpaw's stomach lurched. A cat calling for their dead family was never a good sign. Hornedpaw needed to get back to Finchfoot, but how? Petalpaw's mind raced. The ginger apprentice's wound was terrible, but the fox hadn't caused damage to his life vein.
She shivered. If the vessel that brought blood to a cat's belly was injured there was nothing even the most seasoned medicine cat could do. It was almost worse than if their neck was slashed. StarClan be blessed, that wasn't the case for Hornedpaw. His life was still in danger, however.
She thought hard. What had Plumleaf taught her about wounds like this?
Keep them calm, keep them warm, and immobilize the wound.
Petalpaw sighed, frustrated. Immobilization wasn't an option right now.
"Skyclaw, can you lie next to him? He needs to be kept warm." Petalpaw said. The warrior obeyed without question.
"How are we going to get him home?" Nighthawk asked as he, his apprentice, and the other warrior approached.
"I don't think we can." Petalpaw said after a moment.
"We can't just leave him." The golden warrior snorted.
Petalpaw looked up and fixed the she-cat with a glare.
"Of course not," she said, trying to keep herself from hissing. "But moving him is very dangerous."
The golden warrior tossed her head as if she didn't believe Petalpaw. Nighthawk gave his Clanmate a sideways glance.
"You're the fastest, Daisyspring." He said. "Why don't you run back and tell Finchfoot?"
Daisyspring considered this for a heartbeat before nodding and heading off. Petalpaw blinked gratefully at Nighthawk.
"She means well," The black warrior said, watching his Clanmate speed away. "But I don't think she'll be much help."
"Even so, we needed someone to fetch Finchfoot." Petalpaw said. Squirming anxiety wriggled in her belly. In the meantime they needed to try something.
"We need to try to move him." Petalpaw continued. Skyclaw looked up at her with fearful blue eyes. Nighthawk's tail swished nervously. Coalpaw continued to look like he was going to be sick.
"You said you couldn't do that." Skyclaw said. Petalpaw took a deep breath.
"I have a plan."
A little while later the four cats found themselves standing around the injured apprentice. Petalpaw had packed his wound with a dried wild garlic and marigold poultice and cobwebs and had bound it with a splint. The binding hadn't been soaked through with blood, so Petalpaw gave the signal to begin.
Each cat gripped a different part of Hornedpaw. Nighthawk grasped the apprentice's scruff, Skyclaw his haunches, and Coalpaw his back while Petalpaw steadied his flank from beneath. The arrangement was precarious and already a trickle of blood had begun to soak the bandage, but Petalpaw was determined.
Gently the cats moved Hornedpaw a few mouse lengths to where a forked pine branch lay in the disturbed snow. Under Petalpaw's direction the AlderClan cats laid Hornedpaw down over the branch's two limbs. They moved him such that his back lay on the fork and his shoulders and hips draped over the spreading branches.
When they were done Petalpaw stood back and examined their work. She had no idea how this was going to work, but she had to keep a confident air for the AlderClan cats' peace of mind.
"Well done." She said, examining Hornedpaw's wound. It had seeped a little but not too much. She found herself genuinely optimistic. This could actually work.
She glanced up at the sky. The sun was making its way down towards dusk. She couldn't let Hornedpaw be out in the cold at night.
"Let's move. Just like we discussed." She ordered. Skyclaw and Nighthawk grasped the end of the branch in their teeth. Coalpaw padded up and began laying swaths of pine needles over Hornedpaw's flank. Once he was covered to Petalpaw's satisfaction she took her place at the back of the group so she could keep an eye on her patient. Then she gave the signal to begin.
It was agonizingly slow going. At first the warriors pulled too hard and moved too fast. Petalpaw had to stop them several times to readjust Hornedpaw's position. The apprentice was still breathing, but shallowly, and any bump in the road could make his wound reopen.
Skyclaw and Nighthawk soon fell into a rhythm that was acceptable to Petalpaw. They dragged the branch along the ground, their necks straining at an awkward angle. Coalpaw danced nervously at his mentor's side. Petalpaw walked with paw placed on Hornedpaw's flank so she could feel his wound. The pine needle blanket was keeping him warm, which was good, but more blood was soaking his bandage with each step.
After they had broken the tree line, they took a short break so Petalpaw could add more dressing to the wound.
Don't give up on me, Hornedpaw! Petalpaw thought as she removed soaked cobwebs and replaced them with fresh ones Coalpaw had gathered.
As if he had heard her, the wounded apprentice's eyes fluttered open. He tried to lift his head but Petalpaw held him firmly.
"Don't move." She instructed.
"What's going on?" Hornedpaw asked after a moment. His voice was frail and uneven.
"You were injured." Petalpaw told him in her best calming voice.
"Where's Finchfoot?"
"He's coming. For now, I'm going to take care of you." Petalpaw said. The ginger apprentice closed his eyes.
"Alrighty."
Petalpaw purred.
"Petalpaw!" Nighthawk called from his position atop a small boulder. Petalpaw looked up and followed his gaze up the rocky slopes to where a patrol of no less than five cats were appearing from behind rocks. At their head she spotted a familiar white and yellow pelt.
Relief washed over Petalpaw as she watched the AlderClan cats, led by Finchfoot, scramble down the mountainside towards them.
She looked back down at Hornedpaw.
"You're going to be alright." She said to him. Then she turned and looked behind her across the lake. She could see CedarClan's trees from here, haloed by the fading rays of the sun.
"Please, Heronpaw." She whispered to the wind. "Save them too."
. . .
Wingshadow's eyes and nose streamed in the cold air as he struggled to keep stride with his Clanmates. His chest tightened with every breath and a cough fought to free itself from his aching throat. His Clanmates coughed and groaned around him. They had been beaten. Badly.
Cougarstar had told them that CedarClan would be suffering with sickness too. If WillowClan's supply of catmint had been killed in the cold, there was no way CedarClan could find enough to stave off greencough. They had all been surprised when Blizzardstar had managed to scrape together a formidable, healthy battle patrol.
Wingshadow was still shaken from his encounter with Dawnheart. Real fury had scorched the CedarClan warrior's kind eyes into hard, unforgiving blue stone. Wingshadow closed his eyes and tried to dispel the horrific memory of Spottedfur's body going limp beneath him. Somehow Dawnheart had decided to let Wingshadow go. Wingshadow wished he hadn't.
No cat spoke as the battle patrol followed the beaten path back to camp. They slipped past scraggly willow trees whose branches hung low with the weight of snow. Leafless hawthorn bushes scraped at legs and drooping tails. Wingshadow paused to cough and he soon found himself at the back of the procession.
"Wingshadow?"
He turned to see his Clanmate Breezeflight and his apprentice Splashpaw struggling through the snow. The warrior was anxiously nosing the little apprentice as she wheezed.
"Can you help me with Splashpaw? She's having trouble breathing." Breezeflight said without taking his eyes off of his apprentice. The white and gray warrior was limping heavily and he struggled to stand upright.
Wingshadow doubled back to fall in at Splashpaw's side. The thin she-cat leaned on his side as soon as he got close enough. Her body was shaking and her breaths sounded like the cracking of ice in her chest. Wingshadow looked down at her dull, streaming eyes and felt a stab of anxiety. This apprentice should have never been asked to fight.
Together he and Breezeflight supported Splashpaw between them as they continued across their territory. The dawn that had come brought no new warmth and soon all three were shivering violently.
Wingshadow's heart leapt as he saw a familiar sight peek into view between the rocks and dead trees. The Great Willow.
The cats ducked their heads as they slipped beneath the hanging limbs of an old, towering willow tree. Its branches were laden with a coating of snow and they scraped along Wingshadow's back like a set of frozen claws. The black warrior shivered but he welcomed the feeling. The Great Willow's touch meant that they were home.
Beneath the tree's white embrace the cats slowed to a stop. Beyond the curtain of icy tendrils lay a world unseen from the outside. Brown, vine-like branches crisscrossed beneath the willow's canopy. They varied from thick and straight to thin and twisting, sprouting in and out of the hillock the Great Willow stood upon.
A scrawny fresh-kill pile was the only indication to an outside eye that any cats lived here, but to Wingshadow, born and raised in WillowClan, the signs of his Clanmates were all around him.
The nursery lay just beyond a screen of gnarled willow roots at the base of the barrow. There was the apprentice's den tucked between two large maple vine branches. He could see the remains of a mouse at the mouth of a twisted mass of branches that hid the Clan's elders from sight.
Glowing eyes of cats peeked out from behind branches and around sprawling, exposed roots. As Wingshadow's Clanmates streamed into their camp those who were left behind began emerging from their dens.
Their questions were met with solemn nods from their returning Clanmates. The scent of fear and exhaustion hung low over everycat's head.
"Thank you." Breezeflight said. He slowed to a stop and led his apprentice off to the side to sit and rest. Wingshadow watched them go, feeling only a dull sense of disquiet. He knew that Splashpaw should see the medicine cat right away but his own exhaustion and pain was making his thoughts slow and hard to unravel.
Wingshadow caught sight of his friend, Spottedowl, making her way through the crowd to him. Her large eyes were shining with relief.
"You're okay!" She purred as she slid between two apprentices to reach him. Wingshadow forced out a purr and touched her nose with his own.
"How did it go?" Spottedowl mewed nervously. She began looking over her Clanmates. Her dappled tail drooped and her ears flattened. Any response Wingshadow could've mustered up was interrupted by a sudden hush falling over the gathered Clan.
All eyes moved to the entrance where Cougarstar was pushing her way past the Great Willow's screen of frost-bitten leaves. Her head was down and she struggled as she dragged a limp body alongside her. Wingshadow looked away. Many of his Clanmates did the same. Spottedowl let out a tiny gasp of horror.
The group parted as Cougarstar hauled the lifeless body of her deputy to the center of the camp. The silence was only broken by the wheezing breaths of Wingshadow and the other ill warriors.
Cougarstar began grooming her sister's fur with long strokes of her wide, flat tongue. The Clan shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do. A Clan leader should call a meeting after a defeat like this. Cougarstar should be reassuring them and seeing to the wounded. Instead, she acted like she was completely alone.
"What happened?" Spottedowl breathed into Wingshadow's ear. He looked over at her horrified green eyes.
"We lost." He croaked.
"You're back? Why did no cat- great StarClan!" Minnowflash, the WillowClan medicine cat, pushed her way through the crowd and came to a stop at Owlears' motionless head. The medicine cat's reprimand was caught on her tongue and her mouth gaped open for a heartbeat.
Wingshadow's belly clenched. Was Minnowflash going to fail them, too? His fear was short lived, however, as the small silver she-cat's eyes steeled and she stood straighter.
"Bring the wounded to my den." She ordered. The WillowClan cats just stared at her with hollow eyes. Minnowflash hissed in frustration. "Now!"
The battle-dazed cats seemed to snap to attention and began shuffling amongst themselves, finding the most wounded. Wingshadow felt a rush of relief to have orders. He started to look around for his Clanmate Lightfoot, who he knew had a nasty gash on one flank.
Instead, he came face to face with Spottedowl. She blocked his way and fixed him with a stare.
"I'm bringing you to the medicine den." She said matter-of-factly. Wingshadow shifted his paws impatiently.
"I'm fine." He wheezed as another cough crawled up his throat like a roach creeping out from its den. He dropped his head down and hacked. The cough ripped at his throat and seemed to fill his whole chest. By the time it had subsided his eyes were watering afresh and he gasped for air.
"'Fine'." Spottedowl echoed. Wingshadow cursed the bad timing of his fit.
"I'm ill, not injured. I can wait." He managed to say in between gasps. Spottedowl bared her teeth.
"Help someone else." Wingshadow hissed before she could argue. He turned and flopped down at the edge of camp so he would at least be out of the way. He lay on his side and tried to catch his breath.
Thankfully, Spottedowl had listened and was helping Lightfoot limp her way to the medicine den. Wingshadow watched as eventually half the Clan was gathered around Minnowflash. She jumped from cat to cat, sending away those who could wait and treating those who couldn't.
An angry voice from behind Wingshadow caught his attention. He turned his head to see Breezeflight arguing with Splashpaw. Wingshadow stiffened. Arguing was not the right word.
Splashpaw was leaned against a root, her gray tabby chest heaving. Breezeflight raised his voice not in anger, but in fear. His apprentice's blue eyes were wide and glazed over with panic. As Wingshadow scrambled to his paws, the little she-cat's chest stopped heaving.
Time slowed down as Wingshadow turned and screamed for Minnowflash. He could faintly register Breezeflight's hysterical yowling as he watched his apprentice fall to the ground. The silver medicine cat turned her head slowly, confused. Her eyes fell on the collapsed apprentice and they widened.
One heartbeat passed as Minnowflash struggled to push her way out of the crowd of injured cats. A second heartbeat passed as Wingshadow turned to see Splashpaw on the ground, a stream of spittle leaking from her gaping mouth. A third, fourth, fifth heartbeat pounded in Wingshadow's head. Breezeflight's horrified cry for help echoed around the camp.
All the while Cougarstar did nothing.
Minnowflash finally managed to dislodge herself from her Clanmates and dashed to Splashpaw's side. She rolled the little cat onto her side with nimble paws. Splashpaw's flank was still. Wingshadow found himself at her side as well. He stood, staring, unsure what to do. Why hadn't the apprentice been the first to see Minnowflash?
Another heart-rending shriek told Wingshadow that Splashpaw's mother, Ripplepelt, had figured out what was happening. He looked up and watched the she cat wrench herself away from her Clanmates. The silver and black tabby staggered to her daughter's side. Breezeflight held out his tail, stopping the horrified queen from getting any closer. His wide eyes were fixed on Minnowflash.
The medicine cat leaned down and pressed her small ear to the apprentice's unmoving chest. Minnowflash looked up and saw Wingshadow standing there.
"Do you know what coltsfoot is?" she demanded. As the medicine cat spoke she pressed two paws on Splashpaw's flank and began pushing down in rhythmic strokes. Wingshadow's mind blanked.
"I do!" Another warrior cried from the crowd. Wingshadow jumped and looked over to see Spottedowl shoving her way through the unmoving crowd to reach Minnowflash's den. A heartbeat later she reappeared with a mouthful of pale-yellow flowers. The cats around her barely made way as she struggled to reach Wingshadow with the medicine. He dashed over to her and took the herbs from her jaws.
Wingshadow scrambled across the root-strewn camp floor and back to Minnowflash's side. He shoved the coltsfoot at her and she took it. Then he sat back, unable to do anything more. The camp was silent except for Ripplepelt's occasional muffled wail.
Minnowflash pried open Splashpaw's jaws and stuffed the chewed herb into the little cat's mouth. Nothing happened. Minnowflash continued to push on Splashpaw's flank, only pausing occasionally to listen with an ear close to the apprentice's chest. Still nothing happened.
Wingshadow watched with horror as the color slowly drained from Splashpaw's pads. The sound of an approaching cat caused him to tear his eyes away. Cougarstar stood next to him. Her pale eyes looked down at the apprentice without even a glimmer of emotion. She padded forward and rested her paw on Minnowflash's shoulder. The medicine cat ignored her leader's touch.
"She is dead." Cougarstar said in a flat voice. Minnowflash continued to rub Splashpaw's chest. Cougarstar's eyes suddenly flashed with rage and, with a single fluid motion, she flung Minnowflash aside. Wingshadow's belly lurched. Several warriors cried out and rushed to the medicine cat's side. Cougarstar ignored them.
"No!" Breezeflight's cry was agonized. He lurched forward and began pressing down on his apprentice's side in a crude imitation of what Minnowflash had done.
Cougarstar whirled on her warrior and pushed him aside. He wailed as his wounded front leg gave out under him. The WillowClan leader then bent and closed Splashpaw's terrified, empty eyes with a gentle motion of her forepaw.
The brown she-cat turned and faced her Clan. Wingshadow crept forwards and steadied Breezeflight who was trying to stand up and get to his apprentice again. Ripplepelt stood beside them, motionless.
"She's with StarClan." Wingshadow murmured to his distraught Clanmate. Breezeflight only moaned in reply.
"This day's loss was terrible." Cougarstar called out. Her tone was loud, as if she was calming a clamor, but the Clan was silent. "Owlears and Splashpaw gave their lives in service of their Clan and will be honored."
Ripplepelt let out a low keening sound that sent every hair on Wingshadow's pelt alive with chills. The she-cat collapsed and dragged herself to her daughter's side.
A shocked silence fell over the Clan. Cougarstar glanced down at Ripplepelt and continued, unfazed.
"Unfortunately, there are cats among us that do not deserve the same honor."
Wingshadow looked up at that. The Clan's silence finally burst into a wave of confused mutters and shocked meows.
"What do you mean, Cougarstar?" Fogpelt called from his position beside his mate, Iristail. Both warriors had fought in the battle and bore claw marks to show for it.
Cougarstar's neck fur rose and she fixed the senior warrior with a steely glare.
"Cowards do not deserve honor." She spat. She gestured at the gathered Clan with a wild swing of her thick tail. "None of you deserve honor!"
Wingshadow's heart thudded in his chest. This is what he had feared would happen. He gazed desperately at his leader. They had supported her. They had fought for her even when they were stricken with illness. How could she think this of them?
Please don't do this! He begged silently.
"We have served you faithfully, Cougarstar." Fogpelt said. His voice was still calm although his eyes blazed. "We have served you despite your warmongering. We have stood by your side as you have made enemies of our fellow Clans. We have followed you as you sought to destroy the peace in the forest for your own selfish gain."
The whole Clan stared at Fogpelt. He was on all four paws, staring down his leader with a fury Wingshadow had never seen. Cougarstar stood with her mouth slightly open.
"I hoped a defeat would make you come to your senses." Fogpelt continued. "It seems even the needless death of your sister and an ill apprentice have had no effect on you. Where is the Cougarstar I knew?" His voice changed to a plea. "Where is the humble, loyal warrior who valued the lives of her Clanmates?"
Cougarstar stood alone at the center of the camp. Branches crisscrossed over her low hanging head. Her tail had fallen to the frozen ground. Finally, she spoke.
"So that is how you feel." She said in a voice almost too quiet to hear.
"You killed Splashpaw!" Breezeflight shrieked from beside Wingshadow. "She was sick and you made her fight!" The distraught warrior collapsed into his Clanmate's side and fell silent.
Wingshadow tensed, wondering what his once noble leader might do. The she-cat's spine stiffened and she turned away from her Clan. No cat said another word as the defeated leader padded to her den among the twisting roots of the Great Willow. She slipped inside.
Silence.
"That was painful to watch." A drawling voice caused Wingshadow to jump and look around for the source. His Clanmates did the same around him.
A stranger, a black and gray tom, was standing at the entrance to the camp. He stood casually as he surveyed the beaten and broken Clan. Fogpelt and a few others advanced with claws out.
"Who in StarClan's name are you?" Fogpelt demanded.
The newcomer swept the camp with calm yellow eyes. Then he spoke.
"I'm the cat who is going to save your Clan."