Chapter Twenty
The air in the clearing grew tense, all the cats looking up at the top of the ravine. Shadowheart's blood was ice cold, staring at Hawk in horror. The large tabby was alone, his yellow eyes piercing through the thickened air.
"You miserable cats think you can stop me by working together do you?" he taunted, eyes narrowed to slits. "Let's see how well you fair away from your precious camps. After all, they're the heart of the Clans aren't they?"
He can't possibly attack all the camps at once, can he? Shadowheart stepped forward, but was shoved aside by Stonetail, who was angrily running up the snowy slope. "Stonetail!" he heard Icestar call out to his deputy. The large tom ignored his leader, eyes set on Hawk as he scrambled up through the snow.
Shadowheart quickly raced after his father, his heart pounding. Meanwhile he heard chaos erupt behind him as the cats all gathered with their Clans to rush back home. He heard Foxstar's summons, but ignored them. He couldn't leave Stonetail to face Hawk alone. Fur brushed alongside his flank as he ran, and he saw Blackflame's dark pelt beside him. Together, the two brothers rushed after their father.
At the top of the slope, Stonetail had Hawk cornered, his hackles raised and blue eyes narrowed angrily. "You snake heart!" he heard his father snarl. "Tell me what happened to Silversky!"
Shadowheart froze, his ears pricked. Blackflame tensed beside him, his gaze wide as he faced Hawk. No cat truly knew what happened the day Silversky had found herself drowned in the river, no one except Hawk that was.
Hawk didn't seem daunted in the least. His eyes were full of mock pity, and he paced around Stonetail slowly. "Oh, Silversky. What a poor wretched soul she was," he meowed smoothly. "All alone beside the river with her three half-Clan kits. No mate, no Clan, just three pitiful mouths to feed."
Faint memories stirred in Shadowheart's mind as Hawk spoke. The soft fur of his mother's belly, his two littermates beside him as they shared the small den in the bramble bush beside a large oak. The sound of the river flowing nearby, the scent of a familiar cat was there as well. One Shadowheart could not quite recall. Was there another cat with his mother during those days? A loner perhaps? Shadowheart couldn't pin point the memory clearly.
"I decided to ease her burden," Hawk went on, coming to stop before Stonetail. "She wouldn't surrender the kits easily, so we, well, we took them by force. That she-cat was too strong willed for her own good. She decided to test StarClan's faith by throwing herself into the flooded river with that one," he directed his gaze towards Blackflame. "My subordinate, Mole, took mercy on them apparently. As he raised him far from the Clans. Silversky's death was on her own paws, she knew the risk. All she had to do was comply. But perhaps it's the sad tragic tale of a treacherous she-cat betraying her Clan, and her worthless mate not being there beside her."
"So you did kill her!" the rage in Stonetail's mew startled Shadowheart. "She would have been back in the Clans safe and sound if her own Clanmate hadn't turned on her!"
Hawk let out a laugh. "Clanmate? I was no longer apart of your pathetic Clans by then. No, I was on my own. Be grateful, Stonetail. I raised two of your kits to be strong; why, even Cinder sees the truth."
Stonetail didn't listen to anymore of Hawk's jeers. With a yowl of fury, he leaped at the brown tabby. The two toms collided and rolled across the snowy ground. Stonetail pinned Hawk down, sinking his teeth into his shoulder, but Hawk was able to throw the gray tom off of him easily. Winded, Stonetail struggled to his paws, but Hawk quickly leaped onto him. He sunk his teeth into his neck before Shadowheart or Blackflame had the chance to react.
Blood spurted from his wound, and Shadowheart let out an angry screech as he charged at Hawk. Hawk nimbly dodged him, slicing his claws across Shadowheart's muzzle. Blood sprayed the white snow, and clouded his vision as he chased angrily after Hawk.
"Shadowheart!" Blackflame called after him, keeping his paws on Stonetail's neck wound.
Giving up the chase, he turned his attention back to Stonetail, who laid motionless in the snow. Blood stained the ground around his body, and flashbacks to Sagepelt's death flew into his mind. I've failed to protect another cat! An agonized wail threatened to spill out of Shadowheart's body, but he fought it down and quickly rushed to be beside his father.
Stonetail was still breathing, his eyes glazed with grief and pain. Shadowheart quickly searched for cobwebs in the nearby brambles, hoping to stop the bleeding. When he found a small clump, he pressed it onto Stonetail's wound frantically. Blackflame sat nearby, his eyes wide with distress. To Shadowheart's relief, the blood seem to finally stop; Hawk must have missed the major vein in Stonetail's neck.
His father coughed weakly, trying to lift his head. "We...We must go back to the Clans. I fear the worst."
Blackflame nudged Stonetail to his paws gently, Shadowheart standing beside him to let his father lean on him for support. "We will," he promised. "But first we must go back to LeafClan. Pinefrost needs to tend to your wound."
"And yours?" Stonetail questioned, his weary eyes focused on Shadowheart's bleeding muzzle.
Shadowheart shook his head. "Mine can wait, they're only scratches."
The three toms walked the rest of the way in silence. Stonetail staggered here and there, but thanks to Blackflame and Shadowheart, he managed to keep his balance as they trudged through the snow. As they neared LeafClan territory, the echoes of cats fighting could be heard. Shadowheart glanced at Blackflame, his own worry reflected in his brother's silver gaze. The sounds of yowls and screeches drew closer, and soon they were headed through the camp's entrance.
Shadowheart stared in terror as rogues overflowed the clearing, his Clanmates viciously fighting them off. A cat laid in the center, and with a jolt of horror Shadowheart recognized Cloudflight's blood stained body. Nearby Rainfall, Yellowsky, and Snowfoot fought rogues away from the nursery while Ivyfrost kept all the kits near the back of the den, her pelt spiked with horror. Silverleaf and Firelight were busy keeping the elders safe, while Pinefrost and Ravenpaw were cornered by a rogue near the medicine cat den. Shadowheart left his father's side in an instant, leaping at the rogue with a screech of fury.
He instantly recognized the rogue as the cat called Spike. The white-and-black tom let out yowl of fury as Shadowheart pinned him to the ground. Swiping angrily at his muzzle, Shadowheart managed to avoid the blows as he sunk raked the tom's belly with his back claws. Letting out an agonized yowl, he shoved Shadowheart away and bolted back into the forest. Glancing back to make sure Pinefrost and Ravenpaw were okay, he charged back into the battle. Blackflame was guiding Stonetail towards the medicine den, while the rest of the rogues were being driven out.
"Foxstar!" Alderleaf's yowl caught his attention.
The LeafClan leader laid motionless in the clearing, while Dune stood over her.
Racing towards the one-eyed rogue, Shadowheart swiped angrily at him. With a glint of satisfaction, Dune leaped out of the way and raced out of camp with his rogue campmates. Staring at Foxstar's still body, he realized with horror that she was losing a life. The clearing became silent, the Clan battered and tired.
The Clan was slowly gathering around Foxstar's still body, except for the newest apprentices—Leopardpaw, Lynxpaw, and Tigerpaw—who had found their mother's dead body nearby. Lionclaw was with them, his tail wrapped around his daughters as they grieved. Worry for his father, Blackflame, and Firelight gripped his heart then. Alderleaf gave a nod to Shadowheart.
"I'll stay with Foxstar," he murmured, his own muzzle scratched and bleeding from several wounds. "Go and find Firelight."
Dipping his head respectfully, Shadowheart ran off through the camp. He could see Stonetail had made it safely to the medicine cats, who were busily treating him and the others wounded. Blackflame was nearby with Sandpool, the two cats talking in hushed conversation. Heart racing, Shadowheart saw no sign of Firelight. Had she met the same fate as Cloudflight? Panic setting in, he peered into each den. To his relief, he found Firelight in the elder's den, settling Frosttail and Nettleleaf back into their nests.
"Firelight!" he called, relief flowing over him.
Firelight quickly looked up, her ginger fur ruffled with blood from various scratches. "Shadowheart!"
"Are you okay?" he asked, as she stepped out of the den.
Firelight nodded, looking around the camp with wide eyes. "Yeah, I was helping take care of the elders. Thankfully, other than being in shock, they're safe," she looked at him. "What about you?"
Shadowheart gave a nod. "I'm okay. I have some scratches, but they're not too bad."
Recalling that not everyone was okay suddenly sunk in once more. He lowered his head. "Firelight, Foxstar lost a life. And," he began, not sure how to tell Firelight that her former mentor was dead. "Cloudflight, she..." he looked down at his paws.
Firelight seemed to catch on, her eyes growing wide with distress. "Cloudflight is dead?"
She didn't wait for an answer. She rushed over towards the still body of her former mentor, and bowed her head in grief. Shadowheart watched, his heart aching. He knew all too well what it was like to lose a mentor. Nothing he could say or do could help Firelight now, all she needed was time to grieve.
He glanced back over at Foxstar, and noticed she was now sitting up, the blood from the wound that killed her crusted and dried. Making his way over, he dipped his head.
"Firelight is safe," he quickly told Alderleaf, who visibly relaxed. He turned his gaze to Foxstar. "What do we do now? Cloudflight is dead, and many of the Clan is injured."
Foxstar's eyes were glazed. "We must recover," she murmured. "But first, I must know if we were the only camp attacked. I want to send three patrols to each camp to see if they have met the same fate."
"Who should we send?" Alderleaf asked.
Foxstar closed her eyes for a few moments. "Send Rainfall and Softstep to ReedClan. I want Blackflame and Brownclaw to go to PineClan, while Redfur and Amberfur can go to BreezeClan."
"What about me?" Shadowheart asked, stepping forward. "My wounds aren't that bad."
Foxstar met his gaze. "I want you here in camp, in case there's another attack. I can barely afford to send these warriors to check on the other Clans as it is."
Shadowheart dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Stonetail is in our camp," he told her. "Is it okay for me to escort him back once he's well?"
Narrowing her eyes, Foxstar lashed her tail. "Very well. But he is to stay only until he is fit enough to leave. No more."
Alderleaf left her side to organize the three patrols, and Shadowheart felt himself begin to sway. All the excitement had drained his energy, and the first thing he wanted to do was curl into his nest and sleep. However, he knew the Clan needed him to tend to the broken dens and extra patrols. Foxstar turned to climb up the Highoak, staggering as she climbed up. The Clan looked up from where they stood, and stared bleakly at their leader.
"We have encountered a battle unlike the others we have faced," she began, her voice flat. "Today we lost a warrior, Cloudflight, and StarClan will honor her as she joins them among the stars tonight," she looked down at the Clan, and Shadowheart noticed she still seemed weak. "With the threat towards our Clan heading closer by each day, we will need more warriors than ever. That is why two apprentices who fought hard today will receive their warrior names."
"Larkpaw," the white tom looked up solemnly from where he sat. He stood and approached the Highoak. Foxstar dipped her head to him. "I, Foxstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on their apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn," Larkpaw stared up at her expectantly as she went on. "Larkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Larkpaw promised.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Larkpaw, from this moment you will be known as Larkflight. StarClan honors your bravery and determination, and welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan."
Sparrowpaw was next, coming to stand beside her brother. "And do you, Sparrowpaw, also promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," she agreed, trembling.
"Then you will be known as Sparrowsong. StarClan honors your energy and spirit, and welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan."
"Larkflight! Sparrowsong! Larkflight! Sparrowsong!" the Clan cheered loudly, Firelight among the loudest for her former apprentice.
Shadowheart watched his Clan as they gathered around the new warriors, and felt a sense of dread wash over him. Just how much more will the Clan suffer before Hawk's greed for power overtakes the all?