3rd POV
Graypaw and Firepaw were each eating their own piece of prey near the apprentices den when there was a warning yowl from smallear, who sitting at the edge of the clearing.
"Smallear smells trouble!" Graypaw meowed, immediately alert. Firepaw barely had time to look around before Ravenpaw crashed through the bushes and into the camp.. Graypaw gasped. "Ravenpaw! Why is he alone? Where's Tigerpaw?" Firepaw looked at Ravenpaw staggering across the floor of the clearing. He was panting heavily. His coat was ruffled and dusty, and his eyes were wild with fear. "Also were is Shadowpaw and Redtail?" Firepaw whispered to Graypaw, as several other cats raced past him to greet the new arrival. "Ravenpaw and Shadowpaw went out with Tigerclaw and Redtail at sunrise on a mission against RiverClan, the lucky furballs!"
"Why on earth has Ravenpaw come back alone?" We added to himself. He lifted his head to listen as Bluestar stepped forward. "Ravenpaw?" The she-cat spoke calmly, but a look of worry clouded her blue eyes. The other cats drew back, curling their lips with anxiety. "What has happened?" Bluestar jumped onto the Highrock and looked down at the trembling cat. "Speak, Ravenpaw!" Ravenpaw was still struggling for breath, and his sides heaved fitfully while the dust around him turned red with blood, but still he managed to scramble up onto the Highrock and stand beside Bluestar. He turned to the crowd of eager faces that surrounded him, and summoned enough breath to declare, "Redtail is dead!"
Shocked yowls rose from the Clan cats and echoed through the forest. Ravenpaw staggered slightly. His right foreleg glistened, wet with blood that flowed from the deep gash on his shoulder. "We m-met five RiverClan warriors beside the stream, not far from the Sunningrocks," he went on shakily. "Oakheart was among them." "Oakheart!" Graypaw gasped beside Firepaw. "He is the deputy of RiverClan. He's one of the greatest warriors in the forest. Lucky Ravenpaw! Wish it could have been me. I'd have really—" Graypaw was silenced by a fierce glance from the old gray tom who had first sensed Ravenpaw's return. Firepaw turned his attention back to Ravenpaw. "Redtail warned Oakheart to keep his hunting parties out of ThunderClan territory. He said the next RiverClan warrior to be caught in ThunderClan territory would be killed, but Oak…Oakheart would not back down. He said his Cl-Clan had to be fed, whatever we threatened." Ravenpaw paused to wheeze for breath.
His wound was still bleeding heavily, and he stood awkwardly to keep the weight off his shoulder. "That's when the RiverClan cats attacked. It was hard to see what was happening. The fighting was vicious. I saw Oakheart had Shadowpaw pinned to the ground, but then Tigerclaw…" Suddenly Ravenpaw's eyes rolled in his head and he lurched sideways. Half scrambling, half falling, he slithered off the Highrock and collapsed on the ground below. A ginger queen bounded toward him and crouched at his side.
She licked his cheek briefly and called out, "Spottedleaf!" Out of the fern-shaded corner trotted the pretty tortoiseshell Firepaw had noticed sitting beside Graypaw earlier. She hurried over to Ravenpaw and mewed for the queen to stand back. Then she used her small pink nose to roll the apprentice over so that she could take a good look at the wound. She glanced up and meowed, "It's all right, Goldenflower, his wounds aren't fatal. But I'll need to fetch some cobwebs to stop the bleeding."
As Spottedleaf sprinted back to her den, the hushed silence in the clearing was broken by a mournful howl. All eyes turned to the direction it had come from. Tigerclaw and Shadowpaw both staggered through the gorse tunnel. Between Tigerclaw's sharp teeth the warrior held not prey, but the lifeless body of another cat. He dragged the tattered creature into the center of the clearing with Shadowpaw following. Firepaw craned his neck and glimpsed a flash of bright ginger tail hanging limply in the dust. Shock rippled through the Clan like a chill breeze. Beside Firepaw, Graypaw dropped into a crouch as grief swept over him. "Redtail!" "How did this happen, Tigerclaw?" demanded Bluestar from her position on the Highrock.
Tigerclaw let the scruff of Redtail's neck fall from his mouth. He looked steadily back at Bluestar. "He died with honor, struck down by Oakheart. I couldn't save him, but I managed to take Oakheart's life while he was still gloating over his victory." Tigerclaw's voice was strong and deep. "Redtail's death was not in vain, for I doubt we'll see RiverClan hunters in our territory again."
Firepaw glanced at Graypaw. The apprentice's eyes were dark with sadness. After a moment's pause, several of the cats moved forward to lick Redtail's bedraggled fur. As they groomed they purred hushed phrases to the dead warrior. Firepaw whispered into Graypaw's ear, "What are they doing?" Graypaw didn't take his eyes off the dead cat as he replied. "His spirit may have left to join StarClan, but the Clan will share tongues with Redtail one last time." "StarClan?" Firepaw echoed for it was the first he heard of it. "It's the tribe of heavenly warriors that watches over all Clan cats. You can see them in Silverpelt." Firepaw looked confused, so Graypaw explained. "Silverpelt is that thick band of stars you see each night stretching across the sky. Each star is a StarClan warrior. Redtail will be among them tonight."
Firepaw nodded, and Graypaw stepped forward to share tongues with his dead deputy. Bluestar had remained silent while the first cats came to pay their respects to Redtail. Now she leaped down from the Highrock and walked slowly toward Redtail's body. The other cats retreated and watched as their leader crouched down to share tongues with her old comrade one last time. When she had finished she raised her head and spoke. Her voice was low and thick with grief, and the Clan listened in silence. "Redtail was a brave warrior. His loyalty to ThunderClan could never be doubted. I always relied on his judgment, for it bore witness to the needs of the Clan, and was never swayed by self-interest or pride. He would have made a fine leader."
Firepaw watched. He had not known Redtail that well, but he couldn't help feeling moved as he witnessed the Clan mourn. Graypaw came and stood beside him again. "Dustpaw will be sad," he remarked. "Why?" "He was Redtail's apprentice. I wonder who his new mentor will be?" Firepaw glanced over at the small tom who squatted near Redtail's body, staring unseeing at the ground. Firepaw looked past him to the Clan leader. "How long will Blusetar sit with him?" he asked. "Probably the whole night," replied Graypaw. "Redtail was her deputy for many, many moons. She won't want to let him go too quickly. He was one of the best warriors. Not as big and powerful as Tigerclaw or Lionheart, but quick and clever." Firepaw looked at Tigerclaw, admiring the strength that swelled in his powerful muscles and broad head. His massive body showed signs of his warrior life. One of his ears was split into a deep vee shape, and a thick scar sliced the bridge of his nose.
He was next to Shadowpaw who had a distant look on her face staring forward before Shadowpaw left to the medicine cat den with Tigerclaw following, but he went towards Ravenpaw. Ravenpaw had Spottedleaf was crouching beside Tigerclaw's wounded apprentice, using her teeth and front paws to press wads of cobweb onto his shoulder wound. Firepaw leaned toward Graypaw and asked, "What's Spottedleaf doing?"
"Stopping the bleeding. It looked like a nasty cut. And Ravenpaw seemed really shaken up. He's always been a bit jumpy, but I've never seen him this bad before. Let's go and see if he's woken up yet." They made their way through the grieving cats toward the spot where Ravenpaw lay and settled themselves a respectful distance away to wait until Tigerclaw had finished speaking. "So, Spottedleaf." Tigerclaw addressed the tortoiseshell with a confident meow. "How is he? Do you think you can save him?" Spottedleaf didn't look up from her patient as she replied. "Yes it would be a pity if he died in his first fight, eh?" Firepaw could hear a teasing purr in her soft mew. "Will he live?" Tigerclaw demanded. "Of course. He just needs to rest." Tigerclaw snorted and looked down at the motionless black shape. Tigerclaw soon turned around and walked up to Shadowpaw who was treating her own wounds. Firepaw saw him lean down and whisper something to her which resized a nod from Shadowpaw.
Tigerclaw walked past the two and eyed Firepaw thoughtfully, "As a new apprentice and an old kittypet I shall watch your progress with interest young Firepaw." Firepaw puffed his chest out proudly as Tigerclaw stalked away. "Do you think he liked me?" "I don't think Tigerclaw likes any apprentices!" whispered Graypaw. Just then Ravenpaw stirred and twitched his ears. "Has he gone?" he mumbled.
"Who? Tigerclaw?" replied Graypaw, trotting toward him. "Yep, he's gone." "Hi, there," Firepaw began, about to introduce himself because he did not get a chance to the day before. "Go away, both of you!" Spottedleaf protested. "How am I meant to help these cats with all these interruptions!" She impatiently flicked her tail at Graypaw and Firepaw and pushed her way between them and her patient. Firepaw realized she was serious, despite the lively glimmer in her warm amber eyes. "Come on then, Firepaw," mewed Graypaw. "See you later, Ravenpaw."
Before he left Firepaw turned towards Shadowpaw who was looking at her paws, "Bye Shadowpaw!" Firepaw called out. Shadowpaw looked towards Firepaw and smiled slightly but it was strained and ready to fall. Firepaw was hesitant to leave but soon did after seeing Graypaw beckoning him over.