Warriors
I'm so mean for killing Grasspaw…but it's the circle of life and eventually the cats die!!
Chapter 3
The journey back to camp was dead silent except for Dapplesun's constant wails of shock and sadness. Hazelpaw was carrying the rabbit I had caught while Nightpaw carried his mice and I carried my vole and mouse. We kept to the outside of the forest, but I wanted to just duck into the forest and race through the undergrowth and feel the cooling touch of the shade and to just eat the vole and mouse in my mouth. When we arrived at the entrance tunnel Cinderwing led Dapplesun and Oakfur inside first and Hazelpaw, Nightpaw and I hung back as we were not ready to face our clan just yet. As we entered the tunnel eventually we could hear shocked and horrified yowls from the camp and as we entered the cats were all gathered around in a small circle with Dapplesun and Oakfur sitting closer to the middle and directly in the middle sat Cinderwing and in front of him Puddlestar sat with Honeyclaw at his side, her head bowed in grief.
"Come on," I led the way over to the fresh-kill pile and we dropped our catch and then we all looked at the group of cats.
"We need to retrieve her body," Puddlestar called loudly. "Oakfur, Vineclaw, Willowtail, and Mosspaw go back and get her body and bring her back, but be careful," Puddlestar said more softly and the acknowledged cats hurried out of camp and the cats in the circle broke up and went to different spots in the camp and sat down in small groups.
"You three can get something to eat," Honeyclaw padded over and nodded to me. "Cinderwing told me that you and Nightpaw tracked Grasspaw to where she died…I'm sorry you had to see that, but you both did well and I'm sorry," Honeyclaw said and she flicked her tail at the rabbit.
"I'll take that to the elders," Hazelpaw said and grabbed the rabbit and started towards the elders den. I bent down and grabbed my mouse and a my vole for Hazelpaw and Nightpaw grabbed a blackbird. Brackenpaw and Smokepaw were sitting outside of the apprentices den and they beckoned us over and we padded over and settled down and soon we called Hazelpaw over and I slid the vole her way.
"Thanks," Hazelpaw said and took a small bite out of the vole and chewed slowly. I ate a huge chunk of the mouse, but it tasted bitter and I wanted to spit it out, but I somehow managed to swallow, but I shoved the rest away.
"This is a bittersweet meal," Smokepaw whispered as he pushed away his thrush.
"Especially since one of our den mates is not going to be joining us ever again," Nightpaw added.
"Starclan will take good care of her," I said and Hazelpaw nodded.
"She is with Rockpaw now, she'll be happy," Hazelpaw said and we all looked at her, since she had only been a kit at the time of his death. "I may have been a kit, but my memory has never failed me," Hazelpaw added quietly and we all nodded solemnly and then the camp began all silent and hushed as Mosspaw bounded forward into the camp slowly followed by Willowtail, Oakfur, and Vineclaw who were all carefully balancing, Grasspaw's limp body on them. They moved into the center of the camp and then they delicately set her down and then moved away and the other cats sat up and moved closer around the fallen apprentice. The apprentices and I stood up and when we were joined by Mosspaw strode slowly over to our den mate and the other cats moved aside so that we could move through the crowd. Everyone knew how close we had all grown as apprentices and Grasspaw had been the oldest of us, looking out for us whenever we needed her, but now she was gone and we had to cope with it forever.
"The vigil will begin now," Puddlestar called as he padded forward and sat at Grasspaw's head. I looked up at the sun which was slowly descending through the sky, casting its final rays down upon the clan that had just lost a very important member. Everyone just sat around Grasspaw until the sun had finally gone from the sky and the moon had first showed the first signs of its rise and the stars had already appeared in the night sky. "Grasspaw was the eldest apprentice up to now, and we honor her courage, her spirit, and the grief she had to carry for so long concerning her brother's untimely death," Puddlestar began. "She was well liked and very happy all the time and she and her fellow apprentices had a bond so close that this death must be hard on all of them as it is on all of us. Grasspaw will be missed dearly and I, Puddlestar, leader of Shadowclan ask our warrior ancestors who watch over use and guide us through the rough times and the good to take good care of her and welcome her, not as an apprentice for that is what we say her as, but as a warrior to which she really was inside," Puddlestar called out loudly and then silence followed and slowly cats began to gather around her and they rested there noses on her flanks or in her fur or began to groom her to show that they cared.
"We will wait till everyone else is done," Nightpaw said and I knew that he was ready to take on responsibility as eldest apprentice to be willing to watch out for us and he would be the one who would guide us through this tragedy no matter what.
"We will wait all night if we must," Smokepaw whispered.
"For all of eternity if we have too," I added strongly.
"Till we die if that is what our destinies say," Mosspaw whispered.
"After we join the ranks of Starclan if that is true," Brackenpaw said quietly.
"Till long after our spirits have been forgotten and have just settled forever into the depths of Starclan," Hazelpaw added and we all glanced at each other.
"If that is what will reunite us with our lost den mate, friend, and warrior," We all recited in unison. We had said that same thing when Rockpaw had died and we were not going to let this change anything, but the only difference was that Nightpaw had led this sermon instead of Grasspaw.
After a while I was getting tired, but Nightpaw gently woke me up completely and then he led us over to Grasspaw who was only surrounded by Dapplesun and Puddlestar. We all settled down around Grasspaw and started to groom her still ruffled fur. Nightpaw and Smokepaw were on either side on me and Mosspaw, Brackenpaw, and Hazelpaw were on the other side of Grasspaw with Dapplesun. I kept just grooming her fur until it was shiny and beautiful and shone like all of the stars in the night sky and then I just gently set my head on her flank and closed my eyes.
"I hope you and Rockpaw live peacefully in Starclan my friend, I will never forget you," I whispered and I opened my eyes and sat up and so did all the others, like we were in a timed unison together. We all backed away and I looked up at the sky and saw that it was turning a faint gray color and that dawn could not be too far away.
"Mosspaw, Brackenpaw, Hazelpaw go get some rest," Nightpaw ordered and the three looked at him sadly.
"We want to stay too," Mosspaw objected.
"Please," Brackenpaw begged and I let my tail rest on Nightpaw's shoulder and he glanced at me.
"Let them stay, this is our final chance to say goodbye," I whispered and Nightpaw nodded and the three sat down beside each other on Smokepaw's other side and we all sat and waited. I felt like I was sitting my warrior vigil and I felt excited for a few moments, but my sadness filled my veins and my mind with Grasspaw's pool of blood and the reek of the blood that had led me to her. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and I got a worried glance from Nightpaw, but I looked away from him.
"Dapplesun, its time," Puddlestar's voice made me look over at Grasspaw's body. The sky was a light pink color and the sun was just showing itself along the horizon. The four elders had assembled themselves outside of there den and I realized that more cats had appeared from their dens. The queen were sitting quietly outside the nursery with their kits silently curled up beside them watching in sadness, while many warriors were sitting or standing outside of their den watching as the elders began to move quickly and quietly across the clearing. Puddlestar and Dapplesun stepped back a few steps and the elders split into two groups that went on either side of Grasspaw and then on a single command all of the elders lifted Grasspaw upon their shoulders and then they slowly made their way towards the tunnel entrance.
"Goodbye Grasspaw," I called out and the other apprentices took up the call as well and we continued until all of the elders and Grasspaw's body had disappeared into the tunnel and were gone.
"All of you go get some rest, you've had a long and difficult night," Puddlestar ordered from where he sat and he whispered something to Dapplesun and she nodded and walked away and towards the warriors den where Willowtail and many others greeted her, but she just simply mewed something and went inside.
"Come on Twigpaw," Nightpaw said and nudged me to my paws and I finally realized how exhausted I felt, my paws ached and my muscles still hurt from digging up all of the moss earlier and then scrambling up and down through the rock cave and combined with hunting and everything made me want to sleep so badly. Nightpaw led the way into the apprentices den where the others were setting down around the edge and I took in a deep breath and sighed with relief and grief. The apprentices den was a very large bramble bush, with a small entrance and a very large center, but so no one pricked themselves, all of the thorns had been scraped away carefully. My nest was located close to the entrance right beside Nightpaw's. I went to my nest and kneaded it a few times before I curled up in it and then I felt Nightpaw's comforting body against mine.
"Goodnight Nightpaw," I whispered and I closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep.
"Twigpaw, wake up," Willowtail's soft voice drifted me awake and I blinked open my eyes and I gazed up into the eyes of my mentor. She beckoned me out of the den and I nodded and she disappeared out of the den and I slowly got up and stretched lazily and looked around the den. All of the other apprentices were fast asleep and I was not planning on waking any of the up so I delicately stepped around Nightpaw and Brackenpaw and then I slipped out of the den. Willowtail was waiting outside the den for me and when I came out she looked me up and down and then we touched noses like we did during my apprentice ceremony. "I'm really sorry about what happened," Willowtail began and I sighed.
"I'm sad yes, but another part of me just wants to let her go and get on with my life, but I don't want too," I suddenly burst and Willowtail nodded and wrapped her tail around her paws.
"I know its hard to decide what to do, but what do you think would make Grasspaw happy?" Willowtail asked and I looked at her and then at my paws.
"Grasspaw always said that becoming a warrior was the goal we should always strive for, so I guess she'd want me to be sad about her death, but to continue working hard to be a warrior," I said and Willowtail nodded again and purred.
"Let's go on patrol, just you and me and we can talk some more," Willowtail suggested and I nodded.
"That would be fun," I whispered and Willowtail nodded and she stood up and beckoned me with her tail to follow her. She padded over towards Honeyclaw who was talking with Sunstreak and Pebblefoot.
"Hello Willowtail," Honeyclaw greeted and she looked at me and her gaze softened. "Hello Twigpaw, how are you?" Honeyclaw asked and all four cats looked at me.
"Fine, thank you," I replied and Willowtail looked back to Honeyclaw.
"I'm taking Twigpaw out on a patrol, we'll be back soon," Willowtail said and Honeyclaw nodded and then she and Willowtail exchange a certain gaze, but it was gone seconds later so I couldn't decipher it.
"Have fun and don't get into trouble," Pebblefoot warned jokingly and I flicked his shoulder with my tail as Willowtail and I started across the clearing and then we both slipped into the entrance tunnel and soon we were in the forest. The shade of the trees cooled me down and I felt happy, but there was still that lingering sadness about Grasspaw, but for now I just wanted to let free and be happy and not have to worry about anything.
I sank my teeth gratefully into the delicious mouse for I dying of hunger and Willowtail had gone caught two mice while I splashed around in the shallows of river and after we traveled to the very edge of our territory which was a large field and as we were padding down all seemed quiet and well and my thoughts and mind could not be any clearer and I could not feel happier, but in the pit of my stomach I felt like something was about to happen and then I heard a loud snarl that made me jump. I turned to look at Willowtail who had signaled the snarl and I saw that her teeth were bared and her fur was prickling with anger and her tail was lashing back in forth and her eyes were full of fury. I followed her gaze to the very edge of the field where three cats were poised there tails raised in horror and fear and there claws scraping against the grass.
My instincts caught over my mind and I instantly started growling and getting ready to fight and Willowtail and I crept closer and I looked at the three strangers closely. There was a tabby tom, a light gray tom, and a black and white she-cat. I glared at them all and then the she-cat relaxed and her eyes got really large as she took me in fully and I rose still growling to face her and realized she wasn't that much taller than I was, but she was definitely a full grown cat. Suddenly she raced forward her eyes still wide and I thought she was going to attack me so I readied myself, but then she stopped and started to purr and she rubbed her head against my neck like a mother would do to her kit if it was lost and had just been found.
"My daughter," The she-cat exclaimed and my heart seemed to stop and so did the whole world…