A/N: Here's Steeltalon's next chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
BERRYPAW'S POV
Berrypaw's tail trembled as he spoke the white warrior's name softly. Cloudtail didn't respond, not even when Brambleclaw dragged him off the Thunderpath. Cloudtail's blue eyes were still wide open, but glazed over. Cinderpaw let out a wail of loss and, almost without realizing what he was doing, Berrypaw touched his nose to her shoulder reassuringly.
"He...he can't be dead," Cinderpaw whispered. "He just can't!"
Brambleclaw shook his head sadly. "I'm...I'm sorry, Cinderpaw," he meowed, picking up Cloudtail's body gently and turning to go back to camp.
The reek of blood was making Berrypaw dizzy. It was all he could do to stop himself from retching. Cinderpaw pressed herself against him. Berrypaw could feel her small form shaking.
"That could've been me," Cinderpaw meowed. Her blue eyes were round with shock.
"But it wasn't," Berrypaw told her. "Cloudtail...sacrificed himself for you."
When they got back to camp, the reaction was instant.
"Cloudtail!" Firestar yowled. Leafpool swung around, her amber eyes wide.
"Great StarClan!" Graystripe gasped, bounding forward. Brambleclaw put the white warrior's body down and stepped back, head bowed sadly.
"What happened?" demanded Firestar, his gaze flicking from Berrypaw to Brambleclaw to Cinderpaw.
"Cinderpaw ran onto the Thunderpath," Brambleclaw explained in a quiet voice that carried around the camp. "If Cloudtail hadn't shoved her out of the way..." He refused to say more, turning his head away.
Berrypaw shuddered, imagining Cinderpaw's body on the Thunderpath where Cloudtail's was.
CINDERPAW'S POV
Cinderpaw gazed at Cloudtail's body, frightening images running through her mind. The monster...Cloudtail's eyes, full of certainty as he pushed her out of the way...the crack as the monster's paws hit Cloudtail...seeing Cloudtail in a pool of his own blood...
She shut her eyes tight, running blindly from the horrifying scene. She hardly heard Berrypaw call out after her. She needed to be alone.
She heard paws running after her, and knew that it was Berrypaw. He wound his strong body around hers, murmuring soothingly to her.
"It wasn't your fault," he kept repeating. "Cinderpaw, it wasn't your fault. StarClan chose today to take Cloudtail from us, and we must respect that."
Cinderpaw blinked, her eyes blue pools of anguish. "But Berrypaw...it was my fault. If I had been more careful...if I had listened for the monsters...he wouldn't be dead."
FIRESTAR'S POV
Firestar watched Cinderpaw and Berrypaw, his green eyes filled with sorrow. Cinderpaw shouldn't be berating herself like that. Cloudtail's death was an unfortunate accident, nothing more.
He pressed close to Graystripe, feeling wave after wave of shock roll over him. His sister's firstborn...dead. Firestar shivered, and Graystripe closed his eyes, murmuring under his breath. Leafpool leaned forward and closed Cloudtail's eyes with a tender lick.
"Cloudtail will be missed greatly," Firestar managed to mew.
A few sorrowful voices murmured, "May StarClan light his path."
A yowl of grief echoed around the camp. Heads turned to stare at who had yowled. Not surprisingly, it was Brightheart. She pushed her way forward and buried her muzzle in Cloudtail's long white fur. Her green eyes were glazed with tears threatening to fall at any second. Whitewhisker pushed her way through the crowd to stand beside her mother.
A second later, she let out a yowl. "Father! No! Don't leave us like this!"
Brightheart closed her eyes, trembling.
"Brightheart and Whitewhisker should be allowed to mourn alone," Firestar meowed. "The rest of us will join them later." He padded slowly over to the rockfall and his den, head held low and his tail brushing the ground.