Chapter 3, The fire
Shadowflight yowled in terror. She jabbed Ferncloud in the ribs. "Wake up! Fire!"
She raced into the camp yowling. Cats raced out of there dens, and in a panic the dashed around, trying to get out.
Ferncloud was wailing at the entrance of the nursery, shielding her kits as flames leaped toward her.
Shadowflight raced over and grabbed two of them. "Take the other and get out!" she yowled. In terror Ferncloud scooped it up and raced for the entrance.
Shadowflight dropped the other two at her feet, then dashed back in.
Cloudtail and Thornclaw were herding the elders to the entrance.
Shadowflight raced into the camp and pulled out Sootpaw, who was cowering, stiff with terror. She dashed out, and soon Brackenfur and Brightheart got out the last cats.
The started to move away from the camp, but suddenly Ferncloud yowled, "Birchkit!"
Leafpool, too, was looking scared. "I cannot find Willowbranch!" she yowled in fear for her apprentice.
"I'll get them," Shadowflight meowed. She dashed into the camp, with Brackenfur close behind.
The thick walls were curling away, and the fire had gotten worse. Shadowflight looked around desperately, before she saw Birchkit clinging to the side of a young sapling. She climbed up the tree, and grasped him in her jaws.
Suddenly the tree began to crack, and Shadowflight and the kit hurtled to the ground and landed in some leaping flames.
She rushed out; her black fur singed, and struggled over to Brackenfur. Willowbranch was beside him.
"Go!" Brackenfur yowled at the apprentice. She rushed out, and Shadowflight ran after her, but a tree crashed down in front of Brackenfur. He was trapped from the entrance.
"Come on!" Shadowflight yowled. He shook his head. "I can't! You go on; I'll find a way out!"
Shadowflight gave him a furious look, but rushed into the forest. Rain began to splatter her pelt. Shadowflight sighed with relief and went after the other cats, who had settled at Snakerocks.
She dropped Birchkit in front of Ferncloud.
OoOoO
The Clan padded carefully into the camp, which was black and burnt. It was a day from the fire, and the Clan was going back to the camp.
"Brackenfur!" Shadowflight yowled, dashing over to the warriors den. The ginger tom was in there.
"Shadow…flight…let…me…go…" he whispered. "I couldn't…get…out…goodbye."
He let out a big breath and was still. Shadowflight picked up his body and dragged him out into the clearing.
"Shadowflight!" Mousefur called, bounding over, then stopped when she saw Brackenfur. "He's dead? Oh, that's sad."
She seemed unconcerned. "I want you to help get the walls of the nursery rebuilt with Thornclaw and Cloudtail. Then try to get some fresh-kill for the pile."
Shadowflight bounded over to the nursery, with her belly swinging. It was even larger then before.
Cloudtail had gathered a pile of sticks, and was weaving the together. His white pelt was stained with wet ash.
Shadowflight picked up a twig and placed it carefully on the wall. She worked all day, and soon the wall was full of brambles too.
She finished and washed her paws, then trotted out of camp to get some fresh-kill.
The sun had been down now for a long time. Shadowflight hunted a long time, but caught nothing except a tiny vole, and it had hardly any meat. She ate it guiltily, then after another long search, she found nothing and came back.
Mousefur trotted up. "No fresh-kill? The pile's empty."
She sniffed Shadowflight's muzzle. "You ate, and didn't bring any back?" she made a sneering face. "Bad Twoleg! Baaaad!"
Shadowflight unsheathed her claws and hissed. Mousefur backed away, with a fake look of fear on her face. "Oh, I'm so scared!"
She scrunched up her face in mock confusion. "I wonder why you ate…hmmm."
Shadowflight turned around and flounced over to the nursery. She lay down on her nest.
"From Water and Night some new ones will come. They are in cursed and in danger of enemy claws, and will die if the Chosen cannot protect them."
Shadowflight yowled, and whirled around, trying to find the speaker. The voice seemed to come from the whole forest.
"Look out," whispered a soft voice.
Shadowflight stared into the mist and she saw four, motionless bodies. Kit bodies.