Warriors A Tale Of Two Brothers
Prologue
"Where is my son?" Jay exclaimed, his voice shaken with grief and panic. Stone faced him, his face full of terror.
"Jay, I found him a few minutes ago," Stone's voice was full of pain as he spoke; the two of them had been close since birth. Jay stepped closer to his son.
"Is he alive?" Jay whimpered, his voice still sharp and demanding considering what was happening.
"Yes, but his wound hasn't s-stopped bleeding," Stone confirmed, as strongly as he could.
"Father…" Jay whipped his head around to face his son, the tom was barely awake but his blue eyes were glistening in the slight moonlight that shone down on the clearing, his neck was oozing blood and he looked about ready for his sides to collapse.
"Stay strong son!" Jay ran to his side and allowed his kit to rest his head on his front paws, the tom looked up at him and began to speak.
"I did exactly as you said dad, I held my head up high, no matter what happened," he rasped, his voice barely coming out as a whisper.
"I know, I know, you did everything just right…" Jay soothed, giving his son's head a few soft licks.
"Even before I became an apprentice, I was aiming for the sky," His eyes started to tear up as he spoke, he knew what was coming. Jay leant down toward his son. Suddenly Wisp burst into the clearing, her grief-stricken meow ringing in Jay's ears.
"Is he breathing? Is he going to survive this? Who did this Jay, did you know?" She screeched. Jay just looked at her and signalled her over to their son. She did not move, she simply stood where she was, looking at the tom who was now barely breathing. The tom raised his head a little higher and began to say something to her.
"Mum, I'm so sorry for forgetting, what you taught…" He wheezed, his body now becoming limper with every breath.
"My son…" Wisp whispered, she moved closer and leaned over him, licking his flank to clean off the dirt and blood.
"We played together…" The tom's eyes were now full of shine from the tears he was producing. Wisp was just looking at him, her eyes were full of disbelief.
"I taught you how to hunt," She meowed back to him, the tom took a few heavy breaths before looking behind his parents where his brother sat. Jay and Wisp looked at him as well, he moved closer to his brother without looking at his parents.
"Brother, I wish I could have seen your kits," He whispered, the brother collapsed to the ground beside him and rested his head on his flank, his eyes beginning to water.
"I will tell them all about you, nothing missed," He purred back, the brother chuckled slightly.
"That'll take moons…" He heaved; his body convulsing slightly, his heartbeat began to slow.
"Brother! Save your strength please, I can't live without you!" The brother's eyes were now pouring out tears and he was giving his brother a few gentle nudges to help him up, the brother wouldn't budge. Jay, Wisp and Stone watched on as the brother screeched in agony for his dead brother, he dug his claws into the blood soaked ground beneath him and nudged his brother multiple times with his head. He was gone.
"Come on son, we must go." Jay padded over to his son, making sure to be as careful as he could.
"No, I won't leave him! Just let me rest with him one more night, please!" The brother pleaded with his father. Jay nodded and left him alone with his brother. Wisp walked over to her kits and gave each of them a soft lick on their heads, she then followed Jay out of the clearing.
"I'll tell your mate that you're alright," Stone meowed to the grieving brother. He simply nodded in reply so Stone went to leave.
"Wait; don't tell his mate, I would like to tell her!" The brother confided, not facing Stone. He nodded and then leaped out of the clearing.
"I'll never forget your brave heart and kind spirit, I will raise your kits as if they were my own and I'll make sure to care for your mate like a sister," The brother meowed quietly into his brother's ear. He felt a cold chill down his spine and looked up to see a light figure of his brother standing above his body. Then it was gone. Be at peace brother… Help will come.