Warriors A Tale Of Two Brothers

Chapter 8

Oak, Stone, Trickle and Speckle had not found any prey and the sun was starting to come down. Speckle and Oak decided to split apart from Trickle and Stone to check closer to the edge of Roaring Cliffs' land. Oak noticed an unfamiliar smell and signalled for Speckle to follow him into a bush. She nodded and creeped slowly behind him.

"It must be the Dusking Sky land up ahead," Speckle pointed out. Oak parted his jaw slightly to get a better waft of the scent. It was quite strong and dense, as if there was a thick cloud of it floating past. Oak grew tense, as the smell got closer; he crouched down lower and told Speckle to do the same.

"We mustn't be far from the marks. I can smell the Roaring Cliffs' horrid scent up ahead." Oak did not recognise the voice up ahead but he guessed that it was a few Dusking Sky cats. It sounded as if there were only two of them meaning that Speckle and Oak could take them, unless they were warriors. Then they had little chance defending themselves and their territory.

"Stop right there!" Oak and Speckle whipped their heads around to see where the voice had come from. It was Oak's father, Jay, and Spot, the two warriors of Roaring Cliffs. The Dusking Sky cats had gone silent. Jay growled furiously. Spot just stood beside him.

"Well, look who it is! Jay and Spot, the great warriors of Roaring Cliffs," The two Dusking Sky cats revealed themselves. One a dark grey tabby tom, and the other a brown and white tom.

"So I was right. Dusking Sky has finally decided to show their faces after all this time," Spot spat. The dark grey tabby tom unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground while the brown and white tom just sneered at him.

"So, why are you here?" Jay asked. The dark grey tabby tom breathed out and sheathed his claws, seeming a lot calmer.

"Slash and I have come to ask for a few pieces of prey because most of our clan have all become very ill and most of the kits that come into this world die before they even have a day to live," the brown and white tom pleaded. These two cats were obviously the warriors of Dusking Sky. Jay looked at Spot and then the two of them sat down.

"I am very sorry to hear that but our clan is finding it hard too. Our prey pile is becoming smaller and more pitiful each day, if we were to give up anything, it wouldn't be of much use to you," Jay explained. The two Dusking Sky cats glanced at each other and then back at Jay.

"Well then, we shall be on our way," Slash purred mischievously. Spot immediately leaped for him, digging his claws into the large tom's shoulders. He wreathed in pain and the brown and white tom retaliated by grabbing Spot by the scruff and slamming him against the ground. Spot yowled out in pain and slashed his claws against the tom's nose. The tom reared back and hissed.

"You really think, we would tell you if our clan was weak?" Spot spat. Slash got up on his paws and faced Spot, who was standing barely stable on his paws.

"You're going to pay for that pipsqueak!" Slash growled. He leaped into the air to dive onto Spot but Jay smashed against his stomach. The both of them went hurling to the ground. Slash landed with a loud thud on the ground. Jay got off him and bared his teeth ready to attack. Slash groaned loudly and rolled over.

"Get out of our land! Now!" Jay demanded.

The two Dusking Sky cats sat up and faced Jay and Spot who were both puffing. Slash dashed toward Jay and then slammed his head into his chest; Jay collapsed to the ground and lay motionless beneath the dark grey tabby tom. Oak immediately leaped from the bush and jumped onto the tom who was at least twice his size. He bit hard onto his scruff and then ripped at it. The tom tried to get him off but Oak just dug his claws and teeth deeper. He saw out of the corner of his eye his father getting up and staring at him with a mix of horror and pride in his eyes. Oak hadn't realised but he had loosened his grip meaning that Slash could tear him off. He felt a hard pull from his scruff and then all the air was knocked out of his chest as he was hurled into the ground.

"Oak, no!" Oak heard Speckle screech and then saw her leap out of the bush onto Slash's face; she scratched his eye and then bit his ear, shaking her head back and forth trying to rip it. Suddenly she flew off him and Slash's face was screwed up with pain and terror. Oak looked at Speckle and saw her sitting with a piece of flesh in her mouth. She was frozen, her jaw dropped and the flesh dropped onto the ground.

"Let's get out of here!" Slash cowered while sprinting away from the Roaring Cliffs' land, his ear still bleeding from what was left of it. Speckle had torn a complete half of the tom's ear off. The other tom faced her with a snarl, and then left the clearing.

"Jay…" Oak sat up wearily and looked at Spot; the black and white tom collapsed to the ground and began to breathe heavily. Oak stood up and went over to him, quickly followed by Jay and Speckle. Spot had a deep gash in his throat that was pooling blood. Oak felt Speckle bury her head in his shoulder. Oak suddenly felt a deep sadness inside him.

"Oh for the love of all prey, Spot. How…what happened?" Jay whimpered, he was obviously close with the tom. Spot looked up at him weakly.

"The… the other cat, Falcon… He got me while you fought Slash," Spot stammered, his breathing was beginning to slow down and his eyes were becoming clouded. Jay quickly picked him up and hung him over his back then started racing back to camp. Speckle and Oak followed him and they arrived shortly afterwards. Trickle and Stone were back in camp with a few pieces of fresh-kill. The clearing went quiet as Jay, Oak and Speckle walked in.

"Spot!" A she-cat shrieked. Oak looked over and saw Spark. She dashed to Jay's side and helped him place Spot on the ground. Spot reached his head up and licked her already tear-soaked cheek. She buried her face in his non-bloody neck fur and then placed her paw on his flank.

"I… I'm sorry Spark…" Spot rasped. Spark gave his ear a gentle lick and then shushed him.

"It's not your fault my love. You are a great warrior, just stay strong for me," She praised, her voice shaken with grief. Spot rested his head on the ground and began to cry.

"I don't think I can," He wheezed. Spark curled around him and then entwined her tail with his. He raised his head and looked at her stomach.

"I'm sorry I won't be there for them…" Spot's voice began to trail off and Spark became frantic. She nudged him slightly with her nose and then gave his ear a few more licks.

"You will! I won't let you leave!" She cried, laying her head down next to his. Spot smiled and then slowly closed his eyes.

"Make sure you don't end here my love. I will always be with you in spirit…" Spot's last few words seemed to echo around the camp, filling the silence. He reached for Spark and then gave her nose a soft lick before closing his eyes and touching his nose to hers. Spot was gone.