"Er, I don't think he can talk," came Shadowheart's awkward meow from the cages below. Badgerfur's heart plummeted as fast as the monsters had plowed into each other.
"W-what do you mean?" he stuttered. "Firestar's not dead, is he? Please don't tell me you're lying next to a dead corpse." Privately he though, we have enough of those on our paws as it is. Worried, he wondered where Leafheart was. And if the Clan had found Bluepaw yet.
"I don't know," was Shadowheart's miserable reply.
Bramblestar stared at the wall of brambles and nettles that surrounded the Camp, listening hard for the sound of the approaching patrol. Their pawsteps grew louder, and he looked eagerly up as the first cats began to arrive, but dropped his gaze sadly almost at once.
The patrol's heads and tails where down, the cats dejected as they scattered in the quarry and padded around aimlessly.
Squirrelflight left the lead of the patrol with Sandstorm, and the two she-cats made a beeline for Bramblestar. He looked up anxiously, but their looks said everything: the patrol had not been found.
Sandstorm spoke first. "There's no sign of them by WindClan," she meowed in a tired monotone. The old warrior's eyes where sad.
"Nothing at all?" Bramblestar meowed to Squirrelflight. She shook her head.
"Nothing there. But I took my patrol west by the ShadowClan border, and we found something interesting. The scents of some RiverClan cats, up by our border. Their scents where layered, but there was a dim whisk of blood and our cats. I think they passed by there, but I don't know what happened. We went further on, and the woods where charred right by the Thunderpath. Do you remember the smoke we scented yesterday? That's where it was coming from. There was a huge wreck with the monsters," meowed Squirrelflight very fast. Her piercing green eyes bore into her mate's.
"So you think the crash and fire has something to do with the patrol's disappearance?" meowed Bramblestar slowly.
"Of course," rasped Sandstorm. "I'm not surprised that twolegs had something to do with this. They've abducted us before you know." She spat on the sandy ground, anger burning in her eyes.
Squirrelflight was looking carefully at the ground and her eyes, avoiding her mother's furious gaze.
"Sandstorm, I think you need to eat something and take a nap. Go see Leafpool if you're aching again," she meowed softly.
"Don't tell me what I need to do, Squirrelflight!" snapped Sandstorm, fur raised. "Twolegs took you father, they destroyed the forest, and they are back now! If you want to pretend this isn't happening, fine, but Greystripe is a perfect reminder of what could happen if—"
"Sandstorm, eat these." The ginger and white tabby padded up softly, her eyes gentle. She set a few small black seeds wrapped carefully in a leaf in front of Sandstorm's paws. Sandstorm paused, then flashing Squirrelflight an angry look, lapped them off, and meandered back to her den.
"She can't keep doing this," meowed Leafpool worriedly, gazing back at her retreating mother. "She should be in the Elder's den with the Greystripe, Dustpelt, and the others."
"I know, but she keeps on fighting. Firestar's death destroyed her, and she won't listen to sense," replied Squirellflight, in a tone of desperation.
"I'll talk to her later," meowed Leafpool distractedly. "But I need to tell Bramblestar: StarClan's told me something."
Both cats looked up quickly to stare at Leafpool, who looked affronted.
"Well I am a medicine cat!" cried Leafpool, confused.
"No, no, it's okay, just tell us," meowed Bramblestar quickly, paws shuffling at the ground.
"Spottedleaf came to me, and told me this. 'Injured, will be all of the five, helped by twolegs if they are to survive. To them will be another two more, Cats known by the Clans from before. But alas, on the journey back home, with StarClan two of the seven will roam.'"
Squirrelflight and Bramblestar stared at Leafpool who looked affronted.
"I know, it rhymes, but that's not the point," she began, but Bramblestar interrupted her.
"Thanks, Leafpool. This is important. Let's see, can we go back to my den?"
The two sisters shrugged. "It's your den."
Bramblestar led the way back across the camp, and up the rough sand and rock walls into his den, a dim, small cave that was formed in the rock, and sheltered by some ivy. They brushed back, and settled inside.
It was clear that Bramblestar was running the prophecy over in his mind.
"Injured will be all of the five . . . helped by twolegs . . . two will roam with StarClan . . ." Bramblestar looked up, his eyes worried.
"Well, the beginning makes sense," meowed Squirrelflight practically. "Five cats. There where five in the patrol, counting Bluepaw. They will all be injured—that must have happened at the monster crash. To survive, they need to be helped by twolegs. There was no cat or twoleg there when we went today, so that must've happened to. And the prophecy says that they'll meet two cats that the Clan knew before."
"Barely and Ravenpaw?" suggested Leafpool. "Some cats from BloodClan"—they all shivered—"Purdy, cats from the Tribe—"
"—Firestar?" whispered Squirrelflight. They all looked at each other with wide eyes.
"We can't know anything for sure," meowed Bramblestar quickly. "Let's see . . . 'but alas, on the journey back home, with StarClan two of the seven will roam.'" They all fell silent.
"You know what this means?" gasped Leafpool.
"Yes, two of them will die."
For several moments, they stared at each other, wide-eyed. Then, there was a scuffling, and a grey apprentice appeared, panting, at the ivy-covered entrance to Bramblestar's den.
"What is it, Cinderpaw?" asked Bramblestar sharply.
"It's my mentor, Brightheart, Bramblestar, she needs Leafpool, now!" meowed Cinderpaw, her eyes wide and frightened. "She wasn't up all morning, and I went this afternoon to wake her up and ask if we can train, and she won't wake up!"
There was a shocked silence for a few moments.
"Show me," meowed Leafpool quickly, and rushed out of the den with Cinderpaw, leaving Bramblestar and Squirrelflight to stare helplessly at one anther.
Please review!