As Tigerclaw lashed out at me, I felt the weight on me, rebalanced, and threw myself up into him, sending him stumbling back from the blow before rising to my paws again. I slowly glanced over my shoulder toward the entrance and, seeing that the path was clear, quickly limped toward it as an angered yowl rang through the clearing.
As I reached the thorn barrier I paused and glanced across the clearing to see Bluestar watching me with wary eyes. As I neared the thorn barrier, slowly I dipped my head respectfully to her and pushed through the barrier, my legs stiff and my muscles tired from the short but fierce battle with Shadowclan. As I pushed on through the tree's toward my small hide away, the familiar pelt of Mousefur pushed through the undergrowth in front of me.
With a quick glance at me, a small smile crossed her muzzle. "I take it we won?" She asked, flicking her tail slightly from side to side. In response I nodded, wincing as the muscles in my right foreleg cramped up. "Are you alright Oak?" She asked, concern lighting her gaze. "Y-yeah, just sore from the fight, it took a lot out of me." I said as I lifted the leg off the ground and took a step forward, nearly falling over in an unbalanced heap, as Mousefur watched before moving toward me and pushed up against my side.
I paused and glanced back at her for a moment. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked as she held herself in place. "I'll manage some of your weight till we reach that clearing I found you in. Think you can make it that far?" she asked, slightly amused. Slowly I nodded and took a step forward with her mirroring my movements as we slowly moved toward the Shadowclan border.
As a few minutes passed, Mousefur turned her head to me slightly. "So, what happened?" She asked. I slowly shook my head before I returned her gaze. "Shadowclan almost managed to break into the nursery. If I hadn't arrived when I did, I'm sure your clan would have been taken completely by surprise," I muttered as I glanced back at the setting sun, watching its beautiful rays color the horizon until it slipped under the mountains.
As we continued, we finally arrived at the clearing and I watched as Mousefur moved away slightly, slowly laying down a few feet away from me looking slightly tired. "You know Oak, you're pretty heavy," she muttered with a spike of laughter. I glanced back at her with fake hurt before breaking into a laugh of my own. "Okay, maybe I've eaten a little much." I joked before covering my paws with my tail.
Slowly I looked back at Mousefur and opened my mouth to say something, only to be cut off by the sound of the undergrowth trembling behind us as a massive tabby figure stepped into the clearing, his amber eyes burning holes into my fur as he glared at me. Slowly I rose to my paws, ignoring the spike of pain from my leg, as I met his glare with one of my own. "Tigerclaw." I growled, my eyes flaring with an icy blaze that seemed to match the amber fire of his eyes in power.
Slowly the massive tabby swung his head in Mousefur's direction. She scrambled to her paws before sneering, "Ah, Mousefur." He said in a deep tone. "I see you've cornered this filth for me, good job," he growled and turned his gaze back to me, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Now you can help me finish with this pest." He planted his hind legs and sprang forward, knocking me to my side before planting his claws on my neck, while I vainly tried to resist.
Slowly Tigerclaw let his massive claws dig under my skin, making it as painful as possible for me. My mind was screaming in pain as those claws pushed deeper into my skin. Thin trickles of crimson started to coat his paws around my neck, and as I gasped in pain he slowly continued, a murderous glint shining in his eye as he watched me bleed, until a loud yowl filled the clearing.
Almost as soon as Tigerclaw lifted his head to see what had made the noise, he was thrown from his place atop me, collapsing on his side a few feet away before slowly rising to his feet, hissing in anger. His eyes locked onto the thick furred tabby. She hissed at Tigerclaw, her eyes alight with anger. "Tigerclaw, what in Starclans name are you doing, Warriors don't kill!" She yowled as the massive tabby rose to his paws, his eyes bright with fiery rage.
"So your siding with the rogue Mousefur, what kind of cat are you!" he yowled, glaring at me. Shaking I pushed myself to my paws. "What did you do to get her to turn on her own rogue; what lies have you spoken to her!" he cried in rage, his muscles rippling under his pelt. I stopped for a moment and glanced at Mousefur, who returned the look, before I sighed and glared at Tigerclaw again.
"I'm not the one speaking lies Tigerclaw," I growled, as his eyes widened slightly, baring his teeth in a snarl. "What are you talking about rogue," he asked. His eyes burned into mine, and I returned the glare. "We both know what I mean. What you did at the Sunning Rocks was anything from noble," I finished as his eyes widened for a moment, only to narrow again as a loud growl formed deep in his throat.
"So you told her that little bit then, I guess that explains why she's helping a pitiful rogue like you." He sneered at the word 'rogue', slowly moving forward a few steps until Mousefur's hiss stopped him, his burning gaze falling on her pelt for only a moment. The sound of the ferns behind him moving drew his attention, and a pair of figures entered the clearing.
Immediately one of the pair, a dark grey tabby looked over to Tigerclaw, oblivious to us. "Tigerclaw, we didn't find any- Uh.." He stopped as his gaze fell on me and Mousefur, his pelt bristling at the sight of me. His companion whom I recognized as Longtail, looked on in confusion, as the dark tabby moved up to Tigerclaws shoulder, his teeth bared in a snarl.
Quickly I glanced over at Mousefur before opening my wings wide. "Mousefur, run for Riverclan!" I yowled before flapping my wings toward Tigerclaw and his companions, throwing up a large amount of dirt and debris. Mousefur bolted past me, heading into the forest, while I, my fatigue forgotten, lifted myself into the air and followed her from above. She dodged through the undergrowth below me. I winced slightly as the thought of what Tigerclaw would do once he caught me, only to feel an even darker thought rise from the depths of my mind.
'What will he do if he finds Mousefur?' I thought as images of him tearing her throat out burned into my mind, leaving a pain far harsher then anything the murderous tabby's claws could do to me. 'I wont let him harm her,' I declared. The Stepping Stones came into view, their slick surface just breaking through the water. Slowly I gave altitude until I finally met the ground, only a few feet from the stones. Mousefur emerged from the bracken, immediately rushing to me with a look of confusion in her eyes.
"Oak, what is going on? What does Tigerclaw think I know?" she pleaded as the sound of paws churning though the undergrowth slowly grew louder. "Mousefur, when we get to a safe spot I'll tell you, but now's not the time." I hissed, panic rapidly increasing as the paw steps slowly grew nearer. Yet she still persisted. "No, you have to tell me what this is all about," she snarled, her temper showing even as Tigerclaws patrol drew near. 'Starclan forgive me.' I thought before I looked straight at her.
"He's after us because he thinks you know the truth about what happened at the Sunning Rocks." She flicked her ear in annoyance. "So, why does it matter?" she asked, her eyes narrowed at me. 'Well, here goes.' I thought before I sighed in defeat. "Because Oakheart didn't kill Redtail," I started, as Tigerclaws tabby pelt entered the clearing, his amber gaze locking on me.
"Tigerclaw killed him.." I finished as the tabby broke into a sprint towards me. Mousefur's mind tried to process what I'd just told her. I buried my teeth into her scruff and quickly flung her onto the first of the stepping stones before turning back to Tigerclaw. The tabby leapt at me, earning him only a small amount of my fur, as I flew across the divide to the Riverclan side of the stream. I felt relief fill me as the still shocked thick-tabby pelt of Mousefur landed beside me, her eyes wide and clouded with confusion.
On the other bank Longtail and his dark companion arrived to see Tigerclaw spitting in rage, as we sat just out of his reach on the other side of the river. Slowly I moved over to Mousefur, who hardly seemed to notice my presence. I laid my tail over her shoulders and slowly guided her into the trees on the Riverclan side, back towards the old root den I'd used when I first arrived.
Back to where it all began..
As the sun rose the next morning, Mousefur seemed to be resting well. After foraging, I was able to find a small bush covered in the purple-blue shapes of Juniper berries. I quickly picked a few off and carefully carried them back, along with a small poppy pod. Leaving the herbs next to the small nest. I approached the entrance, clearing out the debris in the root cave to accommodate two cats. By the time I returned around sunhigh, the herbs I'd laid by her nest were gone, and she was sleeping more soundly. 'She deserves to rest after finding out about all of this.' I thought with a pang.
'If only Tigerclaw hadn't killed Redtail.' I thought, as I settled into the second nest, only a scarce few inches from Mousefur. I slowly let myself drift into a deep sleep, only to be awoken a few minutes later by another pelt brushing against mine, as Mousefur unconsciously moved against me only to settle herself after a few moments, and continue to sleep. My thoughts slowly drifted away as her scent wove around me, and as I slipped into sleep again. The same clearing I'd seen before flashed through my mind, but instead of a faceless Tortoiseshell, a familiar dusty brown pelt sat waiting, watching the distant lake with a feeling of joy in the air, and for the first time in that day, I smiled.
(Hey guys, sorry this one was a bit short.)
