Warriors New Rivals
Chapter 18
"I can hear them coming!" Brindlestar called from highcliff.
"You all better be ready, badgers are vicious creatures," Stumpyleg warned before following Honeyclaw into the elders den.
"Ready to show off some of your fighting skills?" Lilysnow rested her tail- tip on Splashheart's shoulder. Lilysnow had aged a lot since Splashheart became her apprentice and she had become a lot clumsier with her old age so Splashheart felt like she needed to protect her.
"I'll be fine, I may be old but that doesn't mean I-" Lilysnow was cut off by a loud caterwaul. Splashheart shot out of the medicine den and saw that the badgers had smashed through the camp wall and were in the camp now.
"Splashheart, watch out!" Splashheart turned around to see a badger charging at her with Appleskip hooked on its back.
"Move!" Darkpelt jumped in front of her and scratched its nose turning it away from her
"Thanks," Splashheart meowed to Darkpelt.
"Watch yourself next time," Darkpelt hissed, charging of toward another badger.
Splashheart followed him into the battle and jumped onto a badger's back hooking her claws in its back and biting down hard into its shoulder. The badger stopped facing its original attacker and turned its head around to face Splashheart.
"Woops," Splashheart whimpered, unhooking her claws and getting ready to jump off, but the badger was prepared; it grabbed her by the scruff with its massive jaws and smashed Splashheart to the ground.
"Splashheart…" Honeypelt's meow drifted off as Splashheart's breathing stopped and the world around her went black.
Is this the end? Everything around Splashheart went silent and for a heartbeat everything was peaceful when suddenly Splashheart felt a sharp prod in her side. Nope, I'm still alive.
"Splashheart!" Honeypelt's grief stricken meow split the silence. Splashheart had woken up.
"Oh thank Starclan, I thought you were a goner, come on get up there's no time to waste the badgers are still here!" Honeypelt meowed, excited that her friend was alright.
"There's two more!" Brindlestar suddenly shouted above the fighting, Splashheart looked around the clearing and saw that there were two badgers lying dead on the ground and the others had fled.
"We won!" Jaypelt exclaimed, shooting out of the clearing to go find his mate.
"Lilysnow, did you hear?" Splashheart turned tail and fled for the medicine den; she arrived and poked her head inside. Where is she? Splashheart came out of the clearing and saw that a few cats were sitting close to each other looking down at the ground. No… Splashheart sprinted to the cats and saw that the cats were Brindlestar, Tumblefoot and Coalface.
"Is she here?" Splashheart heard Lilysnow whisper.
"Yes I am what do you need?" Splashheart began to go get Lilysnow some poppy seeds for the pain but was stopped by Brindlestar. Why won't she let me help her?
"I need to speak to you…" Lilysnow wheezed.
"No, I don't want to hear it, I want you to be ok," Splashheart meowed trying to hold back her grief.
"Leave them be," Brindlestar ordered the other cats, she too joined them and padded off to check on other cats.
"Please don't leave me," Splashheart collapsed on the ground beside her mentor.
"Listen to me Splashheart, I am old and injured there is no need to worry about me, you are a great medicine cat and-" Splashheart fell onto Lilysnow's shoulder in tears.
"I don't want to lose you…" Splashheart whimpered.
"I know, and I don't want to leave you but I can't fight death, remember the things that I said…" Lilysnow's meow started to drift off as her eyes began to close.
"Please Lilysnow, don't leave me!" Splashheart shouted in grief.
"Remember the love that I said…" Lilysnow's eyes closed and her breathing stopped.
"I will remember everything about you," Splashheart lay her head on Lilysnow's shoulder and sent a silent prayer to her.
"Cats of Roarclan, I know many of us are injured or worse but we need to start repairing the camp and our clan!" Brindlestar had leaped onto the highcliff and she had meowed to the cats in the camp, the bushes rustled a bit where the thorn tunnel had been announcing the arrival of the rest of the patrol that had gone to fend off the badgers.
"I'm very sorry to announce but Breezefang has died," Screechclaw meowed first, Shredflame and Dapplecoat followed him in limping with Ashclaw bringing up the rear.
"Flowerstep is dead as well!" Whitepaw announced.
"Don't forget Lilysnow!" Splashheart added
"We will never forget these three cats, they were a wonderful addition to our clan," Redfeather grieved.
"We will mourn for them tonight but I want normal patrols and a happy clan by tomorrow," Brindlestar advised.
"You can only hope for a happy clan," Splashheart muttered to herself.
"Any cat that is seriously injured please go to Lilysnow- I mean, Splashheart, for your treatment," Brindlestar ordered, she jumped down from the highcliff and walked over to Splashheart.
"I know you're upset but try not to show it as much, the clan needs to know you're ok," Brindlestar's meow was as soft as a mother that had just yelled at her kit and felt ashamed for it.
"I will try," Splashheart replied.