A/N: Wow. It's been two and a half years since I've updated! Hopefully I haven't lost all of my readers...well anyways, here is the next exciting installment!
The stars glittered overhead and cast an ominous silver glow upon a normally golden pelt. Goldenhawk shakily padded back toward his camp, trembling from his ears to the white tip of his tail. His head was swarming with thoughts of Seabreeze and her moony blue eyes. Her scent, although MeadowClan, was sweet and still filled his nostrils. He thought of how the moonlight made her fur shine brighter than the stars of IslandClan. Heart hammering, he blinked harshly. Pull yourself together, He scolded himself inwardly, You have a Clan to look after. And indeed, in his haste, Goldenhawk had nearly forgotten that his own Clan needed him more than ever. He simply could not afford to be distracted by Seabreeze any longer, no matter how drawn to her that he might be. The fact remained that she was a protector of an enemy Clan, the enemy Clan, and he was a healing cat. It would not work out.
And yet he had promised her he would wait for her. He cursed himself inwardly for promising such a stupid thing. How could he do that to her? She was the most special cat he had ever met, and he was condemning her to the lonely life that he had pledged. If she waited for him, she would be alone forever. The oaths he had taken to become a healing cat meant that he was to live a life of solitude. And as much as he wished it weren't so, she could not be a part of his life.
Goldenhawk slipped into the small burrow that was the entrance to the CoralClan camp. With a jolt, he saw that Dovefeather's body still lay in the clearing, her blood staining the brown earth maroon. He quickly surveyed the clearing to make sure that he wasn't being watched, and padded up to her body. Her long white fur was stained scarlet, and her green eyes gazed sightlessly at the sky. Grief clutched at Goldenhawk's throat like claws. Although she was MeadowClan, she did not deserve to die the way that she did, slaughtered like prey. She had had a family, and she had been a brave protector for her Clan. Goldenhawk shut her green eyes with his white paws and touched his nose to her fur.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," He murmured, his voice hoarse with grief, "IslandClan will honor you."
Goldenhawk remained motionless, his nose buried in Dovefeather's fur. Suddenly, he heard pawsteps approaching him. His hackles raised as he saw a dark tom approaching him. Cliffstorm.
"Well, what is all this about, then?" Cliffstorm meowed silkily, his amber eyes glinting with malice. Goldenhawk had to suppress a hiss of rage. It was Cliffstorm's fault that Dovefeather was dead. The golden tabby tom dipped his head respectfully to the delegate.
"I'm simply mourning the loss of a protector. Healing cats treasure life above all else," Goldenhawk mewed simply, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Cliffstorm let out a purr of amusement, his amber eyes surveying Dovefeather's body.
"Mourning? You should be celebrating. If she was still alive, she could have killed our protectors," Cliffstorm countered, his amber eyes narrowing to slits. "What is that pungent scent on you? You reek of MeadowClan."
Goldenhawk froze, his heart beating faster than a woodpecker's beak against a tree. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he realized that he had forgotten to disguise his scent after he had been around Seabreeze. His mind raced as he tried to come up with an acceptable excuse as to why he smelled like the enemy Clan.
"Mousebrain," He retorted, trying to appear calm and collected. "Did you not just see me send this cat's spirit on to IslandClan? I've been around the prisoners as well." Goldenhawk suppressed a sigh of relief as Cliffstorm nodded, his brown-and-black tail flicking thoughtfully.
"Ah, of course," The CoralClan delegate responded absently. Cliffstorm gazed up at the dark sky, completely free of rainclouds that all the Clans had been praying for. Goldenhawk remained silent, wishing more than anything he could go to his den and rest, but Cliffstorm had not dismissed him. The dark tabby tom finally broke the silence again.
"Don't think you can outsmart me, Goldenhawk," The delegate hissed softly, his amber eyes glistening. "I know you were trying to stop me from doing what needed to be done. Now, you're the healing cat, so I can't do anything to stop you. But I think you should know that Twilightstar will always side with me over you. She has no choice. I am going to do whatever it takes to win this war. So I'd suggest you stop poking your nose into places where it doesn't belong, and just do your job. You'd be better off that way."
The fur along Goldenhawk's spine prickled, and he tried to hide the alarm that undoubtedly flashed in his eyes. Cliffstorm stalked away, his dark tabby tail thrashing, clearly not desiring a response. Goldenhawk knew that he meant his threat. Exhaustion flooded his limbs, and the bracken-colored tom turned from Dovefeather's body and padded dejectedly towards his hollow. Featherpaw was fast asleep in her nest, her paws twitching in her sleep. Goldenhawk settled into his mossy nest, his head swarming with everything that had happened in the past few days. Although he could hear Featherpaw's light snoring, he felt more alone than ever before. His heart twisted as he thought of Seabreeze and the way her ocean-blue eyes had glowed when their muzzles pressed together. Finally, exhaustion overtook him, and he closed his amber eyes and drifted off into sleep.
Goldenhawk felt wind rustling his fur. He opened his eyes but saw nothing but darkness. The CoralClan healing cat parted his maw to speak but no words came out. He could not move, his limbs were frozen to the spot that he lay. He was colder than he had ever been in his life. Fear clutched his heart and he began to panic.
"Don't be afraid," He heard Flamefrost's voice sigh with the wind. It was then that he realized he was dreaming. He turned his head to look for his mother but he could not move. Her voice sighed, "I am so proud of you."
Scenes flashed before his golden eyes. Blood, mixed with water. He felt his claws sinking into the throat of another cat. Pain in his own throat. Goldenhawk saw himself sitting before the Protector in the chamber. Blood washed over the statue, and it crumbled into millions of pieces.
Seabreeze stood at his side with anguish in her ocean-blue eyes. Her silver pelt was plastered to her body with rainwater. He had never seen her so upset. Goldenhawk discovered that he could move again. He intertwined his tail with Seabreeze's, then began to pad away from her, towards the place where the Protector's statue had been.
"Don't leave me," Seabreeze pleaded, her blue eyes huge with fear and distress. Water and blood streamed from her silver tabby pelt. Goldenhawk felt his heart breaking, but he did not turn back. He continued robotically along the path that had been set for him.
"I'm so sorry. But I'm supposed to," He felt the words come out of his own mouth but he did not know where they had come from. He stood where the statue had been, and felt his limbs turn to stone.
Goldenhawk awoke with a start, his heart hammering faster than the wings of a hummingbird. He frantically licked his ruffled golden pelt, trying to make some sense of the strange dream he had had. He could not deny it had been from IslandClan, but he had no idea what it could possibly mean.
Suddenly, he realized that he was alone in his hollow. Featherpaw was nowhere to be seen. He heard screeches of cats and the sound of claws clashing together. With a sinking feeling in his heart, he raced out of his hollow to see what was happening.
The sun was rising and its light cast a blood red glow over the cats filled the clearing, tufts of fur and blood littering the ground. Goldenhawk heard yowls of pain and the unmistakable scent of death filled his nostrils. The golden-striped tabby realized that MeadowClan must have decided to come for Typhoonstorm and Mudstrike. He frantically looked around the clearing for signs of his Clanmates. He saw the dark ginger pelt of Sunstrike. She was fighting off a smoky gray MeadowClan learner who looked much too young to be participating in the fight. She advanced on her with outstretched claws and the learner turned tail and fled. Goldenhawk caught a glimpse of Shadowfur and Riverwind fighting side by side. Torandostorm, the MeadowClan delegate, was fighting against Cliffstorm. Goldenhawk felt a prickle of fear for the gray tabby delegate, surely he realized how dangerous it was for him to be here? That fear disappeared heartbeats later as he saw Tornadostorm fighting with the strength of IslandClan, and Goldenhawk remembered that he was fighting to get his family back.
Finally, Goldenhawk's amber eyes found the cat that he was looking for, Featherpaw. She was crouched down beside Stormywind, pressing cobwebs into a gaping wound in his throat. The dark gray tabby lay motionless. His dark green eyes were glazed over and his lip was curled in a final snarl. He was dead and Goldenhawk could tell that he died fighting. The great golden tabby pressed his muzzle to his learner's flank, who hadn't seemed to realize that he was dead.
"Goldenhawk," Her voice was ragged, and she suddenly seemed much older to the russet-colored tabby, "I tried my best to save him, and he still died."
Goldenhawk's stomach twisted in sympathy for the learner. He, too, remembered the first cat that he had been unable to save. He gently licked her gray ears, his heart aching for her.
"It was the will of IslandClan," Goldenhawk murmured gently, locking eyes with his learner. "You cannot save every cat, Featherpaw. But we need to leave him now, we must mourn later. Our Clan needs us now."
Featherpaw sat up straight, shaking her pelt as though her pain were scraps of moss she could shed from it. Her blue eyes, which had been so terribly dull, regained some of their spark, and she nodded determinedly.
"Right," She mewed, and Goldenhawk felt a wave of pride rush over him for the strength of her spirit. "I'm going to go get more cobwebs and marigold from the hollow."
Goldenhawk watched the lithe gray tabby sprint away and he admired the strength of her spirit. Suddenly, Icewhisker came bounding up to him, blood dripping from his gray maw. Scratches stained his silver pelt with traces of blood.
"Goldenhawk, I need you to come with me," Icewhisker's breathing was ragged and labored, "There's a cat who's badly injured by the Speakingrock. She's MeadowClan, but I can't just let her die."
"Of course, Icewhisker," Goldenhawk meowed calmly, but his heart was sinking. He couldn't let Cliffstorm catch him treating a MeadowClan cat. He and Icewhisker weaved in between the bodies of fighting cats. He saw the MeadowClan protector Morningfrost leading Mudstrike towards the burrow that would let them escape the camp. He locked eyes with her, and was again overwhelmed with how much she resembled Seabreeze. Goldenhawk nodded at her, and her blue eyes flashed with gratitude as she and the brown protector escaped.
Goldenhawk was careful not to tread upon the burrows that were meticulously placed across the clearing. CoralClan cats slept in the burrows, and he knew that his Clan had the advantage in this fight, for the MeadowClan cat might fall into the burrows and become injured. His amber eyes snapped ahead to the Speakingrock and he looked around for the injured cat. He saw a bundle of fur crumpled at the bottom of the Speakingrock. A silver bundle of fur. Seabreeze.
Every cell in Goldenhawk's body screamed at him to run to her side, to bury his muzzle in her fur. Miraculously, he fought off the urge, and calmly padded up to her. His head was spinning as he stared at her bloodstained body. Claw marks streaked her pelt red. Her limbs were splayed in awkward positions. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the rise and fall of her silver flanks. She was alive.
"Icewhisker," Goldenhawk fought to keep his voice calm, though he noticed that his legs were trembling. "I need you to go and get Featherpaw. She is in the hollow gathering herbs. She needs to come here immediately. Do not fight any cat on your way there or back. Understood?"
Icewhisker's blue eyes glittered suspiciously, but the silver tabby simply dipped his head and padded swiftly away. Goldenhawk felt his whole body trembling with fear as he gazed down at Seabreeze. Her blue eyes fluttered open, and he felt his heartbeat race as he saw affection glimmer in her eyes.
"Goldenhawk," The silver tabby murmured softly, her blue eyes glowing. "I must be dead."
"Mousebrain," Goldenhawk was shocked to realize that he was purring. He pressed his muzzle to hers softly, "If you were dead, I wouldn't be here with you. I'm here to save you."
"But you hate me," Seabreeze meowed, a hint of a purr in her strained voice. "And I'm pretty sure I hate you, too. You're the most annoying cat I've ever met."
"Oh, IslandClan, you annoy me, too," Goldenhawk whispered, affection flooding over him. He licked her ears softly. A voice inside of him protested, but he had resigned to the fact that he could no longer stay away from Seabreeze. Her purr strengthened and he could see his breath stirring her ear fur. "You never shut your mouth, even now, when you're hurt. It's annoying that I can't sleep because I keep thinking of you."
"I love you, Goldenhawk," Seabreeze mewed, her ocean-blue eyes burning with the intensity of her emotion. The golden tabby tom froze, his heart racing faster than ever. He could not love her. She was a protector of an enemy Clan. And yet deep down, he knew that he did love her, more than anything else on the island. He met her cerulean gaze, and again he felt wind whipping through his fur and heard the whispers of his ancestors on the wind. He remembered what Flamefrost had told him, to follow his heart. Surely she could not be referring to breaking the code of tooth, claw, and compassion? Why would any IslandClan cat condone these forbidden feelings he harbored for Seabreeze? Then again, if she had not broken the code, Goldenhawk would not be alive right now. He felt himself drowning in the blue-green pools of Seabreeze's eyes.
"I love you, too," Goldenhawk murmured into her ear, his heart pounding so hard he thought it would leap out of his chest. Even though he knew what he was doing was wrong, he could not fight his feelings for Seabreeze any longer. CoralClan had turned into a place that he no longer recognized. For his whole life, he had been searching for something he could not quite find. He thought that being a healing cat would make him important and it would make him matter. It would make him belong. But truthfully, he had never felt at home and he had never felt like he mattered until he met Seabreeze. He wanted to stop time and stay with her forever. He felt his fear melt away when she looked at him. It was as if rise and fall of her flanks kept him tethered to this life. Several heartbeats later, though, he returned to reality as he saw Featherpaw rushing towards him with herbs clutched tightly in her muzzle. Goldenhawk took a step back from Seabreeze and awkwardly licked his white chest fur.
"Right. So unfortunately I'll have to send you on your way after this," Goldenhawk mewed to Seabreeze as Featherpaw approached, hating himself for sounding so uncaring. She blinked knowingly at him, and he felt relief wash over his heart. "As much as I'd love to waste more herbs on you, it's too dangerous for you to stay here. If Cliffstorm founds out we treated you, he'd kill you."
"Like I'd want to stay here, anyways," Seabreeze retorted sharply, the fur along her spine bristling. Goldenhawk rolled his amber eyes and took cobwebs from Featherpaw. He pressed a cobweb to the biggest wound along Seabreeze's flank. She winced, but did not complain. Featherpaw's blue eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at Seabreeze with hostility. The number of cats in the clearing was waning and the screeches began to fade. Goldenhawk glanced over at the entrance of the camp and saw MeadowClan cats retreating in bulk. He knew already, however, that CoralClan had not won this battle. The prisoners had escaped, but Goldenhawk was glad. Typhoonstorm and Mudstrike would have surely faced the same fate as Dovefeather. Goldenhawk glanced down at Seabreeze, who was giving off a slight fear scent. She probably realized that she needed to leave soon. The blood flowing from her wounds had slowed down considerably. Featherpaw glared at Seabreeze, her lip curling.
"There, now we've treated you. Get out," Featherpaw's voice contained the slightest hint of a snarl, her blue eyes smoldering with rage. Goldenhawk felt a twinge of unease that his learner was so hostile towards Seabreeze, but then he realized that her anger was misguided. He touched his golden tail-tip to her shoulder to calm her. Seabreeze struggled to get to her paws, wincing with pain. Goldenhawk forced himself to look away from her, afraid to show any emotion towards the silver tabby.
"Thank you," Seabreeze mewed, dipping her head to the two healing cats. Featherpaw twitched her tail-tip in reply but said nothing. Seabreeze locked glances with Goldenhawk, and her blue-green eyes said more than words ever could. The big golden tabby felt emotion for her flood over him like a tide. He knew that all he had to look forward to was treating his wounded Clanmates. He wanted nothing more than to bury his muzzle in her silver fur and forget about everything that was happening. But he knew that he could not, and so he beckoned towards the camp exit with his long golden tail. He watched Seabreeze slowly pad away from him and towards her retreating Clanmates, her muscles rippling smoothly under her bloodstained pelt, and it took every bit of self-restraint that Goldenhawk possessed to keep himself from leaving with her.
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