Author's Note: Big thanks to Nightmares and Dreams who keeps reviewing every chapter! I appreciate it. I don't own Warriors, as always, and big thanks to Petstar for letting me use her characters! I'm also going to start writing another Warriors (sort of) fanfic about two loners – be sure to look for it and review it! Man, this was a horrible chapter to write. D: I felt like crying.

Chapter Three

Tinywhisker lay crouched near Skyrock, eyes narrowed. It had been a long night, that was for sure, and as streaks of dawn split the sky, she was happy that her vigil was finally over. Though she didn't dare move, her eyes looked around, searching for any sign of a cat coming to release her from the binds of a newly made Warrior. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Sharpclaw padding over, his ginger head held high.

"Rockclaw, Bouncefoot, Tinywhisker, you can speak now. Your vigil is over." meowed the tom before glancing back at the Nursery and muttering to himself.

Tinywhisker stood and stretched, then sat down and curled her tail over her paws, waiting for her brothers to wake up. Rockclaw's ear twitched, then his eyes fluttered open. With a sharp nudge from the black tom, Bouncefoot shot up, bristling.

"How was your vigil?" purred Tinywhisker to her brothers, scanning them up and down.

"My joints ache." whined Bouncefoot. Rockclaw didn't say anything, just shrugged.

"I want to go on a patrol." mewed Tinywhisker, flicking her tail.

"I want to come!" chorused her brothers, and Tinywhisker's eyes glittered with amusement.

"Come on, then, you lot." meowed the she-cat, turning and leaping up the Gorge.

The three loped around for awhile, not really patrolling, but exploring the territory for the first time as Warriors. They passed the sandy clearing, and were heading for Tall Tree when furious hisses and rapid barking exploded into the air. The three Warriors exchanged horrified glances, and dashed towards the center point of the sound.

Exploding through the ferns, they saw a fox slashing at Pebbleclaw and Ashtail, who were leaping and dodging, maybe even getting in a few scratches, but they were obviously tiring quickly.

Rockclaw's throat rumbled with a Battle Cry and then he leaped forward, claws unsheathed. He dragged them across the fox's eyes, and it howled. Bouncefoot leaped in on its left side, gnashing at its hind leg, while Tinywhisker scored her claws across its flank with a howl of fury. Pebbleclaw sank into the ferns, while Ashtail tore at the fox's ear before leaping backwards, almost toppling into the brown she-cat.

Rockclaw sank his teeth into the fox's tail, and it scrambled away, howling. The black tom raced after the injured fox, snarling.

Tinywhisker padded over to Pebbleclaw and Ashtail. Sniffing them over, the realized their wounds weren't that bad. Pebbleclaw had fur hanging in a clump from her flank, while Ashtail's ear was bleeding. Other than that, they were fine.

"Are you okay?" meowed Bouncefoot, padding over to the two.

"Yes." responded Ashtail, licking his paw and gently dragging it over his ear.

"Wait!" screeched Pebbleclaw, bristling. "Mintpaw! The fox threw her against Tall Tree!"

Ashtail stopped his licking almost immediately, springing to his paws with a hiss. He raced towards the tree where the gray tabby rested. Her leg was bleeding badly, her eyes were closed, and the back of her head was gushing out blood from where it had hit the tree.

The gray tom rested his head on her cold flank, listening. When he looked up, his eyes were glazed.

"She's dead." he choked, gasping for air as if he couldn't believe it.

Rockclaw padded into the clearing at that moment, and seeing Mintpaw, he instantly knew. He bowed his head, while Pebbleclaw limped over to Ashtail's side and pressed against him. Tinywhisker sank to the ground, and Bouncefoot dipped his head.

"I'll go back to camp and tell everyone." muttered the ginger tom before turning and loping off.

"Come on, Ashtail. We will bury her and she will join StarClan with open paws." purred Pebbleclaw softly to the tom, winding her tail with his.

Ashtail looked away, but followed the she-cat, glancing back as Tinywhisker and Rockclaw lifted Mintpaw's body and carried it between them.

On their way back to camp, Tinywhisker was well aware of Rockclaw's flexing claws and furious eyes, as if he wanted to kill the fox and leave it for crows.

******

Petalnose let out a high pitched wail, making the whole camp bow their heads. Sagepaw stopped where he was, as if he couldn't believe his sister's death. Then he rushed to his mother's side, pressing against her and gazing towards the sky as if he blamed StarClan for everything.

Frostkit sat, his white fur bristling. "Mintpaw died?" he was repeating. It was obvious that he cared for his half-kin very much, and this hit him like a rock.

Cloudstorm, Petalnose's mate, rushed to her side, purring in her ear as if trying to comfort her.

"I want Rainfur!" howled the she-cat, sinking to the ground as if she couldn't handle two deaths in so little time. Cloudstorm recoiled, as if Petalnose had sank her teeth into his tail. His ears flat against his head, he slinked off, not once looking back.

As clouds gathered and rain began to fall, it seemed as if the whole world was crying for Mintpaw's death.