Content warning for descriptive injuries and graphic violence. Please do not continue reading if you do not feel comfortable with this.
Gorgestar leaped to his paws where he was sharing prey with Mossbranch, and yowled, "Echowing, lead a patrol that consists of Vinewatcher, Galeblossom, Juniperlight, and Skyclaw and back up the cats already fighting! All of the other warriors go with Whispertail and follow Echowing and his patrol!"
All of the cats gathered into their respective patrols, mewing with worry.
"Gorgestar, what about you?" Echowing meowed, his eyes glistening with an emotion Forestpaw couldn't place.
"I'll stay here and help Umberpaw get to the medicine den," Gorgestar growled, leaping forward and letting the white apprentice lean on his shoulder. "I'll come later." The tortoiseshell tom glanced at every other cat; Windpaw, Toadpaw, Forestpaw, Nightpaw, Turtlemist, and Mossbranch inched closer to him. "The apprentices will guard the camp. If you hear the fighting get closer, one of you will move to guard the nursery, and the other will guard the elders' den."
Windpaw looked horrified at the sight of her sister, and so did Toadpaw and Whispertail. "But—" Windpaw started, then shook his head. "I can help with Umberpaw!"
Gorgestar nodded. "Forestpaw, come too," he grunted, shifting his posture, "I need more than one cat to help Thistlestep treat Umberpaw."
"But I—neither of us are medicine cats!" Windpaw protested, glancing at Forestpaw. Forestpaw felt a fresh wave of unease hit her body, almost making her paws stumble.
"I don't care," Gorgestar growled, "Thistlestep will tell you what to do."
By now, both of the patrols had left the camp, and the only sound Forestpaw could hear were the mourning doves and the gentle leaf-fall wind.
Windpaw and Gorgestar helped Umberpaw into the medicine cat, and she flopped onto the nest next to Thistlestep's, breathing hard. Now that Forestpaw was closer, she could see the true horror of Umberpaw's wounds. A huge rip on her side was pouring out blood like a waterfall, and many other small bite or claw marks dotted her neck and legs.
How could a ThunderClan cat do this? Forestpaw thought incredulously.
Thistlestep immediately began running her paws along Umberpaw's broken body, gently lapping at the white apprentice's ears comfortingly. "You'll be alright, little one," she whispered, purring softly.
Gorgestar stepped forward. "Umberpaw," he mewed gently, "can you tell me what happened?" He sat down next to Umberpaw.
"ThunderClan…ambushed…the patrol…" Umberpaw gasped, "Said…they wanted…to teach…ShadowClan…a lesson…"
"So they targeted you?" Gorgestar asked, nuzzling the white apprentice's side.
"Yes…" Umberpaw whispered, "They said…that…we couldn't…hunt…in their territory…anymore…"
Gorgestar glared at Forestpaw, and she shrank back into the shadows of the medicine den, suddenly feeling like she was to blame for this.
"What happened next?" Gorgestar turned back to Umberpaw, his eyes full of worry.
"Leafclaw…ordered…a warrior…to attack me…" Umberpaw replied weakly. Her raspy breaths grew shallow.
"Windpaw, go get the cobwebs!" Thistlestep ordered. Her voice was filled with panic. "I need to staunch the bleeding!"
Windpaw's wild, terrified eyes darted to the herb store and he scrambled over to it, grabbing the nearest wad of cobwebs and dropping them at Thistlestep's paws.
The black-and-white medicine cat immediately pressed a thick cobweb to the rip in Umberpaw's side, where the blood flow was slowing down at a rapid pace.
"She's losing too much blood!" Thistlestep meowed, pressing even more cobwebs to Umberpaw's wounds.
"Windpaw," Umberpaw whispered, a spasm shaking her body.
Windpaw rushed to her sister's side. "I'm here," he mewed, his voice shaking, "Y-you'll be okay, don't worry. Thistlestep will take care of you."
"Make it stop…" Umberpaw murmured, her eyes fluttering close. Blood flowed steadily out of her wounds, and her breathing became even slower.
"I can't do anything more, Windpaw," Thistlestep mewed, her voice full of emotion. "She's in the paws of StarClan, now."
Umberpaw's ragged breathing slowly quieted, and it eventually stopped. Windpaw through his head back and let out an ear-splitting wail.
Forestpaw hurried over to her friend and pressed herself tightly to Windpaw, feeling his soft fur shaking uncontrollably.
"Windpaw…" Forestpaw meowed, not sure what to say.
His sister just died! What am I supposed to do? Forestpaw thought wretchedly. Her whole body was tingling with horror and sadness, and dread. She closed her eyes and began to lap at Windpaw's neck fur and he buried his muzzle in Umberpaw's wet fur.
His panicked gasps were muffled by his dead sister's fur and Forestpaw, feeling like she was being disrespectful, bent down next to Windpaw and copied her friend.
Hurried pawsteps broke the miserable silence and Toadpaw's terrified gasp sounded from the entrance of the medicine den.
"Umberpaw!" Toadpaw screeched. Forestpaw looked up and saw him barreling toward his sister. "Why didn't you do anything?"
"Toadpaw," Thistlestep's soothing voice came from behind Forestpaw, "I did everything I could, but StarClan was calling to her."
"StarClan shouldn't have been calling to her!" Toadpaw snapped, staring at Umberpaw's dead body in shock. "She should be right here, guarding the camp with us!" His voice shook.
"Toadpaw, what's—" Nightpaw's voice stopped mid-sentence as he saw Umberpaw. "What in StarClan happened to her? I thought she wasn't—"
"She got attacked by a ThunderClan warrior," Toadpaw growled bitterly. His eyes were set on Forestpaw. "It's all her fault!"
Forestpaw's eyes widened. "I didn't m—"
Toadpaw hissed and lashed his tail. "It doesn't matter!" he snarled, stepping toward Forestpaw. "It's your fault, just because you were so desperate to catch a stupid lizard!"
Forestpaw arched her back and stepped backward. Toadpaw's muzzle was almost touching Forestpaw's now. "I hope you feel sorry for what you did," Toadpaw hissed, "You are the most cruel cat I've ever met."
"Toadpaw!" Gorgestar's surprised voice interrupted the mourning black tom. "Don't talk to your den-mate like that!"
Forestpaw was about to say I'm so sorry, but she choked on her words and looked at her paws, closing her eyes. She could feel Thistlestep moving closer to Windpaw, offering him the same two herbs she had given Forestpaw when she had injured her shoulder. Windpaw gratefully accepted it and curled up next to Umberpaw, not seeming to notice he was stepping in her blood.
"Forestpaw, eat these," Thistlestep's gentle voice drifted into Forestpaw's mind, interrupting the replay of what had just happened in her mind. She opened her eyes and saw Thistlestep pushing two black seeds and a fluffy plant in front of her. Forestpaw recognized them as what she had just given Windpaw.
The cream-colored she-cat shook her head. Keeping her voice low so only Thistlestep could hear her, she mewed feebly, "Give it to Toadpaw; he needs it more."
Thistlestep looked like she was about to argue, but thought better of it and moved on to Toadpaw.
"No!" Toadpaw hissed, "I don't need your herbs to handle myself!"
Thistlestep sighed. "Eat them, Toadpaw," she ordered, "Or I'll have Mossbranch come in here to tell you stories until you fall asleep."
Toadpaw closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were filled with grief. "Fine," he whispered, slowly lapping them up. He padded over to Windpaw and collapsed next to him and closed his eyes once more.
Forestpaw blinked and pushed her paws over her eyes, longing to wail out loud. She felt Nightpaw's warm pelt settle next to her.
"Things will be okay," he whispered into Forestpaw's ear.
"No…it won't."