Blossompaw's Escape

Part Two: The Mission

Cautiously she explored the building, pushing down her fears with each pawstep. Images rolled through her mind and she was unable to stop them. Flashbacks filled her heart as she proceeded down the long and narrow halls.

Fighting with Chance before running away...

Telling the others stories to help them sleep at night...

Abandoning Sylvester...

All of those memories, all of those experiences, it all led up to this. This moment where she would finish something that never should have been started. It appeared as if someone else would have to save Ashclan, cause there was no turning back now. She reached the end of the corridor, a large doorway loomed before her. The smell of death lingered, she knew this was the furnace room.

In the blink of an eye the flashbacks were gone, she was almost a blank slate as she pushed the door open and entered the room. Whisper and Shiver and Flint were at the very back of her mind as she scanned the room.

"Alright Blossompaw, time to end this," she murmured to herself. The metal grate beneath her paws was hard and sliced her sensitive pads. But she didn't dare stop to lick them because of the ashes clinging to her bloody paws. The grate felt warm, she glanced down and saw embers beneath it. There were no windows in the room, it was like a small box. Her ears flattened with every second she spent in the room.

"How am I supposed to turn this thing on?"

She poked her head out of the room again, scanning the halls for any twolegs. Her attention was caught by a panel of sorts next to the door. She bunched her muscles in her hindquarters and sprang, landing not so gracefully on the panel. She frowned as a series of glowing button flashed brightly at her. "What one, what one?"

She decided to press them all and hope for the best. As her paw pushed down on the center white button a wave of heat blasted her. It was enough to make her fall from the panel. She blinked and looked into the furnace room, the dimming embers were now growing as waves of heat flooded from the room. Suddenly a blaring alarm went off and Blossomapw shrieked in terror. She noted it was only the panel, it was probably a warning system that the door was still open.

Fire began to reach up through the metal grated floors and Blossomapw fled down the hallway, she stopped at the end to wait. She wasn't leaving until she saw the building catch fire. Slowly the flames traveled outside the room - the wooden walls ignited in a frenzy. Within minutes the whole hallway was ablaze in a scorching inferno. Blossompaw quickly began seeking out an exit but found herself hopelessly lost. She was about to turn around when she saw something outside one of the hall windows.

Sylvester was outside with Shiver and Flint, they were standing on the grass and arguing. Blossompaw waved her tail, trying to grab their attention but they didn't look up at her. Suddenly Flint shot forward, looking as if he was heading back inside. Sylvester moved to block him and Shiver took the chance to sneak past Sylvester and head back inside. Shiver was coming to get her.

They were both going to burn.

"Leave me!" she shouted but knew they couldn't hear her through the glass. Her lungs began to itch uncomfortably as the smoke reached her. The fire was spreading faster than she anticipated. She began moving again, trying different doors and halls for some place that lead outside. She heard something faintly, it sounded like gasping.

"Shiver?" she called out. She pricked her ears, listening.

"B-Blossompaw?" a ragged voice sounded through the smoke. Without a seconds hesitation Blossompaw dove into the thick of the smoke. Shiver was leaning against a wall, coughing miserably. Blossompaw wondered briefly whys he wasn't as affected by the smoke, she realized it was because of the tortures she had endured. It had made her stronger.

She grabbed Shiver by the scruff and dragged her away from the descending smoke.

"I thought Sylvester told you I was doing this alone,"

"He did...but when we saw the smoke coming out of the building we knew you were in trouble," she rasped ruefully. Blossomapw didn't have time to debate the matter, they needed to get out before the fire blocked all of their exits. As she glanced around it appeared they were already too late. She felt a nudge on her shoulder. She glanced at Shiver who was on the brink of falling unconscious.

"Win...dow," she managed. Blossompaw saw no other conceivable options. They could still die in the fall, but it would beat the other alternative. Blossompaw propped Shiver up against the window before stepping back.

"I'm going to throw my weight against the window. If it shatters we will both freefall, try to land on your feet," she instructed. She closed her eyes before surging forward. Her shoulder made contact first, she felt it being sliced open as the glass broke. She tumbled out the window with Shiver, her eyes fluttered open briefly as the world slipped out of her vision. She felt a cool breeze on her back and couldn't help but marvel at how expansive the twoleg city in the distance was.

Then everything went dark.


"They'll be fine," a familiar voice said soothingly.

"They jumped out of a twoleg den and plummeted to the ground, and then the entire building collapsed into flames," another cat responded in a disbelieving tone.

"Look, Blossompaw is already coming around,"

Blossompaw groaned with pain, she felt as if she'd been hit by a monster on the thunderpath and then chewed up and spit out by a badger. Her eyes opened groggily and she stared up into three imploring faces.

"Wh-uh? Herm...ump," Blossompaw tried to speak but her head was spinning and her jaw felt swollen.

"She hit her head...hard," Flint said in what was almost a joking manner.

"How do you fell?" Sylvester asked while helping her to her paws. She didn't bother responding to that question. She glanced at and orange lump to her left, Shiver hadn't woken up yet apparently.

"How is she?" Blossompaw rasped while directing her gaze to Shiver.

"Fine, like I keep saying," Whisper rolled his eyes. "She'll come around in another minute or two, she's just resting,"

Flint was skeptical as he watched dutifully over his sister.

"Once Shiver and I are both alright I think we should start our quest beyond the city," Blossompaw changed the subject. Flint gave her a confused look.

"I destroyed the twoleg building, now I'm holding you to your promise to help me," Flint blinked as it dawned on him the contract he was now bound too.

"Oh yeah, that,"


Here is my Review challenge for you guys. Tell me...

A. Who your favorite character is.

B. Who your least favorite character is.

C. Who is a character you'd like to see more of.