Warriors: The Power of One: Chapter Twelve
"Following the Trail of Blood"
Runningpaw woke to Sunpaw shaking him and the sound of Firestar calling a clan meeting. His sister woke Poppypaw and Silverpaw, who had also been napping, and the four padded out into the camp together. Cinderpaw ran, clearly upset, to meet her sister. As she spoke quietly to Poppypaw the tortoiseshell began to cry out softly. Runningpaw saw Sorreltail and Brackenfur sitting together, Sorreltail wailing.
"What's going on?" he asked his sister quietly, afraid for her answer. Everything about this told him something was very wrong.
Sunpaw gulped as she answered, "It's Honeypaw. We think she was killed by a badger."
Runningpaw stared at her in shock. How could that be true? Just yesterday he had shared a joke with her and Berrynose. She had seemed so alive. Now she was dead.
Firestar called down from the Highledge, "Please everyone, quiet down." He glanced in apology at Honeypaw's parents, but then continued the meeting.
"In case you hadn't learned of the news yet," Firestar started, "Honeypaw is missing. We know she was attacked by a badger, but there is a chance she managed to fight it off. Right now we need to focus on finding her and bringing the badger who attacked her to justice. I'm sending two patrols to investigate her disappearance. Since they were both on Honeypaw's hunting patrol, I'm asking Sandstorm and Mousewhisker to lead the patrols. Sandstorm you'll take Brightheart, Brackenfur, and Sorreltail. Mousewhisker, you take Brambleclaw, Stormfur, and Runningpaw. Split the two patrols if you need, but do not separate your patrol for any reason. This badger is still out there, and for all we know it may not be alone. Until further notice elders, queens, and kits are not allowed to leave the camp, and warriors and apprentices must be in groups of three at the least." Firestar paused as he looked the clan over intensely. "No cat should panic, but we needn't take any unnecessary risks while there is a threat out there."
Firestar jumped down from the Highledge, and Runningpaw ran to meet him. "Firestar!"
"What is it, Runningpaw?" Firestar asked.
"It's Nightpaw. She went to the medicine cat gathering today. Alone. I thought it might be a good idea to warn her and the other medicine cats."
Firestar looked impressed for a second, then Runningpaw could see him registering the idea. "I'll send a patrol to the Moonpool. Thank you, Runningpaw."
Runningpaw found his father, who was with Mousewhisker and Stormfur already. While he should have been excited to be the only apprentice on an important mission, instead he only felt dread. He knew what they would probably discover, and he honestly wasn't looking forward to seeing his first dead cat. Especially not a cat who should be young and full of life like Honeypaw.
They met the other patrol and set off to where Honeypaw was last scented. As they trudged toward the ShadowClan border in silence, Runningpaw thought of how Berrynose would feel when he returned from the WindClan border patrol he was on. It was pretty obvious that he and Honeypaw had planned to be mates. His thoughts drifted to how he would feel if instead they were searching for Silverpaw. He had thought he couldn't feel any worse.
When they reached the place Honeypaw's blood and fur had been found, the two patrols split ways. Runningpaw's patrol moved toward the ShadowClan border, while Sandstorm's patrol moved away from the lake. Honeypaw's scent had gotten lost at that point, but badger could be scented in both directions.
Runningpaw was lost in his thoughts again as they walked through pine trees and through a stream. When the scent of badger carried across the ShadowClan border, the ThunderClan cats were unsure of what to do. As if on cue, three ShadowClan cats appeared out of the trees and approached them.
"Greetings, ThunderClan," their patrol leader, a black she-cat said. "Care to explain why you're so close to our border?"
Brambleclaw stepped forward and bowed his head, "Greetings, Nightwing, Snowbird, Toadfoot," he flicked his tail toward his clanmates, signaling them to bow also. Runningpaw and the others followed his example and bowed.
Brambleclaw continued, "We do not mean to trespass," he explained, "Only to find one of our own who has gone missing—an apprentice last seen close to your border. We lost her scent but are tracking the badger's scent who attacked her."
Runningpaw was worried that his father had said too much, but his openness seemed to impress Nightwing.
"I'm inclined to believe you, Brambleclaw," she said, "Not just because your sister is a close friend of mine, but because we were tracking the same badger. He's apparently targeting apprentices because our own Scorchpaw was attacked and is believed to be dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Brambleclaw said, "Perhaps it would be best if both of our patrols tracked together?" he suggested.
Nightwing considered this, and nodded her head in agreement. "I think that under the circumstances clan rivalries should be set aside. We've done it before when dealing with badgers. I see no problem with doing it again."
Runningpaw sighed in relief. Clan diplomacy seemed too complicated to him sometimes. Why couldn't cats from other clans just speak normally to each other? Instead everything had to be so formal. Runningpaw was proud of his father for negotiating so well, but someday he hoped the clans were able to communicate easier.
He walked next to Mousewhisker and Snowbird, the white she-cat from ShadowClan as the trail led them back across ThunderClan territory. As he looked to Mousewhisker for assurance, he noticed an odd exchange occur between his clanmate and Toadfoot, the ShadowClan tom. Mousewhisker seemed to be challenging him silently. That wasn't like Mousewhisker. He was usually a very kind and gentle tom. Even stranger, it seemed that the ShadowClan warrior was backing down, almost as if he were ashamed. Runningpaw might have dwelt on his confusion more, but Nightwing spoke up, "I've found something."
"Blood and fur," she said, "And I'll bet anything it belongs to your apprentice, doesn't it?"
Brambleclaw confirmed her suspicion and said grimly, "The scent of badger is very strong here."
"But not strong enough to mask the scent of the other patrol—they've been here, Brambleclaw," Stormfur spoke up.
Just as this discovery was made, Runningpaw heard an awful screech.
Every cat's ears flew up in alarm, but it was Brambleclaw who spoke, "That's Sandstorm. Let's go!"
Brambleclaw leading the way, Runningpaw and the other cats raced toward the direction the screech had come from. As they drew nearer they could hear the sound of battle.
They came to the top of a hill, and Runningpaw could see Sandstorm, Brightheart, Sorreltail, and Brackenfur struggling with not one, but four badgers!
Roaring his battle cry, Runningpaw's father led the company of two clans down the hill to join the fight.
Stormfur and Mousewhisker leapt on top of a badger that had Brackenfur pinned, while Snowbird and Toadfoot came to Sorreltail's aid. Nightwing sliced at the badger attacking Brightheart. Brightheart screeched, and started to lunge away from Nightwing, until Nightwing assured her that she was there to help. Runningpaw followed his father to help Sandstorm. The pale ginger she-cat was underneath the largest badger, helpless under his massive body. Brambleclaw lashed at his eyes, while Runningpaw boldly climbed onto his back, clawing furiously at his neck. Whatever they did, the badger continued to pummel Sandstorm. Runningpaw reached down and bit the badger's neck as hard as he could, and dug his claws in as deep as they would go. He heard the badger cry out in pain, and he tasted the badger's blood in his mouth. The badger reared up on its hind legs, and Runningpaw clung on with all his strength. The badger began to try and shake him off, but Runningpaw was latched on too tightly. As it yelled in distress, Brambleclaw helped Sandstorm away from him.
Runningpaw felt the badger's paws clawing at his sides angrily, but Runningpaw was too small for the badger to reach. The badger continued to throw himself around, trying anything to loose Runningpaw from his back, but Runningpaw held on. He was beginning to lose feeling in his paws when he heard his father's command to let go. He let go.
He felt himself being thrown through the air, and he landed on a clump of ferns. As he dizzily jumped to his feet, ready to fend off an angry badger, he saw Mousewhisker, Brightheart, and Brambleclaw there in front of him, as the badger ran away, chased by Stormfur, Sorreltail, Toadfoot, and Nightwing.
He shook himself and stood up, his front paws still numb from his death grip. His clanmates looked at him in awe and approval. "Good job, Runningpaw," said Mousewhisker, "I had no idea you could fight like that."
"Weren't you all fighting too?" Runningpaw asked, "How did you watch me fight?"
Brambleclaw answered, "The other three badgers realized the fight was lost a while before and ran away. The badger we fought was about to kill Sandstorm when whatever you did caused him to rear up and go mouse-brained. Well done, son."
"I would be dead if it weren't for you, Runningpaw," Sandstorm mewed softly from where she lay. "Thank you."
Runningpaw accepted her thanks, but was still a little confused why everyone kept acting like he was some kind of hero.
Brambleclaw turned to Nightwing, who had just returned from chasing the last badger away. "Thank you for joining us and helping to make this right."
She nodded, "Thank you for helping all the clans rid themselves of such vile creatures. Even though we were too late to save our apprentices, I hope for all of our sakes that this is the last time we see those badgers. We'll leave you now and return to our own camp and tell Blackstar what has happened here today."
As the ShadowClan cats departed, Brambleclaw meowed, "Give Blackstar ThunderClan's thanks!"
Nightwing meowed back, "And give Firestar ours!"
As the ThunderClan patrols began to get ready to head back to camp, Brambleclaw spoke, "We're fortunate that Nightwing was leading that patrol. She's one of the most sensible, and I might add friendliest, of the ShadowClan warriors. If it had been many other cats we would have had to fight them off on our own."
The two ThunderClan patrols returned to their camp, Brambleclaw and Stormfur helping Sandstorm between them. Her injuries were by far the worst, though Brackenfur had a nasty gash on his side and face.
When they reached the camp, Runningpaw was surprised by Nightpaw taking charge of the injured cats. "How did she get back so soon?" he wondered aloud. Cloudtail overheard him and explained that he had been on the patrol to warn her, but had met her halfway. She had explained that StarClan sent her back early. The other medicine cats had been warned, and Nightpaw and Molepaw had been ready for the injured cats when they arrived.
When it was Runningpaw's turn for Nightpaw's inspection, every cat except for Brambleclaw had been assessed. The deputy had insisted on being last.
"How is Sandstorm?" Runningpaw asked.
"She has some pretty bad cuts, but with our care and a few days rest she should be fine." Nightpaw replied. "Apparently it was a good thing you were there, brother."
"That's what everyone is saying, but I think any cat would have done what I did if they were in my place." Runningpaw answered.
When his sister let him leave the medicine den with a marigold mixture on the cuts in his side, he found Mousewhisker telling Silverpaw, Thrushpaw, and Sunpaw what had happened.
"…And that's when Runningpaw held on as the badger flung him around. Runningpaw just wouldn't let go. Brambleclaw was able to help Sandstorm away without the badger even noticing because he was going ballistic over Runningpaw. It was amazing. Your brother is a hero, Sunpaw." Mousewhisker told them.
Embarrassed by the attention, Runningpaw turned and headed toward the clearing where Firestar was announcing that the vigil for Honeypaw would be held that night. There was no body to be buried, but the clan would still have a time of mourning for their clanmate. As he listened from a distance, he heard some of his clanmates reliving fond memories of Honeypaw. Other clanmates discussed the battle. Mousewhisker had moved away from his earlier audience and was now talking with Hazeltail alone. Runningpaw listened to their conversation for a while.
"Were all the ShadowClan warriors alright?" Hazeltail asked her brother.
Mousewhisker appeared annoyed at her question. "Yes, Hazeltail. He is fine."
"What do you mean," asked his sister, clearly both alarmed and puzzled.
Mousewhisker looked around and then back to his sister. "I know about him."
Hazeltail backed away angrily, "I don't know what you mean." Then she turned and ran away.
Runningpaw thought about asking his friend about their fight, but thought it was best to mind his own business. Instead he decided to retire to the apprentice's den.
When he arrived there, he laid down and began to drift off to sleep. He felt someone curl up next to him, and when he opened his eyes he realized it was Silverpaw.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said to him.
Runningpaw purred, "Me too,"
Silverpaw's blue eyes glowed proudly, "I heard you were quite the hero today," she teased.
Runningpaw groaned, "Apparently," he said, "Although I honestly don't remember too much of the whole battle. My first real battle and I don't even remember the whole thing."
Silverpaw purred, "It's alright. I'm sure it's like that with most cats. I just hope that when I'm in my first battle cats will admire me as much as they do you now."
Although Runningpaw usually didn't like much attention being drawn to himself, he had to admit he didn't mind it when Silverpaw showed him this much attention. As he drifted off to sleep with Silverpaw sleeping beside him, his heart was completely content. He could get used to this.
Well this was my first chapter with a small battle! Hope you liked it!
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