Lightningtail's POV
I slipped out of LeafClan's camp without any cat noticing me, just like Stormstar had told me to. I was on a mission to spy on TreeClan, who'd been attacking us recently. I was told to learn when and where they're next attack was planned to be.
As I crossed the border into TreeClan territory, I snapped a twig. I held my breath, hoping that no cat heard me. I felt as though behind every tree there was an enemy warrior.
I dropped into my hunter's crouch and slunk along the ground when I heard a noise in the distance. I heard it coming closer. I felt like I was forgetting something important. My train of thought was broken when I heard one of the cats in the patrol meow, "Tomorrow we'll wipe out LeafClan once and for all. They'll never expect us to come in through the back of the nursery." I crouched in the shelter of a nearby fern bush, praying to StarClan that the patrol wouldn't notice me.
Finally, after an agonizingly long moment where they remarked the border, they passed by without realizing me. But something came crashing down from the tree above and landed on me. I realized that it was a member of the TreeClan tree-top border patrol. That's what I'd forgotten!
Then 3 more warriors leaped down on top of me. I could manage them. I was LeafClan deputy. I started to fight, remembering my battle training. Leap-and-slash, tail yank, front paw strike. But I knew it was over when the other TreeClan patrol came back. I couldn't fight all 8 of them at once.
I thought about how I'd never said goodbye to my mate, Leaftail, before leaving. I thought about Tansykit and Snowkit, who would grow up fatherless. I thought about how if I didn't get back to them, they'd all be dead by moonhigh tommorow.
I fell limp. I pretended to be dead. Apparently, the TreeClan cats fell for it, because they picked me up and shoved me across the border, not too nicely. To be fair, they did think that I was dead. I could feel my pelt, slicked with blood. But I had to keep going. For LeafClan. For Tansykit and Snowkit. And most of all, for Leaftail.
As soon as the last of the TreeClan cats left, I struggled to my paws and somehow found the strength to draw myself forward, one step at a time, towards the camp. I saw Fernmist come out of the entrance and pad away from me, most likely looking for herbs. Two warriors trailed after her to guard her from attacks.
"Over... Here..." I managed to rasp. Luckily, I caught one of the warriors' attention. She waved Fernmist and the second warrior over to me, and they managed to pick me up and bring me to the medicine den.
A bunch of cats crowded around me, but there were only four that I needed to see, "Get Leaftail... Stormstar... Tansykit... Snowkit." One of the warriors took off to fetch the cats I needed, and the rest of the cats parted to make room for them. Stormstar was the first to arrive. "Need to... Move camp." I meowed softly, "TreeClan... Targeting nursery... Tommorow," I relayed the information back to my leader.
Then Leaftail ran through, our kits following, "Goodbye," I whispered, "I will always love you. I'll take care of you from StarClan." I did it. I saved Leaftail. I saved our kits. I saved LeafClan. I'm dying a hero. The last thing I heard before Willowwing and Thornfoot came to bring me to StarClan was Fernmist meowing, "I'm sorry. Lightningtail is dead," and Leaftail crying out in anguish.
I vow never to forget you. For now and forever more. I thought silently as I followed Willowwing and Thornfoot to the ranks of StarClan.