Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 3
First weekend of the school year so got some writing in. :) Sorry Tigerheart fans, but he and Dawnpelt are going to be playing a relatively important part in this story, as is our lovely friend Breezepelt. Yeah, they will play a large part as will Lionblaze, Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, and Yellowfang. Yellowfang especially. She... well you'll understand.
I don't know when I'll get another update in, but enjoy this one. :)
I do not own Warriors. Erin Hunter does.
Chapter 3
"To get a dream of life again
A little vision of the sun in the end
But all the choirs in my head sang, no oh oh oh
But I needed one more touch
Another taste of heavenly rush
And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh
And I needed one more touch
Another taste of divine rush
And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh
Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?
Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?
And the fever began to spread
From my heart down to my legs
But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh oh"
-"Breath of Life" By Florence + The Machine
Jayfeather
Jayfeather told Briarlight to remain the medicine cat den before frantically gathering whatever herbs he would need for any wounds. Outside, he heard cats yowling and scrambling to get into battle stations. Firestar would—I can't think about what Firestar would do. Firestar's not here… Jayfeather thought. As much as he loved his foster father, he never thought that he was truly leader material. However, like any good son/medicine cat, he kept his mouth shut and head down.
"Jayfeather, what do you think they want?" Briarlight's shaky voice called from behind him.
He didn't turn to face her, but he could smell her fear-scent. A part of him wanted to rush over and comfort her. Wait, what? he thought. Since when do I want to comfort Briarlight? I mean, yeah she's my Clan-mate but this… this is weird. "Yes, Briarlight?" he inquired carefully, enjoying the strange feeling he received when he spoke her name.
"What do you think they want? Bramblestar seems to be preparing for the worst," she observed. Jayfeather could hear the shuffling of moss as she strained to see a better view of the camp from her nest.
"Well, it's better to be prepared for the worst than unprepared for the least," he mewed casually, hiding a small clump of marigold and cobwebs in a tiny crevice almost unnoticeable.
Briarlight let out a sigh. "I wonder if—" she was cut off by a yowl from the outside of camp. Jayfeather rushed to the entrance of his den, his ears rotating around his head wildly trying to absorb the scene in front of him. The stench of ShadowClan was overwhelming. The pounding of paws sounded like thunder to Jayfeather's ears as ShadowClan warriors burst into the stone hollow only to be met by ThunderClan warriors.
"ShadowClan! Attack!" Blackstar's voice caterwauled. The sounds of fighting cats met Jayfeather's ears as the two Clans charged into battle. Jayfeather could hear his brother's recognizable screech as he too plunged into the fray.
"ThunderClan, attack!" Bramblestar yowled as well from the base of Highledge, running forward.
"Jayfeather!" Briarlight's voice yowled from behind him.
He whipped around to see Briarlight struggling to see. "What's going on?!" she asked, her voice on the edge of hysteria. Unconsciously, Jayfeather rushed to her side and ran his tail along her spine. "ShadowClan is here and they've attacked. Don't worry, Briarlight. I won't let them hurt you," he murmured. He had to stop himself before he nuzzled her ear.
Where in StarClan did that come from?! he growled internally. Well, she is my patient. She's my patient and I care about her. She's a good friend and I would defend her if I had to. She can't do it for herself, so I will have to. She's my responsibility. I will never let anything happen to her, he vowed silently. He didn't know where it came from, or how those unnatural thoughts got there, but he felt better now that he had identified them as friendship. Briarlight was his friend and he cared about her. He would always protect her from everything and anything.
"I know you will, Jayfeather," Briarlight breathed. For a moment, Jayfeather thought he felt her delicate head rest against his flank.
Jayfeather breathed in her delicious scent and moved closer until their fur brushed. He heard Briarlight's breath hitch and suddenly realized how close he was. Clearing his throat, he bounded away from her back to his herb storage. Her scent still clogged his brain, causing his thoughts to carelessly slur together. Trying desperately to rid his brain of Briarlight and block out the sounds of battle and ripping fur, he began to recite the herbs and their uses under his breath like a mantra. "Marigold stops infection. Lavender cures fever…"
"Jayfeather!" Briarlight's yowl split the air, breaking him from his thoughts.
Without thinking, Jayfeather rushed back toward the main den. The scent of ShadowClan made him gag, and he faintly recognized the scent of his adopted cousin, Tigerheart. He was close to Briarlight; too close. "Get away from her!" Jayfeather snapped, unsheathing his claws, his neck fur prickling.
"Jayfeather," a voice whispered in his head. It took Jayfeather a moment to recognize it as Yellowfang. "You are a medicine cat, Jayfeather. Briarlight is technically a warrior still. She is fair game."
"She is defenseless!" Jayfeather snarled aloud.
"This is for Flametail," Tigerheart growled. Jayfeather could hear Briarlight's gasp and acted on impulse, barreling into his cousin. "You're a medicine cat! You can't attack me!" the warrior hissed in surprise.
Jayfeather stumbled backwards, his blind eyes glaring. "I just did," he answered before striking out. His claws sliced through flesh, but he didn't know from what. A hiss of pain told him that he'd made contact, but when fangs grabbed his scruff, he let out a yowl of surprise.
"Jayfeather, no!" Briarlight gasped. He heard the scuffling as she struggled to get to him and help.
Tigerheart shook him violently from side to side, his fangs digging deeper and deeper into Jayfeather's skin. Finally, the pressure was released, and Jayfeather hit the ground with a thud, disoriented. He didn't know which direction Briarlight was, where Tigerheart had gone or even where the exit of the den was. Shaking his head, trying to gather his thoughts together, he heard a caterwaul of pain and pushed himself to his paws.
"Let her go, Jayfeather," Yellowfang's voice came again. "If she lives, she will destroy you. Let Tigerheart kill her."
"NO!" Jayfeather yowled. Blindly, he started toward the combined scent of Briarlight and Tigerheart. I can't lose her I can't lose her. I cannot lose her!
His body hit something hard and began ripping and tearing with his claws. "You will not hurt her!" he yowled, rage and fury welling up inside him.
Tigerheart stumbled backward. "You're insane!" the ShadowClan warrior hissed before darting out of the den.
Jayfeather and Briarlight remained, struggling to catch their breath. Jayfeather was struggling to maintain his train of thought. He should ask Briarlight if she was injured. Why couldn't he hear her breathing? Was she dead? In fact, he couldn't hear the sounds of the battle outside anymore, or the voices of his Clan-mates. There was a ringing in his ears that slowly began to intensify. A muffled voice called his name, but he couldn't make it out.
"Jayfeather, you should have let her die," Yellowfang murmured. "You have just condemned yourself to extinction. It was her time, Jayfeather. StarClan was calling her, but you defied their will. Why?"
"I need her," he whispered. Unable to keep his mind functioning any longer, he collapsed to the ground and slipped into darkness.
A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and tell me! Did you like what you've see here, well click on my username to see more! :)