Chapter 16: The blood run

Its a short one today, but im not feeling well and i need to draw something for my friend :D

Have fun!

Songpaw shook her glossy brown coat, scattering the harsh sunbeams that reflected off its clean shine. She narrowed her aqua blue eyes, glaring at the pitiful fresh kill pile. It contained a single mouse and a tiny robin, clearly not enough to feed a clan. Songpaw growled quietly, Greenleaf was a time of happiness and prosperity, hunger was that existed only for Leafbare, not the most loved season!

Songpaw was sitting outside the apprentice den, inside Wolfpaw snored lazily along with Stormpaw. Foxpaw her brother and his best friend Blackpaw were grooming each other's coats to keep each other cool. Swiftpaw was resting outside the medicine den, her coat plastered with marigold and cobwebs, Snowpaw was sitting beside her, watching the sun rise over the camps rocky ledge. Songpaw took a moment to watch the sunbeams creep into the dark thunderclan clearing, the faint golden arms slowly growing brighter and higher in the sky.

Songpaw glanced back at Swiftpaw, her eyes were closed and it looked like her neck wound had stopped bleeding. It was only yesterday that Songpaw's heart had been wrenched when her friend was dragged back into the camp with a fatal wound after an attack from Darkclan on Swiftpaw and Snowpaw. Songpaw had never seen anyone so close to death before. Luckily thanks to Jayfeather's stubbornness and careful healing skills, her friend was going to be fine.

Taking slow, cautious steps to the flame coloured apprentice, Songpaw glanced warily at Snowpaw as she approached, knowing the white tom would be extremely protective of her now, since he was so close to losing her. Snowpaw's amber eyes glinted in the growing light like the lights that came out of monsters, but as soon as he realised it was Songpaw his hackles shifted down. "She's sleeping." He whispered quietly.

Songpaw purred quietly, Swiftpaw had so much energy yet, still loved to sleep. The complete opposite of Songpaw's other friend Ravenpaw who was always up at the first glimpse of sunlight. But really their entire friendship group was a trio of hyper active apprentices, bursting into huge fits of laughter in training sessions, making fun of themselves, and just being.. well..themselves. Songpaw was dreading the day she could no longer be a carefree apprentice, with her head bursting with responsibility and the pressure of feeding a clan. Songpaw had also noticed that Ravenpaw had been alot more down recently; her constantly glowing, bright green eyes were a thing of the past and now had a distant, almost misty feeling to them.

The morning, cool breeze snapped Snowpaw out of her pondering, Swiftpaw blinked open her green eyes, her pupils adjusting to the sudden burst of light entering them from the sunrise. Swiftpaw rolled her eyes, and put her head in her paws. "Dawn already? Why did the sun have to ruin my sleep?" she moaned.

Songpaw chuckled quietly, her friend was such a mouse brain. Songpaw flicked Swiftpaw's ear playfully with her tail. "Have you seen Ravenpaw?"

Snowpaw shook his head. "I saw her talking with Ivypool earlier then Jayfeather took her out of camp at the first glimpse of light."

Songpaw raised an eyebrow. "Strange, she hates that pain in a tail."

Swiftpaw gave her a knowing glance, her green eyes narrowing cheekily. "May I point out that pain in a tail probably saved my life?" Swiftpaw finished with a burst of laughter. Songpaw rolled her eyes and grinned at her friend. Looking across the camp she decided to take the mouse and robin to the elders. "well, wish me luck, hopefully Purdy won't torture me with another story!" she sighed, walking away to the pitiful pile of food.

Swiftpaw's green eyes shone brightly and grinned. "I hope he does!" she teased playfully. It was strange one of the most important factors in the trio's friendship was laughing at each other's pain.

She trotted over to the freshkill pile, her small paws lightly touching the ground lifting a slight cloud of dust with each paw step. Her sharp fangs closed around the skinny prey, and they swung lightly from her jaws as she ran to the elder's den, turning the corner of the large tree trunk that was the warriors den, she had the elder's den in her sights.

Suddenly, her vision swirled, like water flowing down a hole, twisting and turning so it was impossible to navigate, Songpaw felt herself collapse to the floor, a cloud of dust swarmed up her nose, making her sneeze. Songpaw tried shaking her head, but she felt herself becoming increasingly light headed, until the swarming blur that was what was left of her vision completely faded away leaving her blind.

Songpaw felt the ground beneath her dissipate until all of reality had faded away like morning mist. Alone, and in the dark she let out a cry of terror. Then, like a miracle her vision returned, but it was not the same.

Songpaw was in the thunderclan forest, but it was a whole world away from the heavenly Eden that it was normally. Cats screeched, lightning flashed over head, blood splattered on the trees along with a crescendo of terrified yowls. Songpaw covered below a bramble bush, watching Lionblaze claw Breezestar. The golden warrior was being unfairly battled by Breezestar, Dogfang and another Darkclan cat. Songpaw tired to help him, but somehow her paws were rooted to the ground, as if she was forbidden from acting and was only a spectator. Songpaw surveyed the area, glancing quickly at each battling cat. Her aqua pools locked onto a pair of green orbs. Swiftpaw.

A black Darkclan apprentice towered above her, his lips drawn back in a snarl filled with hatred...and...excitement? the apprentice had a pair of odd eyes, one was green much like Swiftpaw's the other was a dark shade of amber, like a single burning ember. His long claws were high in the air, ready to slice Swiftpaw in half.

Songpaw once again tried to leap at the attacker, but she was frozen, no matter how hard she tired she couldn't shift. She was like the moon, un moving but always watching. Tears streamed down Songpaw's face as the claws smashed down on Swiftpaw's belly and tore through her delicate belly fur, Swiftpaw's belly ripped in half, and blood scattered like rain. Most of it landed on her attacker, who laughed cruelly. A single droplet fell on Songpaw's cheek, and rolled off with her endless tide of glittering tears. Her vision blurred once again, and her shadowed aqua orbs continued to stare at Swiftpaw's blurring shape as Songpaw's sight faded into darkness once again...

So this is the vision Ravenpaw saw, it was actually Songpaw's but she connected with her mind :D

Till next time, im kinda in a rush!

Neon xxx Best wishes everyone!