Very special thanks to BrightMind, for reviewing so much!
BrightMind: You're really close to the truth!
Heronflight:You'll find out soon enough!
RestingDerpface: You're going to hate me...
"The cats who will attend this battle are Aspenpaw, Fernshadow, Featherpaw, Silverpaw, Amberclaw, Owlpaw, Duskpelt, Foxfeather, Splitfoot, Hailbreeze, Rainpaw, Moontail and Seedpelt. Kestrelpaw will come with us,"
Silverpaw crept through the damp grass. Droplets of dew and rainwater dripped from the leaves. This battle had certainly not been blessed by good weather. Aspenpaw padded next to him, fur slick with water.
The moist conditions would the ground wet, and the path through the marsh perilous. Dawn had just barely flushed red. A sign of a bad day to come, according the Fogstep.
Redtalon stalked in the front, tail stiff. Amberclaw was beside him. The two brothers looked identical in the gloom, ginger fur vaguely different shades, muscles bulging under their pelts.
Silverpaw caught the twitch of Redtalon's tail.
"Warriors! Get into pairs. We will cross when I say so,"
Thunderpath.
Aspenpaw slunk over to her mentor. Silverpaw looked behind him. Featherpaw gave him a brisk nod, padding up to him. Featherpaw's pelt was hardly damp, glistening with the droplets that repelled off her fur. The elegant slope of her shoulders trailed down to her bushy tail.
Featherpaw looked beautiful.
Redtalon felt the Thunderpath for the rumbling of monsters with one paw. Silverpaw tensed. He and Featherpaw were directly behind the two ginger toms.
The lights of a monster flashed in the gloom.
"Go!" Redtalon and Amberclaw streaked across. Without a second's hesitation, Silverpaw followed with Featherpaw close behind.
The ground shook as another monster approached.
Featherpaw froze in her tracks. Silverpaw looked back in horror.
"Featherpaw!"
The glowing eyes of the monster drew ever nearer.
Silverpaw grabbed the frightened she-cat and flung her out of the path.
She landed with a thud on oily grass.
And he squeezed his eyes shut.
There was a rush of air as the monster blew past.
Silverpaw had missed death by a whisker.
Amberclaw turned on his apprentice.
"What do you think you were doing," He hissed. "Both of you could've died!" Featherpaw bowed her head in shame.
"I'm sorry, Amberclaw. I saw it coming and I just-just-" Amberclaw's gaze softened.
"Don't do it again. You mustn't endanger yourself or the lives of your clanmates,"
As all of the clan crossed without further mishap, Redtalon stepped into the marsh. Silverpaw wrinkled his nose at the musky scent of ShadowClan markers.
The scent was fresh, meaning that a border patrol had already passed recently. Silverpaw sighed in relief. Hopefully, they wouldn't run into any ShadowClan cats. Until, that is, they attacked their camp.
Aspenpaw walked smoothly through the swamp, perfectly at ease. Silverpaw admired her confidence. As soon as they had set foot on enemy territory, all of his had diminished into a speck.
Silverpaw gasped as his paw sunk into the sludgy earth. Quickly, Aspenpaw reached over and hauled him out.
"Thanks," Silverpaw muttered. He shook the mud from his paw, grunting as he flicked the grime from between his claws. Aspenpaw smiled.
ThunderClan crept through foreign land, below shadows and among pine trees.
They reached a plot of land, smelling thickly of cats. A band of brambles surrounded the hollow.
Camp.
Redtalon looked at his cats. He pointed up to a tree.
Silverpaw scurried up, with most of the others following. A thick branch extended over the camp. He watched as Redtalon stolled almost casually through a small entrance in the brambles.
The dark ginger tom walked into the middle of camp. He stopped.
"Clawstar!" He yowled into the roots of an oak tree.
Clawstar walked out of the tree, stiffening as he saw Redtalon.
"You," The dark tom snarled. With an unearthly cry, he sprang at the deputy. ShadowClan cats streamed out of the dens in shock.
"ThunderClan, attack!"
Warriors leapt down from the tree, caterwauling. Silverpaw jumped down and pounced on a young tortoiseshell she-cat, an apprentice by the looks of it.
Rowanpaw.
Rowanpaw snarled, rearing up to bring her paws down on Silverpaw's body. Silverpaw did the same, and they clashed in midair. Silverpaw used his weight to push her onto the ground. Pinning the ShadowClan apprentice down, Silverpaw ripped her ears with his teeth.
Rowanpaw shrieked and struck with her paws, raking out clumps of Silverpaw's belly fur. Silverpaw gritted his teeth as bunches of his fur flew past his eyes. Using the pain to direct his strength, Silverpaw slammed his paws down hard on Rowanpaw's white belly. Rowanpaw puffed as the air was knocked out of her. Dealing a final blow to her nose, Silverpaw let Rowanpaw skim away.
Silverpaw noticed Rainpaw slashing at two ShadowClan apprentices. The twosome were steadily backing her toward the wall of bramble.
Swiftly, Silverpaw bounded across the dark camp. He flung himself at the tom, letting Rainpaw take care of the she-cat.
Silverpaw gasped as the bark coloured apprentice brought his paw down, hard, on his skull. Silverpaw saw the world before him shake.
"I'm Adderpaw. You won't forget me," The tom sneered
He retaliated with a sharp blow across Adderpaw's ears, striking the tender flesh with unsheathed paws. The tabby tom hissed and grabbed his shoulders. The two apprentices wrestled, clawing and spitting at each other. Silverpaw could barely see anymore; blood flowed freely into his eyes. Yet Adderpaw wasn't unscathed either. The ShadowClan tom's legs were covered in raw gashes.
Finally, Silverpaw noticed a weakness beginning to break in Adderpaw's focus. With a final slash, Silverpaw let Adderpaw run off into a space between two large boulders. Rainpaw had driven off the she-cat as well.
Stalking over, she shoved her face into his.
"Look, I don't need your help. I could've held them off just fine without your help," Rainpaw spat. Whipping around, she sauntered away.
Yeah, like you totally weren't about to be torn apart, Silverpaw thought bitterly. He shook the blood from his eyes. What he saw next stunned him.
Featherpaw was creeping up on a black tom. Silverpaw flew across the clearing, paws just barely skimming the ground.
Featherpaw jumped on Clawstar. The ShadowClan leader looked slightly amused as he easily batted her away. Silverpaw bounded to her side. Together, they slashed at the tom. Clawstar was not returning the blows, blocking instead of striking.
Suddenly, his yellow eyes widened.
"You're Redtalon's son," Clawstar's eyes hardened. He brought a massive paw down to Silverpaw's chest.
A scream of pain sounded from across the clearing.
Clawstar turned his head to a point in the distance, paw frozen mid-blow.
Redtalon had a small black tom pinned beneath him. It was odd, really. The little cat wasn't trying to fight, just whimpering and flailing.
The muscular dark ginger tom struck the Shadowclanner again and again. Silverpaw waited for Redtalon to stop, to let the cat go.
But he didn't.
With one final blow, Redtalon flung the tiny tom to the ground. He glanced up and grimaced at Clawstar.
The ShadowClan leader stiffly turned to look at the limp body. His ears twitched.
"Jaypaw!" The devastated roar ripped from deep in his chest.
"How could you? He was made an apprentice just this morning," Clawstar snarled. Redtalon's eyes flickered.
"The same way that you did, so many moons ago."
Whipping back to Silverpaw and Featherpaw, a guttural cry leapt from Clawstar's mouth.
He grabbed Featherpaw by the throat.
Silverpaw's paws were frozen to the ground.
And snapped down.
Silverpaw looked up.
Featherpaw's head lolled limply from her body. Clawstar let her thump to the ground.
"This battle is over. This means war," With that, Clawstar staggered to his son's body.
Silverpaw fell to his knees. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he nudged Featherpaw gently.
"Come on, Featherpaw, the battle's over. We have to go home now," Silverpaw murmured into Featherpaw's downy fur.
"Featherpaw?" Silverpaw licked her ears. Featherpaw's usually lively eyes were devoid of any emotion. Frantically, Silverpaw kneaded her with his paws.
"Wake up. Featherpaw. I'll get you a medicine cat. You'll be fine."
"Featherpaw?" Silverpaw tried to push away the rising wave of hysteria tugging at his pelt.
"Silverpaw," A soft voice rustled the fur in his ear. Silverpaw continued to prod at Featherpaw's broken body.
"Silverpaw!" The voice became harsher. Numb, Silverpaw looked up to find Hailbreeze's somber eyes staring down at him.
"She's dead,"
"No she isn't! He-her eyes are still open and her fur is still warm and-," With each convincing word, Silverpaw became ever aware of the scent of death beginning to settle on her body
"Featherpaw is dead. Gone. You'll never see her again. You will never get to train with her again."
Sighing, Hailbreeze hauled Featherpaw's corpse on his back. Silverpaw trailed, unfeeling, behind his mentor.
He became aware of the apprentice-no, kit, laying in in middle of the hollow. Blue eyes glassed over, mouth askew in one last pained wail. And Clawstar, head bowed, eyes narrowed in grief.
His father was a monster.
Silverpaw only recalled moving through the marsh once more. Rainpaw's eyes were furious, shooting him accusing looks.
And those he deserved. He had been the cause of the death of her sister.
Kestrelpaw utterly focused on tending to the wounds of his clanmates, brow furrowed. Silverpaw knew that he was trying to block out the emotions of grief.
As they entered camp, burdened with loss, cats looked up from their prey and stared in horror. Silverpaw helped set Featherpaw's stiffening body in the middle of camp.
Stormpaw padded out of the apprentice's den, mouth dropping open in shock.
"You," He snarled, leaping at Silverpaw. "You killed my sister!"
Silverpaw didn't try to defend himself from the blows.
It was true.
He had killed Featherpaw.
Clawstar had most likely aimed to kill him, but in his rage, confused the two apprentices' similar pelts. If he hadn't tried to "help" Featherpaw fight him off, she would still be where she was supposed to be.
Besides, the pain was at least better than numbness.
"Stormpaw, stop!" The weight was pulled from on top of Silverpaw.
Quietly, he got up and settled down beside Featherpaw's body, pushing his nose into her chilling fur.
You never realize how much you love someone until you lose them.
Hehe, sorry, this had to happen. But it had to. XD
QOTD: What do you think Redtalon means by, The same way that you did, so many moons ago?