Trail arrived at the Windclan moor panting and exhausted. He'd been running for who knew how long through pounding rain, striking lightning, and crashing thunder. Scythe had been right behind him the whole time, Trail barely able to outpace him. The storm was only getting worse. The lake was in front of him, and through the rain he could barely make out that it was covered in thrashing waves that pounded the shores and the island in the center.
As he struggled to catch his breath, Trail heard a cat calling. He recognized Pinestripe's mew.
"Trail!" she was yowling from some ways off. What was she doing? She had to be in the Stormcaves with the rest of the Clans!
Just then, Scythe crashed into him, knocking Trail into the muddy earth. The rogue loomed over him, a dark shadow in the rain, flashes of lightning outlining his bony figure.
Trail pulled in his exhausted hind legs and kicked out at the assassin, who nimbly leaped out of the way. But it gave the loner a chance to rise to his paws. He did so swiftly, and hurried towards Pinestripe's voice, which was still searching for him.
But Scythe caught up to him again, digging his sharp claws into Trail's flanks. Trail tried to roll away, but Scythe rolled with him, digging his claws in deeper. They rolled down the hill to the lake bed. As Trail struggled to rise, a strong gust of wind knocked both him and Scythe into the water. Trail sputtered, trying to keep his head above the water, although the rain was so heavy he felt like he was drowning in the air as well.
The realization that he didn't know how to swim hit him. Trail flailed desperately, trying to get back to shore. The waves were rocking him in every direction, throwing him under, and crashing over him. Some of the waves were bigger than him.
Trail had to squint to be able to see. A little farther away, he could make out the shape of a tall tree reaching to the sky. The Great Oak, and the Gathering Island! Trail lunged forward, forcing his legs to kick and swim. He started to make progress, but not much. The waves were throwing him in every direction. Fatigue was dragging him down. But adrenaline kept him going, and Trail kept swimming.
When he touched the shore of the island, Trail gave a gasp of relief. Underneath the isle's trees, the rain was lessened the slightest bit. After so much water, it was a relief. Trail was so tired that his legs collapsed beneath him, and he had to fight to get back up. It was good that he did, because at that moment a waterlogged Scythe dragged himself out of the lake and lunged at him. Lifting his paw to fight back felt like lifting a whole tree trunk. Trail couldn't do it quickly enough, and Scythe bowled him over, snapping at his neck.
Trail knew there was a tree trunk that connected the island to the mainland. It was the only way off. If Trail could reach it, he could have a chance to escape.
The next time Scythe lunged to bite his throat, Trail lurched forward, bashing his head into the rogue's. Scythe was thrown off him. Trail stood up, head spinning. He struggled toward the trunk.
"Trail!" On the mainland shore, the brown tom spotted Pinestripe. She was limping heavily and walking unsteadily.
"Get to the Stormcaves!" He tried to call to her, but the wind blew his voice away. Pinestripe hurried toward the trunk and began to cross to the island.
Sharp fangs sunk into his shoulder, down to the bone. Trail yowled in pain and turned to face Scythe. The assassin slashed at him with clear, controlled swipes that drove Trail toward the water. He couldn't fight back.
"I'm going to shred you," Scythe growled. "I'm going to flay you."
When would Pinestripe reach them?
"I'm going to turn you into crow-food," Scythe vowed. "I'm going to tear open your stomach, and let your insides sink to the bottom of the lake. I'm going to rip off your tail and force it down your throat."
"Scythe!" Pinestripe yowled, near the end of the trunk. Scythe only glanced in her direction.
Trail's fur raised. He realized lightning was going to strike nearby. As Pinestripe leapt off the trunk, a jagged bolt flashed down from the clouds and decimated the trunk. When the flash faded, it was gone. Pinestripe lay on the island, fur blackened and standing on end, unconscious.
"Pinestripe!" Trail hurried toward her, but a sound stopped him.
It was the worst sound he'd ever heard. A low rumble that made the clouds tremble and shook the ground, making Trail feel it in his bones. From the clouds, a funnel of wind began to form. A swirling pillar that reached from the sky to the ground. Wherever it touched, trees were thrown into the sky. The swirling wind made its way around the lake, destroying everything it touched. Wherever it had passed, it left a field of fallen trees and rubble.
Scythe was similarly awestruck by the petrifying phenomenon. Trail's fur raising again reminded him the swirling wind wasn't the only danger around them.
Lightning struck the Great Oak, which towered above them. The lightning traveled from the top of the tree down to the base, illuminating the entire thing and disappearing into the ground. A creaking sound echoed over the groaning. The Great Oak tipped toward them. It was falling! Scythe dashed out of the way, and Trail followed suit, before seeing Pinestripe was right in the falling oak's path. Trail dashed forward and grabbed the unconscious she-cat with his mouth, pulling her out of the way. When the Oak was about to touch the ground, Trail squeezed his eyes shut and covered her body with his own.
He'd barely made it out of the tree's way. Twigs flew everywhere, peppering his body with injuries that ranged from small to incredibly deep. The impact of the tree seemed to shake the brain inside his skull.
As he stood up to check on Pinestripe, Scythe slammed into him once more. They both went tumbling into the water. Trail could only just feel the ground under the water. He hurried toward the island shore, but Scythe stood in his way. The rogue began to slash at him, cutting deep wounds. He blocked Trail from reaching the shore, keeping him in the water.
A massive wave beared down on them, and both cats went under. Trail surfaced, gasping for breath. Scythe leaped out from beneath him, knocking him out from his feet and forcing him below the water. The rogue held him there, churning at his back while Trail drowned. Right when Trail felt darkness at the edge of his vision, an even bigger wave and a strong current knocked Scythe off him, and sent Trail tumbling through the water. The sky was as dark as the lake bed; he couldn't tell which way was up. Trail forced his legs to kick him in some direction. He collided with the island shore and brought his head up. Turning, Trail found Scythe facing him. The rogue panted, hatred burning in his yellow eyes. Behind him, the Swirlingstorm tore up the land on the mainland.
When Scythe came at him again, Trail fought back. He used every scrap of energy he'd ever had. It was the hardest thing he ever did. When Scythe struck, Trail ducked and batted the paw away. Between Scythe's attacks, Trail managed to get in a few blows of his own.
A thundering sound like whistling wind sounded above them. Trail looked up to see the swirling wind had thrown a tree in their direction. He and Scythe leaped out of the way as the trunk crashed into the water, sending enormous waves that drove them apart.
Trail's fur stood on end once more. He tried to reach the shore, but the gargantuan waves kept him in the lake.
As a flash emerged from the bottom of the clouds, Pinestripe reached out and grabbed Trail by the scruff, pulling him onto the island. Lightning struck the water, sending bright flashes in every direction across the lake. Scythe reared up in the water, body convulsing, limbs jerking. His corpse fell back into the water, and the rogue was no more.