Warriors: Sounds of the Forest

Chapter Fourteen: Riversong

I could feel grief well within me as I watched Snareclaw in pain, it seemed like forever until he was at last asleep.  

Snowfire was crying to herself as she sat next to him though I could not catch what she was saying. Leafkit needed to be stopped but I hadn't a clue how. 

When Blackheart arrived in the Riverclan camp she kept to herself until Dewkit confronted her and they began to swap languages. Because of Dewkit's deafness it was easy for her to read Blackheart's lips and for them to speak like that. 

It looked as though I would soon be going back to Thunderclan...  

When I returned to the medicine den I found Feathersplash sorting herbs and Snowfire lying with Snareclaw. 

"Do you think he'll make it?" I asked quietly

"I could have asked you the same thing. But no, I don't think so."

I nodded "I don't think so either, he's lost a lot of blood, and he has so many internal injuries that was can't even touch. I feel bad for Snowfire though she never even got to say good bye." 

"Yea... But I hope he does live, he had so much more ahead of him." with that the conversation ended and Feathersplash showed me to a nest at the edge of the den.  

My mine wandered for a bit flashing back to how Blackheart had looked before she was learning to speak with her tail. But I quickly discarded the thought as I fell asleep.

I awoke early the next morning, the sun wasn't even in the sky yet, I could feel that somthing was wrong, something had happened when I was sleeping. 

Looking at Snareclaw I knew what it was, he was awake and in a lot of pain. Feathersplash was at his side with Snowfire, they were talking. When they stopped talking Snowfire hung her head but seemed to be muttering somethings under her breath, as if to someone that was unseen. She only lifted her head in time to see Snareclaw's body shiver and then... he stopped breathing as his life left it. 

I didn't know if I should comfort Snowfire or if I shouldn't. She looked as though she needed a friend though but I knew not to say anything, because that would only make it worse. So I walked up to she quietly and rested my tail on her shoulder for a moment before she looked at me with thanks in her eyes and walked away.

The camp was struck with grief, not only Riverclan, but Skyclan as well. Snareclaw had been popular among them, and though I did not know him, even on his death bed I could feel an aroma of strength that not many warriors held. 

As I sat at the edge of the clearing, watching those who knew Snareclaw best share tongues with him for the last time, I wondered what I would have felt if Blackheart had died in the attack, the thought made me shutter. 

I caught Blackhearts eye when she came out of the warriors den with Tigerfang at her side, her face showed saddness for the Riverclan warrior who had lost his life, but her eyes were clouded with dark thoughts. As she walked over to me I saw that she carried the stone with her. 

She flicked her tail in the air, the movement reminded me of how she wrote with the berry ink and tablet for it looked as though she was writing a syllable in the air like she would on the stone. Then when she pointed to a word on the tablet and waved her tail again I knew I was right. Now we could speak easily without carrying the stone everywhere. 

-Please Riversong,- she wrote in the air -Teach Tigerfang how I speak so I can talk to him!-

I nodded and turned to Tigerfang "She want me to teach you. Do you want to learn?"

"Of coarse! I'd do anything to talk with her!" 

I knew that would be his answer but I also knew that Blackheart would want to hear him say it.  

We began our lessons at once, using the stone tablet as a reference to the letters and using Blackheart to show how to write it with her tail, it was way past Sun-high before we stopped for a break. Tigerfang was learning rapidly and he would know the language by sundown.

The camp was nearly deafeningly quiet when I came back from teaching Tigerfang, and it hit me that I had forgotten of Snareclaws death. My hunger vanished in a flash when the memory shook me, but soon we would need to return to our journey. Well they would, and I would return to Thunderclan... 

Blackheart came up from behind me with anxiety rolling off of her in waves, something was still trobling her and I needed to know what it was.

"Whats wrong Blackheart?" I whispered so know one else could hear us.

-I worry about Foxpaw, I haven't spoken to him in a while and with Tigerfang gone he is once again mentor-less.- I had a feeling that what she told me wasn't the whole truth but I responded kindly anyway.

"Perhaps Amberstar choose a new mentor, after all he hadn't fully appointed Tigerfang to the duty."

Blackheart replied with a quick -Okay- and walked toward the warriors den. She was definitely not okay.