Warriors: Burnttail's Regret (Complete)

Chapter 22

 ''Nice catch, Acaciapaw!'' Burnttail purred, approaching his apprentice, who was just raising her head from the river with a fish in her jaws. The apprentice dropped it next to a minnow and a watervole. She got up and looked at her mentor. ''Thanks!''

 ''I'm sure you'll become a warrior in less than a moon.'' Burnttail smiled, then shivered as the Leaf-fall wind bristled his fur. ''It's not going to be long before Leaf-bare arrives. Come on, let's go back. Do you need help with your prey?''

 Acaciapaw shook her head. ''No, I'm fine. Thanks.''

 Burnttail dipped his head and turned, padding back to camp. Acaciapaw followed him, carrying her prey. Burnttail dived in the river and swam to the other side, followed closely by his apprentice. The ginger she-cat with a cream belly ran towards the Fresh-kill pile and dropped her prey. Burnttail looked around and approached Spottedfur and Spiderfrost. ''Hello!''

 Spiderfrost blinked. ''Oh, you're back! Welcome, Burnttail.''

 Burnttail dipped his head and turned, sighing. ''Patrols again, I guess.''

 ''By the way, before that,'' Spiderfrost intrerupted him, his amber eyes sparkling with worry. ''Have you seen Dogspot?''

 Burnttail blinked, surprised, but shook his head. ''No, I haven't. Why?"

 ''She hasn't returned with the dawn patrol..'' Spiderfrost whispered, suddenly worried. ''Bouldershade and Swiftbrook said that Dogspot wanted to do something before she came back, but she didn't return yet.''

 Burnttail's ears twitched in alarm. He looked at Spottedfur. ''Do you know where she is?''

 Spottedfur sighed and shook her head. ''No. We have to go look for her!''

 ''I agree. I'll make the patrols after.'' Burnttail meowed and got up, then spun around. ''Come on! Follow me!''

 Burnttail dived in the river and quickly swam to the other side. He got up and shook his fur as he stopped and looked around. ''She was in the patrol that went to the Sunningrocks, right?''

 Spiderfrost nodded. ''I think so. Come on!'' He meowed and sprinted in that direction. Burnttail followed him, worry clouding his vision. StarClan, please, let Dogspot be alright..

 Burnttail soon saw the river and the Sunningrocks. He stopped when he was right in front of them and looked around, sniffing the air. ''Dogspot? Dogspot, are you there? Dogspot!''

 ''Dogspot, it's us!'' Spiderfrost yowled, flicking his tail with worry. ''Dogspot?''

 Spottedfur let out a yowl. Burnttail spun around and approached the she-cat. ''What is it?''

 ''It's Dogspot, and..'' Spottedfur broke off. Burnttail followed the she-cat's glare and froze when he saw Dogspot's body on the ground, with her legs in the river. Her fur was wounded and bloodied.

 ''Dogspot!'' Burnttail yowled and rushed forward, dragging the she-cat's body away from the river. ''Dogspot, no!''

 ''No!'' Spiderfrost let out a yowl and helped Burnttail. ''No, please.. Dogspot is my closest friend, she can't be.. she can't be dead..''

 ''Dogspot, answer us!'' Burnttail wailed and sniffed Dogspot's body, then stood frozen, but let out a distressed yowl when he couldn't hear any heartbeat. ''She's gone. She left to join StarClan.''

 ''No!'' Spiderfrost yowled and buried his nose in Dogspot's fur. Burnttail let out a sigh and closed his eyes, doing the same. First Snake, and now Dogspot.. oh, StarClan, why are you punishing me like this? Why?

 Spottedfur let out a sigh and stepped forward, laying down next to Burnttail. After a while, she got up and looked at Dogspot's body. ''Dogspot was.. one of my only close friends, and.. and I'm sure StarClan will welcome her.. S-She may have been killed, b-but.. I'm sure she died an honorable death, a-and.. the cat who killed her is f-for sure a fox-heart.. uh..''

 Burnttail raised his head and looked at Spottedfur, surprised by the warrior's speech and her stutters, but he just shrugged it off and sighed, getting up. ''Dogspot was a very kind she-cat. She did trust too easily, but she was very kind and funny, and always cared for everyone around her. She didn't deserve to die like this..''

 Spiderfrost got up, sobbing, and dipped his head. ''Dogspot.. she shouldn't have died today. Not like this. But since we were apprentices, she always wanted to protect her Clan, and I'm sure she did.. whoever killed her will pay, I'll make sure of it.''

 Burnttail lowered his gaze and rested his gray tail on Spiderfrost's back. The black-and-white tom closed his eyes, sobbing quietly. Burnttail sighed. ''Come on.. let's take her to camp, where we can hold a real vigil for her.''

 Burnttail hesitated, then picked Dogspot up by her scruff. Spiderfrost helped him, and Spottedfur stood still for a while, then turned around. Burnttail and Spiderfrost padded alongside eachother, with Dogspot's body on their backs. They dived in the river together and swam back in camp, then they got outside and gently put Dogspot's body back.

 The other cats let out shocked gasps when they saw Dogspot's body. They started rushing towards them. Frecklestar stepped forward, shocked. ''Dogspot? What happened?''

 ''We.. don't know.'' Burnttail sighed, looking at Dogspot. ''We just found her dead by the Sunningrocks, and..''

 ''ThunderClan! ThunderClan did it!'' Tornfeather suddenly yowled, baring his teeth. ''We should attack them!''

 Burnttail raised his head, surprised. ''No! No, I'm sure that not a ThunderClan cat killed her. There was no ThunderClan scent around her, and she was on our side of the territory, so why would a ThunderClan cat just trespass to kill her?''

 Tornfeather snorted, but sat quiet. Swiftbrook, Dogspot's former mentor, stepped forward and looked at the she-cat's body, sighing. ''Dogspot was a well-behaved apprentice and she always did her duties. Her life was taken too soon by StarClan. May they welcome her.''

 Spiderfrost let out another wail and crouched, burying his nose in Dogspot's fur. Burnttail looked at him, then sighed and sat down, resting his tail on the tom's back and closing his eyes, burying his nose in Dogspot's fur as well. Spiderfrost knew Dogspot longer than I did, of course that he's so upset at her death.. Oh, StarClan, why did you take Dogspot? Why her?

 Spottedfur hesitated, then sat down next to them and buried her nose in Dogspot's fur. Soon, more cats joined them, and Burnttail shut his eyes more tightly, sobbing quietly. Dogspot was so kind! She didn't deserve to die.. Whoever killed her must be a fox-heart, and I hope that they'll pay for what they did. May StarClan welcome Dogspot.. I wonder if she's watching over us right now.. Oh, Dogspot, I'm so sorry that you died, you didn't deserve this..