Warriors #6: A Kittypet's Destiny

Chapter 37

Swiftflight's POV

My paws that had been slamming into the ground in a run slowly came to a stop as Goldenshine, Thornclaw, and I finally made it to the end of the stream, and I watched, a chill running down my spine as Ashfur's still, blood-covered body slowly faded into nothing.

For a moment, I didn't even take notice of Goldenshine and Thornclaw storming past me, or the two barely-moving bodies that they were urgently running up to in order to assist them.

I was practically dizzy with astonishment, and I was almost sure that what I'd just witnessed couldn't have been real.

The cat that had been in my life since I was three moons old; the cat that had probably, in a way, taught me more than my ThunderClan Clanmates had; Ashfur - my former Dark Forest mentor that had manipulated me, and had tormented so many for countless moons, is... gone. Ashfur isn't even dead anymore. He's just... gone. There is no way that he can bother me anymore. Or any of us!

I probably could have stood in that clearing for days just trying to process this fact, and it wasn't until Goldenshine waved her tail right in my face that I was pulled out of my amazement and denial, and I was able to finally break my gaze from the spot that Ashfur had vanished from.

My mother's gaze was sharp with impatience. "Do you enjoy the sight of extremely injured cats all of the sudden?"

I shook my head quickly, blinking in shock at the golden brown tabby she-cat's question. "What?"

"It just seems like you'd prefer to stare at the two bleeding cats over there rather than help them!" Goldenshine hissed back at me, lashing her tail to where Snowstorm and Lilypetal were attempting to rise to their paws.

Before I could even attempt to apologize, my mother then whipped herself back around, and she quickly ran over towards Snowstorm. "Come on, we need to get Lilypetal and Snowstorm to Leafpool and Jayfeather, pronto!"

Goldenshine's words had been more than enough to get me to snap out of my daze, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with urgency as I followed just behind her.

Beside where Snowstorm was lying, Thornclaw was already gently trying to help Lilypetal to stand up. Luckily, it seemed as if the tabby-and-white she-cat was somewhat able to stand up on her own, but she still leaned into Thornclaw, her breaths shallow as she finally stood up on all four of her paws.

Goldenshine was attempting to nose Snowstorm up, and my heartbeat quickly doubled in pace as I immediately was able to see just how weak and frail my best friend looked. There was more red than white along her pelt, her eyes were nearly closed as if she were sleep-deprived, and she almost seemed too feeble to even wince at the pain of her wounds anymore.

I could barely stand to look at her for even a moment, and I quickly pelted forward to help Goldenshine in getting Snowstorm to stand up. With my help, we finally managed to get her up to her paws, although all four of her legs shook and trembled as if she couldn't even carry her own weight at all.

I felt absolutely terrified as I stared down at my best friend, and I wondered if she was even able to feel any sort of sense of accomplishment or triumph at what she had just done, and what had led up to this point. Ashfur is dead, I recalled, the thought sending a shiver through my fur each time it crossed my mind. And Snowstorm is the reason why.

Although it had only been just moments ago, it honestly felt like an entire lifetime ago that Thornclaw, Goldenshine, Snowstorm and I had been following Ashfur's and Lilypetal's scents through the ThunderClan forest. I had been absolutely sure that Ashfur and Lilypetal, whatever they were doing, were somewhere further down the stream.