Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 30:

Brightface watched across the clearing as her father and Blacktalon padded out of camp with Brambleberry, Hawkwing, and their apprentices. Hawkwing paused and turned around to look at Brightface.

"Want to come with us?" She asked. Brightface brightened and nodded eagerly. It had been a while since she had found time to be with her father. She really wanted to maintain their close relationship again. As the group padded out of camp and through the forest, Riverpaw and Leopardpaw were talking, Leopardpaw boasting about the large mouse he had caught the other day while Riverpaw rolled her amber eyes at him and padded on.

Brightface watched Hawkwing walk on faster when Brambleberry tried to fall into step with her. Brightface sighed and guessed they had gotten into another argument again. Leopardpaw bounced up to Brambleberry and stared up at him with wide, gleaming amber eyes.

"Can you tell us about the time you fought off a giant Sandclan warrior when you were and apprentice?!" He pleaded. Brambleberry seemed to hesitate before he glanced at Hawkwing.

"Sandclan had just attacked our camp. There were cats everywhere, clawing at each other. Minnowtooth had just chased away Dustfoot, and I had chased away Foxpaw. Then I heard a yowl from the nursery and dashed to get there. Hawkwing had the same idea." He mewed, glancing at the she-cat. She stiffened and turned to stare at him with wide emerald eyes.

"You're telling them that story?!" She hissed. Brambleberry opened his mouth to reply, but Leopardpaw cut him off.

"What happened next?!" He asked excitedly, eyes wide and excited.

"Hawkwing tried to chase off the large Sandclan warrior that was in there, but he hit her and she was sent flying into the wall. I leapt at the large warrior and started clawing and biting. I didn't care where I wounded him, I just wanted him out of our territory." He growled, flexing his claws. Hawkwing padded on silently, and Brightface tried to read her by the way she was walking.

But she couldn't find anything.

"He was out of the den no sooner than you can say mouse dung." Brambleberry boasted. Leopardpaw stared at his mentor with awe. Hawkwing scoffed quietly and Brightface shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something when there was a cry of pain and panic ahead.

Ripplewave kicked at a raccoon that was attached to his leg and Blactalon pried it off of him. The raccoon hissed and fled. Ripplewave hissed back and bent to lick the large bite on his leg. Blacktalon looked at him with wide ice blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Ripplewave nodded his head and looked up as Brightface scurried over to him.

"Why did that raccoon attack you?" Brambleberry asked as Brightface bent her head to sniff at the wound on the tom's leg. He shrugged and Brambleberry glanced at Hawkwing, who was standing protectively in front of the apprentices, staring off into the woods. Her ears were high and alert, her eyes scanning the trees for any sign of the raccoon.

"We should get back to camp and tell Wetstar about the raccoon." She mewed sternly. Brightface nodded and let Ripplewave lean on her for support. Blacktalon got his other side and the group started padding back towards camp. But when they were halfway there, Ripplewave collapsed on the ground, wheezing and squeezing his eyes shut. Brightface panicked and looked at her daughter and Leopardpaw.

"Go get Birdsong!" She ordered them. The two apprentices raced off, leaving the five warriors alone. Blacktalon crouched by Ripplewave and tried to get him to speak while Brightface paced back and forth, eyes wide and wild with fear. Blacktalon looked up at her.

"Get water." He mewed. Brightface glanced around and grabbed a piece of moss and raced away towards the stream. Hawkwing stood, uncertain of what to do. Ripplewave stirred and sat up. But something wasn't right, Brambleberry could tell. Foam started to drip from the cat's mouth, and the large dark tabby shoved Hawkwing behind him to protect her. She hissed at him before staring at Ripplewave with wide emerald eyes. Ripplewave turned on Blacktalon and ripped out the grey tabby's throat. Blood spattered against his pelt and Brambleberry didn't move. He didn't even blink as he watched his father get killed.

"Wh-what's happening to him?!" Hawkwing asked, horrified at what she had just seen.

"I think he has rabies. Look, he's gone crazy and he's become dangerous. That's what happens when you get rabies. Which means we need to take care of the threat." He growled. Hawkwing was about to say something, but before she could utter a word, Brambleberry had launched himself at Ripplewave and clawed at the tom's throat, creating a large gash. Blood pooled out of the wound, and Ripplewave dropped to the ground, dead. Hawkwing looked up to see Brightface staring at her dead father with shock.

"Brightface-" she started, but the silver tabby shook her head.

"It's ok. I saw it happen. Ripplewave killed Blacktalon because he caught rabies from that raccoon. The only way we could've stopped him was by eliminating him." She mewed sadly. Hawkwing hung her head and stared at her paws sadly.

"I'm sorry Ripplewave killed your father, Brambleberry." Brightface apologized. He stared at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"I could care less." He mewed. Brightface looked at him with shock.

"It's not like he acted like my father since I was born. He only started a couple moons after I became a warrior and when Heatherfoot got sick." He hissed, amber eyes flaring. Hawkwing said nothing but waved her tail at Brightface to stop her from saying anything else. The three warriors then proceeded to carry the two bodies back to camp so that the clan could grieve.

It was then that Brambleberry realized he had no kin left.