Bluestar's Choice

Chapter Eight

Bluefur wrapped her tail around herself. She was inside of a fox den, accompanied by her father, Stormtail and Windflight and Sparrowpelt. Three equally good warriors. "Do you think we should head deeper into the dark, daughter?" Stormtail muttered bitterly.

"No, we need the light to see in case the fox attacks us." Long to stretch, the den led to multiple tunnels, all promising danger and darkness ahead.

"We should each guard each tunnel." Stormtail suggested, glaring at Bluefur. There were five tunnels, so obviously one had to be unguarded. "Fine idea. But we can't separate. One cat alone is vulnerable and if we run to attack it's back, that'll push it to attack that cat more, provoking severe wounds." Bluefur mewed, sounding authoritative.

To her dismay, they all nodded in agreement, even her father had nodded too. Of course they would, Bluefur argued to herself. I'm the deputy and it's a good idea.

"We stick together then." Windflight mewed. "Wait... we aren't looking for a fight though. We're just searching around." Bluefur reminded them gently, imagining them as her own kits.

"Then we should go deeper." Stormtail muttered, somewhat containing bitterness and warmth at the same time. "I vote to go deeper too." Windflight agreed. "We shouldn't." Sparrowpelt spoke for the first time. "It's dangerous."

Stormtail huffed, "Are you a warrior or a kittypet?" Bluefur suddenly felt protective of Sparrowpelt and mewed in his defense, "He's using his brain. " Bluefur recalled Stormtail's recent retort to Sunstar— their leader. How obnoxious he is, Bluefur realized for the first time that her father wasn't such an agreeable cat. Or maybe, she secretly knew that all her life.

Stormtail shot her a glare, and then softened, as if he realized she was his daughter again. "I guess we could take a look." Bluefur mewed, cautiously avoiding his gaze.

And so they stepped a few pawsteps into the third tunnel, as it was chosen by Bluefur herself. "Help!" screamed Sparrowpelt from the back. A fox!

She spun around to face the fox. The fox had sharp white teeth and a sly look, as if it thought that it could defeat all four of them alone.

Stormtail lashed his tail, and unsheathed his claws, clawing the fox in its face. The fox looked annoyed, and started biting Stormtail's neck. Her father screeched in agony. Bluefur jumped in and started clawing and ducking the fox, avoiding it's claws. But the fox had neglected her, trying to bite Sparrowpelt's tail.

Windflight leaped on top of the fox, and clawed its head off, furiously. "Wait!" Bluefur screeched, gazing up at the warrior, she saw how old he was. He fell to the ground when the fox shook its head.

Sparrowpelt yowled in pain as the fox bit his tail and held it's bite. Bluefur clawed the fox on it's side, creating a severe wound that looked as if it had been reopened twice.

Windflight moved helplessly on the ground, while her father sat a few tail-lengths away, waiting for the right moment to jump in the battle. Stormtail leaped for the fox and delivered a killing blow on its neck.

The fox fell. It laid unconscious for a few moments before Bluefur clawed its neck on the wound and then it died. "We have to get out of here!" Bluefur yowled. "Stormtail help Windflight, while I help Sparrowpelt!"

Stormtail nodded without protest. Her father was still bleeding but not as much as Sparrowpelt or Windflight. Bluefur grabbed Sparrowpelt by the scruff and started dragging him out of the tunnel. Stormtail did the same with Windflight but Windflight kept screeching in protest every moment.