Red Herring (A step in the wild direction au)

Chapter 2

Redtail's eyes snapped open. He was facing the river and the pain in his neck was gone now. He blinked once, his eyes aching when he looked at the sun like he'd been sleeping for moons. After blinking twice, he was faced with a starry figure in front of him. It took him a moment to recognise the cat but after examining his brown pelt, Redtail connected that it was the Riverclan deputy. That was strange. How did he get out from under the rocks so quickly. Oakheart was staring past him, eyes wide and shoulders stiff. Redtail tipped his head and turned around to see what the other deputy was looking at. His heart dropped to his paws. That was his body, blood caking the back of his neck and staining his fur crimson. His entire body was stiff, eyes open wide yet unfocused, staring at nothing. 
"No. No!" Redtail ran forward, pushing his head against his body. It did nothing but phase through, brushing fur. His body was dropped to the ground with a thud and simply flopped onto its side like it was a piece of fresh-kill. Redtail looked up towards his attacker, fur bristling. Tigerclaw stood above his body, blood staining his jaws and clumps of red, white and black fur clinking to his claws and whiskers. Redtail couldn't speak, his voice silent and frozen. Tigerclaw tricked him. That fox-heart. Redtail flexed his claws, crouching down to prepare for a leap. He paused when he heard a crunch from behind them. He turned to look at the bushes where he saw a white tipped tail disappear. Ravenpaw. He was there. For once he was glad the cowardly apprentice hadn't obeyed and fled back to camp. He took off in a sprint after Ravenpaw. Leaves fluttered up when he ran past like a breeze had blown them. Was that all the power he had left, a simple breeze to everything around him. As he ran, the stars that glimmered on his pelt were blinding, shining nearly as brightly as the sun and yet he was unseen. A squirrel startled as he ran past, running up a nearby tree. Redtail saw the end of Ravenpaw's tail disappear through the gorse tunnel and he followed, bursting into camp. Cats had already been crowded around the middle of camp, where Bluestar was on highrock and now they were all looking at Ravenpaw. 
"Redtail's dead" he cried out right before collapsing to the ground. 
"No!" Redtail jumped forward, trying to prod the apprentice awake.
"Come on Ravenpaw. Wake up. You have to tell them the rest" and yet his cries were unheard and his paw simply passed through the young apprentice's body. His sister ran forward, pressing her nose to Ravenpaw's head before she began taking him off to the medicine den. The gorse tunnel rustled and Tigerclaw came in, carrying his body in his jaws. He dropped it to the ground. He heard a cry and turned to look. Sandpaw ran straight through him, pushing at the fur of his body in a desperate attempt to wake him. He approached his daughter, laying his tail over her back in comfort and yet she didn't even notice and his tail dropped down through her and brushed against the ground. Willowpelt joined Sandpaw, licking her head between her ears and she leaned into his sister's chest. Redtail's ears pinned down against his head.
"No. This can't be happening. This is a bad dream. Sandpaw, please. Just hear me. I'm right here" Sandpaw showed no sign of his daughter having heard him. He sat down heavily. 
"Tigerclaw. What happened?" Bluestar asked.
"We were attacked by a Riverclan patrol. Redtail was killed by Oakheart so I killed him in return" Bluestar flinched, her eyes slightly wider than her normal composed look.
"Liar" Redtail hissed into Tigerclaw's ear. The only reaction he got was a flick of Tigerclaw's ear but nothing else. Redtail turned to look at his body which had been dragged into the middle of the clearing where Spottedleaf was cleaning the blood from his fur and smoothing herbs into it. Both Sandpaw and Dustpaw were at his side. More cats settled down to sit vigil. His denmates from when he was a kit, Brindleface and Frostfur were settling down along with his littermates, Willowpelt and Spottedleaf. Sandpaw lay next to his apprentice Dustpaw. Bluestar sat next to his head, pressing her muzzle against it. Halftail had left the elders den to come sit with him as well and Whitestorm sat next to Willowpelt. Whitestorm had always hung around him and his littermates when they were still in the nursery even if Whitestorm had been an apprentice. Every other cat sat back. They didn't join in but they didn't speak either. Tigerclaw was sat over with Darkstripe and Longtail, his tail twitching. Redtail shook his head. He'd stared at his own body for long enough. He should find Ravenpaw. He circled round the gathered cats and approached the medicine den. The herb scent reminded him of Spottedleaf along with Featherwhisker and Goosefeather. He'd visited the medicine den a few times to see his sister and he had changed Goosefeather's nest enough times to remember his scent. He pushed through the ferns that sheltered the den. Ravenpaw was curled up in a nest which Redtail expected. What he hadn't expected was the small ginger tom next to him. He'd never seen this cat before. He looked to be an apprentice but Redtail knew all the apprentices. Sandpaw was close in colour but she was outside with Dustpelt. Ravenpaw was obviously right in front of him and Greypaw wasn't ginger. Redtail sat down, staring at the two apprentices. Maybe when they woke, he'd find out who this stranger was.