Warrior Cats: Billypaw's Code

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own the concept, or characters, of Warriors by Erin Hunter, which is what this Fanfiction is based off of. Please read and support the author of the Warriors series.

WARNING: This telling has themes of violence, depression, suicidal thoughts, and blood. If you are sensitive to any of the above things please leave.

Billypaw flew straight into one of the disoriented Thunderclan warriors. Her muzzle connected with the brown tom's flank, sending both of them tumbling. a dull pain surged through Billypaw's side as she hit the ground, the air knocked out of her lungs.

She heard the tom hit the ground a tail length ahead of her. Her lungs burned and thumped with the effort. She gasped for sweet smelling air and attempted to stand, but her legs were too weak and her body too bruised to support her. She heard the gnashing of teeth, and she rolled through the grass once more. What had happened?

She felt something sticking to her fur. The scent of her own blood filled her nostrils. When did she begin bleeding? She shook her head. No time to think about that now. She struggled to her paws, swaying as she did so. Adrynalin pumped through her veins, giving her false strength and numbing pain. She looked back at the other cats.

Some had turned to face the coyotes, fur puffed up, their eyes glistening with promise of pain. Others had lain immoble on the ground. The tall grass parted, and she caught a glimpse of her brother. Bugpaw wasn't fighting, he wasn't with Fallenpaw, he was one of the cats on the ground. Not again. She couldn't loose her other brother to those coyotes.

Not again.

Paralyzing panic bubbled up in her chest.

"Billypaw!" Fallenpaw cried, dodging a fatal swipe from one of the coyotes, "Where were you taking us?"

That's right.

They needed to get to the far side of the moor.

"Follow me!" Billypaw cried, "We're almost there!"

The brown apprentice nodded. The cats streamed towards Billypaw. With so few cats, they didn't have a choice of winning anyway. Billypaw ran on, knowing the cats behind her were holding on to desperate hopes. Billypaw caught a whiff of Shadowclan. She knew she was very close now. Billypaw's heart sped up as she heard the spine-tingling laughs of the Coyotes, the almost unnatural piercing call filling her ears.

Billypaw's mouth was dry, and every gulp of air she took in felt like tiny thorns raking across her lungs. There! Billypaw's eyes locked on a giant rock outcropping. It jutted out of the land, and curved in a odd way. It was the rock Billypaw had scared the off-track Shadowclan cats with. She suddenly halted.

Her momentum was so great she slid on the wet grass, facing the curved rock. The rag-tag group of apprentices and warriors also came to a stop.

"Why'd you lead us here? This is a even worse place than where we were!" A sandy furred Thunderclan warrior hissed.

Billypaw's ears flattened.

"The rock," Billypaw explained, "It will make our voices louder, and sound like there's more of us. It will scare off the coyotes."

"What are you, mouse brained?" The sandy cat responded.

Billypaw ignored them. Billypaw stepped closer to the rock, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the coyotes getting closer, their laughter ringing in her ears. She was so scared, but she had to keep going. She couldn't let her brother down.

Not again.

Billypaw could feel the vibrations of the coyotes' paws through the ground. They were getting closer.