Warriors: Broken

Chapter 10

⠀⠀ Jayfrost sat in silence, hunched over the scrawny mouse provided to her by Lionkit, who happened to be the greatest supporter of her being set free. She bent down, gnawing solemnly on the bony animal. The least they could do would be to provide her with decent prey, but instead she ended up with crowfood. Her mind began to race as she realized that it was moonhigh. The feline didn't even have half a day to live. She had to escape.

⠀⠀ Jayfrost rose to her paws, beginning to pace. Her claws dug into the ground, fracturing the thin layer of brittle moss.

⠀⠀ "Quiet down, would you?" Quickstep snapped as he poked his head into the entrance. "Or do we have to kill you now so you'll be quiet?"

⠀⠀ "Kill me for all I care. It's better than smelling your matted, bile drenched fur," she retorted with a fake charge. He backed away with a huff, dark gray tail flicking in annoyance. Daisytail peered around from her spot to look in at Jayfrost.

⠀⠀ "You're terrible," she hissed. "You know that, right?" Anger bubbled within the feline as she glared at the tabby warrior. It wasn't her fault that Wrenflight had come, and it certainly wasn't her fault that Ashfang had gone after her.

⠀⠀ "I had no idea that you thought that. Whatever shall I do? My life is now ruined because the almighty Daisytail doesn't like me!" Jayfrost replied with a snicker. At least she was invincible for the night. She could annoy the duo until they were too exhausted to do anything. That was it! She'd constantly keep them moving. Poking them through the holes in the den, pretending to attempt an escape out the back by digging out, and placing a paw at the entrance. Then, when they've been moving for a while, she'll pretend to sleep. They'll think she's asleep and assume it's okay to let their guard down.

⠀⠀ Jayfrost stifled a laugh as she searched for a stick. After a few moments, she located one at the back of her den. An entire pile, actually. Gently, she poked the sharp stick through the wall of the den. Once she was sure it would hit something, she rammed the rest through. She winced as Quickstep let out a yowl louder than she expected, causing the entire camp to awaken. The gray, blue tinted feline limped away as Ravenbite and Daisytail tugged her into the center of the camp, dozens of eyes locked onto her own. Cats flowed out of the dens, crowding around to get a better look. After several minutes, Willowstar emerged from the medicine cat den, a look of disappointment dulling her usually bright eyes.

⠀⠀ "We've run out of death berries," she mewed before turning to Jayfrost. "Jayfrost, you can choose how to die. The first choice is to jump off of a cliff, the second is to drown in the river, and the third..." she paused, glancing at Wrenflight, "is to simply be killed in a fox trap. Wrenflight has located one." The ginger feline shot Jayfrost a look of triumph. She had certainly not matured with age. After a few moments, Jayfrost reluctantly made her decision.

⠀⠀ "I'm going to drown," she growled, driving her claws into the cracked earth. It hadn't rained since the last half moon, meaning that the river would be shallow. Maybe she could swim to the island once she arrived in the lake.

⠀⠀ "Very well. We're leaving now," Willowstar growled. Jayfrost's brothers stared in horror as a few cats stepped towards her. She flattened her ears and backed away, wishing she hadn't come up with such a mousebrained plan.

⠀⠀ "Please! Just let her stay a little longer!" Lionkit wailed as he tumbled into her paws. Jayfrost looked at him with round eyes as Blossomfall carried him away.

⠀⠀ "No! She killed two cats! She must not live!" Wrenflight hissed, clawing at Jayfrost's muzzle. Blood seeped from the cut as she lunged onto the warrior, her claws piercing the skin. Wrenflight yowled and rolled away from her, panting. "See?! She just tried to kill me!" Yowls of protest erupted from the clan, some saying she was innocent, others crying guilty.

⠀⠀ "Quiet!"

⠀⠀ The clan went silent. Willowstar had climbed onto the High Ledge, and the entire clan turned towards her.

⠀⠀ "I am the leader of this clan. I am the one that makes the decisions. I have decided that Jayfrost deserves death for her crimes. She chose her method, and now we are leaving."

⠀⠀ Only a fraction of the clan agreed to attend, the others still arguing that it wasn't the right thing to do. Jayfrost could barely move as they approached the river. It wasn't as shallow as she had expected, and it was moving fairly fast.

⠀⠀ "May Starclan light your path," Willowstar murmured as they reached the edge. With uncertain paws, Jayfrost stepped forward. Her claws dug into the riverbank as the group created an arc around her.

⠀⠀ "May Starclan light my path..."