WARRIORS AU: Swiftpaw lived

Chapter 14

Swiftclaw felt the wind rush through his thin pelt. His paws hardly touched the ground as he ran, with Sootfur as he heals. 

"Faster, Swiftclaw! The clan needs you!" Sandstorm hissed in his ear. 

Swiftclaw forced himself to trudge on faster. He halted to a stop as he reached camp. He stood there, motionless in pure horror. 

Badgers the size of monsters, swag their sharp claws at warriors as they snarled viciously. 

Sandstorm quickly rushed into battle, leaping on a female badger who was approaching the nursery. 

Sootfur stood by the opening to camp, seeming to be frozen in time. 

"Hey, you good?" Swiftclaw gently nudged his friend. 

"I-I can't do this." Sootfur whispered. 

"why?" Swiftclaw flicked his ear. 

"W-Willowpelt." Sootfur shook in fear. 

"Oh, Sootfur." Swiftclaw looked sympathetically at the grey tom. "She'd be so proud of you for fighting. You're the strongest warrior I know." 

"I-I can't though." 

"-Yes you can! Sootfur, c'mon. Willowpelt would want you to fight beside your clanmates." Swiftclaw urged. 

Sootfur's eyes cleared as he stared at the bloody battle. "I'll do this, for her." He hissed. The young warrior thrust himself towards a large badger. 

"Good, let's go save ThunderClan!" Swiftclaw yowled as he threw himself into the raging war. 

Longtail struggled against a large male badger as it sank it's claws into his chest. Longtail yowled in pain. 

"No! Get your filthy paws off him!" Swiftclaw snarled at the creature. He jumped on top of the badger and stabbed his claws deep into it's back. 

The badger turned around furiously and lashed it's paws at him. 

Quick as a fox, Swiftclaw dodged them and clawed at the badger's eyes. 

"Quick! Run!" Swiftclaw hissed to Longtail. Longtail nodded briefly before running towards the elders den. Swiftclaw bounded after him. 

"I trained you well," Longtail murmured as they halted to a stop. 

Swiftclaw purred softly. "I did learn from the best. Now let's go get some badgers!" 

"Lead the way." Longtail's eyes shone with pride as Swiftclaw dove into battle one more. 

His eyes darted across the camp. Dustpelt was battling a badger alongside Brackenfur, Whitewing was taking on a young badger, and Cinderpelt was helping the injured. 

We might actually win! Swiftclaw thought with satisfaction. 

The black and white warrior spotted a large male badger, creeping up on the medicine den. 

Swiftclaw hissed and lunged for the badger. He tackled it to the ground, clawing at it's muzzle. The badger snarled and bit deep into Swiftclaw's throat. 

Swiftclaw hissed in pain as his eyes began to show with fear.  His tail fell between his legs as the warrior backed up. 

Blood dripped from his throat. The warrior winced in pain as the badger growled. Swiftclaw felt as sharp edge against his back. 

The camp wall. 

No... I'm cornered... 

Swiftclaw shook as the world crumbled around him. Suddenly he was taken back to a dark memory...