Warriors: Broken

Chapter 16

⠀⠀ Lockwing awoke to a panicking clan. Thunderclan would attack tonight at moonhigh, meaning they only had one day to plan everything. She knew that at sundown they would travel to the valley, with every cat taking their place among the varying grasses. Violetstar padded silently to the Tallrock, clearing her throat.

⠀⠀ "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting!" Lockwing couldn't help but laugh a bit on the inside, as there were no cats not old enough to catch their own prey in the camp.

⠀⠀ "We will have a very important and difficult battle tonight, and I expect each one of you to do your best. The medicine cats should hide somewhere in the territory that is fairly close to the valley," she instructed before continuing. "No cat deserves what the clans are going through, but without clans we'd all be lost. Fight your hardest, but only kill if necessary," she mewed, adding the last part abruptly. The clan nodded in response, each of them growing louder by the second.

⠀⠀ "Rest today. At sundown we will be traveling to the valley. Eat what you need, but no more. We must not be heavy and tired with food at the time of the battle."

⠀⠀ No matter what the other clans think, Lockwing thought, Violetstar is a good leader. The tabby gave her a look as if she knew what she was thinking, causing the golden warrior to grin.

✵✵✵✵✵

⠀⠀ Night had fallen, and a pale sliver of moon hung cautiously over the valley. The figures of a white and silver cat charging down the hill let them know that Thunderclan was coming. They arrived, breathless, and took their places next to Violetstar, Voleclaw, Ciphercry, and Coalfoot. The six waited patiently for their opponents to arrive.

⠀⠀ "There are nineteen of them," Shyleaf mewed as she recovered her breath. Bearwhisker nodded, his lean legs leaving the grass seemingly untouched as he eased through it. Lockwing couldn't believe that she was related to these cats.

⠀⠀ Eventually, the large group of cats snaked their way over the hill, gathering into a circle as the eerie sight of six silhouettes became visible to them in the valley. Oblivious the the ambush, they padded forward. With twelve warriors and five apprentices hiding, and the four warriors with the deputy and leader, they had the group outnumbered.

⠀⠀ A loud yowl erupted from the front of the cats, and they charged. Just as the reached the six, seventeen hidden felines burst from the grasses. The Thunderclan cats gagged at the smell, but continued fighting. Lockwing focused her gaze on a very specific target.

⠀⠀ "Wrenflight!" she sang, a wicked laugh bursting from her lungs. The ginger she cat flattened ears and snarled.

⠀⠀ "Windclan is working with the Dark Forest!" she hissed. Realizing that statement could convince the other clans to attack her own, she simply shook her head and unsheathed her claws.

⠀⠀ "A Dark Forest cat couldn't do this, now could it?" she hissed, leaping at the deputy. She screeched and tumbled back, clawing mercilessly at Lockwing's underbelly. Growling, she sunk her fangs into the ginger cat's forepaw until she heard a crunch and a wail. Blood poured from her paw as she stood, taking another leap at the warrior. She reared up and clawed at her eye with her one good paw. Screeching, the left side of Lockwing's face became streaked in blood.

⠀⠀ "An eye for an eye!" she hissed at the deputy, clawing back at her. Missing her first blow, she leaped forward a second time, this time creating a deep gash over Wrenflight's left eye as well. Hissing, the feline tumbled back.

⠀⠀ "You're demented!" she screeched, unable to untangle to herself from one of the multiple thorn bushes. Lockwing shook her head and sighed.

⠀⠀ "No. I'm simply determined," she replied with a sneer. However, her victory was short lived. Nettleheart charged towards her, his white pelt splattered with blood. Lockwing bared her teeth and lashed out at his neck. She missed by a whisker and resorted to leaping over him. Muttering curses, he clawed at her, slicing her flank as she landed. A loud yowl rang throughout the valley just as Lockwing was preparing for a collision with the tom.

⠀⠀ "Voleclaw!" Violetstar shrieked. She dashed towards the black and white, her eyes fogging over as she watched the life slip out of her trusted deputy. Furious, the tabby leader attacked the feline that had slain her deputy. The cat hissed and sunk her claws into Violetstar's neck, leaving her to die. Now it was Lockwing's turn. Locating Willowstar, she charged towards the leader, who had five lives left.

⠀⠀ "Willowstar! You can't get rid of me that easily!" she hissed, heaving herself at the leader. She leaped out of the way, causing the warrior to tumble to the ground.

⠀⠀ "Mousebrained Windclan cat!" she hissed, attempting to bite her. Rolling to her feet, she dodged most of the blows. Nettleheart had luckily been distracted by a trio of apprentices, leaving the leader to herself.

⠀⠀ "Do you not recognize me?" she snarled. A wave of shock caused the leader to sway for a moment as she glared intently at the feline.

⠀⠀ "Jayfrost?" she choked out. "You should be dead!"

⠀⠀ "I know. Let's just say it... wasn't my time to die." The leader's eyes narrowed into slits and she crouched into a fighting stance.

⠀⠀ "Very well," she said through gritted teeth. "I suppose it will make for a good story," the leader sneered. Anger pulsing through her veins, the golden feline yowled and charged at her, causing them both to roll onto the ground. Willowstar yowled and dug her claws into Lockwing's back, shredding the fur between her shoulder blades. She shrieked and pulled away, wincing at the ripping feeling. Streams of blood trickled down her ribcage and shoulders as she thought of what to do. Remembering the tale of how Scourge killed Tigerstar, she narrowed her eyes to slits and heaved the leader over. She screeched and tried to roll back to her feet, but it was too late. Using both forepaws, Lockwing sunk every one of her claws down as far as possible into Willowstar's neck before dragging them down to her belly. Screams surrounded Lockwing as every cat froze in place, eyes wide.

⠀⠀ "Thunderclan! Retreat!" Adderbite yowled. She turned to her brother with pleading eyes, who in response shook his head. "I shouldn't have let you go," he mouthed before turning and sprinting away after his clan, a small group of Windclan cats nipping at his tail.

⠀⠀ The remaining cats turned to see Violetstar gasping for breath. A cat already by her side motioned for Lockwing to come over. With Voleclaw dead, she had to rename the next deputy.

⠀⠀ "Lockwing," she rasped, blood trickling from her mouth. "Lockwing, I'm on my last life. Thunderclan already has the youngest deputy. Let's have the youngest leader." To her surprise, not a single cat objected. "You'll make a fine leader, and you must take the next apprentice. You solved this problem, I believe you'll be able to solve any others. Thank you..."

⠀⠀ Her eyes grew dark, causing Lockwing to collapse into sobs. What was she going to do? Realizing that her clan was looking at her now, she began to bark out orders.

⠀⠀ "Oakstripe, go get Hollytail and Bluepaw. Ciphercry, retrieve the cats at the pond. The rest of you, help me carry our fallen clan mates back to camp. Tomorrow, we'll take Willowstar and..." she trailed off, feeling tears stinging the backs of her eyes. "Timberwing to the border." They nodded and did as told. Four cats carrying Voleclaw, four carrying Violetstar, and the rest following them in silence.