Eagleflight's Battle

Chapter 4

Instantly, Eaglepaw launched off the tree. Fogpaw thumped beside him, fur encrusted with bark and pieces of crumpled leaves, but he was unhurt. Eaglepaw panted, eyes flashing upward. The sharp, terrifying, smell of the dog-like thing hung in the cool night air, tainting it. Fogpaw sucked in a breath, tail lashing. 

"Robinpaw!" he screamed at the trees, voice edged with desperation. Eaglepaw froze, ears pricked and waiting for a response. 

"Here!" 

A shadow dropped from a huge oak, strolling towards the two toms. "The kit, now preferably." Eaglepaw frowned a bit. How could she remain so calm? They needed to move now. 

"Come on," Fogpaw turned briskly, sprinting into darkness. Eaglepaw's heart leaped. What if they got split up? Fogpaw shouldn't just shoot off like that. Eaglepaw blinked once, before moving his paws to race after the already moving Robinpaw. 

The trees reached out their limbs, whipping the apprentices on their faces and shoulders. Eaglepaw felt tiny cuts sting on his cheeks, and blood welling in them. Why, why, why? All Eaglepaw wanted to do was roll in self-pity, but he had to chase wolves. A whole pack of them. Why was Robinpaw and Fogpaw so brave, so calm? Did it run in the genes? Eaglepaw felt like throwing up. Falconkit popped into his head again. Was he brave? What were his last words? Eaglepaw wished the brown tom could stay out of his head. It was moons ago. In the nursery, when they were kits. Get over it. 

Eaglepaw shot forward, nose twitching at the smell of rot, decay. Wolf. And sickness. Robinpaw slowed, limping. A thorn, maybe? Get over it, he willed her. There was more to do. A lot more. 

A shriek split the sounds. The world slowed, time taking pity on them. Robinpaw slowed a bit, head whipping around. Fogpaw skidded to a stop, the smell of wolves smelling stronger than ever. They were here. 

Eaglepaw galloped to a small clearing, eyes wide. Wolves, everywhere. Six of them, maybe, at the least. The queen, dark against the background of the forest, laid on the light brown dirt. A black liquid laid around her, at least that dark in the blanket of black. Fogpaw made a clicking sound, a sob swallowed back. Eaglepaw looked numbly at the dead body. Was she dead? 

A gray mass approaches the body, a wolf. His huge nose, as big as a kit's paw, twitched at the queen. Eaglepaw blinked, unsure of what he was seeing. The wolf's jaws opened and he grabbed the queen by the scruff and padded away. Fogpaw looked away, eyes glimmering with fear. Robinpaw took a step back. 

"Where is the kit," Eaglepaw whispered, voice quiet and weak. Robinpaw shook her head. Eaglepaw choked back a sob. Robinpaw waved her head again, but it seemed different. Pointing.  Eaglepaw turns his eyes to a small patch of ferns. A little pair of shining liquid gold eyes, darting from the cats to the wolves. Eaglepaw darted forward towards the kit, but Robinpaw quickly slithered in front of him. 

"He's bleeding so much," she choked, voice trembling, "the wolves smell him, I know it." Eaglepaw repressed a wail, eyes looking at the forest behind the kit. A shadow loomed, its tail wagging innocently. Robinpaw bowed her head. 

"We can't save him," she murmured between sniffles, "we failed."

No. No. Eaglepaw lunged around Robinpaw, a heat powering his paws. The thing leaped at the kit, jaws snapping. Eaglepaw saw a bundle of orange go up by the tail, wriggling and screeching. 

Eaglepaw blinked, flinching. A heat climbed up through his skin and into his bones. He'd felt like this before, when Shrubwhisker had confessed to killing Falconkit. A wave of red-hot anger. Eaglepaw's claws slid out of their sockets.