Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 26

Crookedjaw sat under the stone in the center of the RiverClan camp. Shellheart rested nearby, with Hailstar on the stone. Oakheart was further away, near the edge of the clearing. He hasn't talked to me much.

As the clearing full of cats grew silent, Hailstar announced, "Mudfur scented a dog near the greenleaf twolegplace on the edge of our territory. I am going to send a patrol to chase it away." He glanced around the clearing and began listing off names. "Crookedjaw, Shellheart, Ottersplash, and Oakheart will go. I will join them."

Hailstar flicked his tail, dismissing the Clan and hopping down from the boulder. Shellheart followed him as he joined Oakheart. The three toms waited for Ottersplash. The ginger and white she-cat grinned as she sat with the rest of the patrol.

Crossing the clearing, Crookedjaw stopped beside Shellheart. His father's eyes shone with pride. "You've been chosen to battle dogs again."

"Yes," Crookedjaw nodded. "It's an honor to fight for my Clan."

Hailstar twitched, angling his ears towards the far side of the camp. "I heard barking," he commented, heading towards the camp entrance. "We should start moving."

Crookedjaw left the camp, staring up at the clouds as he went. The sky was dotted with them as they rolled past, covering the sun. With newleaf so close, it was unlikely that it would snow. Finally, it's going to get warmer.

Before Crookedjaw could get much further, he paused. The rest of the patrol fell silent. They had all caught the same scent. The dog is nearby. The tabby tom prayed that it wouldn't be the same dog he had faced as an apprentice. He remembered its terrifying, snapping teeth and its large body. The way its tail had wagged with excitement as it fought him was frightening.

Squinting his eyes, Crookedjaw noticed a small form on the horizon. It grew larger, crossing the open clearing ahead of them. His eyes narrowed. There it is! The dog was charging towards them, head lowered, teeth bared.

Run! Crookedjaw's paws tried to pull him away from the sprinting creature, but he dug his claws into the snowy soil. I must fight for my Clan! I can't run away! He tensed, waiting for the rest of the patrol to signal to each other. Hailstar twitched his tail and pointed towards a tree nearby.

As Hailstar gave the signal, Crookedjaw moved away from the rest of the group and hid behind a pile of snow. He wants me to ambush the dog if anything goes wrong.

The light brown tom waited while the dog grew closer. It hurdled over the snow and leaped at Hailstar. The leader reacted quickly, ducking away from the attack and hissing as he dodged. Shellheart and Ottersplash joined, circling the dog and attempting to claw its legs. However, the large brown creature didn't stumble. It only continued to growl at the attacking cats.

Where is Oakheart? Crookedjaw wondered. Suddenly, something brushed against his pelt. Flinching away, he spotted his brother resting beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Crookedjaw hissed under his breath. "You should be fighting."

Oakheart retorted, "Hailstar signaled to me, not you. Go help them fight."

Crookedjaw's ears flattened to his head. Who does he think he is, going against Hailstar's orders? "Just let me handle this," he growled, nudging Oakheart away with a paw. His gaze was still fixed on the battle occurring in front of him. Hailstar was falling back, allowing Shellheart and Ottersplash to join the fight.

"I need to be RiverClan's next deputy!" Oakheart insisted.

Jerking his gaze away from Hailstar, Crookedjaw asked, "Since when was this about you being deputy?"

Oakheart glanced at the sky, prompting Crookedjaw to do the same. The dark clouds had completely covered the sun now, blocking light from reaching the ground. The reddish tom brought his gaze back, his expression serious. With a firm tone, he responded, "I am being trained by StarClan to be deputy. This is how I'm going to prove myself."

"Crookedjaw!" An agonized yowl caused Crookedjaw to leap out from behind the pile of snow. The sound came from Shellheart, who was still screeching as the dog grabbed him in its jaws.

Crookedjaw soared forward. "Shellheart, no!" He shrieked, barreling into the dog's side as it lifted his father off of the ground. He landed on its back, its ears and tearing at its fur. "Let go of him!" He knew the dog wouldn't understand his snarls, but he couldn't stop them from spilling out of his mouth.

The dog reared, flinging Crookedjaw away. Hailstar immediately ran to him, standing over him and helping him to his paws. Ottersplash charged past, biting the dog's legs.

Blinded by the blood and slush over his eyes, Crookedjaw didn't know what was happening. Are they winning? Is Shellheart safe? He coughed, blinking the snow out of his eyes and gazing forward. The dog was whimpering, whining as it charged away.

Ahead of Crookedjaw was all that was left of his father.