Hawkstar's Clan

Chapter 10

"Has anyone seen Badgerstar?"

"No. And Twistedwish is gone too!"

"Something happened."

"But what? Where did they go??"

Hawkpaw awoke the next day to the sound of pandemonium in the camp. An incoming cough shuddered his body, and he let out said hard cough. Shadowstorm was asleep in Crowcloud's nest, her ears twitching at the sound of his cough. There was no indication the small black she-cat had returned in the den. Where was she? Slowly getting on his paws, he walked towards the entrance of the den, poking his head out ever slightly to look at what was going on.

He saw Berrypaw, Tinypaw, Skunkpaw and Condorpaw huddled together outside, muttering to each other. They still looked sleepy, indicating they had just awoken. Whitepatch and Emberpelt stayed by the foot of the elder den. He could see Whitepatch was worried for her kit, Emberpelt comforting her with a lick to her cheek. It wasn't easy for the black she-cat elder; sure, she had two other kits with Emberpelt, Ashpool and Sootpuddle, but Badgerstar was her last kit from her first litter. He had learned of Beeface's death. He also learned about how no one knew what happened to Lionleap, Badgerstar's brother; he had went missing moons before Hawkpaw was born and been presumed dead when no one was able to find his body.

"I often wished that Badgerstar would have been Emberpelt's kit," he recalled Whitepatch saying to him before. She didn't exclude Beeface and Lionleap but with them gone, she had all her attention and love towards Badgerstar.

Everyone else was in the clearing, talking to one another. In the crowd, Hawkpaw could see Crowcloud walking around and up to every cat. The tiny black she-cat seemed irritated, her tail flicking aggressively.

"Did no one see Badgerstar OR Twistedwish last night?"

The warriors shook their heads.

"Not even a sound??"

Hawkpaw lowered his ears. What happened with his leader and his brother?

Berrypaw caught sight of Hawkpaw and ran up to him, tail fluffed out and erect. She laid down and pressed her head to his.

Hawkpaw purred as he nuzzled her. "Berrypaw, what happened?" Hawkpaw asked her.

"We don't know," she said. "We heard commotion from Eaglesight and Falconclaw so we woke up and went outside. Then every other warrior began pouring out. Eaglesight mentioned that Falconclaw wanted to discuss with Twistedwish about wanting to lead today's hunting patrol but he was nowhere to be found. He then tried to look for Badgerstar and noticed she was gone too. Crowcloud just got back from her meeting with StarClan and wanted to speak with Badgerstar but of course, since she was not here, she panicked. So that's where we're at right now."

"Oh StarClan... I hope they're okay.." Hawkpaw looked at the crowd. "A Clan cannot survive without a leader and a deputy."

"Crowcloud is looking to organize a search party to look for them-"

Without warning, Badgerstar emerged from the bushes, her neck, shoulder and belly bleeding. She was also soaked, water dripping from her sunken and drenched fur. Hawkpaw perked his ears up, along with Berrypaw. He had never seen his leader this badly injured, let alone have any injuries except the moons old scar on her chest. She brought her gaze up to meet everyone; Hawkpaw could see she wasn't looking good.

"Oh StarClan..." Berrypaw breathed, standing up. "Badgerstar..."

Every cat in ThistleClan looked to her with wide eyes. They all ran to their leader, meowing their concern for the injured she-cat.

"Badgerstar! What happened?"

"Where did these injuries come from?"

"Why are you soaking wet?"

"Where's Twistedwish??"

Hawkpaw could see Badgerstar tried to reassure her Clan, but he could see the pain in her eyes as she swayed. Crowcloud pushed through the crowd. "Give her some space!" she hissed at them. They obeyed their medicine cat and gave both she-cats the space. The tiny black she-cat huffed at them and leaned her shoulder against the gray and white she-cat's uninjured shoulder. "Lean on me. I got you."

Badgerstar was breathing hard when she let herself loose against Crowcloud. She looked ready to pass out. Shadowstorm awoke in an instant, pushing past Hawkpaw and heading to them. She stepped up and helped Crowcloud guide Badgerstar to the medicine den.

"I need you to move, Hawkpaw, Berrypaw," Crowcloud warned.

They both obeyed their medicine cat, though Hawkpaw couldn't help himself to be curious and inch a little bit back closer.

"What happened to Badgerstar? Where's my brother?" Hawkpaw asked worriedly when Crowcloud entered the den.

"Not now, Hawkpaw!" Crowcloud mewed harshly, making him flinch. "Shadowstorm, clear a new nest for Badgerstar and place a new set of fresh moss. Quickly!"

The black classic tabby she-cat hurried to place fresh moss on the floor. Hawkpaw was amazed at how fast she was with medicine cat skills, despite the fact she was a warrior. It must be relieving to the medicine cat; someone to help while she could get right away to healing an injured or sick cat.

Once fresh moss had been laid, Crowcloud gently set Badgerstar down. The gray and white she-cat collapsed without further hesitation and groaned, breathing hard. The surrounding ground around her began to stain with red as her wounds still bled. Her eyes looked delirious, struggling to keep focus. Hawkpaw flattened his ears out of fear; Badgerstar was definitely bleeding out. How many lives did the ThistleClan leader still have?

She looked at Crowcloud who was pressing cobwebs onto her wounds then turned her attention to Hawkpaw. Something in her eyes both captivated and terrified the brown tabby tom as he didn't break eye contact from his leader. Was she expecting him to say something to her? Or have him help out with something?

"Twistedwish..." she began to mutter, her body shivering. She pointed at him. "Danger...The Clan..." She grew still.

Hawkpaw tipped his head. What did she mean by that?

Crowcloud, eyes widened, nodded to Shadowstorm. "Move Hawkpaw back to the apprentice den. Then get some fresh water for Badgerstar."

"Huh?"

Shadowstorm padded up to him, nudging his shoulder. "You heard Crowcloud."

"But--" Hawkpaw looked back to Badgerstar, who was given poppy seeds.

"She needs a private conversation with the leader."

***

"Twistedwish did this, didn't he?"

Crowcloud had just witnessed Badgerstar losing one of her lives. It was nothing new, but each time it happened, the black she-cat couldn't help but feel such dread. Once the gray and white leader was able to regain her consciousness and could speak coherently, Badgerstar told Crowcloud the truth right away.

"Yes. He told me that he respected me but figured it was time that fresh blood took control. I knew he was meaning that he wanted to take control. He said that this was for what I've done to him as a kit."

The black she-cat shivered. "But StarClan said it was okay to 'get rid' of him," Crowcloud said. "Didn't they?"

"Yes. Grousestar himself gave me the blessing." Badgerstar shoved her nose in her paws. "He's a lot smarter than I anticipated. I knew I shouldn't have taken him back when he found his way back."

"I think you did the right thing exiling him again."

"But I should have killed him! Just as Ferretsea wanted! Just as StarClan wanted. I just...couldn't. I couldn't do it.. And now I'm on my last life."

Crowcloud widened her eyes. "This...is your last life?"

She nodded before resting her nose in her paws. "I know that he will return again to finish what he had started ever since coming back to ThistleClan, and when he does, there will be no mercy. It will be my downfall. The Clan's downfall. No cat will be safe. ThistleClan is doomed....All Three Clans are doomed!" She looked at Crowcloud. "How will I tell Hawkpaw that his brother is a bloodthirsty traitor...?"

Crowcloud pressed another fresh layer on Badgerstar's shoulder. "You won't. At least, not yet. You'll just have to make up a lie."

The gray and white she-cat sighed, looking away.

"Your heart was in the right place. Even if StarClan told us to, it sounds cruel to kill a...kit." Crowcloud stopped herself from saying innocent; Twistedwish was never an innocent kit. She remembered the horrible memory of what he had done... "Even now, killing a cat dishonorably seems horrible to think about. It was good you exiled him anyway because I received a warning from... StarClan? I couldn't tell who the voice was, it was unfamiliar to me."

Badgerstar perked up. A message from StarClan? "What did it say to you?" she asked.

"The Three Clans will fall. The hawk's twisted wish cannot be contained. The hawk's twisted wish will come true." The black she-cat sniffed. "It obviously meant that Twistedwish was manipulating Hawkpaw to his dark ideals. I don't know how more obvious this voice could be."

The gray and white she-cat narrowed her eyes. "... Because it wasn't a warning from StarClan."

Crowcloud twitched an ear. "What do you mean? Who was it then?"

"It was a warning from the Dark Forest."