Warriors: Cobwebs

Epilogue

     The woods ahead were ablaze. Trees were eaten alive by raging flames spitting embers. The forest glowed in the night as plumes of smoke filled the air and suffocated all living things nearby.

     Clearwhisker turned sharply, hoping to escape the horrific visage before him. Instead, another enemy would stand in his way.

     A single eye of dark green dug into the soul of the panicky cat, the flames behind him reflecting from the emotionless gaze of the exiled traitor. Standing beside him was a blue-eyed tom with bristling dust-colored fur. He grinned maliciously and stepped forward, thin tail lashing as he spat.

     Clearwhisker glanced between his apprentice and the stranger who accompanied him. "Webpaw," he choked, smoke beginning to surround him, flames circling the three. The trees around them burned like candles and trapped them. The medicine cat's  attention was yanked from his apprentice as a cat leapt through the flames and landed unscathed. Their eyes were black, lacking a soul of any kind, and their fur ruffled in a hot breeze that carried embers in its wake, the debris whirling around them. They stepped up to Webpaw's other side, crouched, and they revealed wicked claws. Their fur bristled in anticipation as well flaunting colors of honey and grey, black streaks adorning their body.

     Webpaw seemingly smirked, and the two cats pounced with claws extended.

     Clearwhisker's eyes snapped open. His heart raced, blood roaring in his ears. He sat up in his nest. All was calm, the air cold and unforgiving. It was dark, and his den was empty. Lonely, even. "I was mistaken," he whispered to himself. He had allowed Webpaw to go free, and for what reason? Sympathy? He let a dangerous kit-killer walk away?

     He was doubtful of the dreams his apprentice had told him of. He was doubtful that

Webpaw would do such a horrible thing with the belief that he was doing good. Now he was unsure of the true reason. He was unsure of the existence of a true Tiger. But he knew that his mercy was mistake,

     "Webpaw is the true threat," he mewed. He coughed after he spoke, sniffled, and he closed his eyes. "I let a murderer go free, and now.."

     Of all of the mistakes he had made, of all of crimes he had committed against his Clan, this was by far the worst Clearwhisker had ever done.

     He stood, staggered from tiredness, and he made his way for the tunnel leading out of the den.

     Fallenstar has to know.