Warriors AU: Into the Wild

Chapter 18

"Are you telling Sandpaw how I protected Redtail?"

Sandpaw felt a cold shiver ruffle the fur on the back of his neck.

Patchpaw whipped around, eyes wide with fear. Goldenflower loomed over them, his lips drawn back in a menacing snarl.

Sandpaw jumped up and faced the new deputy. "She was just saying she wished you had been here to take care of Frostfur as well, that's all!" he mewed, thinking quickly.

Goldenflower looked from one to the other, then stalked away in silence. Patchpaw's blue eyes clouded with terror, and she started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Patchpaw?" Sandpaw meowed in alarm.

But Patchpaw didn't even look up at him. With her head held low, she slunk back to Silverpaw and crouched next to him, pressing her skinny black and white body next to Silverpaw's thick fur as if she was suddenly cold.

Sandpaw looked helplessly at his two friends as they huddled beside Frostfur's body. Not knowing what else to do, he padded over and settled himself beside them, ready to sit out the night.

As the moon passed overhead, other cats came to join their vigil. Oakstar arrived last, once the camp was calm and quiet. She said nothing, but sat a little way off, gazing at her dead deputy with an expression of such unbearable grief that Sandpaw had to look away.

At dawn, a group of elders came to take Frostfur's body away to the burial place. Silverpaw followed to help dig the hole where the great warrior would rest.

Sandpaw yawned and stretched. He felt chilled to the bone. Leaf-fall was nearly here now, and the woods were clouded with mist, but above the leaves Sandpaw saw a rosy morning sky. He watched Silverpaw disappear into the dew-soaked undergrowth with the elders.

Patchpaw jumped to her paws and hurried back to the apprentices' den. Sandpaw followed her slowly. By the time he arrived, the black and white cat was curled up with her nose tucked under her tail, as if asleep.

Sandpaw was too exhausted to speak. He circled around on his mossy bed and then settled down for a long sleep.

"Wake up!"

Sandpaw heard Fernpaw's voice calling through the den entrance. He opened his eyes. Patchpaw was already awake, sitting bolt upright with her ears pricked. Silverpaw was stirring beside her. Sandpaw was surprised to see the familiar silver shape. He hadn't heard him come back after burying Frostfur.

"Oakstar's called another meeting." Fernpaw hissed at them and ducked out of the ferns.

The three apprentices crawled out of the warm den. The sun was already past its height, and the air felt cooler than before. Sandpaw shivered, and his belly growled. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, and he wondered briefly if he would have a chance to hunt today.

Sandpaw, Silverpaw, and Patchpaw hurried to join the crowd gathered below the Highrock.

Goldenflower was speaking from his position beside Oakstar. "During the battle, our leader lost another life. Now that she has only four of her nine lives left, I am going to appoint a bodyguard to stay at her side constantly. No cat will be allowed to approach her unless the guards are present." His yellow eyes flicked to Patchpaw and then back to the rest of the crowd. "Darkstripe and Longtail," he continued, turning his gaze and the warriors. "You will act as Oakstar's guards.:

Darkstripe and Longtail nodded importantly, and sat taller.

Oakstar now spoke. Her voice sounded gentle and calming after her deputy's commanding yowl. "Thank you, Goldenflower, for your loyalty. But the Clan must understand that I am still here for them. No cat should hesitate to approach me, and I am happy to speak to anyone with or without my bodyguards." Her eyes darted briefly in Goldenflower's direction. "As the warrior code says, the safety of the Clan is more important than the security of any single member." She paused, and her amber gaze rested briefly on Sandpaw. "And now, I wish to invite Raggedpelt to join Thunderclan."