Black Sky

Chapter 8

"Foxes! Foxes are attacking!"

Blackpaw felt his blood turn to ice as Nettlepaw crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Olivepaw gasped as she saw her sister lying on the ground. Cats ran over to help Nettlepaw, being shooed away by Stonesong and Treeheart.

"Enough!" Fernstar yowled, and the clearing went quiet as a Quietpath. "We will not fix this by panicking! Stonesong and Treeheart, bring Nettlepaw anad Olivepaw to the medicine den. Waterwish, Whitewhisker, Oakfoot, Appleheart, Ivyfall, Blackpaw and Redpaw, come with me to fight the foxes."

Blackpaw froze as his name was called. Why him? He was useless! He'd barely been trained! Why him and why now?

Blackpaw raced after the other cats through the forest, feeling nervous. Redpaw glanced at him with an expression that told him she was feeling the same. Blackpaw watched all the locations he knew pass by. The walls of the cave, the dip of the training hollow, the place where Brightmoon spent her last moments of life and the place where Nettlepaw and Olivepaw were attacked. He looked at the scene and was horrified.

Fighting, right there with Wolftooth and Fennelfoot, was Nightflower.

"Attack!" Fernstar yowled, her claws unsheathing.

Blackpaw leaped into the battle of both cats' fur and foxes'. His claws met the rough fur of a scarred fox, who turned to him, snarling. Blackpaw used the his favourite move. Leaping up, he landed on the fox's back easily, slashing with his claws. The fox barked and tried to shake him off, but he held on with his front claws and slashed with his hind claws instead. Then the fox did something he wasn't expecting so quick that he couldn't get out of the way in time. The fox reared up and  flipped onto it's back, squishing Blackpaw.

"Help!" He screeched. "Help me!"

And he was plunged into darkness.

*

Blackpaw stood up, confused. Was he dead? He then saw the deadly fox beside him, squashing his unconscious, possibly dead, self. He'd been a fool to use that move. What would he do now?

"Blackpaw, you are not ready yet."

Blackpaw turned around to see Streamstar, his silver pelt brilliant as ever.

"Blackpaw," Streamstar meowed. "Go back. You have to complete the prophecy!"

Blackpaw thought this didn't make any sense. "Go back? What does that mean?"

Streamstar said nothing, but pointed with his tail to Blackpaw's body, which was gettig beaten up by a fox.

"Go," Streamstar meowed. "Before it's too late."

Blackpaw waited for Streamstar to shimmer away like he usually did, being dramatic and all, but he didn't. Blackpaw padded over to his body, and was shocked to see his paw go right through himself. Nevertheless, he laid down where he was before. His body opened his eyes...

And he was back in reality.

Blackpaw slid out from under the fox, powered up from new energy, despite being slashed apart by the fox just a heartbeat ago. The fox's muzzle dropped to the ground, and he took the oppertunity to slash the fox's face. The fox whined, then reared back, attempting its squashing move again.

"Not today!" Blackpaw hissed, leaping out of the way.

Blackpaw kept slashing at the fox, dodging its attacks. Energy filled him to the brim, and he felt power he hadn't felt before. The fox howled, before running away. It was much bigger than the other foxes, and he assumed it was their leader as the others ran with it. The cats stopped fighting, and Blackpaw felt proud, having defeated a fox.

"Blackpaw, you fought well."

Blackpaw turned, breath caught in his throat, and relaxed when he saw Waterwish. "Thanks."

"You hadn't had much training," Waterwish mewed, licking a paw. "You will make an excellent warrior. How I wonder how you did it."

Blackpaw felt a little uncomfortable, but he suspected it was just because he was nervous in front of the CaveClan deputy. He was one of the most important cats in the Clan!

"With time, CaveClan will depend on your efforts," Waterwish continued, eyes shining with seriousness. "You will make the other Clans afraid of you. I hope you can."

Blackpaw shivered. Afraid? Of him? Suddenly he wasn't so proud anymore.

Waterwish padded away, leaving Blackpaw shaken by his words.

*

Snowpaw immediately ran to the patrol when they arrived back in came, making Blackpaw jump.

"What happened? Did you win? Did you kill the foxes? You must've, 'cause you're not dead!"

Snowpaw's flurry of questions baffled Blackpaw. "Slow down. Yes, we won. No, we didn't kill them. And I hope nobody's dead!"

Snowpaw blinked, and Blackpaw could see envy behind her eyes. Her brother had fought foxes while she had stayed in camp. Blackpaw flicked his tail.

"How's Nettlepaw and Olivepaw?" Blackpaw asked, partially changing the subject.

Snowpaw smiled. "Nettlepaw's woken up, and Olivepaw wasn't badly hurt, according to Treeheart. Stonesong left camp to gather comfrey for Nettlepaw's wrenched claw and hasn't come back yet."

Blackpaw felt uneasiness creep along his spine. How long had the battle lasted? If Stonesong had been gone not long after the battle began, then she should be back by now.

"How long has she been gone?" Blackpaw asked, hoping for a good answer.

Snowpaw frowned, tilting her head. "Since you left. Why?"

"I'm going to go check on her. Just in case." Blackpaw murmured, struggling to keep his heart from racing.

Where was Stonesong? Did the foxes get her? Why was she gone so long? Did something happen?

Without waiting for his sister to reply, Blackpaw padded briskly to the cave exit, his paws barely touching the ground as he ran. He heard Snowpaw's confused but worried call, but he didn't stop. Stonesong might be in trouble! He couldn't lose the medicine cat when she was the only other cat he knew knew about the prophecy.

"Stonesong?" He called into the forest, the sun shining into his eyes. "Stonesong!"

No reply.

He pressed on faster, in a panicked state. That hunch that Stonesong was in trouble was coming true. Trees, ferns, bushes flew past him. He ran past a startled rat and a flock of siskins, who flapped away in panic. Blackpaw shared their feelings for a different reason. Then he caught a scent and stopped in his tracks.

Stonesong!

And another one too, one that sent fear rippling through him from nose to tail. This only confirmed his fears.

Wolf.