Warriors: A Dangerous Path - Book Five (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Six

Waterlily's paws stilled as the urgent commotion reached her ears. Her heart raced, and her instincts as a medicine cat kicked in, sending a surge of adrenaline through her veins. Dropping the herbs she had been sorting, she quickly moved to the entrance of her den to see the patrol rushing into the camp. Waterlily watched in horror as Cloudtail carried a dead body in his jaws. It was Brindleface. Waterlily's heart began racing with fear and she padded out into the clearing. She padded by Fireheart's side. His green gaze was unreadable, but she could sense he was very angry. "What happened?" She finally mewed softly in his ear.

"I'll tell you in a bit." He meowed quickly, then padded over to the burial place to bury their clanmate, Brindleface.

Waterlily followed them, with the rest of the Clan behind them. The burial went by fast and they barely had time to mourn. Once they were through, Fireheart trekked back into the clearing and jumped up onto the highrock.

Fireheart's voice rang out, his words heavy with urgency. "Cats of ThunderClan." He began. "We discovered that there's a pack of dogs on our territory, living in the caves at Snakerocks."

Murmuring broke out among the assembled cats, along with a few yowls of defiance. "Tigerstar has been feeding the dogs." He went on, struggling to keep his voice calm, "And he has laid a trail of dead rabbits to lead them right into our camp. You all know what lay at the end of that trail." He dipped his head toward the place outside the camp where Brindleface had been buried.

He had to signal with his tail for silence as a chorus of wailing broke out. Waterlily glanced over at the two new apprentices, waiting to see if they would show any signs of defiance or shock just like the rest of the Clan. Tawnypaw was staring at him with horror in her face while Bramblepaw's emotions remained unknown. 

"We have tried to break the trail, but the rabbits have lain there all night, and the pack will follow the scent they left behind. We must all leave—elders, kits, everyone. If the dogs come to the camp they must not find us here." Continued Fireheart.

More sounds of dismay, this time a low, anxious murmuring. Dappletail, an aged, once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, called out. "Where shall we go?"

"To Sunningrocks," Fireheart replied boldly. "Once you're there, climb the tallest trees you can find. If the dogs follow you, they'll think they lost the scent on the rocks, and they won't look for you."

To his relief, the Clan grew quieter now that he had given them definite orders, though the cats still crouched in grief for Brindleface. Her kits, the apprentices Fernpaw and Ashpaw, were pressed close together with looks of stunned horror on their faces. 

"And what about the pack?" Dustpelt asked. "What are we going to do about them?"

"We'll steal the trail!" He blurted out rather loudly.

"What do you mean?" Sandstorm asked, her green eyes wide.

"Just what I say. Tigerstar wants to lead the dogs right to our camp. Fine. We'll let him do that. And when they arrive, we'll be waiting—to take them to the gorge." He paused, looking around the camp. "We'll need to lure the dogs over the edge," Fireheart went on, the details of the plan taking shape in his mind as he spoke. "I'll need warriors who can run fast." His dark green gaze swept the cats around him. "Graystripe. Sandstorm. Mousefur and Longtail. Dustpelt. And I'm going myself. That should be enough. The rest of you gather by the camp entrance, ready to move out."

The appointed warriors dipped their heads. Waterlily narrowed her eyes. If they were to leave, she would need something to take herbs. She couldn't leave them all behind. As she headed back to her den, she heard Shadowpaw's once soft voice carry out through the Clan clearing. "What about me?" He meowed, pleadingly. "I'm fast!" 

Fireheart shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Shadowpaw. I can't risk losing any warriors. Stay with the rest of the Clan and be ready to move out when we return."

Shadowpaw dipped his head in acceptance, though Waterlily knew he really wanted to go with his mentor. He was rather fast. He could catch rabbits just like Sandstorm after all! Waterlily turned back and headed for the medicine den to gather up some supplies. She guessed that she would need some cobwebs, chervil, comfrey roots, and goldenrod and honey. She pulled out a burdock leaf from the back of her storage piles and put the needed herbs onto it. She neatly wrapped it up firmly, and carried it in her jaws as she followed the rest of the Clan that stayed back up the ravine. Everyone stopped just before the gorse tunnel, just like Fireheart had ordered them to do so. 

Waterlily gently put down her herbs and looked around, seeing who all was left. Bluestar flicked her tail as she padded up to the front. "Fireheart has told me what all has happened." She meowed, glancing over at Waterlily. "Do you suppose this plan of his will work?"

Waterlily nodded. "Of course I do. He is a loyal deputy." She retorted quickly. She knew how much Bluestar thought they were all traitors. Though if she was speaking to Waterlily, perhaps not all were traitors to her. Did she trust Waterlily?

"Good. Let's go then." Bluestar rasped then bounded off towards Sunningrocks. 

Waterlily and the rest of the Clan followed her closely. Whitestorm stayed close behind Bluestar, keeping her last life sacred. Waterlily brushed against Whitestorm. "Fireheart told me to keep her safe." He whispered softly in her ear. "I vow to keep that even if it means I die."

Waterlily widened her eyes alarm. If Whitestorm died trying to save Bluestar, who knows what would happen to Bluestar after that. But she shook the thought out of her head. She didn't want to think of Bluestar dying. They've had too many deaths already. She couldn't bare losing another cat that was once close to her.

Bluestar paused at the edge of Sunningrocks. Her ears were twitching as if she heard some ghost yowling out her name. Waterlily did the same, but she couldn't hear anything. "We should help Fireheart." She softly growled, looking back at her Clan. 

"He has a plan, remember?" It was Whitestorm who replied as he took a small pace forward. His tail twitching impatiently, hoping Bluestar listened to him. 

"I remember." She snapped. "But I have a slight feeling that maybe it won't."

Waterlily tilted her head to the side. She could see Bluestar's thoughts going back to her dream with StarClan. Pack, pack, kil kill. Was just repeating in her mind. She was worried that the end would come... and faster than they realized.

Waterlily reluctantly stayed back as Bluestar bounded towards Snakerocks where Fireheart as his warriors went to look for the dog pack. Whitestorm put a paw in front of Bluestar, hoping she would stop, but she stepped over it and hissed as she passed him. "You cannot stop me, Whitestorm." She mewed softly, then continued to fade away in the distance of the trees. Waterlily longed to follow her in secret, but she had to stay here in case she needed healing when she returned. 

Time was going by too slowly and everyone was beginning to feel restless. Waterlily paced to and fro, worried that something bad has happened. She could feel something in her gut like she had to retch it out, but she tried to keep it down. 

"She'll be fine." Whitestorm reassured her. "She has to be." He looked over in the distance as he finally saw a flame-colored pelt pad towards them. His eyes wide with horror as he saw Fireheart carrying a lifeless blue-gray body.

Waterlily turned to see what he was seeing and she gasped. "No! Bluestar!" She yowled. "We were supposed to keep her safe!" She added, wailing like a lost kit. 

Fireheart gently put down Bluestar's body and dipped his head low. "Do not blame yourselves. She was only trying to save me." Tears ran down his cheek. 

Waterlily raced to his side and knew instantly that he was telling the truth. She pressed her body against his, making sure that he was able to still stand. He had low energy, though he had little scratches on his body. He felt as if the weight of the whole Clan had descended on his shoulders, for he was now the new leader of ThunderClan. He had to kill Tigerstar... and the reign of him would be defeated. At least that's what Fireheart had hoped. Waterlily widened her eyes as she silently read his mind. He was worried that Bramblepaw might be just like his father. That's why he took him on as his apprentice.