River (Book 1) A Warriors Fanfiction

Chapter 12

•Riverstorm•

Riverstorm was fighting. Fighting for his life. Cranestar may have lost one life, but he had several more. Riverstorm was grappling with Cranestar. He was much younger than Cranestar, so he used his speed to his advantage. The orange-and-white tom may have been older and slower, but he was also more experienced. He seemed to know Riverstorm's next move even before Riverstorm knew it himself. Cranestar paused slashing at his ears only long enough to hiss in his ear, "You fought on the side of that traitor and murderer?" He sounded genuinely bemused at Riverstorm's actions. Riverstorm growled.
     "Brackenstar is no murderer or traitor. You are the one who ripped four lives from an honorable leader like him. You are the one who's attacking his own warrior right now." Cranestar delivered another blow to Riverstorm's cheek as he fell silent. Riverstorm felt blood run down his cheek. Then another spurt came from above his eye. He was struggling to see now. A dark tom came out of nowhere and flung himself at Riverstorm. Together, he and Cranestar were driving Riverstorm to ground. They want to kill me, Riverstorm realized. That only infuriated him further and drove him on harder. He matched the two toms before him blow-for-blow.
His paws suddenly felt clumsy and slow. He may be strong, but he couldn't beat two powerful toms who were trained and deadly alone. Cranestar was fighting him on the side where blood was still running into his eye. The dark tom was on his other side, slashing at him with a fierce passion. He was striking Riverstorm again and again. Riverstorm couldn't think clearly, couldn't see, could barely breathe. He still fought, hoping the apprentices and Brackenstar could get away. None of the Descendant she-cats made a move to help him. He saw out of the corner of his good eye Brackenstar being taken away.
Fear shot through him. No! He thought. Brackenstar! He hoped the she-cats would help him. Last time Riverstorm had gotten a good look at the small, orange tom, he had been battered, bleeding, and broken, lying on the ground. He was afraid, more afraid than he had ever been in his life. He was fighting for his life. He suddenly thought of Lucky.
     Lucky must have felt this fear. He must have felt this intense fear that surpassed every other emotion. He must have been terrified for his life, for his future. Riverstorm suddenly felt peace. He just needed to go with the flow. The river had always been his friend. He started to fight with the flow. Ducking where Cranestar was about to swipe his paw, blocking where the dark tom was about to slash his flank.
     He felt calm. He swayed like a wave, his fur rippling like the surface of a stream. He was River, a brave kit born at the edge of a swirling world of dark waters. He was Riverpaw, an eager apprentice who never excelled like his Clanmates, but persevered anyway. He was Riverstorm, a powerful warrior who would fight for his friends to the Place of No Stars and back again without hesitation. He was someone who would fight this battle, and not back down. He fought on, despite any fear he had.
     That's when a third cat joined the fight. Light slashed him from behind while the two toms battered him from the sides. He felt his consciousness slipping as he grew weary. He was aware of someone trying to drag Light off of his back. Her needle-sharp claws dug into his back and he yowled with fury and agony all in one. Light hissed in his ear. She sank her teeth into his scruff and yanked upwards. She dug in hard and shook him. Whoever had tried to drag her off was gone now. Riverstorm was surprised he had lasted this long. Surely the end was near.
     Suddenly Light was dragged off of his back. Cranestar was still battering him, but the dark tom was just sitting, watching the scene. Riverstorm fought, hoping that someone would help him. He heard Light's yowls as someone took her away. Then a voice entered Riverstorm's mind. "Be still. Don't fight." Riverstorm grew frantic. What kind of creature could talk in his mind?
What are you? He asked the voice. The voice laughed. "I am a cat, same as you. Like I said, stop fighting. Pretend like you've given up and you're beaten." The voice continued. Riverstorm was scared. He had never heard of a cat that could speak in someone else's mind. Why would I pretend I'm beaten? Then he'll try to finish me off. The mysterious voice chuckled again.
"Exactly. He will think you've been beaten. When he sits up, all smug like he just caught the biggest fish any cat's ever seen, that's when you strike. Catch him by surprise." Riverstorm jerked in surprise. He momentarily froze, and Cranestar dealt him yet another blow. I'm going to attack him again? He asked incredulously. He suddenly caught the eye of one of the only two toms watching the battle. You. He thought, surprised. You are the one talking to me. But how? The tom was shaking visibly, as though laughing at him. Riverstorm felt a sudden surge of anger. He fought back with all his might against Cranestar's attacks.
"Be still, Riverstorm." Riverstorm fell still. He was desperate, bleeding from a dozen places, he was numb to the pain now. Cranestar sat up in triumph. That's when Riverstorm lunged. He sank his teeth into Cranestar's neck and bit down hard. The orange-and-white tom reared in surprise and fell backwards. The watching cats gave mrows of amusement. Riverstorm bit down harder. He felt Cranestar go limp under him. The horrid tom had lost a life. Riverstorm bit down even harder. His jaws hurt now, but he knew he needed the evil tom under him to lose another life.
     Cranestar gasped for breath. He tried to stand up and overpower Riverstorm, but Riverstorm's grip was too strong. RiverClan's leader proceeded to shudder and lose another life. Riverstorm wondered what StarClan thought of him and Cranestar just then. "Yes," the tom whispered in his head, "Only two more lives and then you'll be rid of him." Riverstorm opened his jaws and stared down at the dead tom before him. What am I doing? He thought. Have I become just like this disgusting slug in front of me? Riverstorm could feel the mysterious tom smirk at him from across the- battlefield? Meadow? Home of innocent cats? Well, maybe not so innocent.
     "You will never be like him." The voice said reassuringly. Except, Riverstorm wasn't very reassured. He felt horrible. He had stooped so low as to kill Cranestar. Twice! He felt like he was a monster, with blood dripping from his pelt, and a snarl painted across his face. I will NEVER be like him. I will never, never, NEVER be like this horrid beast lying before me. He told himself. Cranestar cracked open an eye.
      His claws reached for Riverstorm's throat and he pulled Riverstorm closer. His breath smelled of rotting fish lying in a pile of fox dung. Riverstorm tried to pull away so he could breathe. Cranestar leaned closer and with a lightning-quick strike, he hooked his claws into Riverstorm's chest fur and bit down on his throat. Riverstorm's eyes widened. This was it. Just when he had thought he might be able to win, he was going to die. Cranestar hissed and Riverstorm almost gagged.
     "You dare rip lives from me?" Cranestar threatened. "I'll teach you the real meaning of pain." With those words, he bit down as though trying to crack Riverstorm's bones in half. Riverstorm felt an explosion of pain threaten to take over his whole being. He tried to fight, but he was slipping away, down, down, down. Why was he going down? Why wasn't he going up, to run among the stars with the Clans' starry ancestors? His eyelids fluttered closed. Tears slid down his already wet cheeks. Was it all going to end like this?
     He heard someone roar in fury and the weight of Cranestar was lifted off of his chest. He could barely breathe, barely comprehend that he was going to die, here and now. Then the strange tom's voice cut into the eerie silence of his mind. "Riverstorm. Riverstorm! Fight the darkness! Don't give in. You must win. You must. Do you hear me? You have to fight it." Then another voice filled his mind.

     "Riverpaw, Riverpaw! Please! For your family, for your friends. For me. Riverpaw, please! Fight the darkness. Please, Riverpaw. You can do this! You can. Don't die here, don't die now. I need you, Riverpaw. Please!"

     The she-cat's voice dissolved into sobs as the memory faded away. Then Riverstorm's consciousness faded away.