War - Battles of the Wild - The Darkened Moon

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: DIRTCLAW

I ran into Griffara's den when I heard the scream. I turn the corner, ready to face off against a Leap Clan Warrior, or even a group of them in order to protect my leader, but what I saw made me stop in my tracks. 

My mouth fell open, heart going cold. 

There among the overturned shelves and spatters of blood and scraps of fur was Blackwisp. 

"No, no no." I whisper, backpedaling away in shock. It was just like Fadingmoon, my sister, when she betrayed the Clan. Fadingmoon, who I stayed up late at night with, talking about when we would become great Warriors. Fadingmoon, lunging at me, her teeth going for my throat. 

The last memory I ever had of my dear sister was her body in a pool of her own blood. 

"No, this can't happen again," I mutter. Then I raise my voice to a desperate scream. "You can't do this to me! Why? Why, Blacwisp?"

Blackwisp seemed shocked by my cries, before looking away, voice surprisingly soft. "Sorry, Dirtclaw. But I had to do it. She let my family die."

"What?" I whisper, eyes going wider than they already were.

"When I told you my siblings died in the Dark Moon Winter, that wasn't the full story. My family were loners. We had asked Griffara for help, but she turned us away. I watched my siblings die because she refused to help us." 

I look from him to Griffara, then back to him again. "So you gained her trust, biding your time, before you killed her? How sick are you?"

Blackwisp didn't answer. 

"Just go," I whispered, looking at the ground. 

"...What? You're letting me go?" 

"I can't lose anyone else. I just can't. Birdbeak, Fadingmoon... I've already lost too many of my loved ones. Just go, before anyone else sees."

"If you let me go, you'll be known as a traitor. That power brand on your shoulder will mean nothing."

"I don't care!" I hissed. "Go! Now!"

Blackwisp looked incredulous, but he brushed quickly past me. By the look on his face, something tells me he wasn't expecting to make it out of this den alive.

"Dirtclaw..." he says over his shoulder. I look back as he leaves the den. "Thank you. And I'm sorry."

And then he was gone.

I let out a breath, and then rushed to Griffara's side. Her throat was ripped open, her wings and body bleeding in various places. 

With little hope, I checked her pulse. 

One second went by with nothing. Then two, then three...

Nothing.

Our leader was dead. 

My sister was dead. 

My mate was dead. 

Blackwisp was gone.

Was everyone I got close to destined to die or leave me? Was life just some twisted game that sought to kill my heart over and over again with each loss I've suffered?

I lifted my gaze from Griffara's bloodied corpse, and turned to face the empty den. Beyond the entrance, the battle had finally wound down to a stop, but the carnage and gore strewn across the ground remained, red as the dying sun. 

Among it, Blackwisp was nowhere to be seen. 

I closed my eyes to hold back the pricking tears.

I wondered if I made the right choice.