A Dark Day // Storm Of Blood #1

Chapter 14

Burnpaw woke up, staring out into the camp at once. Today was his and Sunpaw's last day in the medicine den.

And hopefully Skyclan's last day here...

It wasn't that Burnpaw didn't like the Thunderclan camp, cats, and territory, he was just homesick.

As Sunpaw woke as well, Beewing padded over, along with Softpaw.

"Before I let you go," Beewing mewed, "I'm going to check your wounds."

With that she padded over to Burnpaw, and Softpaw over to Sunpaw.

Beewing took the cobweb off of his scratches and inspected them.

"They look like they're starting to heal. You can go."

As he left, he heard Softpaw dismiss Sunpaw.

Burnpaw paused.

He smelled Skyclan scent, and not the scent of the warriors that had been sent to Thunderclan.

Suddenly a Skyclan patrol walked in, Berrytail leading it.

"We've come to pick up our warriors," he mewed briskly. "Lynxstar will come here later to speak to Rockstar about rather or not he wants to take part in this."

Rockstar suddenly stepped out onto the high-ledge, and walked down the rock steps.

"Very well. Skyclan warriors," she added a bit louder, "you're going back home!"

Burnpaw nodded a goodbye to Sunpaw and a few other cats before joining his clanmates. He was homesick, and he was ready to go back.

As soon as he got back to camp, Lynxstar beckoned the whole patrol over.

Once he got inside the leader's den, he sat with Mothstripe.

"So," Lynxstar mewed, "tell me what happened."

Velvetclaw bowed her head. "May I speak first?"

Lynxstar nodded.

"As I went on hunting patrols with them, they never stole any prey. When I went on the border patrols, if we ran into a Windclan one, they would growl and call them prey-stealers."

Mothstripe nodded.

Featherwhisker stood as well. "I witnessed this too. Lynxstar, we should really help them."

Burnpaw remembered what Rockstar had told him.

I'll tell Lynxstar that a border patrol attacked you and a few other cats.

Burnpaw stood. "A border patrol attacked me and a few Thunderclan cats."

Lynxstar widened his eyes. "This is tense... you are all dismissed. Stay beneath the Tallstump though, I'm about to hold a meeting."

They all bowed their heads and left, heading for the Tallstump. "Burnpaw, are you okay, seriously? Those cats really---" 

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mewed.

As promised, Lynxstar walked over to the Tallstump.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallstump for a clan meeting!"

As cats gathered, Lynxstar began to speak. "We will be Thunderclan's ally. From what I've heard from the patrol, the dispute may turn into all out war."

The cats below yowled in agreement.

Just then, a few Windclan cats walked through, Stonestar in the lead.

"Can I help you?" Lynxstar said uncomfortably.

Stonestar shook his head. "We're going to Shadowclan."

"You could be closer to the lake, you know," Yellowtail growled.

"But we're not," Stonestar retorted. "We're just going to speak with Dewstar."

With that, he continued to walk his warriors.

"Berrytail! Mothstripe! Burnpaw! Pebblewing! Fernpaw! See them to the border," Lynxstar hissed.

With that, the chosen cats encircled the Windclan cats. Berrytail got Infront of them. "Follow," he hissed angrily, before starting towards the Shadowclan border.

As the Windclan cats followed, circled by Skyclan cats, Stonestar snorted. "Don't think we don't know what you're up to with Thunderclan. That's why we're visiting Shadowclan."

Berrytail stopped, and turned on him, snarling. "Berrytail!" Mothstripe hissed. "Let them. We'll win anyways."

Berrytail snarled once more before continuing towards the border.

Burnpaw sighed. 

But what if we lose?

As they continued towards the border, Stonestar stopped. "We can walk ourselves from here."

Pebblewing hissed. "I think not," she mewed. "We'll escort you all the way there and all the way back."

Stonestar hissed angrily.

Suddenly, Burnpaw spotted Featherpaw in the patrol, glaring at him.

He shuddered, remembering the fight from three nights ago.

He remembered Hollypaw limping and slowing down occasionally, and Sunpaw blacking out.

He didn't like to remember the journey back.

As they reached the border, they backed away from the patrol cautiously as they crossed the border and stalked off.

"Fernpaw," Pebblewing ordered, "Go tell Lynxstar that we're going to wait on them to return, so we can escort them back."

Fernpaw dipped her head and left at a brisk pace.

As they began to smell Windclan, Stonestar and his patrol came back, a satisfied expression on their face. When he saw the Skyclan patrol, he frowned.

Harefoot growled. "Just leave us alone!"

Mothstripe hissed. "Watch your tongue."

As they set off towards the Thunderclan border, a mouse ran by.

Featherpaw slammed her paw on it, and picked it up.

Fernpaw hissed. "That's a Skyclan mouse! And you call Thunderclan prey-stealers!"

Featherpaw rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it." 

With that, she flung the mouse at Fernpaw's face.

Fernpaw hissed, bringing up a paw to wipe the mouse blood out of her fur.

She picked it up, and angrily glared at Featherpaw before they continued towards the border.

When they got to the Thunderclan border, Stonestar crossed over and looked back at the Skyclan cats.

"We have allies too now, so I'd suggest you and Thunderclan watch your backs. Now I know why you allied with those prey-stealers, you're no better. Skyclan cats are killers."

Mothstripe hissed. "We didn't kill Cindertail!"

Crowlight purred with amusement. "Then don't get so defensive about it."

With that, the Windclan patrol turned and padded away.

Without warning, Berrytail chased after them.

"Berrytail!" Pebblewing yowled.