Ghosts of the Clans (COMPLETED)

Chapter 16

"Antpelt, what-" Swallowtail's questioning mew was cut off as she noticed his blood soaking the moss. "Thistleheart, fetch Kestrelflight!" she shrieked, crouching down to lap at the wound and trying desperately to stop the bleeding.

"What did this?" gasped Willowclaw, taking over Swallowtail at his side. Nearby, Harespring crouched in a corner, his bright blue eyes glowing knowingly in the darkness. He looked sick with guilt, as if he should have been protecting Antpelt. Antpelt reached out a weak paw, trying to tell him, It wasn't your fault. There is no protecting in the Dark Forest.

By the time Kestrelflight arrived, he was barely conscious. All he remembered was groaning in pain while anxious mews whirled around him; two cats supporting him to the medicine cats' den, him collapsing into a nest and Kestrelflight dabbing marigold onto his shoulders. But all felt like a dream, as Antpelt felt absolutely nothing.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Antpelt finally blinked his eyes open, sticky with fever, to find the medicine cats' den shrouded in darkness. It must be night already, he realised with a start. His movement jolted a cat who was dozing beside him awake; it was Willowclaw.

"Oh, you're awake!" his mother breathed out, licking him lovingly. His vision blurred with the heat of fever, Antpelt managed to make out, "What...what happened?" "Oh, you don't remember? Kestrelflight could barely stop the bleeding, but in the end you still developed an infection. The Gathering is tonight, so Onestar had to force Swallowtail to go. She was by your side day and night for the three days you've been unconscious, she was so worried that you were going to die. I am, too, but..." She let out a long sigh, the rest of the sentence left unsaid.

Antpelt felt a sinking feeling in his belly. "I'm not going to survive, am I?" he croaked, grief cracking his heart. "No! Of course you'll survive," Willowclaw mewed, a little too quickly.

Too tired to speak, Antpelt simply leaned back and closed his eyes again.

"No! Willowclaw...Swallowtail!" Antpelt howled in agony. He could feel infection burning every part of his body; of pain searing through his wound. Never had he felt so much agony.

"Antpelt, Antpelt, calm down! I'm here." Swallowtail pushed through the throng of cats and crouched by his side. Willowclaw followed after her. Upon seeing his loved ones, Antpelt calmed down slightly. 

"Willowclaw...thank you for being my mother. It was great to be close to you, and Flytail too. I never forgot about him. Heathertail and Breezepelt, we...had good times while playing. Leaftail, as much as I argued with you, you're still my brother, and I treasure the good memories we shared. And Swallowtail... I just wanted to say that I love you. If I'd survived, we would have been mates by now, trust me. All I ask for you...if to remember me." he gasped out, then fell still.

Closing his amber eyes for death, Antpelt felt a painful spasm grip him. He thrashed once, blood flowing out of the wound, then fell still, his breath gone.

"No!" the grief-filled wail from Swallowtail split the air. The dark gray she-cat buried her nose in Antpelt's bloodstained brown fur, shuddering in grief. Willowclaw joined in her wail, licking her dead son desperately. Leaftail, Heathertail and Breezepelt padded forward and touched their noses to his fur.

"We'll never forget him. Antpelt was one of the best warriors we had, as amazing as his father, Flytail."

Before he entered the gloomy forests of The Place Of No Stars, that was the final thing Antpelt heard.

And it was all he had ever wanted to hear. But it was too late.