Warriors: Brightblossom's destiny

Chapter 2: The Beginning of The End

Brightpaw wakes in Rainfur's den. She looks around and begins to sit up and clean herself.

As she cleans herself, she notices Berrypaw lying close to her in a profound sleep. She smiles and continues to clean herself thoroughly, as she attempts not to wake Berrypaw.

Lilystar padded into the medicine den, her yellow eyes filled with worry. She saw Brightpaw lying on a nest of moss, her fur stained with blood and dirt. The young apprentice looked up at her leader, her blue and orange eyes dull and tired.

"Hello, Brightpaw," Lilystar said softly, sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?"

Brightpaw swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. "I-I'm okay, Lilystar," she yawned, "Rainfur gave me some herbs to ease the pain."

Lilystar nodded, then took a deep breath. She knew she had to ask Brightpaw what had happened, but she dreaded the answer. She had already lost one of her best warriors, Brightpaw's mother, Silverstripe, in the ambush.

"Brightpaw, I need you to tell me what happened on the patrol," Lilystar said gently. "Could you identify who attacked you? Even their scent could tell me who could have been behind this."

Brightpaw shivered, closing her eyes. She remembered the horror of the attack, the screams of her clanmates, the blood, and the claws. She remembered seeing her mother fighting bravely and falling under a swarm of enemies. She remembered running, never looking back to see her mother lying lifeless on the cold hard ground.

"It was RiverClan," Brightpaw whispered, "They came out of nowhere, from the shadows of the trees. There were too many for us to fight off."

Lilystar felt a surge of anger and grief. RiverClan had broken the warrior code, attacking without warning or provocation. They had killed one of her most loyal and brave warriors and injured an innocent apprentice. They had threatened the peace and safety of her clan.

"And Silverstripe?" Lilystar asked, hoping for some comfort.

Brightpaw opened her eyes again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I couldn't help her. I froze up," she sobbed. "They had her pinned down before they killed her. She told me to run...but I couldn't move. They told me to run and warn everyone that they were coming."

Lilystar felt a pain in her heart. She reached out with her tail and wrapped it around Brightpaw's shoulders, pulling her close.

"I'm so sorry, Brightpaw," she murmured. "Silverstripe was a great warrior and a wonderful mother. She loved you very much. And so do I."

Brightpaw leaned into Lilystar's fur, feeling a faint warmth in her chest. She knew Lilystar was telling the truth. Silverstripe had always been proud of her.

"Thank you, Lilystar," Brightpaw said, softly.

Lilystar smiled sadly, stroking Brightpaw's head with her tongue.

"You're welcome, Brightpaw," she said.

Lilystar begins to leave Brightclaw's side and exits Rainfur's den.

Lilystar leaped onto the high rock, her fur bristling with anger and sorrow. She let out a loud yowl, summoning her clan to the clearing. She waited until all the cats had gathered, then fixed them with a stern gaze.

"Thunderclan, I have some grave news to share with you," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "As you know, a patrol of four warriors left last night to check the border with Riverclan. They were Silverstripe, Lionclaw, Willowtail, and Brightpaw."

She paused, taking a deep breath. She saw the concern and curiosity in the eyes of her clanmates. She wished she could spare them the pain of what she was about to say, but she knew she had to tell them the truth.