Waterstar's Heart

Chapter 16

A low roar shook the air. Waterheart was dragging a black and white furred cat, bloody and battered. The grey tom struggled, his lungs burning, muscles screaming in agony. He groaned, every pull tiring him more.

"Come on!" Desperation edged his mew, tears pricking his eyes. The roars were becoming louder as the creature came nearer.

Frustration welled up in his chest. He dropped the body. It landed with a sickening thump. Crouching at the body, he burief muzzle her fur. She was cold. So, so cold. Her white fur was bloody, and covered in mud.

I'm so sorry, Cowpatch... Waterheart wailed in his head.

Waterheart dug his claws into the ground as he rose his head to look up at the creature. Its muzzle was dripping with drool, and its beady eyes were hollow of emotion. It raised its huge paw to strike, claws glinting. The tom closed his eyes tight, holding his breath in anticipation. StarClan could take him, and he would welcome it.

Only then he heard his name being called.

Waterheart...

"Waterheart?" Badger's mew awoke him. He leapt to his paws, his pelt hot. Fur bristling and heart racing, he turned to look at his mother. Her yellow eyes were wide in concern. "You were muttering in your sleep." She whispered.

Letting his fur lie flat, he let out a shaky sigh. "It was a nightmare." He replied softly. The tom looked around the den. Only him and Badger were awake, and all he could hear was the steady breathing of his sleeping clan-mates. Grasshoppers chirped loudly, and a light drumming of rain made his dark ears twitch.

Badger sat herself next to him, and gave his ear a comforting lick.

Waterheart held his mother's gaze. His blue eyes were glazed with tiredness and sadness. "...it was about Cowpatch." He croaked, his voice breaking.

He hadn't felt guilty since his meeting with her at the moonstone. Her words had stuck with him, to not let grief consume him. But this nightmare made her death all too real for him once again.

Badger rested her tail onto his back. "You aren't to blame for her death, Waterheart."

"I could have saved her." He bit back a cry of frustration. "I could have taken the blow to save her life, I should have—"

"—Don't say that." Badger's meow became firm, eyes blazing. Her tail twitched as she stared at him. "You did everything you could. You were barely an apprentice when that badger attacked...StarClan blessed me with your survival." Her tail brushed the scar on his back.

Waterheart's breath hitched in his chest. He nuzzled his mother, closing his blue eyes tight. "I'm sorry I yelled at you about her."

Badger shook her head. "No, no, don't apologize. I should have listened to you. Cowpatch is both our kin, and I should've helped you through it all." The warrior lapped at her son's head. "I love you, Waterheart. You're my son, and I will always be here to help you."

After a long moment, the black and white she-cat retired to her nest. Waterheart laid himself down into the moss, and curled into his nest. He stared out of the den where the clearing lay still and dark. Tucking his tail over his nose, he closed his eyes as the rain lead him into sleep once again.

***

Waterheart kept close behind Flarejump as the ginger tom lead a patrol through ThunderClan territory. Wrenpaw trotted beside her mentor, while Webtooth and Clovernose stuck in pace with Waterheart.

The patrol was nearing fourtrees, and the border of WindClan.

Dark clouds still covered the sky. The green-leaf rain was relentless. Only once had it stopped, but only briefly. All of ThunderClan was sick of having constant wet fur, and a hard time tracking prey.