Warriorcats #1: Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-One

     Tallpaw was terrified. After seeing Skypaw brutally attacked, he was barely able to restrain himself. Now, she was lying unconscious on the ground, helpless among enemies. He yearned to run over there, to comfort her and help her. But they weren't in Stormclan anymore. They were on enemy turf, and such actions weren't taken lightly. Birchfeather was stony beside him, lamenting idly on his paws. He acted as if nothing had happened. The thought sent anger surging through Tallpaw.

     Suddenly, Mask turned to Tallpaw. "Go ahead, look at your future." He meowed coldly. SkyOtter stirred uncomfortably beside him. Relieved, Tallpaw dashed over to Skypaw's limp white form. She was pale and blood dripped down her bruised flanks. Nearby, Cricket flexed his bloody claws into the soft earth, brandishing the weapons with mock regret. Skypaw looked so peaceful, so beautiful at the moment, despite her wounds. Tallpaw wanted to get her away from this madness, but there was no way. No effort of his would be magnified enough to loosen Mask's hold, much less the Air Sweeper's themselves. "Skypaw..." He murmured, licking her wounds helplessly. The Air Sweepers slowly began to leave, bored by the sudden loss of action. Mask didn't seem to care. He was too busy harassing the Stormclanners. "Get a move on! Stop Staring! Here's a thorn, eat it!" He called out random, stupid, things that seemed amusing to him. Meanwhile, the Stormclanners struggled to block it out.

     After a few minutes, Skypaw stirred briefly. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing blue depths full of pain. "Tallpaw." She whispered, weakly glancing up at him. The apprentice was so feeble, so vulnerable. "I'm here." Tallpaw's voice was shaky. Go ahead, look at your future. Mask's words bit him like thorns ripping through his flesh, hanging in the air as if lost in time. "Tallpaw, I'm fine... I just... need to rest." Skypaw was gaining more strength slowly, until she was finally able to lift herself up. She wobbled uneasily on her paws, leaning against Tallpaw's firm flank for support. He had grown since they had first began this journey. His frame was more defined and muscular, his eyes were deeper and more vibrant. He had a handsome, yet rugged, face that held a captivating element of courage. She found herself slightly nervous in his presence.

     "I can't believe Mask would allow Cricket to do that!" Tallpaw growled, his blue gaze meeting her own. "I won't let this happen again. I promise." Skypaw glanced at her paws, averting her gaze. Before she could respond, a fit of laughter filled the clearing. It was full of maniacal mischief, a cackle so eerie it sent chills down the bravest of warriors. Tallpaw turned to face the area of the sound. Birchfeather was facing Mask, who was laughing like a crazed hyena. "You, of all cats, want to betray your clan?" He made it horribly well-known, keeping her voice as loud as possibly attainable. Birchfeather nodded. "I never liked Stormclan. I never even liked the whole three clans idea. It was all havoc from the start." He sounded so sincere, Tallpaw found himself full of fear. Birchfeather... Tallpaw glanced at his fellow clanmates, ashamed to see them crestfallen. SkyOtter, above all, seemed not to believe it. She was so hurt, so mentally wounded. Tallpaw flinched as she turned away, storming off in a fit of fury. He knew how it felt.

     After a while of talking, Birchfeather finally finished speaking with Mask. They had made a clear decision: Birchfeather was officially part of the Air Sweepers.

___________ ____________ ________________ _____________ ____________

     The next day, Tallpaw awoke to Birchfeather's cold gaze. "Rise and shine, Tallpaw." His tone was full of hatred. "Welcome to day two." Tallpaw was about to speak, when the warrior turned and briskly padded out of the den. Tallpaw didn't want to leave. He didn't want to see any more of his clanmates hurt.

     Outside, Mask had gathered up all of the Air Sweepers. When he spotted the Stormclanners, he quickly dismissed the meeting and rested his hard gaze on his prisoners. "Day two won't be half as easy as yesterday. I let you off with only one clanmate to mourn over. You won't be so fortunate now."

     Tallpaw shuddered. What is he going to do? He wondered, a chill rolling down his spine. As if on cue, Mask signaled his tail towards SkyOtter. "You..." He then signaled his tail towards Birchfeather. "And you." His lips curled in a cruel smile. "Today, we will not just pin each other down like petty kits. Today, we will fight to the death. Two cats will find themselves in battle, only  one cat will survive."

     SkyOtter glanced at Birchfeather warily. She obviously didn't want to do this. Birchfeather was expressionless. It was a relief to know that he was at least not overjoyed to comply with Mask's wishes. The evil tom was smart, though. He wanted drama. He wanted to provoke some kind of outbreak so that he could unleash the Air Sweeper's rage diplomatically and massacre the Stormclanners. Tallpaw shuddered. Beside him, Skypaw was silent. Her wounds had healed considerably throughout the night, but the seclusion and isolation had put a toll on every cat. It was so unusual to sleep alone with only the air to touch you. Tallpaw much rather preferred the warmth and safety of his clanmates while he slept.

     "Begin!" Mask's voice broke through his thoughts, a terrifying mix of satisfaction and excitement glowing in his icy gaze. Immediately, Birchfeather leapt forwards, tackling the female with all of his might. Tallpaw was surprised at the ferocity with which he worked, ramming SkyOtter into the ground as she toppled backwards. Pain, both mentally and physically, glowed in the female's gaze. Instinctively, she thrust him off. It was surprisingly easy. Tallpaw noticed, with a hint of hope, that Birchfeather was meeting her gaze quite often between attacks. Nevertheless, they were beating each other up at terrifying rates. It seemed that both of them knew how the other would respond to attacks. It was almost as if the whole battle had been planned out and staged. Birchfeather and SkyOtter know each other too well. They won't be able to gain the advantage on either one. Tallpaw noticed with a small shock. Perhaps there was something else he wasn't noticing.

     Suddenly, the battle took a horrible turn. Birchfeather managed to hook Skyotter's paws out from underneath her, leaving her winded and vulnerable on the flank and stomach. This was his chance to kill her. Mask watched hungrily, greed glimmering in his gaze. He was crazy! Tallpaw, for one, knew this as a fact. Mask was hunting for blood and gore, hatred and deceit, anything that would be entertaining to a mad cat such as himself. The problem was, that's exactly what Stormclan was giving him.

     And yet, out of all the problems that were presently being revealed, Starclan still shared their hope with the Stormclanners. There was still a chance for SkyOtter to live, still a chance for Birchfeather to change, still a chance for Skypaw to heal, and above all: there was still a chance for Ashclan. Out of no where, despite the horrible plot twist, a howl split through the air and a new battle had begun.