Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 39- It Was Done In A Moment

Cats all around turned to stare at her.

Is that her?

The one that Glowstar's all up in a hiss about?

The heated tension in the clearing continued to rise as Glowstar stared down Sharpstar, panting slightly. The deputies at the base of the four oak trees were trying to keep peace and calm in the clans, except for Rapidflame. He stood on the lowest branch, tail wrapped neatly around his paws, staring directly at her with an unreadable expression.

"Splitrain, I think that we should get you to a safer place..." Moongaze said, shuffling nervously. He was as stiff as a tree, and was also looking at Rapidflame.

Before she could answer, Glowstar spoke again.

"Starclan sent Dreamsong a message last night, saying that we had the right to punish Splitrain as we saw fit!"

A whisper of silence fell across the clans as they digested what the white Riverclan leader had stated.

"That's mouse-dung!" an unknown cat from the mass yowled.

"Quiet, you ignorant kit," Rapidflame growled, "Glowstar is telling the truth, and it does not seem that Starclan has a problem," he pointed out, motioning to the full moon, which stood proudly with not a cloud in sight.

The other two leaders stood with unrest, glancing nervously at the other and to their clan. Fernstar, the Thunderclan leader, leaned his black-furred head to speak to the Windclan she-cat beside him before turning back to the other two leaders, still glaring heatedly at the other.

"Thunderclan and Windclan are calling neutrality in this argument."

While the two now-neutral clans shuffled away from Riverclan and Shadowclan happily, Moongaze was joined by Bonerun and Driftswipe in his nervous pushes to leave.

Shaking them off with a leap, Splitrain found herself padding in between the separation between the clans towards the front. She had no idea what she was doing, and she was honestly goodness-to-Starclan terrified. What can she do?

Her hesitation in her steps brought Glowstar out of her trance and hissed, back arching and lips drawn back to reveal yellow fangs at Splitrain.

"You," she growled, tensing to leap at her.

Just as the Riverclan leader was about to make her jump, Sharpstar tackled the white she-cat by the shoulders and together they fell to the base of the trees, some five fox-lengths below.

Almost immediately, the two clans leapt against the other in a mass of hissing and yowl of rage and anger. Shadowclan, to protect. Riverclan, to destroy.

In the midst of the fight, Splitrain lost sight of both the two leaders and Moongaze. Completely dazed, she only saw cats in masses of claws and teeth, and blood leaking into the soil.

The moon still was uncovered.

Desperate for her Partner so she could fight, she dodged the fights and claws in her search for Driftswipe. Instead, she fell upon Rapidflame and Honeyflame, both on their hind legs and exchanging slashes. The tan Shadowclan deputy was bleeding heavily from a torn ear and a swollen eye, while the grey tom was barely affected, with only a small scratch on her shoulder. The she-cat was obviously on the defense, trying to block Rapidflame's seemingly endless torrent of swipes to her eyes, face, and chest. Her balance was failing as she struggled to stay up on her hind legs.

With a swift kick, the Riverclan deputy had shot a paw out and caught the legs out from under her, using the moment of unbalance to pin the Shadowclan deputy to the ground and fasten his teeth to her throat.

Almost in a haze, Splitrain tried to move but felt as if her paws were made of stone. She willed, yowled at herself to move, but by then it was too late.

With the blood on his chin as he dropped and pushed away the lifeless body of the former deputy, Rapidflame laid eyes on his eyes on her.

"Well, look who's come back," he said happily, licking the blood off one of his grey paws happily, making sure she could see the red in his mouth and the tan fur between his claws as he shook them out.

"It's a shame I don't know who the new deputy is, of course I would kill them too! Do ya know, Splittie?"

Rapidflame sauntered over, hips swaying. As he came closer, his tail, which was rather long, wrapped around her neck teasingly as he pressed his mouth against her ear, gently nipping.

"I wish I didn't have to kill you, but mother says so~" he sang wickedly under his breath.

"M-Mother?" Splitrain stuttered, pulling back in confusing to look at the deranged tom.

"Yes, you mouse brain. My mother's Glowstar. And here I thought you were smart."

The chaos around them, with several cats laying in pools of their own blood around them, was lost in the sound of her heartbeat.

She did not know it then, but Rapidflame had been angling his head for a fatal bite when a high-pitched yowl rang through the clearing, fearful and hair-raising.

With all motion stopped, Sharpstar displayed the limp, slight white body in her jaws.

Rapidflame turned. His eyes widened in horror. Then he set his face in determination.

It only took a moment.

He ran, surefooted around the few motionless cats and used the force in his speed to push his full weight against the russet and blood covered leader, pushing her down. Like a hawk, he shot down on top of her.

The sickening crack froze her stomach as she turned around slowly to see her leader, her mother, her savior...

Lying limply, with blood trickling out of her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle.

Dead.