Gilafang's Resentment (Book 4)

Chapter 9

Gilapaw shoved through the crowd towards the scream, hoping desperately his sister was okay. Please please be alright! He begged to himself, tears in his eyes. I can't lose my sister now!

Gilapaw burst through the Medicine Den foliage and ran towards the pained whimpers from his sister. He saw Sunsetpaw lying in the dirt, sobbing over a black and white lump of fur. Gilapaw's eyes widened, and he rushed to his blood soaked sister.

"Splashflight..." He breathed, his eyes clouded with sorrow. "Oh, Sunsetpaw...."

Sunsetpaw looked up at him with tear-streaked eyes. Her pelt was torn with blood from both herself and her mentor, and she had a paw on his blood-soaked body in mourning. She let out a choked sob. "H-He's gone.... They ripped him to shreds!" She whispered, shaking with anger and grief. "They killed him!"

Gilapaw licked her forehead, trying to soothe her, trying to calm her shaking body. "Sunsetpaw... He's gone to StarClan now... There's nothing we can do."

Sunsetpaw sobbed and nodded, closing her eyes and rising to her paws. Gilapaw did the same, looking around the camp. Suddenly, as the battle screeches cut through Gilapaw's eardrums, one yowl rose above the rest.

"Fishfang is dead!"

As Gilapaw watched, the enemy rouges turned their heads, and the battered, weak clan clawed them when they had a chance. Fangscar broke away first. "Retreat!" He cried, and the rouges tore themselves after him, with yowls of fury and defeat. As soon as the cats disappeared through the bushes, Gilapaw felt a dizzying rush in his head and looked at his paws. Blood was pooling at the dirt beneath him, and his legs suddenly buckled beneath him.

"Gilapaw!" Sunsetpaw was instantly alert, and at his side. A stinging pain shot through the underside of Gilapaw's right foreleg, and he saw a deep cut there, oozing blood. Stars suddenly swirled and danced above him, making the leaf fall sun sparkle like diamonds.

"He's losing blood!" Sunsetpaw gasped. "Oh Splashflight, what do I do?!" She wailed to herself, desperately holding wads of cobwebs to Gilapaw's underarm.

Gilapaw's vision seemed to flash in slow motion before him, and he looked up at Sunsetpaw. Her voice echoed in his mind.
"Hold on, Gilapaw," she said. "I'll save you."

*****

Gilapaw woke with a pounding in his head and a shooting pain in his sore body. He groaned, and instantly his sister's paws were poking and prodding him, worried.

"You're awake! Thank StarClan, I was worried I messed up!" She breathed. Gilapaw put a paw to his head, trying to stop the pounding from beating through his skull.

"How... How long was I...?" He said, his eyes closed as he tried to stay awake.

Sunsetpaw hesitated. "Just a day," she said. "Wishkit was asking to see you a lot yesterday, she was really worried about you," she said as she ducked back into the herb store for a moment. Her mew was muffled by he rock as she continued. "Lemurstar called a meeting yesterday. The clan is really weak, we have almost no warriors," she said, her tiny sunset colored head poking out of the cave opening again. She pulled herself out, and shook her pelt of the herb dust.

Gilapaw perked his ears, interested. "Yes? What are we gonna do?" He inquired.

Sunsetpaw sat down, laying the wad of herbs down beside her paws. She curled her tail neatly around her paws. "Lemurstar wants to lead a patrol into the Twolegplace looking for recruits." She said simply. Gilapaw's eyes widened.

"What?! She's crazy! We can't have kittypets in the clan, we're wild cats!" He cried, struggling to get up. Sunsetpaw placed her gentle paw on his chest, pushing him back down.

"Stay down, Gilapaw. I need to tell you more." She instructed firmly. "Lemurstar has already decided. The patrol is getting ready to leave tomorrow at sunhigh."

Gilapaw reluctantly lay back down, staring at his sister. "Sunsetpaw, how are you getting along, you know... With Splashflight gone?" Gilapaw finally asked the question nagging his mind. The old tom had died before Sunsetpaw had even a day with him.

Sunsetpaw shifted slightly. "I'm not Sunsetpaw anymore..." She said quietly. "I'm called Sunsetpool. Splashflight mentors me in my sleep. StarClan grants me access every night." She answered. Gilapaw smiled.

"Sunsetpool. I love it." He purred, trying to comfort his sister. She looked suddenly sad.

Suddenly she spoke. "You may get up, now, Gilapaw. I just wanted to tell you that... You'll be fine." She said quietly.

Gilapaw smiled and got up, licking his sister on the nose. "I love you, sis," he said affectionately before bounding out.

*****
"Snowtip! Turtleface! Ryeflight! Badgerfang! Come to my den, I must speak to you about your mission!" Lemurstar called, her blue eyes scanning the clearing like a hawk. Gilapaw hurried up to her.

"Lemurstar!" He called. "Lemurstar, may I come on the patrol?" He called. A day had passed, and the patrol was about to leave.
Lemurstar turned her head to her adoptive son.

"Gilapaw, you're just an apprentice... You can't possibly go..." She began, flabbergasted. Gilapaw persisted.

"Lemurstar, I can sneak into places the senior warriors can't. I can sneak into the dens to talk to the kittypets. I can be useful!" He said, staring at his mother. "Promise!"

Lemurstar sighed, looking at the ground. With a heavy meow, she answered. "Ok, alright." She said with an exasperated huff. Gilapaw felt his heart flutter. "But don't wander off and do everything the warriors tell you!" She looked at him seriously. "Ok?"

"Yes! I promise, thank you!" He yowled, bouncing up in joy. He was going on the patrol!