Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 37

(Cat above is Beechtooth)
The clearing was flooded with hissing cats in just a few moments. Both clan-cat and rogue made up the sea of writhing bodies. Foxgaze watched in horror as Tigerstripe was eneveloped by a horde of rogues.

Leafshade needs our help! Foxgaze raced to the medicine cat den and screeched, "Leafshade! We're being attacked!"

The grey tabby shot up from his nest, eyes wide. "Has anyone died yet?"

"Just Rabbitpelt I think", Foxgaze heard Glazepool yowl in fury outside, "Come on!"

With Leafshade at her side, the two cats raced outside and threw themselves into the conflict.

Foxgaze shrieked in fury as a brown tabby pinned her down, sharp claws digging into her flank. Spitting in anger, she raked her claws across his face, sending him howling in pain.

She looked around, searching for Beechpaw or possibly Bear. To her dismay, all of them looked the same.

There was a shriek and Foxgaze saw Stormfeather, despite her great age, grappling with a huge she-cat outside the elders den. The burly white she-rogue  bit down on the elder's neck, and blood gurgled out of her white muzzle.

"Stormfeather!", Foxgaze screeched and flew herself into the conflict. She ripped open the burly she-cat's shoulder with sharp claws, sending her away hissing. "Oh StarClan", Foxgaze gasped when she saw Stormfeather lying limply in the dust, blood pooling around her. That snake-heart just killed Stormfeather! she thought angrily. Rage burning inside her, she barreled into the side of the she-cat.

"Aye! Watch it you-", she began, but her words were cut off as Foxgaze sunk her claws into the she-cat's throat. Her blood turned Foxgaze's paws red as she stopped breathing. Foxgaze grunted and took a step back. She realized with a stab of horror at what she had just done. I just killed a cat.

A sharp wail made Foxgaze cringe. She turned to see that more rogues were flooding in through the thorn barrier. The ones that had already attacked camp were just part of the attack. At the front of the group, she could see the pale brown pelt of Bear, at his side was Cricket, watching the battle with a gleam of pleasure in her eyes.

Foxgaze saw out of the corner of her eye a black and white form jumping down from the High Rock. Hatred for Bear was radiating off her like waves. Foxgaze jumped in front of Dawnstar, "You cant attack him right now! He's too protected!"

"You don't get it Foxgaze!", Dawnstar snarled. "He's a cold-blooded, fox-hearted-".

"But you loved him", Foxgaze interrupted. She relaxed her muscles, "You loved him all those seasons ago, even though now you want to rip his pelt off. Please...I don't want to see my leader dead".

Dawnstar took a step back. Her blue eyes widened as she looked down at the ground, "You're right...I cant attack him just yet...I'll get killed". After a few moments, she jerked her head up and looked at the crowd of cats, determination in her eyes. "But I wont let his cats destroy my clan". With a yowl of fury, Dawnstar threw herself into the battle, clawing at any rogue that dared step into her path. Foxgaze let out a sigh and followed, a caterwaul of battle energy escaping her lips and echoing around the clearing.

When two sides fight in a war, one's bound to give in after a duration of time. The forest cats and the rogues were equals, but after a while, the sheer number of rogues began to weaken them. Tigerstripe, Rabbitpelt, Spottedbreeze, and Stormfeather were lying in pools of blood, their fur torn and ripped, their bodies trampled upon. Foxgaze howled in pain as a rogue raked their sharp claws over one eye, leaving a deep gash that forced her to keep that eye shut. Wolfpath, one of his ears torn and with broken claws shrieked and swatted at any cat that got close to him, taunting him about his face-scar and how clumsy he was. Foxgaze felt a deep, cold feeling sink in her chest. We're loosing!

Two strong looking rogues crashed into Foxgaze's sides, making her howl in pain as they hit a bruised rib. Stars swam across her vison as she looked up at the sky, Is it my turn to join you Adderpaw? But there, on the High Rock, was her. Beechpaw watched Foxgaze coldly, a cold grin parting her muzzle.

Feeling a new surge of energy, Foxgaze leaped upward, striking both of the rogues across the face, making them shriek. Quick as a squirrel, she dartedup the rocky steps to the High Rock. Beechpaw didn't see her coming, she turned around only as Foxgaze smashed her jaw into the stone. "You rat-faced traitor!", Foxgaze snarled.

"So nice to see you Foxgaze", Beechpaw rolled over, unbalancing Foxgaze and sending her sprawled on the flat stone. "By the way, it's Beechtooth now, you and your frog-brained leader wouldn't give me my name so I gave myself one".

"You didn't deserve your name", Foxgaze hissed. Hitting her with a well aimed blow across the muzzle.

Beechtooth retorted, "You didn't deserve to be deputy. But you deserve to be defeated". She leapt on Foxgaze as the tortishell tried to regain her balance. When Foxgaze looked into the reflection of Beechtooth's yellow gaze, she saw her own reflection. She was pinned against the stone like a helpless piece of prey, a gash over one eye bleeding and her fur parted in places by old scars and new slashes. The scar on her nose had been reopened, and her already torn ear was even more mangled. What happened to me?

A surge of anger pulsed through Foxgaze and she kicked Beechtooth off her, sending her near-flying into Dawnstar's rocky den. A roar like LionClan escaped from her jaws, "You'll have to kill me a thousand times before you can defeat me!".

The bleeding russet tabby's eyes burned with hatred as she hissed, "Then I will. But first, I must ask you, why have you always been so weird around me and Wolfpath? What do you have between me?"

Foxgaze squared her shoulders and kept her yellow gaze matched with Beechtooth's. The secret she had kept for so long escaped like a bird from a trap. "Beechtooth, I'm surprised you didn't notice this before. Glazepool isn't your mother, I am".

The rage disappeared from Beechtooth's expression and her jaws hung open, "Youre...my mother?"

"Leafshade is your father, Im so sorry I didn't tell you before...all this happened-", Foxgaze sighed. I think she forigives me.

Beechtooth's shriek interrupted her, "You filthy piece of dung! My father is the medicine cat? You don't deserve to live for the horrible deed you have done!". With these words, Beechtooth charged out of Dawnstar's den, claws unsheathed and aiming right for Foxgaze's neck.

Surprise controlling her actions, Foxgaze slashed her claws across Beechtooth's soft throat. Beechtooth gasped, blood coming out of her jaws but she kept running, even as she scrambled to stop at the edge of the High Rock. There was a gurgling screech and Beechtooth toppled over the edge.

Beechtooth's thirst for blood had ended up consuming her, realization for what she had done came just a few seconds before her neck broke from the impact.