Warriors: The Gates of StarClan

Chapter 19

Snowtail came to stand beside Ivysplash.  "You did all you could."

Ivysplash turned away from the RiverClan deputy.  "I didn't do enough."  She sighed.  "What should we do?  The whole of ShadowClan is fighting in our camp."

Amberstar glanced at Briarstar's body and Ivysplash noticed no blood dirtied the ShadowClan leader's fur.  "Redclaw must have used the killing bite on him," she meowed.

"We can't leave him here," Snowtail mewed.  "Let's bring his body into the center of the camp."  The three RiverClan she-cats carried Briarstar's body out of the den and laid him in the center of the clearing.

Ivysplash, Snowtail, and Amberstar were almost to RiverClan territory when they heard a crackle of leaves behind them.  Out of nowhere, a half dozen screeching balls of fur flew out of the bushes at the RiverClan she-cats.  Ivysplash, Amberstar, and Snowtail were separated and began battling the hostile cats.

All at once, Ivysplash smelled the stench of ShadowClan.  Her hind paws battered at her attacker, who was trying to sink his teeth into her throat.  She kicked the ShadowClan warrior hard in the belly, and he rolled off her.  Ivysplash only had a moment to look around.  Suddenly a flash of dark red caught her eye.  Redclaw!

The ShadowClan tom had regained his footing and attacked Ivysplash again, but this time, she sidestepped him and raked her claws across his flank with a satisfying ripping sound as blood spattered her muzzle.  The tom flew past her into the throng of fighting cats.

She shook her head to clear the blood from her eyes and looked for her friends.  Amberstar had pinned down a screeching tabby she-cat.

She could not see Snowtail, however.

The same flash of red caught her gaze again.  A streak of white flew past as well.  They sailed past the rest of the cats and rolled into the trees.  Redclaw caught up to Snowtail and bowled her over.  They tangled together in a mass of writhing fur and spitting jaws.  Ivysplash raced over to help the RiverClan deputy.

As she reached Snowtail, Redclaw pinned her to the ground and sank his teeth into her throat, tearing her fur.  Blood soaked her pelt.  He released her from his hawk-like grip and she collapsed onto the scarlet grass, gasping.

The treacherous red-brown tom leered at Ivysplash as she dropped to her former mentor's side.  She knew at once this wound could not be healed.  Amberstar appeared at the edge of the clearing as the ShadowClan cats' screeching stopped.  The amber she-cat unsheathed her claws with a snick and snarled at Redclaw wickedly.  He turned and trotted away with a haughty flick of his tail.

"Snowtail!"  Ivysplash felt a brush of fur on her left.  Amberstar's eyes widened and she crouched next to her deputy.  Ivysplash heard a faint breeze rushing past her and a sweet scent drifted by.

We will keep her safe, a voice whispered in her ear.

Willowstorm!  Ivysplash felt comforted by her mother's presence.

We will keep her safe.