Seppuku

Chapter 10

Badgerstripe stiffened. He forgot all about the extra patrol till they came bursting out from the undergrowth, yowling furiously. Their pelts were soaked with water and they looked like they had a little splash on the way.

In Badgerstripe's slight distraction, a white she-cat leaped on top of him, yowling furiously. Her eyes flashed and her teeth were bared in a snarl; she leapt on top of Badgerstripe, pinning him down to the ground.

Badgerstripe yowled, raking at her graying muzzle. However, the she-cats old looks seemed to be just a way to fool them all into thinking something else about her. She seemed young and energetic, ready to die to defend her Clan. Badgerstripe tried twisting her over onto her other side; then he tried rearing up on his hind legs.

Stupid move. The she-cat nipped at his neck and scraped his belly fur as he stood like a Twoleg. He yowled in pain as he felt the blood spill and stain the grass scarlet. Badgerstripe jumped back, breathing heavily. Then he thought of something suddenly--Badgerstripe fell to his back, whimpering in pain. "I'll kill you!" the she-cat vowed. As she sprang, Badgerstripe thrust his legs into the air and scratched at the flying cat, scratching her stomach and down. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, eyes round with shock. Then she scrambled to her paws and knocked the breath out of Badgerstripe before he could possibly do anything.

Oh, StarClan! Please help me! Anything!

Badgerstripe yelped in pain as she kept him pinned on his back, his bleeding belly showing.

Badgerstripe suddenly realized he was going dizzy. I... I-I'm going to die? Die by a CreekClan cat over a silly fight over territory that's at a good size?

Badgerstripe tried to sigh, but instead he just coughed up blood. This is how I die. This is how it's all going to end. I'm sorry, Twistedpaw... I didn't mean to die on you like this.

As Badgerstripe let the dizzyness overflow through his body and the she-cat reach down to give him the killing blow on the neck with her teeth, Badgerstripe felt a heavy weight be lifted off his body.

"Take that! And that, and that and that! No way I'm going to let him die yet," a voice yowled. "I shall defeat you!"

Badgerstripe could recognize that voice from anywhere. Twistedpaw?!

Something grabbed Badgerstripe by the scruff and dragged him away from the fighting cats. He let the other cat carry him out of the clearing.

"Badgerstripe! Oh my StarClan! Are you okay?" Nettlepaw gasped. "You're bleeding horribly!"

Badgerstripe tried to talk, but all he did was cough, then whimper because the effort burned his chest. The only words that slipped out were, "Nettlepaw...p-paw--help-me..."

~

Twistedpaw jumped on the she-cat. "Take that! And that, and that, and that!" he shrieked. "No way I'm going to let him die yet. I will defeat you!" Twistedpaw had noticed her trying to kill Badgerstripe. When he risked a swift glance back, he saw Nettlepaw take him to safety. Clearly he'd be in good paws now, right?

Twistedpaw turned straight back to fighting and launched at the she-cat, landing a couple of well-aimed blows at her chest, and face. He went for one of her eyes and pulled, and tugged the eye right out of the socket. Blood spilled everywhere, and the she-cat was letting out a series of shrill shrieks of pain.

Twistedpaw turned away. This she-cat was useless now. Saving other Clanmates was now his top priority. Twistedpaw noticed Miststar lying on the ground, pinned by a huge, muscular black tom. When Twistedpaw approached, he realized the tom reeked of fish.

"Back off," Twistedpaw snarled.

Miststar's eyes were round with shock. "Twistedpaw? I thought Tawnybreeze told you to stay back at camp until you fully recovered!"

"StarClan told me to come," Twistedpaw lied in a firm, believeable voice. He needed her to think it was his destiny. "They sent me a sign, like never before. And I saved Badgerstripe's life."

He jumped towards the patiently waiting tom and then flipped, and kicked him on the chin. He did an unstable flip back to his paws, but that had dizzied him and another she-cat knocked him off his paws.

The quick movements nauseated Twistedpaw. His stomach flipped; then he threw up on the wet, mucky grounds. His stomach seemed to be zig-zagging everywhere. Sickness overwhelmed him as a she-cat battered his ears with a series of hissing.

"Twistedpaw, no!" Miststar yowled as she grab the young tom's scruff and carried him away to safety. She leaned down on him. "Tawnybreeze!" she cried. "Is there any medicine cat here?"

"I'm a medicine cat; just trust me! I heard vomiting so I quickly grabbed some chervil! Tru-..."

Twistedpaw heard nothing more until he passed out.

~

Back at camp, Twistedpaw woke again to feel his stomach feeling much better and his head only slightly ached.

"Twistedpaw! Its you, really you! You've finally woke up," Badgerstripe purred. "Can we-"

"Not yet," Miststar interrupted him.

Hazelstripe was there, her eyes glowing with pride. "You showed much bravery in the battle today," she meowed. "So much, that its worth more than just a measley warrior assesment."

Twistedpaw's heart quickened.

He... was Hazelstripe telling him that he was ready to become a warrior?