Hope- A Warriors Fanfiction (Unedited)

8. Slaughter

"Yes Hopeheart! You're doing brilliantly!" Called Mistfall as I mastered the backwards twist slash.

After Stonefeather's brutal murder, we were ever more driven to defeat the toms. We had battle training every night and were breaking as many rules as we could without getting punished severely. Altogether, it was going quite well.

The bright stars glistened down on my silver pelt as I battled with Mistfall; our claws sheathed. Surprisingly, I wasn't half bad at most of the fighting techniques we'd learnt recently. Quickly, I dashed behind him and knocked his back legs from beneath him. He crumpled like a leaf and admitted defeat.

"You win..." Mistfall groaned from the dusty floor. Cloudmist walked forward towards me.

"Let me fight next." She said a determined but friendly look in her eyes. Mistfall stumbled to his paws and got back in position. Smirking, Cloudmist stepped forward ready for battle.

"Go!" I shouted. Cloudmist charged forward, leaping far with each strong bound of her white legs. Confident, Mistfall held his ground as she battered him with her back paws.

"You'll have to try harder than that!" He said looking at her. Cloudmist was violent fighter and I prayed to starclan that she wouldn't go too far to win and end up hurting my mate.

The white she-cat let out a hiss and leaped high into the air, landing square on his back. Viciously, she pretended to claw his back, but Mistfall was stronger. He snapped around causing her to fly off into the bushes.

"Ow..." I heard her mumbled as she dragged herself out of the sharp bracken. Pebblefur giggled softly next to me.

"She tries too hard." She whispered in my ear. I purred amusingly.

"Now, can everyone get into pairs and train?" Vinetail said trying to get us to calm down after Cloudmist's hilarious tumble. The rest of us nodded and split into pairs. Pebblefur ran over to her grumpy sister and Vinetail ran over to Mousenose, his mate. Mistfall padded over to me a pleased look on his face.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" I purred practically snorting at his smug face.

"Cloudmist fell over!" He meowed quietly. I couldn't help but let out a mrrow of laughter. Cloudmist always regarded herself as the best she-cat warrior and to see her fail, was so strange. Trying to calm myself, I looked up to Silverpelt and saw the first light of dawn appearing from behind the trees.

Suddenly, a loud cough filled the air. I turned my head over to see Dawnshadow collapsed on the ground coughing up blood. Waterfur was crouched over her friend, trying to get her to stand up.

"Mum!" I heard Spiderpaw yell and he and Hollypaw ran to their mother's side. Dawnshadow rasped loudly as we gathered around the old queen.

"We have to get her back to camp. Now!" I shouted calmly knowing how suspicious it would look if she died out of camp. Mistfall barged past me and began to haul Dawnshadow on his back with the help of Vinetail. Eventually, Dawnshadow was safely on Mistfalls sturdy back. Dawnshadow had been like a second mother to me when I was growing up and I didn't want to lose her as well as my real mother, who was horribly murdered by my fake mate Waspwing.

Soon after, we reached the safety of the camp. However, before we could get her to the she-cat camp, she started coughing harder and harder, blood spirting out of her mouth every time. Mistfall, Vinetail and Spiderpaw vanished into their dens to avoid suspicion of plotting with us as we tried to fetch the catnip from the herb store. If Dawnshadow kept coughing like this, she wake everyone up and our secrets would be out!

"What's going on out here?!" Shouted an annoyed Mudface from the warriors den. He stumbled out of his dead, sleep still in his eyes. Dawnshadow lifted her weak head and stared blankly at him with her sorrow filled amber eyes.

"I'm sorry Hopeheart...I'll never get to see you become leader...Promise me that my kits will be equal..." Her soft voice faded out as her black body convulsed in a fit of coughing. The coughing stopped and with that, Dawnshadow was gone. I wanted to cry out, but my throat was dry with grief as I saw her lifeless body lying in the camp. It reminded me of when I saw Stonefeather's body: a long slash across her throat where Waspwings claws had met her beautiful tabby fur. None of them were meant to die; none of them deserved to either.

Hollypaw pushed past me, dodging between our legs.

"Mum!" She screeched, cowering in her mother's soft black fur. "Why?! It wasn't your time!"

I saw Spiderpaw peak out from behind Mudface, grief obvious in his amber eyes. I knew he was trying to hide his pain, but anyone with any sense could tell he was mourning the loss of his kind mother. Mudface stepped forward. He poked Dawnshadow with one of his brown paws.

"Eh...She was too weak." He muttered walking away. How dare he?! Dawnshadow was one of our strongest members. Well mentally anyway. Before I could say anything, Waterfur stepped forward.

"How dare you?!" She screeched jumping on the brown tabby. The grey she-cat sunk her fangs deep into his brown fur, but Mudface was too strong and flung her off like a piece of prey. She yowled as she flew in the air and crashed against the highrock and collapsed in a heap.

I looked towards the warriors den and saw Mistfall's jaw drop as he saw his mother thrown against the highrock. His blue eyes grew bigger in shock and his face twisted in anger as he fixed his gaze on Mudface.

After a few moments of silence, we began to carry Dawnshadow and Waterfur back to the she-cat camp to prepare them for burial. When we passed the nursery, Mousenose and I went in to comfort out kits who were with Dappledleaf.

"Mama?" Duskkit asked as we entered the den. I turned to him and tried my best to keep a happy face.

"Don't lie mama. Lying's not good. What happened?" Mistykit asked concerned. I dropped my act and looked at the floor.

"Dawnshadow and Waterfur aren't coming back. They've gone to StarClan." I said tears forming in my blue eyes. Featherkit let out a small wail of grief when she heard the bad news.

"I'm sorry kits..." I mewed wrapping my tail around them. "It should never have happened."

I closed my eyes and tears began to pool around my eyes and soaked into my light fur. I blinked away my tears and saw Mistfall standing near the fern tunnel looking up at the glowing sun. I stood up slowly and padded over to him.

"I'll kill him.I'll make him pay for what he did. I promise you Hopeheart that I will kill Mudface."