Warriors: The Prophecy of Frost - The Darkest Battle

Chapter 16 - Not Over

(Frostblaze's POV)

It happened too fast. One moment they were beginning to head out, the other moment a cream pelted cat struck her.

Frostblaze immediately rolled over, meeting the dark green eyes of her attacker. She raked her claws on his belly, causing him to yowl in pain.

However, the cream tom did not get distracted and he continued attacking Frostblaze.

Finally, after what seemed like moons of tussling, Emberstorm came and helped to defeat the Dark Forest tom.

When she turned to check on Stagwind and Icetail, she froze. Both lay motionless on the ground.

"Icetail is still alive," Emberstorm mewed, noticing the faint rise and fall of his chest. "But Stagwind is gone."

"We need to get Sunstream," Frostblaze's eyes darted around the camp frantically. "If we don't get her in time, Icetail will die."

Emberstorm sped off - as fast as he could manage - to find the golden pelted medicine cat.

Frostblaze turned her attention back to Icetail, helpless to do anything. There was no cobwebs or even a leaf to stop the blood flowing from Icetail's belly wound.

"Please..." Icetail struggled to talk. "Tell Specklebreeze and my kit... that I love them all very much..."

His voice dropped to a faint whisper, too weak to continue talking.

"I will," Frostblaze promised. "But you have to live through this to tell them yourself."

Icetail closed his eyes just as Sunstream rushed to his side with Emberstorm, who was holding a wad of cobwebs.

When Sunstream took a closer look at the injured cats, she suddenly froze. "It's too late for them," she spoke quietly.

Frostblaze could only stare in shock, too stunned to say anything. "Icetail tried to protect Stagwind, but it wasn't enough," her voice trembled. "Sunstream, you are ThunderClan's only medicine cat now."

Sunstream bent her head. "I know," she mewed, "but there is no time for grief. The Clans are counting on us."

Emberstorm nodded, looking solemn. "We owe it to the ones who fell before us."

Without another word, the small group of cats raced to Fourtrees.

~~~~

When they reached Fourtrees, Frostblaze immediately threw herself into battle, ignoring the soreness of her body.

She forced herself to fight on. There is enough bloodshed. Too many noble warriors have fallen just to fight a bunch of good for nothing rogues who call themselves true warriors. It is time to stop all this.

Frostblaze's eyes darted around to look for a certain cat. When she spotted him, she suddenly felt a surge of anger. He caused all this.

Snarlfang was fighting Patchheart. Despite the fact that the Dark Forest tom's pelt was covered with scratches, he seemed like he still have a lot of energy and strength.

Frostblaze brust forward and managed to push Snarlfang away from the weakening Patchheart, who was breathing heavily.

"About time you showed up," the Dark Forest tom snarled. "I was beginning to think that you ran away, and that StarClan chose the wrong cat for the job."

"How did you know?" Frostblaze demanded, eyeing him suspiciously.

He merely replied with a lightning fast swipe at her face. She stumbled backwards but luckily, she managed to balance herself to dodge another of Snarlfang's blows.

"You are no match for him!" Patchheart whispered fiercely. "Just let me take him."

"I can't-" Frostblaze tried to object but Patchheart had leaped at the Dark Forest tom.

"I will your opponent," Patchheart never looked so serious as he faced Snarlfang with a deadly glare.

"Fine with me," Snarlfang growled as the two tom launch themselves at each other.

"Stay away!" Patchheart ordered when Frostblaze took a step forward. "This is my battle, and I intend to finish it."

Snarlfang smirked as he pinned the cream ginger tom down. "I can help you with that," he mewed, his eyes gleaming. "By taking you down!"

Patchheart somehow wretched himself free and rolled to one side before Snarlfang's claws reach his throat.

He's getting killed out there! Frostblaze thought as Patchheart was flung into the Great Rock. What kind of warrior am I if I let him take on an enemy that seem unbeatable?

She was torn between protecting her kin and obeying his order. Eventually, she couldn't stand seeing Patchheart being plummeted any longer.

Frostblaze charged into the battle and raked her claws on Snarlfang's face. He shook off the blood flowing on his face before preparing to pounce on her.

Patchheart stood in between Snarlfang's attack and clawed his underbelly. However, despite the long wound, it was not deep.

He bared his fangs and went for Patchheart's throat. Frostblaze caught a hold of his tail and yanked him backwards with all of her might.

Snarlfang let out a yowl and turned to bite onto Frostblaze's shoulder. She screeched in pain as she tried to make Snarlfang release his grip.

Patchheart grabbed his scruff and pulled him away from the young warrior. Snarlfang's eyes were blazing with fury and he unleashed strike after strike.

The ThunderClan tom lifted up his paw to defend himself from the vicious attack but it was not working. Frostblaze sprung forward to help, only to be dragged back by a Dark Forest rogue.

"You are finished!" Snarlfang snarled, raising his paw for a powerful blow.

"I will not give up so easily!" Patchheart, too, lifted up his paw for a heavy attack.

The two toms hit each other and were flung backwards by the force. They lay on the ground, unmoving for a few moments.

Patchheart slowly picked himself up. His neck was bleeding profusely but he still held his head high, watching Snarlfang's body cautiously.

Snarlfang got up and spat out the blood in his mouth. Frostblaze managed to defeat the Dark Forest rogue that attacked her and she found the battling cats, battered and bleeding, but still determined to fight on.

They circled each other, never shifting their gaze off each other. Snarlfang sprung first, catching Patchheart by surprise. He sank his fangs into the cream ginger tom's throat while Patchheart clawed at him repeatedly, desperate to break free.

Suddenly, there was a sickening snap. Frostblaze stared in horror as Patchheart fell to the ground, his eyes blank.

Meanwhile, Snarlfang had a smirk on his face, obviously triumphant at defeating his enemy. He was panting hard, but his eyes still carried the sinister gleam that represented his personality.

"You monster!" Frostblaze screeched, pouncing onto him.

------------------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Patchheart. Froststar is waiting for you. :3

Anyways, one more chapter to go! Hopefully I can publish Chapter 17 plus the epilogue on Friday, but no promises.