The Forest Games

Chapter 17

Dawnpelt's gaze locked on a hare nibbling on a patch of grass. She crouched a clump of heather, waiting for the right moment to strike. She pounced and missed the rabbit by a mouse length. It darted away into a field of long grass. Dawnpelt sighed and was about to turn back when she heard the rabbit squeal in terror and then go silent. She searched for any sign of life in the grass. Suddenly, Thornclaw and Nightcloud padded out carrying the rabbit. They exchanged surprised glances until Thornclaw stepped forward. "We aren't a threat. We can win this together. Will you join our team?" Thornclaw offered. Dawnpelt sighed with relief when she realized that they didn't want to fight. "Thank you, I will join you. I am the last Shadowclan tribute, so we only need one Riverclan tribute and we will get out of these wretched games." Dawnpelt meowed. Thornclaw nodded and beckoned for her to follow him. They padded through the thick grass. They came upon a flattened patch of dead grass with moss growing on some of the dead plants. "This is where we have been staying. You are welcome to take any of the moss for your bedding." Nightcloud meowed. Dawnpelt nodded and pushed some moss into one side of the makeshift den. She felt around for any Thorns and found none. "We should look for some water. I think there is a pond in that direction." Nightcloud explained and pointed towards the setting sun. "Let's go." she meowed as she picked up a clump of moss.

They padded across the moor as the stars shone above them. The night was fairly quiet, signaling that prey was hiding from something. Everyone was on edge. Dawnpelt stumbled in a clearing surrounded by heather, with a small pond in the middle. The shore was sandy, with a few small pebbles. Each cat lapped at the water for a bit then soaked their moss to carry the water back to the makeshift den. Thornclaw pricked his ears at a rustle in the heather a few fox lengths down the shore. He caught a glimpse of two pairs of eyes watching them through the heather. He alerted his team. Knowing that they had been seen, Pebblefoot and Icewing hesitantly padded into the clearing. "What are you doing here?" Nightcloud hissed. The two Riverclan cats exchanged sad looks. "I am here to say goodbye." Icewing mewed. The three cats' expressions changed from frightened to confused. "I have done some bad things in my life, like I helped the Darkforest when my clan needed me. Killing myself to save all of you will help me repay the clans and allow me to die peacefully, knowing I did something good. We traveled all this way so I could say goodbye to the last living cats I might ever meet." Icewing sobbed. Thornclaw padded over to her. "You don't have to do this." he meowed sympathetically. "Yes I do." she replied.

Nightcloud perked her ears to the sound of a cracking twig. Everyone turned their attention to an unusually thick clump over heather in which the noise came from. A dog with pointed ears and long fangs burst out of the heather and lunged for Thornclaw. He screeched and leaped out of the way, missing the fangs by a whisker length. More of the dog-like creatures burst out of the clearing, ten to be exact. The cats ran from the storm of fangs. They nipped at the cats' feet, only making them run faster. Eventually they made it to a lone tree on the moor and scrambled up it, escaping the dogs. Dawnpelt peered down nervously and gasped when she realized she recognized all of the creatures. One that was leaping for her branch had the same cream colored pelt as Applefur. She looked around and saw one that was light gray with green eyes. That must be Dovewing! That one looks like Ferretclaw and that one looks like Graymist! They must have the dead tributes' souls inside them. Dawnpelt thought. She looked at the other cats and saw from their expressions that they noticed the resemblance too. "So what now?" Nightcloud asked when she looked up. The cats looked down at the dogs again. "We'll never get down!" Pebblefoot wailed. Icewing shook her head. "Yes you will." she meowed, with no hint of fear in her voice. Pebblefoot looked up at her, shocked. He shook his head to tell her not to do it. "Goodbye." she purred before leaping down from the tree into the muttations' jaws. Pebblefoot reached for her scruff, but missed. They heard her yowl when she was torn apart and winced when it was cut short.

The muttations, now satisfied that they had spilled blood, ran back to where they had come from. As soon as their growling was out of earshot, everyone leaped down from the tree to see what was left of Icewing's body. Pebblefoot loomed over her, tears streaming from his face. The other tributes gave him some room and stood solemnly. Pebblefoot stood up and backed away from her body. The dawn light hit her pelt, making it shine, before she disappeared. They tributes looked from one another. "We've won, right? Why hasn't something happened?" Dawnpelt meowed angrily. Then an unrecognizable Darkforest cat's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Attention tributes. The rules have been changed, again. There can only be one winner. May the odds be ever in your favor." the voice jeered. Pebblefoot hissed, "So Icewing died for nothing! Now we have to fight to the death. This is sick!" Dawnpelt shook her head. "No. There is another way out." The cats looked at her curiously as she padded over to a bush with crimson berries hanging from it. She carefully placed four berries on a leaf and carried it back to the other tributes. "Getting out alive is one way, but getting out by going to Starclan is another way." she meowed as she placed one berry in front of each tribute. "Ok so we will eat these in three, two, one-" The tributes nearly ate the deathberry, but was stopped by the same Darkforest cat's voice. "Wait!" he yowled, "We now have the winners of the first annual Forest Games!" The cats looked too shocked to speak. They glanced happily from one another, knowing they had made it.

After a few moments, the arena disappeared and was replaced by the island. They victors were surrounded by their clanmates, who congratulated them on their win. Suddenly, the faint form of a cat with stars in her pelt appeared in front of the clans, holding two kits. One with light gray and the other was a silver tabby. "Hurry, take these kits. I was able to free them from the spirit cage in the Darkforest. Take them!" the she cat hissed. She dropped them beside Whitewing and disappeared. Whitewing's eyes widened when she realized who the kits were. A few moments after the mysterious cat left, who some were calling Half Moon, Tigerstar, Brokenstar, Breezepelt, and Mapleshade appeared on the tree. The clans went silent. "Step forward victors." Tigerstar called. Dawnpelt, Pebblefoot, Thornclaw, and Nightcloud padded forward. Nightcloud gazed angrily at her son. He shuffled his paws a bit when he saw she was angry and disappointed, but gathered himself and smirked. "You all may choose one cat to save from ever entering the games. Windclan will go first." Tigerstar yowled and gazed at Nightcloud. She looked around the clan and her gaze stopped on Crowfeather. "Crowfeather." she mewed. Tigerstar nodded, "Now Riverclan." Pebblefoot turned to his clan. "Pricklekit." he finally announced. Saving Icewing's kit is the least I can do. Pebblefoot thought. "Ok now Shadowclan." Tigerstar went on. "Tigerheart." Dawnpelt meowed quickly. Tigerstar's gaze turned to Thornclaw. "Finally, Thunderclan." Thornclaw gazed at his clan. "Brackenfur." he announced, saving his brother. "That wraps up the first annual Forest Games! Here are your victors!" Tigerstar yowled. The clans went to greet their clanmates that survived against all odds. Whitewing stood at the edge of the crowd. "It's ok. It's been a long journey, but you are home now." she purred to the kits.

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So that was the end of book one. Tabbywings25 written a sequel called Catching Attention. I hope you enjoyed!

~Beaver