Warriors: Whitekit's Dream [Book One of the Voiceless Series]

Chapter Ten

Whitekit stared at the two bodies lay a few tail-lengths away from her. This can't be real! She screamed in her head.

All those times she saw Valleypaw bouncing around camp cheerfully, practicing hunting stances with her friends--would that be gone? And what about Wildstar? Would he be okay? Strong enough to finish the battle?

Whitekit remembered when she was two moons old--three moons ago--Valleypaw had promised her that she would show her a hunter's crouch. Whitekit's eyes teared up. How will she teach me now?

Whitekit heard a loud cry, coming from her right--where Wildstar was fighting before. Oh no! Has some other cat died too? Whitekit shivered with fear, shifting closer to Ryekit and Palekit.

She noticed that Palekit was crying softly, and Ryekit was moving uncomfortably around, shifting his seating position often.

Where had the cry come from? Whitekit strained her neck to see what was going on, but Willowshade covered her kits' eyes.

"No! You three are too young to see such a battle," Willowshade said, protectively hugging them tightly with her tail.

Ryekit stepped on Whitekit's right paw--she opened her mouth to yell, but of course, it didn't come out.

"S-Sorry," Ryekit bit his lip.

Whitekit nodded, accepting the apology. She shut her eyes, wanting the battle to be over already.

A loud crash was heard, and Willowshade's head snapped up, looking at where the noise had come from.

The head coyote had been thrown against the door to the roof, bricks crumbling and crashing down on it.

Whitekit peeked out from behind Willowshade and ran forwards by a tail-length. How in the name of StarClan? She thought, shocked like the rest of EmpireClan.

There was a row of warriors lined up--Finchwing, Jaggedwing, and Stoneleap were standing tall, their wounds crusted with blood and their eyes on fire.

The coyote had been thrown hard into the wall--however it may have happened--and started to stand up and turn towards the door. It howled to its companion, and it too stopped fighting. Both retreated down the flights of stairs, and Whitekit's heart pumped loudly as she saw them dash out of EmpireClan camp.

Even though the clan should have been slightly relieved, Whitekit could feel all the tension hanging in the air. It was silent--a breeze came by, tussling some of the pebbles on the rooftop. No cat moved. . . All eyes were on the dead bodies and Wildstar.

Whitekit slowly crept out from behind Willowshade. What has happened?

At the sight of a fallen Wildstar, she saw his chest slowly rising and falling. Looking up to take in her surroundings, she saw Finchwing, Jaggedwing, and Stoneleap still lined up--relaxed, but still unmoving. Whitekit looked confused, however.

Next to the warriors of EmpireClan, there were two more. Why are their pelts. . . Sparkly? Whitekit asked herself.

The first of the warriors had pale gray fur, though she was nearly transparent. Whitekit could make out her outline and features. Next to her was a long-legged, apprentice-aged she-cat. She too had a gray pelt, and when Whitekit blinked again, she saw the two starting to disappear.

The kit cocked her head, extremely confused. She strained her eyes to see them once again. . . They looked vaguely familiar.

A slump was heard, and Whitekit turned her head, struggling to see. She saw Valleypaw's body, and felt a pang of sadness. Another slump was heard, and Whitekit saw Finchwing taking Echomoon's body towards Valleypaw's.

Emberpaw broke the silence with a wail--it was pure and shrill, and she sobbed hysterically for her loved ones. The apprentice ran to them, placing her nose in their fur. She cried, tears wetting her face.

Seeing her friend cry, Whitekit rushed forwards to comfort Emberpaw. She stood in front of the two bodies and bowed her head down. Emberpaw's body was shaking, still sobbing into her mother's fur--her tail touching her sister's pelt.

The clan watched in silence, and Wildstar began to stir.

"Wildstar, don't--"

"It's alright, Heatherstone," Wildstar reassured his medicine cat. "I'll be alright, but this cannot wait."

Standing in front of Valleypaw and Echomoon, he addressed his clan loudly. "Here. . . We have a beloved warrior and apprentice--no. We have two warriors who have risked their lives for our clan."

Speaking loudly, he gulped. "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has learned the warrior code and given up her life in the service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. She will be known as Valleysong."

The camp was silent once again, Emberpaw looking to Valleysong. Whitekit was looking at the she-cat too, sniffing.

Whitekit quickly passed back and ran under Willowshade's tail. She didn't like what she was smelling--the scent of death was strong.

There was no longer the song of war. The song of grief took its place, and it began with Emberpaw's sobs.

Whitekit had heard her mother speak about Emberpaw and Valleypaw in the nursery to Tallflower. . . About how their father had died from something called an "infection". Whitekit's eyes were filled with tears--for Emberpaw. Her family was gone.

Whitekit licked the bite from the rat, trying to remove the crusted blood. What is going to happen?

The clan was murmuring lowly, and Wildstar cleared his throat. "We must head back down to camp and see what the coyotes have done. If no harm has been done to our home, we shall take time to remember Echomoon and Valleysong.

The clan nodded, and a couple of warrior picked up the bodies of the fallen she-cats. Whitekit was able to see both of their features, and in a quick moment, she could see what had happened.

They were the mysterious cats. . . The ones that were shining like the stars in a clear night. They had gone to StarClan, but had finished and won their last battle.

A/N:

I'll probably change that last line when I edit it. Or is it okay? Thoughts? 🐾