Warriors #3: Shifting Shadows

Chapter 19

Lilypetal's POV

I wanted to sink to the ground and let out a yowl as I saw Goldenshine and Jayfeather trudge into camp with Snowflight's body, my daughter's body, on their backs. But I simply stood where I was, too shocked and too numb with grief to speak.

It was clear that Snowflight was dead; She had gashes all over her body, and some parts even looked shredded. Rainwater had washed the blood away, but it was beginning to ooze from her wounds all over again.

I almost thought that I had lost the ability to breath. Not only out of sadness and anxiety, but because my daughter's death was the only thing on my mind, consuming my whole being, so much so that the knowledge of how to breath was almost pushed away. It can't be...

Pushing myself to finally move, I immediately ran over to meet Goldenshine and Jayfeather as I shook my head slowly. But, seeing Snowflight up close just brought in another unbearable wave of grief, as if it was the first time I was seeing her dead all over again.

"No!" I wailed as I pushed my nose into my daughter's fur. "How did this happen?" I then forced myself to look at Goldenshine, pulling my muzzle away from Snowflight's fur.

Goldenshine looked utterly emotionless. "I found her in the forest," she murmured. "Killed by Ashfur."

Uncontrollable anger immediately bubbled up inside of me. Ashfur is back?! I thought in complete rage and confusion. It had now been moons since I scared him out of ThunderClan territory. Since then, I had been able to live in complete ease, never catching his scent on our territory or hearing the rustles at night that I had when I was in the nursery. I thought that Ashfur was truly gone for good. After all, his goal of hurting Squirrelflight had now been fulfilled.

But apparently, Ashfur's new found goal to hurt me had still needed to be accomplished, and it had been.

I growl began to rumble in my throat. I would run back out into that forest a hundred times if I knew that eventually, Ashfur would leave. What am I saying? I'm going to kill the piece of crowfood! "That mangy..." I unsheathed my claws and sank them into the ground. I then began to storm out of camp, but I could hear Goldenshine's quick pawsteps beginning to make their way ahead of me in order to intercept me.

"No!" My daughter exclaimed, leaping up to block the camp entrance.

I stared at her in confusion, my tail lashing with eagerness and anticipation. "What do you mean?" I demanded, trying to jump past Goldenshine. "Why won't you let me find him and kill him?"

"Because he's already dead," Jayfeather meowed, almost at a whisper.

My eyes widened in bewilderment. Now, I didn't even know how I felt; the evil cat I hated with a passion was finally dead, which gave me a sense of relief. But when it hit me that my precious daughter was dead, that small speck of relief suddenly went away.

"How was he killed?" I asked, barely able to get the words out.

My ears flicked as I heard Goldenshine's quiet whimper. "I..." Goldenshine whispered, "I did it. For Snowflight."

I stared back at my daughter, my heart managing to warm up just slightly. Goldenshine killed Ashfur for her sister... I realized, touching my tail tip to Goldenshine's shoulder just for a heartbeat. This is the warrior that I've seen in her all along, and I hated to see her lose it when her loyalty wavered.

Then, without saying anything else, Jayfeather and Goldenshine began to travel deeper into the camp, Goldenshine sliding under Snowflight to help Jayfeather once again. I felt my eyes cloud as they then carried her to the middle of camp before finally lying her down.