Winterpaw's wish

Chapter 6 (Lost and Found and then Lost again)

Darkstar padded up to sit next to me and I could see the pride in his gaze as he looked at his kin. Frostheart was his only sister and was very protective of her, well that is what Sweetstream had told me when I was younger. He nudged my shoulder softly and he was know looking at me.

" You want to go hunting? I'm glad you took care of the elder's during sun high, you deserve some time off. Before you go off to your nest?" He pleaded. I smiled and nodded, Darkstar had always been polite and caring and I couldn't help but remember what Scourge said to me the last time I saw him.

You can't fall in love with him!

I couldn't have been falling in love with him, but when I looked at Darkstar my heart skipped a beat and I just wanted to curl up next to him and protect him. Darkstar had been waiting and watching with gleaming eyes and sat up flicking his tail. I followed and leaped through the camp entrance.

Our area of land was full of marsh, and thorn bushes. Great for ambushes and catching our enemies off their guard. Plus the mountains were on the very edge of our territory and we used them for camp. There were many different caves along the mountains and Darkstar had told me that they once had to fight of a badger that had made a den in one of the caves.

Darkstar had stopped and had his tail straight in the air. I moved my head to look ahead of the leader and I could see a rabbit eating some comfrey, something the medicine cats use for herbs. Darkstar went into a perfect hunters crouch and slowly but swiftly crept up on the rabbit.  Darkstar was only a tail length away when the little creature sat up and gasped when it saw Darkstar, but it was to late.

Darkstar had leaped onto the rabbit and made the killing bite to its neck. Darkstar licked his lips and buried the rabbit.

" Rabbit!" He gasped. " Never see those around often!" I nodded and Darkstar and I continued hunting till the sun was beginning to set. I had collected a finch, a wondering squirrel, and a frog which I had almost let out of my claws. Darkstar had caught two thrush's and the rabbit. We had both caught a crow together and it was now hanging in my jaws. Darkstar and I entered the camp to see Autumnbreeze pacing around and the clan looking nervous and on edge.

Darkstar noticed, placed his prey on the fresh-kill pile and bolted to Autumnbreeze.

" What is going on?" He demanded. Rosepaw was next to Autumnbreeze and the she-cat was biting her lip and clawing the ground.

" Its Tigerpaw, he's gone!" Autumnbreeze mewed. I gasped and then I remembered the stale scent of Tigerpaw. Was that when he left? Dewpaw and Rosepaw were glancing at each other nervously and I dug my claws into the ground.

Shrewflight, Sweetstream, and now Tigerpaw! Starclan, please let him be safe! I begged the stars shining above, but there wasn't a response just a single star shot across the sky. I blinked and bowed my head.

" He's gone." I could hear a voice breath in my ear. " He's gone to what's left of Starclan's dark side."

I shook my head, stunned and tried listening for more, but the voice didn't say anything else. They were talking about Tigerpaw, I knew that much but what did it mean by Starclan's dark side. Then I gasped and dashed to my nest, I curled up and begged myself to fall asleep, I needed to. It was the only way to reach Tigerpaw.

I jerked my eyes opened to see Scourge standing over Tigerpaw with claws unsheathed and eyes blazing angrily.

" Tigerpaw!" I gasped. Tigerpaw did nothing but whimper, still looking up at the small black tom.

" Winterpaw, you have fallen in love. For this, your litter mate will die right before your eyes." Scourge dug his claws deeper into Tigerpaw's stomach and the dark brown tabby tom squeaked and dug his claws into the ground in pain.

" Let him go!" I pleaded. " Please! He has nothing to do with this! Just let him go." scourge narrowed his eyes and loosened his grip but still pinned Tigerpaw to the ground.

" Why?" Scourge growled. " He hates you, you mean nothing to him and he has treated you like a blind elder. You should kill him, he doesn't want you in his life, so why should he live?" Tigerpaw blinked and looked up at me with pleading eyes, not denying or agreeing.

I shook my head. " No, Scourge. I would never kill my brother. He means something to me and I wouldn't ever let him die. He is my litter mate not prey that is hunted for sport." Scourge grinned and tightened his claws on Tigerpaw's stomach.

" Oh, its defintly a sport." Scourge lifted his single white paw and lashed it across Tigerpaw's throat.

" No!!!" I wailed. I leaped for Tigerpaw and Scoruge did nothing but back away gazing happily at his work.

" Tigerpaw! We have to go home! Rosepaw, and Dewpaw are waiting! We are all we have left now." I begged him. Tigerpaw could do nothing but gasp and gag blood but his eyes told me everything.

I'm so sorry, Winterpaw. I can't be with the clans anymore. Starclan is where I will shine from now on. He was saying. I shook my head desperate.

" Tigerpaw! Please don't go!" Tigerpaw sighed and he disappeared into thin air. I dug my claws into the ground and glared at Scourge.

" What have you done?" I hissed. Scoruge smirked and flicked his tail.

" See what bloodshed gets you? I got what I wanted, I wanted you hurt. I got Sweetstream to die, didn't I?" I gasped and pierced my eyes into his heart.

" What did you do to her!" I hissed. Scourge sat down and licked the blood off of his single white paw.

" Nothing much, just took over her mind and kill Aspenwisp so that Troutstar could kill her." I bared my teeth and launched myself at Scourge but I jerked my eyes open and I was panting, and out of breath.

" Winterpaw?" Dewpaw poked her head into the den and her ears were pricked.

" Yes?" I asked my litter mate. I was still stunned my Tigerpaw's death and I knew I couldn't tell anyone, not a single cat about this.

" Darkstar sent a patrol across the territory and they couldn't find Tigerpaw. Just though you would want to know." I nodded my head gratfully but I already knew where he was, looking down at his worries clan mates who searched for him not knowing about his death.

I looked up at the den ceiling and sighed.

" Tigerpaw, watch over us. Tell Sweetstream and Shrewflight how much we miss then, and May our clan mates not grieve to much over the loses over our family." I wind whipped up in th den and I heard my awns er.

" Dont worry, Winterpaw. I'll watch over you. I have earned my warrior name, Tigergaze of Starclan. I will watch over you, Winterpaw, the whole of Starclan will."

I almost felt reassured, but then Scourge popped into my mind, slashing Tigerpaw's throat. I bared my teeth in anger and hatred for the tiny black tom.

" I hope you do." I hissed. " Because I want Starclan to see the death of Scourge."