Warriors: Hail In the Wind

Chapter 2

Palecry leaped toward the two fallen warriors. He placed his paw on Sparrowfire’s chest. Stormpaw didn’t need the warrior to check. Sparrowfire’s chest was not moving. He was dead. Doepaw laid facing away from her littermates. Palecry moved toward the apprentice and placed his paw against her chest. His ears perked up.

    “Stormpaw, get Cherryheart!” Palecry's yowled. “She’s still alive!”

    “Doepaw!” Hailpaw yowled, stumbling to her sister. “Doepaw, wake up! I’m sorry, I should have been with you to help, you have to wake up!” Her wounded shoulder collapsed under her step as she heard Doepaw. Hailpaw fell into her sister’s fur, pushing her face into the bloody pelt. Palecry rested his tail against Hailpaw’s back.

    “Hailpaw, we need to get her to camp,” Palecry whispered. “A warrior has to make sure others will be okay before they can worry. Doepaw needs you to help her. Stormpaw, what did I say? Get Cherryheart!” Stormpaw spun around, zooming back through the thicket. Which way was the clearing? What if Cherryheart had left? What if she was already going back to camp with the injured warriors and didn’t know Doepaw was hurt in time to help her? Worries ran alongside Stormpaw as he broke through the trees into the mossy clearing. Where was Cherryheart? Most of the warriors were gone. No Cherryheart.

Stormpaw took tumbling toward the camp, his pelt breathing hard. He looked through the thick dark leaves to the sky, more stars appearing with each step. Doepaw couldn't die. She’s not ready to join Starclan.

    What felt like a moment passed before Stormpaw pushed through the bramble entrance into camp. The other injured warriors gathered around the camp, less injured showing off their wounds covered in cobweb. Goldenblaze and Birdfur sat silently next to the medicine den, wounds carefully wrapped.

“Where’s Doepaw?” Stormpaw exclaimed, looking around. She wasn’t out in the clearing. Cherryheart’s head poked out of the medicine den.

“Stormpaw, your sister’s been brought in already!” Cherryheart called. Stormpaw tumbled across the clearing, running into the medicine den. Doepaw laid small and still in a nest near the back of the cave. She was so fragile, like a thin layer of frost on a dead leaf. Fireflies drifted in and out of the den, their little lights flickering around Doepaw’s wounds. Hailpaw sat next to her, her body shaking with sobs.

“Hailpaw, you need to move,” Cherryheart commanded, taking a goldenrod flower from the pile of herbs. She began to chew on the leaves, moving toward Doepaw.

“I-I can’t leave her,” Hailpaw sobbed. “She needs me.”

“Hailpaw, come on,” Stormpaw muttered, looking at his paws. He moved next to her, nudging her shoulder with his head. it was still untreated. Hailpaw shakily moved with Stormpaw through the den into the clearing.

“Hailpaw, Stormpaw!” A voice yowled. Mossheart’s silver pelt hurried out of the warrior’s den, pushing past Darkfire. He stopped in front of the two littermates, nuzzling their heads. “What happened?” Stormpaw pushed his head into his father’s fur, closing his eyes tight.

“Sparrowfire was killed by Bonepelt,” Stormpaw whispered. “Doepaw’s hurt. She’s… She’s not awake.”

“I should have been there,” Hailpaw sobbed, pushing into Mossheart’s chest. “I could have helped them. What if she doesn’t wake up?”

“Starclan won’t take Doepaw tonight,” Mossheart whispered. He wrapped his tail around his kits. “It’s not her time yet. They’ll guide Cherryheart’s paws, I promise.” Stormpaw could feel his father’s chest rise in a sharp intake of breath. “Hailpaw, your wounds still haven’t been treated.”