The Chronicles of Koipaw

iv

Rise of the Fall
word limit - unlimited
points earned - 8

Sickness was in the air. A sweet, suffocating, stench filled the musky air with is poisonous reek. The large redwood trees were shrouded in the morning's misty veils; their roots weaving in and out of the damp soil. The lazy sun threw is drenching waves onto the forest, making the fog dappled and bright. Remnants of charred grass and burned spruce sacking littered the ground with its waste. Circling the air was dozens of small, winged bugs, making their business hidden in the covers of the smog.

Heavy panting sliced through the silence. A large red, marbled tabby with lemon-yellow eyes limped through the piles of leaves, weeping with pain. Her frail body was slanted against a small, striped tom-cat. Both of them had numerous abrasions on their body, yet the tabby seemed more hurt. The syrupy smell of infection surrounded the pair, completely masking the metallic blood trail behind them. The lined tom-cat's shoulders slumped and his legs wobbled, then gave out. With a soft thud, the two cats tumbled into the spongy mud.

Winded, the red she-cat gasped in agony. Her collapse revealed two tender punctures in her flank, both oozing yellow pus. Tiny inflamed pockets on her skin surrounded the marks, they cherry blood bet heath them held a wildcat's greatest fear: infection. "Beepaw," she wheezed in agony "we need to get to the camp. How f-far away are we?" Her breathy voice was laced with desperation as she saw her companion fall to the ground with her. "I-I don't know. We a-are probably a d-days walk in o-our condition." A small moan flared from the marbled she-cat. She had failed, she couldn't find the clan.

The pair sank into silence, the emotion of sorrow filled their hearts. Failure and grief sliced into them like a badger's claw. The molly slowly lowered her head into the dirt and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, son. Puddlestalk should have known that we weren't capable of passing the dangers." She sighed, her face contorting a look of pain. "Thanks for trying. You should have gotten your warrior name. I'm regretful that never happened." There was no noise, even the little annoying bugs had stopped making their quiet hum. Then, there was a small sob, then another. Everyone had different means of expressing misery, yet none of them ever affected the tabby, until now. A heartfelt emotion crept up her parched throat, urging her to do the same response in the desperate situation.

Was this situation so hopeless? A days walk in their condition, that's was the apprentice said. She let out a gasp and opened her eyes. This couldn't be the end, and she had to do something. She twitched her nose and inhaled the musky forest scents, along with others. Opening her dry mouth, the she-cat summoned every bit of energy she had left and yowled. The feline's voice rang throughout the trees, signaling their location. It was only a few minutes later when a group of five cats came into sight. Her plan had worked. "B-Beepaw?!" Exclaimed a young calico. Her cerulean eyes lit up with hope. "Koipaw!" whispered the striped apprentice. The resemblance was faint, yet clear. They were siblings, evident by their identical broad shoulders and medium length fur, as well as their unusually large paws. A slight smirk lit up the red she-cat's face. She had succeeded. Knowing all was well, she let the tendrils of darkness pull her into the void.

~

The cool night's air sent a gentle zephyr, making the trees sway in a dance. Stale rain from last night's storm still clung its residue to the earthy ground. The half moon's rats could not penetrate the camp's leafy roof, the redwood trees successfully keeping the dens good from the night light. "Koipaw!" Shouted Scrubstar. His commanding tone sent shivers down the calico's spine, making her fur stand up. It had been only a few short sunrises since the return of her brother, and the newcomer. In-between feverish nightmares and restless nights, the pair had relayed their story to her and a few of the higher ranked cats. Beepaw, her only littermate, was driven into the river by the fire, and the she-cat had rescued him from drowning. After resting for nearly two moons, the tabby had nursed him back to health and they both headed to the Clan in an attempt to join. On the way, the pair encountered a sinkhole and fell down, severally injuring themselves. They managed to get out by climbing on a fallen tree but were found on the borders, too injured to move. If it wasn't for the red she-cat's loud voice, Koipaw would have been alone.