Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 19

Thornclaw crouched at the edge of Ashstar's den. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the entrance. His ear snapped back as he heard rustling in Ashstar's den. The golden tabby warrior got up and walked towards his leader. He saw the moss scattered everywhere and Ashstar was stretched out on the ground. 

"Ashstar?" Thornclaw prompted. "You ok?" 

Ashstar scrabbled to his paws. Half his body was in the shadows, and his dark blue eyes were dull with pain and fear.

"Ashstar, are you ok?" Thornclaw repeated.

Ashstar turned towards him. "Y-yes," Ashstar rasped.

"Are you sure?" Thornclaw asked. "Because your moss bed is scattered everywhere. You've ripped it to shreds," He sighed.

"What? Oh me? I'm fine and I'm sure!" Ashstar meowed. "But Thornclaw, why are your paws covered in blood?" 

Thornclaw looked down at his paws but strangely found no blood bleaching his paws. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind!" Ashstar hissed. "I guess I'm seeing things!"

Thornclaw padded closer to Ashstar. "Is this something dealing with Tigerstar or something?"

Ashstar perked up his head. "No! Well yes. He wants me to kill Russetstar, and this whole bloody-vision thing might stop. No. Will stop," Ashstar mumbled.

Thornclaw turned around and flicked his tail on the gray leader's nose.  "Maybe eating something might help you better. Or maybe patrolling or walking around a bit. Or maybe seeing you family might make you happy," He meowed. He walked out of the den. "I'm about to order some patrols together, do you want to join one?"

"No. Nothing will help stop this blood from going away.  Only killing Russetstar will," Thornclaw watched as Ashstar scrambled to his paws and walked out of the den.

Thornclaw sighed. He shouldn't trust Tigerstar. The evil cat is only getting into his head. 

Ashstar walked through ThunderClan territory. He walked until he had made it to the ShadowClan border. Ashstar pricked his ears toward the ShadowClan land, and felt as if some cat was watching him. He curled his tail neatly around his paws. 

"Ashstar?"

Ashstar jumped and felt his fur bristle as he heard some cat meow his name. He turned around and saw Jaywing.

"Jaywing! What are you doing here?" Ashstar demanded.

"I was about to ask you the same," Jaywing sighed. She padded closer to her father. "Why do you stare into ShadowClan territory like that?"

Ashstar sighed. He knew that he had to tell her. He turned to her, and looked into her blue eyes.

"Jaywing...." He mewed. "I've been training with Tigerstar. He won't leave my dreams, and the only way he will, is if I kill Russetstar, or at least take one of her lives," He meowed.

Jaywing stared at her father in shock. "That's terrible!" She mewed.

"I know. And sometimes I have dreams of blood," He flicked back his ear as he heard the rustling of leaves. "Stay behind me," He meowed to Jaywing.

A snarl erupted from the bushes and the ShadowClan leader stepped out. A smirk plastered her face and she clenched her teeth. She casually walked over the ShadowClan border and stepped onto ThunderClan land. 

Ashstar felt a growl rising in his throat as Russetstar pressed her muzzle into his face.

"Well Ashstar," Her nasty breath billowed in his face. Ashstar unsheathed his claws and pushed her away.

"You should go," He turned to Jaywing.

"I'll stay," His daughter told him firmly. 

"So I get to have fun with both of you!" Russetstar mewed. "How wonderful it would be for you blood to spatter the ShadowClan border. I'd be satisfied if you two died."

Ashstar crouched, his claws unsheathed. 

"Don't try attacking me, you'll only die," Russetstar growled. "Then I can use you blood after it's spilled."

"Oh we'll see whos blood is gonna get spilled!" Ashstar hissed. He sprang at her, his claws extended and his paws outstretched. But instead on clawing that stupid smirk off her face, Russetstar dodged to one side, and Ashstar hit the ground. He struggled to get to his paws. Then he felt sharp claws rake his hindquarters. He felt blood trickle down his leg. 

Ashstar snarled in annoyance. He quickly got to his paws and blindly lashed out at Russetstar. He felt his claws tear into her fur.

"Try and hit me, Ashstar!" Russetstar meowed. She ran around him, and Ashstar felt her claws rake down his sides and through his pelt. 

Ashstar heard Jaywing gasp. "Ashstar!"

He lashed his tail, then lashed out his paw with full force. His paw hit Russetstar, and the russet colored she-cat fell hard on the ground. Ashstar sprang on top of Russetstar; he pinned her down, a paw to her throat, and started slashing at her belly. Blood gushed over his paws and splattered his face, but he kept slashing, kept ignoring Russetstar's screams of pain.

Ashstar's limbs began to grow tired. He slashed at her one last time, then struck a blow to her throat before springing off of her. 

Russetstar lay on the ground, her breath coming in short gasps. Her blood spilled out onto the grass as she struggled to breathe. Her mouth trickled blood and she twitched her paws and legs. 

Ashstar walked over to her, put his paw on her throat, and thrust his muzzle into her face. "Do you give up?"

Russetstar gasped, ad coughed up more blood. "N-no. There's no way I'll surrender to you!" She rasped.

Ashstar sunk his claws into her throat, earning a weak moan. 

"P-please don't kill me!" Russetstar rasped.

"And if I let you live, are you sure you won't try to kill me again?" He hissed to her. 

Russetstar flattened her ears. "Do you think I won't try?"

Ashstar sunk his claws deeper into her throat until he could see blood flow from the wound.

A voice screamed at him in his head. It was Tigerstar's voice. Kill her! Kill her! Rip out her throat!

Ashstar let go of her, and watched as she struggled to her paws.

You fool! Kill her now! Tigerstar screamed at his mind.