The Deputies ⋙ { warrior cats fan-fic }

» nine

Duskowl tried to focus his attention on the strange mixture of scents that wrapped around his body, flooding into his nostrils. The bitterness of treebark was intermingled with the less noticable scent of his own Clan, and then an even fainter scent of IceClan.

And underneath it all, he could smell something else.

Hunger.

The observation made him uneasy, and he felt himself stumble, one enormous forepaw catching on a small brown root. Its grainy surface scuffed his skin and he growled frustratedly, pulling his body upright again and breaking back into a run.

As he charged on, his patrol following just behind, Duskowl tried to pinpoint where the scent was coming from. But it seemed to swirl from all corners of the forest, making it near impossible to work out its source. He scanned the treeline, watching the other patrols ahead of him. Ravensplash's group had disappeared long ago, fading into the distant bramble. He wondered if she had yet to cross the border, or if already she was invading enemy territory.

Not many minutes later, the patrols broke out of the dense forest and onto the mostly flat, grassy expanse that led to IceClan territory. Up ahead, Duskowl could see the swift running waters of the mountain stream that served as a borderline. His tabby-striped legs autonomously quickened their pace and he turned his large head to yowl to the patrol, "We're almost there!"

          And then they were at the edge of the stream. Duskowl stepped into its frigid waters, feeling tiny waves lap at his chest fur. He shivered and strode through the thick, icy substance, doing his best to avoid several sharp stones that jutted from the spongy riverbed.

          Once he'd forded the river, he leapt onto the opposite bank and shook out his long fur, spraying droplets of clear water everywhere. A cold wind rippled across the grass and blew through his soaked fur. Chilled, he sat to clean his pelt as he watched the others finish crossing. The peaceful moment didn't last, however, as a small IceClan apprentice slipped as he was wading across. Duskowl narrowed his eyes, acting quickly to bend his neck and snatch the apprentice up before his scrawny body was swept away by the unforgiving waters.

          He set the apprentice down on the bank and turned away from the stream. Just ahead was the pine forest, and off to the left rose a string of mountains so tall that their peaks were dipped in cloud fluff.

          Hawkstar was sitting with his patrol several foxlengths ahead. The orange tabby raised his broad head, "From here on out, we must go with caution," every cat turned to listen, watching the leader intently, "This land is strange to us, and StreamClan may have patrols roaming the area. Keep your eyes and ears open."

          The leader's last few words sat with Duskowl as he rose to follow the other patrols. They went carefully, walking slowly and observing how the pinetrees cast ragged, skeletal shadows on the ground. The land sloped upward on a steady incline, and the air became frostier with every step. Soon, Duskowl began to notice small patches of snow in the grass, and a dusty layer of white sitting in the highest branches of the trees. Then suddenly he could see his breath in front of him, dancing in the chilly air like a misty cloud. The hoots of owls echoed ominously from above, almost as if they were warning the cats to turn back.

          Part of Duskowl wanted to listen, but there was another part of him that was struck with intense curiousity. Something about this strange new place captivated him. The way there was always a wind ruffling his ear fur, and the way his feet left footprints in the snow that grew deeper and more frequent as they trekked on.

          Behind him, he heard Embermist mutter, "Snow in greenleaf? That's ridiculous."

As if on cue, tiny snowflakes began falling from the overcast sky. They travelled slowly, meandering about in the air before finally settling on a leaf, a branch, or the slicked back, snow encrusted grass. Duskowl watched as one fell gently onto his nose, sat there for a moment, then melted away into a single droplet of water.

He felt sleepy.

His eyelids drooped.

Then a painful sting swam across his flank. He was on the ground, his head pounded into the dirt. He thrashed back and forth to free himself, to no avail. Cries of surprise and of agony split the air and suddenly there were streaks of blood in the snow. Duskowl screamed for the first time in his life as claws were dragged across his back, up his neck and to his head. Warm drops of crimsion fled down his forehead and dripped down his eyes, blinding him. The sticky substance formed in pools on his face and a metallic smell stung his nose. And then he felt as if he were dying.

All his strength seemed to leave his body in that moment. Suddenly Duskowl understood what it felt like to feel nothing. A bitter darkness moved like a wave through his body. From the tip of his tail and up his back until it had engulfed his entire being.

He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. His lungs screamed for air and his eyes began to meld shut from the blood.

Shrieks of pain and distress filled the emptiness. Masked almost entirely by the horrible smell of blood was another scent. The scent of cats from salty, foaming water and jagged red rocks. The scent of SplashClan.

How did they know we were coming?

The pattering of fleeing paws swirled all around him, and the vibrations they sent running through the ground found his side and shot up into his body. Fear clutched his gut like ivy suffocating a tiny sapling.

The deputy breathed hoarsely, remembering the others.

Ravensplash? Can you hear me?

His body shuddered against the sheet of ice that lay beneath him.

It's a trap.

// a.n.
a chapter from duskowl's pov! let me know what you thought about it.  :D what do you guys think is going on? i realize all that was pretty confusing. just wait. we're only getting started. anyway, i really hope you enjoyed! i wanted to make this chapter suspenseful and dramatic, and almost make it seem like they were descending into hell or something. that's why there was all that description, so sorry if that isn't your kind of thing. but nonetheless, leave a vote and a comment! and share this with all your buds! :))