Do or Die (A Warrior Cats Fan Novel)

chapter 17

The Clan fell quiet, and then there was a scream of fear from a tiny kit. ScarletClan was notorious for being the most powerful and merciless, and these cats would not be spared any kindness.

Mothstar looked troubled, and Amethystpaw seemed like she was about to cry.

"Momma, we cant," she whispered, trembling. "Rubystar will kill her. I don't trust that cat. D-did you see her face at the initiation? There wasn't anything in her eyes... it was all just... gray."

"Since you are the princess, my darling, I will let you make this choice." Mothstar said, looking away. 

Confliction plagued Amethystpaw, and her eyes widened, then narrowed. She sauntered up to Sunscar, staring up into his eyes and with a dead-serious meow;

"You wont get her, not even over my dead body."

Sunscar's eyes narrowed, and he raised a paw, claws unsheathed.

"So be it, princess."

Before Amethystpaw had time to react, he raked his claws across her face and knocked her to the ground. Immediately he lunged for her throat. His teeth barely met the flesh before Mothstar let out an enraged shriek and flew at him, claws ripping into his pelt.

Hell hath no fury like a mother's love.

The large ginger tom let out a surprised grunt, planting his paws into Mothstar's belly and launching her into the air. The Matriarch let out a squeak and landed on the ground with a rough thump and a moan of pain. She'd whacked her head on a rock hard enough to bruise it, but not hard enough to crack her skull. In pain, she clutched her belly and curled into a fetal position.

Moonfur stood there, in shock, white Sunscar licked a paw. "Dusklight, go fetch Rubystar," the ScarletClan tom purred nonchalantly. "We have a small problem on our paws~"

Moonfur, instead of attacking, rushed over to his mate, sniffing her over.

"Oh StarClan," she sobbed. Moonfur was absolutely furious. 

"PearlClan," he said shakily. He wasn't sad, he was angry.

"Attack."

~

Almost immediately, half of the cats flew at Sunscar, who smiled in satisfaction. His plan had worked. Now they would have a cover story.

Almost immediately the tom was killed, and most of the patrol had fled, except for Vulturescreech, who was pinned by two cats.

"Please," he pleaded. "I have three kits. Let me go, please. They cant grow up without a father, they'll be killed. P-please..."

The two cats who had him pinned looked sympathetic and released him, only for each of them to get scratched across the face by Vulturescreech, who fled back to ScarletClan.

As the rest of the cats fled, Moonfur barked out a command.

"Dim the crystals, fortify the camp. ScarletClan is coming and we have to be prepared. Take the kits to WisteriaClan as well as the elders and expecting queens. Hide the princess and the Matriarch in the secret herb store."

Aloetail immediately sniffed at both Amethystpaw and Mothstar, despair in her eyes, and she led them towards the medicine cat den. Before she passed, she shook her head at Moonfur and tears welled in his eyes.

Saturnpaw had emerged from the hidden herb store, and Aloetail glared at her, nudging Amethystpaw and Mothstar into the den. She pulled Saturnpaw by the wall and proceeded to chew her out.

"Why the hell did you think it was a good idea to lead them here!? Don't even answer that fucking question. Mothstar is pregnant, well, she WAS pregnant, but thanks to your stupid fucking clanmate, her kits are dead. They're dead. Do you know how awful it must feel, to be carrying dead kits? You aren't wanted here, Saturnpaw. Go somewhere else, you're just plaguing this clan with your bad luck."

Tears welled in Saturnpaw's eyes, and just as she was about to speak, Aloetail interrupted.

"Get out. Get out now, before I make you leave."

Saturnpaw pulled away and fled, charging blindly out of the cave and, of course, crashing into many stalagmites along the way.

"Saturnpaw, wait!" she heard a voice call, but ignored it. She needed to lead her clan somewhere else, away from PearlClan's camp.

-Third Person POV, Orchidpaw, ScarletClan-  

Orchidpaw was sitting down, staring hungrily at the fresh-kill pile with his single working eye. The wound had permanently disabled him, leaving a ghostly white eye that matched Sunscar's and a huge tear that ripped right through it. Honestly, it was a horrifying wound. 

As well as the scar, he was also not allowed to eat until he was told, giving Rubystar the opportunity to starve him, and she took that opportunity.

"Don't be sneaking any snacks, Orchidpaw," an icy voice whispered, causing his fur to raise. 

"Shut up, Smokepaw," Orchidpaw snapped, rolling his eye. "I don't need your input, I'm smart enough on my own."

"You didn't seem smart when your eye was practically ripped out."

"It wasn't ripped out!" he protested. "It was b-blinded."

The calico tom rolled his green eyes. "Same thing. Today's my warrior ceremony. Yours was delayed. By a year, I heard."

Orchidpaw hissed. "I don't give a shit. Just leave me alone."

"Watch your tongue. We don't want Rubystar to rip THAT out as well, although that might finally shut you up for once."

Orchidpaw dug his claws into the ground and was about to storm into the apprentice's den when the assassination patrol burst into the camp, all of them covered in cuts. "Saturnpaw was found in PearlClan. Sunscar was killed when he tried to... negotiate a peace and get Saturnpaw back." Venomcoat explained. 

Vulturescreech stepped forwards. "They're soft-hearted. Too soft-hearted, they let me go as soon as I said 'please' and I was able to practically rip their noses off."

Rubystar emerged from the den. She still hadn't groomed the blood off of her claws and pelt.

"Good. All cats fit to battle will follow me to PearlClan. We won't be taking one life, no. We'll be taking many."

-Third Person POV, Saturnpaw, ???-

Saturnpaw sprinted in the direction of ScarletClan's forests. Maybe she could cross paths with the warriors and lead them away from PearlClan. Yet, if they even caught sight of her, the faster warriors would be able to catch up and rip her apart, then ScarletClan would be stuck with Rubystar as a leader.

Then again, PearlClan was an entire Clan. They could fend for themselves. With that mindset, she pressed harder until she was at an extremely painful sprint. The forest was in sight.

Suddenly, Saturnpaw heard something pursuing her, matching her speed. Desperately, she tried to increase her pace, only tripping herself and rolling face-first, straight into the paws of her assailant. 

She was going to die.