Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 27

"Thornclaw!" Brightheart and Alderpaw cried.

Ashstar's mind went black. His best friend, his own deputy, was now dead, his fur cold, and his body stiff and limp with the scent of death. The last thing he ever wanted to see was Thornclaw dead. He thought the golden tabby would live to be the best leader in the forest. A proud leader. But that didn't happen. And I knew it wouldn't happen.

Cats gathered around outside the medicine den, gasping in shock as they knew the terrible news.

Ashstar pushed his nose in Jaywing's fur. "You have to let Jaywing live! I can't lose her to this stupid sickness!" He cried. "Not like Thornclaw did!" He meowed. His eyes were dull with pain and fear. "It's all Wolfpaw's fault! He's the one who took the catmint! If he wasn't alive, Thornclaw wouldn't be dead right now!" Ashstar cried out. His head tilted back, and he let out a cry of pain and anger. That apprentice is going to be dead when I see him. I can kill my own son.

Angry yowls rose from the cats. 

"Kill Wolfpaw!" 

"Kill the rogues!"

"Let's all go and attack the rogues!"

"Yeah! We'll show them not to mess with us!"

"Silence!" Ashstar yowled. He thrust his muzzle to the sky. StarClan are punishing me, I'm pretty sure.  

Brightheart and Alderpaw thrust through the angry crowd of cats. "We're just going to go on ahead to the Moon Pool," Brightheart meowed. She bounded towards the entrance and walked out of camp.

Ashstar woke up to the sound of paw steps. Moon light shone dimly through his den. He got to his paws. He walked out of his den and peered over the ledge. In the dim light, he could make out the shadows of cats as the crept towards his den. Could It be Alderheart and Brightheart? No. They were in their dens either treating the sick or sleeping.

He heard quiet voices. 

"Shhhh! Don't make to much noise, or he'll hear us!" A voice meowed.

"Are you sure this is Ashstar's den?" A  voice asked. The voice sounded so familiar. It almost sounded like Crow's voice. 

"Yep. This is Ashstar's den. Right up here. All we have to do is kill him. And then every cat will wake up confused and scared. Then they'll respect us as their new leader!" A voice sounded just like Wolfpaw.

"Hey!" Ashstar yelled. "Looks like you won't get that chance!" He leaped down. "ThunderClan!" He yowled.

Cats emerged sleepily from their dens, then they realized what was happening. Whitewing growled and stalked towards the cats. Ivypool hissed at the rogues.

"You may have won just now. But we'll be back. And we will kill all of you," Crow meowed. He lashed his tail.

"I'd like to see you try," Ashstar snorted.

The rogues padded out of camp.

Two moons had passed and no cat had heard anything about the rogues. Mothpaw and Sootpaw were apprentices, with Hazeltail being Mothpaw's mentor, and with Whitewing being Sootpaw's mentor. Sootpaw was progressing, though Mothpaw didn't seem so excited.

Rogue scent appeared on their territory in the passing moons, which meant that invasion was coming soon. Jaywing was doing better. She was cured of the sickness. However, Birchfall seemed only more worse. And Squirrelflight is starting to get better. 

Thornclaw's death still depressed Ashstar, making him want to yowl in fear like a lost kit. He had picked his son,  Stoneheart to be his deputy. Of course Jaywing didn't mind. She seemed to be happy and proud that her brother had made it to the deputy spot. The only bad thing was that leaf-bare was getting worse. It got colder each day. Prey was disappearing. Every cat was going hungry. Even Ashstar. But he was risking his life to save his own Clanmates. 

A patrol all of a sudden raced through the entrance. They were covered in scratches. Berrynose stopped at a halt. "Ashstar!" He gasped. "The rogues! They are attacking ShadowClan!" He meowed. 

Graystripe appeared beside him, Rowanpaw at his side. Since Thornclaw died, Rowanpaw was now Graystripe's apprentice. 

"We tried to help ShadowClan, but we were outnumbered!" Graystripe called.

Ashstar flicked his tail. "Whitewing, Toadpaw, Rosepaw, Tawnypelt, and Blossomfall! Go with them to ShadowClan's camp!" He meowed.

They all raced off. 

Ashstar hurried to the warriors den. "I'm afraid that the rogues might come over here and attack us!" He hissed. "Millie and Sorreltail, guard the entrance!" He called to the two she-cats. "Briarlight, Hazeltail, and Bramblepaw, patrol along the ShadowClan border," He called to the three cats. "The rest of you, get prepared for an attack from the rogues!" He meowed. Apprentices were mostly in camp. 

"Got it, Ashstar!" Mosspaw meowed. She lifted her head and tail proudly. Although she used to be a kittypet, she was strong and brave.

Maybe if she fights great in this battle, I can reward her, Ashstar thought. He raced to his den.

"Ashstar!" A patrol burst through the entrance of the camp. 

Ashstar smelled the strong scent of blood. He leaped from the high-ledge and met up with the fighting patrol. 

"What happened?" He asked. 

"The...the.. rogues... they won and took ShadowClan's camp!" Graystripe was first to reply. 

"What? How?" Ashstar gasped, shocked. 

"Russetstar let them. She said that with rogues against her side, she'd be powerful. That's when they just turned us away. We saw Wolfpaw there. Wolfpaw and Honey killed all of ShadowClan's elders, saying that there was no room for weakness," Berrynose meowed. 

"That's terrible," Ashstar meowed. His ears flicked. No cat was badly injured. Of course Russetstar would want to be powerful. She wants to kill me. Me and all of ThunderClan.

"I know this is a big risk but..." Ashstar began. "Tomorrow I will send a patrol to ShadowClan's camp. Sneak behind their camp without being seen, and spy on them. I  must know what the rogues plan," Ashstar meowed. 

"Ok," Berrynose breathed. 

Ashstar heard him whisper, "I think this is the end of the Clans." Although he heard what Berrynose said, he decided not to say anything about it.

"I hope the rogues don't come here next," Ashstar mumbled. 

Jaywing crossed the clearing. "Ashstar," She meowed.

"What?" He looked down at his daughter. 

"Mothpaw," Jaywing mumbled. "She's failed her first hunting session. And she can't get the hang of fighting," She meowed.

Ashstar looked at her. "Don't worry. She'll do better!" He meowed. 

"But maybe her paws are set on a different path," Jaywing meowed. She blinked. "Maybe she's supposed to be a medicine cat," She meowed.

"We can't know that until we really are sure about it," Ashstar told his daughter. He looked up and saw his son, Bunnypaw, and his daughter, Softpaw, sitting near the fresh-kill pile. "Would you like to go eat?" He asked. "I'm pretty hungry myself."

"I guess I'll go eat," Jaywing meowed. 

As they walked off, Ashstar felt right about Mothpaw. Maybe her paws are set on a different path, he thought as he watched Mothpaw tumble over her own paws during a hunters crouch practice a of corner of the camp.