Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 39

Ashstar sighed. Searching for Alderheart was taking forever. He sat down, feeling hungry again.

He started to think. What if Alderheart was dead? Or what if he wondered off far away?

Ashstar was close to WindClan territory. He decided to walk towards the moor. He felt like spying. He looked around and scanned the moor. Nothing. He ran across the moor, feeling the wind tug at his fur. Life seemed a bit easy, even if he wasn't living in his camp.

Ashstar ran faster, the wind bringing the scent of rain. Ashstar didn't think much of it. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a screech. His pelt prickled with anxiety. Crouching, he began to sneak across the moor, heading to where he thought WindClan's camp would be. He smelled heather and crept closer. He then found the camp, hearing voices, but also smelling blood.

Ashstar ran to a clump of heather and hid. He peered through the heather.

Onestar was battling with a ShadowClan cat. A black cat then leaped from the nursery, carrying the scruff of a dead cat. 

Ashstar gasped. It was Crow! Ashstar sunk his claws deep into the earth. He felt the urge to jump from the heather and leap on Crow. 

Onestar was laying in a pool of blood, a gash on his leg bled heavily. 

Ashstar felt like he had to do something. But Onestar is dead...

Onestar then scrambled to his paws. He flattened his ears, but didn't see Crow coming at him.

Crow leaped on him, knocking the WindClan leader over. His jaws then sank into Onestar's throat.  

Ashstar leaped forward, landing on Crow's back. He sunk his claws into his shoulders and pulled him back. Ashstar landed on the ground, Crow rolling back.

"You again!" Crow growled. He leaped forward, claws extended.

Ashstar whipped to the side and quickly lashed out, his claws sinking into Crow's throat. He shoved him to the side. 

Crow rolled on the ground, staining it red.

Ashstar crawled to Onestar's side.

Onestar coughed and scrabbled to his paws. "Thank StarClan you're here!" He meowed.

Ashstar looked at him, then leaped at Crow again. His claws sunk into Crow's throat. Blood oozed from the gash.

Crow flailed helplessly in his grasp. Then, he stretched his neck, tearing the wound farther. He opened his jaws to bite Ashstar's paw. Ashstar yowled but refused to let go. He then slashed again, the wound deep.

Crow yowled with pain, then gasped. His thrashing slowed, then he lay still.

Ashstar backed away, his paws covered in blood. He watched as blood spilled from the neck wound, then it pooled around Crow.

He turned back to Onestar, who was on the ground again. Was he dead?

Ashstar looked around hopelessly. Maybe Crow was dead, but this battle wasn't over yet.

Then, a yowl rang across the clearing. Russetstar stood on a tall rock. "Rogues! ShadowClan!" She called.

ShadowClan warriors shoved their enemies to the ground and then raced to the clearing.

They all stared at Crow. Then, Crow jerked awake.

Ashstar gasped. It was like he'd never been dead.

Crow scrabbled to his paws. The wound on his throat wasn't even there anymore. He blinked open his amber and glared at Ashstar. He then turned to Russetstar. "We shall be leaving," He meowed.

"Yes, Crowstar," Russetstar dipped her head to him.

Ashstar gasped. Crowstar? How could he have nine lives? How could StarClan make him a leader? He felt angry and sunk his claws to the ground. 

As they left, Kestrelflight scrabbled from his den. "Onestar!" He cried out. He stopped beside the WindClan leader, herbs stuffed in his mouth.

Ashstar scrabbled forward.

"Alderheart!" 

A dark ginger shape moved from the medicine den.

"Alderheart?" Ashstar gasped. Why would Alderheart be here?

Alderheart looked at Ashstar, his amber eyes flashing with joy.

"Ashstar!" He cried. "I thought I'd never find you!" He mewed.

"There's no time to talk! We need to heal!" Kestrelflight yowled. 

Alderheart raced around, trying to find any survivors.

Ashstar felt useless here. His own wounds burned.

He then heard paw steps behind him. "Ashstar?" A voice called out.

Ashstar turned around, racing to the voice.

Stoneheart appeared through the heather. "Ashstar! You're all scratched up!" He meowed. "Care to explain? Like where have you been?" 

Ashstar shook out his pelt. "The rogues were attacking WindClan!" Ashstar mewed. "I was able to kill Crow," He meowed.

"That's good!" Stoneheart meowed.

"Maybe it is, but he's Crowstar now! He came back alive when I killed him! He's a leader with nine lives now!" Ashstar growled.

Stoneheart flinched. "What?" He gasped. "He can't!"

"Well now he can," Ashstar grumbled. "Alderheart has been hiding in WindClan's camp this whole time," He growled.

"We need him right now then!" Stoneheart meowed. "Ivypool started kitting!" He mewed.

"That's why you came here?" Ashstar asked. He turned and ran to get Alderheart. "Alderheart! You may have to stop and come here! Ivypool is kitting!" He yowled.

Alderheart looked up.

Kestrelflight blinked at him. "Onestar is dead," He murmured.

Alderheart looked at him, his eyes clouding with sympathy. 

Kestrelflight dipped his head. "Just go and help Ivypool," He meowed. "I can take care of this myself," He meowed.

Alderheart raced to Ashstar. "Where is Ivypool?" He asked.

Ashstar turned around and padded up the small slope. "Follow me."