Cloverpaw stood stiff as she watched the scene before her: her sister was pinned on the ground and Duskfeather laid dead in a pool of blood around her neck while 3 WindClan warriors surround them with their leader on top of Petalpaw. This can't be happening! StarClan please let this not be true!
Antstar raised his head at Cloudstorm. "So," he meowed coldly, "is that enough reason for you to let us talk to your leader? Or.." He looked down at Petalpaw. "Do you need more?" Antstar's claws gripped Petalpaw's chest tighter.
Cloudstorm's hackles rose higher. "Fine, fox-heart! But be reminded that you will be shredded in a heartbeat if you make any funny moves." Cloudstorm lashed his tail, and then headed toward the camp.
"Finally he sees reason." Cloverpaw heard Antstar mutter. "Freckleberry, Gorseleap, Hawkeye. Let's go."
The grey tabby she-cat, possibly Freckleberry looked at Duskfeather's body, then at Petalpaw. "While you're free to move," she sneered, "why don't you pick up that crowfood and take it to your camp." Laughing, Freckleberry kicked a pointed stick at Petalpaw, hitting her on her front right leg.
Cloverpaw growled, no one was to talk to her sister like that! She glared at Freckleberry as she kept padding toward the direction of camp. Coming back to her senses, Cloverpaw nudged Petalpaw gently by her cheek. "You okay?" She asked, her whiskers twitching in worry.
Petalpaw flicked the stick away from her leg. The blow from the object seemed to have pierced her, as blood trickled out on a scratch. "Yeah I'm fine," she murmured sarcastically, "I just got pinned down by WindClan's leader and a smug she-cat threw a sharp stick at me! Do you think I'm okay?" The icy words stabbed Cloverpaw's heart, and a chilling question remained in her mind. What was wrong with Petalpaw?
"S-Sorry..." She muttered, "I didn't mean to make you mad." Yet, Cloverpaw looked at the direction the cats went. A sudden realization came upon her. "...They left us alone in the forest, didn't they?" She thought aloud.
Petalpaw grunted as she got to her paws, then she smirked at Cloverpaw. "Well, now it's time to put some thought into our plan as we find our way back." She laughed, unsheathing her claws.
Cloverpaw winced at the thought. Maybe being alone with Petalpaw isn't a good idea...
"Uh, well, you see, I uh..." Think Cloverpaw! "I think we should have back up? I mean, you and me couldn't possibly take down a senior warrior, am I right?" Cloverpaw has nervously squeaked the last words out, her eyes darting from side to side hoping another cat wasn't out there watching them.
Petalpaw looked surprised for a heartbeat, as if she didn't expect her sister to doubt her own strength. But that moment was gone quickly as a malicious smirk fell upon her face. "You're right! Cloudstorm may be alone, but I would think he'd be loud enough to call attention." She paused, looking around. "I think I know the cat to help us." She winked at her sister slyly, and began to sprint in the direction the WindClan warriors had went.
"H-Hey!" Cloverpaw called, "Wait for me!" Cloverpaw sprinted after her sister, wind in her whiskers as she ran. It felt good, the breeze and her face and the scent of the forest, and something else... It's the scent of those warriors! She thought in glee, sprinting faster to catch up. She caught up after her sister, slowing up to a trot.
"Ha! Thought you could lose me, huh?" Cloverpaw smirked playfully. She playfully nudged her sister. Her sister stood stiff still, her eyes focused on a scene behold to her. Cloverpaw tilted her head, her eyes confused. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, before looking through the broken bushes in front of her, and her eyes widening in shock.
They had reached the camp, that was for sure. But what they had entered was not the usual bustle of ThunderClan life. It was a bloody scene. First stood Berrystar, scratches and cuts from her head to paws. Then stood Antstar with blood on his muzzle and paws. Then right in the middle, laid the white pelt of Cloudstorm.
Cloverpaw's eyes widened into moons. I may hate him, but he is still my father!
She realized the stiffness in Petalpaw had turned to normal, and a slight evil grin popped on her face. "Well," she whispered, "seems like someone did the job for us. He may not be a bad cat after all." Cloverpaw gazed at her sister, anger and sadness burning up in her. Petalpaw really has changed...
"No," she growled finally, "we cannot leave him to die! At least yet." She paused, shooting a sad glare at her sister. "You wanted revenge. Why let a cat do it for you when you can feel the satisfaction?"
Petalpaw opened her mouth to protest, but Cloverpaw was already shooting out of the brush, her paws gliding on the ground below her.
"STOP!" She yowled, leaping in front of Cloudstorm to block Antstar. "You will NOT kill him!" She slid out her claws, and slashed a paw across his muzzle. But the slash was weak, and only left a small cut across Antstar's snout.
Behind her, Cloudstorm shook awake. He groaned in pain, but then looked up in shock. "Cloverpaw! Get ba-"
It was too late. Antstar growled and batted her to the side with a heavy force and unsheathed claws. "That will teach you what for, kit."
Cloverpaw tried to get up, but the gash on her shoulder made it impossible. She shot a furious glare at Antstar. "My Clan is stronger than you think, Antstar." She growled, "Your Clan is nothing but a Clan full of maggots on a dead magpie."
Antstar's expression changed dramatically, from angry to absolutely furious. "You'll take that back, kit. Or I'll kill you right in front of your stupid father." He starting to pad forward, his yellow, bloodstained teeth bared and his claws stretched to their fullest. Cloverpaw's eyes widened. Had she gone too far this time?
Antstar finally approached her, then raised an unsheathed paw in the air in a death strike position. No! I can't die yet! What about Petalpaw? And Sandfire?
"You will stop right there, Antstar, and leave her alone!" A low voice came from the crowd. Antstar looked up, and glared at the cat that came out of the crowd.
It was Greywhisker.
