Warriors: Crushed *Watty Awards!*

Chapter One

Chapter One By: AshlynMinks

"I need Braveleap to lead a hunting patrol with Icyberry, Thorntail, and Stoneskip on it." Shadowstripe said. He was standing atop a boulder next to the Highstone. "That's all the patrols for today..." he looked down at the remaining few cats.

  A bought of coughing echoed through the camp, and Shadowstripe dared to look over at the medicine den. Featherstar was laying in there helplessly, with Leaffur and Quailpaw tending to her. 

"Actually." Shadowstripe looked down at the remaining cats. "I need Ferndapple and Arrowshoot to go look for catmint and I need Littlepine and Amberfur to look for juniper berries... Featherstar is getting worse." Ferndapple looked up at Shadowstripe affectionatly and she led Arrowshoot, Littlepine, and Amberfur out of the clearing. 

  As soon as they had left, the dawn patrol came rushing in. 

"Shadowstripe." the patrol leader, Fangbare, panted. 

"Yes?" 

"We scented a few ShadowClan cats on the border. Should we worry?"

"Was it stale?"

"No. Fresh." 

"Don't worry... just... I'll tell the patrols to keep a lookout for them."

Fangbare nodded and padded away with three other cats following him, one of which was glaring at Shadowstripe. Shadowstripe shook his head and padded to the medicine den. Featherstar was lying in a moss nest with Leaffur stroking her tail over Featherstar's flank. 

"Featherstar?" Shadowstripe whispered. Featherstar opened her ice blue eyes. They were milky with sickness, and she let out a weak cough.

"Shadowstripe..." she smiled. Shadowstripe wriggled forward and began grooming her unkempt silver fur. 

"I won't let you die..." Shadowstripe whispered. Featherstar smiled.

"It’s not my time, not yet. But this is a battle that my claws cannot fight."

"I understand." Shadowstripe agreed. "Do you need anything? Anything at all?"

"My throat is a bit dry..." Featherstar commented. Shadowstripe nodded and burst out of the medicine den. Running out of camp he figured he should get the freshest water he could find. Spotting Clear Waters, a small pond with clear water, he snatched up a piece of moss from the crook of a tree. Dipping the moss in the pond, cold water touched his muzzle. 

  A shocking icy touch chilled him, and a quick vision snapped into him.

A dead cat. Blood. Shouts and yowls. Then he saw himself padding away from camp with stars shining down on his dark fur.

  He snapped back to the real world. He heard the stomping of paws, and pulled away from the water with wet moss.

Patrol.

He thought, looking at his paws he saw that he had stuck his paws in the water without realizing it. His front paws wet, he ran back to camp, but to stop at the stench of blood. Sniffing around the found a body. 

Alderleaf! 

  Before he could cry out his shock, a cat rounded the corner. It was Fangbare! His whole body was drenched wet. 

"How could you?!" he said, shock filling his voice. 

"Wha- No! I didn't do it! It wasn't me!" But before Shadowstripe could explain, Fangbare raised his muzzle and yowled for help. Quickly, four cats appeared. 

"Fangbare why are you--!!!! Alderleaf!" a dark gray tom leapt over to the dark she cat. "Who did this..." he whispered. Fire in his eyes, he looked up at Fangbare. 

"We should bring her back to camp before any accusations..." piped up a small ginger apprentice. ”StarClan would want her to be in camp... instead of here... it's too damp and it doesn't feel right..."

"Flamepaw is right." said a golden she cat. "Alderleaf deserves more respect." The gray tom with a white patch on his eye leaned down and rested Alderleaf's paw on the back of his neck, letting the other three cats doing the same, Flamepaw under Alderleaf's belly. 

"Alderleaf..." Featherstar whispered, slicking the dark she cat's cold fur down. "I don't want any quarrels. Somebody, just admit. If you did it please step forward and punishment will be little." she croaked. After a few heartbeats of silence, Featherstar continued. "Okay, so nobody did it? Please, raise you paw if you think you know who did it."

 Two cats raised their paws. 

"Who do you think did it, Clawsting?"

"Shadowstripe."

Featherstar looked at him skeptically, but kept her mouth shut.

"Ripplefang?"

"I think Shadowstripe did it."

Shadowstripe opened his mouth in objection, but he clamped his jaws shut with a warning flick of Featherstar's tail. She briefly coughed then looked up. Fangbare raised his paw.

"Ah, Fangbare. You are one of my more trusted warriors. Who did it?"

"Shadowstripe. I saw him do it!"