Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 57

Stoneheart's eyes flitted open and widened. His jaws parted to scream, but his yowl was muffled by foam forming around his lips. His body jerked wildly and his paws were flailing in the air. 

"Stoneheart! No!" Alderheart scrreamed. He did something stupid. He picked up the rest of the catmint and shoved it into Stoneheart's mouth. "Eat it! Hurry!" He screeched.

Squirrelflight got to her paws and stared at Alderheart and Stoneheart. Graystripe got to his paws, mumbling," What's going on?" 

Alderheart grabbed wet moss from the corner of the den, and held it up above Stoneheart's jaws. He squeezed the water into the gray tom's mouth. Stoneheart still flailed and jerked wildly. 

"Stoneheart! Stay with us!" Alderheart yowled. 

Paw steps sounded outside the den. Ashstar and Littlecloud popped up in the den. 

"Alderheart! Is Stoneheart ok-" Ashstar was cut off as he looked at Stoneheart's flailing body. 

Stoneheart wheezed. "I can't.... breathe!" He gasped.  His eyes started to dull. 

Ashstar raced to his son's side. "Stoneheart! Don't die!" He yowled. 

His yowl echoed in the camp and more cats rushed outside of the den. 

Ashstar watched as his son took one last breath, then he lay still, foam still bubbling in his mouth. His eyes were dull as they stared into nothingness. 

Ashstar gasped in horror. He buried his face in his son's pelt. After what seemed like forever, he lifted his face to glare at Alderheart. "It's all your fault!" He hissed, his pelt bristling. 

Alderheart felt guilty. Yes, he thought, it really  is my fault...

Ashstar pushed Alderheart back in rage and then unsheathed his claws. 

"Hey, Ashstar, stop!" Alderheart meowed. 

"I'm not stopping until you're dead!" Ashstar yowled. He lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Alderheart's muzzle. He sunk his sharp claws into Alderheart's shoulders, pinning him against the brambles. Thorns dug into Alderheart's back. 

"Ashstar!" Littlecloud gasped. "You can't kill a medicine cat!" He yowled. 

"It's against the warrior code!" Graystripe yowled. 

Still, Ashstar did not stop. He only tightened his jaws around Alderheart's muzzle. 

Paw steps pounded outside the den and Jaywing rushed inside, her paws skidding on the wet ground. "Ashstar! Stop!" She yowled. 

Ashstar finally let go of Alderheart's muzzle. He pushed him to the ground and pinned him down, holding his paw to his throat. Alderheart's heart beat faster. Ashstar turned to glare at his daughter. "Why should I?" He asked. 

"Don't kill Alderheart," Jaywing meowed. "Do you think Stoneheart would of wanted that? He wouldn't approve of what you've done," She meowed, her eyes dull. 

Ashstar sheathed his claws and his pelt began to lay still. He then put his head down. "You're right," He sighed.  He then turned to glare at Alderheart. "But you better not let any other cats die," He whispered to him in a dark voice like ice. 

Alderheart gulped and nodded. 

Ashstar backed off of him and turned around to sadly stare at Stoneheart's dead body. He buried his muzzle in Stoneheart's gray pelt. Jaywing sat down beside him, her tail twitching occasionally. 

Ivypool rushed in the den, her eyes wide with panic. "Stoneheart!" She gasped. 

Alderheart didn't want to be here anymore. He got to his paws and trudged from the den, his paws and tail dragging in the soft dirt. I'll go to the medicine den and make myself useful, he thought. Pushing past cats, he made his way into the clearing, seeing Cinderheart rush over from the nursery. She pushed past Alderheart and ran into the elders' den. Firepaw and Fluffypaw rushed over to the elders' den as well, their eyes widened.