Warriors: Fading Cries

Chapter 11

Mistshine felt pain jolt through her hind leg and she raised her head, blinking away the fuzziness in her eyes Stormbreeze, Quailflight and Pepperleaf sat a few tail lengths away watching, they sprang to her paws as Blueshadow stirred "you're ok!" Qualflight breathed, her voice full of relief and she licked her ears and Mistshine blinked
"What happened?" Stormbreeze sat beside her nest
"Rainsplash attacked you, you got your leg caught in a root and it broke..." she shuddered
"What happened to Rainsplash?" She mewed and Stormbreeze exchanged glances with Pepperleaf and meowed.
"Well Juniperstar was furious, she gave him a new name Rainpaw and reassigned Finchpaw to Quailflight for a moon, Rainpaw's new mentor is Blueshadow" Pepperleaf, looked faintly embarrassed.
"I felt sorry for him" she meowed and Mistshine purred leaning around to groom her fur, her leg was plastered with poultice and was kept in place by a stick Quailflight was looking at it too.
"I'm glad it's not me" she whispered and Mistshine blinked.
"I hope I can still protect NightClan against Soarstar and Blizzardpaw" she whispered fearfully and Quailflight pressed her muzzle to Mistshine's.
"We will help you!" She vowed "if ever anything you need anything then tell us, we swear we won't breathe a word"
"Thank you" Mistshine breathed and Mintbreeze padded over.
"You had better go and leave Mistshine to sleep, only sleep will heal that broken leg" the warriors turned and Pepperleaf nuzzled Mistshine's ears.
"Get well soon, we'll see you tomorrow"

Mistshine gritted her teeth, her leg ached terribly but she wouldn't stop strengthening her leg, Nightstar had visited her recently to tell her to hurry up because Blizzardfang as he was now known was rallying MarshClan to battle. They could attack any day now, Mintbreeze had suggested going into the forest together so she could gather herbs and Mistshine could heal her leg. "You're getting better every day" Mintbreeze purred
"I know but I'm still limping and a lame warrior doesn't help her clan"
"Well, that may be true but you still should rest when we get back"
"But I need to be ready! You know I do!"
"You can't afford to injure yourself further"
Mistshine was about to deliver a retort when a new scent bathed her nose and she whirled around in panic "fox!"
Mintbreeze whirled around and let out a yowl "help!" And Mistshine raised a paw to cuff her over the ear
"Mouse brain! If it didn't know we were here then it does now!" Then a new scent rolled over her it's a trap!
"Blizzardfang!" She snarled as he ran out of the forest he glared at her
"Say goodbye to you and your mouse brain friend!" He hissed before whirling away into the bushes Mistshine glared at the fox, it's eyes glittered with excitement and Mistshine glared at it.
"Mintbreeze run!" She hissed, the medicine cat shook her head
"No way! I'm not leaving you!" The fox raised it's paw and swiped at Mintbreeze it hit her in the side of the head and sent her flying into the brambles Mistshine snarled defiance at the fox it's eyes gleamed and Mistshine leapt upward to swipe her claws down it's ears and she drew in a painful breath she'd forgotten about her sore leg the fox's eyes gleamed as it realised her weakness. Mistshine glared at it suddenly there was a yowl from behind her "Mistshine! Run! We'll hold it off!" Stormbreeze! Her friends circled the fox and Mistshine jumped forward to stand beside Pepperleaf.
"No way am I letting you have all the fun!" She hissed and Pepperleaf shook her head
"Either you're the bravest cat in the forest or the most mouse brained!" She muttered and Stormbreeze chuckled Mistshine pressed her leg to the ground and sprang upwards in a leap I won't let Blizzardfang destroy my life anymore, everything since my leg was his fault!

Mistshine stalked through the undergrowth, the Mose was a tail length in front of her and she moved forward, pawstep after pawstep until she jumped through the undergrowth, she raised her head with the mouse in her jaws, scents of mouse masked any other scent around her but she could hear paws moving through the undergrowth and Lynxpaw trotted out into the small clearing.
"Good catch" he meowed and Mistshine nodded her thanks.
"Did you catch anything?" She asked and Lynxpaw nodded
"Yes, its under the tree over there, a squirrel and a mouse" Mistshine nodded approvingly
"Good work, come on lets get back to camp, it would be pretty embarrassing to miss your own warrior ceremony" her apprentice purred and followed her, he'd grown big, he was one of the biggest cats in the clan, apart from Lightningflare, he was the only elder now, Gustbird and Rainfall had both died in the past moon and Mistshine was happy they were together, they'd been mates for a long time. Mistshine missed them but she new Lightningflare did too, maybe more cats would join the elders soon? Mistshine glanced at her apprentice as he pushed through the undergrowth to walk at her side, he would be a good warrior, and she expected nothing less of him.

They padded into the clearing and Lynxpaw slipped away to groom his pelt before the warrior ceremony and Mistshine went to do the same beside the warriors den Rainsplash was sitting outside and he veered away as she approached and padded into the warriors den and Mistshine felt her heart break all over again. Finchpaw had joined his brother and Cinderpaw and Duskpaw were sitting nearby, Creekpaw and Nightpaw sat beside them listening to the older apprentices talk, Mistshine glanced towards the nursery, it was in bad repair now, with no expecting queens but if any cat announced they were expecting it would be patched up, ready for new arrivals. Once, it would have been possible for Mistshine to be a mother but now... the future looked as bleak as a snowy day in leaf bare.

I had some spare time so I thought I'd publish the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it
-Sandstorm