Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 7

Bearpaw's claws unsheathed as she ran alongside Dawnpool.

Lionpaw raced ahead of her, catching up with Brackenflame.

Soon the group was crossing the border, crossing the Star Tree clearing to get to Shadeclan's territory, ears plastered against their heads by the wind.

Sparrowstar stopped dead.

"What is it?" Asked Pouncefire.

"They're here." Sparrowstar's ears pricked up, his muscles tensed.

Bearpaw waited in horrified silence.

The Shadeclan cats must have known the attack was going to happen.

"Wait. The cats are leaving. Hunting patrol." Sparrowstar's fur settled on his back.

"We should move slower. So the patrol is settled by the time we attack." Willowtail suggested quietly.

Sparrowstar nodded.

The patrol started moving again, slowly this time.

Bearpaw felt like she was hunting. Stalking through the undergrowth quietly.

She lifted her paw over a log, nearly losing balance.

Sparrowstar signaled with his tail that they needed to stop.

"We're right outside the camp." He whispered.

Sparrowstar crept toward the entrance, and Bearpaw followed tentatively.

Sparrowstar yowled, and raced into the camp, claws unsheathed and teeth bared.

Bearpaw did the same, thoughts racing.

What if Doepaw, or Dustpaw, or Lionpaw get killed? What would happen then?

She shook her head.

She would protect them with her life.

A blue-grey apprentice launched himself at her, knocking Bearpaw off her feet.

She scrambled to get back on her paws but failed.

The apprentice scratched her muzzle, letting a bead of blood slip out.

Bearpaw yowled in fury.

She tucked her paws under his stomach, not bothering to get up.

Digging her claws into the blue-grey cat's belly, she rolled over, putting herself on top of him.

She slashed his muzzle once, twice, a third time until he was begging for mercy.

Bearpaw rocked off of the tom, watching him flee.

She looked around.

Doepaw was battling two full grown toms at the same time, and looking very scared.

Bearpaw raced over, butting one of the toms in the shoulder.

"You're fierce for an apprentice." The tom told her through heavy breaths.

"I know." She hissed, slashing her claws across his stomach.

He yowled in pain, blood oozing out of the gash.

"Give your mentor my regards. You fought well." The tan tom shoved Bearpaw off of him, and limped away, a path of blood following him.

Bearpaw fell into the sounds of battle, following them, guessing which clan they came from.

Suddenly there was an anguished yowl from the edge of the camp.

"Dawnpool!" Bearpaw yowled, running across the battlefield of a camp.

A ginger she-cat sprang out in front of her, but Bearpaw just raked her claws across the she-cat's eyes.

When Bearpaw finally reached Dawnpool, the she-cat that had been hurting him, was tearing at his stomach, clumps of pale grey fur flying.

Bearpaw growled at the she-cat and leapt, fury blazing in her eyes.

Bearpaw tore fur and skin off of the she-cat's neck, hissing and yowling.

She turned away from the cat, and back to Dawnpool.

"Dawnpool! Dawnpool!" Bearpaw yowled.

Dawnpool lifted his head ever so slightly.

"Bearpaw." Dawnpool choked.

"Dawnpool, don't go. Please don't go." The fighting around her slowed, but didn't stop. She doubted they saw Dawnpool's life slipping away.

"Bearpaw. Listen. My time has come, but you still have a while. Take that time and follow your heart. Do that, and you will have avenged me." Dawnpool meowed slowly, his eyelids dipping.

"No! Please, Dawnpool, No!" Bearpaw rocked him back and forth, trying to wake him up.

"You... did ... well..." Dawnpool went limp, cold creeping over his body.

Bearpaw dropped her head back, her yowl full of anguish.

Bearpaw drew her head forward, and raced into the battlefield.

She looked around, her eyes scanning.

Bearpaw felt a pale brown pelt calling her.

"For Dawnpool!" Bearpaw raced across the camp, knocking any cat in her way, out of the way.

She leapt onto the she-cat, anger pulsing through her.

Bearpaw sheathed her claws and threw her paw against the pale brown cat's head.

The cat looked dazed, and Bearpaw took that chance.

"You killed Dawnpool!" Bearpaw hissed in the she-cat's face.

"He was old anyway!" The she-cat responded, raking her claws across Bearpaw's face.

Bearpaw stabbed her thorn-sharp claws into the cat's neck, and drew them out, her paw glistening with blood.

She raised her paw for the killing strike, but heard Deadstar's urgent yowl.

"Stop!"

All cats stopped at once, including Bearpaw.

"This battle was won on neither side. I should have admitted that my clan had participated in prey stealing, myself included. I am very sorry that your warrior was killed, and I wish him an easy path to Starclan." 

Bearpaw scoffed at these words.

"But, you needn't have attacked. But from now on, we will not steal Thornclan's prey. I swear on my life." Deadstar meowed aloud, his voice carrying to each corner of the camp.

Sparrowstar nodded, but there was pure sadness in his eyes.

"We will go." The tom meowed, gesturing to Stormfall and Willowtail to pick up Dawnpool.

The Thornclan cats crept out of the Shadeclan camp, tails dragging and ears drooping.

Bearpaw hung back, her eyes brimming with emotion.

Dawnpool would be avenged, one way or another.