Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 19

Bearheart leapt into battle, claws unsheathed and fur bristling.

Maggottooth barreled into her, knocking her over.

She lay winded for a moment before leaping to her paws. The greasy furred tom swiped his paw toward her eyes, but Bearheart ducked and slid underneath him, knocking his hind paws away.

Maggottooth yowled in surprise.

Bearheart jumped onto his stomach and began tearing clumps of fur. He slashed his claws across her face repeatedly, making blood drip into her eyes. He screamed from underneath her and Bearheart slashed his face. He rolled away and pounced on her back, clawing at her spine. She bucked and knocked him off.

The tom bounced up and ran through the entrance, fear-scent wafting from him.

Marshtalon glared at her and raced forward, though Bearheart was ready for her attack.

She raised her paws and met her stomach in midair, pushing her to the ground. She pounced, the near golden she-cat writhing beneath her.

Bearheart raised her paw, sheathing her claws. She slammed it against the Shadeclan warrior's head, dazing her.

The she-cat rolled onto her stomach and Bearheart began to tear at the fur along her spine, revealing soft pink skin.

The she-cat came back to her senses and yowled in pain. Marshtalon leapt free of Bearheart's claws and scrambled through the reeds.

Deadstar glared at her and leapt forward, struggling on his crooked paw. Bearheart took advantage of this moment and jumped forward, raking her claws across his eye. He yowled and turned, blood dripping from wounds that Bearheart had not inflicted.

"Shadeclan, retreat!"

The Shadeclan warriors broke from their grappling and raced through the entrance, leaving trails of blood.

Streamstar yowled triumphantly, and within moments, the rest of the clan joined in.

Birdpatch raced from his den.

His eyes scoured the camp until he spotted Whiteshadow. He raced forward and began chewing dock leaf to rub into her wounds. The white she-cat growled at him, telling him off.

"I'll get to the other cats later." Birdpatch told her.

"My wounds aren't as bad as others."

Birdpatch looked up at her, longing filling his eyes.

"You know I love you." He whispered.

"Just finish dressing my wounds." Whiteshadow growled.

Birdpatch sped up, finishing quickly, then went to dress Questpuddle's wounds, who was laying on the ground, her blood seeping into the grass around her.

Flyfeather lurched forward, but Emberfish held her back.

"Let Birdpatch heal her."

Flyfeather fell to the ground, letting out sounds of anguish mixed with growls. Emberfish lay down beside her, laying his tail across her back.

Questpuddle groaned quietly, and Flyfeather flinched.

Bearheart crept forward, planting herself beside Birdpatch.

"I'll fetch goldenrod, horsetail, marigold and tormentil." She whispered as the tom desperately tried to stop the blood pulsing from the reopened wound in her stomach.

Birdpatch nodded absentmindedly and Bearheart raced toward the medicine den.

She grabbed the root of a tormentil plant, the flower of a marigold plant, three stalks of horsetail, and four stalks of goldenrod. She rolled them up and careened out of the den.