Remember Me | A Warrior Cat Novella

Chapter 2

(Picture is Eaglewing)

Quick as lightning, Oaksplash sprinted through the clustered camp, skidding on the muddy pine-covered ground as he desperately looked for his brother. Finally, at the edge of camp he spotted his brothers' blood-drenched tabby fur. Instantly, he sprang towards him, pushing him away as the red stained fangs of the badger just met his fur. Eaglewing jumped up, but it was too late.. Oaksplash's neck had been pierced with the teeth of the creature. His dark red blood standing out against his black pelt as it trickled down from his neck.

"Oaksplash!" Eaglewing's eyes stung with tears and his body felt frozen in place as he simply stared at his brother, life draining away from him. While he was distracted, the badger launched for him, but he whipped round in time, fury in his eyes as attacked full-force at the striped animal, his claws unsheathed and paws outstretched. He was going to get his revenge.

It took the badger by surprise, backing off, but Eaglewing didn't care. He continued to swipe at the badger, his brown fur drenched with the blood of the animal until it fell down weak at his paws. Eaglewing stared at it, his breathing heavy before he sunk his fangs into the creatures neck, landed the killing bite whilst the badger howled in pain.

Most of the other badgers had been chased out by his Clanmates, and some of them had noticed Oaksplash's lifeless body.

Brightshadow gasped and scuttled over to where his brothers corpse lay; she nudged his head with her nose, almost as if she was trying to wake him up.

"I'm sorry, Oaksplash.. I-I should have protected you.." Eaglewing murmured to himself, staring at the mushy cold ground. To his surprise, Brightshadow rested her fluffy tortoiseshell head on his shoulder, her silent tears dampening his shoulder-fur.

"Oaksplash will never be forgotten," she whimpered, gulping as she looked from Eaglewing to Oaksplash, her eyesight blurry.

*****

Oaksplash's sun yellow eyes closed as he hit the ground, a ringing in his ears as he felt himself slip in and out of consciousness. He thought he heard faint voices as well as yowl, but his concentration was elsewhere. He suddenly felt a sharp and severe pain coming from his neck, he struggled, but to no avail. However after a moment the pain faded away as well as the noises, and he was left in darkness and solitude.

"Oaksplash," he heard a soft voice, and he slowly opened his eyes to see a lush green forest and a cloudless sky as well as a cat greeting him. The cat had a sleek, dark honey-coloured pelt, a long fluffy tail and sparkling golden eyes.

The cat looked painfully similar to Eaglewing, and he struggled to keep back the tears, stop being a weak mouse-brain, he thought to himself, "H-Hello.. who're you?"

"You don't remember me?" the tom looked faintly hurt and Oaksplash suppressed the feeling of guilt and attempted to remember the cat.

"I'm.. not sure I do," Oaksplash quietly murmured after a moment.

"Well I suppose that isn't too hard to believe, after all you did see me last when you were a kit," he sighed, his tail drooping, but he quickly regained his posture, "I'm your father, Darkleaf."

Suddenly memories came flooding back to him, he remembered playing with his brother in the nursery whilst his father and mother shared tongues, he also remembered his mother grieving for a honey-coloured tom that looked the same as the cat in front of him, "I.. I remember you now! I remember Otterstream grieving for you, we were too young to really understand what was going on.. all we knew was that our mother had began isolating herself from us, from everyone.."

"I know, and I wish she didn't have to go through that.. it's horrible seeing someone you love suffer because of you, yet have no way to help them.." Darkleaf trailed off and stared at the ground, memories flashing in his eyes as he thought of his mate.