Warriors: Sharptalon's Mist

Chapter 10

A freezing breeze blew across the camp. Leaf-bare had began, which meant prey was scarce. But it had a moon since the cold season started. The Clan was still thriving. Sharppaw's training got progressively better. His bond with his sister and father got worse. 

Sharppaw dragged his gaze away from the dull sky. Snow would come soon. He could taste it in the air. The dull clouds had been slowly dragging themselves across the sky for what seemed like a moon until they finally stopped. Sharppaw shivered as a cold breeze touched his fur. He felt alone. 

Ever since Fluffypelt and Snowbreeze separated, Stormpaw had been trying to avoid Sharppaw. He didn't know why. Maybe she felt too sympathetic for him and wanted to give him space. But Sharppaw thought she'd at least try to comfort him. 

"Sharppaw?" 

Sharppaw turned and saw his brother, Lightpaw, behind him. The pale tom walked up to him and sat down, curling his tail around his paws. Sharppaw avoided his brother's gaze and stared up at the sky again. He fluffed out his pelt as the freezing air touched his bones.

"Don't be sad." Lightpaw was gazing at Sharppaw warmly. He pressed against his brother's broad shoulder. "Maybe it is best for them."

Sharppaw closed his eyes, holding back a sigh. Maybe Lightpaw was right. But he thought his mother would be happy with Snowbreeze. Instead, everything fell apart. Stormpaw avoided him, most cats in camp saw him as a traitor, Frostpaw's taunts got worse, and many more things. 

Lightpaw looked away, his yellow gaze shimmering. He pulled away from the warmth of Sharppaw's shoulder and got to his paws. "Well I've got to go. I promised Monarchpaw I'd hunt with her today. See you later." He cast a sympathetic glance at Sharppaw before turning away.

An idea surfaced in Sharppaw's mind. He turned around and glanced at Lightpaw. "Wait, Lightpaw!" He waited for his brother to turn around. "Could you please ask Stormpaw why she won't talk to me?" He asked.

Lightpaw lifted his tail, shifting his paws. "I think I might ask Monarchpaw to do that. After all, she is Stormpaw's sister."

Sharppaw glanced warmly at his brother. He turned around again, his body feeling cold again. Maybe a walk from camp will calm me down. Sharppaw got to his paws and headed towards the entrance, his tail flicking. 

Sharppaw clambered over a hill, his claws poking leaves on the ground. His gaze was fixed ahead on a weird-looking tree. There were scratch marks on the tree. He tasted fox scent and could hear voices. Sharppaw pricked his ears and then tasted WindClan scent.

"Hey maybe we should go back, Flashpaw."

"Come on. It won't hurt to explore a little bit!" A voice replied. 

"Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

Sharppaw suddenly heard a screech. Bristling, he ran forward and scrambled over a mound of dirt. He spotted two small cats, possibly apprentices. A fox had backed them up against a tree. Sharppaw lashed his tail.

The spiky-furred ginger she-cat was bristling and looked twice her size, her green eyes wide with fear. "I told you we never should've come here!" She gasped. 

The dark ginger-brown tom beside her flattened his ears, lashing out at the fox's nose. The fox only flinched back and snarled, showing its large fangs. Drool spilled from its gaping mouth. 

Sharppaw clawed up a tree, breathing hard. He'd never fought a fox before, but he knew they were vicious creatures. He could smell the WindClan apprentices' fear scent. 

"Mess with someone your own size, mange-pelt!" Sharppaw yowled, bunching his muscles and flying from the tree. The fox turned its head, its eyes wide with surprise. I bet it didn't see that coming! Sharppaw sank his claws into the fox's fur, lashing his tail. The fox scrambled around, its jaws snapping at Sharppaw. Sharppaw flinched back, but wasn't fast enough. Teeth met into his flesh and ripped. 

Sharppaw yowled with pain, his eyes rolling back. He ignored the pain though. He rolled on the ground again, twisting away from snapping jaws. The fox yowled with rage and snapped at his tail. Sharppaw leaped in the air and landed on the creature's shoulder. He clamped his jaws on the fox's ear and slashed at its head and cheeks. 

"Amazing!" 

Sharppaw heard one of the apprentice's cries. Then he was knocked to the ground by the fox. Before Sharppaw could even move, the fox had pinned him down. Sharppaw stared at the fox in surprise. Fear surged through him. He tried to pummel the fox's belly with his hind claws, but he couldn't move his legs. This is it! This is where I die, trying to help cats I don't even know. 

Suddenly, a yowl sounded at the top slope. A large black figure stood at the top of the hill. That wasn't a ThunderClan cat. It was outside Clan territory. The fox turned its head. 

The figure ran forward and Sharppaw could see the details more clearly. It was a large white tom with blazing blue eyes. He had black spots around his eyes and a long, feathery black tail. Darktail! Sharppaw remembered that that was the rogue that had tried to kill Jaywing and Stormpaw. He lashed his tail. What was he doing here? 

Darktail leaped in front of the fox. He then lashed out at the creature's throat quickly. The fox made a choking noise as fur from its throat tore and a skinny gash tore in its throat. Darktail lashed again, this time with two paws. The flesh of the the fox's throat tore like a tattered leaf and it coughed up blood. 

Blood spilled from the gash in the fox's throat and it spattered on the ground. Red stained the dirt and grass and Sharppaw stared in surprise as the fox fell to the ground in defeat, its head rolling limply on the ground and its shoulders slumping. Blood pooled around the fox. It twitched before falling limp. It was dead. 

Darktail looked up from licking his bloody paw. His blue eyes shimmered with satisfaction. "Huh. No 'thank you'?"