Warriors: Sharptalon's Mist

Chapter 13

Sharppaw woke up in his den to the noise of angry yowls. Flashpaw and Sparkpaw were curled up beside him, snoring gently. He blinked sleep away from his eyes and pushed himself to his paws, lifting his head to see over the tangle of brambles in the entrance to his den.

Squirrelstar was by the camp entrance, Ivypool at her side. She padded into the camp, glaring around. Rogues stalked from their dens, bristling. 

Falconflight, Frostpaw, Firestorm, Snowbreeze, Berrynose, Stormpaw, Smoky, Sootwing, Bramblehawk, Blossomfall, Monarchpaw, Fluffypelt, and Ambertuft padded into camp behind them, their tails high. 

Darktail darted from his den, his tail lifted, his ears flat. Rain and Roach flanked him, their gazes cold. "Why are you here? This is DarkClan territory!" Darktail hissed.

Squirrelstar lifted her chin. Even if she was slightly smaller than the rogue leader, her gaze showed no fear. She was staring coldly at Darktail, her ears flattened, her bushy tail lashing. "Give us back Sharppaw! We know you have him, Darktail!" She hissed.

Darktail stared innocently at her. "What? How did you know we had him?" He asked. 

"Thorn, one of your cats, came to our camp in a seriously injured state. He told us that you had Sharppaw and two other apprentices. Give them back to us now, or we will fight for them!" 

Sharppaw's heart sank. Squirrelstar was outnumbered. The fight wouldn't be worth it. He saw Stormpaw glance towards him, catching his eye. She didn't say anything. What's wrong with her? 

"Thorn? That weak cat-dirt came to you? Of course he would, all he does is want some cat to be by his side at all times," Darktail sighed. He then blinked, flattening his ears as if something had struck him. He glanced in Sharppaw's direction catching his eye. Does he suspect that I told Thorn to go there? 

"Well?" Squirrelstar prompted. "Are you going to give us Sharppaw or not?" 

"Well, yes, of course I will. But only in return for most of your prey," Darktail explained. 

"Our prey? StarClan, no, it's leaf-bare! It's not worth it. We'd rather fight. It would be easier since you're rogues with no skill," Squirrelstar hissed, baring her teeth. 

Darktail smirked. He unsheathed his claws. "Really? You're outnumbered, Clan-cat."

Squirrelstar looked around, realizing that the rogue leader was right. Her pelt bristled. "Alright, then we'll go to camp and get reinforcements." As she turned to leave, Raven, Sleekwhisker, Redwillow, and Nettle padded over and blocked the entrance, bristling.

Squirrelstar turned around, glaring at Darktail. "Move them away from the entrance!" She hissed.

"It's a bit to late for that, Squirrelstar," the rogue leader warned. Suddenly, Darktail lashed out with a paw, slashing Squirrelstar's throat.

Sharppaw gasped with horror as Squirrelstar coughed up blood, her eyes widening in surprise. Blood gushed from the gash in her throat, splashing on ground and streaming towards Darktail's paws. Squirrelstar then fell limp on the ground, blood trickling from her open mouth. Her eyes stared into the distance.

"Squirrelstar, no!" Ivypool gasped with horror. She crouched down beside her leader, her pelt bristling.

Darktail lifted his chin, standing in the pool of Squirrelstar's blood. "DarkClan! Attack!" He yowled, leaping on Ivypool. 

Sharppaw swung around as Flashpaw and Sparkpaw woke up beside him, shaking. "What's happening?" They gasped.

"A fight," Sharppaw breathed. He watched closely, his heart pounding in his ears. 

Stormpaw and Reed were fighting eachother, their claws swinging. Blood spattered the ground. Soon, Stormpaw had her enemy pinned down. But suddenly, Rain darted across the clearing, leaping Stormpaw, claws outstretched. No!

Sharppaw shoved his way past the brambles blocking the entrance. The thorns raked his pelt, but he ignored it. Getting to Stormpaw was all that mattered. When he burst through the den entrance, he heard a desperate yowl to his side. 

Sharppaw turned to see Raven pinning Sootwing to the ground. The gray warrior had a gash in her flank that was bleeding heavily. Sharppaw almost thought he should help her. No, she can handle it, I'm sure. But Stormpaw can't handle two cats. 

Sharppaw raced forward, shoving Rain off of Stormpaw. The long-furred tom turned on him, his claws slashing at Sharppaw's ears. A blow caught his tip when Sharppaw didn't duck in time. Pain clawed through him as blood spattered the ground. He swung a paw at Rain's chest, tugging out a clump of fur. 

Rain yowled and shoved Sharppaw back, making him fall back on the ground. Before Sharppaw could move, Rain caught his cheek. Blood spattered the ground. He raised a paw to finish him off, but suddenly a flash of white and brown fur shoved Rain off of him. Fluffypelt!

Sharppaw raced forward to help his mother defeat Rain, but he heard a screech behind him. He turned, seeing Stormpaw pinned down by Reed. He raced to his friend's side, knocking Reed off of her. "Scram, flea-pelt!" He hissed to Reed. He slashed the tom's cheek and shoved him back when he tried to stand. The gray tom scrambled to his paws, darting away from him. 

Stormpaw got to her paws, shaking out her dusty blood-stained pelt. There was a scratch on her muzzle and a deep gash in her flank. She was panting, clearly tired. 

Sharppaw licked the scratch on her muzzle. "Stormpaw," he murmured.

She flashed him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry," she whispered. 

Sharppaw turned around, wanting to help his mother. He darted towards Rain, who had Fluffypelt pinned, slashing at his shoulder. Fur tore and blood spattered the ground. 

Stormpaw leaped beside him, clawing Rain's ears.

The long-furred gray tom lashed out blindly as blood from a scratch above his eye trickled into his eyes. Sharppaw avoided most of his blows and reared, shoving the tom away. He then gasped with horror as he saw Fluffypelt. "No!" He gasped.

Fluffypelt had a gash in her throat. Her fur was torn around the gash and blood trickled from her mouth, dripping from her chin. Blood stained her pretty white fur and streamed from the gash. Her pale blue eyes stared at Sharppaw.

"No, no, Fluffypelt! Stay with me, please!" Sharppaw gasped, crouching beside his mother. His heart stopped beating for a second. This can't be real, no! 

"I'm afraid I can't, Sharppaw. You'll have to grow up without me," Fluffypelt rapsed. Blood pooled around her, wading around Sharppaw's paws. "You're a fine warrior and you can make it without me." Suddenly, her eyes shimmered with stars and dulled. "Too bad I can't... change your.. des-destiny."

Sharppaw was too grief-stricken to be confused. He yowled with pain as she fell limp, her head lolling. Her fur was beginning to get cold. "No!" Sharppaw whimpered. "StarClan, why?!" 

Stormpaw rested her tail-tip on his shoulder, her gaze sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Sharppaw," she whispered. 

Sharppaw buried his muzzle in Fluffypelt's fur, whimpering softly. How many more will die?