River Of Blood (The Forest In The Sky (book 1))

Chapter 37

Brackenpaw's pov

"Cindermist!" Ackleyfire snapped at Cindermist who was stuck off in dreamy land. She didn't notice them. She seemed to be ignoring them.

"Hush." Whispered Cindermist after a few long heartbeats. "I'm listening." She half hissed, half whispered.

"Why? What's there to listen to?" Brackenpaw asked the medicine cat.

"Soil, earthy smell, digging, sap smells, a tree, it's a tree!" Cindermist glared across the camp to the entrance.

"What do you mean!" Ackleyfire exclaimed.

"A tree is falling. But it's outside of camp!" Cindermist yowled.

She was right. There was a tree, and it was falling. But it was good it was outside of camp.

Something snapped, gaining the full attention of the clan. Gasps spread over the camp. Brackenpaw raced to the entrance of camp. Lunarpaw's group was back. They were padding slowly into the camp. They froze as they heard the tree. Twigs were snapping overhead, the ground creaked. Brackenpaw's clanmates were starting to rile up, pacing around and running around.

"Everyone," Duskystar mewed slowly, sounding very anxious.

"Wait." Dolphinstar finished Duskystar's mew.

Brackenpaw saw Lunarpaw and her group frozen to the spot. If they didn't move in a moment of heartbeats, it wouldn't end well. Skylarspark - Lunarpaw's mentor - was planted to the spot, her eyes widening in fear. The tree was making a crunching noise as it started to topple.

"Move!" Yowled Ackleyfire.

"Move! You have legs!" Cypressfoot screeched immediately after the other deputy. Skylarspark moved slightly, so did Starlingpaw. Starlingpaw grabbed Sparrowpaw by his scruff and moved him out of the way.

Brackenpaw shifted her paws nervously and waited for them to move. But they didn't. They were stuck to the ground, stiff. They were that scared, they couldn't move. As the tree groaned, falling, Brackenpaw saw a ball of tan-coloured fur at her side. It was Ackleyfire. Cypressfoot and him were trying to yowl and make them move, but they wouldn't. It was no use.

If they don't move....no, they have to move! Brackenpaw thought positively as the tree groaned again. It's roots made a loud suckling noise.

This time you could hear the panic in everyone's gasps and the panic in their eyes. The tree made a crunching noise before it fell over.

Without thinking, Brackenpaw sped towards her friends and clanmates. She didn't care about the screeches of her clanmates. She sped up and unsheathed her claws to push faster.

The howls of her clanmates were whirling through the trees as Brackenpaw raced towards them. She wasn't aware of Tilleypaw and Islandpaw chasing after her. The tree made a deafening crunch as it snapped all the branches above them. Brackenpaw gave one last push before springing off her paws. She couldn't hear anything as the tree fell to the ground, making an explosion of dirt, mud and dust.

"Ahhh!" Brackenpaw screamed as the tree almost caught her tail. It made a deafening noise, making Brackenpaw jump out her fur as she bowled over her clanmates who would've been crushed if she hadn't of saved them. She did a few somersaults before landing in a thorn bush. She let out a cry of pain. Her vision went all fuzzy as she got whacked by a stick. Darkness lapped at her pelt, ceasing her. She forced herself to stay conscious as she writhered out of the bush.

"My AuroraClan are you okay?!" Someone was checking in on Tilleypaw, who had also saved her clanmates.

"I'm fine." Tilleypaw replied, hissing a little.

"No need to be in a bad mood, you saved your friends!" The cat replied.

"Are you okay?" Someone whispered in Brackenpaw's ear, making her feel slight discomfort. She couldn't exactly see who it was but she could make out their mew. Brackenpaw guessed it was Cindermist.

"I'm fine!" Brackenpaw lashed her tail as she struggled to stand up. She looked to who was talking. It was indeed Cindermist. Elkpaw and Unitedpaw were also there, checking in on Tilleypaw and Islandpaw. Islandpaw and Tilleypaw didn't seem to be hurt, unlike Brackenpaw who had got stuck in a thorn bush.

Duskystar and Dolphinstar came screaming to a halt in front of them. They both stared at their clanmates in shock. Brackenpaw stumbled up to her paws but fell down again. Paws thundered and then her whole clan appeared, looking with wide eyes, mewing things to each other.

"Tilleypaw!" Ackleyfire bounded over the fallen tree and rushed to Tilleypaw's side, almost knocking her over. "You're okay!" Ackleyfire muzzled Tilleypaw affectionately.

"It's okay...." Someone mewed in Brackenpaw's ear. Her ears were half blocked, making it difficult to hear. She shook her head to try get rid of the blockage. "You're okay." The cat who was standing beside her muzzled her shoulder.

This-this is new.....Brackenpaw thought happily to herself. She buried her head in their fur, trying to process what has just happened. She collapsed onto the floor, her eyes and flank hurting.

"Come on Brackenpaw. Stay with us, Dolphinstar said we were getting our warrior names at moon-high. Do you need me to help?" The cat was asking as Brackenpaw fell in and out of sleep. She then realised it was Wirepaw. She did like him. He was very nice.

Her ears were still blocked by the deafening sound the tree made. She kept replaying the scene inside of her head where she had run and jumped into her clanmates, throwing them out of the way of the tree.

*

"It's okay, you're fine, you're in the medicine den, it's Springbear and Cindermist." Warm breath on her cheek, Brackenpaw looked up. Springbear and Cindermist were there, plastering her with cobwebs and a weird gluggy paste.

"You passed out but your fine now." Springbear told her. Brackenpaw gasped. Her breathes were short and slow. Her lungs had tightened up.

"What time of day is it?" Brackenpaw asked, hoping she hadn't missed her warrior naming ceremony. Outside it looked pretty dark, she guessed it was dusk.

"It's just past dusk, don't worry, you haven't missed out." Cindermist laughed and applied the poultice onto her scratches.

Brackenpaw lay still and closed her eyes, feeling eyes beat into her skin uncomfortably. She shit her eyes tighter and hoped she'd drift off to sleep soon and wake up when they would be made warriors. Everyone was excited, even Cindermist was, although, why wouldn't she be? Brackenpaw recited the day, thinking of how eventful it was. Slowly, she fell asleep, still thinking of a way she could've stopped the tree falling.