Warriors: Stormspot's Grief

Ch.18

(Cat above is Toadleap)

The sun dragged slowly across the sky. Stormspot's belly gently brushed the undergrowth as he slipped through the forest. He was heading to ShadowClan territory. He had been sent out to hunt but Stormspot had other motives. His plan for vengeance had been put into action. He reached the border and paused.

Rainflight...this is for you.

Stormspot let out a deep breath then stepped over the border. As he made his way through the unfamiliar territory, his dark blue eyes darted back and forth, looking for signs of a ShadowClan patrol. He would have his pelt ripped off if any ShadowClan cat spotted him.  His plan would be ruined. He had to be careful.

Suddenly, a dark shape flitted across the grass. The black and white cat was alone. It was Toadleap.

Stormspot crept closer then crouched behind a boulder. Toadleap hadn't noticed him and was crouched low to the ground and Stormspot assumed the tom was hunting. He stalked closer, his paws light as feathers. His plan would work. Kill the black and white warrior then leave his body by a fox burrow. Certainly some ShadowClan cat would be mousebrained enough to fall for it. Especially if he left no trace of his visit behind.

Stormspot was tail lengths away now and Toadleap was still unaware. Stormspot unsheathed his claws and sprang forward. He landed hard on his target's back, sending him rolling onto the pine-covered floor. I can't give him a chance to fight back!

Toadleap attempted to stand but before he could steady himself, Stormspot leapt again, this time pinning the tom down. He placed his claws at the ShadowClan cat's throat. His claws stretched themsleve around the struggling tom's neck, slowly drawing blood. He could feel the black and white cat's hindlegs batting at his underside, attempting to beat him off.

"Wh-a-" Toadleap tried to call out.

"This is for my mother." Stormspot snarled.

In one swift motion, his teeth sank into the struggling cat's neck. Toadleap's body spasmed then layed still, his yellow eyes turning dull and lifeless.

It was done.

He was dead.

Stormspot's chest swelled with triumph. His first family member avenged. His first target dead.

Two more to go.

He quickly covered Toadleap's body with scars and picked him up by his scruff. He found the old fox burrow and tucked Taodleap's body inside, part of him sticking out. Stormspot prayed that whoever found this would believe a fox had killed Toadleap.

Before he was noticed, Stormspot quickly covered his scent and raced back across the border. He padded to the lake, washing his paws and teeth of Toadleap's blood.

As he headed back to camp, he hunted quickly, catching a squirrel and a vole. He slipped through the thorn tunnel and dropped off his catch. He let his gaze sweep the camp. The clan had recovered from the attack...at least they had physically. That morning they burried his family. Few were still grieving, in their own way.

Fireclaw had spent the morning after the burial in the warriors' den, curled up in the nest that he and Fernshade had shared. According to their mentors, his sister's kits weren't paying attention or training as hard. They were grieving the right way, as opposed to Stormspot.

I'm breaking the warrior code. Would my family be ashamed? Would they be touched that I avenged them? What about Branchpelt or Poppycloud?

No cat knew of his plan to avenge his family. He knew he couldn't tell any cat and if anyone found out, Stormspot had a good idea of what his punishment would be. But he didn't want to think about it.

He had to plan out his next attack. His sister's killer, Maplefrost. He knew the orange and white warrior would be more difficult to get to then Toadleap. Getting her alone would be a challange.

I have to do it.

Stormspot shook his thoughts away and padded over to the fresh kill pile. He picked out a small thrush and ate it in two swift, hungry bites. He figured a ShadowClan patrol had discovered Toadleap's body by now.

And tomorrow they would find Maplefrost's...

Lifeless.