Warriors || Rose's Path

Chapter 18

       An icy chill was sent through the gray and white she-cat's paws. She flicked her tail, shivering from the cold. She padded towards the back of the dawn patrol. They were heading to mark the RiverClan border. Frozenheart led with her friend Snowleap at her side. Roseblossom padded alongside her mother, Addertuft. Brackencatch had his tail raised confidently as he walked with Oliveclaw, little Zoompaw bouncing behind her black tabby mentor.
       As they approached the border, Roseblossom felt her mother's fur rub against her's. She gave a small purr before her mother broke away to mark the borders. Roseblossom watched as Oliveclaw showed Zoompaw how to renew the scent line. Hardness, cold as ice, formed inside Roseblossom as she saw Oliveclaw rub her head on Brackencatch's neck. The tabby tom raised his head, pulling away gently. Oliveclaw glared at Brackencatch as the tom padded away to mark the borders somewhere else. Roseblossom looked away.
       She plucked at the frosty, stiff, yellow grass with unsheathed claws. She couldn't stop thinking about her vision. It had been so dark and foreboding. She could remember claws slashing and shinning in the moonlight, and teeth snapping at her throat. She shivered, and shook herself.
       The past couple seasons had been hard. Her Clan had been hit with an unknown illness, that no other Clan suffered from. How can WindClan bear this alone? So many cats had been lost to it. Crookedwing. Heathermoon. And then there was the border skirmishes. They happened regularly, but mostly with RiverClan. Under a fairly new leadership, the fish-eating Clan had become stronger and more hostile than ever.
       Ryestar had ramped up his patrols, and his warriors strayed over the border far too often. What has become of the Clans?
       A shriek of alarm broke the silent crisp leaf-bare air. Roseblossom perked her ears, turning towards the sound. Her fur bristled in shock as she saw where the yowl had come from. A RiverClan patrol streamed over the border. Roseblossom recognized Redshade, Lightripple, and Blossomash and her apprentice, Duskpaw. Irisstream and Sedgedawn's kits had recently been made apprentices; Lemonpaw and Duskpaw.
Brackencatch leaped at the nearest cat, knocking them over. Frozenheart, Snowleap, Addertuft, and Oliveclaw launched themselves into the fight after Brackencatch. Zoompaw stood crouched over, yellow eyes glazed. She doesn't know what to do.
A heavy weight landed squarely on Roseblossom's shoulders. She caught sight of black fur, and she knew that Redshade was her attacker. Roseblossom collapsed beneath the tom's weight.
Roseblossom rolled, but Redshade's claws pierced her back as he clung on. Roseblossom staggered to her paws, but still Redshade held fast. She felt teeth sink into her scruff, and claws pummeling her spine. Roseblossom's vision came back to her serenely. She could feel the sharp claws of her enemy, but she didn't want to fight. There's more than one way to settle out problems! And it doesn't have to be fighting.
The vision of the shadows closing in on her scared her, and she leaped widely beneath Redshade's grip. She felt his claws loosen slightly, and she threw him from her back. She caught a glimpse of her Clanmates fighting beside her. Duskpaw gave a gasp as Oliveclaw swiped the gray she-cat's nose. Frozenheart raked her claws across Lightripple's shoulder. Brackencatch hissed fiercely at Blossomash. Snowleap was beside him, and slashed at Blossomash's nose.
She turned her attention back to Redshade. The black tom leaped at her, but she ducked away. As he turned around, Roseblossom pounced, slamming him into the cold earth. Redshade's amber eyes flashed.
Roseblossom winced away as he landed a blow on her muzzle. Gray tabby fur blurred past her. Addertuft had come to help her. Addertuft lunged at Redshade, sending him tumbling. Blood stained the black tom's fur. He stood to his paws, eyes wild.
"Retreat!" Redshade yowled, turning to bound back to his side of the border. Brackencatch gave one last slash at Blossomash's flank as she ran toward her own territory.
Roseblossom looked around at her Clanmates. No one was seriously injured. She raised her paw to her muzzle, feeling her nose sting as she touched it gingerly. Blood stained her white paw. She stared at it, sending a haze through her vision. Is this how the Clans are destined to live? Fighting nonstop over what? She gazed up at the dull sky. A cold raindrop splattered her nose. As she gazed down, the now red drop cascaded down her muzzle to splat soundlessly at her mud-soaked paws.