Warriors || Rose's Path

Chapter 35

        Darkness engulfed her. She couldn't feel anything; she was numb with pain. A familiar voice brought a whisper to her ears. "Get up, Roseblossom. It's not your time quite yet. Get up."
Aspenrose.
"Your Clanmates are waiting for you."
Aspenrose's voice started to fade, "Get up..."

Roseblossom blinked open her eyes. At first, she couldn't see anything; the sky was dark with night. The dry leaf-bare air only made the scratches on her pelt sting even more.
A soft tail was curled around her shoulders, and amber eyes gazed solemnly down at her. Ambernight's eyes lightened when Roseblossom lifted her head.
"Roseblossom!" He leaned into her. "I—I thought..."
Roseblossom's mind was still hazy, but she managed to cough a reply. "I'm not leaving yet, furball," she whispered. "You can't rid of me that easily."
Addertuft and Jaggedswirl were also by her side; Addertuft gave her comforting licks over the ear, and Jaggedswirl lay his tail on her flank.
Puddlestone came trotting over, copper eyes glazed. "Roseblossom," he touched his sister gently on the nose, then turned to search the crowd. "Moonpatch! Moonpatch!"
Roseblossom let her head sink back to the ground and shut her eyes, only wanting to rest. But rest didn't come. The invasion came back to her in a blur. She remembered seeing so many bodies of noble warriors scattered around her. Robincloud, Cinderibis, Rookpaw, Elmfoot, Mistypool, Tawnyleaf, and even Duskheart, ThunderClan's medicine cat.
She must have come to heal any of ThunderClan's injured warriors and got caught in the mist of the battle. ThunderClan had suffered a great loss, but so had RiverClan. Lilyfoot, Redshade, Muffinwhisper, and Seaear, the RiverClan deputy.
Even though ThunderClan and RiverClan had been on the opposing side, Roseblossom felt great sympathy for them. No warrior deserved to die in a battle for no reason.
And then Roseblossom remembered the ShadowClan losses... Oakpuddle and Blizzardflame, the ShadowClan deputy. With a jolt, Roseblossom opened her eyes again to see Moonpatch crouched over her. He had placed cobwebs on the deep scratches in her back, and a thick poultice on her crimson tail.
Roseblossom heaved herself up into a sitting position, and swayed slightly, trying to gain her balance. Ambernight presses his shoulder to hers, giving her support.
For the first time after the battle, Roseblossom gazed around at her battered Clanmates. Roseblossom flinched when she saw the bodies of her dead Clanmates scattered around her. Kestrelbush... The brown tabby lay on her side, unmoving. Swoopbite, Velvetmask, and Acornhollow sat around her, grieving for their lost friend. The group of friends had lost so much. First Finch, then Aspenrose, and now Kestrelbush. They will be together, in StarClan.
Roseblossom shifted her gaze. Snowleap was also one who died in battle. Jaggedswirl had hurried over to grieve for his sister. Yet another body caught Roseblossom's eye, though she had almost missed it. The dark shape lay next to Snowleap, a shadow in comparison to her gleaming pelt. Sandstar. It must have been his last life.
Jaggedswirl crouched over his father and sister, eyes shut. Addertuft was beside him, tail curled around her mate.
Roseblossom felt as if a heavy stone was in her belly. A dark tabby lay unmoving. Two kits huddled into their mother's fur. Brackencatch sat, gazing down at his mate, green eyes glazed. Roseblossom heaved herself up.
"Careful," Ambernight warned.
Roseblossom padded quietly to Brackencatch's side. The tabby tom's eyes were fixed on his mate's fur. He stroked Oliveclaw's fur gently with his tail.
Branchkit whimpered, snuggling into his mother.
Friskkit nudged her mother's paw. "Wake up, Oliveclaw!" The little black kit nudged Oliveclaw once more, then turned to her father. "Why won't Oliveclaw wake up? I want to play with her."
Brackencatch gazed desperately over at Roseblossom. Roseblossom crouched down, sweeping the little kit in close with her tail. "Oliveclaw can't wake up now."
"Why not?" Friskkit's voice broke with sadness.
"Your mother's time here is over, but she will always be watching over you," Roseblossom felt the little kit shiver. Branchkit glanced over at them, and Roseblossom beckoned him over. She swept the two kits close.
"Look, up there," Roseblossom pointed to the dark blue sky. Stars twinkled brightly, but one shined brightest of all. "Your mother is up there now. And as long as you can see the stars twinkling at night, you'll now she is with you."
Brackencatch dipped his head, eyes closed. Roseblossom swept the kits towards him; they snuggled into their father's fur.
"Oliveclaw may not be here anymore, but you will always be able to see them through your kits," Roseblossom whispered into her friend's ear. He nodded gratefully at her, eyes brimming, then blinked down at his kits.
Roseblossom turned away to find Ambernight. She leaned into his shoulder, not ever wanting to pull away.