Shadows Rise: Chapter 8 (Redmask)

I stood quietly on the Tall Outcrop, a large rock on the outskirts of our camp and very useful for look outs. The patrol Badgerstar had left on was long overdue, what could have happened?

“They were patrolling the IceClan border, weren’t they?” Duskstream, Firesecret’s mate, whispered as she leapt up beside me. “They left at down, it’s almost sun high now.”

“They’re fine,” I meowed quickly, but the same doubt laid heavily in me. I glanced out across our territory, it was too peaceful. Not even a leaf stirred nor did the beautiful bird’s songs rise up from the trees, something must have happened.

“Should I take a patrol to check?” Duskstream suggested, her worry for her mate gleaming darkly in her blue eyes. “Just to make sure they’re okay.”

“If you want,” I agreed, I just couldn’t shake off this feeling that something had happened to them. “Take Sandshadow and Willowfrost with you.”

“Hold on… I don’t think I need to take one after all!” Duskstream announced as she squinted down at the forest. “I think… I think I can see them.”
I followed Duskstream’s gaze, down bellow I could see four cats slowly progressing towards the camp. “Something’s defiantly wrong!” I decided, they were moving way too slow. Did they meet trouble at the border after all? “Go inform Tanglenose, make sure he’s prepared for the worst case scenario.”

“Right,” Duskstream agreed she turned to leave, glancing over her shoulder for a final look at the returning patrol, before leaping down from our perch and dashing across the clearing.

“I have a terrible feeling…” I whispered before I too jumped down, landing smoothly on the ground bellow. I rushed forward, and ducked into the camp’s entrance, a narrow tunnel made to allow only cats to fit through, I just couldn’t remove the cold feeling that crept through me, the feeling that something horrible had happened. I burst from the camp entrance and pelted forward, my paws causing the dead leaves underneath to crunch, the only sound in the dead silent forest. “Badgerstar!” I called; the scent of blood was heavy in the air. I leapt over a small holly bush and skidded to a halt in front of the small patrol.

Badgerstar looked sadly at me, he was covered in scratches but my main worry was the small gray striped, white tom he carried. “Hawkpaw…” I gasped; the young cat’s right flank was covered in blood. “What happened?”

“We were attacked by an IceClan patrol!” Blackpaw declared, he too was wounded, and seemed to favor his right leg.

“We tried to get away without fighting,” Mossheart added. “But a certain apprentice provoked one of the IceClan cats.”

Blackpaw narrowed his eyes, his tail twitched guiltily. “Th-that doesn’t matter right now, we have to get Hawkpaw to Tanglenose!”

“And Firesecret,” Mossheart added, she glanced over her shoulder as Brownclaw joined them, struggling to drag along Firesecret’s limp body.

“Brownclaw, want me to help?” I asked.

The brown tabby nodded gratefully and I carefully grabbed Firesecret’s scruff. The tom let out a weak moan as I started forward, I glanced over at Mossheart in hope she would explain what had happened as we slowly continued back to camp.

“We were patrolling the border,” she started once she noticed my curious gaze. “When Brownclaw noticed an IceClan patrol. At first we managed to get away with only insults being thrown, but when Blackpaw scratched one of the IceClan cats, it ‘got personal’ and they attacked. Firesecret had gotten attacked by Mysticstorm and Redfeather,” she winced at the mention of the red tom for the other Clan. “He was losing when Hawkpaw and Blackpaw decided to help and attacked Redfeather. After that, the two apprentices fought against the older warrior while Firesecret fought against Mysticstorm. He still lost in the end… and Hawkpaw, in the fight against Redfeather, took in a hit meant for Blackpaw. After that, we stopped fighting and went our separate ways.”

“It was my fault that they got hurt,” Blackpaw mumbled, his gaze locked on the ground ahead. “If I hadn’t acted so rashly, they wouldn’t be so badly hurt…”

“Great StarClan!” we heard a gasp as a brown tom padded forward, it was Tanglenose our trusty medicine cat. “I heard from Duskstream that the patrol was returning later than they should have, I never would have guessed something like this would happen.”

“Now’s not the time to talk, we have to hurry!” Mossheart meowed.

“Yes, yes,” Tanglenose agreed and he swiftly turned back the way he came. “I prepared the herbs for battle wounds; I can only hope I have enough…”

“Will you be able to save Hawkpaw?” Blackpaw asked, his tail quivering with worry.

“I’ll try my best,” Tanglenose promised. “I’m not about to lose such a talented apprentice.”

We continued on in a grave silence, the camp soon looming ahead of us. Duskstream was waiting eagerly in front of the camp entrance and my gut twisted in sympathy as her eyes landed on Firesecret.

It took her a couple of seconds to take in the scene before a sharp, pained wail came from her. “Firesecret! Oh, StarClan, no!”

The gray-blue she-cat was now shacking heavily, her eyes wide with shock as her eyes took in her motionless mate. “D-don’t tell me… is he…?”

“He’s still alive,” Tanglenose soothed, his tail stroking her comfortingly. “And I’ll do everything in my power to keep him alive.”

Duskstream numbly stepped aside to allow the patrol enter the camp, her scared eyes following Firesecret as I passed by with him.

“Come to my den,” Tanglenose commanded the wounded warriors. “Willowfrost, come over and help me make some nests for Hawkpaw and Firesecret!” he called out for the gray-and-white she-cat across the clearing. He then continued towards his den, nosing the ferns aside to allow the wounded to enter.

Badgerstar, with Hawkpaw’s limp form, padded inside followed closely by the others. I brought up the rear. On the far side of the en, Tanglenose had all sorts of herb types sprawled across the den floor; each one must be of some use for wounds. He was directing the warriors on where they were supposed to go, the least wounded closer to the exit. The most wounded closer to his nest, and the others to stand by the small spring at the edge of his den. I padded forward and gently placed Firesecret beside Hawkpaw. “Hey, if there’s anything I can do for you…”

“I call if I need help,” Tanglenose meowed, already starting to mix up some herbs as Willowfrost padded inside of the den. Her eyes round as she looked at Hawkpaw and Firesecret.

“Alright then…” I meowed and started to back away, glancing at the two fallen cats once more. “Then I’ll go now,” I then turned and exited from the den, the rest of the Clan seemed to be clumped up around the den, worry glowing in their eyes.

“What happened?” Sandshadow asked as he forced his way to the front.

“The border patrol was attacked, Hawkpaw and Firesecret are badly wounded,” I answered, suddenly too tired to want to explain. “Anyways, worrying won’t get anything done. Sandshadow I want you to take Blizzardberry, Winterheart and Iceeyes on a hunting patrol, catch as much as you can. We have wounded warriors who need to heal as quickly as possible,” I glanced over at the two queens, Blueheart and Shadowstream. “If possible, I want you two to help comfort Duskstream. She’s probably having a hard time dealing with this…”

“We’ll try our best,” Blueheart promised.

I watched the cats trot away; I glanced up at the clear blue sky. StarClan, what calamities must this Clan face before we finally find peace?