save them, by aki
Chapter One[]
Briarheart snarled in anger as she was clawed by a light-furred WindClan tom. The young ShadowClan she-cat lashed out at him, leaving deep, red clawmarks in his face. His amber eyes glittered in hatred. Briarheart couldn't blame him.
Ever since Brokenstar became leader, life in ShadowClan had been hell.
Kits forced to train as apprentices as early as three moons old. Every cat forced to eat crowfood. All under the murderous leader's bloody rule. And Briarheart was sick of it. Now, a battle with WindClan? Just what they needed.
The dark brown she-cat leapt away from the WindClan warrior's slashing claws and batted at him, missing by a whisker. The tom recoiled, then yowled as Blackfoot, the deputy, tackled him and bit deep into his throat. Briarheart gasped in horror as Blackfoot looked up at her, his ears pinned flat to his head, teeth bared in a dangerous snarl. Blood caked his snow-white fur, and his long claws dug into the fur of the now-dead WindClan warrior.
"Well? Fight!" he hissed before leaping back into battle.
Briarheart glanced around, and nearly stopped breathing when she saw Flintfang.
He was bowed over a tiny black-and-white pile of fur, ignoring the fighting going on around him. He looked upset, and had reason to. The pile of fur at his paws was his under-aged apprentice, Badgerpaw.
"Flintfang!" Briarheart gasped, and pounced on a WindClan cat running toward him. The grey ShadowClan tom looked up in surprise, then hissed when another cat glared at him. The glaring cat was quickly snapped away from Flintfang by Jaggedtooth, one of Brokenstar's supporters, charging toward him with sharp, bloodied claws unsheathed.
Briarheart abandoned the WindClan cat and dashed over to Flintfang's side.
"...I tried to remember everything you taught me." Badgerpaw was saying weakly. His pelt was covered in clawmarks, his fur bloody.
"You did well." Flintfang breathed, his eyes wide.
"Do you think Brokenstar will be proud of me?" Badgerpaw asked worriedly.
You don't deserve that tyrant's pride. Briarheart thought angrily. She didn't say this, though. She just watched, upset, as the young kitten's life bled out onto the grass.
"H-he will be very proud." Flintfang choked out.
"Do you think Mom will be proud of me?" Badgerpaw's eyelids fluttered shut, and for a moment, Briarheart thought he'd died. Then the soft blue reappeared as his eyes opened again. "Are you proud of me?"
"I couldn't be prouder." Flintfang bowed his head and touched the little kit's head with his nose. He seemed to be holding back the tears.
"Will StarClan give me a warrior name? I wonder what it'll be?" Badgerpaw wondered, his eyes shimmering.
"I-I'm sure they'll let you choose." the tiny kit's mentor mewed softly.
Badgerpaw looked thoughtful. "Well, I wanna be called Badgerfang! Because you're the best mentor ever!" he squeaked softly, shifting his head a bit. Blood streamed from a cut on his ear.
"Stay still, Badgerpaw," Briarheart mewed softly, sweeping her tail lightly over the kit's back. "Y'know, Badgerp- Badgerfang," she corrected, making Badgerpaw's eyes light up, "you'll see your ancestors. The great warriors that died before you."
Badgerpaw's eyelids fluttered shut again. "And I'll be just like them. Just like them..."
Flintfang curled his tail over his paws and licked the kit's head gently. "Go and walk with them, little warrior." he said, his voice barely a whisper. Badgerpaw looked up at him through narrowed eyes, before shutting the pale eyes completely. His last breath was like a gentle breeze.
"May StarClan light your path, Badgerfang." Briarheart whispered. "And may you find peace where you find yourself."
"That WindClan warrior Blackfoot killed." Flintfang growled suddenly. "That warrior was the one who wouldn't stop attacking Badgerp- fang. Badgerfang." He sighed.