Warriors Fanfic: The Lost Clans

''Drip... drip... drip drip... ''

Pinewhisper's green eye struggled to crack open. The tom's ragged breaths drifted out hoarsely, in detectable whooshes. It was as if the cat's breathing had suffered ages of smoke. A steady stream of blood dripped from the warrior's eyebrow, the eyebrow above his still closed eye. The steady plips of the scarlet liquid on the hard, musty ground were the only noise conceivable to his battered ears.

The blurry image of the forest battlefield gradually shifted into view before him, the colors of green, brown, and red becoming ardently clear. Frighteningly clear.

Pinewhisper winced as he tried to move his heavy head, only to feel spires of pain dancing up his neck and stinging in the gash across his nose. The bloodied warrior's paws shuffled lightly. His paws, covered in dried or still wet blood, seemed to be the only part of his body that he could move without feeling pain. Even his tail stang when he moved it. Maybe a cat had bitten or clawed it in the bloody chaos that'd been erupting around Pinewhisper not so long ago. He couldn't tell for sure.. the memory was a scary, rapid blur to him now.

''Ugh.. did.. did we win? ''

The question of victory sluggishly crossed Pinewhisper's mind through the concerns of pain. He tried lifting his paw to steady himself, and managed to dig it into the ground as a support. Slowly, the rest of his sore body followed up. Pinewhisper's legs shook slightly, and his flank hurt. A deep claw scratch was traced on his left flank, like a broad bleeding crescent moon in a matted, starless night sky.

Arcs of pain and discomfort shot up Pinewhisper once more, but he gritted his bloodied teeth and ignored it, toughing it through till he was standing unsteadily. Satisfaction slowly followed. And succeeding the satisfaction was gut-dropping horror.

Pinewhisper's bottom jaw slid open in shock as he looked around at the aftermath of the battle. Bodies were strewn across the dirt ground, like how prey carcasses scattered when mischevious kittens ran through the fresh-kill pile. A sea of blood had seemingly washed its bitter tides over the clearing. Scarlet stained the ground deep, and splattered over the dirtied fur of the cats. The coppery tang of the blood had risen up into the air, mingling with the scent of death, and overriding any trace of individual clan scent there ever was.

``Great StarClan..`` Pinewhisper croaked, leaf green eyes wide as he looked around the area. Being a full grown warrior, he had fought many battles before over territory or prey disputes. Far too many, in fact. But this may as well be the goriest battle he'd surveyed yet.

Pinewhisper wanted to close his eyes to block out the grisly sight, but he was transfixed. He had fought in this.. probably even inflicted some of the bleeding wounds in the sides of the cats strewn, half breathing or not breathing at all, in the silent clearing. Some cats were stirring as Pinewhisper had been, trying to get up. He couldn't identify whether they were ShadowClan or ThunderClan, they were bloodied beyond identification, and the blood seeping into Pinewhisper's pink nose was clogging his sense of smell.

``Pinewhisper.`` A rough, jagged voice called behind the half standing, half stumbling tom. Pinewhisper's eyes snapped wide in surprise. His legs shook slightly as he ambled around in place and looked among the stirring bodies of cats. Sitting up not far from him was a bloody, long-haired tabby brown tom struggling to his feet. ``Is the Clan oka- argh!`` The tom hissed in pain as he put pressure on a twisted looking front paw, and crumpled back to the ground.

``Mudstorm!`` Pinewhisper called. He began limping forward, his legs beginning to feel less stiff and uncomfortable the more he walked. The brown tom had dried blood flecking his fur and a heavily bleeding gash on his chest, that dripped as steadily as the laceration on Pinewhisper's brow. Pinewhisper stumbled to a halt before him, leaning down and grasping the brown tom by the fluffy scruff. The young warrior quickly hauled back, trying to lift the tom up so he could get to his feet easier.

The method worked. Mudstorm managed to scrabble untidily to his paws and lean his weight on his good legs, letting the twisted ankle drag on the ground. ``Thanks, son.`` He muttered, ``You're a real life saver, you know..`` He winced again.

''Life saver? ''Pinewhisper mused grimly to himself. He shot a quick look around the clearing again. How could someone that participated in such blood baths be a life saver? ``Don't mention it, Mudstorm.`` Pinewhisper mumbled tiredly, ``Are you feeling okay?``

Mudstorm certainly didn't look okay, between his torn ear, bloody chest, and twisted paw. ``I'm fine.`` He meowed in his surly way.

Pinewhisper didn't remark sarcastically as he would've done. He was too exhausted for sarcasm. The dark grey tom shook his head lightly, trying to flick the drops of blood from his eyebrow. Blood was beginning to slide into his eye, and he'd much rather avoid that.

Mudstorm was looking around the clearing, and his expression resembled Pinewhisper's when he had first seen the gore. ``What.. By StarClan's whiskers.. who.. who won?`` Mudstorm seemed to stutter in shock. ``Everyone seems -``

``Dead.`` Finished Pinewhisper for him. His paws shuffled lightly as he looked around for the nearest body. A limp calico she-cat was lying not far off, her chest rising and falling shallowly. Some other stirring bodies also looked very much alive, though agonized and tired as well. So everyone wasn't dead after all.

``I can't tell who won,`` Admitted Pinewhisper softly, ``Who could've won in this carnage?``

Mudstorm didn't reply. Instead, he was staring at a figure shifting in the shadows not far off, at the edge of the clearing where shade befellen him from the trees. The tom began limping forward at a slow pace, his twisted paw dragging along on the dusty ground.

Pinewhisper tilted his head in confusion and fixed his gaze to the cat Mudstorm had been looking at. The body had ginger, golden-patched fur, and was lying lopsidedly on the ground with blood staining him. The mix of gold, ginger, and red seemed to give the impression of a fiery sun dying on the horizon in a sunset.

Wait a moment - could that be -?

``Blazestar?`` Pinewhisper mewed in surprise. He began padding after Mudstorm. Soon the warrior found himself picking his way over still bodies lying on the ground, covered in dust and blood. He recognized the face of one burly ShadowClan warrior, Howlstride. Pinewhisper's eyes narrowed with hostility as he remembered sparring one-on-one with Howlstride during the battle.. the ShadowClan warrior had given him a nasty glance to the forehead, which'd resulted in Pinewhisper's bloody brow. Pinewhisper watched the rival warrior on the ground for a moment, half expecting him to wake up suddenly and leap for his throat, but Howlstride did nothing but lay there breathing shallowly.

Part of Pinewhisper was tempted to slit Howlstride's throat and end him then and there, but the action would be considered dishonorable by the Warrior Code. But then again, it wasn't like anyone followed it anymore. Pinewhisper sighed and turned, padding along.

Perhaps another day.

Mudstorm had paused by the fiery colored cat's body, checking his breathing desperately. Pinewhisper limped up beside him and glanced over at Blazestar. A deep, oozing wound was cut into the tom's flank. Blazestar's paws were bloodied and still unsheathed, the claws glinting in the half light. A whole half of Blazestar's ear was torn off, as was the tip of the tom's tail. A laceration laced his collarbone and neck.

The ThunderClan leader's expression was as if he were sleeping and having a bad dream. His eyelids fluttered a few times and his nose twitched, teeth bearing occassionally. Blazestar's paws were twitching frantically, as if he were running in a dream. Mudstorm's grey-blue eyes were surprised and confused as they viewed the leader.

``He's not dead.. but I could barely detect his breathing.`` Murmured Mudstorm, pressing his paw further up Blazestar's stained chest fur. The leader's taut muscles rippled lightly under the fur.

Pinewhisper blinked in concern, ``Perhaps he's losing a life?`` He wondered aloud, looking at Mudstorm. The elder warrior shrugged, but nodded thoughtfully at the preposition.

Suddenly, Blazestar's amber eyes snapped wide awake, and he gave a jarring breath. Both Pinewhisper and Mudstorm hopped back a step or two in surprise.

Blazestar was panting, looking bewildered. Though there was a renewed, sharp glint in his eye.

``Blazestar!`` Exclaimed Mudstorm, ``You.. you startled me. For StarClan's sake, what made you wake up like that?``

The ginger splashed leader blinked rapidly, cringing with pain. He looked from Pinewhisper to Mudstorm, then behind them at the gore of the battle, before gasping in a shaky voice, ``What.. what happened..?``

``The battle is over,`` Pinewhisper assured quickly. He felt a burst of relief at seeing his leader well and awake in all this chaos. ``I think ThunderClan might've won.. I'm not quite sure though.``

``Are you alright, Blazestar?`` Fretted Mudstorm, ``Can you stand?``

``I.. I think,`` Sighed Blazestar in a weary voice. He tried getting up on his feet, but immediately tumbled back down. ``Ah!`` He yelped, ``I don't think I can get up..``

Mudstorm exchanged a worried glance with Pinewhisper.

Blazestar turned his head, wincing occassionally, and scanned the area. As he did, Pinewhisper got a look at his wounds. The grey warrior did a double take in shock. Were the wounds... vanishing..? Indeed, some of the lighter wounds seemed to be gradually pulling together under Blazestar's crimson stained fur. The large gash in the leader's side was bleeding less and less.

``B-Blazestar,`` meowed a flustered Pinewhisper, ``Your wounds are -?``

``Yes, Pinewhisper,`` Blazestar suddenly turned from the grim battlefield, which he surveyed with baffled and grave eyes, to his warrior solemnly. ``My wounds are healing. You see.. I.. I had lost a life..`` He paused before adding decisively, ``My fifth life. I went into a dream state in my death and met.. Cloverstep..`` He paused for a moment. Pinewhisper was thrown back to the days the former medicine cat, Cloverstep, had been alive. She had been a medicine cat when Pinewhisper had been an apprentice.. she'd always been helpful and understanding, unlike her apprentice at the time.

``Cloverstep told me that I was losing a life,`` Continued the leader. He tried getting up and was beginning to succeed this time. Mudstorm slid to his side and supported his flank as Blazestar steadied himself on his feet. Blazestar nodded appreciatively to the brown warrior before murmuring, ``She told me that as I awoke my wounds would heal. And that the battle was over for now, but not 'the war'.`` Puzzlement flashed in Blazestar's amber eyes at the enigmatic ending before he sighed. ``Anyway.. are any other warriors up and running like you two?``

Pinewhisper and Mudstorm both turned to inspect the area. Five warriors had gotten up, stumbling about weakly, trying to wake others, or licking wounds. Only two of those five were ThunderClan warriors. The rest of the fallen bodies were either the still unconscious or dead.

``Dovesnow and Jayrunner are up.`` Mudstorm nodded to the two cats. He kept his voice down, however, noticing the three other ShadowClan cats up. One of them was Howlstride, hissing and blundering about as he searched wearily for a cat in particular. Most likely the ShadowClan leader Hawkstar, who had led the ShadowClan patrol into battle.

``We have to get out here,`` Pinewhisper hissed to Blazestar and Mudstorm, ``We won't be able to hold off against hostile ShadowClan cats in this state.``

``We outnumber them right now..`` Meowed Mudstorm, sounding skeptical of Pinewhisper's idea. Pinewhisper glared at him in disbelief. How can Mudstorm even consider continuing the fight against the ShadowClan cats when they were all weak and bloodied? In the battle itself neither side had backed down, the hungry cats relentlessly battering each other with claws and desperate fury. They had wanted the strip of land badly for prey. In times like these where hunger and power greed reigned rather than the Warrior Code.

But now there was no choice than to play the part of coward.

``Pinewhisper is right, Mudstorm,`` Meowed Blazestar, though he sounded hesitant, ``We can't fight in this condition. I want to you to go fetch Dovesnow and Jayrunner and rouse as many other of our cats as you can. We'll regroup and get out here back to camp. The longer we stay here while the ShadowClan cats rise, the more vulnerable we'll be.``

Mudstorm sighed resignedly and nodded, quickly limping over and calling to the disoriented Dovesnow and Jayrunner. The two sibling warriors were raising up in the middle of the clearing, bloody and disgruntled. Dovesnow's fluffy, soft white pelt was marred with red splashes and Jayrunner's light gray fur was torn and bloodied.