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Season finale of season two of War.
Enjoy. <3
Last Chance[]
Adderscar woke to a pounding headache and a terrible pain in his throat. The vision of the den he was in swam hazily in front of his eyes and he groaned. What happened?
"He's awake!" a young rosy she-cat purred. "Hey Goosewing, c'mere!"
A dark gray tom entered the den. "Thanks Duskfur." he looked at Adderscar. "How do you feel?"
"Where am I?" Adderscar asked. "What happened?"
"You're in a WaterClan garrison on the edge of the border." Goosewing meowed. "I don't know the answer to the second question. We found you just outside the garrison, you were unconscious and bleeding a little. You must have been attacked. You're lucky- whoever did it missed all important veins."
Or they knew what they were doing, Adderscar thought hollowly. He remembered now- Badgerstrike behaving oddly, begging his mentor to tell him everything was alright. And Badgerstrike had lunged...
"Please, did anyone see the cat who dropped me off?"
"We didn't see who dropped you off, but Duskfur here saw a dark brown tom heading towards the border. He told her he was on a mission."
"Did he make it over the border?" Adderscar screwed his eyes shut. It would have been too easy, he was the only one who suspected anything about Badgerstrike. If the commander told his squad that Adderscar was sick and took them...Adderscar was sure it was a suicide mission.
"Yes, he met up with a patrol and they crossed over." Goosewing looked at Adderscar. "Are you alright?"
Adderscar struggled to his paws. "I have to-" he dropped to the floor. His legs seemed unable to hold him and he tried to force himself up again, tears stinging at his eyes. "They need-"
"You need rest." Duskfur meowed softly. "Lie back down."
Adderscar tried to stand again, but the effort was too much for him and he fell. Darkness closed in around him and he barely managed to think, Silverflower...
If you think there's anything more awkward then being paired with the tom you turned down hours earlier for a mission you'll probably both die in, you'd be wrong.
Badgerstrike paired Gorsefur and Silverflower together and Shadowsong and Oakheart, leaving me with him. I was fine with that, but Silverflower had winked at me and said, "I'll trade ya," Badgerstrike didn't even do anything. I'd tell her about the whole Gorsefur thing, but knowing Silverflower...sigh.
Gorsefur just looked at me. I guess I thought he would be good enough to not be angry or hurt..or at least that he would hide it.
No toms are perfect though.
We walked in near silence to FireClan Main. It wasn't far and the path was becoming familiar which didn't really help with inspiring us. The last time we were here Shadowsong and Gorsefur were taken prisoner, Adderscar almost killed, and a whole ton of terrible things happened.
Shadowsong and Oakclaw have their heads bent together and I shoot a glance at them. I might not be an expert on couples, but I know Silverflower, and judging by her approving glances, which Shadowsong ignores, Oakclaw and Shadowsong are together now.
Whoop de do.
Which makes me feel immediately terrible. Am I going to be the Shadowsong-y one now that Shadowsong's with Oakclaw?
Why are you thinking about this when you're about to get yourself killed?
"So I don't have to think about him," I mutter to myself, glancing at Gorsefur who looks over at the sound of my voice. Dirt. I look at my paws and stay that way for the rest of the trip.
"We're here," Badgerstrike announces finally. He sounds calmer than I could imagine him being at this point. Like he knows we'll be okay.
FireClan Main rises in front of us. WaterClan camps have always seemed calmer, dulled but FireClan camps, and especially Main, are bright and almost foreboding.
"Well," we gather around Badgerstrike. "Remember the plan. We'll be alright."
"Let's go," Gorsefur meows, without looking at me. He and I have the easy part- lookouts. I know that infuriates him, but to be honest it makes me feel a little better. We're in the least danger. I don't care how cowardly it sounds, but I'm barely trained. I'd get killed for sure, maybe Gorsefur too because of my stupidity.
Life didn't used to be this hard.
We weave through the crowd. Badgerstrike said to act like a couple to avoid suspicion, but I doubt Gorsefur wants to do that right now. Which is why I'm surprised when he turns and says, "So how was your day?"
"Exhausting." I look at him, then down at my paws.. "I-I hurt someone's feelings. I didn't want to, but they wanted me to...draft...with them and I wasn't...read."
I have no idea if he understands my insanely odd metaphor, but he nods. "Crazy freak, thinking you'd want to draft with him."
"It wasn't like that." I shoot back. "I just didn't think I could commit. We've been...different, for a while."
"Convince him to stay maybe," Gorsefur suggests. "See if you can get back to being the same. And then maybe you can go."
We've stopped walking now and face each other.
"I'll try, but he's kind of a stubborn idiot," my whiskers twitch.
"Yeah. I'd say give him some space for a while. But I can't imagine anyone not wanting to be close to you."
"So we're okay?" I ask hopefully, slipping back to us in the hope that he can forgive me.
His face closes off. "Not really. I need time."
I need time. That's one of the things that I said to push him away. It hurts more, him turning it on me.
"So we're going bird watching today?" he asks, trying to lighten the moon.
"Yup," I struggle to remain bright. "I hear there's a huge nest over by Firestar's den."
"Let's go then," he meows, taking off. After a moment in which I allow myself to be in pain, I follow.
Shadowsong nudged Oakclaw, “Bet I can claw more FireClan cats then you can.” She seemed tense and her eyes were a little too bright.
“Oh you're so on,” Oakclaw meowed.
“Alright, only wounds that bleed, and if you kill 'em it counts double.”
“Hey,” Oakclaw nudged her back, trying to get her mind off FireClan “Are we going to talk about what happened?”
Shadowsong rolled her eyes, but she seemed less tense, “You make it sound like we mated. You declared your undying love for me and I called you an idiot. I'd call that a normal day.”
“That's not how I remember it,” he muttered, whiskers twitching.
“Look,” she turned to face him. “I really...care for you. And...” she seemed to be struggling with the emotions that weren't scorn or pride. “It's just...not now. Because if I loose you today then I won't be able to get back up from that. And you know that's what I do- get back up and keep fighting.”
Oakclaw nodded but kept unusually silent.
“Are you...mad?” she asked awkwardly.
“No.” his whiskers twitched, “Fun to pull your tail though.”
“Furball,” she rolled her eyes but their flanks brushed against each other. Hers was shaking.
“So did Adderscar have a cough or was he like, you know,” Silverflower lowered her voice, “Puking?”
Every question felt like a claw in Badgerstrike's heart, twisting and turning and grinding up his insides. “I don't know, but he just looked...sick. I'm sure he's fine.”
“I just worry,” Silverflower sighed dreamily. “He's perfect, y'know?”
“Uhuh,” Badgerstrike looked around the clearing they had entered. “Alright. Firestar's den is that one over there. I count four guards. Shadowsong and Oakclaw should be here soon and Gorsefur and Brookfall will be on the lookout as well as backup.”
“Lovely,” Silverflower looked bored, but she watched the guards intently.
Badgerstrike couldn't help but looking for Rowanfur. His friend obviously wanted Firestar out of the way, he might not interfere. Badgerstrike was hoping he could save his squad by having them complete the mission, even though he would be staying.
Staying.
The word made him feel happy and sad and bitter and broken all at once.
“Shadowsong and Oakclaw are in position. I count another guard.” Silverflower meowed. She sounded surprisingly into this and Badgerstrike reflected again on how she could efficiently switch from the bubbly she-cat she usually was to what could almost pass as a soldier.
“Alright, five of us, five guards and Firestar. Assuming we don't raise an alarm. Here's hoping.”
Badgerstrike set off across the clearing. Firestar's den was in a small compound which meant there would be a small clearing to fight in before then entered his den. Far away from the larger clearing that housed the deputy, and some prominent generals and medicine cats. Far away from reinforcements.
Hopefully.
They entered the clearing, Shadowsong and Oakclaw suddenly on their tails. Brookfall and Gorsefur weren't too far behind.
The guards perked their ears and looked up. “Halt,” a gruff sounding she-cat meowed. Badgerstrike paid her no heed.
Deadly, nearly silent, the guards leapt at them.
I let out a low breath. Shadowsong's tail just disappeared inside the tunnel which means it's about to begin. I look at Gorsefur only to see he's hurried forward. Gritting my teeth, I follow.
The battle has begun. There are eight guards whereas Badgerstrike thought there would be only four. I hope that's a coincidence and no one expected us to be here.
Of course, since Badgerstrike and the squad are the only ones who know about the mission besides Waterstar, they'd have to get it out of one of us which is laughable.
Gorsefur springs out from beside me. Since there are double the guards we expected, we can't afford a lookout. I squeeze my eyes shut.
I'm barely trained. I'm the ratfodder, Badgerstrike and Waterstar have confirmed it as much. My mother's pleading face is impressed on the backs of my eyelids.
I leap.
The guards were going down, slowly but surely. Gorsefur slashed and whirled. One recognized him and bared his teeth, “Come crawling back?”
“You wish,” Gorsefur growled, slicing his nose open. The tom howled, but he kept going. These were Firestar's elite guard, they weren't your everyday soldier.
Shadowsong had already dispatched a sniveling she-cat who was twitching on the ground. She looked barely in control of herself, but determined. Gorsefur respected her so much for that. He wasn't having a ball with this either. Oakclaw was having trouble with a monster of a tom who was at least twice as big as the muscled wariror. Gorsefur felt a stab of fear. Oakclaw needed help, but everyone else was busy. And there was no way he would back down from a fight, wait for help.
Gorsefur kicked at the smirking tom he was fighting and ran over to Oakclaw, only to be tackled. He flew into the forest and rolled over several times with his attacker, clawing furiously.
“Gorsefur, it's me.”
Gorsefur stood and shook his pelt out. Blood dripped into one eye. “Badgerstrike?”
The older tom didn't acknowledge the acknowledgment. “Gorsefur, when they ask, you need to tell them I offered for you to come too and you turned me down. Tell them I pulled you aside like I did right now and you said no and tried to stop me, but it was too late.”
“Are you crazy?! Oakclaw could be dying, Badgerstrike, what are you-”
“If you don't, they'll probably kill you, maybe the others. And you have to tell Adderscar I'm sorry. And you have to try not to hate me too much because I won't ever be able to fight you and you're certainly going to want to kill me and I think I'm still a little too young to die.”
“Badgerstrike?”
But his friend was gone. Gorsefur blinked and plowed back through the bushes.
The guards were gone, finally. Oakclaw had even managed to kill the hulking warrior on his own.
“Two for me,” he said to Shadowsong, but lacking his usual verve.
Firestar's den opened before them like a hungry mouth.
“So...who's doing it?” Shadowsong asked.
Gorsefur squared his shoulders but still felt shaken, “I-I'm the second, I should probably...”
Badgerstrike ran out of the den and everyone jumped. “Boo,” he muttered halfheartedly.
“Is Firestar...?” Oakclaw asked.
“Dead. I didn't want any of you to have to do it.” but there was a subtle shift in his eyes. Gorsefur somehow knew something wasn't right. He opened his mouth to ask, but Shadowsong beat him to it.
“Where's Brookfall?”
I choke weakly, trying to shift my weight so the paw on my throat doesn't crush me too much. The wound in my side throbs and I reflect exactly how stupid I was believing I could chase down the guard who ran into the forest. Naturally, the best thing that could have happened was me catching the guard and getting my tail handed to me. This is probably the worst.
“Let her up Rosefire, we don't want her to suffocate,” Rowanfur commands, bored.
The she-cat gets off of me and I retch slightly before getting shakily to my paws. Rowanfur stands before me, flanked by a dozen or so warriors at his side. He has blood on his paws and it isn't mine. I don't want to think about where it came from.
“You're WaterClan.” he meows. “What brings you here?”
I stay silent, trying to think. My throat hurts like nothing I've ever felt before, but maybe I can call for the others...would they hear me? We're far away from the clearing and oh sweet StarClan it hurts.
“If you're here to get Firestar, you're a little too late.”
I blink. How could he know that the others got to the den? Unless he was there...but if he had been, he'd be bleeding more. Badgerstrike would make sure of that. My eyes flick to his paws, coated with blood.
Could he have killed...?
No.
No.
“Whose squad are you in?” Rowanfur asks. He looks like he already knows but I clamp my jaws shut, refusing to give up Badgerstrike. Rowanfur sighs.
“Rosefire-”
He's interrupted by a caterwaul. A golden streak flies into him and the FireClan cats are thrown into a disarray. Gorsefur's in front of me suddenly. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I rasp. Then I nod my head to make sure he gets it. His face relaxes and he looks around.
“We have to get out of here,” he meows, more to himself than to me.
Oakclaw has leapt from Rowanfur to another FireClan cat and Shadowsong is facing down Rosefire. Badgerstrike yowls at Gorsefur, “Run!”
He's right of course, there's no way we can win this. But it's so odd to hear him say it.
Gorsefur nods, “Oakclaw, Shadowsong, Silverflower!” He yowls. Oakclaw gives a last smack to the tom he was fighting and bounds over to us. Shadowsong snaps at Rosefire's heels and does the same.
Silverflower is over by Badgerstrike. She hears Gorsefur's call, turns and starts towards us. She seems to remember Badgerstrike is with her too. She turns back, trying to find the commander.
But Badgerstrike has vanished, bounding over to where Roawnfur lays crumpled. He nudges the tom, as if he's trying to wake him.
It feels like everything moves too slowly and too quickly after that.
Silverflower doesn't see Badgerstrike and she must have assumed he's with us already. She's almost as cocky as Oakclaw, assuming no one will have noticed her all by herself and come running to attack her. She pivots back to us, but a FireClan warrior has materialized between her and us.
I stand, rooted to the spot. Oakclaw is running, but he will be too late. Shadowsong screams something.
Adderscar's not here to save her this time. No one to push her out of the way and take the blow. The FireClan cat's bite lands.
Silverflower's beautiful face is a mask of shock as she falls to the ground. Her eyes are dull by the time she hits. She's dead by the time Oakclaw skids to a halt as the FireClan cats turn on him.
Badgerstrike doesn't see any of it. Rowanfur is awake now and they seem to be talking.
Silverflower's body seems very small as blood leaks out of her throat. She doesn't twitch or scream, she's already gone. I stare in wide-eyed shock because this is impossible. We all figured someone would die, but....
The FireClan cats rush, like a wave, to us.
Oakclaw rushes past Gorsefur and I, head-butting Shadowsong none too gently. She looks at him with wide amber eyes and he practically drags her from the clearing.
Gorsefur stares at Silverflower, not noticing the FireClan cats almost upon us. I grab his scruff and yank, but I'm not all that strong. I let adrenaline take over and manage to get him a couple pawsteps away. He stops fighting me and we turn and run but I expect teeth on me at any second.
I hear Rowanfur shout something and the FireClan cats stop chasing us. I look back to see them blinking in confusion as we get away.
I've never seen Shadowsong, Oakclaw, or Gorsefur cry. They all still stand in my mind as stoic stones, unbreakable and untouchable.
As soon as we get out of Main, Oakclaw is the first to fall. A root looped around his paw brings him crashing to the ground and he gets up, but I can see how blurry his eyes are. Shadowsong looks straight ahead, hardly blinking.
Gorsefur runs beside me and I can't stand to look at him. The agony in his face is more than I can bear to see. Not because I have feelings for him, but because he's my friend. Because that kind of hurt is something you can't look at lightly and because I know all he's thinking is that he failed. Again.
The WaterClan border comes in sight and I heave a sigh of relief. My eyes haven't remained dry either, but I refuse to let myself break down.
This is a war. This happens.
Not to me, I think miserably, And it shouldn't have happened to someone as good as Silverflower.
We cross the border and I finally let myself sit. My throat burns and my side is still bleeding a little and I can't...
The shadows of cats appear before us. "It's them!" a familiar voice cries. Paws thunder towards us and I look up.
Adderscar, looking more worried then I've ever seen him, blinks down at us. "Oh thank StarClan you're alright Badgerstrike knocked me out and I think something's wrong with him and I tried to warn you but you already left and I couldn't and-" he blinks. "Where's Badgerstrike?"
And then his eyes widen ever so slightly. "Where's Silverflower?"
Gorsefur, the only one of us who isn't either on the ground or struggling with tears stand. The self-hatred in his face is obvious.
"Adderscar, something went wrong..."