Darkstar's Wrath - A Faith's Journey Super Edition

Chapter 29

The light momentarily blinded Darkblood as he and Crimsonclaw braced the rock so the clan could crawl out to the open ground. Wolfblaze stood at the base of the slope, ushering the clan to the camp above. 

Once the clan was up in the clearing, the scruffy gray-furred warrior padded up after them. Darkblood arched his back, and with Crimsonclaw's help, they rolled the stone and thorn vines to the side of the entrance. 

The clan was shifting on their paws, looking unsure of the what to do. Stormhawk had his back to the clan and was peering out of the camp's entrance hole.

"StarClan how could you have let this happen...?"

Darkblood's ears pricked up at how scared Stormhawk's voice sounded, it was soft like a whisper and when he turned his amber eyes were round with surprise and fear.

Crimsonclaw padded over to the deputy's side, looking over the cat's head. After a few moments, he too turned around. "Come and see this." He said softly.

Darkblood's paws felt boulders, weighing him down as he took his first few steps toward the two warriors. Darkblood's heart beat with fear, he wasn't sure he wanted to see what their territory looked like now that the twoleg monster had ravaged it.

After what seemed like a full night, Darkblood reached the sides of the Stormhawk and Crimsonclaw, the rest of the clan followed suit.

Darkblood felt his whole body freeze as he stepped paw out of the camp, he hardly felt his fellow warriors brush past him.

The territory could still be recognized as FoxClan's, but it was different. Strange. Unfamiliar yet familiar. Dug ruts had scared the earth, born from the monster's boulder like paws. Large scraps of dirt and been thrown about, like pieces of unwanted crowfood. The grass that had enveloped FoxClan's hunters whilst on patrols had been cut short, barely covering the cat's paws anymore. Large closed tunnels of hay and alfalfa were now scattered across the field that the clan called home. The air stank with the stench of twolegs and monsters.

"Wh-Where's Adderstar..?" Sorrelstripe asked in a quiet voice.

Stormhawk's eyes were gazing around as far as they could see, desperately searching for the red long-furred tom.

"We should send out a patrol to look for him." Wolfblaze suggested.

Drawn back to his senses, Darkblood shook his pelt out, and turned around to face his clan.

"Stormhawk, myself, Wolfblaze, and Crimsonclaw will go look for Adderstar." His tone came out loud and strong. His earlier fear now gone.

Darkblood could the scent of confusion wafting off his clanmates. Himself and Stormhawk would never be a patrol together if they could help it. Or if Stormhawk wants to keep an eye on me... Darkblood thought bitterly. But alas, he pushed the thought away. This was about Adderstar.

Darkblood glanced at each member he had named. Wolfblaze was looking determined, his head held high. Beside him, Crimsonclaw met his gaze and gave him a nod of his large, red-furred head. On his other side, Stormhawk didn't say anything or meet Darkblood's amber eyes with his own. He simply flicked his tail and Wolfblaze came trotting through the crowd and stopped at the deputy's side.

"The rest of you will wait in camp until we return with Adderstar." Darkblood ordered. 

After a few moments, the clan turned and padded back into camp. 

But one cat stopped. She turned and met Darkblood's gaze. Darkblood held her gaze steadily. 

Swanfeather looked him up and down, her brown eyes squinted, as if she was searching for some sort of clue. Darkblood felt his claws dig themselves into the crumbly dirt, the sun glinted off of them. Swanfeather's eyes trailed from his claws up to his eyes. 

I won't kill Adderstar, Swanfeather. Darkblood growled in his head, his eyes tried to convey what he was thinking but Swanfeather didn't look convinced. Holding his gaze for a moment longer, Swanfeather whipped around, her feathery tail swishing as she ducked back into camp, disappearing as the thorns swallowed her up.