(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 25

Emberheart drowsily opened her eyes. She got up and arched her back in a long, satisfying stretch while yawning. Anxiety burst inside of her for a second as she swung her head frantically around in search for Speckledstones; she was relieved to see that she was worried for nothing–her mate was laying down right next to her, peacefully snoring. Emberheart smiled warmly at him.

She looked around at the terrain surrounding them.

Behind Emberheart, tall mountains loomed over the two, casting long shadows over the soft, springy grass they were resting on. In front of Emberheart lied the Thunderpath separating Windclan and the mountains.

Emberheart remembered guiltily that she had chosen an area near the mountains housing the Moonstone for her and her mate to rest for a couple of days. There was no other option. Emberheart reminded herself over and over, trying to shake off the overwhelming shame she felt from picking such a sacred place for herself and Speckledstones to settle down in.

Emberheart suddenly heard a loud and low yaaaawn next to her, and when she looked to her right to try and figure out the source, she saw Speckledstones slowly getting to his paws and parting his jaws for a large and loud yawn. She gazed fondly at him as he arched his back in a long stretch, his muscles rippling underneath his pelt.

Speckledstones sighed. "Forgot we moved here. The ground is so hard..." he grumbled.

Emberheart frowned. "C'mon, Speckledstones. This is sacred ground. Have a little respect." She lectured.

"It's not sacred ground until you get into that cave, I've said this!" he said grumpily. Emberheart sighed. "Whatever." she huffed.

The two of them sat down next to each other, staring across the Thunderpath at Windclan territory. Emberheart watched wistfully over the moor as she remembered all the memories she made in Windclan. Guilt tugged at her belly as she remembered that she'd left Rainbowpaw behind without a medicine cat name–not that she'd had much of a choice in being exiled–.

Speckledstones stiffened beside Emberheart. She glanced at her mate, worried. Speckledstones got up and began sniffing the air, his ears turned away from his body. He seemed to be looking for something.

Emberheart then smelled something as well. It was a dreadful smell, musty and dank. Her heart sank as she heard a low growl behind her, in a bush. She swiveled her head around, her heart beating so fast she thought it would skip a beat.

She saw it. The unkempt and dirty brown fur of a large dog. It had no collar, so Emberheart assumed it was a stray. It bared its fangs, and slimy drool dripped from its jaw as it stepped–one paw at a time–towards Emberheart.

The dog lunged at her, and Emberheart braced herself, knowing full well that she was mostly incapable of fighting off a full-grown dog.

She then heard a wham! And when she pried her eyes open again, she saw that Speckledstones had launched himself at the dog and was wrestling on the ground with the huge brute.

Emberheart's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to help him.

Without thinking, she ran over to the dog at full speed, ramming into its side and knocking it off of Speckledstones. She looked down at her mate; he had a few claw marks in his shoulders, and they seemed to be bleeding pretty badly.

Speckledstones–without a word–launched himself at the dog again, attempting to bite the back of the dog's neck and propel himself on its back. Emberheart gulped. It was a dangerous stunt, but she couldn't stop him. He was already halfway on the dog, his neck outstretched, reaching for the dog's nape.

Emberheart had faith in him that he could do it. She yelled out, "C'mon, you got this!" at the top of her lungs. She'd helped him already, but she had no fighting skills, so she imagined she'd only get in the fighting tom's way.

The dog suddenly whipped its head around and bit down hard on Speckledstones' neck. Emberheart felt the earth collapsing underneath her as the dog yanked Speckledstones off of its back before he could even reach its nape. The dog shook Speckledstones around, and slowly, his body went limp. The dog had penetrated Speckledstones' bow around his neck, and the blue tie with a star in the middle draped gracefully on the ground.

The dog cast a longing look at Emberheart, as though it wished it could sink its teeth into her neck as well. She shivered horribly.

The dog dragged Speckledstones' limp body along the ground, leaving a trail of blood as it walked off toward Shadowclan territory.

Emberheart stood, dumbfounded, staring at the trail of blood on the ground. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she fell down the ground, shaking. Speckledstones was dead, or at least about to die. Shame built up inside her, so intense she thought she might just shrivel up and blow away right then and there.

Speckledstones was dead. And she couldn't do anything. She was shivering and shaking, horror and despair enveloping her.

She sat there for a few moments, taking everything in. Nothing felt real. She was going to spend the rest of her life with Speckledstones, and all of a sudden, all of her plans had been thrown out the window. She had nowhere else to go, now that her mate was dead. It seemed like the world had no place for her.

Then, a realization hit her. She stood up and shook herself. She spat on the ground scornfully. I don't have to wallow in my grief. Speckledstones is dead, and I'm going to avenge him. She thought determinedly.

She was going to take out the dog that killed her mate, no matter what.

She dashed off through the bushes in pursuit of the dog, following its wretched scent. She scrunched up her nose, but didn't slow her pace. Resolution had built up inside of her, and she wasn't going to back down.

Emberheart ran and ran, off to murder the dog that brutally murdered Speckledstones.