Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 2. (A Path Beyond Stars)

~A Path Beyond Stars: Chapter 12~

The next morning, the cool air swept through the clearing. Frost covered the ground and coated the lichen hanging from the dens. Reedtail shook her fur and quickly groomed her paw, then turned her head to see Spidertail, Redpelt, Fernfeather, Windcaller and Swiftflight missing from the den. Iris-Eye, Mossgaze, Voleroach and Stonestar were sitting in the clearing near the Medicine Den where Pebblesoot slept.
Spiraltail, Whitestripe, Ashpelt, Whiteshine, Tigerfur and Flameclaw were sleeping in their nests. Reedtail didn't know why she was surprised to see Tigerfur and Ashpelt there, probably because she half expected Ashpelt to be visiting Horizon and Tigerfur to be out on the morning patrol, but she guessed Stonestar had woken to tell the others to rest.
Reedtail stretched and quietly padded outside the den to visit the nursery. She ducked inside the warm den to see Willowleaf and Specklefern asleep in opposite corners of the den while Fuzzyear lay with her sleeping kits, grooming their fur.
Reedtail looked around. "Where is Daisypelt?" she whispered to Fuzzyear, who had greeted her with a simple nod.
"I'm not sure," the gray queen replied. "She wasn't here when I woke. I thought she would be with the elders, but when I sent Stripedpaw in there to check, she said she couldn't find her."
"Odd." Reedtail thought for a minute. Where would a queen such as Daisypelt possibly want to go? She wouldn't willingly leave camp.
Reedtail looked down at Fuzzyear's kits. "Would you like me to fetch some prey?"
Fuzzyear smiled. "I would appreciate it," she said.
Reedtail nodded and ducked out of the nursery, slinking over to the fresh-kill pile where only eight pieces of prey remained.
She took a few voles and a couple of mice, then padded back to the nursery, feeling a chill along the way.
She halted. What was that? She looked around, but there was no wind brushing the leaves in the camp, no breeze chilling her paws or ears.
She shivered then made her way back to the nursery, leaving some prey for Fuzzyear and her kits while eating one of the mice.
"Reedtail," Russetfire said from outside the Medicine Den. She beckoned her over and Reedtail finished her mouse, padding toward the young Medicine Cat.
"Yes?"
"Crookedfire isn't here."
"He's not?" If Crookedfire was missing and Daisypelt wasn't in camp...
"He was gone when I woke up. Stripedpaw visited me before leaving with Fernfeather and told me Fuzzyear had sent her to find Daisypelt."
Reedtail knew Russetfire was as concerned as she was on the matter. Crookedfire was dangerous and Daisypelt was old.
"I want to go and stop him from doing anything to Daisypelt," Russetfire said worriedly, repeating Reedtail's own thoughts, "but I can't leave Pebblesoot here when nobody else knows herbs."
"I know some herbs," said a small voice from behind. Reedtail and Russetfire looked at Frostkit in surprise.
"You're too young," Russetfire said seriously.
"You're not old," the kit reflected.
"I'm older than you. Wait with your mother and brothers."
Frostkit flattened her ears and sadly padded back to the nursery.
"You've been teaching her?" Reedtail asked.
"No," Russetfire said with a shake of her head. "I don't know why she thinks that. I don't know anyone else who knows herbs other than Crookedfire and the other Medicine Cats. Fernfeather knows a bit, but she's busy enough with Stripedpaw."
Russetfire looked uncertainly at the sleeping RiverClan warrior inside the Medicine Den. "I can't leave him alone. What if something happens?"
Reedtail sighed. She knew Russetfire's concern was rising by the second, and there wasn't much she could do outside ThunderClan other than keep Reedtail away from poisonous plants. Medicine Cats could fight, but not as well as warriors.
Before Russetfire could reply, a worried gasp sounded from the camp entrance, followed by furious panting. Stripedpaw quickly ran towards Russetfire.
"Russetfire!" cried Spiraltail's younger sister.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Stonestar!" she exclaimed. "Stonestar left with Iris-Eye, Mossgaze and Voleroach to meet us on the patrol. A badger came out of nowhere and tried to attack us and he's badly injured!"
"Where is he?" Russetfire asked, standing immediately.
"Not far from the border that separates RiverClan," the young apprentice puffed. "We were hunting around there because we heard something moving around."
"Then let's go!" Russetrfire ordered. Reedtail, Russetfire and Stripedpaw shot out of the camp and ran to where yowls and shrieking could be heard.
Stripedpaw was right; Stonestar lay on his side in front of a large black-and-white creature while the other ThunderClan warriors did their best to either help the leader or attack the badger.
"Stripedpaw, take your brother back to camp now!" Reedtail ordered. The two small tabby apprentices ran quickly away from the area and dove into the camp.
Russetfire called to the warriors that were dangerously injured. Spidertail, Windcaller, Voleroach, Iris-Eye and Swiftflight followed the younger Medicine Cat inside.
Only Reedtail, Fernfeather, Stonestar, Mossgaze and Redpelt remained.
Mossgaze charged for the creature's hind legs as it smashed its tail into Redpelt's side. Reedtail went for its front paws while Fernfeather struggled to drag Stonestar away from the scene.
Fernfeather made it ten pawsteps away before the badger barged into Fernfeather, toppling her over and making her drop Stonestar while the beast kicked Mossgaze and Reedtail away. Redpelt wheezed and stared at the badger, his eyes wide with fright.
Reedtail ran into the badger's legs, attempting to trip it up. The badger rounded on her and swiped at her face, missing by a whisker.
Fernfeather shook herself and sat up. She snarled as the badger continued to try and attack Reedtail.
Mossgaze got to his feet and helped Fernfeather to attack the badger from behind while Reedtail dragged Stonestar further toward the entrance and doubled back to get Redpelt.
Before she reached the dark ginger warrior, the badger jumped and landed on his body. Reedtail slammed her eyes shut as a sickening crack filled her ears. She shuddered and slowly opened her eyes to see Redpelt's head crushed beneath the badger's claws. Blood covered the grass and stained the badger's paw.
Fernfeather stared at Redpelt's dead body in fury. She ran at the badger and slashed its eye. Mossgaze and Reedtail ran over to help and, finally, the large creature fell, breathing no longer.
"Come," Fernfeather ordered the two of them. "He deserves a burial. And Russetfire will need help tending to the wounded."
Fernfeather helped Reedtail carry Redpelt's body back to camp and hesitated before leaving for the Medicine Den. The apprentices and kits came out of the nursery to examine the body.
"No," Reedtail said. "You shouldn't need to see this."
"We'll all be sitting vigil tonight though, won't we?" Brackenkit pointed out.
"Go and wait. Now is not the time."
"Okay." Brackenkit and his siblings sulkily walked back to the Nursery while Stripedpaw and Darkpaw made their way to the elders' den and warriors' den to deliver the news of Redpelt's death.
Reedtail padded over to the Medicine Den. While she waited outside, she could hear Russetfire muttering in stress. Reedtail saw Pebblesoot limp out of the Medicine Den, nodding a greeting to her, then padded over to where Rockhopper and Beeflower sat near Redpelt's body. Tigerfur, Spiraltail, Ashpelt, Whiteshine and Whitestripe had probably woken during the battle, but they were in the clearing now, alongside Specklefern.
"If you two could leave the den for a moment, that'd be appreciated," Russetfire said to Fernfeather and Mossgaze.
Fernfeather reluctantly followed Mossgaze as they made their way to the center of the clearing.
"Do you need any help?" Reedtail offered.
"Some water would be useful," Russetfire replied, poking her head out of the Medicine Den. "I've got some moss in here you can use to carry it. Wait there."
Russetfire disappeared for a short moment, then came back with a fat wad of moss in her mouth. She placed it down in front of Reedtail. "There's barely anyone in RiverClan's camp and some of these wounds badly need to be cleaned. Go to the river and bring it back when you're done."
Reedtail picked the moss ball up in her mouth and padded off to the river. She moved carefully around the badger and the multiple blood stains around it.
Hmm. Strange. What badger would attack now? It'd be too early for it to go hunting.
Reedtail's thoughts repeated and, once she was finished with the moss, switched to Crookedfire. He and Daisypelt still weren't in camp. Worry clouded her mind while she walked back to the Medicine Den, the wet moss ball held between her jaws.
"Thank you," Russetfire said before grabbing the moss from Reedtail.
Reedtail sighed. Her father had spent most of Spiraltail, Ashpelt and Whitestripe's apprenticeship in the Medicine Den. If he didn't live through his wounds, Fernfeather would become leader.
She wouldn't be a terrible leader, she reminded herself. I hate to admit it, but she'd probably be better than Stonestar. The concern of who she would make deputy, however...
Reedtail found herself stuck with these thoughts for the rest of the day. The remaining warriors had finished the interrupted hunting patrol and removed the badger's body. Redpelt's blood still stained the grass in that area, but they could do nothing more than sit vigil soon.
Stonestar, Windcaller and Voleroach had been ordered to stay inside the den after the vigil, if they were well enough to make it. Reedtail hadn't been allowed inside the Medicine Den to check on any of them.
Spidertail and the others were gathered around Redpelt's body. Fernfeather sat next to Specklefern who was closest to him while everyone else lingered back slightly.
"This shouldn't have had to happen," Specklefern whispered in a tone containing fear, remorse and anger all in one.
The warriors and elders sat there for the night. Stripedpaw and Darkpaw did their best, and eventually went back to their den when they grew tired. The kits sat for a short while before going to sleep. Fuzzyear had quietly taken her kits and padded softly back to the Nursery for the night. Willowleaf had been in pain when Redpelt's body was brought back, and she had gone to sleep for most of the day before following the other queens into the clearing.
Reedtail felt that same chill from earlier in the day. She shivered and looked around, but again, no wind blew. Eventually, dawn came and the injured warriors had retreated back to their places in the camp.