Destined To The Stars |•Book #1•| Fallen Wings

Chapter Ten

He's dead.

Dead because of me.

FatePaw was stumbling clumsily through the hedge, not caring when thorns tore through his pelt. A fight had broken out, and now everyone was heading back towards camps. A fight because of Atticus, and the warriors who had grown so angry.

OwlStar had announced Atticus joining, and AceStrike had grown angry, yowling words of Atticus' danger too the clans. Warriors had yowled their support, and FallenPaw had snarled. FallenPaw had unsheathed his claws, and had leapt Infront of his friend to protect him from the angry words of warriors.

Then a fight had broken out. Cat's of all clans had fought, tooth and claw, until the dying scream of GooseEye had stopped them, as swiftly as a cloud to the moon. FatePaw couldn't help but feel that this was a sign from his warrior spirits. His uneasiness grew as he saw the shape of a cat in the clouds, with a flat, broad muzzle. He was sure it was YellowFang. A moment later, the shape of the cat looked away in disappointment, and then, it was a normal cloud again.

FatePaw lowered his head; the StarClan was angry. This had been a warning; blood never should've been shed, and a warrior had paid the price. FatePaw wondered if GooseEye was watching from above.

Cats seemed to surround him, all of them heading back to camp, like minnows upstream. They hadn't seemed to notice the cloud. His tail dragged in the dirt below. Rain was pouring down, soaking FatePaw. Pelt's brushed against FatePaw's, and he stared numbly ahead, eyes set onto the warrior that had been lost tonight. GooseEye had been slain by an unknown warrior, torn across the throat. He had died before FatePaw could've helped him.

Even in death, he looked young; his fur was smoothed, his paws small and soft. His claws dragged limply on the ground as PoolWish hauled herself towards camp. Her green eyes were dull with shock. FatePaw remembered her angry outburst. She had nearly attacked him, due to his failure of saving the lost warrior. She had already lost her other kit, StoneStar. Then she had lost another.

SandFur was behind PoolWish, his gaze numb with shock. He had scratches across his flank, and a bite mark on his paws. No cat spoke. Shudders shook through his pelt: he had been GooseEye's best friend. The two had always supported each other, and their opinions against FallenPaw. SandFur would miss GooseEye, FatePaw could tell.

Grief could turn a cat dangerous. FatePaw looked for wounded warriors. In a fight like what had happened, warriors were bound to be hurt. ThrushFur was licking her flank, where bits of fur had been torn off. She looked up, suddenly looking frightened, and dashed away. FatePaw frowned. What was that about?

MilkFeather was limping on her front paw, while MouseTail hung his head low, blood dripping down from a scratch across his eye. Every other cat had un-serious wounds. He'd need to check on MouseTail first, he decided. If he didn't, the wound could grow. They could lose another warrior. WeepingShadow was supporting MouseTail.

The clan entered camp. Warriors looked up, looking shocked at the sight of the dead warrior. Wail's filled the clearing. LavaBlaze dashed out, his eyes wide with horror.

The wind blew the reeds around them. The reeds seemed to whisper, whispering the words, Farewell, warrior. Farewell.

"What in StarClan happened?" The elder rasped. He had asked to stay at camp during this gathering due to a aching chest: FatePaw guessed he hadn't expected this to happen. His gaze fitted from warrior to warrior: he seemed to be accessing the damage, and the wounds of the warriors. His eye's fitted on the pelt of GooseEye and his tail drooped.

SandFur spoke up, "There was a fight," he growled, his voice low. FatePaw stiffened. The grief in SandFur's gaze had been replaced with a fierce anger. "Atticus is a threat. FallenPaw decided to start a fight by unsheathing his claws to "protect" that mangepelt," his eye's narrowed. "That apprentice caused the death of GooseEye." His claws dug into the earth as the sky screamed around them. "The prophecy is right!"