Warriors: Jaywing's Journey

Chapter Eight

A black body laid on the ground, as blood welled from his neck wound. Jaywing scurried over to him, dropping to her belly. "Someone get Chiveclaw!" Jaywing yowlled, wailing. She pressed her nose to his pelt. 

"Jaywing, please make sure Hawkstar names Runningpaw, Runningfoot in honor of me." Deadfoot rasped, coughing out blood. Jaywing wailed as she pleaded for him to survive. "I'm sorry, but not everyone can survive wounds like these." He coughed, and Jaywing laid her head on his flank, wailing softly. 

She didn't want Deadfoot to die, she couldn't bare to loose him. She saw Chiveclaw race over, before sitting down. He nosed Deadfoot's wound, but by the time Chiveclaw got there, Deadfoot passed away. Jaywing turned to see Redtail, he stood stunned. Pure rage filled Jaywing, and that pushed her to strike Redtail. 

She raced at Redtail, and lunged at him. The tortoiseshell tom darted to the side, and Jaywing copied. "Die you mangy tom! You killed Deadfoot! You deserve to die!" Jaywing yowled, but then she was cut off by Acornfeather. 

"Stop!" He snapped, and shook his head. "Those kits are going to need you much more than ever before. You kill Redtail, and you'll be looked at like a murderer." He told Jaywing, who stepped towards Acornfeather, and laid her head against him. "We'll carry Deadfoot's body in, you take care of your kits." He meowed, and Jaywing nodded. She headed up the slope, her tail lashing heavily. 

She entered the camp, and her kits raced over. "You're bleeding!" Thistlepaw raced over, before cocking her head. "Where's Deadfoot?" She asked, and Jaywing sat down. 

"Kits, Deadfoot was killed in battle. By Redtail." Jaywing watched her kit shake, before she dug her claws into the ground. "There's no need to be furious, Thistlepaw. Deadfoot died protecting you. You need to train in honor of that." Jaywing meowed, and Thistlepaw looked up at her, before nodding. 

Night fell just as Hawkstar started the ceremony. "I say these words so that StarClan, and Deadfoot shall hear and approve of my choice, Swallowcloud, you shall be HawkClan's new deputy." Hawkstar announced, and Jaywing cast a gaze at the brown tom. He quickly took in the cheers, before Jaywing, Acornfeather, and Robinleap took Deadfoot's body. 

"He'd want to be in the clearing, where we always met." Jaywing meowed, and the two warriors nodded. They headed to the clearing, before digging a hole.  Jaywing stayed by Deadfoot's body, sharing tongues with him one last time. "You were always a strong warrior, even with that dead foot of yours." Jaywing mewed, before laying her head on his flank. 

"This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you leaving RavenClan, Jaywing." A growl came, and Jaywing turned to see Leafpaw. Jaywing's anger began to pulse through her, as her claws slowly slid out. "You caused Deadfoot's death, you kept Redtail's kits from him." She growled. 

"My kits aren't Redtail's. I was never his mate. Deadfoot was my mate. They were his kits. Like you'd understand, Leafpaw. You're just an apprentice." Jaywing snarled, and Leafpaw retorted, telling Jaywing that she was made a warrior almost a half-moon ago. And that her name was Leafwind. Jaywing shook her head and sighed. "You're too young to understand. Ask Shadepelt, he knows for sure that my kits are Deadfoot's." Jaywing turned to her fallen mate, and helped the two warriors lower him into the hole. 

"He told me they were Deadfoot's, and that I should believe him. But then again, he is the brother to the traitor." Leafwind snarled, and Jaywing bared her teeth. In a hurry, Jaywing leaped and pinned Leafwind. 

"If anyone's a traitor, it's Redtail. He broke the code, and killed Deadfoot." Jaywing snarled, and leaned to Leafwind's ear. "But do love my brother. He deserves a kittypet as a mate." Jaywing snarled, before a low hiss came from behind her. "Yeah, yeah, Shadepelt." Jaywing got off her brother's mate, and turned to him. "She better learn that Redtail was never my kits father, or else I will make her." Jaywing snarled. Shadepelt walked over, and brushed his muzzle to his sister's.

"Settle, Jaywing. No one thinks of you as a traitor. After Deadfoot's death, Ravenstar announced that you would be staying in HawkClan, and that if you or your kits decide to return, that they were allowed to." Shadepelt meowed, and nuzzled his sister, before yawning. "You should return to your kits. They need their mother." He meowed, before turning to Leafwind, snapping a low growl at her, he turned and left. Jaywing turned to Acornfeather and Robinleap. They nodded, and headed off. Jaywing followed, before spotting a blue jay. 

"Been a while since I've seen a blue jay!" Acornfeather meowed. Jaywing took off after it, feeling as if the blue jay had caused all of the problem. "Jaywing- Thistlepaw!" Acornfeather yowled, and Jaywing turned to the side, spotting her young gray-and-white daughter. Thistlepaw was racing after the blue jay. 

Jaywing scrambled after her kit, following the blue jay into the Forbidden Woods. They leaped into the woods, before Thistlepaw hissed. "That blue has been flying over HawkClan for days, I want to know where it's taking you, mother." Thistlepaw snarled, and Jaywing nodded. 

The two she-cats leaped over and ducked under the undergrowth, before coming to a small clearing. "Where'd it go?" Jaywing snarled, before looking up. The blue jay was missing. Jaywing turned to her daughter, who was panting heavily. "This can't be happening! We're in Forbidden Woods, and now we don't have an idea were to go!" Jaywing turned to her kit, who was walking over to some brambles. 

"No way..." She breathed, she turned to Jaywing, her green eyes wide. "It's like a camp! Cats must've lived here a long time ago." Thistlepaw shrieked, before entering the camp. Jaywing raced over, before entering. The white she-cat looked around, she could see dens. One was made out of a rock. While the rest were made out of fallen trees. 

"Thistlepaw...we should keep this a secret, just till you're a warrior. Then we can decide what happens." Jaywing gasped, before tensing. Both cats began to sense something. "Who's there?" Jaywing snarled, before turning to the rock den. Her body froze in an instant.