Warrior Cats: CloudClan's Ending

Twelve

   The Clan was utterly shocked when Cedarpelt came back with three bodies. Dragging two in his maw, and one on his back. Lynxear was on his back, he had to be careful because whatever Lynxear had could still be transferrable. Carrying the black loner was probably safer since they had been dead longer.

   "What in the name of StarClan has happened here?!" Fernstar ran over to Cedarpelt.

   "I don't even know myself," Cedarpelt sighed.

    Then there it was. Heatherwing was staring down from her tree in absolute horror. She turned around, probably telling her kits to stay, and jumped down the tree. She was stunned from the fall but she nevertheless ran over to Lynxear.

   "H-how?" Tears swelled in her eyes, "How is that possible?"

   Cedarpelt's head hung low, "I went to go help Lynxear with the patrolling, and when I came there, he was murdering Willowclaw."

   The cats glanced at Willowclaw's limp body.

   "He wasn't himself," Cedarpelt assured, "His eyes were like a mountain lion's. Merciless. Foam was bubbling around his mouth, eyes were bloodshot.

   "And there was this black loner beside him. He had dried spit around his mouth as well."

   Driftsong sniffed the black loner, "He smells infected, my guess is rabies."

   "What now?" Fernstar scoffed.

   "Rabies," Driftsong lightly growled, "It's rare, but it's a disease that can basically control it's victim. Chances are, the black tom had it, attacked and bit Lynxear, then Lynxear was under control and killed the tom. Willowclaw most likely heard the clamor and came to check in. Then this happened. But how did Lynxear die?"

   "He came after me," Cedarpelt was on the verge of crying, "I climbed a tree and he followed me. Then he pounced at me, and I couldn't just let him attack me...I bat him out of the tree."

   Driftsong sighed, "You didn't mean it Cedarpelt, you had to protect yourself and I'm glad you're safe."

   Heatherwing yowled, "It was you? You! You killed my mate!"

   The she-warrior started going frantic and pounced on Cedarpelt, tearing out clumps of his fur.

   Fernstar jumped at Heatherwing, knocking her off of Cedarpelt, "Stop!"

   Heatherwing hissed and crawled back up the tree.

   Fernstar apologized to Cedarpelt for the incident.

   "It's okay, she just needs time," he sniffed.

    "Warriors of CloudClan!" Fernstar called out around her, "We have lost two very good warriors tonight, and we will mourn their death."

   Cedarpelt sat by the fresh kill pile, he didn't feel like mourning his mentor. Not because he was selfish, but because it was really hard on him. Lynxear was like his father. His own father died a few quarter moons after Cedarpelt was born, he didn't remember his father at all. He would mourn later in the night, he decided.

   Driftsong hurried over to the prey, "Don't eat anything!"

   "Why?" Cedarpelt was just about to grab a mouse.

   "They could be infected," Driftsong picked at them, surveying their mouths for dry spit. 

   To Cedarpelt's surprise, he actually picked out a few, including the mouse that Cedarpelt had almost eaten.

   Driftsong turned towards the center of camp, where most cats were, "Have me check your prey before you eat it! Unless you want to end up like those two!"

   They nodded and went back to murmuring prayers to StarClan. Cedarpelt glanced up at Heatherwing, who was looking down at her mate with sorrow. He decided that he would go talk to her.

   Cedarpelt climbed up the tree to her tree nest. He poked his head in to find the two kits playing in the small space they were confined to.

   "They don't know yet," She muttered, answering Cedarpelt's thought.

   "You'll have to tell them," Cedarpelt sighed, "As hard as it is."

   "I can't," Her eyes glazed over, "They'll live the rest of their life in sorrow. I don't want them to dwell on his death as I probably will."

   Cedarpelt pressed his ears against his head in irritation, "I lost my mother at their age. Look at me, do you see me in the corner, mourning her? No. Lynxear doesn't want any of you to dwell over his death like this."

   "Your mother was my first mentor," Heatherwing was looking at Lynxear again, changing the subject. Cedarpelt let it change.

   "Really?"

   "Before she was announced pregnant, she trained me for a couple of moons. I loved her so much. Then I had to transfer mentors when she announced it. I had just become a warrior when you three were born."

   "Mother?" Stormkit wobbled over to her, "Why is Lynxear sleeping?" Bramblekit soon joined him, eager for an answer.

   Heatherwing hesitated, "He's gone."

   Bramblekit froze, "Like...Patchjaw?"

   Heatherwing nodded, "Like Patchjaw."

    "No!" Stormkit yelled, "He isn't dead! You're lying!"

   "Yeah!" Bramblekit sniffed, "You're tricking us!"

   "She isn't," Cedarpelt sighed, "Lynxear is in StarClan."

   "StarClan can do anything! They can make Lynxear come back!" Stormkit sobbed, "Right?"

   Cedarpelt shook his head.

   Bramblekit and Stormkit huddled in the corner of the tree nest, breathing rapidly in disbelief.

   "I feel horrible," Heatherwing cried.

   "Being told that one of your parents died never goes well. I felt the same as them, in fact, I went on for a quarter moon thinking that my mother was just sleeping."

   The entrance rustled with movement, every cat turned towards it.

   Shadewhisker, Hawktalon, and Silentstep burst through the entrance, skidding on the ground.

   "Intruders! Lots of them!"