Warrior Cats: The Deaf Warrior

Chapter Fifty One

Orange flames started to consume the camp. All the fighting cats broke away from eachother in panic, desperately fleeing towards the camp exit.

Goosewing scanned the camp, trying to catch sight of Sheepcloud, Fuzzytuft or Dawnwhisker. Instead, he spotted a familiar shape, crashing to the ground, smoke around her. Leopardtail.

He was about to run over and try to help her, but several of her Clanmates quickly grabbed the elder and started dragging her towards the camp exit. I hope she's okay.

Goosewing continued to look for Sheepcloud, Fuzzytuft and Dawnwhisker, but then he felt himself being dragged towards the camp exit by Whitestar and Iceheart. He tried to free himself, but their grip was too strong.

"Sheepcloud!" he called out, wondering how loud his voice was. He could feel his body shaking. "Fuzzytuft! Dawnwhisker!"

They were outside the camp now. Goosewing was pushed further away from the camp by the fleeing cats, and he could feel Whitestar's eyes on him. If he tried to turn around and go back to the camp, Whitestar would stop him.

Eventually, they reached the Thunderpath. Whitestar nudged Goosewing across as if he could sense his hesitance. Goosewing spotted several foxes crossing the Thunderpath as well, trying to escape the flames. Luckily, the foxes didn't decide to bother the other cats, clearly aware they were outnumbered, though they ran into RiverClan's territory instead.

That isn't good.

But the fact that I still can't see Sheepcloud, Fuzzytuft or Dawnwhisker is worse.

Then she spotted Dawnwhisker, bounding powerfully across the Thunderpath. Her eyes shone with relief as she spotted her parents, and then saw Goosewing with them.

After a while, cats stopped crossing the Thunderpath. Goosewing's blood ran cold. There was still no sign of his mother or Fuzzytuft.

Then, he noticed that Thornstrike was running back across the Thunderpath. Several ShadowClan cats quickly grabbed him and dragged him back to safety, and Thornstrike glared at them.

Goosewing wondered whether he should try his luck. Whitestar and Iceheart were talking to Dawnwhisker. The ground was vibrating powerfully under his paws, and there seemed to be a large amount of monsters about. But my mother and my mate are still in that forest. I need to save them.

Whitestar grabbed him, and shook his head. "No, Goosewing."

Goosewing didn't want to argue with his leader, but this was important. "But my mother and Fuzzytuft are in there!" He begged.

Whitestar gazed at him, sympathy in his eyes. "And you prioritise them over yourself. But I want to treat all my cats equally. Sheepcloud and Fuzzytuft have eachother. If you go back, we risk losing a third cat."

Goosewing knew there was no way he would be able to escape his leader, who was certainly keeping an eye on him now. He watched Thornstrike, who was pacing up and down beside the Thunderpath. Then, he turned around and started speaking to Lizardstar, his tail lashing as he spoke. Goosewing dared to move a little closer, wondering what was upsetting the brown tom so much.

"He's still in there!" Thornstrike was meowing, pain in his eyes. "Lizardstar... know he's blind! I want... save... little brother!"

Is his younger brother still in the forest too?

Lizardstar answered. "I'm sorry. I know this... for you."

Thornstrike bristled. "Littlefoot could come with me." He flicked his tail towards another ShadowClan warrior, pressumably his sister, who was staring across the Thunderpath with wide, worried eyes. Lizardstar simply shook her head, though Goosewing didn't miss the sympathy in her eyes.

Suddenly, Goosewing felt Whitestar nudging his shoulder, and he turned around. He could see a shape running through the trees, and pausing at the side of the Thunderpath, eyes huge with fear. Fuzzytuft!

She watched the monsters, her entire body shaking. Dawnwhisker slightly stepped onto the Thunderpath, yowling something to the small she cat, and Fuzzytuft crossed thanks to Dawnwhisker's help.

Sheepcloud wasn't with her.

And Goosewing could already tell Sheepcloud would never be with her, either.

In Fuzzytuft's jaws was a small kit. Thornstrike bounded over to her, Littlefoot at his side. "Thank you, Fuzzytuft," he mewed, relief in his eyes. "Thank you... much for saving... little brother."

Fuzzytuft gave him a nod and a smile, before turning to Goosewing. She padded towards him. "I'm sorry."

Goosewing felt like his entire world had suddenly fallen apart.

His mother, who had only ever wanted to protect him, was dead.

He knew it wasn't Fuzzytuft's fault. He would never blame her.

He put his head down, placing it on his paws, and closed his eyes. He could feel his body shaking. Come back, mother, please, come back. He hoped she might come running out of ShadowClan territory at any moment, alive and healthy. But he knew she was dead. There was no way she would survive the fire.

He felt two cats laying down next to him on either side, and briefly opened his eyes to see Dawnwhisker and Fuzzytuft next to him. He felt happy for a brief moment that they were with him, but then remembered who he had lost.

Goosewing felt sick. He felt faint. Whitestar should have let me go back. I should have died instead of her.

When Goosewing opened his eyes again, he realised that all of the cats were gone apart from Dawnwhisker and Fuzzytuft. They hadn't left him.

Goosewing felt a pang of guilt. Flamefeather and Scorchheart were going to find out that Sheepcloud was dead, and thanks to him laying on the ground, it wouldn't be Goosewing who got to tell them.

Goosewing turned to Fuzzytuft. "Are you okay?" The fluffy tabby asked. Goosewing shook his head. Now, he wanted to sleep.

Then, he turned to Dawnwhisker. "We can stay out here as long as you want."

Goosewing realised bitterly that was true. They didn't have Sheepcloud's body. They would probably go get it once the fire was gone, and sit vigil then. He could stay out here for as long as he wanted, and he really did consider never going back to camp.

He felt so guilty.

His entire life, he had been avoiding Sheepcloud because he had hated the way she treated him. But he had always loved her.

I ruined her life.

If I wasn't born, Sheepcloud would have been happy.

"Sheepcloud, I hope you can hear this," Goosewing mewed, "I'm so sorry, for everything."

He followed Dawnwhisker and Fuzzytuft back to camp. Both Clans were gathered. Whitestar and Lizardstar were speaking, probably explaining what had happened.

Goosewing didn't care about the reports, though he did feel a rush of sadness when he saw Leopardtail's lifeless body lying on the ground. The only cat in ShadowClan Goosewing had ever felt friendly with at all was dead, and he felt grief for the elder.

But it didn't compare to the grief he felt for Sheepcloud. It was like his entire body was on fire.

So then, he imagined that Sheepcloud's body was on fire instead.

And he felt sick again.

That had actually happened to her.

Flamefeather and Scorchheart turned their heads in Goosewing's direction as he entered the camp. Dawnwhisker and Fuzzytuft quickly moved away from him, as though they sensed he wanted to be alone with his family.

Scorchheart rushed over to Goosewing, pressing himself against his brother. Scorchheart was trembling. Goosewing had never seen his brother so broken.

Flamefeather padded over more slowly. Goosewing could tell that his father was trying to stay calm, but his blue eyes were filled with grief. He licked Goosewing's head, and then faced him. "You did it all you could," he mewed. "And I'm glad that you're safe."

"She should be alive," Goosewing answered. "And I should be dead."