Warriors! Moonstars journey.

Chapter 4

Moonkit dug her claws as deep as they would go into the hollow log, the badgers jaws snapping a mouse length away, terror spiraling in her mind.

"Get out of here! Mangy flea bag!" Moonkit hisses, slashing at the badger with outstretched claws, her silver fur standing on end, and the badger rears back, blood glistening on its berry sized nose.

Shocked, moonkit watches as it pulls its head back out of the end of the log, and it roars, bucking and snarling.

Did i do that? Moonkit wondered, shocked. Then she saw a glint of silver, clinging to the badgers back.

"Frostshine! No!" Moonkit gasped in shock, watching the only mother she remembered, battling the badger.

The badger reared again, throwing frostshine off its back. She lands hard, the breath knocked out of her, and the badger swings around, its giant paw raised to stomp on the silver queen.

"NO!" Shrieking in horror, moonkit dashed out, and sank her claws into the badgers hind leg.

The badger snarled again, and kicked her off, its claws scoring a deep scratch down her side. White hot agony exploded inside moonkit, and she cried out, feeling her paws leave the ground.

Slamming onto the ground a couple fox lengths away, moonkit lost her breath. Gasping, moonkit opened her eyes, seeing willowkit hovering over her, her eyes wide with terror and awe.

"You attacked a badger! But you got hurt! Ill be back!" Willowkit turned and vanished into the bushes.

Moonkit looked over to where the badger was still battling with frostshine, the silver queen leaping nimbly from side to side, confusing the great beast.

Her head suddenly heavy, moonkit layer her head down, her eyes closing. The wound on her side numb and her fur felt hot and sticky. She barely heard her sisters return, nor did she feel when her sister pressed cobwebs to her wound.

But she did hear the horrible screech, cut off by a terrible snapping sound that reminded her of when the elders crunched the bones of a mouse in their old jaws. Opening her eyes, moonkit saw the badger lumbering away, Bleeding heavily, leaving a motionless silver bundle beside the hollow log.

Willowkit whimpers, her eyes wide, looking at moonkit. "She... She got hurt moonkit! I have to help her!" Moonkit couldn't respond. She knew in her wart that something far worse was going on. But she forced herself to her paws, and goes to the silver queens side.

"Frostshine... Wake up..." Moonkits voice was soft and broken. She nudged the queen gently, feeling her shift limply under her paws.

A cry of grief swelled in willowkit's throat. Moonkit couldn't voice her pain. She just stated blankly at the silver fur of the queen that died to save her. Curling beside frostshine, moonkit closed her eyes tightly, pretending she was just in the nursery, having a bad dream.

A nudge on her shoulder made her look up, the dawn patrol clustered around her and willowkit. Hawkshadow in the lead, his amber eyes wide with pain.

"H-how did this h-happen?" His meow cracked, grief etched into his face. Moonkit remembered that frostshine was the warriors mother.

"A... Badger..." Moonkit meowed, her meow broken with pain, "she saved us... And then... The badger..." Moonkit closed her eyes, unable to finish.

Hawkshadow nodes, sweeping his tail around moonkit and willowkit.

"Lets get them back to camp." He meows, and the rest of the cats nod, applepaw coming up and nudging willowkit.

"Its ok willowkit. Im here." Her meow was soft and she brushed her fur against willowkit's.

Willowkit nods, following the patrol wordlessly, and moonkit follows behind her. The wound on her side throbbing.

Thats going to be a nasty scar. But that's ok. Ill remember that badger for the rest of my life. Moonkits thought swam, and exhaustion pulled at her paws. She closed her eyes and images flashes through her mind. Images of a silver queen with gentle blue eyes, and a journey through hard streets and hungry times.

Then everything went black.