Brambles || Warriors Fanfic

Chapter 10

Sagebreeze's ears pressed against her head. She'd returned soon after she gazed over the wall and stayed in the medicine den overnight with Longwhisker. Occasionally Rockgaze would ask her to help put fresh webs on Whitefoot's wounds, as Milkpaw had disappeared when they left camp last night.

Sagebreeze sat next to Longwhisker, tail wrapped around her paws. They both looked at Whitefoot with clouded eyes. "It should've been me," Sagebreeze whispered, the words choking out of her throat.

"No..." Longwhisker had shook his head gently. "Nobody deserves this... this pain. I wouldn't wish it onto anyone, not even you." He hung his head and closed his eyes. Sagebreeze felt a pang of guilt as she watched the tom grieve. Whitefoot was his brother. Sagebreeze thought. He must've felt guilty for him being mute and this probably made it worse.

Sagebreeze's ears perked up and her head swung to the entrance of the medicine den. Standing there was Milkpaw and Foxpaw, both having solem expressions on their faces. Foxpaw joined Longwhisker and Foxpaw by Whitefoot's side, but Milkpaw waited at the door awkwardly, aware she was in trouble for leaving last night.

"Milkpaw!" Rockgaze hissed, storming out of the second half of the medicine den. "Where in Starclan's name were you last night?"

"I got lost," Milkpaw sighed, avoiding her mentor's furious gaze. "You were going too quickly."

"Too quickly?" Rockgaze scoffed, rearing her head back. "A warrior's life was on the line! What if he died because we were too slow?"

"I don't know!" Milkpaw hissed, taking her eyes off the ground and staring back at her mentor. "I'm sorry I can't run fast enough for you. Can we just get on with today's duties?"

Rockgaze snarled loudly, "How do you expect us to get on with today's duties after the stunt you pulled last night? What if you were killed when we lost you? There's so many predators in the forest, foxes, dogs, badgers and even worse!" She strode over to Milkpaw and lowered her head to Milkpaw's height. "You're lucky I saved you."

"Maybe it would've been better if you let me die," Milkpaw said bitterly. "Then I wouldn't have to try to learn how to save lives when my head isn't big enough to handle it." She passed Rockgaze. "Stop rubbing how you 'saved my life' in my face. If I'm honest, I wish you didn't."

Rockgaze glared over at Milkpaw silently. Sagebreeze felt uncomfortable, watching a heated argument she shouldn't be listening in on. She decided she didn't want to stick around, especially with all the tension. With a quick word to Longwhisker, she exited the den discreetly and let out an exasperated sigh.

As much as I'd like to help out Whitefoot and Longwhisker, I need to get to the bottom of this. Sagebreeze thought. She'd figured that the elders would know something, since when cats died mysteriously, it was usually them who'd witnessed it. Sagebreeze never believed the excuses of 'hunting accidents' because she found the concept silly. 

Sagebreeze pushed her way into the elders den. Empty? She questioned. None of the elders were inside the den, but she could feel the eerie presence of being watched by something. Her fur went on end and her head snapped around to see Thistlepool, standing by the entrance to the den with a sadistic smile on her face.

"Maybe if you're lucky you'll find where we hid them."

"What-" Sagebreeze held back a gasp. That's the reaction she's hoping for, Mousebrain! "Who is they?"

"Well, to give you a hint, they're one of you clanmates," Thistlepool smirked.

"I know that! I'm not a kitten, Thistlepool." Sagebreeze stepped over to Thistlepool and stood tall over her. "Where are they? Who are they?"

"Hey Sagebreeze, wanna hear a funny story?" Thistlepool offered smugly, her gaze cool.

"This isn't the time for-"

"Too bad, I'm telling it anyway. Me and Dogstar loved to go down to twolegplace and 'play' with the kittypets." She gave Sagebreeze a joking look. "Ah, I can see you know that when I say 'play' I actually mean 'attack and maybe kill if we were up for it.' Good to know you and Dogstar are close enough that you know she's not an innocent, benevolent leader."

"Can you get to the point, please?" Sagebreeze groaned. She came for answers but it seemed as if Thistlepool just wanted to stall.

"Alright, but only because you clearly don't care about what I have to say," Thistlepool mocked, then continued, "There was this one kittypet. He was black with a little patch on his chest. Don't remember his name, we just called him 'Little Whiny Raven' to bully him. It was funny and it genuinely upset him so I was happy."

  "He was a strange chap, little raven. Would always talk about his twolegs and how he could understand everything they said, which if you ask me is quite flea-brained, but who cares about my opinion? Anyway, he said that the big twoleg with the-" she paused to snicker, "-beard, would 'sing' to his kittens."

  "He told me they were stories. Honestly, I don't get why the twolegs told them, because they seemed to be making fun of themselves when writing them. His favourite was the one about how the two twolegs rolled down a hill like fools! But my favourite was a different one. It always stuck with me."

She paused menacingly and looked Sagebreeze dead in the eyes.

"I think I might tell you my version, because I'd like to see the dumbfounded look on your face when I tell you."

What- Sagebreeze thought, but was interrupted by Thistlepool.... 'singing' horribly. Sagebreeze guessed it was because she changed the song.

Just the first word sent a shiver down her spine.

"Stupid Eggpaw sat on a wall,

Stupid Eggpaw had a great fall-" 

"What the hell?" Sagebreeze hissed, her eyes lighting up with fear."

"All the queen's warriors and all the queen's toms,

Couldn't put Eggpaw together again~"

Sagebreeze smashed into Thistlepool, knocking her onto the ground. 

"Ow! Sorry, I know the song wasn't-"

"Tell me where Eggpaw is!" Sagebreeze howled, a paw on Thistlepool's throat.

"We left him b-by the trees you and Dogstar climbed!" Thistlepool moaned. "There, happy?"

Sagebreeze lifted her paw off of Thistlepool's throat and bounded out of the elders den. Her eyes frantically scanned for someone to take with her, when her eyes caught Foxpaw. 

"Foxpaw, come with me!" Sagebreeze ordered. To her surprise, Foxpaw did not protest and the two cats rushed towards the forest. The run was not long, it was a short distance before they reached the tall trees that stood high in the sky. Under all of them, lay Eggpaw's body, broken by the fall. Broken when Thistlepool pushed him off the wall.

Foxpaw had crossed Sagebreeze and now stood by Eggpaw's lifeless body, his eyes wide with shock. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Sagebreeze wrapped her tail around Foxpaw, lowering her nose to touch Foxpaw's forehead. "I'm so sorry. Thistlepool murdered him for... for speaking against Dogstar."

"It's all my fault," Foxpaw cried, the words rasping out of his throat. "I-I should've stopped him."

Sagebreeze felt like her heart was going to stop. She held Foxpaw closer to her, half to comfort him, half in fear of losing him too. "You couldn't have done anything, Foxpaw."

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Word count: 1207