Warriors: Prophecy of the Stars

Chapter Fourteen-

*Following Willowswipe*

"WILLOWSWIPE!" Nightstar's pained yowl echoed down the gorge. The water rushed below, spraying mist onto Willowswipe. Her body ached with every movement, her throat dry, her paws cracked and scraped. Barkstorm had gone into the rushing water, and been swept away. Willowswipe was on a small ledge, only halfway on. With as much strength as she could muster, and opened her mouth.

"Nightstar...." she called weakly. "Help...."

*Following Nightstar*

Nightstar fell to the ground, heart breaking, trying not to wail. His front paws dangled off the edge, his head hung low. The Leafclan cats left slowly,loss pounding them to the ground.

"Get a patrol down there. I will be coming." Nightstar ordered quietly to Sharpnose. Sharpnose's eyes widened.

"A trip down there is like wandering into the adder pit!" Sharpnose sniffed. Nightstar snapped his head up to look at her, anger in his eyes.

"I said to get a patrol down there, and I expect a patrol to get down there! SEND IT NOW!" Nightstar roared. Sharpnose hesitated before shaking her head again.

"I will not send my clan into a death trap." Sharpnose stepped back as Nightstar rose to his paws, anger radiating off him in waves.

"Then I will." He snarled. "Bloodfire! Scarear! Thunderspark! Redtail! Come with me to the gorge!"

He turned to Sharpnose.

"For your disloyalty and refusal to listen to orders, as leader of Stormclan, I exile you from the clans. I strip away your warrior name, and leave you as Sharp. If you return to any clan, you will be treated as if Scourge had returned. You will be killed upon sight of you aren't gone by sundown. Leave and never return, Sharp." Nightstar stood tall, looking down on Sharp. Gasps broke out among the cats in the clearing as Nightstar continued. "The official story for this is that Sharp tried to murder me when Leafclan left. Willowswipe will not know I exiled Sharp."

"Yes Nightstar." The clan murmured. Sharp took a glance at her former leader, then turned and ran towards the Snowclan border.

"Let's go. The rest of you, please go back to camp and see Echoherb for your wounds." Nightstar padded to where his new patrol was. Bloodfire was looking down the edge of the cliff.

"I think I see a way to get down. Safely." Bloodfire added. Nightstar nodded.

"Then let's go."

*Following Willowswipe*

Willowswipe crawled into the small cave, using up all her strength. The cave was smaller than the moss cave, and more wet too. Water dribbled down the walls, and down into a little pool at the back of the cave. Moss lined the floor, soft and squishy to the touch. Willowswipe stopped in front of the pool, and leaned her head down. Her tongue flashed out, and ice cold water slid down her dry throat. It sent a shiver through her, and she fell over on her side. She could faintly hear voices and claws scrabbling on the rock. The roaring of the water drowned most of it out though. Her stomach ached more than usual, and she started to panic. What if I killed my kits? I could have kept them all alive, and now they could be dead. Willowswipe wanted to wail out loud. She could feel the cold seeping into her, and the darkness threatened to consume her. Her eyes started to drift shut, and she let them.