Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 35: Mapleclaw

"Looks like you will need to stay of your leg for awhile" Coldheart said as he pressed on a mixture of herbs and cobwebs onto my leg. I hissed from the stinging pain as he. "You are lucky you didn't break it at least"

"Yeah... lucky" I mumbled. I felt horrible, my gut churned at what had happened before the landslide. By now the rain had completely stopped, and the sun began to set in the distance causing the completely clear sky to be one a dark orange.

"I'll have Smokefoot help you back when he comes to get the last of the injured cats" Coldheart looked at me closely. "Do you have any clue as to where Applestar could be?"

"To tell you the truth Coldheart I don't think he survived, I barely did, and I just got hit by a flying branch"

"Well, let us hope for the best" Coldheart said out of character. He got up and walked around checking the other two injured cats left here. Birchleaf stuck around to talk with Snailstar. Rustfur had several small scratches all over his pelt, though most of it was now covered in cobwebs. Fernmist sat close to him licking her fur in an attempt to clean it. I don't know what is wrong with her but she said she wasn't moving her back legs at all. Past them was one body. Mistmask was found pretty quickly through she wasn't alive when they did. I let my gaze drop to my leg and the memory rushed my head.

***

We walked along the far, far edge of the land slide. The rain began to pound against our pelts harder as we searched. Or at least Applestar was and I was just trying to keep my leader in sight.

"Mapleclaw I don't think Wildcloud is around here" my leader stopped and looked saddened.

"Same, I think he is buried somewhere in the landslide"

"Oh sure, buried somewhere..." a new voice made me jump around with a hiss. Behind me was a ghostly cat, and I mean ghostly. The cat was see through, with his eyes a pitch black except for the iris which was a bright green. He was all white except for the black ears, muzzle, paws, and tail. He was bleeding black blood profusely from a wound on the back of his head the stained his neck.

"Who are you?" Applestar growled lowly. The tom looked from my leader than to me with a smirk.

"I am here to help her out" Before Applestar or I could could question the mystery dead cat further the ground shook aggressively. I spotted the source pretty quickly since it was crashing towards us. Another landslide from another hill.

"Applestar!"

"Start running!" He ordered. We began rushing away from it. We wouldn't be able to climb the other one in time so the best option was to move out of the way. Out of the corner I saw the ghost cat tackle Applestar from behind and bite down on his neck hard. I quickly spun around ready to launch myself at him when I saw Applestar collapse from the wound, blood spraying the ground as hard as the rain pour around us. The ghost cat smirked again and ran ahead of me. I looked at Applestar and the fast approaching landslide. Cursing under my breath I continued to run and barely make it out of the way. A branch shot out and hit my leg, making me roll through the mud and knock the breath out of my lungs. I tried to stand but collapsed as I gasped from the lack of air and the pain that shot you my leg. The ghost cat appeared again and pressed his paw against my neck, his claws pulling at my fur.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go around saying a dark forest cat killed Applestar. I mean... you were the last to see him alive. And the others might start putting two and two together about the others" he narrowed his eyes at me and the cold knowing look in mystery cats green and black eyes froze me to my core more than the rain. I finally gained my courage back and shoved him off with yowl of anger, shakily standing on my three paws. I furiously looked around for the black and white cat but he had already left, paw prints in the mud was the only thing left.

***

"Mapleclaw?" My eyes flew open at the call of my name.

I must have dozed off. I looked up to see Smokefoot standing over me with worried orange eyes. While his fur was just damp his paws were soaked with mud.

"Do you need help getting up?" the older warrior asked.

"No, no it is just a cut" I quickly surmised. I got up with more difficulty than I expected. I looked behind me to see Coppernose and Snailstar carrying Fernmist on their backs. Birchleaf stood next to Rustfur. Coldheart was pacing between the two, checking Rustfurs many scratches and Fernmist paralysis. "Is anyone gonna stay behind and look for the missing cats?" I asked Smokefoot as he let me lean on him.

"When we get back will see if any cat wants to volunteer" he smiled weakly before helping me walk. As we started to climb the hill, going slower than normal pace since two of us couldn't walk right, Coldheart came up to me and Smokefoot.

"How is your leg?"

"Still can't put too much pressure on it" I answered.

"You should be fine after a few days of rest" Coldheart grumbled. His eyes were clouded with sadness. Something you usually didn't see in the old cat. "I believe that Applestar is with Starclan now..."

"You do?" Smokefoot sounded distressed. I felt guilt fill my chest again as I remembered that Smokefoot was Applestars older brother.

Did that-did that really just happen?! A dark forest cat just attacked me and killed Applestar! How in the clans did he even get to the living?