Darkstorm's Code✔️

Chapter Twenty

Shadeflight and Darkstorm let out twin screeches as the weasels prepared to launch themselves. Darkstorm blinked rapidly and pounced on the smaller one's back. "They're probably mates!" she shouted. "Which means we have to get rid of them quickly, or there'll be kits!" Treestar arched his back and hissed at the bigger weasel, followed by Grassfang. Yowltail rushed to help Darkstorm, while Badgerleap clawed the bigger one. Shadeflight stepped back and then forward, as if unsure what to do. Get herbs! Shadeflight came to his senses and rushed out of the island. 

The weasel dodged Yowltail and Darkstorm with ease, and Darkstorm snarled. She lashed out with her claws and felt satisfaction as they met its pelt. Yowltail drove it back, clawing its snout, then jumped as it bit her leg. Darkstorm gritted her teeth and pulled out a tuft of fur. The weasel turned around and slashed her muzzle. She yowled and stabbed her claws in its back. 

"Get back!" Yowltail shrieked. "We need a plan! Retreat!" Darkstorm obeyed, fleeing. She was followed by the rest. She panted.

"We have to separate them," Badgerleap growled. "One at a time, but no more." Treestar nodded thoughtfully.

"It has to be quick, and soon." Grassfang licked his fur down. "And Shadeflight needs herbs ready, right?" Shadeflight, who had come back in time for the retreat, nodded. Darkstorm's ears fluttered.

"Let's do it now," she suggested boldly. Treestar widened his eyes.

"I think you're right," he agreed. "As soon as we separate them and Shadeflight gets his herbs."

"I'll go now." Shadeflight trodded off. "I'll be back soon." Darkstorm shivered, watching him go. 

"How will we get them to separate?" Yowltail asked. Treestar was silent for a moment, and then muttered, "Maybe if we lure one away with prey?" Darkstorm flicked her tail.

"That might work. But can we spare the prey?" Treestar nodded.

"You were right," he murmured quietly. "We have to leave the lake. There is nothing for us here." Darkstorm looked to the ground. "We can spare the prey. We only need to see if Rainstar wants to leave, and we will." Yowltail and Grassfang looked at each other. Thinfur came out of the bushes.

"I'm healed," he announced. Shadeflight rollwed his eyes, coming back to overhear. 

"No, you're not." He began to lead his father away. Thinfur scowled. 

"Wait," Badgerleap mewed slowly. "Where's Orangetail? Where has she gone?" She sniffed the air, her voice rising in a wail. "Where's my kit?" Darkstorm gulped. Orangetail! Orangetail, where are you? Treestar leaped to his paws. 

"We'll retrace our steps."

...

Darkstorm stared at the border. "She went to ThunderClan," she conceded. "She left. She left!" They had gone along the whole SkyClan border tracing her scent. Badgerleap yowled with grief. 

"It was you!" She spun to look at Treestar, fury lighting her gaze. "You! It was you with your smart talk that made her leave! It was you!" Darkstorm backed down.

"She and I had a fight," she murmured. "What if it was because of me?" She scrambled to Badgerleap. "It was me! It was my fault, I'm sorry!" she wailed, her ears flattening in terror. 

"No, it wasn't," Badgerleap mewed firmly. "She told me about your fight. She didn't care. She didn't mind; you were just venting." She knows, Darkstorm thought with a panic, as Badgerleap looked straight into her eyes. "But Treestar, you... you..." she sputtered for a word, deciding on turning around and stomping back to their territory. Darkstorm sighed and followed after her. It's my fault. I know it is.

The weasel reared back as the cats surrounded it. "Push it back!" Treestar ordered. "If we drive this one out, the other one won't come back either!" Darkstorm clawed the animal as it swung around, snapping. She dodged a bite. 

"It's overwhelmed," she yowled. "It'll go soon!" Sure enough, as Grassfang delivered a final blow, the weasel ran. Darkstorm breathed a sigh of relief, then yelped. "Yowltail!" All the warriors were bloody and in need of medical attention, but Yowltail's side had been split open with sharp claws, and she was barely standing. Darkstorm guided Shadeflight to her, and he blinked. 

"Hand me marigold," he ordered, putting something on her wounds. She obeyed and he set to his work, grumbling under his breath. "She won't be able to go to the gathering this moonhigh."

"Will she live?" Badgerleap asked. Shadeflight said nothing, spreading more mush on her slashes. 

"We should go," Treestar ordered gently. "It will take a while to get to WindClan territory. Badgerleap and Darkstorm, you'll come." We can't spare anymore cats, Darkstorm thought grimly, getting to her paws. Badgerleap scowled. She has to stop blaming Treestar. It was my fault! She padded after the two older ShadowClan cats, towards WindClan territory. When they arrived, they were greeted by the other clans. 

"Orangetail isn't here," Badgerleap observed. "ThunderClan has better taken her in. If she's a rogue now, then they'll be sorry." She unsheathed her claws. Darkstorm blinked and went after Arrowheart.

"Next half-moon," he muttered. 

"Can't we talk, just this gathering?" she asked. Arrowheart sat down and nodded. "There were two weasels," she murmured. "We fought them off just now, but Yowltail might die. We've had to move our camp because of the Twolegs." Arrowheart winced.

"We've lost our camp, too," he admitted. "Not Twolegs, though. The lake. It died." Darkstorm jumped to her feet.

"You know how it died? You know?" she asked. Arrowheart looked at the leaders, who were on a patch of dry grass.

"We have new kits!" Coralstar mewed, drawing their attention. "But we've had to move our camp, due to Twolegs." Her face darkened. "We think we know how the lake will die. It already did." Gasps and murmurs rippled through the clans. "But I'll clear that after, or we'll spend the whole night here."

Darkstorm itched with impatience as Quickstar said something about needing to leave soon.

"A cat made her appearance at our camp," Strikestar mewed. Darkstorm closed her eyes. Orangetail! "We have let her stay at our camp. But that isn't important. We need to leave the lake." Coralstar and Quickstar nodded, and Treestar waved his tail. The cats turned to him.

"We lost our camp and fought two weasels. ShadowClan will join you. We must leave." 

"Where's Rainstar?" a tabby she-cat asked. 

"Yeah, where?" The SkyClan cats parted, and a tabby she-cat stepped up.

"I am Stonestar." She bowed her head and gazed at the cats with startling bright green eyes. "Rainstar died from an infection after we fought a badger." It wasn't Orangetail! "But I will make SkyClan better, as it was before. ShadowClan, I apologize on the behalf of all of my clan. We have attacked and taken advantage of you when you were in need of help."

"Maybe Stonestar will be better for everyone," Darkstorm heard someone mew.

"Same goes with every other clan," Stonestar continued. "Our new deputy is Tenderleaf. Rainstar did not want to leave the lake, but I believe we must. However, before I make my final decision, how did the lake die?" Coralstar bowed her head.

"It didn't flood, and it didn't dry up," she mewed. "The lake... It..."

Woohoo, a cliffhanger! Yes! These are fun to write, but not to read...

-Shadowstorm