Deadly Oak Trees [Chapter 5]

The moon was rising in the sky as a group of felines gathered in the middle of a hollow, also known as the OakClan camp. One was speaking louder than the rest of the mixed meows of worry.

"WillowPaw, AcornPaw, QuickPaw, DeerBite, DawnStep, WindLeaf, and I will go on the battle patrol. Anyone else will be either a back-up or a guard for camp." ShadeStar meowed, her feminine voice gentle yet loud and strong.

Then warriors and apprentices that had been called out nodded, before the patrol turned around and padded toward the exit of the hollow.

QuickPaw felt her paw pads tingle with excitement. She tensed her muscles, stretching her legs before she sprinted to catch up. One of the senior warriors, DawnStep, hissed at her to be more quiet and to keep up, so she crept along stealthily. She felt a pelt brush against hers in a friendly manner and looked over to see WillowPaw and AcornPaw padding alongside her, their eyes filled with anxiety. Plus, she could smell their fear scent so strongly. She didn't blame them. She nodded to them and they nodded back. AcornPaw even added a small smile.

"Okay, you wait for my call." ShadeStar whispered as they finally reached the river. They were lucky; the river was shallow enough to wad through for the warriors. Not so much for QuickPaw and the other apprentices, but they managed.

She got to the side that OakClan had attempted to claim as theirs. To their surprise, the other clan warriors were there already and WindStar unexpectedly immediately called the warning.

The first thing QuickPaw did was launch herself at a WaveClan apprentice, who she had met at the Gathering, DarkPaw. He screeched as she raked her claws down his back, hissing furiously. Pain slammed into her as he butted her in the side, knocking her into the reeds, getting her tangled. He took this as a chance to rake his claws down her belly ruthlessly. She yowled, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying across the battle, slamming into a bed of reeds.

QuickPaw smiled, realizing she had knocked the air out of him. She was taken by surprise as a brown tabby slammed into her, the tom's claws sinking deep into her cheek. She howled in pain, but mysteriously, the weight was removed. She scrambled to her paws and saw WillowPaw and AcornPaw viciously attacking the warrior. WillowPaw had her teeth dug into his foreleg while AcornPaw had his claws dug into the warrior's back.

Suddenly, WindStar appeared and bit into WillowPaw's chest, tearing her off of the warrior and slamming her into the ground. Blood splattered onto QuickPaw's pelt as she launched herself at WindStar, biting his neck and drawing a large amount of blood. The leader dropped WillowPaw and tried to grasp at QuickPaw. He gripped her tail in his jaws and threw her off.

AcornPaw raced up to WindStar, clawing his face. The leader swatted the puny apprentice away as if he were a fly. The WaveClan leader seemed set on running off WillowPaw.

Or so she had thought.

The tom fastened his teeth into WillowPaw's haunches and threw the silver she-cat into the air, causing blood to spray everywhere. ReedFoot noticed WindStar's vicious treatment and she threw herself at the tom in a vain effort to save her apprentice. She raked her claws down the cat's face, causing him to whip around to face her, a limp she-cat in his jaws, halfway crushed.

"WILLOWPAW!" QuickPaw yowled, hissing before clawing WindStar's left ear off, screeching. He yowled in pain, dropping WillowPaw. AcornPaw screeched, biting into his throat, widening the wound QuickPaw had created. QuickPaw launched herself at his exposed underbelly and raked her claws down it, blood spraying all over her face as she smiled devilishly. DeerBite and WindLeaf stared, taken aback by the viciousness of their apprentices. Soon, though, they leapt at the leader, too, and one fastened his fangs into the base of his tail while the other fastened his teeth into the leader's foreleg. The remaining WaveClan warriors looked over to see their leader, on his last life, being bombarded by cats. Instinctively, they leapt and clawed three of the cats off. ReedFoot became locked in combat with a she-cat while WindLeaf was battling a broad-shouldered grey tom. DeerBite had his teeth fastened in a she-cat's scruff. ShadeStar was in combat with another she-cat while DawnStep was clawing a tom.

QuickPaw rammed into the leader's side, knocking the already unbalanced Tom off of his paws. AcornPaw sliced new, fresh wounds into his shoulders energetically. DarkPaw, who was passed, dove at AcornPaw and distracted him.

QuickPaw looked at the bleeding leader, slowly dying. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" She yowled before digging her teeth not his neck and watching as the life drained from him. With a flash he was dead. She padded away, her eyes narrowed and she had a sick smile on her maw. She launched herself into combat with DarkPaw, assisting AcornPaw. She suddenly turned around, seeing WindStar. "I have two more lives, mouse-brain!" He suddenly looked up. "WaveClan, RETREAT!' He yowled across the battle field.

All the warriors belonging to the rival Clan fled, leaving the bloody land to OakClan.

QuickPaw darted up to the motionless WillowPaw. "Did we win?" She gasped. QuickPaw nodded. "We won. You fought wonderfully. Without you, we would've lost." She whispered. AcornPaw came up behind her. "Sister, I love you." He mumbled, nosing his sibling. "I have to get up. We must tell the clan. Come on!" The she-cat attempted to stand but failed and she collapsed again. "No, you must rest. We'll tell you about it in the morning, I promise. Just go back to sleep, WillowPaw." He whispered. "But we have to get back to camp! I feel fine! I'm just all sticky from the water!" She meowed. "You're fine, WillowPaw, just go to sleep. We'll see you in the morning." QuickPaw added. "Did you get that mangy Windstar-r-r?" She asked. Her eyes were fading. "Yes. The whole clan got him. You need your rest." AcornPaw meowed. Tears streamed down QuickPaw's face. "Your both right. I'll tell them in the morning." WillowPaw said, blood trickling out of her opened jaws. The light disappeared from her eyes and her raised head fell to the ground.

"WILLOWPAW, NO!" AcornPaw screamed. QuickPaw looked away, tears sliding down her face. ReedFoot ran up, wailing. She pressed her nose into her apprentice's pelt. "Oh, StarClan, NO!" ReedFoot screeched. ShadeStar looked at her daughter, who was dead.  (Yes, you read right. ) DeerBite went up to his daughter (Snap!) and nosed her fur. WindLeaf looked at the apprentice, his eyes tearing up. " She-She was the best friend and sister.." AcornPaw whispered, crying silently.

ShadeStar and DeerBite picked her up and carried her back to camp, where loud screams could be heard. QuickPaw buried herself in WillowPaw's pelt as the scent of death overcame her. She could feel AcornPaw next to her, weeping. Tears slid down her face as she let out an inaudible screech of pain.

"Goodbye, sweet WillowPaw."

(( youtu.be/aWIE0PX1uXk
Listen to this song and read her death and tell me you didn't cry.))