EOTW: Trail of Ashes: Chapter Seventeen

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Book 4: Trail of Ashes
Chapter Seventeen

     Blazeheart was surprised to hear a voice call after them. “Wait! I want to come with you!”

     He, Snowfall, Finchpaw, Quickhare, and Crouchfoot halted in front of the camp's entrance, turning to look at Ivypool. They had been just about to leave to take Finchpaw for a training session when Ivypool's call had stopped them. The silver tabby-and-white she-cat was trotting out of the nursery, her belly sagging with kits, her eyes bright.

     Blazeheart and Snowfall shared an uncertain glance. Ivypool was very close to kitting, and if they ran into any danger on the patrol, there wasn't much the pregnant queen could do to defend herself. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” Snowfall asked carefully. “You're not far from kitting.”

     Ivypool gave an impatient flick of her tail. “I've been cooped up in the nursery for ages,” she said. “I could use a walk in the forest. And I'm not helpless just because I'm expecting.” Her tone was casual, but Blazeheart thought he saw something panicked in her ruffled pelt and wide eyes. Ever since it had been announced that the Dark Forest cats were back, Ivypool had seemed on edge. Blazeheart wondered what the thought of her dark mentors returning meant to Ivypool, who was about to have very young kits to protect. Add that to the nursery suddenly being so much more crowded, and he couldn't say he blamed her for wanting to get out of camp for a little bit.

     Snowfall hesitated, then dipped his head to the older she-cat. “Alright. But we'll take you back if you get too tired.” He turned and began padding away, leading his patrol out of camp and into the forest beyond.

     Almost another half moon had passed. It was only two days until the Gathering, and though no more Dark Forest sightings had been reported, cats were still uneasy. Blazeheart knew that the next Gathering could determine the fate of the Clans, whether the leaders would decide to attack, unite, or flee the territories altogether. He only hoped that they could find a way to defeat Breeze. It was starting to look pretty hopeless.

     They began heading for the sandy training hollow. As they walked, Blazeheart glanced over at Finchpaw. He really had grown from the small, jumpy apprentice he had been. He was the largest cat on the patrol now, as stocky and thickly-built as his mother, with a long, sleek golden pelt more like his father. He was more confident as well, strolling beside his mentor with a bright gleam in his yellow eyes. Foxleap would be proud, he thought privately.

     Suddenly, Ivypool halted. The she-cat was sniffing the air, the fur on the back of her neck beginning to raise. Her eyes flew wide open. “Look out!” she wailed.

     She had barely gotten the words out when cats burst from the undergrowth, hurtling into the warriors and bowling them over. Blazeheart was bowled over by a ragged pale gray tom, whose breath stunk of rotting wood as she snarled in Blazeheart's ear. He stiffened as he realized he could see through the tom's pelt. Dark Forest cats! The warrior twisted around, slicing at the Dark Forest's tom with his front paw. The tom screeched in agony as Blazeheart's ear tore through the thin flesh of his ear.

     Snowfall, Finchpaw, Quickhare, and Crouchfoot were all tangled in battle with Dark Forest cats as well. But it was Ivypool who was roaring in rage, twisting and weaving and striking at three Dark Forest cats at once. Blazeheart was amazed by the speed and precision with which Ivypool fought, and the brutal strength, even with her belly heavy with kits. She sent one tom flying to the side with a hard hit to his jaw, and tripped another she-cat's legs out from under her. The queen paused as she gazed down at the she-cat, eyes widening in recognition. “Mapleshade!” she spat, hatred blazing in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

     The Dark Forest she-cat looked up, almost looking surprised to see Ivypool. Blazeheart noted how large the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat was, and how her long, ragged pelt was criss-crossed with scars. She was hard to see, almost entirely faded, but he couldn't miss the delighted gleam to her eyes as she recognized Ivypool, and the hatred. “Ivypool!” she purred, cruel glee sparking in her gaze. “What a surprise to see you out here...” Her eyes widened. “And expecting kits, no less.”

     Rage blazed in Ivypool's eyes. “You'll never get near my kits!” she roared, rearing up over Mapleshade with a paw raised, claws extended. But Mapleshade was quicker. She twisted onto her back, kicking out at Ivypool's kit-rounded belly with her hind paws as Ivypool's paw swiped at empty air. The force of the kick sent Ivypool stumbling away from Mapleshade, eyes wide, while the tortoiseshell was able to scramble back to her paws. Blazeheart had shoved the gray tabby off, and noticed that his pelt was becoming more see-through.

     Mapleshade bared her yellow, cracking fangs at Ivypool. “We'll be back,” she warned. “Don't think we've forgotten, Ivypool. You'll die a traitor's death... after we take what you love first.” Before Ivypool could react, Mapleshade turned and fled, the rest of the Dark Forest cats fleeing with her. They faded away to nothing before they reached the undergrowth.

     Blazeheart breathed a sigh of relief. As he looked around at the rest of the patrol, it seemed like no cat had been hurt too badly. He had a nick on his shoulder, and Crouchfoot had a small slice on his leg, but Snowfall, Quickhare, and Finchpaw seemed unhurt.

     His relief turned to horror as he turned his gaze on Ivypool. The queen bore no wounds, but she was crouched low, her pelt bristling and her eyes wide. As Blazeheart watched, she tried to rise to her paws, only to sink back to a crouch with a wail of pain.

     Every cat was instantly surrounding the queen, lending her support. “What is it?” Snowfall asked. “What's wrong?”

     “Mousedung!” Ivypool spat, anger still blazing in her eyes. Blazeheart had never seen the queen so furious before. “Mapleshade kicked me right in the bel-” She was broken off by another wail of pain, screwing her eyes tight against it. Blazeheart watched, feeling helpless. Her eyes flew open wide again. “The kits” she gasped. “They're coming!”

     Every cats stiffened. “The shock must be making them come early,” Crouchfoot realized aloud. “The same thing happened to Larksong.”

     “We have to get her back to camp,” Blazeheart meowed. She let Ivypool lean against his shoulder, trying not to feel too panicked. As much as he liked being around kits, he knew nothing about bringing them into the world.

     Snowfall shook his head. “It's too far,” he argued. “I don't think she'd make it.”

     “Then what?” Blazeheart asked. He could see his own helplessness reflected in the eyes of Snowfall, and even Crouchfoot, who'd had his own kits already, looked uneasy. None of them were medicine cats, and it didn't look like they'd be able to get Ivypool to a medicine cat in  time.

     To his surprise, it was Finchpaw who answered. “I was there when Hazeltail had my sisters,” he mewed briskly, shoving his way past his mentor and reaching Ivypool's side. He helped the queen to her paws, letting her lean heavily against his shoulder. The wailing had faded now, replaced by a low moaning.

     Blazeheart thought quickly. “Quickhare, go back to camp, find one of the medicine cats,” he ordered. The young WindClan tom was the fastest cat on the patrol, and the most likely to reach help first. The tom looked surprised, but dipped his head without argument, speeding off towards the camp as fast as his legs could carry him.

     “We need to find somewhere sheltered, a burrow or something,” Finchpaw ordered. Gone was the shy, terrified apprentice Blazeheart had known. Finchpaw's gaze was clear, his voice ringing with authority.

     The patrol looked around briefly, until Crouchfoot called, “How about this?” He was standing next to a dip in the ground under the thick roots of a tree. The root covered most of the dip, leaving enough room for a cat to squeeze in.

     “That'll work.” Finchpaw led Ivypool to the dip, both cats disappearing inside. The moaning had risen in pitch again, giving way to a dreadful wailing. Memories of Tawnypelt's horrible kitting came to Blazeheart's mind, making him shiver. Would Ivypool survive the birthing?

     For a while, Blazeheart, Snowfall, and Crouchfoot stayed outside of the dip, listening uneasily to Ivypool's agonized cries. Blazeheart was starting to wonder where Quickhare had gotten to when cats burst from the undergrowth again, bowling into the three remaining warriors. A she-cat with a scarred muzzle tried to unbalance Blazeheart, but he twisted out of the way, swiping out with one paw. She reared up, and he ducked down, hurtling into her legs, taking them both off-balance.

     Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pale gray tom from last time making a break for the dip, but a golden paw snaked out, scratching the tom across the muzzle. While the tom retreated, yowling, Finchpaw called out, “Don't let any of them in here!”

     Blazeheart wasn't even given the chance to answer before the she-cat faded away to mist. He blinked in confusion, only to be assaulted from the other side by a new she-cat, with a thin black pelt. As he side-stepped her attack, he saw the tom Crouchfoot was fighting disappear, only for another she-cat to materialize beside Crouchfoot and bowl him over. He realized with horror that as one Dark Forest cat faded, the next one took its place. This was a concentrated effort that he hadn't seen before from the Dark Forest warriors.

     The battle raged on, even as Ivypool wailed from within the dip under the root. “That's the second one,” Blazeheart heard Finchpaw telling her. “You're doing great, Ivypool. Just stay awake.” Snowfall was fighting a massive tom, and Crouchfoot was right in front of the tree root, facing off against two cats with eyes blazing. “Stay away!” he screeched. Blazeheart fell in beside Snowfall, swiping at the massive tom to distract him while Snowfall bit his shoulder. The two toms ducked in and out with a practiced rhythm, driving the tom to confusion. He felt a rush of satisfaction the tom fled, fading into nothing. It felt good to fight beside his best friend again.

     That thought was cut off immediately as Blazeheart was bitten on the shoulder by thin she-cat. He yowled fury, wrapping one foreleg around her neck and forcing her to the ground with him, rolling on top of her. She yelped in pain, struggled to break free. Blazeheart felt himself fall to the ground as she disappeared from under him. He'd barely gotten back to his paws when a dark gray tabby lunged at him. Blazeheart wasn't able to dodge quickly enough, and was tackled to the ground. The tom's paw was pressed against Blazeheart's muzzle as he bit down on the warrior's side, and he gasped as he recognized the tabby's scent. It was the first Dark Forest scent he'd ever smelled, the one that had made Sorreltail realize the evil warriors were back. Darkstripe!

     He wailed as Darkstripe's fang sank into his side. Side throbbing, he managed to wiggle around enough to get his hind leg free, kicking and scratching at whatever inch of the tabby he could reach. Darkstripe let go, yowling his pain, while Blazeheart tried to wriggle free.

     Blazeheart's blood froze as he caught sight of the tree root. Mapleshade had broken free of Snowfall, and was slipping in under the tree root. There was a dreadful snarling, and a terrible screech of pain. Blazeheart froze in horror. No!

     Horror turned to amazement as Mapleshade burst out of the den, tail between her legs and blood gushing from a wound on her shoulder. Finchpaw came barreling after her, pelt fluffed out and eyes burning with rage. “I won't let you hurt them!” he roared, chasing after Mapleshade with claws extended and fangs bared. Blazeheart had never seen the apprentice so furious before. Mapleshade disappeared into nothing as she fled from Finchpaw, leaving the large tom to slow to a halt, snarling in fury.

     As Darkstripe faded to nothing, Blazeheart struggled to his paws, limping towards the apprentice. “Finchpaw...”

     Finchpaw turned his glare on Blazeheart. The warrior flinched back from the fury burning in the tom's eyes. He seemed to relax as he recognized Blazeheart. “I won't let more kits die,” he murmured. “Not after Petalkit.” The apprentice paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Keep them out! I need to help Ivypool.” He bounded back to the tree root, slipping into the dip beneath, leaving Blazeheart to the battle.

     While he'd been distracted, Snowfall had been ambushed by two large she-cats, and Crouchfoot was being pinned by three cats, a tom biting down hard on one foreleg. Blazeheart felt a rush of fear. There were too many cats for all of them.

     “Attack!” Blazeheart froze at the call, only to felt a burst of hope as ThunderClan and WindClan warriors came flooding out of the undergrowth, dragging the Dark Forest cats off of their Clanmates and sending them fleeing. The Dark Forest spirits were gone before they even reached the undergrowth, faded away into nothing. Blazeheart waited, but no more spirits seemed forthcoming. Relief crashed over him as he realized they weren't coming back.

     He began to recognize the warriors that had arrived. Dovewing was there, along with Molefoot, Emberfoot, and Quickhare. Jayfeather and Icefur had accompanied them as well, both cats carrying herbs. “Where is Ivypool?” Jayfeather demanded immediately.

     “Under that root,” Snowfall told him. Without another word, they padded past the warriors, slipping under the tree root. Ivypool's wailing had faded to nothing by now. The warriors stayed outside for what seemed like ages, waiting with bated breath.

     Finally, Icefur emerged from the tree root. “Ivypool is fine,” she announced to the waiting cats. “She has three healthy kits.” Blazeheart released the breath he'd been holding, and he saw Dovewing sag with relief. “She's weak, but all she needs is herbs and some rest.”

     “That's great,” Molefoot mewed warmly. His gaze grew more serious as he mewed, “But they can't stay here. We need to get her and the kits back to camp.”

     Icefur nodded. “Once Ivypool has rested enough, we'll carry the kits back to camp.”

     Blazeheart felt himself relax, sharing a relieved glance with Snowfall. They'd managed to keep Ivypool safe, and now ThunderClan had three new members.

SCENEBREAK

     “They're back!”

     Cats crowded around the entrance as the patrol returned. Blazeheart was still limping from his stiff shoulder, but his pride kept his wounds from bothering him too much.

     “Let me through!” The crowd parted as Toadstep came to stand before the patrol, quickly followed by Birchfall. He gaped at the kits that Ivypool, Jayfeather, and Icefur held in their jaws. “Oh StarClan,” he breathed. “They're beautiful.”

     Ivypool set down the kit that she'd been carrying, letting Toadstep rub his muzzle against her check and neck. “I wish you could have been there,” she murmured. As Toadstep pulled back, she mewed clearly, “I've thought of names for them. Do you mind?”

     “Not at all,” Toadstep purred. “What were you thinking?”

     She gestured to the kit at her paws, a dark gray tabby she-cat. Her chest and muzzle were white, as well as her paws. “I was thinking Yewkit for her,” she began. Ivypool hesitated, something dark flashing in her gaze, before turning to the she-cat that Jayfeather carried. She was very similar to Ivypool, a white cat with silver tabby patches, though she had more white on her pelt than her mother. “Beetlekit for her.” Her gaze grew even darker before she looked back at her last kit, the tiny black tom in Icefur's jaws. “And for him, Antkit.”

     Toadstep brushed his muzzle against Ivypool's, murmuring, “They sound perfect.”

     Ivypool leaned into Toadstep's embrace for a moment, then pulled back, lowering into a crouch as she ran her tongue over Yewkit's back. As she crouched over her kit, Blazeheart thought he heard her murmur, “I thought Hollykit would be too obvious. Yewkit will do.”

     He blinked, confused. But before he could question the queen about it, he heard a yowl from the High Ledge. “Let all cats of both Clans old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Ledge for a meeting of our Clans!”

     Blazeheart looked up to see Bramblestar standing atop the High Ledge, eyes gleaming. As Toadstep and the medicine cats began to lead Ivypool and her kits to the nursery, he and the other warriors began to gather under the High Ledge. He sat beside Snowfall, Ambertalon sitting on his other side, purring deeply as she leaned against his side.

     Bramblestar waited until every cat was gathered to begin speaking. “Warriors of both Clans, you have all heard by now that the Dark Forest cats have made another attack on our warriors,” he began. “The Gathering is in two nights, and we will discuss these threats against us then. But that is not why I have gathered you today.” His eyes gleamed with pride. “One cat stood out among his Clanmates today by taking the initiative and helping his Clanmate when no other cat knew how. Today, we will finally honor that cat with his warrior name. Finchpaw, step forward!”

     Blazeheart heard a gasp from the crowd, and turned to see Finchpaw a little ways behind him, staring up at Bramblestar with eyes wide in shock. Slowly, he approached the High Ledge, pelt quivering. Snowfall was purring deeply beside Blazeheart, giving his apprentice a small nod when Finchpaw looked his way. For a moment, the apprentice seemed afraid again. Then, pride began to blaze in his eyes, his chin lifted high as he listened to his leader speak. Blazeheart spotted Hazeltail withdrawing from the nursery, Russetkit and Foxkit beside her. The kits were young to be at a Clan ceremony, but Blazeheart guessed they'd wanted to see their brother become a warrior.

     “Finchpaw, you have suffered losses that no cat your age should have to endure,” Bramblestar began. Finchpaw's eyes glowed with grief at that. “But you have endured them with a courage of a warrior, and your actions today prove that you have the compassion and bravery that any warrior would be proud of. I can think of no cat more deserving of his warrior name today.” Finchpaw stood up tall, eyes blazing with joy as Bramblestar called, “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has worked hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.”

     Bramblestar looked down at Finchpaw, asking, “Finchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     Finchpaw glanced back at his Clanmates for a moment, doubt and fear seeming to flicker in his eyes for a moment. Then, determination took over. He looked back at his leader, voice clear and strong as he announced, “I do.”

     Warmth entered the leader's tone. “Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” he announced. “Finchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Finchwing. StarClan honors your compassion and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”

     Finchwing lifted his chin, pelt fluffed out in joy. All around, cats were calling out “Finchwing! Finchwing! Finchwing!” Blazeheart added his yowl to the mix, hearing Snowfall and Ambertalon yowling beside him. Hazeltail was calling out from her spot in the crowd, Russetkit and Foxkit yowling for their brother in young, joyful voices. Finchwing turned to look at his Clanmates and friends cheering for him, love and joy shining in his eyes in equal measure.

     “As is tradition, Finchwing will sit a silent vigil tonight,” Bramblestar concluded. As the meeting began to break up, Blazeheart saw Finchwing cross over to Hazeltail, purring loudly as she covered his head in licks. He was just close enough to hear her murmur, “Your father would be so proud of you today.”

     Blazeheart felt a rush of warmth as he listened. The Dark Forest and Breeze were dangerous threats to all of the Clans. But they could worry about that another day. For now, he was proud to see his Clanmate earning the honor of warrior after so much loss, and he was proud to know that three new kits had just joined his Clan. They'd been able to protect Ivypool long enough for her to have her kits. Maybe, just maybe, they could win this war after all.