EOTW: Trail of Ashes: Chapter Twenty Four

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

     This is what Breeze knew was coming, Silentstorm realized, feeling more afraid than she ever had before. This is what Shade kept StarClan and Rock from seeing. Oh, StarClan save us all.

     The Clans were all huddled together in ThunderClan's camp, wailing their terror. Silentstorm couldn't see where the fire was, but she could already feel the forest getting hotter, and the smoke filling up the air. She knew if the Clans didn't escape the camp soon, they would either suffocate or burn to death.

     And she alone knew what that would mean for every living creature everywhere. If Breeze wins this fight, Shade will return to power, and the light will be lost forever, she remembered, feeling chilled.

     “We have to get out of here!” she yowled aloud, trying to raise her voice over the clamor of the panicked crowd. “We have to escape!”

     “How?” Leafdrift asked, sounding terrified. “The entrance is blocked!”

     It was Hazeltail who answered. “There's another way,” she called out clearly. Silentstorm thought she heard a tremor in the queen's voice, but she kept going. “A secret entrance hidden behind brambles, the stone wall is crumbled there – we can climb it.”

     “We'll never get every cat out in time!” Emberfoot protested. “It'll take too long to climb, especially if we go one at a time!”

     Squirrelflight bounded to the base of the High Ledge, growling, “Then we'll send a few cats up, and they'll bring some large branches to the entrance and push them through the brambles, large enough branches that they won't catch fire right away. The rest of us can escape by climbing over those branches and getting out the usual way.”

     The atmosphere was still very panicked, but cats were nodding and murmuring agreement, seeing the wisdom in Squirrelflight's suggestion. The leaders gathered together, speaking to each other briefly.

     “Emberfoot, Lionblaze, Ambertalon, Pondbreeze, Minktail, and Addertooth!” Bramblestar yowled, each cat looking up in turn as their name was called. “You will climb to the top of the hollow, then come around to let the rest of us out. Lionblaze, Ambertalon, show them where the secret path is. Move, now!”

     He'd hardly finished speaking before the chosen cats scrambled away, the ThunderClan warriors leading the others to the path behind the brambles. Silentstorm pressed against Cinderheart, trying to hide how her pelt was trembling. Her mother didn't speak, but she rasped her tongue over Silentstorm's ear, purring quietly to her. The rain was still falling heavily, soaking her pelt all the way through, and making the ground wet and muddy under her paws.

     “Warriors, help the others get ready to move!” Mistystar ordered sharply. “We can't know how long we'll have to climb on the branches before they catch on fire. We have to be ready to run the exact moment the branches are in place.”

     Silentstorm took a deep breath, then leaned away from her mother, padding away towards a clump of queens. She could hear Duskfur murmuring reassuringly to the younger queens, the kits mewling and cowering against their mothers. “Does anyone need help carrying kits?” she asked, trying to hide how her voice was shaking.

     For a few moments, no one answered. Then, Ivypool spoke. “You can carry Yewkit,” her old mentor mewed quietly. Ivypool nosed the small kit towards Silentstorm, who pulled her closer with one, wide paw. “Look after her.”

     Silentstorm was touched by the faith her mentor was showing her. She knew it would be harder for her to navigate the flames because of her blindness, but she would protect her mentor's kit with her life. “I will, Ivypool,” she murmured.

     Nearby pawsteps sounded, and suddenly Shadowpaw was at her side, pressing against her fur. “Everyone's so scared,” he breathed, his own pelt shaking. “I've never seen the Clans like this. Is this what it was like when the camp flooded?”

     Silentstorm felt a pang of regret. “I don't know,” she murmured. I wasn't there, she thought, remembering her guilt over Dewpaw and Petalkit's deaths. But I am now.

     “Stay beside me,” she ordered her apprentice. “I might need help knowing where it's safe to step, and I don't need you getting lost in the fire.” Shadowpaw seemed afraid, but he nodded without complaint, tail lashing. Silentstorm lowered her muzzle, closing her teeth gently around Yewkit's wet scruff and lifting the kit. Yewkit squealed, squirming in Silentstorm's grasp, but the warrior was careful not to drop her.

     She couldn't hear the cats climbing to the top of the hollow, but after she lifted Yewkit, she heard sudden snarls from above the camp, yowls and screeches as cats fought. Her heart clenched in her chest; had Breeze realized his mistake and brought his rogues back to keep the Clans from escaping? Then, she heard the furious battle cry of her father. For several moments, the cries fell silent, the silence dragging on so long that Silentstorm wondered whether the warriors had been killed, and their chances of escape with them.

     Then, there was a loud thud from the bramble entrance, and Lionblaze's yowl sounded. “The branches are in place. Go now!”

     The camp exploded into movement, cats racing towards the entrance as fast as their paws could carry them. Silentstorm fell in behind Blossomfall, following the queen as they raced towards the bramble entrance. She hesitated as she reached the branches, testing them uncertainly with one paw, before leaping atop them and racing across, leaping down onto the forest floor below once she was across. She heard Shadowpaw following right behind her. Yewkit cried out as she was bounced against Silentstorm's chest, but she ignored the kit, following after Blossomfall as the queen took off again. The sound of paws was all around her, the rest of the Clan cats running for the lake together.

     “Stop them!” There was a sudden confusion of sound as the Clan cats were attacked on all sides, rogues slamming into the fleeing cats and turning them around. Silentstorm was cut off by two rogues. She sliced out at one with an unsheathed paw, kicking at the other with her hind paw a moment later, but with the kit in her jaws she couldn't fight as effectively.

     There was screeching as cats began to flee in all directions, desperate to escape their attackers. Silentstorm backed away from the rogues, following Blossomfall as the queen took off, the rogues hard on their paws. With a rush of horror, Silentstorm realized they'd been turned around. They weren't going towards the lake, they were going towards the outer border, the one that led outside of Clan territory. But they couldn't turn back without facing the rogues, and any fight would take too long to let them escape the flames.

     The sound of paws fell away, the rogues giving up the chase. They had been running for a while before Silentstorm realized they were alone. She was still following Blossomfall, who held a squealing Cedarkit in her jaws, and Shadowpaw was right by her side as she'd ordered, Yewkit hanging from her jaws. But other than that, they were totally alone, no other cats in hearing range.

     “Where is everyone else?” she called out to Blossomfall as they ran along, Shadowpaw giving her guiding nudges as best as he could while she ran.

     “I don't know,” Blossomfall answered. “They all scattered when the rogues attacked. I couldn't see where they all went.” Silentstorm's heart clenched in terror, but she forced herself to keep going, letting Blossomfall lead her forward. The rain had let up some, but the smoke was getting thicker and thicker, making it harder to breath, and the heat of the fire was nearly unbearable. Silentstorm's chest felt heavy with smoke, and she could feel Yewkit shaking with coughs in her jaws.

     Suddenly, a foul stench filled the air. Before Silentstorm could yowl a warning, something slammed into Blossomfall, knocking her to the ground and sending Cedarkit flying from her jaws. Silentstorm rushed forward, hooking her claws into the cat's pelt and dragging her off of Blossomfall. She nearly gagged at the foul stench coming off the cat's pelt. Dark Forest cat, she realized with a rush of horror. The thumping of nearby paws told her there were more of them. The she-cat turned on Silentstorm with snapping jaws, another tom coming in and keeping her away from Blossomfall and Shadowpaw. She could hear their snarls as they fought.

     Suddenly, Blossomfall gave a hiss of recognition. “Thistleclaw!” she spat, hatred dripping from her tone. “What are you doing here?”

     “We're here to make sure every last stinking Clan cat dies in agony,” Thistleclaw hissed. “And that includes traitors – we haven't forgotten how you turned on us, Blossomfall.” There was a thumping sound as Thistleclaw and another rogue pinned Blossomfall to the ground. “But first, we're going to make you watch the ones you love die slow.”

     There was a nearby mewl of terror. Silentstorm's hackles raised as she recognized the cry of Cedarkit. “Leave me alone! Mama, help me!” There was a dreadful snarling, and a squeal of fear as Cedarkit scrambled away from his attacker. Silentstorm almost thought he might get away, only for her hope to fade into pure horror at his high-pitched shriek of agony. He ran right into the fire, she realized, her entire pelt feeling chilled.

     “Cedarkit! No!” Blossomfall shrieked, thrashing wildly to try and get to her kit. But it was too late. Cedarkit's shriek was cut off abruptly, the kit falling horribly silent. Silentstorm's gut twisted as she realized the kit was dead.

     New rage came over the warrior. She threw one of the rogues to the side with a furious snarl, kicking the other in the jaw and sending him tumbling. Freed of her attackers, she raced to Blossomfall's side, dragging rogue she-cat off of her.

     Blossomfall twisted around, grabbing Thistleclaw and hooking her claws into his pelt before he could scramble off of her. “You're the one who's going to suffer, foxheart!” Thistleclaw snarled, trying to twist free, sending the cats tumbling. Blossomfall dragged Thistleclaw with her as both cats were sent rolling into the fire. Silentstorm pinned her ears back, trying to drown out the horrible screams as the queen and the Dark Forest tom both burned to death. The sickening silence that came after was almost worse.

     For several moments, no cat spoke. The rest of the Dark Forest had disappeared almost immediately after Thistleclaw had died, and she couldn't hear Shadowpaw. The only sound was the terrified wailing of Yewkit. Silentstorm set the kit down for a moment, numbly running her tongue down the tiny kit's back. Suddenly, Shadowpaw spoke. “Silentstorm... what are we going to do?” His voice was almost kit-like in fear. Blossomfall and Cedarkit's deaths had been hard enough to hear, she couldn't imagine how it must have been for her apprentice to see. Silentstorm couldn't tell where they were, and now she didn't have Blossomfall to lead her through the flames. They were lost.

     It took several moments for Silentstorm to collect her thoughts enough to speak. Cedarkit and Blossomfall's screams kept playing in her ears. “We... we keep going,” she murmured, almost too numb to realized what she was saying. “The fire has to end somewhere. We'll go towards where the flames seem thinnest, and keep going. Just... just stay in front of me, and use your tail to show me where to go.” There was a cracking sound nearby as a branch fell, sparks flying. That snapped Silentstorm out of her numb haze. “Come on, we have to go!” she snapped, scooping Yewkit quickly back up into her jaws.

     Shadowpaw still seemed scared, but he didn't protest again. He fell in front of Silentstorm, waiting until she had Yewkit ready before taking off. They raced through the trees, Shadowpaw using little flicks of his tail to guide his mentor away from the flames. Silentstorm could feel the air getting clearer, the heat not as intense. Hope flared in her chest; they were going the right away.

     The thought had hardly left her head when claws hooked into her pelt out of nowhere, dragging her to the ground. Paws thundered all around her, claws and teeth tearing into her pelt, even as she struck out. She managed to twist onto her paws, swatting enough Dark Forest cats out of her way to reach Shadowpaw. She set Yewkit in front of his paws, ordering sharply, “Take Yewkit and run!” There were too many cats for her and Shadowpaw to take on, but if Shadowpaw escaped with Yewkit, at least they would be safe.

     Shadowpaw hesitated. “What about –?”

     “Go!” She threw herself back into the fight with the Dark Forest cats, slicing and whirling and biting, trying to keep them all distracted so her apprentice could escape. Shadowpaw only hesitated a moment longer, then snatched up Yewkit in his jaws, taking off. Silentstorm listened for his pawsteps to fade entirely, then felt herself being dragged under again. She kept thrashing and striking out with all four paws, but she could feel her own struggles becoming weaker. Panic began to consume her. But what about the prophecy? Can Rock find someone else to find the Clans?

     As the Dark Forest cats kept her pinned, biting and clawing into her pelt, Silentstorm heard a horribly familiar voice in her mind. “You will die, Silent One, and I will be free to cover the world with darkness.”

     “Shade!” she managed to gasp out.

     “I kept your precious ancestors from seeing the fire,” taunted Shade's mew, crackling with laughter, harsh and loud like lightning. “I even kept Rock from seeing. But I told Breeze, and he planned his attacks so all four Clans would be trapped in the forest when the fire came. And now, you will all die, and nothing will stand in my way.” Silentstorm opened her jaws to protest, but one cat's paw was on her throat, and she could feel the fight leaving her. She closed her eyes, thinking, At least Shadowpaw and Yewkit got out.

     Suddenly, the weight lifted from her. She gasped as the weight came off of her throat, air entering her lungs again. As she struggled shakily onto her paws, she heard the snarl of fighting cats. The Dark Forest cats were fighting someone, but she couldn't tell who. Finally, with a final snarl, they disappeared into nothing.

     Silentstorm took a shaky step towards her rescuer, trying to keep from swaying. “Who are you?” she rasped.

     “Silentstorm, hurry!” She stiffened, recognizing the mew of Hollyleaf. The StarClan warrior was clearly wounded from taking on so many cats, but her voice was strong, and filled with panic. “Something is happening!”

     “Wha-?” She was cut off as Hollyleaf shoved past her, taking off into the forest. Silentstorm only hesitated a moment before following her, racing through the trees as the StarClan warrior's tail helped guide her. Her sense of panic grew as she caught the fear-scent coming off of Hollyleaf in waves. What in StarClan could have her so scared? she wondered.

     Suddenly, the StarClan spirit disappeared entirely, leaving Silentstorm to come to a confused halt. “Hollyleaf?” she called, swinging her head from side to side. The fire wasn't so thick here, but she wasn't out of it yet, and she could feel the heat growing more intense by the moment. “Where did you go?”

     A nearby snarl sounded, catching Silentstorm's attention. Hatred filled her as she recognized the snarl. Breeze! She threw out any thoughts of caution as she raced right towards the sound. As she got closer, she could hear Breeze struggling against some cat, but the other cat seemed to be growing weaker, falling to the ground with a thud. She ignored the other cat, hurtling herself right at the rogue leader. Breeze yelped in surprise as Silentstorm sent him tumbling to the ground, snarling right in his ear. “Traitor!” she spat, scoring her claws again and again against his shoulder and flanks. “Murderer! Monster!” She bit down hard on his neck, making him yowl, while she sliced her claws on the soft fur of his belly. “Do you know what you've done! You've risked everything!”

     “I don't care,” Breeze gasped, spitting out blood. “All I care about is getting revenge on the Clans. The rest of the world can rot!” He kicked out with one strong paw against her jaw, dislodging her enough for him to wriggle free. Silentstorm tried to hook her paw around his hind leg, but he danced free, racing away as fast as his paws could carry him.

     Silentstorm was about to follow him, only for a nearby gasp of pain to make her freeze entirely. She hadn't been paying much attention to the cat Breeze had been attacking before. But now, that gasp of pain was so horribly familiar that fear nearly carried her off of her paws. “No, no no no!”

     She rushed to the cats side, sniffing his pelt all over. Blood seemed to be coming from everywhere, gashes and slices all over his pelt, including a terrible slice across his throat. Somehow, he was still alive, his breath coming in horrible gargles. Silentstorm felt her entire pelt begin to shake,  terror consuming her. She gasped, “Jayfeather, no!”

     Jayfeather was lying nearly motionless on the forest floor, his sides rising and falling sharply as he drew in ragged breaths. “Silentstorm...” he gasped, his voice cracking horribly.

     “Shh, shh, don't talk,” Silentstorm said, trying to sound comforting, but her voice only coming out as a terrified squeak. “I'll... I'll try to help.” She began dragging up clawfuls of grass and leaves, pressing them against his wounds. But nothing she did seemed to stop the gushing of blood. She felt her breath becoming fast, panic consuming her. “I don't know what to do,” she gasped, starting to feel truly helpless. “I don't know how to help. Jayfeather, how do I help? Tell me what to do!”

     Silentstorm felt a small paw on top of hers, pushing it weakly away from him. “Stop...” Jayfeather rasped out, his tone resigned. “Just... stop.”

     “No,” Silentstorm breathed, feeling her paws shake uncontrollably. This was Jayfeather. Her father's brother. The cat who had been there for her since she was a kit, always supportive, always loving, always willing to trade banter. He had been like a second father to her for as long as she could remember. He couldn't die here. He just couldn't.

     She nudged his side with her muzzle, a lump starting to form in her throat. “Come on, we have to get out of here,” she said, her voice cracking. “I'll carry you out.” Silentstorm started to lower herself to the ground, ready to start draping the tom over her shoulders, when his tail flicked feebly against her flank.

     “Stop,” Jayfeather rasped. Silentstorm paused, the lump in her throat getting larger. She lay beside Jayfeather, curling her larger body protectively around the medicine cat. She could remember him doing that once for her, when she was an apprentice. When had the tom gotten so small? Or was it her who had gotten bigger? “There's... something I need... you need to know...” he gasped out, every word sounding painful. She brought her head closer to his muzzle just so she could hear his voice, which grew weaker with every word.

     Silentstorm blinked, a soft gasp escaping her as she realized what she meant. “The prophecy,” she breathed. Jayfeather jerked slightly, giving a surprised grunt. Her heart twisted in her chest. He tried so hard to protect me, and I couldn't protect him... “Oh, Jayfeather,” she murmured, curling her tail around his body, cushioning his head on his front legs and resting her chin on the top of his head. “I already know.”

     A ragged breath escaped Jayfeather. “I'm sorry,” he murmured, lifting his muzzle weakly to hers. “I... should have protected you.”

     “Jayfeather, no,” Silentstorm protested, a sob escaping her. It was finally sinking in that the medicine cat was dying. She covered his head with comforting licks, murmuring, “You did everything you possibly could for me. You were always there for me and Blazeheart, ever since we were kits. The only reason I'm a warrior is because you fought to make Bramblestar give me a chance.” She pressed her muzzle against the top of his head, trying to control her shaking as she held the tom close to her. “You're like my father, Jayfeather,” she whispered, no longer caring how her voice shook. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

     A soft sigh escaped Jayfeather. He tried to lift his muzzle one more time, nose twitching, as if he'd caught a scent. “Half Moon,” he murmured, though Silentstorm didn't understand him. His head fell back to the ground, the effort of lifting it too much. The medicine cat gave a few last, ragged gasps of air, before his sides stilled forever. Silentstorm let out a choked sob, curling even tighter around the medicine cat as her shoulders heaved. Nothing she did could help Jayfeather now. The medicine cat was dead.

     With him gone, Silentstorm lost all control, wailing with abandon and digging her claws into the ground, clutching the medicine cat's body closer to her. Her entire world seemed to be crumbling around her, her heart shattering. Never in her darkest dreams had she thought she would have to witness the death of the cranky tom. He had been a constant presence in her life, always grumpy, always complaining, and always there. He'd held the power of the stars in his paws. But now he was gone, and she would never have his guidance again.

     “I'm sorry, Silentstorm,” a voice murmured in her mind. Silentstorm flinched away, trying to block Hollyleaf out. “I'm so sorry. But he's safe now. And he'll always be there for you.” Hollyleaf's scent faded, leaving Silentstorm alone once more.

     The fire forgotten, Silentstorm let herself be lost to her grief, wailing her pain as the only home she'd ever known was destroyed around her.