Chapter 11

Lionblaze trailed behind the patrol. Ears dropping and eyes not even paying attention to the surroundings, he made his way through the forest. Why did he even have to be here, its not like he was doing them any favors by being there. Snakerock stopped to sniff a tree, Lionblaze rolled his eyes and sighed, making the cats in front of him turn their heads at Lionblaze. Everyone, even his own father, cast angry and disappointed looks at the golden warrior. Lionblaze shrugged it off.
The patrol moved onward, though Lionblaze thought it was taking them forever to do this patrol. Whitewing had only been gone for half a day and all the clans were worried sick about her. Lionblaze half snorted, this was a waste of time. She'd probably be back before sundown.
"I can get a trace of her scent here," Snakerock reported to Bumblestripe. Bumblestripe nodded.
"Keep going, we might be able to find her," Bumbelstripe ordered. Lionblaze flicked his tail. Bumblestripe wasn't the real deputy, he was only standing in while Cinderheert recovered. Lionblaze felt his paws itch in agitation, what if she never got better?
"Great Starclan," Leaftail's scared mew brought Lionblaze back, he tried to peer over the patrol
s shoulders, they were crowded around a large elder bush.
"Let me see," He growled, thrusting the younger warriors back with his shoulders. He stopped mid-step. Below him lying in a pool of blood was Whitewing, her fur tinged with crimson blood and throat bitten open like fresh kill. Her eyes were still open and looking desperately up towards the skies, though they were now glazed over.
"What did this?" Leaftail whispered, Lionblaze looked back, she was crouched on the ground, eyes wide with fear.
"Its alright," Bumblestripe pressed close to her.
"Do you think it was those Dark Forest warriors?" Snakerock mewed, tail twitching nervously and he looked as if a whole band of warriors was about to pop out the trees behind him.
"We got rid of all of them," Lionblaze reminded, remembering the eerie chant he had given to Tigerstar. "It must have been rogues passing through,"
"Like Ashfur, remember when he died?" Bumblestripe mewed. Lionblaze flinched visibly. "Oh sorry, I forgot you were his apprentice, you two must have been close," Bumblestripe leaned forward and flicked his tail over the older tom's shoulder respectfully. Lionblaze merely nodded, though Bumblestripe couldn't of been more wrong. He wasn't close to the gray tom that mentored him, and it wasn't a rogue that killed him. It was his own sister, Hollyleaf, who now hunted in a place no other knew about, not even the Dark Forest.
"We should take her back," Bumbelstripe's mew sounded hollow with grief, he padded forward and grabbed Whitewing by the scruff, her fur dragging slowly across the forest floor, blood trailing behind her and leaving a path through the forest. Lionblaze helped him by dragging part of her along with him.
"Go ahead and tell the clans," Bumblestripe nodded to Leaftail and Snakerock. The two cats nodded and raced through the trees. "Can I ask you something?" Bumbelstripe mewed through a mouth full of fur.
Lionblaze nodded reluctantly, looking back to check they were going the right way.
"Why does Cinderheart need to be guarded in the medicine den?" Bumblestripe murmured, Lionblaze turned and glared at him, though all he saw in the dark gray tom's eyes was pure innocence.
"Why do you want to know?" He growled.
Bumblestripe shrugged, padding backwards,"Well, I'm clan deputy now and-"
Lionblaze snorted,"You are not clan deputy, Cinderheart will get over this and when she does," he huffed,"I'll make sure she keeps an eye on you," He walked shifted his part of the weight so he could stand farther away from Bumblestripe, awkwardly standing in silence. Bumblestripe narrowed his eyes and finally spoke.
"What wrong with you?" He snarled,"I'm clan deputy, no matter what you say, and just because your mate is ill or whatever doesn't give you the right to be a foxheart everyday. You're acting like a selfish oaf for the past two moons and the clans are really starting to get tired of it. You're weak Lionblaze," Bumblestripe hissed,"I used to look up to you when I was an apprentice, I thought you were great, but you're just wading in your own misery, looking for pity then snapping at cats that try to help you," Lionblaze dropped Whitewing's fur to the ground and lunged at the younger gray tom. Bumblestripe ducked in surprise and leaped at the golden tom, knocking him onto his side and holding down his throat with a paw. Lionblaze kicked him in the gut with a hind leg and batted his ears angrily with unsheathed claws, pulling him downward by the scruff of his neck and biting into his ear angrily. Bumblestripe yowled in anger and whipped around and pushed Lionblaze into a tree with four paws, sending Lionblaze sprawled out against the long grass. Lionblaze looked up wildly and saw Bumblestripe approach, eyes lit angrily.
"Get up," He growled. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes indignantly. Clearly with his moons of loathing everything that came into his path Lionblaze's powers had weakened without practice. Bumblestripe nudged the bedraggled tom towards Whitewing and the two toms resumed the sad walk back to camp with the dead she-cat.
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"Rogues! It was rogues!"
"Yeah!"
Lionblaze only watched as the clans howled about at the leaders standing atop the highrock their fur fluffed out in fury,
"It must've been the same one that killed Ashfur!"  Crowfeather spat furiously. Lionblaze only shook his head, this was useless, Ashfur wasn't killed by rogues, so Whitewing being killed by rogues was unlikely.
"The forest is worse than ever!" Petalnose cried. Lionblaze snorted and looked up to the leaders.
"Nonsense! We have warriors here to protect the camp," Bramblestar yowled.
"But what about when the clans separate! Windclan has barely any warriors!" Heathertail protested, her eyes hot with fury. Lionblaze padded forward and sat among the cats, vaguely interested in what was going on.
"Windclan is strong," Onestar called out,"We can live,"
"What about the kits and apprentices?" Cristy shouted up. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes, why did she care?
"They'll never be safe without the protection of every warrior," Ghost grunted, Lionblaze saw other cats nod in agreement.
"Many moons ago we all agreed to stay together until it was safe!" Squirrelflight protested the cats agreeing with the white tom.
"What if its never safe?" Twigstorm snarled. The clans erupted into a fury of argument.
"Clans! May I say something?" Tinder leaped up onto the highledge. Lionblaze rolled his eyes, what now? "It seems that something is hunting cats down and killing them," His eyes flicked from Raccoon to Ghost,"And we must take action. With your allowance, leaders, I will take a patrol out to find this cat. I would take Lionblaze, Raccoon, Ghost, and Crowfeather," Lionblaze groaned, he did not want to go on another patrol.
The four leaders looked at each other in surprise, Rowanstar spoke first,"We will stay here and prepare the camp's barrier just in case,"
"Dovepelt, join them," Bramblestar ordered to the small gray she-cat sitting outside the warriors' den with Leaftail. He could see the patrol already forming and Dovepelt padded toward him.
"Do you hear any rogues?" Lionblaze murmured to her stiffly.
She shook her head,"Nothings out there, but I heard something in my dreams last night,"  She glanced up to Lionblaze and whispered in a low tone,"I see Twilight entering the camp alone earlier this morning,"
"You saw this in your dreams?" He mewed, she nodded. The two cats joined the patrol at the thorn barrier.
"Alright, lets go." Tinder mewed, setting off and running through the barrier in the direction of the lake.
"Whitewing was found near the edge of Thunderclan territory," Lionblaze called up,"If it was a rogue, wouldn't it be heading in the opposite direction?"
"Are you heading this patrol?" Ghost snorted, pushing the golden tom out of his way to join the black and white tom at the front.
"Hey!" Lionblaze growled running up and pushing Ghost back. Ghost reared back and tackled Lionblaze angrily. Even without moons of practice, Lionblaze pinned Ghost down with a simple flip of his claws.
Tinder came up behind him and shoved him off the white tom,"What are you, some kind of traitor?" Tinder growled to Lionblaze, eying him angrily.
Lionblaze growled,"Me? He shoved me first,"
"I didn't see it," Tinder growled, helping Ghost up.
"Yeah, he just came up behind me and shoved me," Ghost grumbled.
"That's not true," Dovepelt protested, tail lashing angrily.
"Shut-up," Raccoon snarled flexing his claws,"Or I'll make you,"
Lionblaze rushed forward,"Don't talk to her like that," All five cats looked at each other, theirs eyes fuming with anger.
"Come on Dovepelt," Lionblaze snarled, turning away, not wanting a fight between the cats. He stumbled in the opposite direction. not speaking to Dovepelt. They searched the forest for any kind of scent of rogues, passing where they found Whitewing multiple times.
"How are you doing?" Lionblaze grunted to Dovepelt, Whitewing was her mother after all.
Dovepelt looked up,"I miss her, I miss her so much," Her ears cocked forward,"I won't stop until I find out who killed her," He touched his tail tip to her shoulder sympathetically. The sunlight dappled through the treetops, casting warmth on Lionblaze's pelt. For a moment he was lost in the sunshine, Cinderherat was forgotten, Tinder and his gang was forgotten, and everyone he ever knew was gone. He just stood there as the wind swayed the leaves above him and squirrels chattered among the branches. The wind blew from the lake and he could taste the water on his tongue like a fresh gulp o water. He blinked and breathed in deeply, relishing the birds sweet songs high above him.