Chasing Shadows Chapter 11: Broken Promise

Chapter 11: Broken Promise

Razorkit didn't remember going to sleep. He remembered watching the gathering patrol leave, and then being called into the Nursery by Vapoursoul along with his littermates and their friends. He remembered curling up between his brother and sister, and for the first time noticing how small the crowded the den seemed. He remembered watching the camp through the small entrance to the den, and eventually becoming tranced by the silver glint of light reflecting of the waterfall.

He must've drifted off soon after that, because now, the sight and sound of the camp had vanished. Only the voices of the past few days came to him.

"Hit by a star?" The joint voices of Shimmerpool and Cheetahstar echoed through his mind, causing him to shiver. He had always seen his leader as the kind and caring she-cat who would do anything for the sake of her clan, but since that time, he found he couldn't look her in the eye. He had kept his faith in Shimmerpool, who despite not claiming to beleive him, had comforted him after the leader's harsh words.

"I think you'd make a good leader" He remembered that was what Chaoskit had said to him the day before. He wondered how it must feel to have the responsibility of the entire clan on your shoulders, when every cat from kit to elder looked to you for guidence. The way he was now, it seemed so far from his paws.

"And I'll catch you the juciest mouse I can find when you become apprentices!" He was enlightened when his father's voice echoed through his thoughts, melting the cold sense of mistrust he now felt towards his leader. Wildstripe was going to take him on a patrol in the morning, when they were apprentices and finally out of the nursery. He had no idea how long it was until sunrise, but the anticiaption wasn't getting in the way of his sleep.

He wanted to wake up. He wanted to take that first leap into apprentiship and make his father proud. Maybe he could even convince Cheetahstar to beleive him about the star, make her see him again without those hostile eyes.

Razorkit willed himself to wake. But before he could, he heard one final voice. So much quieter than the others, but he could just make out the words.

"From highest sky to lowest ground,
From shroudest noise to loudest sound,
Through day and night,
Through cold and warmth,
Search until the one is found.

Search upon the moutains high,
Search upon the oceans wide,
Search upon the desert dry,
For every moon, one more will die"

----

"For every moon, one more will die"

The final line of the chilling rhyme played over as the silver kit's bright blue eyes snapped open. Razorkit held his breath for a moment, he'd been breathing heavily and his fur was spiked up, as if he was preparing for battle. The den was still dark; it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the blankness.

The queens weren't in their nests. Razorkit was still sat between Stingkit and Silentkit, but Vapoursoul was no longer curled protectingly around them like she always would. Glancing across the den, he made out the seperate shapes of both Chaoskit and Leopardkit, but without Whitefoot and Honeyfur.

It was only when he pulled himself from between his littermates that he heard more voices. Voices from outside the den, and what hit him hardest and what he almost choked on.

A thick, continous wave of fear-scent, migled by the pugnent smell of blood.

The sensation was staggering, so much so that Razorkit had to turn away from the den entrance to be able to breathe properly. He stood rigid, contemplating the possibility that he was still dreaming, and waited. Nothing happened. The smell had filled the entire den. It was making him choke.

He had to get out.

Ignoring the urge to wake up his denmates, Razorkit bounded for the den entrance and squeezed through the gap. It had been only last moon he could easily hop through the thin hole in the den wall, but now he found his pelt getting caught in the tightly woven twigs. Half jumping, half falling, he landed face first onto the camp floor.

The moon was still out, and the sky still black. It wasn't even surnrise yet. The fear-scent was still thick in the air, but the slow breeze was dispersing it thoughout the sky.

"R-Razorkit...!" He turned as Skyhawk almost colided with him. The white and brown tom's fur was matted, parts of it stuck together with drying clumps of blood. His muzzle was still dripping, a single stream of crimson blood flowing from a deep claw scratch that bridged his nose. His amber eyes were lit with worry; he opened his jaw to say something, but decided aginst it. Without saying anything, he leapt away from the kit and across to Thunderclaw, who was staggering through the entrance tunnel.

What happened to them...? Razorkit gasped, watching the golden warrior struggling to make it to the Medicine Cat's den. His hind left leg had been deeply cut, and he walked awkwardly one three legs while the injured leg dragged. Blood coated his shoulders and he left a trail until he disapeared into Shimmerpool's den, while Ghostpaw, the Medicine Cat apprentice, passed him and Skyhawk a bundle of herbs.

It was the same everywhere he looked. Snowpelt and Sparrowflight were each licking their wounds, while huddling close to Moonpaw and Rainpaw, who both looked terrified. Yellowgaze, although bleeding herself, was cautiously licking Flamepaw's right ear where he now had a v-shaped tear. Cinderpaw was lying the other side of Yellowgaze, cobwebs filled in the long gash she showed across her back. Nightraven padded across the clearing, looking less damaged than the others, seeking out his brother Darkheart. The black warrior asked something, to which the deputy shook his head. Both brothers gazed at the ground.

"Razorkit?" This time it was Lionfrost who had noticed him. The large golden warrior wasn't hurt at all. He looked down at Razorkit with an expression that, in this state, he couldn't read.

It's all the cats that went to the gathering! He finally realised, looking around desperatly at all the injured cats.

"Where're Wildstripe and Wolfstreak?" Razorkit managed to squeak out, noticing that he hadn't seen his father or his uncle in the clearing. Lionfrost didn't say anything at first. When again the warrior couldn't think of what to say, he simply picked up Razorkit by the scruff and placed him on his back.

"I'm sorry" He heard the golden tom mumble. They headed towards the entrance log, ducking through while making sure Razorkit wasn't crushed against the top. When they were outside the camp walls, Lionfrost stopped.

Wolfstreak was heading towards them, with the queens Honeyfur and Whitefoot either side of Vapoursoul. Shimmerpool followed behind them, with Cheetahstar at the rear. Wolfstreak's long fur was drenched, he must've falled in the river somewhere near OceanClan territory, making him look smaller than his usal size. Streaks of red contasted his gray pelt. His usally bright emerald eyes were dim.

None of the queens were hurt, although Vapoursoul stumbled, like she had lost the will to walk. Honeyfur kept her propped up, and Whitefoot muttered encouragement into her ear as they got closer to camp.

Cheetahstar and Shimmerpool were not unscathed, but both had minor injuries like Nightraven and Darkheart. The ginger Medicine cat carried a bundle of herbs in her jaws, while it looked like Cheetahstar had just finished chewing hers. When the golden leader saw Razorkit perched on Lionfrost's back, she narrowed her eyes and muttered something to Vapoursoul.
The silver queen looked straight at him. Lionfrost sat down and slipped Razorkit off, before nudging him towards his mother.

Vapoursoul pulled away from the other queens and headed towards him. Razorkit bounded towards his mother, feeling smaller now than he ever had done. "Where's Wildstripe?"

The queen let out a whimper, before resting her muzzle on the kit's shoulder. A sadenning aura was emenating from her in huge waves. Like before, the silver kit found it hard to greath in the sea of emotion.

In his head, Razorkit was petrified of where this was going.

"Where is he?!" He demanded, pulling away from his mother's fur, his heart willing to prove his head wrong. He rested his gaze on Cheetahstar, who held it evenly for a heartbeat. After a moment, she simply looked to the ground and flicked her tail to Wolfstreak.

He hadn't seen before. He hadn't seen it because the queens had been in the way. He hadn't seen the battered and drenched body, carried on Wolfstreak's back. He hadn't seen the scars and the blood, the glazed emerald eyes or the missing patches of snow-white fur. He hadn't seen the small cat, looking smaller than Razorkit had ever imagined, carried by his woeful brother. He hadn't felt the cold sense of an empty body, devoid of spirit. He couldn't have. He should never have.

He didn't want to, but he couldn't turn away now.

"Oh, Razorkit" Shimmerpool rasped, again wrapping him in her bushy tail.
"I'm sorry" Vapoursoul pulled him close again, pressing him tight between the she-cats, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She repeated the words until she choked on them.

Wolfstreak blinked, although his eyes didn't seem to be looking at anything. His body ws static, he daren't move in fear of dropping his brother. His breath was shallow.

Cheetahstar padded to the middle of the greif-sticken group, "Come into camp" She urged, glancing at the cats one by one. Razorkit felt her gaze move to him last, but he didn't look at her. How could he? His father was gravely injured in front of him.

"Shimmerpool?" He croaked, without his gaze shifting in the slightest, "You can heal him, cant you...?"
The ginger she-cat blinked, pain suddenly filling her lime-green eyes. She turned her head away slightly, "I cant"
"But you have to!" He demanded, wriggling free of the she-cats, "He's going to die!"
Shimmerpool shut her eyes, as if the words he was speaking were hurting her, "I cant" She repeated quietly.
"But why!?" Razorkit choked out the words like he was choking out a peice of bad fresh-kill, "You can heal him, you're the Medcine Cat!"

She didn't answer this time. She couldn't even look at him any more.

"Why!?" Razorkit didn't unferstand why they weren't helping him. He didn't understand why his father's body felt so different now, so empty. The Medicine Cat's job was to save cats lives. So why couldn't Shimmerpool?

"Razorkit" He only heard his name faintly, but the voice was all to familiar. He wrenched his gaze from Shimmerpool to Cheetahstar, and the golden leader looked at him evenly.

"Wildstripe is already dead"

Finally, some action-ish. Felt sad writing this. And this is where it gets better

It was a great chapter!!!!

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH STONESTEP!!
Don't stop writing!!

Poor Wildstripe... It was the same with Moonflower.... But still, it's great! Keep writing...

Its another great chapter! Keep writing!

WILDSTRIPE DIED
A sad ending.......

Wildstripe died?....

Yeah... You didn't read Razorwing's fanfic didn't you? O.o
The whole chapter was practically about Wildstripe's death!!

IceClaw the Scratcher wrote:

Yeah... You didn't read Razorwing's fanfic didn't you? O.o
The whole chapter was practically about Wildstripe's death!!

Yup and he practically died the same way as Moonflower, breaking a promise to his kits.....

I'm so glad everybody liked it =) And I was sad about having Wildstripe go to StarClan this early, but that's just the way it turned out...Life isnt always a happy ending x3 (Not that the story ends here, mind you...xD)

Yeah...life doesn't always have a happy ending...

Life always have a sad and a happy ending.

I already have the ending for this planned out x3 Whether it's happy or sad, or both, you'll just have to keep reading xD

Ok I will carry on reading it. XD

Goldenfur wrote:

Ok I will carry on reading it. XD

Mew will too! XD