Confrontation [Continued]

The two senior warriors carefully carried Blizzardfur's unconscious body down into the grassy knoll which was RainClan's camp. A cool leaf-fall breeze swept across the plateau and rustled the golden leaves above. Burnfeather and her two kits padded out of the nursery; a hollowed out log that was nestled between some boulders and bracken. She pushed her kits back into the den when she saw how horrible a shape the cats were in as one by one they filed into the clearing. Heatherstar immediately padded forward to confront Ripplepond and Quakeheart, who had placed the RainClan deputy's body before her den. Spottedbelly flicked her ears as she saw Fallstep and Blackpaw emerge from the medicine cat den (three clumps of bracken backed by a stone) with herbs in their mouths. Fallstep immediately went to Blizzardfur's side while Blackpaw went to treating the other warriors who had fought.

Now the whole Clan was here, sitting in camp with blank or horrified expressions. Blackpaw was tending to Laureltail next to the mottled she-cat as Tangleclaw pushed up to her other side. "Spottedbelly, are you all right?" she meowed worriedly, nosing her white muzzle in her shoulder fur. "I'm fine. I didn't get a scratch," she added scathingly. Tangleclaw swished her calico tail and replied, "Well that's good." Oblivious to emotions as always, Spottedbelly thought.

Blackpaw finished with Laureltail and began sniffing through the mottled warrior's fur. Interjecting, Spottedbelly meowed, "Don't waste your time with me! I wasn't hurt." Darkpaw ignored her other than twitching her ears to show she had heard. Several moments later the white apprentice mewed, "Your ear isn't in the best of shape. Come by Fallstep's den later for us to treat it." Spottedbelly lashed her tail as Blackpaw moved on to the others. Tanglewish watched her go before meowing, "I wish I'd have been there. If we had teamed up, all of NightClan would be whimpering in their nursery."

Spottedbelly mrrowed laughter and replied, "Yeah, those big old cats wouldn't know what hit them." Tangleclaw purred.

"Will he be all right?" Spottedbelly and the others turned their heads to see Heatherstar leaning over Blizzardfur, her eyes surveying his wounds worriedly. Fallstep had just finished applying the poultices and cobweb. He lifted his dark head and meowed in his deep voice, "Only time will tell, I'm afraid. He suffered a good blow to the head and another scored where his spine is." Hurried murmurs ran through the assembled Clan. Tangleclaw and Spottedbelly shared a glance. What if he didn't make it?

The tortoiseshell knew that Heatherstar would very well be able to choose a new deputy; there were prime candidates already for the position, but the tabby leader was specifically attached to Blizzardfur. Spottedbelly could imagine that her leader would go mad in grief, just like she would if she lost Tangleclaw or Laureltail. Dipping her head slightly, she leaned toward Laureltail who immediately supported her. He swished his white tail and frowned, probably thinking the same things that almost everyone else was thinking.

Tanglewish kneaded her claws into the grass. "Did you see who did that to him?" she meowed questioningly, wanting more answers Spottedbelly fancied. The two tortoiseshell warriors shook their heads. Laureltail meowed, "I was too busy fighting - but I bet Graytiger did it." Spottedbelly nodded slowly. "It is more likely that they were fighting each other." Tangleclaw nodded as if agreeing.

Heatherstar hopped up onto her den known as the round stone and meowed, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here before the round stone for a Clan meeting." It was clearly just for the sake of tradition, for the cats were already all here. The brown leader hung her head and meowed, "There are several things we must attend to tonight. Fallstep's prognosis of Blizzardfur is that... he probably won't make it." she paused as anguished yowls came from the cats below her. She continued softly, "I must choose a replacement to fill in his spot until we find out what is truly to become of him. Until the future of Blizzardfur is determined, I name Quakeheart as the replacement deputy." Congratulatory mews came from some of the cats around the large brown tabby, but the occasion really wasn't something to be joyous about.

Heatherstar meowed, "I had been planning on naming two new warriors today, and I suppose I still should. I shouldn't take their day away from them because of misfortune in battle." "Downpaw and Hollowpaw, please step forward," she meowed, a new clarity in her voice. The two apprentices padded forward with vainly suppressed pride brimming from their pelts.


-to be continued-