When the Sun Went Still (part 1 of 4)

Instructions

[WARNING: Includes bl00d, injury, and d3ath. Please do not proceed unless you are comfortable] It had been a normal day for Echoheart. Until the patrol had returned. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Echoheart was resting on the lounging rock near the elder's den, soaking in the sun. She had had an eventful morning - she had been up early on the dawn patrol, and then had organized a hunting group, brought fresh-kill to Thistlefur, the only elder, and had helped Hollowspeck wrestle her kits back into camp after they had tried to go on their own "adventure". Oh, and she'd sent out another patrol consisting of Quailflight, Briarrose, Spotclaw, and one of her kits, Storkshadow, to the Bushclan border. Ever since Sparkstar and Bushclan had turned their back on Cloverclan during the Great Battle, Mossstar had been paranoid about an attack from Bushclan, and had ordered Echoheart to send at least one patrol to their border each day. Echoheart thought it was an overreaction - one that wasted warriors and time. But Mossstar's word was law, so she obeyed. Echoheart sighed and flicked her tail. Sorrelclaw lounged next to her, and Echoheart wished she could be that young and carefree again. No kits for Mossstar to blackmail her with. No Mossstar at all - now that would be a great pleasure. Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise as the patrol came in through the main entrance. Echoheart sat up, alarmed. At first she didn't see anything wrong - only that Quailflight, and he had a huge injury on his back. Bl00d was gushing down onto the floor and titing Storkshadow's white fur pink. The injury looked like a huge bite mark - like something (a fox? a badger?) had bitten down and ripped out Storkshadow's fur. Echoheart was up in seconds. "Sorrelclaw," she shouted at him. "Go get Fallowfur." Sorrelclaw nodded, his eyes wide with fear, and sprinted towards the med den. Echoheart leaped off the rock and ran to the fragmented patrol. "Quailflight! What happened?" Echoheart shouted, fear coursing through her. "Where's Spotclaw?" She dove in and helped support Storkshadow. "Oh, my poor Storkshadow-" Echoheart's voice caught in her throat. Her poor kit. He had to live. He was going to live. Where was Fallowfur? What had happened? Fallowfur pushed Echoheart away, carrying pawfuls of cobwebs and herbs. "How did this happen?" Fallowfur demanded as she examined Storkshadow's wounds. Storkshadow's eyes were shut, and his face was convulsed in pain. "I don't know - it just-just came out of nowhere," Briarrose stammered. A crowd had gathered, but Echoheart couldn't see anything but Storkshadow bl33ding out on the grass. "What came out of nowhere?" Fallowfur shouted over the commotion. "A crocodile," Quailflight replied, also terrified. "It was huge," Fallowfur's eyes widened. "We need to get Storkshadow into my den," her voice also quavered a bit. A crocodile was no joke. Echoheart's ears were pounding, her vision blurring. "Quailflight, Briarrose, you two support him, let's go." As they hurried Storkshadow into the med den, Echoheart tried to follow, but she stumbled a couple times. Her vision was tunneled, and she was breathing shallowly. This couldn't be happening. Why did she send out that patrol? Why? Blizzardstrike suddenly came up behind her, and slowly guided her away from the crowds to the edge of camp. "Shhh..." he said softly to her. "Just breathe, Mom. Storkshadow's going to be fine. I'm sure of it - Fallowfur is an amazing medicine cat. Remember how she was able to heal your back injury after the Great Battle? It's going to be just fine." Echoheart nodded, barely hearing the words. It was all her fault. She had sent the patrol. She had made Storkshadow get hurt. Tears began to trickle down her face. If he died, she would never forgive herself. As they sat there, Echoheart slowly calming down, Swiftwhistle and Aspenstrike came over as well. They sat there, one big worried family, waiting for Fallowfur to come out of the den and deliver news. Any news, good or bad. Finally, just after the sun had set and Silverpelt was beginning to shine in the sky, Fallowfur emerged from the med den. Echoheart stood up anxiously and hurried over to her. Aspenstrike and Blizzardpounce had fallen asleep curled next to each other, but Swiftwhistle was close behind Echoheart. "So?" Echoheart asked quietly, her heart jumping in fear. Swiftwhistle entwined his tail around hers comfortingly. "How is he?" "Well," Fallowfur began. "He's alive. For now." Echoheart breathed a sigh of relief. But... for now wasn't a guarantee. "I don't know if you heard," continued Fallowfur. "But the patrol was down by the Toad Pond when they got ambushed by a crocodile. It grabbed Storkshadow in it's jaws, but Spotclaw leaped onto it and began attacking it. The crocodile let go of Storkshadow, but..." ++