TB MOONRISE -- Chapter 23 [TW: Violence, Death] (Patreon)

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The cave exploded with the sound of dozens of cats yowling and screeching in panic. Their battle lines, so carefully arranged by Stoneheart and Crag, fell apart as Sharptooth crashed right into the cave-guards, and the smell of blood bloomed from the creature’s paws. Feathertail heard a sickening snapping noise, and Boulder’s voice rose in a hoarse caterwaul:

“Sheer!”

Feathertail’s stomach clenched, and her legs trembled with fear. Our plan had been good! She thought desperately, watching as Sharptooth raised its massive, blocky head from Sheer’s body. Its jaws opened, letting out a rattling growl as its eyes flickered between the scattering cats. StarClan, why?!

“Feathertail, run!” cried Brook.

Feathertail forced her paws into action as Sharptooth’s eyes fell on her. She skidded against the cool stone floor and ran towards Brook’s voice, aware of Sharptooth’s hot, stinky breath above her. The Tribe prey-hunter had taken shelter on one of the ridges that ran along the cave walls – most were wide enough to hold a cat in single-file. Feathertail charged for the nearest wall, ears pinned.

In the gloom it was difficult to find a pawhold in the cavern wall. Feathertail scrambled, her gaze unfocused and her heart beating so hard she feared it might burst before Sharptooth even reached her.

She hazarded a glance back, eyes widening as she saw the monstrous cat looming behind her. It raised one paw to strike, and Feathertail heard Brook wailing in terror above her. Feathertail curled herself into a ball, bracing herself for the impact as if she were about to plunge into the river during flood season.

The blow never came.

Feathertail opened her eyes as Sharptooth let out a frustrated growl. The creature was taking clumsy steps backward, tufted tail lashing and teeth bared at the line of cats that had suddenly formed before it. Feathertail’s heart lifted, just a little – perhaps there was hope after all!

She forced her legs to move, unsheathing her claws as she joined them. Red was their leader, his back arched and fur puffed so that he looked twice his size. Beside him, spitting and hissing, lashing out with their claws, were Boulder and Crowpaw. Feathertail copied them, puffing out her fur and rising onto her hind paws to flash her claws.

“For Pale!” spat Red, lashing out with his claws. His eyes were blazing pools of hatred. Thunder crashed outside, loud enough to make the cave tremble as if it were made of the Tribe’s grief and desperate rage. “For Spray!”

“For the Tribe!” crowed Crowpaw, darting forward to swipe at the air between himself and Sharptooth. “For the Clans!”

Feathertail willed him to be careful, especially when Sharptooth’s eyes focused on him. The beast aimed a swipe in Crowpaw’s direction, but the nimble WindClan warrior dodged easily, taunting Sharptooth with a lash of his tail.

“Push it out of the cave!” Boulder cried. “For Sheer!”

The big gray tom darted to the side, flashing his claws. Feathertail’s heart lurched as she saw the blow land on Sharptooth’s hind leg. Instantly the monster whipped around, its thick black claws scraping against the stone. Lightning flashed, and Feathertail saw Boulder’s body flinging up into the air. The next flash showed him hitting the jagged, stony ceiling… and a third showed his body motionless on the stone floor.

No! Feathertail’s ears rang. Not Boulder! He had been the cave-guard Feathertail had hunted with the most, big and threatening but quiet. He had kits, for StarClan’s sake! Feathertail thought of Hawk, Swoop, and Ice, and how they would now grow up without a father. If they even make it through this at all…

Sharptooth turned around again, facing the line that had tried to herd it so bravely. Fear bubbled up in Feathertail as she realized that, while they had stunned the creature for a moment, it had only been trying to pick out which target to go for first.

It chose Crowpaw.

Shaprtooth lunged. Feathertail felt time come to a halt as, for a brief moment, she saw Crowpaw’s eyes widen with realization. Time sped back up and thankfully, Crowpaw was quick enough to dodge, sending Sharptooth skidding across the stone floor on paws damp with blood.

“Now!” howled Stormfur from above.

Feathertail looked up, spotting several cats perched on the ledges of the cave wall. Stormfur was one of them, his eyes bright and blazing as he bunched his haunches and leaped. Mistyfoot followed him, along with Brook and Crag. All four cats sailed through the air, aiming for Sharptooth’s exposed back.

Crag and Mistyfoot managed to land squarely on the monster’s shoulders and spine, digging their claws in. Brook missed, landing neatly on the stone floor and spinning so that she was in front of Feathertail. The prey-hunter lunged for Sharptooth’s foreleg, wrapping her forepaws around the limb and sinking her teeth into it.

Stormfur’s landing had put him in front of Sharptooth’s muzzle, and he lashed out with claws that shone in the moonlight. Thunder rumbled outside, and the tang of blood in the air grew fresher. When lightning flashed again, Feathertail saw that Sharptooth’s muzzle was stained with blood.

Feathertail felt another flutter of confidence. She got to her paws and dashed, sliding beneath Sharptooth’s belly. It stood taller than any cat, but that just made it easier for Feathertail to rear up and sink her claws into fur and flesh.

Sharptooth writhed, howling. Feathertail dug in deeper, feeling like her claws would tug out as Sharptooth thrashed above her. She saw Crag fall off, only to be replaced by Swift as the silver tabby gave a mighty leap from the stone floor onto the beast’s haunches.

Brook was flung away, and Feathertail’s heart lurched – but the nimble prey-hunter recovered, shaking out her pelt and howling as she rushed back into the fray. Feathertail, invigorated by Brook’s determination, gave a yowl of her own as she dug her claws in as deep as she could manage, trying not to choke on Sharptooth’s horrible smell.

We might do this! She thought. By Silverpelt’s starry tail, though, this monster’s fur is thick!

“Tribe!” yowled Stormfur, ducking beneath a heavy swipe. “To me!”

His voice echoed through the cave. Soon enough, Feathertail was joined by Claw, who began to slice at Sharptooth’s hind legs. Crowpaw took another hind leg, sinking his teeth in deeply. Nightpaw and Stoneheart darted in and out with Cloud and Flight, striking where they could find space. Feathertail saw a flash of ginger, and saw Red sliding in beside Stormfur, rearing onto his hind paws to slash at Sharptooth’s eyes.

Feathertail’s heart began to beat with hope – We might not be able to kill it, she thought, slashing away at Sharptooth’s belly. But we can make it never want to return! She and Claw dodged smoothly to the side as Sharptooth tried to twist and reach them, its foreclaws missing by a whiskerlength. Feathertail and Claw dove back in together, joined by Gray.

Sharptooth roared with frustration. It kicked out with a hind paw, catching Claw in the throat. Blood gushed as Claw flailed, caught briefly on Sharptooth’s toes. He was dead before he was thrust away, sliding across the cave to rest near the softpaw’s den.

Feathertail wanted to retch. Just as we feel hope again… She looked up at Sharptooth’s pale belly. This monster is too powerful!

“Stay focused!” howled Crag from the front. He was keeping Sharptooth’s forepaws busy trying to strike him while Stormfur and Red sliced at its face. “Drive it out of the cave!”

“Make it never come back!” howled Red.

There was a surge of bodies as every cat seemed to cluster around Sharptooth at once. Feathertail was nearly carried off her paws by Wing and Sun as they darted beneath Sharptooth’s belly, slicing at the backs of its forelegs. Talon and Bird sailed onto the monster’s back, joining Mistyfoot in clawing it to strips. Rock and Jag clustered near the hind legs, darting in and out with the others. Even Snow and Shadepaw had joined the fray, clawing and biting wherever they could, with Crowpaw protecting them as best as he could.

Thunder crashed again, followed quickly by lightning. In the shadows painted on the cave walls, Feathertail saw that Sharptooth was absolutely covered in writhing, screeching Tribe cats.

It’s too many, she realized suddenly. We can’t organize like this!

It was just as Feathertail’s claws unclenched that Sharptooth let out another bellow. The beast heaved upward, dislodging Crag and Mistyfoot. Feathertail managed to push Gray out from beneath the monster’s belly as it crashed back down, Sun and Wing darting out beside them.

“Look out!” Stormfur warned.

Breathing desperately, Feathertail turned around in time to see Sharptooth’s next move. Most of the cats, Tribe and Clan, had backed off in time, realizing that Sharptooth was breaking free. The lion-cat shook its body with a snarl, kicking out again with its hind legs. It spun to swipe at Swift, catching her under the belly as she leaped to flee. The silver tabby was flung to the side, smacking against the cave wall and sliding down limply – her side shuddered twice before laying still.

Sharptooth’s growl rippled through the cave as the cats fled, bristling with fear-scent and eyes flashing in the dark recesses near the back. Lightning flashed again, and Feathertail saw the monster-cat’s body, covered in bleeding cuts and bites.

It worked, Feathertail thought, her limbs aching. But it’s just not enough. She couldn’t imagine some cat trying to tear open the beast’s throat with their claws or teeth. It was just impossible – and no cat had the strength to keep tearing and wearing away at the monster’s defenses like this. It’ll pick us off one by one before we can deal a death blow!

Sharptooth’s muzzle turned, its eyes flashing over every cat surrounding it. It shifted on its paws, its tail curling close to its body.

Feathertail’s whiskers twitched. Hope sprang in her chest. It’s hesitating!

She wasn’t the only one to notice. “Begone, monster!” cried Snow, stepping forward. Her eyes glowed with determination; her muzzle spattered with blood. “You are not welcome here!”

“Begone!” chorused the Tribe cats.

Feathertail raised her voice: “Never return!”

“Leave us in peace!” Talon added, bristling.

Sharptooth curled its lip. Whether or not it understood what they were all yowling about was unclear, but Feathertail didn’t care. They only had to make it never want to return, that was all…

“Vile beast!” Red snarled from the other side of the cave, his shoulders highlighted in moonlight. “Killer! Murderer!” He stepped forward, tail lashing. “You do not own these mountains!”

The beast turned its head to Red, and lunged again.

No!

Sharptooth skidded as Red leaped away. It stretched his neck to snap at Red, missing his foreleg by a pawstep. The cats around Sharptooth and Red scattered again, jumbling and tripping over one another to escape towards the back of the cave – but Sharptooth seemed focused on Red.

Thunder growled through the sky as Red darted away from Sharptooth, just barely escaping its jaws and claws. Feathertail pressed herself against the cave wall, her heart thudding in her ears. All Sharptooth had to do was leap, and Red would be dead.

Lighting flashed, highlighting Red as he scrambled up to one of the high ledges on the cave wall. Sharptooth lunged for him, its claws scraping and sparking against the stones. It roared in futility, bristling, and turned back to the other cats.

Its eyes landed on Feathertail.

Once again Feathertail found herself desperately trying to find a way to flee the monster. Her paw slipped, and she found herself tumbling into one of the sharpclaw dens, scattering feathers and bracken into the air. She pressed herself against the farthest wall – but these dens weren’t protective caves like the nursery or the Cavern of Reflection, they were just shallow scoops in the floor. There was nothing here to protect her as Sharptooth prowled forward.

StarClan, Tribe of Endless Hunting, help me!

Moonlight shone through the waterfall, highlighting Sharptooth’s body. Feathertail swallowed – was this the last thing she’d ever see?

A shape moved in front of her as the moonlight faded. Claws flashed, and Sharptooth groaned in pain.

Another rumble of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning, showed Feathertail what had happened – Stormfur was before her, bristling to the ends of his fur, one of his paws raised and drenched in blood. Sharptooth raised its muzzle, glaring down at Stormfur with what was now it's only eye.

“Stormfur!” Mistyfoot screeched from her perch along the wall. “Get out of there!”

Stormfur glanced back at her. There was an apology in his eyes. Before Feathertail could stop him, Stormfur was already halfway to the waterfall, with Sharptooth hard on his paws.

Feathertail pulled herself out of the sharpclaw den, her limbs quivering. Mistyfoot flashed past her, her fear-scent flooding Feathertail’s senses and giving her paws energy to move. Putting on as much speed as she could manage, Feathertail followed them.

The storm was still raging outside, and the pool beneath the waterfall had broken its banks again. Thunder and lightning clashed together as Feathertail half-slid down the Path of Rushing Water. She searched desperately for Mistyfoot, or any sign of Sharptooth and Stormfur – she spotted Mistyfoot’s tail disappearing up the trail to Eagle Rock, and followed her.

What is he doing?! Feathertail thought, stretching her legs to their limits like Crowpaw had taught them what seemed like seasons ago. She caught up to Mistyfoot, who was struggling on the damp rocks, easily. She sank her teeth into Mistyfoot’s scruff and hauled her to her paws before continuing on after her littermate. He can’t do this alone!

Feathertail climbed the steep trail with ease, winding between rock and boulder, following the clinging scents of Stormfur and Sharptooth. In places she smelled them almost as one – but saw no evidence of any other animal blood than the occasional splatter from Sharptooth’s injuries. Whatever Stormfur thought he was doing, he had StarClan on his side.

It was where the trail met the top of the waterfall, that place where the Clan cats had tumbled down in such a similar storm days ago, that she spotted Stormfur and Sharptooth.

The two were circling one another on a rocky outcrop just beside the waterfall, as if they were daring one another to fall. Up above the storm raged, the clouds rankled and colored a gray so deep they were almost black as they folded violently in on themselves.

Mistyfoot was at her shoulder a moment later, her eyes wide and her sides heaving. “Stormfur, please,” she pleaded through the rain. “Please come back!”

Stormfur couldn’t seem to hear them or see them, and that only made it worse. Feathertail’s heartbeat skyrocketed as thunder shook the mountain again, the deafening roar tingling the fur in her ears. Feathertail dug her claws into the stone, willing them to hold her there despite their soreness, and she felt Mistyfoot hunkering down beside her, as if the winds might pull her off the narrow path.

Above them Sharptooth roared, snapping at the space between it and Stormfur. Stormfur lunged just as the lightning came – Feathertail felt the heat on her whiskers as she saw the bolt claw down from the sky, striking the stone outcrop beneath Sharptooth and Stormfur. With a crack that sounded like the world splitting in two, the battling cats fell, stone and rock showering around them.

Feathertail barely felt her paws as she half-skidded, half-leaped back down the trail to the pool below. Mistyfoot was hot on her heels. By the time the she-cats reached the Path of Rushing Water, the rain had eased and the dark, angry clouds had dispersed over them, as if their purpose here was done.

Down by the flooded banks laid their bodies, Sharptooth limp beneath charred, crumbled stone and Stormfur lying several tail-lengths away, the waters of the pool lapping at his pelt. Feathertail barely noticed herself twisting a paw on a stray pebble as she scrambled to her littermate’s side.

He’s still alive! She thought, seeing his flanks heaving in the half-moon’s light.

Shadows covered his body as the others crowded around him. Feathertail’s ears were still ringing from the thunder – she barely heard their pleas for Stormfur’s life. Shadepaw was desperately trying to rouse Stormfur to his paws, but she gave up as soon as she lifted one of his legs and found it hung limp. She backed away, her eyes wide with horror – and that was when Feathertail, and the others, knew:

Stormfur was dying.

All the sound rushed back at once as Stormfur’s eyes opened, bleary and shot with pain. He asked, his voice tight, blood trickling from his lips, “Did I… do it?”

There was silence, for a moment – and then Mistyfoot wound herself around his body and licked his ears, answering, “Yes. Yes, Stormfur; you did it.”

Feathertail’s legs trembled. “N-No,” she stammered. “No, Stormfur, no… you can’t die. You can’t leave me!” She pressed her paws into his fur, and though she felt just how broken he was inside, how the heat was leaving his body; she couldn’t accept what was happening in front of her. Fear welled up, threatening to choke her.

Stormfur’s eye flickered to her. “R-Remember what I-” he broke off to cough, his entire body heaving - “what I said?”

You’ll have to learn to live without me sometime. Feathertail swallowed around the lump in her throat, and she nodded.

Stormfur smiled as best as he could. “I heard them…” he rasped on. “Their voices, in the… in the waterfall.”

“It really was your destiny,” Shadepaw murmured.

Stormfur blinked in affirmation. He looked up at Mistyfoot. “I’m so… sorry,” he said. “I will always love you, M-Misty… Please… take the Clans home for me, would… you?”

Mistyfoot’s voice was choked. “I-I will,” she promised, pressing her muzzle against his. “I loved you, too,” she whispered. “Oh, Stormfur…”

Stormfur closed his eyes. He looked... happy. How could he look so happy? “Thank you,” he breathed. “Don’t… forget… Don’t forget the sun-drown-place…” His sides shuddered, and he opened his eyes again – but this time, they were unfocused and far away, his pupils dull and blown out.

No, Feathertail thought. She knew it was coming but she couldn’t believe it, wanted to do anything to stop it.

“Y-You… made it here?” Stormfur murmured. His lips curled into a smile. “I-I’m coming, Brambleclaw… I’m sorry for sleeping in…”

Stormfur closed his eyes, and did not open them again.