Spiderleaf was wailing, screeching yelling like never before. His heart pounded and blood ran down his face and down into the grass. His legs burned with rage and cuts and blood.
His energy returned far too slow for his liking. But he hadn't moved. He knew he couldn't. He used all of his energy to yell and screech. The pain was too big.
He could barely even breathe.
The ground was rumbling again, but not like before. He felt thumping pawsteps approach him, and he yelled out in panic. He was too vulnerable.
But when Spiderleaf felt a pelt brush against his, he didn't feel attacked. He was still letting out as much noise as he could to ease the pain.
The scent of SunClan filled him. Spiderleaf could barely move himself to look into the eyes of the cat who had come to his callings.
Spiderleaf let out more calls of agony as the cat gently picked him off the ground and onto his back. Spiderleaf strained his neck looking down, and he could barely make out the jet black figure besides the cat who had rescued him.
But her eyes were somber and distraught. Spiderleaf barely recognised the SunClan deputy through his pain, but when he did, he noticed the golden shade of the pelt beneath him.
He couldn't believe Talonstar was being so gentle with him.
He didn't dare to open his eyes to see where the car had hit the battleground. He didn't need to.
The pain hit him like the sharpest thorn, and once again he was wailing, sharp with pain.
He had heard Petalsplash speak to him in a calm tone, much calmer than he could ever have expected of the she-cat, but he couldn't make out the words she was speaking through his agony.
The journey on Talonstar's back was draining and exhausting, and Spiderleaf wasn't even walking. His vision was so blurred, so faint. Eventually he could see nothing but darkness as his eyes slammed shut.
The next time Spiderleaf was conscious was when he felt himself being lowered down into a pile of leaves. He smelt familiar scents around him, and his eyes barely opened to see the SunClan cats along with Honeyflower and Echostar.
As cold as she was, Spiderleaf hadn't seen her looking so distraught since she had lost her kit. Her gaze was turned away from the other cats, as if she couldn't bare to look any of them in the eyes. Her tail was wrapped around her legs, but as he looked carefully, he noticed Petalsplash was comforting her, letting her lean on her pelt as Honeyflower adjusted Spiderleaf into the leaves.
Talonstar seemed to notice that Spiderleaf was awake, but he didn't say anything at first. The whole den was silent as Honeyflower licked gently over Spiderleaf's wounds.
"Spiderleaf," Honeyflower whispered. Spiderleaf could barely hear her, but he attempted to widen his eyes. "What happened?"
Spiderleaf opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he had to take a few breaths to ease the pain of his body before weakness tumbled out of his jaws.
"She saved my life."
The cats were silent. Petalsplash and Talonstar exchanged nervous glances to one another.
But Spiderleaf knew he had dug himself too deep of a hole. Telling the truth now would only put conflict between the Clans.
He didn't want his sister to have died with the Clan's knowledge of her training with evil - and he knew SunClan would have felt the same about Vinetail.
Spiderleaf didn't know what had hurt more, his wounds or the situation that had wrapped around him like vines, or the fact that he was nearly clueless as to why Vinetail had attacked him - why Briartail had to be hit. His own sister.
He was so indulged in his own guilt. The eyes of every cat before him were clouded. Honeyflower couldn't even bare to look at anybody, secluded in her own corner of the den.
But Spiderleaf felt the same way. If he had never fallen in love, Briartail would never of have saved him.
The den fell silent for a few moments more. No cat seemed to know what to say. But there was no conflict in any eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Spiderleaf muttered.
The cats gradually turned to him. Petalsplash stepped forwards. "Nothing is your fault," she meowed.
Talonstar turned to her. "The truth is closer than you may think," he meowed.