Voleeye watched as the Dark Forest cats were driven out, recognizing a few of the Shadowclan loyalists that fled with them. He had suffered a blow to his ear and chest, but he wasn't hindered too badly by it. He looked around, concern for his family swarming his mind.
Vineclaw, his father, was by the apprentice den, bringing Lionpelt to the medicine cat den. There was a large cut down his mother's face that made him cringe. He didn't see Goldensky or Sunscar, but he heard Spottedlegs calling for him. He turned to the nursery and ran to it, spotting his mate accompanied by an injured Runningwish.
"Are you alright?" He asked, looking over Spottedlegs. She nodded and glanced to Runningwish.
"But she isn't. You need to get her to Snowpoppy and Sunscar. Her leg is bad." Spottedlegs informed him, a concerned look in her eyes. He nodded, beginning to help her in assisting Runningwish to make her way to the medicine cat den.
"Thank you, Voleeye. Where is Sunscar and Goldensky?" Runningwish asked, her voice surprising her with how weak it seemed to sound, doing her best to stay off her hind leg, although it was easier to balance with a cat on each side of her. He shrugged, careful to not push against her too much with it.
"I don't know. I'm going to guess Sunscar was with Snowpoppy the whole time, Goldensky with Tigertooth? I'm sure they're both fine." He answered with some confidence, trying to keep up some optimism, purposefully not mentioning their injured mother. He glanced to his sister quickly, remembering her power. Had she seen a vision that had her worried? No, it wasn't for him to ask about...
He turned his attention away, watching other injured cats gather at Snowpoppy's doorstep. It made a vicious fire grow in his chest. That was a horrible but brilliantly unexpected attack on them by Shadowclan.
Only thing that had hinted at it was Mapleshade's warning about Snowtuft. His whiskers twitched as a suspicion came to mind. Where was Mapleshade now? He glanced around a little too frantically.
Voleeye wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed that Mapleshade was walking around the camp, helping the injured onto their feet to go to Snowpoppy. It seemed she was sincere in her change of heart. Even still, he refused to let her get him alone and hoped everyone else was equally cautious.
As they approached the den, dropping off Runningwish with the others gathered, he and Spottedlegs went around helping any who needed it as they waited. Voleeye, however, began to realize some were refusing to move. It took the aid of fellow warriors to help move all the injured closer to the medicine cat den.
But there were spirits of the Dark Forest who had been defeated, or else they wouldn't have retreated away as they did. They paid the price of this survival with their injuries, he was certain not many would be able to stand or hunt for some time.
One of the more infamous bodies found was Brokenleaf, the supposed right-hand of Thistlestar.
At first Voleeye didn't know how to react, it was a sense of awe that first overcame him. Someone had defeated the second in command of Thistlestar's campaign for power? As he stared with wide eyes and theories swimming through his mind, he was brought back to reality by an announcement from Greystar. Cats turned their heads and ears, their whiskers and tails twitching as he approached to be at the center of the crowd of injured cats. At first he looked around him as everyone waited in silence, some astounded by the bold display of motivation that glittered in his eyes, even after such an unexpected invasion. Each one of his clanmates seemed to connect eyes with Greystar as he looked over all of them. He slowed his peering eyes, his whiskers twitching exactly twice before he spoke as he continued to carry a powerful posture that seemed to leak strength to the cats before him.
"Our hearts are heavy, our pelts needing to be mended and cleaned..." He began, the crowd seemed to falter as they were reminded of the cost of this "victory", if it could be called that.
"But, this was not a defeat." He countered quickly, making heads raise once more to listen.
"Thunderclan.. Shadowclan.. and Bloodclan. We have survived this brutality from Thistlestar and her allies from the Dark Forest. We have lost some of our own blood, but please do not perish in despair..." He said, his voice seeming to grow stronger, its deep tone turning passionate, "For the ones we once held dear are with us in spirit, we must never let darkness take over us as our enemy has, we must be different." Again, he took pause, his eyes slowly scanning the crowd, although he had stopped turning long ago.
"We must seek a vengeance with a purpose, a will that is tamed so we may never repeat this cycle of bloodshed." He paused as he lowered himself to sit, the clan watching him, Voleeye finding himself desperately clinging to every word, feeling something begin to rise in his heart as he agreed with his leader.
"We will defeat them, for our hearts beat with a greater understanding and morality, to know one another as more than just clanmates, to see each other as more than just warriors, apprentices, medicine cats, and elders. Of blood, family, and friendship." He continued, "We are the protectors of our own livelihoods, of our homes. This forest is ours, this lake is ours, this land.. is ours. And no one, no matter how powerful they claim to be, shall take it from under us." He looked up to the sky, the sun having passed away from it's earlier position of noon, reminding a few others who looked up as well that dusk would be approaching soon.
"Starclan, even when we cannot see their army shimmering above us now, are watching us. They know we will win, and we cannot give up on our ancestors sacrifices." He slowly rose, "Let us stay silent in remembrance of those we have lost just for a few moments..." He said softly, his head bowing with his eyes shut. Most of the cats minicked him, bowing their heads, others looking to Starclan, or simply lowering their heads to the ground. The three clans, together, held a vigil for those who had given themselves to the price of their future.