Rockpaw skidded to a halt in the dust, teeth bared and a growl rumbling in his throat. Blossompaw stopped just behind his left shoulder, fawn-and-white tail lashing. Treepaw trotted slowly in front of them, her vivid yellow eyes widening. Rockpaw stared in horror at the scene that greeted him.

His parents were on the ground, a few tail-lengths away. Scarclaw looked half-conscious, his coppery-orange eyes glazed with pain. Owlstar's breath heaved in her chest. It sounded, Rockpaw thought, like Blossompaw with a cough. Foxnose and Greyshard crouched protectively in front of them, snarling at Rockpaw and his sisters. After a second, they relaxed, and Rockpaw realised that Greyshard was the only one in the clearing without a scratch.

Treepaw stepped forward, and asked hesitantly, "Wh-what happened?"
Owlstar looked up at them and sighed, "Later... not now..."
Treepaw's ears drooped, and her tail tip twitched. Blossompaw rushed up to them and started to help them up. after Treepaw gave him a glare, Rockpaw grudgingly padded up to help. Treepaw went over to aid Foxnose.

With Greyshard bounding ahead of them as a lookout, the group started the slow, excruciating journey back to camp. Rockpaw let Owlstar lean on his shoulder, as she limped along the sandy forest paths. Every time she grimaced in pain, Rockpaw had to try his hardest to not flinch away. Just ahead of the pair, Treepaw led Foxnose along. Turning his head around fleetingly, Rockpaw saw Blossompaw as well as pulling Scarclaw to keep him moving. The tabby's fur was masked beneath a layer of slowly drying blood.

They had been walking for ages, when a shadowy, grey shape loomed out above them. Instead of feeling threatened and daunted, Rockpaw's heart lightened at the sight of the mountain. They were almost home.
Finally! Rockpaw thought, Owlstar weighs more than a badger and Mousefoot is going to take me hunting at sunhigh. I can't go with a broken back!

Once again, a scent tickled his nostrils. By now, it seemed familiar, even though he didn't know what it was. As his brain clicked everything into place, his pupils narrowed to slits. Slowly - very slowly - he turned his head to look at a low-growing hazel bush. A pair eyes were fixed on him, in a shade of a now-familiar-blue. A white muzzle poked out between the round, dull green leaves.

Rockpaw met the cat's gaze evenly. He was about to call out a warning to his Clanmates, but he hesitated. Something about the cat made him want to keep them a secret. He blinked slowly at the cat and continued to lead Owlstar along the path.

Soon, they reached the bramble bush that hid the entrance to their camp. In the shadows between the thorny tendrils, a shape stirred. Twilightear slipped out between the branches and stared wide-eyed at the group.

"Later, later...!" Owlstar muttered waspishly.

Twilightear glanced at Greyshard, who flashed a look over her shoulder at each of them in turn. She muttered something in his ear and the black tom rushed up to the brambles. Along with Greyshard, he cleared a fairly big hole for them to easily go through.
Rockpaw trotted along the rocks and moss. Shadows engulfed his vision, but he could make out the faint outlines of Treepaw, Foxnose and Twilightear in front of him. The black tom's silhouette faded, as Twilightear ran ahead, into the main camp clearing.

With every passing moment, the darkness in the tunnel was pierced with weak rays of orange light. When a dim golden glow surrounded Rockpaw, the tunnel opened up into the cave. He saw a few cats, mainly queens and elders, swarming around near the entrance to the cave. They gaped at the bedraggled patrol, who limped past Rockpaw. Twilightear and Greyshard shepherded the three wounded cats into the medicine den, leaving the gathered cats buzzing with questions and demands.
Rockpaw made his way to the fresh-kill-pile, scooping up a mouse in his jaws. He headed past the medicine den and leaped over the stream. Settling himself on the stump opposite the entrance to the apprentice den, he started eating the mouse. When he was halfway through it, Treepaw walked over. She slumped down beside Rockpaw on the stump and eyed the mouse.

Holding back a sigh of exasperation, he nudged the small, grey body towards Treepaw. She glanced gratefully at Rockpaw, before tucking into it. Rockpaw sighed, shaking his head. He leaped off the stump and pushed through the ivy curtain of his den.

He settled into his nest, grimacing at the cold, odourless moss that pressed onto his skin. He rolled around in his nest, trying to get comfortable. Finally, Rockpaw decided it was too hot and too early to sleep. He creeped out of the den and climbed onto one of the rocks surrounding the fallen oak. He tucked his pale brown paws under his chest and surveyed the camp. Tall-Leaf's new litter of kits were playing in the shallows of the stream. Crowkit, Frecklekit and Dovekit were splashing each other with water, exclaiming in loud mixes of delight and shock every time they got hit.

Rockpaw let the kits shrieks of laughter die away, as he cleaned his pelt. His thick fur was stained with Owlstar's blood. He scowled as its fowl taste bathed his tongue. He lay there on the rock for quite some time, half-asleep, until Mousefoot's call jerked Rockpaw back to reality.

Word Count: 918

Oof so sorry it took so long!
And that it's so short.
And pretty much uneventful...
Welp... school has started for me and I have a lot if work to do. I was feeling uninspired but I wanted to get it out quickly.
The next few chapters will be much more interesting.
Have a nice day, guys!
Thanks for 100 followers!
Cya!