Chaos Patrol! (Closed)

Lightfoot had been on a regular border patrol. Things were quite normal, except that the white warrior had seen a rabbit and refused to give up the chase when it approached dangerously close to the Thunderpath. He ahd done it once before, but he was an apprentice then and much, much younger. He had accidentally crossed the path last time, fortunately without serious incident. This time he again crossed it, and was safely over, though there was no telling whether there would be an incident or not. The rest of his patrol was still some distance behind him, and there was a slight movement in the shadows of the marshland. But he was too focused to stop.

Leopardfang watched with narrowed eyes from his cover. That WindClan tom had passed into ShadowClan territory, and he was obviously aware of it. The spotted tom's deep growl would go unheard by Lightfoot, but the deputy's companion would most certainly hear it. "Mudfoot. Teach the trespasser how we deal with code-breakers."

The weather was prefect and Cedarfur gave a happy sigh as a breeze ruffled his fur. Cedarfur, his brother, and Lightfoot had decided to go on a patrol and split up, hunting in different areas. Trotting along the Thunderpath with his mouth open scenting for prey, something moving caught his eye. Lightfoot? The older tom was racing towards the Thunderpath, chasing a rabbit and didn't look like he was going to stop. With his heart starting to beat faster, he looked around. Good, no monsters in sight, but Lightfoot was going to cross the ShadowClan border! Forgetting about the hunt, Cedarfur ran to where Lightfoot had crossed. Are... those ShadowClan cats? He spotted two pairs of eyes watching the white tom. Panic struck the tom and he gave a yowl. "Lightfoot!" But his voice was drowned by the noise of a monster zooming by.

Leopardfang and Mudfoot just happened to be on a patrol when all the action begun. Staying where the white tom couldn't see them, he watched at the WindClan cat carelessly crossed the border. Mudfoot didn't enjoy hurting cats, but for Leopardfang his clan, he would do anything. Giving a silent nod to the deputy, he stalked forward, towards the strange cat. Staying silent, he waited till the rabbit got close enough and jumped out of the bush, blocking the white cat from his prey. The rabbit scurried away, not daring to look back. Arching his back and giving a low hiss, Mudfoot unsheathed his claws. "Trespasser!" He yowled and jumped forwards. "No one gets away with coming onto ShadowClan territory!" The tom slashed his claws at the the enemies face, his claws penetrating the eyes. Unhooking his claws, he took step back. That will teach him a good lesson! Fur puffed out, he scanned the area in front of him, looking for any other WindClan scum.

Lightfoot's yowl of surprised turned into one of pain. He hadn't even fully understood what the brown ShadowClan cat had said before he was struck so suddenly. He felt every moment that the enemy's claws were buried in his eyes and every moment afterward, falling to the ground after his quick stop and burying his bloodstained face in his paws. His perfect white pelt was marred with the deep red liquid that dripped from his eyes and onto his chest. He'd known it was a mistake, but it had been such a small risk. Weren't ShadowClan cats nocturnal? Why were they here, now of all times? It was so foolish of him. The white and red tom trembled on the muddy ground of the marsh, his eyes wide open. Despite his best attempts, he could see nothing. What few shapes he could see were dark and swirling and no doubt a trick of his fear-consumed mind. There was no hope of escape without his sight. Would the ShadowClan cat kill him?

Leopardfang was unperturbed by Mudfoot's bloody take down of the enemy. The fool should have known better. He had no room in his heart for mercy, especially when it concerned the other clans; all they ever did was cause trouble. Maybe this would make sure that WindClan didn't try anything stupid against ShadowClan, and then the nocturnal clan would be closer to securing permanent peace. That was all Leopardfang wanted. He stood and padded next to Mudfoot, pleased with the younger tom's obedience. "Excellent. I think there may be more." He swung his head around and caught sight of another tom at the border, looking on in horror. Leopardfang supposed that the white tom would need to be taken back to his camp. He didn't want a WindClan carcass on his territory. The deputy flicked Mudfoot with his tail to signal that the other tom would be permitted to pass untouched.

Horror struck Cedarfur as he watched a ShadowClan cat take down Lightfoot with one blow. "Lightfoot!" He yelled. Looking down the Thunderpath, he made sure it was safe to cross and darted over. By the time he was next to Lightfoot, the ShadowClan toms were nowhere to be found. Those scum! Anger and fear overwhelmed Cedarfur. "Lightfoot, can you hear me?" He meowed, bending down and nudging the bloodstained tom with his muzzle. Is... he going to go blind? Lightfoot's eyes were pretty messed up and unfortunately, eyes were never easy to heal.

Mudfoot gave a growl, following Leopardfang. He did it! He showed Leopardfang that he would attack without hesitation! Pride prickled the tips of his whiskers and he held his head up high. The stench of fresh blood and WindClan clung to his paws, but he didn't care. He'd proven his loyalty to Leopardfang, and that was all that mattered. Mudfoot didn't dare look back, for the white tom was WindClan's burden now.

I wonder where everyone is... Icestorm padded across the moor, curious as to where Cedarfur and Lightfoot could have possibly run off to. Scenting the air, he caught a faint whiff of his brother and followed the trail. Picking up the pace, he had a worried feeling about what was going on. Finally reaching the Thunderpath, Icestorm stopped, noticing two familiar blobs across the horrible smelling path. "Cedarfur! Lightfoot!" He screeched, panic taking hold of his senses. All the grey tom could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears. Why are they on ShadowClan territory?! Not thinking twice about crossing the path, he bolted towards his friends. Unfortunately, running over to them was a mistake. Before he reached the other side, a sudden huge roar filled the air around him, and an immense amount of pain shot through his hind legs and the wind was knocked out of him. Letting out a yowl, he slumped the ground, gasping for air. Only a fox length away from his brother and Lightfoot, his mind started racing. What... happened? Icestorm's legs went numb and as his head rested on the hard surface, the world seemed to be spinning. "Cedarfur..." He could just make out the hunched over form of his brother.

"Yes, yes, I hear you, but I don't see you..." Lightfoot hissed in pain through gritted teeth. At this point he was unable to smell anything past his own blood and fear-scent, and the intolerable burning feeling in his eyes was beginning to change more into a slightly tolerable stinging sensation. He gripped the soft earth with his claws, the only thing he could do to remotely take his mind off of the pain. It was a truly nasty blow that he didn't think anyone would have done. The darkness was both incredibly claustrophobic and empty. He felt like he was being crushed by the space around him and lost in a vast world all at the same time. It was moment of true terror. And then there was a second. Icestorm's voice sounded, loud and not that far away. But even louder was the roar of a monster and the sound of a hideous crunching sound that could only signal one thing. Icestorm had been hit by a monster, and it was Lightfoot's fault. "Cedarfur! Your brother! Is he...?" Lightfoot gasped in shock, unable to tell what had happened in its entirety.

No... no... this shouldn't be happening! He stared in horror at Icestorm, a heap of grey fur on the Thunderpath. For what seemed like the longest time, he stood there having trouble breathing, until Lightfoot's voice snapped him back to reality. Not bothering to answer the wounded tom, Cedarfur stumbled to the Thundepath, dragging Icestorm's body off of it and next to Lightfoot. "I-Icestorm?" He mumbled, nudging his brother's head with his muzzle. he seemed to be breathing and there wasn't much blood, except for his legs, which were twisted in an odd way. "He's alive." The tall tom meowed in relief. "But I need to get you guys back to our territory before ShadowClan cats come back with reinforcements." How could he possibly get Icestorm and Lightfoot across the Thunderpath. The sun was setting and the horrid smelling path was almost completely empty, but monsters were so unpredictable, a cat could never be safe crossing it. And unfortunately for them, ShadowClan was nocturnal, meaning the three of them would have a higher chance of getting caught once the sun set. Giving a sigh, he looked down the two crippled cats. "Lightfoot, I know you are in a lot of pain, but can you walk? I'll be next to you the whole way, but we need to get across the Thunderpath." Looking to his clan mate and then to Icestorm, he wondered how to get his brother across. Dragging him would be too slow and painful... Finally deciding what to do, crouched down, and put his head under Icestorm's belly, attempting to put the half conscious cat on his back. After a little bit of shifting the grey tom around, Cedarfur knew it was time to go. "You ready?"

As if the world was spinning around, Icestorm's thoughts were all scrambled together. One moment, his head rested on the uncomfortable surface of the Thunderpath, and the next, he was lying on a soft patch of grass, next to something that reeked of blood. Wait... why did I cross the Thunderpath? The pain of his broken and battered legs had been so painful that the feeling went away altogether and he had no idea if anything else was broken. Half in shock, Icestorm opened his eyes to see Lightfoot. The tom looked the same except... there was blood everywhere and his eyes. Oh, his horrid, clawed out eyes. Before he could say a word, he felt himself being lifted on the ground and put onto something. That scent... it was Cedarfur. After a who knows how long of burliness, Icestorm was able to distinguish what he was laying on. "What happened?" He humbled. There was something, an odd weight that was pulling his body towards the earth, and when he looked to see what it was, he didn't even know what to say. "My legs... and your eyes." Icestorm looked to his friend. How did this even happen?

It would have been a relief if he weren't still in such a panic. Lightfoot didn't know what kind of state Icestorm was in, but it was almost entirely up to Cedarfur to get the three of them out of there and back into safety. "I think I can walk..." He replied, unsure. He got to his paws as best as he could; it felt like he was relearning how to walk. Hearing Icestorm's voice and the sound if his brother lifting him onto his back, the now-blind warrior found his way towards Cedarfur. "Yes, I can. I must stay close to you, though." He was blinking rapidly. He was only mildly concerned for himself; his friend's health and the safety of the whole group were what bothered him the most. "We should get across the Thunderpath as quickly as we can. We can take as much time as we need after, but we must get back. Emberleaf can help us... I know he can..." Lightfoot didn't answer Icestorm. He didn't want to think about what he must look like now, with his eyes in pieces and blood staining his once perfect white fur. The idea of accidentally rubbing off his blood on Cedarfur made him unhappy, but maintaining contact with the taller tom was necessary to get anywhere safely. "I'm ready when you are. Lead the way."

Standing still so Lightfoot could lean on him, he waited till he thought they were ready. The tall tom took a few steps forward, making sure Lightfoot got the feel of walking. Cedarfur could feel blood dripping on his pelt and on top of that, the stench of the Thunderpath and blood was extremely overwhelming and made his nose sting, but he would need to put up with it. Slowed down from the cat on his back and another cat leaning on him, even his steps were wobbly, though he knew he needed to get them across safely. I was too late to save Lightfoot from the ShadowClan cat and didn't even know Icestorm was coming... I won't let them die here! He promised himself. "Okay. On three, we are going to start walking forwards. I'll stay close to you, but no matter what, don't stop." Cedarfur tried to sound confident, though it was pretty obvious that he was scared to death. Taking a deep breath, he stepped to the edge of the Thunderpath. "One..." A huge monster came roaring by. "Two..." He promised to get them home safely, he couldn't let them die. Not here, not now! "Three!" Making sure the coast was clear, he started walking forward. The road was silent so far and everything was going good. "Almost there." He meowed, making sure Lightfoot was keeping up. A fox length or two from the WindClan border, Cedarfur could help but give a sigh of relief. "We made it!" Reaching the edge of the path, he flopped down on the grass. "Everyone alive?" He chuckled, between gasping for air, somewhat hysterically. The scare from Lightfoot getting attacked and Icestorm getting hit by a monster practically made him hold his breath until they were across their border.

Were... they crossing the Thunderpath? "No, not the Thunderpath!" He cried. The thing that crippled him, they were going back to?! What if Cedarfur and Lightfoot got hit by a monster too? Panicked thoughts raced around the tom's head, unable to sort themselves out. Usually he was a pretty calm and practical cat, but what happened to him and his friend today would surely change him forever.

Lightfoot kept expecting the collision that never came. Every heartbeat that passed while they were on the hard surface of the path was gut-wrenching. He was incredibly on edge the entire crossing, and the tension in his body made his muscles ache. He was just glad that Cedarfur was strong enough for the three of them, but he regretted being the cause of the situation in the first place. The feeling of springy grass under his paws was a feeling he never thought he would love so much before now. "Thank StarClan we made it!" Lightfoot exclaimed, settling down on the ground near Cedarfur. "You've really saved our tails. I owe you more than I can repay, I'm afraid." It would have been far easier to flee and leave them there, but it wasn't like him to do that. At that moment, Lightfoot figured that he wouldn't have chosen any other duo to be horribly crippled alongside, even though he wouldn't be crippled at all if he was given the choice. The pain in his eyes was horrendous and he couldn't wait to get home to Emberleaf and his healing herbs. The white warrior doubted that his eyes could be saved, but anything that could numb the pain would be much appreciated. "We should get going soon. I can't stand the pain much longer." He admitted, a sigh escaping his mouth. He'd really gotten them into a world of trouble this time. Ashwing would be cross with him for not returning her mate home unharmed, and Sablestar would be disappointed in him.