Return- Hawkfrost x Ivypool

Chapter Twenty-Two

 Hawkfrost woke up in an empty Dark Forest and knew something was wrong. The eerie silence that was now unusual thanks to the nightly training was immediately evident. He stood slowly from the pool, casting an uneasy gaze around the clearing. Was it just his imagination, or was that bush rustling?

There was a faint sliding noise on the ground as faint as pawsteps could be, and Hawkfrost whirled immediately. He felt his fur start bristling and didn't even try to tame it. "Spottedleaf?" Hawkfrost mewed quietly into the gloom.

"Hawkfrost," came the reply, distinctly a she-cat but much too harsh to be Spottedleaf. The bush stopped moving completely, the only sound in the clearing his breathing.

He recognized the voice too late, his thoughts interrupted by one name- Mapleshade. That wasn't her usual tone, either- that was undoubtedly hostile. He barely had time to blink before Mapleshade exploded out of the bush, claws unsheathed and reaching towards him.

Leaping back, Hawkfrost hissed as one claw just barely grazed his nose, feeling the sharp sting as Mapleshade slashed a line across it. He'd had it sliced open many times before, as most warriors had, but it was still enough to distract him.

Unfortunately, getting distracted wasn't an option when fighting Mapleshade. Moving with lightning speed, she struck again, leaving a line of blood on Hawkfrost's flank.

Mapleshade jumped back, snapping, "You betrayed us!"

"That took longer than I expected-"

Mapleshade wasted no time, spinning to aim her claws at his throat. This time, he was ready, smacking her paw aside with one paw and batting her head with the other. She hit the ground hard with a small grunt of surprise.

Eyes falling on her exposed neck, Hawkfrost lunged for it, digging his teeth in as hard as he could. Mapleshade shrieked as the taste of blood and fur filled his mouth. Hawkfrost bit down harder, but Mapleshade twisted almost impossibly and raked her claws dangerously near both his throat and belly.

Yowling, Hawkfrost felt Mapleshade pull herself out of his grasp and attack again. His ears and face battered by her paws, Hawkfrost reared up, pushing her paws off his head. She struck towards his legs, and he swiped at her, only to watch her spin around to knock him off his paws from behind.

Hawkfrost slammed into the ground, and Mapleshade landed on top of him, claws ripping at his fur. White tufts of fur soon became splattered red as Mapleshade dug her claws in, Hawkfrost writhing in pain beneath her.

He struggled to push her off, but by the time he could get his legs anywhere near her belly, her teeth were already fastened in his throat. The sound that came out of his mouth was somewhere between a pained gasp and a choke as Mapleshade dug her teeth in.

After everything, this is how I die?

He lashed out, raking a long line down her shoulder. Mapleshade didn't move, her jaws clamping down tighter. Hawkfrost managed two more blows before he finally went limp. His vision swirled, his throat burned, and no matter how much he wanted to fight Mapleshade off, he couldn't remember how to move his paws-

The teeth in his throat ripped away as Spottedleaf knocked Mapleshade away with a powerful blow to her flank. Spottedleaf landed clumsily a tail-length away from Mapleshade and hissed, looking surprisingly menacing for a medicine cat.

"Do you really want to do this again?" Mapleshade spat, her attention now on Spottedleaf. She bared her teeth and took a step closer.

Spottedleaf stood firm, but her eyes revealed a slight hint of fear. She glanced to Hawkfrost and hissed, "Wake up."

Mapleshade sprang while she was distracted, but Spottedleaf just leaped into the air, her paws finding a solid surface where there was none. She jumped higher until she was too far up for even a SkyClan cat and glared down at Mapleshade.

"That's a new trick," Mapleshade snarled, returning the stare. Her tail waved back and forth once, twice- and she turned and leaped for Hawkfrost, who was still on the ground.

Spottedleaf jumped down in an instant, but Mapleshade spun to meet her, clearly having anticipated the movement. At the last second, Spottedleaf twisted to avoid Mapleshade and landed next to Hawkfrost.

"Wake up," Spottedleaf said, this time with greater urgency. Mapleshade crouched, growling, and lunged for Spottedleaf while the medicine cat's back was turned.

Hawkfrost's eyes snapped open just as he watched Spottedleaf spin to meet her. He found no relief in waking, his wounds seeming to sting even more. Groaning, Hawkfrost tried to push himself up, but his legs gave out under him.

As if by magic, Jayfeather stuck his nose in the den, wasting no time in climbing over a few cats' tails to get to Hawkfrost. Leafpool followed him, but she was less careful, accidentally stepping on Acornfall's paw.

The two medicine cats hauled him to his paws, ignoring his grunt of pain. Hawkfrost stumbled out of the den between them, blood dripping on the ground as he walked.

"Watch it," he hissed when Jayfeather tried to speed up. "I'm kind of bleeding out here."

"You'll live," the medicine cat replied, not even glancing at him. Then again, there would have been little point in looking at Hawkfrost when Jayfeather couldn't even see.

The second they set foot in the medicine den, Jayfeather left Hawkfrost leaning on Leafpool to get his herbs. Hawkfrost was barely aware of sinking to the ground as Leafpool and Jayfeather plastered poultices over his wounds and covered them with cobwebs.

Through slightly blurry vision, Hawkfrost saw Spottedleaf staring down at him. "How are you feeling?" She asked once she noticed him looking at her.

"Like I just got ripped to shreds by a Dark Forest cat," Hawkfrost responded. "Oh, wait..."

Leafpool glanced at him. "Who are you talking to?"

Hawkfrost struggled to find an answer. How exactly did he explain that a cat that was supposed to be dead for good was standing in front of him?

Luckily, Ivystar stepped into the den before he had to speak a word. "What happened?"

"Dark Forest," the three other cats answered at the same time.

"They found out I was spying on them," Hawkfrost clarifies. "Somehow."

Ivystar nodded, her eyes narrowing. "How badly is he hurt?"

"Technically, he could have died," Jayfeather responded. "Assuming his wounds don't get infected, he should be fine now."

"Thank StarClan," Ivystar sighs. She pauses. "If you go to sleep, Hawkfrost, will the Dark Forest...?"

Hawkfrost hesitates, unsure of the answer. Spottedleaf saves him, shaking her head at Ivystar. "I'll keep them at bay," she meows.

Leafpool takes in the relief on Ivystar and Hawkfrost's faces. "I'm assuming that's a no?"

"I'll be fine," Hawkfrost says.

"Good. Then rest," Jayfeather calls from where he stands by the herbs.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Hawkfrost sighs, shutting his eyes. It doesn't take long for blackness to overwhelm him, but this time it's far more peaceful.

He can't help the unease lingering in his mind. For now, he's safe, away from the Dark Forest and all their schemes.

Well... for now.

I gave up at the end can you tell

honestly I kind of hate this ship now but that's not important I have a long plot outline, next chapter which will probably come out in like 6 months is extremely uncomfortable now, we're finishing this eventually