Gone (State Writing Contest)

Gone
The blazing hot sun shone down on the feline’s pale and ginger fur. “Come on Soulpaw!” she called to her son who was falling behind. The white furred tom grunted and padded closer to his siblings. Tangleclaw was their mother’s name, a pale cat with ginger spots on her right eye, tail, paws, ears, and chest. The she-cat’s blue gaze was fixed on the camp ahead. “Let’s go! This heat is killing me!” Leafpaw, the only female, grunted as she bolted towards home. Soulpaw, Firepaw, and Tangleclaw followed close behind.
All four cats bounded into the buzzing clearing. Cats of all shapes and sizes filled the camp. “Dad!” Firepaw purred as the golden tabby-tom approached. The family chatted and giggled, telling stories and tales until night fell. “Cats of HeatherClan!” Birdstar called from the ancient, crippled, and small maple tree where leaders had held meetings for centuries. “What does she want now?” the irritable she-cat, Lostbird, growled. “The gathering will be held at sunrise due to Twolegs spending the night at FiveTrees. Missingfoot said they’d leave by dawn.” the tabby leader announced, flicking her tail at Lostbird. The elder flattened her ears and didn’t argue. Tangleclaw never liked Lostbird, who was Missingfoot’s grandmother. Missingfoot always had the ability to understand the language that Twolegs spoke, making him favored among emergency patrols. “Great! Now I have to walk through that heat again! Palepaw grunted. “Stop your whining, you-” Firepaw was cut off by his mother’s stern voice. “ It’s time for bed.” Tangleclaw scolded as she padded to the warriors’ den. Firepaw, Leafpaw, Soulpaw, Palepaw, and all the other apprentices stomped off to their den. Birdstar slipped into the hole that led into the tree and the warriors followed Tangleclaw to their beds. Then HeatherClan was quiet.
Tangleclaw awoke to stretching and yawning warriors who charged quickly out of the den. Queens, their kits, elders, apprentices, the deputy, and even the leader were bouncing with excitement. This was the first gathering that all the Clans would attend! Only DarkClan and CloudClan attended the last three Gatherings because of all the conflict between HeatherClan, WaterClan, and StormClan. Due to the recent loss of HeatherClan’s leader, Birdstar had to be accepted by all of the other leaders. “I shall take Missingfoot, Brackenclaw, Kestrelheart, Fawnstep, Leopardfoot, Frogleap, Lemonstripe, Tangleclaw, Thunderclaw, Eagletalon, Palepaw, Soulpaw, Moonpaw, and Ravenwing.” Birdstar yowled. All of the cats whose names were called jumped up and followed Birdstar. The tabby feline led them across the narrow cliffs and past the lake. It wasn’t long before they reached FiveTrees, the Gathering place. The scents of the four other Clans danced in the air. HeatherClan soon began to chat and mix with the crowd of cats. Tangleclaw felt her muscles bunch up and brush against Thunderclaw’s as their son, Soulpaw, charged eagerly towards a WaterClan apprentice. “He’ll be okay,” Thunderclaw meowed. “I hope so,” the pale and ginger she-cat sighed. She scanned the crowd for the familiar grey pelt of of WaterClan’s leader, Dovestar. Tangleclaw and Dovestar had been best friends ever since the time they bumped into each other at a Gathering when they were apprentices. The boundaries of their rival Clans shattered their hearts every time they talked, Maybe they’d run free together in StarClan one day…
The leaders of the Clans had their announcements and their debates. Birdstar was accepted by all of the leaders, but Fallenstar of CloudClan made a smug remark on how strong and sharp-witted she had become, announcing herself as the best leader that ever lived. This made some arguments break out but they were all solved in the end. Tangleclaw got to speak with Dovestar for a few moments before the Gathering ended. Birdstar led her Clan through the small forest that made a direct path to camp. “Tangleclaw…?” a shaky voice called her from the back of the line. She fell to the back, finding herself and Moonpaw standing together, watching their Clan go on without them. “Are you alright Moonpaw?” Tangleclaw asked, watching the apprentice shiver. “I smell smoke...a lot of it. I can hear screaming...StarClan is telling me something…” the grey-furred she-cat explained. “Smoke? Screaming? That must mean fire!” Tangleclaw gasped. Moonpaw was the medicine cat apprentice, meaning she and StarClan were very close. “Come on!” the pale and ginger cat meowed and bolted towards camp. They yowled fire, passing the patrol returning from the Gathering. The older feline decided to save as many cats as possible, considering she had anosmia, she couldn’t breath in as much smoke as the others. Tangleclaw bolted in and out of camp, carrying weak cats on her back. “All I need to do is grab Moonpaw and Rainclaw so we can leave.” she mewed. The pale cat searched for the apprentice wildly. A scatter of paw-steps and agitated meows erupted from the smoky atmosphere behind Tangleclaw as she padded through camp. “Who’s there?!” she growled, smelling a different Clan in the area. Two shadowy figures pounced at her from the smoke, pinning her to the ground. “Jackdawflight?! Crowpelt?” the she-cat named the two DarkClan warriors. These two rather strong warriors were twins, always causing trouble and even killing some StormClan apprentices in the past. “Hello, dear. It seems as if our mission is complete, right Crowpelt?” Jackdawflight grinned menacingly. That’s it! They must have set HeatherClan camp on fire! “You two have hearts of crows! No wonder your mother named you both after those thieving birds!” Tangleclaw hissed, launching herself at the two with a furious yowl. She batted her front paws, claws unsheathed, at Crowpelt while her hind legs kicked fiercely in Jackdawflight’s face. “Get off me, you fool!” Crowpelt growled, kicking the she-cat off. The two DarkClan warriors faced Tangleclaw, puffing out their fluffy chests. “We do not wish to fight. Our work is done!” Jackdawflight yowled in victory, dashing back home with Crowpelt at his heels. The pale and ginger cat stared astonished at the entrance of camp where they had left. Everything but the nursery, the camp entrance, and brambles surrounding the camp were gone. Ashes were scattered across the sandy floor. Tangleclaw shook her head and continued her search, the fight still fresh in her mind. She soon came along the gray corpse of Moonpaw next to the flaming nursery. She collapsed, shaken with pain and grief as she spotted her sister’s body as well. They were both dead...gone.


Okay so this was sent to the state for a contest! If you remember Lilacstar's Future, this is for the same contest :3

*reads over it*
Well it looks like I improved A LOT.