Brindleface was dead- killed by Tigerstar, and the worst part of it was that there wasn't even time to grieve for her. Not with the dogs on the way. Cloudtail, Fernpaw and Ashpaw buried the she-cat quickly, knowing that they couldn't leave her in the camp- the dogs would find her there. The apprentices would have lingered, but Cloudtail nudged them away, back to the camp- his ears flat and growling in his anger and grief over the loss of the cat who had raised him.
The camp was quickly evacuated, the majority heading to Sunningrocks, but a single shared glance between Fernpaw and Ashpaw preceded their approach to Fireheart. With Whitestorm's support, they were allowed to join in the plan to lead the dogs away from the camp, and toward the gorge. Filled with determination, they followed the older warriors out of the camp; the rest of the Clan were already on their way to safety.
At Fireheart's order, the two apprentices settled down under a bush at the top of the ravine. And then it was quiet, with nothing to do but wait. Nothing was said, the young cats' ears pricked for any sound that indicated that the dogs were on their way. It was the faintest bark that drew their attention, a noise that was followed a minute later by the sound of heavy paws striking the ground, and bodies tearing past the undergrowth. Fernpaw's fur bristled and her breath grew quicker as they got their first sight of the pack.
They were huge, and there were so many of them. For a moment the two young cats were frozen, and then Ashpaw rose, brushing against his sister as he leapt from the cover of the bush and yowled to draw the dogs' attention to him. He couldn't help a shiver as they spotted him, changing course with hardly a pause.
"Run!" Fernpaw shrieked; the two whirled and sprinted forward, taking a straight line to the gorge. Side by side, the barking of the dogs behind them, and tails bushed in fear. There was no time to think, only to run- knowing in the back of their minds that if one of them tripped, it would be all over. Pelts brushed as they streaked forward, the crashing of bushes marking the progress of the pack behind them, the loud barks filling their ears until they could hear nothing else.
How far had they come? Where was the next cat? For a heartbeat Ashpaw wondered if they would have to lead the dogs all the way to the gorge themselves. The whole world had narrowed down to him and his sister, running as fast as they could, with a pack of hungry dogs on their tails.
Then a yowl broke out just ahead, and the pale ginger form of Sandstorm sprang out in front of the two. "Up a tree- hurry!"
The apprentices ducked off to one side, hurling themselves at the closest tree, digging in their claws and climbing as quickly as they could to get above the reach of the dogs. Blunt claws scraped against the trunk beneath then, and Fernpaw squealed in a moment of terror, but she kept her grip, eyes shut tightly. A second yowl from the she-cat, and the sound of paws darting after her was drowned out once more by loud barking.
The sound slowly died away, and then there was just the noise of the wind through the trees. For a long time, Fernpaw and Ashpaw clung to the tree, fur bristled and eyes shut tightly as they slowly realized that their danger had passed. A voice below drew both apprentices' attention; Sandstorm stood there, looking up at them, still panting from her own exhaustive run.
"Come on, you two. It's safe for us now; climb down and we'll head to Sunningrocks." She waited for the two to obey, claws dislodging pieces of bark as they made their way down. With a flick of her tail, Sandstorm set off, leading the two young cats through the quiet forest, knowing that somewhere along the way, other cats of their Clan were taking their turn in leading the dogs away, putting their lives in danger for the sake of protecting ThunderClan.