The sharp, putrid scent of blood stung Flutteringkit's nose. She shivered and pressed herself closer to Shyskip's rain-soaked flank. The shadowy figures ahead barked and snapped, pressing the few remaining Clan cats against the stone walls of the ThunderClan camp.
StarClan save us! Flutteringkit cried silently, her eyes darting around nervously. The glinting yellow-green eyes of the foxes glared back through the rain, shining ominously in the night.
Two cats bolted forward, smashing into a young fox and throwing him off his paws. As the two cats circled him, Flutteringkit gasped nervously as she recognized the pale ginger pelt of her mother, Podflower. Beside Podflower stood the blue-grey pelt of Sloefin, a RiverClan warrior. Flutteringkit held her breath as the fox rose to his paws and growled, signaling to the other foxes.
Both Sloefin and Podflower disappeared under the writhing wave of foxes that descended upon them, barking angrily. Flutteringkit heard herself scream, a long eerie sound.
Please let Podflower be okay, please!
"Get the kits out of here!" Froststar, the ShadowClan leader yowled.
Shyskip wrapped her tail around Flutteringkit, urging her forward.
"No!" Flutteringkit cried, pulling away from Shyskip in an attempt to reach Podflower through the mass of russet fur.
"We have to do what Froststar says! This is no place for kits. We have to try to keep the Clans alive!" Shyskip mewed softly but firmly, pulling Flutteringkit to her paws and nudging her forward. "Podflower will be fine. I promise."
Flutteringkit hesitated. She could easily see the reason in Shyskip's words, but she couldn't just leave Podflower, could she?
"I can't! Froststar may be a leader, but he's not my leader. I'm a WindClan cat, not ShadowClan." Flutteringkit insisted recklessly. She leaped to her paws, but Shyskip grabbed her by the nape of her neck and dashed into a clutch of brambles.
"Put me down!" Flutteringkit screamed.
"Stop it. I'm doing what's best for you, Flutteringkit. I want you to be safe." Shyskip hissed firmly, setting Flutteringkit on the wet earth beneath the tangle of bracken. A moment later, Sunnypaw, a ThunderClan apprentice, slid into the bracken beside them, the squealing form of Havenkit swinging from her jaws.
"Where are we going to take the kits?" Sunnypaw asked, setting Havenkit down and leaning against Shyskip nervously. Flutteringkit scrambled forward to Havenkit, and pressed her head against her sister's flank.
"I haven't a clue. I think that Twolegplace would be the safest…" Shyskip trailed off, glancing around as the barking of foxes as screaming of cats increased to a deafening storm.
"I don't think we'll make it to Twolegplace before the foxes attack." Sunnypaw replied, jumping to her paws and sliding to the back of the thorny bramble patch. "We might make it if we stay here, but we'll have to be quiet."
Shyskip looked doubtful, but she nodded her head. "Okay. It's the best chance we have." Flutteringkit and Havenkit exchanged a nervous glance.
"We need to weave the brambles closer together, so that to foxes can't get in." Sunnypaw meowed, immediately taking charge.
Shyskip nodded, this time with more conviction, and worked her paws to weave the brambles closer together, making a thick, thorny wall.
"What can we do?" Havenkit asked, leaping to her paws.
We should be helping Podflower right now.
"Just sit tight and be quiet." Shyskip whispered, moving to the front edge of the bracken and weaving the branches together.
"That's it?" Havenkit demanded, stomping her tiny forepaw against the earth. "We're expected to just sit here?"
Flutteringkit shrugged, and turned away from the she-cats.
I'm going to find Podflower.
Flutteringkit peered between the branches and thorns, searching for a flash of red or a tuft of russet. She tasted the air, trying to pinpoint where the foxes might be hiding. All she could scent was rain, mud, and fear. Lots of fear.
She glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if Sunnypaw or Shyskip was watching. Both she-cats were busy with the bracken. Satisfied that she wouldn't be noticed, Flutteringkit squeezed out through the heap of bracken and tumbled into a wet rain puddle.
Shaking the water out of her ginger fur, Flutteringkit raced through the wind and rain, down the muddy slope to where the battle was. She could taste the tang of blood as she ran. It stung her throat and tongue, and she gagged.
The slope turned to muddy slush and rubbish, forcing Flutteringkit to slowly pick her way down to where the warriors of every Clan were facing off against the foxes. She paused for a moment, shivering nervously as a familiar scent touched her nose.
Up ahead was the mud-caked russet pelt of a fox. The fox flipped its head around and cast a glare in her direction, its brown eyes glowing yellow-green in the night. Shakily, the fox rose to its paws, growling. Flutteringkit took a tentative step back. The fox's fur was muddy and matted, with blood oozing from his shoulder and neck, pooling on the wet earth like tiny red streams.
One thing flashed through Flutteringkit's mind: A wounded fox is an angry fox. And an angry fox, is a deadly fox. These were words Podflower had once spoked after a patrol of WindClan warrior had slain a fox that had been caught in a trap on the edge of WindClan territory.
Without warning, the fox leaped forward, slamming its forepaw down on her chest, pinning her to the earth in a suffocating grip. She gasped desperately for air, struggling madly against his grip. She gasped in surprise as the fox's weight suddenly disappeared. Rising to her paws, her eyes widened as she spotted Shyskip rake her claws down the fox's flank.
The fox screamed and snapped at Shyskip's tail and paws, but the cream-furred she-cat was too fast. She leaped onto the fox's back, her sharp claws gripping his russet fur. The fox howled and threw the tabby warrior off, sending her sprawling in the mud.
"Shyskip!" Flutteringkit yowled, desperately willing her to rise to her paws.
I've almost for certain lost Podflower, I can't lose Shyskip too!
Shyskip shakily climbed back to her paws, bracing herself for the fox's next attack. The fox snarled, shaking the mud and blood from his pelt as he staggered forward. Without warning, the fox flew at Shyskip, a blur of russet, fangs, and claws.
Shyskip lashed out at the fox, raking her mud-caked claws down the fox's wet black nose. The fox screamed, blood streaming from his face, and backed away, fleeing through the bracken.
"Shyskip! Shyskip! Are you alright?" Flutteringkit raced through the mud, her tiny paws slipping on the slick surface. "Shyskip?"
The cream-furred she-cat collapsed to the earth, her rain-and-blood-soaked flanks heaving. Wearily, she lifted her head and blinked slowly.
"Don't ever do this to me again." She rasped. Flutteringkit dipped her head mournfully.
"I'm sorry, Shyskip. But I can't leave Podflower. I just have to find her!" Flutteringkit mewed determinedly.
Shyskip closed her eyes for a moment, and whether for irritation or exhaustion Flutteringkit was never sure. "Okay." She breathed, struggling to mount her paws. "Let's go find Podflower."
Eyes shining, Flutteringkit helped Shyskip to her paws and the two trekked slowly down the mucky slope. Rain splashed and mud sloshed as the slowly neared the clearing where the main battle was taking place. From time to time they would spot a flash or russet or catch a scent of death, but no enemy perused them.
"Shyskip!" both she-cats whipped around to face who had spoken. Running down the slope to meet them was the shining, mud-streaked pelt of Jackdawspring, a WindClan warrior.
"Jackdawspring?" Flutteringkit meowed as the black tom descended upon them.
"I'm so glad that you are alright! Where's Havenkit?" He asked, catching sight of Flutteringkit.
"She's safe in the bramble thicket with Sunnypaw." Flutteringkit squeaked. "How did you find us?"
"Froststar wants every cat to gather in the ShadowClan camp. We've chased the foxes out of the Clan territory for now. He thinks we might survive! We could rebuild the Clans! We'll survive this storm!"
The rain had lifted to a light drizzle that clung in heavy drops to the cats' matted pelts. Flutteringkit walked by Shyskip's side, leaning gently against the limping tabby she-cat. Flutteringkit's tiny paws ached with each step, and her eyelids threatened to slam shut, trapping her in exhausted darkness.
"We're almost there." Shyskip meowed encouragingly. Flutteringkit glanced up at the tabby WindClan warrior, just noticing the oozing blood that ran down Shyskip's face and neck.
Yes! The Clans will survive, Shyskip will get her wounds treated, and I'll find Podflower!
Jackdawspring trotted up to Shyskip's side, supporting her for the last stretch of the journey. Shyskip flashed Jackdawspring a grateful glance, then looked back down at her paws.
"Are you alright?" Flutteringkit sighed in relief as two warriors raced toward them, their pelts sleek and rain-soaked. Flutteringkit recognized Yarrowburr and Runningheart, two warriors from the other Clans. Runningheart took Jackdawspring's place at Shyskip's side, and Yarrowburr padded along beside Flutteringkit.
"Yes, we'll make it." Shyskip gasped softly, her flanks heaving.
Runningheart glanced at Yarrowburr. "Can you tall Larkfoot to be ready with the herbs? Then take Lappingwave with you and go find the kit and apprentice that we passed in the bramble thicket." She ordered. Yarrowburr sighed angrily, but streaked back to the ShadowClan camp.
"We're almost there." Runningheart assured Shyskip as the cream-furred she-cat stumbled and nearly fell.
"Is Podflower there?" Flutteringkit asked hopefully. Either Runningheart didn't hear, or didn't want to hear, because no answer was given.
She has to be okay. Flutteringkit thought stubbornly. She has to.
Flutteringkit raced ahead to catch up to Shyskip and Runningheart, just as the two slipped into the ShadowClan camp. She followed nervously behind them, quickly scanning the gathered cats for the ginger tabby pelt of her mother.
Panic seized Flutteringkit. Where is she? Podflower?
She raced away from Shyskip's side and dashed through the crowd of cats.
I have to find Sloefin. He'll know where she is!
"Sloefin!" Flutteringkit yowled as she spotted the RiverClan tom's blue-grey pelt. "Sloefin! Where is Podflower?"
Sloefin looked down at her with blank, empty eyes. "She's gone. The Clans will never be the same." He turned and disappeared through the gathered cats without another word.