Pantherstrike's paws thudded against the forest floor as he ran. Blood pounded through his ears and his paws were numb from impaling them on rocks. He turned his head but did not break pace. Onethorn and his clanmates were still persuing him. Pantherstrike had been out late taking a walk to clear his head after the death of his sister, Patchfoot, when a RiverClan warrior attacked him. Soon at least seven more shining oily pelts came crashing through the undergrowth, and Pantherstrike fought his attacker off quickly and ran. Now he was on his way back to the ShadowClan camp. He dashed into the clearing and yowled, the cats that were on guard bolted after him, confused.
"Pantherstrike, what's wrong?" asked Deadwing, a big dark furred tabby.
Blackstar, ShadowClan's leader, was the first to emerge from his den above the HighHill, his pelt bristling.
"Blackstar! I was on my way back to camp when I was attacked!" Pantherstrike meowed, alarmed.
"Pantherstrike, who attacked you?" asked the leader.
"I – it was RiverClan warriors... I threw one off and fled back here, because this is where the rest were headed." He stammered.
"Those disgusting fish-pelts! How dare they try and breach our territory!" Growled Blackstar. Just as he bounded down from the hill, the RiverClan warriors bolted through the gorse tunnel and ambushed the few cats in the clearing. Blackstar threw his head up and yowled a battle cry in rage, and flung himself at a tortoiseshell RiverClan warrior. Pantherstrike looked around the clearing, tumbling masses of screeching fur dotted the camp. He heard a cry from the nursery and bolted across the clearing toward the noise. A RiverClan warrior was attacking a queen! Her kits wailed and mewled for help. Pantherstrike raised his paw, unsheathed his claws, and struck the intruder. He tumbled across the nursery and Pantherstrike clawed at his stomach, tearing the flesh. The cat writhed in pain as the furious ShadowClan cat tore at his pelt.
"You have no quarrel with these kits, do not touch them!" He hissed.
The RiverClan warrior battered at his belly with his hind legs, scratching him. Once the warrior realized he didn't have a chance, he retreated out of nursery and out of the camp.
"Oh thank you Pantherstrike, I thought we were finished." The white she-cat meowed, licking her fear-numbed kits.
"Of course, Snowhawk." Nodded Pantherstrike.
As he reentered the battle in the clearing, he saw more RiverClan cats came and the ShadowClan warriors were becoming out numbered. He saw Darkpaw fighting two RiverClan apprentices. He didn't stand a chance. He hadn't been an apprentice for long, and these cats looked like had been for at least a moon. Pantherstrike grabbed one by its scruff and sent it rolling across the clearing. The apprentice tumbled into another RiverClan cat, giving his denmate Scorchleaf an advantage on her opponent. The sounds of pain and terror rang in the clearing, and it seemed Shadowclan was losing. As if it were a gift from StarClan, the three warriors who were patrolling the territory returned. Crystalpelt, Ravenpoppy and Lakefall darted into the clearing and joined the fight leveling the battlefield a bit more. Pantherstrike yowled a thanks to the starry sky and rejoined in the action. He glanced around after fighting off Rockfoot, and noticed a clump of fur unmoving in the clearing. He limped toward it and bile rose in his throat. One of his oldest friends Toaddapple was dead. While he just wanted to mourn, anger stirred in his stomach like wind in a storm and he attacked Toaddapple's killer. What seemed like a moon later, ShadowClan drove the last fighting cat, the leader of RiverClan, out.
"Blackstar, don't think this is the last you'll see of us!" Hissed Mothstar as she lashed her tail and dashed out of the tunnel.