"At least there's one cat I can trust with my life!"
"Only one, Squirrelflight?"
Squirrelflight thought for a moment that she heard a wail nearby, but when she looked around, she could hardly see anything in the shadows. Trying to put it out of her mind, Squirrelflight dashed in the direction of the entrance to help Brambleclaw, narrowly avoiding the blunt claws of the badgers swiping nearby. Her original plan was to help her Clanmates protect the nursery and the escape route, but she couldn't let Brambleclaw run headfirst into a swarm of badgers. Emotion swamped her like a wave at the thought of Brambleclaw being torn apart by those giant claws, and she thrust the image from her mind. He won't die, she thought determinedly. I won't let him!
Sidestepping another attack and clawing the badger back, she spotted Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Thornclaw just ahead of her, trying to force back a pair of badgers through the hollow entrance. Brambleclaw's pelt was matted with blood, which was pouring out of a gash on his shoulder. Thornclaw had several scratches on his flank. Great StarClan, they can't deal with two badgers themselves! Without hesitation, she leaped onto the smaller one, clawing and biting through the thick fur before jumping off. She barely dodged the powerful swipe of the badger's claws, feeling it skim her fur.
"Squirrelflight, get down!" Brambleclaw yowled.
A third badger advanced on them, and the group of four slashed at the badgers while backing away from the entrance. We can't win! There are too many of them!
Spiderleg and Rainwhisker were talking on another young badger next to them. Rainwhisker leaped onto the badger while Spiderleg clawed it from behind, but the badger spun around with a quick lash of its paw, sending Rainwhisker flying and hitting Spiderleg straight in the head, knocking him to the ground.
"No!" Squirrelflight cried as she saw another badger raise its paw above the black tom lying on the ground. Without thinking, she leaped again to claw the badger's eyes. The badger's swing missed Spiderleg, but it sent Squirrelflight flying to the ground, knocking the air out of her. Pain ripped through her right side as she struggled to get up again, but she couldn't. Someone, help me!
Teeth sank into her scruff and pulled her back right before another badger snapped its jaws. She turned her head to look, and her eyes locked onto Brambleclaw's amber gaze for a heartbeat. "Thanks!" Squirrelflight gasped, panting for breath.
"What did I tell you?" Brambleclaw hissed from her other side. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Stop treating me like a kit!" Squirrelflight flashed back, clawing another badger across the nose.
"It's too dangerous!" Brambleclaw wheezed, fighting for breath. "I can't lose you here!" He jumped in front of Squirrelflight and pushed her back, away from the horde of badgers.
I should be the one saying that! Squirrelflight ran back up to his side. "I'm not leaving you!"
Brambleclaw didn't reply but instead ducked to avoid a blow and clawed the badger in front down its ear, and Squirrelflight followed up by slashing at the badger's other side, causing it to shake its head back and forth, unsure of which warrior to attack. It tried to slash Brambleclaw, but he stepped back barely in time, leaving a window of opportunity for the ginger warrior to rake her claws multiple times over the badger's shoulder, causing it to flee through the hollow entrance.
Suddenly a movement flashed in the corner of Squirrelflight's eye. "Watch out!" she screeched, but the badger landed a blow straight on Brambleclaw's flank, who had not seen the striped figure in the shadows, knocking him back a few fox-lengths. She gasped and ran over, praying no badger would take notice of her in the darkness. "Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw! Are you alright?"
He rose to his paws. "I'm fine," he replied, but his legs were shaking.
"Get back!" Squirrelflight shrieked. "You can't keep fighting! Let me handle it!" As Firestar slashed the eyes of a giant badger next to her, Squirrelflight ran to the side and scored her claws on the badger's flank, causing it to growl in pain and turn around. For a second she was face-to-face with the badger's striped face, those beady eyes peering into her gaze, but it didn't last for long as Brightheart clawed its flank again and Cloudtail sank his claws into the back of its neck, causing it to let out a giant roar of agony. It tried to swat Cloudtail off but couldn't, causing it to run away out of the hollow as Cloudtail unfastened his teeth.
Squirrelflight looked around. Brambleclaw was still fighting, but his strength was visibly faltering, and a badger caught him with a swipe on the nose. "Brambleclaw, get back! You can't go on like this!" Her voice was panicked as she ran over to help him.
Squirrelflight heard rapid pawsteps behind her, and turned around to see Ashfur. "The nursery!" he gasped. "We need help!"
Squirrelflight swallowed. "Alright, I'm coming." Turning around, she added to Brambleclaw, "You have to get away; you can't keep up fighting like this!" She pressed her muzzle against his cheek, breathing in his scent through the thick stench of blood that covered his entire pelt. "Please," she whispered.
The tabby's gaze pierced hers for a moment; then he nodded and limped towards the secret exit of the hollow.
Squirrelflight turned back around, trying to make out the nursery with the faint light of the crescent moon. As she spotted it, she saw Ashfur staring at Brambleclaw with narrowed eyes as he padded away, but she had no time to think about that. "Come on, let's go!"
Brackenfur was still guarding the entrance to the nursery, fighting two young badgers fiercely to protect Sorreltail and their kits inside. Squirrelflight leaped onto the back of one of them, and Ashfur followed with a couple of swipes to its legs, causing it to howl in pain and retreat immediately.
The other badger, however, was not so easy to get rid of. For a moment, it hesitated, trying to decide if it was worth it to take on so many enemies. Then it growled and swiped its claws at Squirrelflight, who rolled to the side, agony burning in her wound.
Brackenfur was also fighting the badger, dashing around and landing quick swipes at the badger, who couldn't get in a blow on the golden-brown warrior. But Squirrelflight could tell that he was running out of energy; any longer and he would collapse from exhaustion.
Ignoring the fire blazing in her side, she crouched down, ready to leap at the badger, but Ashfur butted her shoulder, knocking her off balance, and jumped. As she pushed herself off the ground, Ashfur ran back towards her. "Are you all right? You can't fight with such a big wound as that."
"I can fight my own battles, thanks," Squirrelflight hissed.
The gray tom's eyes widened, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply turned away and ran towards a bigger, older badger and sprang onto it. Squirrelflight quickly readied her pounce against and leaped onto the back of the badger in front of the nursery. Brackenfur leaped a split second after she did and sank his teeth firmly into its ear. The badger shook wildly, flailing its paws and trying to get Squirrelflight off. Nimbly she let go just as the badger's claws pricked the air behind its back and raked her claws across its back legs.
Squirrelflight looked around. Their numbers seemed to be decreasing, yet there were still so many left! There was no way they could deal with them all! Firestar, Thornclaw, and Rainwhisker were still fighting at the entrance to the hollow. Duspelt and Spiderleg were taking on another badger, alternating their attacks on it.
Brackenfur was still tussling with the young badger in front of the nursery, his teeth still fastened in its ear. The badger dislodged with a single swat of its paw and thrust its way into the nursery. No!
"Behind you!" Squirrelflight heard someone yowl, but she didn't react in time. A blow caught her on the shoulder from behind, knocking her legs out from under her. The pain in her shoulder was immense and dizzying, as she tried to push herself back up, but her wounds were too much. She struggled to look behind her and saw a badger readying its deadly claws for an attack. "Ashfur!" she screeched. "Help me!"
The gray warrior heard her call for help and unfastened his claws from the badger he was fighting, turning to run towards her. The badger raised its paws, and Squirrelflight squeezed her eyes shut with terror.
"StarClan, help me!"
Then the claws came down.
