Chapter 3

Sorry for the wait. I was on vacation, so I didn't have time to write. So, enjoy Chapter 3!

The river was a mix of gushing water and sharp, pointed rocks. None of it, even the shallow pools, looked safe or friendly to Hazelflight.

"Ok, ok, this was a bad idea!" Hazelflight hissed, shrinking back from the water.

"Oh, come on. It's not too bad, Hazelflight!" Icepaw mewed, splashing around in the cold, crystal-clear waters. Ravenheart sat nearby, carefully watching his apprentice. The waters were known for their dangerous rapids and currents, which could pull a cat away from the shore in seconds. Lionfang sat further back, near Hazelflight. The three sat there for a while, watching the white blur that was Icepaw play and splash in the water.

"You know, it's not that bad, actually." Hazelflight sighed. "I mean, the river's-"

"THERE THEY ARE!" Suddenly, six ShadeClan warriors hopped out of the ferns, surrounding the warriors.

"Icepaw! Get over here NOW!" Ravenheart yowled. Immediately, Icepaw bolted towards Ravenheart and skidded to a stop by his mentor's side.

"Icepaw, we need you to do something." Lionfang hissed.

"So these are the cats who attacked you?" A large brown tabby asked, directing her comment at the short-haired black and white realized that this was the cat from earlier, the one Willowwind and her patrol chased away.

"Well, no. But they're from the same Clan." The tom hissed, whisking his tail angrily back and forth. Out of the six, there seemed to be only one apprentice. She was a small, silver tabby with long fur.

"Same thing." A black tom hissed.

"Icepaw, run back to camp and get more warriors." Lionfang mewed quietly.

"I'm not going to leave you here alone!" Icepaw said, looking up at Lionfang with his big blue eyes.

"We'll be fine."

"But you're outnumbered!"

"Well, Lionfang counts as two cats." Hazelflight mewed, noting the she-cats unusually large size.

"Are you-"

"JUST GO!" Ravenheart boomed. In an instant, Icepaw had turned and run into the forest.

"Ugh, this is too easy. Minnowpaw and Stormstripe, go after the apprentice." Minnowpaw and Stormstripe started to bolt towards the trail Icepaw left behind, but not before Ravenheart tackled Stormstripe, throwing him to the ground. The black tom, however, was able to use his two back paws to kick Ravenheart off him, and went racing after Minnowpaw.

"So I guess it's just down to us." The black and white tom snickered.

"Get off DawnClan territory!" Hazelflight hissed.

"After you brutes attacked us? I think not."

"We didn't attack you." Lionfang mewed. "It was the other patrol, and besides, you were hunting in our territory!" Without another word, the ShadeClan cats jumped forward and sunk their claws into the DawnClan warriors fur. Hazelflight was battling the large brown tabby. The she-cat had Hazelflight pinned down underneath her and was ready to slash at her belly. Before her claws could reach Hazelflight's soft fur, the brown she-cat had used her back paws to kick the tabby off, then launched herself onto the tabbies back. Immediately, the cat tried to throw her off, bucking wildly around the shore, but Hazelflight had dug her claws into the tabby's fur and wasn't letting go. Finally, the she-cat managed to throw her off by slamming her body, along with Hazelflight, against a tree. Hazelflight dropped to the ground, her body sore and aching.

"Ugh…" She moaned, getting up on her own four paws. The tabby, thinking she had won, was now battling Ravenheart along with the black and white tom. Knowing what she had to do, Hazelflight sprinted up one of the pine trees, stopping at a low-hanging branch. Slowly, she crept forward, inching along the sturdy branch. In moments, she was above the battle. Crouching down, Hazelflight focused on the blur that was the fighting cats, carefully picking out her foe.

One...

Two...

Three!

Hazelflight dropped from the tree. Claws unsheathed, she landed on the tabbys broad back. Due to the sudden weight, the she-cat crumpled to the ground. The DawnClan warrior dug her claws into the tabby's fur, drawing blood. With a screech, the ShadeClan warrior had gotten to her paws, trying to shake Hazelflight off. Though the pain from her multiple wounds was immense, Hazelflight hung on to the she-cat. She knew if she let go, the ShadeClan warrior would not hesitate to maim her even further, or worse. After about half a minute of wild running and yowling, Hazelflight noticed that the she-cat was starting to tire out. Two of her Clanmates had already fled, leaving only two to deal with. One of the two left, the black and white tom, was fighting off Lionfang and Ravenheart. He was holding out pretty well, though it was obvious to see that he was weakening.

"Hazelflight!" Lionfang yowled. "Icepaw hasn't come back with help. We need you to make sure he got to camp safely!"

"Well, I'm kinda-OOF!" Hazelflight gasped as the tabby finally shook her off, throwing Hazelflight to the soft sand. The she-cat loomed over the DawnClan warrior. Pinning Hazelflight beneath her with one paw, the tabby raised the other, ready to swipe at the she-cat. Hazelflight, having lost a considerable amount of blood, tried to fight back, but it was no use. Eyes wide with horror, Hazelflight watched as the tabby swiped at her throat. Just as the ShadeClan warriors claws grazed her throat, a large, tan blur flew over Hazelflight, knocking the tabby to the ground.

"Go! I'll take care of this." Lionfang growled, looking angrily at the ShadeClan warrior. Nodding, Hazelflight slipped back into the trees, following Icepaws scent. She hated to leave her Clanmates in battle, but she knew Lionfang was right. The camp wasn't too far away. Minnowpaw should have been back with the warriors a while ago.

"Stop it! Don't make me hurt you!"

Hazelflight's ears perked up.

Icepaw?

Following the sound, Hazelflight was led to a large pine tree in the middle of a small clearing. Below, a frightened and bleeding Icepaw was hissing and spitting at his attackers.

"Weak." Stormstripe hissed, taking a swipe at the frightened apprentice. The warriors paw connected with Icepaws bruised face, knocking him to the ground. Stormstripe seemed to enjoy tormenting this apprentice. Minnowpaw, on the other paw, looked worried and sad.

"Let's just go. He's not much of a big deal anyways." The silver she-cat mewed, casting a empathetic look toward the white and red ball that was Icepaw.

"C'mon, what's wrong? It's not like he's dead or anything." Stormstripe mewed, casting a hateful look toward Icepaw. "His Clan nearly attacked Patchfur. We deserve some revenge."

"Well, we've got enough, haven't we?" Minnowpaw said, turning back towards the river. "Let's go."

"Not yet-" Stormstripe started but was interrupted as Hazelflight launched herself onto his back. She quickly flipped the tabby so his soft belly was exposed.

"Leave. Now." Hazelflight hissed, taking a shallow swipe at Stormstripe's belly. The tom wiggled out from under her grip and bolted back towards the river with his tail between his legs.

"You should go too, Minnowpaw." Hazelflight turned toward the silver apprentice.

"But I want to stay and help!"

"It's not or job, or your Clan. Go back to ShadeClan." Hazelflight mewed.

"I'm staying," Minnowpaw said confidently, puffing out her chest.

"Fine. But if you get in trouble, don't start blaming me."