Chapter 5

Leopardpaw picked up Foxpaw by his scruff. "Get more warriors!" Tigerwhisker ordered as he appeared from behind the bushes. He sprinted toward Sunningrocks. Leopardpaw dragged Foxpaw through the tunnel and called for Mossfur. His blind apprentice, Rainpaw, came to them and put one paw on his bad leg. "I'll take care of him," she meowed in her misty voice.

One Leopardpaw left Foxpaw, she yowled, "Help! MarshClan on Sunningrocks!"

Skystar ran out of his den and called Mistystripe, Grasslegs, Ashcloud, Sunpaw, Torntail, Rockpaw, and Brokenclaw to go with him to Sunningrocks. Leopardpaw joined in on the group, excited for her first chance to really show off her battle skills. They ran through the rocky terrain to Sunningrocks to see Owleyes and Tigerwhisker fighting five MarshClan cats to the death. Both were covered in blood and in desperate need of backup.

"Attack, SunClan!" Skystar's battle cry sounded and they ran into battle. MarshClan's patrol didn't seem afraid that they were outnumbered, for another patrol joined in, making them easily matched.

Leopardpaw yowled when a larger she-cat jumped on her. She lashed out and bit the attacker's neck, pulling and twisting it. The she-cat yowled with pain. Leopardpaw released her attacker, who ran off to the river. The golden apprentice looked for her next opponent and found it – a tortoiseshell apprentice. Leopardpaw jumped on a rock and leaped off of it onto the apprentice's back. The tortoiseshell attempted to roll over, but Leopardpaw was quicker and got off of her. The, she clawed the soft part of the apprentice's leg, causing her to crumble to the ground. Leopardpaw slashed the tortoiseshell's back, and she screeched.

"Go back home fish-breath," Leopardpaw growled and knocked the bigger apprentice over.

"MarshClan, retreat!" Riverstar yowled and led her injured Clan into the river.

"Good job, Leopardpaw," a shaky voice meowed behind her. She looked and saw Tigerwhisker covered in blood. "It's from the other cats," he meowed when he saw his apprentice's shocked expression.

"Back to the camp SunClan,' Skystar called and led his Clan back home.

"See what I told you?" Fireclaw hissed. "Your new friend was in that fight going against you and your Clanmates!"

"Well he didn't fight me," Leopardpaw meowed simply.

"Hush, Fireclaw." Leopardpaw sighed with relief when she heard Lightningstar, who was approaching the quarreling pair. "Let me handle this."

Fireclaw snorted and walked away, lashing his tail angrily. "Maybe you can teach this apprentice some common sense, seeing as you're the smartest," Fireclaw added icily.

Lightningstar rolled his eyes at the comment. "I can go rip his head off if you want," Leopardpaw growled.

Lightningstar laughed, "No, he's my brother and I can't afford to lose him, even though he's a burr in the tail."

"Why did you leave me with him the other night?" Leopardpaw questioned with a hint of anger in her voice.

"That's not important," Lightningstar meowed quickly, obviously hiding something. "What's more important is that MarshClan apprentice business."

Leopardpaw looked down at her paws with shame. "I just wanted to be his friend," she murmured.

Lightningstar put his paw on her shoulder. "I have no problem with it, Leopardpaw. Just don't let your feelings turn you away from your Clanmates, or distract you from your training."

Leopardpaw purred, "I won't, I promise!"

Lightningstar nodded his head with approval. "Now go back home, daylight is near and Tigerwhisker will want to train you today."

Leopardpaw began to pad away but she turned her head and meowed, "Was Tigerwhisker your apprentice?"

Lightningstar nodded, and Leopardpaw returned back to her nest.

The next two days passed and now it was time to meet Hollowpaw. Leopardpaw ate a mouse and ran out of the tunnel, saying that she was off to hunt. She sprinted all the way to Sunningrocks, then a little past it to some reeds. She sat in front of the river, hidden, and waited.

I hope he isn't mad about the battle, she worried. Soon enough to calm her thoughts, Leopardpaw saw the black and white apprentice swim across the river. She ran over to greet him.

"Hey, Hollowpaw!" she meowed cheerfully. His expression, however, wasn't its usual welcoming look.

"You almost killed my sister!" he hissed.

"I…I didn't know she was your sister," she meowed with shock. That tortoiseshell was his sister?

"We can't meet like this," he growled. "It's not right. Plus, what if it was me that you were fighting? Your Clan took a border squabble way too far and what you did to my sister wasn't honorable."

Leopardpaw felt tears swelling in her eyes, but she shook it off. "Well your Clan started it! My brother nearly died from the paws of one of your warriors. At least your sister can feel the shame of being beat by a younger apprentice. My brother stood no chance!" she yowled. Hollowpaw growled and lashed his tail. Leopardpaw snarled at him, "Get off of my territory!" He obliged and ran back to the river.

Leopardpaw was lived, but not because of Hollowpaw's discarding of her. She was angry at herself. If I had known that the tortoiseshell was his sister, then I would have never done what I did to her!

Poor Leopardpaw :( I'm so mean to write this to her...lol

Review...I don't own Warriors!

~Skyy