Chapter 6
Cherryfang bounded down the ravine, sending loose rocks showering down the path ahead of her. She skidded into the clearing, ignoring the questioning looks from her clanmates.
"Redstar!" she yowled.
The ginger and white tom burst out of his den. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Riverclan has taken Sunningrocks!" The calico warrior panted. "They ambushed me by the river and told me to bring you a message: Sunningrocks is now part of Riverclan territory, and they will shred any cat that sets paw there."
"Those mangy crow-food eaters!" Birdthorn spat, bristling. "How dare they? We should attack at once!"
Brambleeyes flexed his claws, the lean muscles on his shoulders rippling powerfully. "Just wait until I get my claws on them," he spat. "I'll make them wish they'd never been kitted."
Mistystream, who had been sitting at the edge of the gathering crowd, padded forward. "Can we really risk a battle this far into leaf-fall? I may not have enough herbs to treat wounds, and now new herbs will grow again until new-leaf."
Redstar nodded respectfully. "That's true, Mistystream. However, Sunningrocks will give us more territory to hunt on, and better fed warriors will lose fewer battles and won't be as likely to fall ill."
"But how will injured warriors be able to hunt?" Leafwhisker protested, curling her tail around Cinderkit and Moonkit. "Who will keep my kits from starving?"
Dustfoot snorted impatiently. "We would never let kits starve!"
"Enough!" Redstar yowled, waving his tail for silence. "I have made my decision-we will fight for Sunningrocks!"
"Yes!" Cherryfang hissed triumphantly amidst the satisfied meows of her clanmates.
The ginger and white leader's gaze moved over his clan, deciding which cats he would include in the battle patrol. "I'll lead one patrol, and Birdthorn will lead the other. On my patrol, I'll have Talldawn, Grayflower, Birchshadow, Hollyfrost and Spottedpaw-if she is battle ready."
"She is, Redstar." Talldawn meowed.
"Good. Birdthorn will take Mosspetal, Brambleeyes, Dustfoot, and Shrewtalon." Noting Cherryfang, Risingpaw, and Heathermist's outraged expressions, Redstar added: "Some cats need to stay behind to guard the camp. Cherryfang and Risingpaw's wounds aren't healed all the way, and Heathermist's shoulder might not be strong enough to handle the stress of battle. And of course, Toadpaw can't fight because of his dislocated shoulder."
Cherryfang scowled at the ground. She had been the one to carry the message about the Riverclan cats back to camp; she had a right to fight in the battle! After all, the scratch on her ear had healed into a small notch, and the wound on her throat was now a small, mostly healed mark.
Heathermist, who was sitting near her, leaned forward and prodded the young warrior with a paw. "Don't say anything," the tabby warned. "If Redstar wants you to stay behind, then you'll do as he says."
Cherryfang hissed softly, but stayed silent. She watched enviously as the rest of the warriors filed out of camp.
"Good luck, Spottedpaw!" Risingpaw called after the pretty tabby's retreating tail.
"How can you be so cheerful?" Cherryfang growled good-naturedly as the ginger apprentice trotted over to her.
"I don't want more scars to spoil my good looks." He meowed playfully.
Heathermist gave her apprentice a gentle cuff over the ear. "Come on; we're guarding the entrance."
The three cats settled just inside of the entrance, alert for any signs of movement. Mistystream was laying out herbs that she would use to treat wounds, and Cinderkit and Moonkit mewled excitedly in the nursery. Sageleaf and Spottedsky were meowing quietly in the elders den.
As the moon began to sink, Cherryfang shifted restlessly. "I hope the battle is going well." She fretted. "They've been gone for a long time."
Heathermist looked worried as well. "Riverclan must be fighting very hard."
"If only we were there." Risingpaw sighed. "I would shred those mangy fish-eaters!"
"Hush! I hear something." Heathermist hissed. Standing, she bounded up the ravine, showing no signs of pain from her recently healed shoulder. Cherryfang followed the tabby she-cat with Risingpaw in tow.
As they emerged onto the forest floor, a bloodied gray shape burst through a thick clump of ferns.
"Spottedpaw!" Risingpaw cried, racing to his denmate's side. The silver tabby was panting heavily, and blood flowed freely from a gash on her hindquarters. Clumps of fur had been ripped away from her side, and one green eye was swollen from a scratch that had missed it by the width of a mouse's whisker.
"Riverclan is driving us into the forest." She wheezed. "Redstar told me to bring you back-we need every warrior available."
"Of course we'll come." Heathermist soothed. "Are you well enough to travel?"
Spottedpaw nodded. "I have to be."
The four cats raced into the forest, pelting towards Sunningrocks as though a pack of foxes were chasing them. As they neared the river, they could hear the yowls and snarls of battling cats.
Heathermist, who was leading the group, turned back to address her followers, "When we get there, find the cats that look like they need help." She panted. "Sunningrocks is ours and we will always fight to keep it."
Cherryfang nodded, her eyes fixed on the trees ahead through which she could see the faint gleam of moonlight on water. She leapt over a log and glimpsed the battle as she soared through the air. An agonized yowl split the air, and she sprinted forward in a last burst of speed. She burst out of the trees and saw a dark shape looming over the feebly struggling form of a Thunderclan cat. A snarl rose in Cherryfang's throat and she cannoned into the dark tabby, knocking him off the weakening cat.
"You fox-hearted piece of crow-food!" she hissed, raking her claws over the tom's cheek. He yowled in pain and surprise, bolting away down Sunningrocks.
"Cherryfang?"
The calico warrior spun around to see Dustfoot shakily pushing himself to his paws. His tabby and white fur was clotted with blood, and one leg shook as he put weight on it.
"Dustfoot! Are you all right?" All animosity towards the young tom was forgotten as Cherryfang helped him to stand.
"I'll live." He grunted, pushing her away. "Go fight. I'll be fine."
She looked him over doubtfully, and then raced away as she heard another pained cry. A little ways away, she found Hollyfrost being driven towards the river by a sand-colored tom. Leaping on him from behind, Cherryfang dug her front paws into his shoulders and pummeled his back with swipes of her hind paws. The tom twisted savagely, breaking free with a snarl. Staring into his menacing blue eyes, Cherryfang found herself face to face with Tigerstar.
The Riverclan leader swiped at her shoulder in an attempt to knock her down. Whipping in a circle, she lunged and bowled him over again. A dark ginger coat flashed beside her and Hollyfrost's scent reached her nostrils.
"Go help Shrewtalon!" she hissed. "I can take care of Tigerstar."
Nodding, Cherryfang broke away and scanned the battle for her foster brother. Spotting him in the midst of a writhing knot of cats, she sprang forward. Suddenly, a golden tabby and white she-cat darted in front of her, spitting angrily. Before she could react, the Riverclan cat had pounced on her.
Instinctively, Cherryfang brought her hind legs up and raked her attacker's belly with her hind claws. The she-cat dug her claws into Cherryfang's shoulder, and she let out a gasp of pain. The golden tabby and white she-cat's grip loosened suddenly, enabling the Thunderclan cat to throw her off. Scrambling to her paws, Cherryfang found herself facing Leopardheart.
Both she-cats stared at each other for a moment. Then, Cherryfang darted around the Riverclan she-cat and headed for the thick clump of fighting cats that surrounded Shrewtalon. Shoving her way through the heaving mass, she finally reached the golden tabby tom's side.
Shrewtalon collapsed as she reached him, blood pooling under him from a long gash on his stomach. A tortoiseshell she-cat stood over him, her claws red with the Thunderclan tom's blood.
Rage surged in Cherryfang's belly, and she knocked the she-cat away with a powerful blow. Planting her hind paws on either side of her foster brother's unconscious form, she rained blow after blow upon any Riverclan cat that came within reach of her claws.
What seemed like only heartbeats later, there were no more Riverclan cats to fight, and the bloody, battered cats were backing away.
"Riverclan, retreat!"
Cherryfang let out a hoarse yowl of triumph, which was echoed by many of her clanmates. Stepping off of Shrewtalon's body, she bent to examine him. The flow of blood from the wound on his side had slowed to a trickle. The rest of his wounds were minor: a long scratch on his back, and patches of fur torn from his shoulders.
Fastening her teeth in his scruff, Cherryfang dragged him across Sunningrocks to the forest's edge. He had regained consciousness by the time she laid him beside Grayflower, but he was in too much pain to do more than raise his head to survey the battleground. Shrewtalon's gaze stopped on a motionless form that was mostly hidden in a dip in the rocks.
Cherryfang felt her heart sink as she realized who the cat was. "Redstar," she whispered. "Oh, no."
She limped forward unsteadily, dragging her leader out of the dip. He wasn't breathing.
"Help!" she yowled. "Someone, come quick! It's Redstar!"
Birdthorn limped over, her eyes wide with fear. She stooped over him, checking for any signs of life. Her voice was heavy as she meowed, "He's losing a life."
In reply to Cherryfang's anxious glance, she added: "This isn't his last."
All around them, injured cats were limping towards the trees. Mosspetal was urging Grayflower along, who kept pausing to wipe blood off of a gash on her forehead. The tip of one of Talldawn's ears appeared to have been torn out, and a long scratch stretched from shoulder to flank. Risingpaw, who was helping Spottedpaw across the rock, had a deep cut on his flank.
There was a gasp from behind Cherryfang, and she spun around to see Redstar taking another shuddering breath.
"Did we win?" he croaked, shakily pushing himself to his paws.
Birdthorn rested her tail on her leader's back to guide him up Sunningrocks. "We chased them to the river." Looking over at Cherryfang, she added. "Go help one of the more seriously injured cats back to camp."
Nodding, the young warrior limped across the rock towards her clanmates. Talldawn and Birchshadow were helping Shrewtalon to his paws and Heathermist and Brambleeyes were starting to guide some of the cats into the forest.
Spotting Dustfoot struggling to push himself into a sitting position, Cherryfang limped over to him.
"Riverclan fought hard, didn't they?" he remarked, taking in the scratches on her shoulders and sides.
She nodded mutely, lending the tabby and white tom her shoulder so that he could stand. They limped into the forest as Redstar took his place at the head of the patrol.
The sky was lightening as they struggled through the forest, illuminating the path ahead of them.
Abruptly, Dustfoot turned so that he was facing Cherryfang. She stared into his green eyes, trying to ignore the familiar fluttering feeling in her chest.
"Thanks for helping me back there." He meowed quietly. "I probably would have been shredded if you hadn't chased off Rowannose."
"It was nothing." She murmured uncomfortably. But as they returned to camp, a warm feeling spread through her and she had to suppress a purr.
