Chapter 10
"Hey, Snowpaw!"
"Yeah?"
"Come share a falcon with us!"
I stared over at the other apprentices, amazed. "Who managed to catch a falcon?" I asked.
Skypaw nodded and Blackpaw, Rainpaw, and Cloudpaw. "They did. "It'll feed all of us apprentices!"
Blackpaw smiled at Skypaw and I while Rainpaw and Cloudpaw looked at their paws, filled with pride and embarrassment.
"Sure," I meowed and bounded over to the others, still marveling at the huge falcon lying at their paws.
Crowding around the feathery beast, the apprentices began to eat.
The succulent meat sent me into quivers of delight. Spitting out the feathers, I ripped off another mouthful.
A loud purr from Stonepaw made me look around. Breezepaw had just bitten off a huge bite, and feathers were sticking out of his mouth. All of the apprentices began laughing, including Breezepaw. Brown feathers sprayed over the grass, covering my white fur.
Just as Blackpaw finished his last mouthful, a voice rang out across the clearing. "Eagles!" screeched Leafwhisker.
My amusement gone, I scrambled to my paws, staring around at Leafwhisker, silhouetted against the setting sun, standing on a boulder at the edge of camp.
"Quick, down the tree-holes!" Skypaw cried. She and Blackpaw raced for one, while Rainpaw grabbed Mosskit and Windkit and disappeared down another. Cloudpaw, Stonepaw, Breezepaw, and I sprinted for two holes near the elders' den.
I tumbled down into safety with Breezpaw, my heart hammering in my chest, and breathed a sigh of relief. The Clan was safe.
As if to contradict my thoughts, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the camp. Frozen with horror, I recognized Leafwhisker's voice.
Turning hurriedly to look out the entrance to the hole, I saw Leafwhisker dashing across the camp, a swarm of five eagles behind her. The eagles were gaining on her.
Suddenly, I spotted a tree-hole a tree-length in front of my Clanmate. Even though the eagles were closing the gap between themselves and Leafwhisker, she was going to make it to the hole!
Or was she going to make it? I watched fearfully as one of the five eagles separated itself from the others with a cry of annoyance, swinging around to cut off Leafwhisker's escape. I saw the terror in her eyes as she realized there was no way out.
"No!"
A single word forced itself from me as I saw the eagles moving in for the kill. I didn't want to watch, but I couldn't move. My limbs were frozen with disbelief.
Then, Breezepaw answered my unspoken wish. He stepped forward, blocking my gaze with his thick, black and white fur. I caught a glimpse of his face, stricken with horror. It looked just like how my expression felt.
I heard a screech of pain from the clearing, quickly cut off and I closed my eyes with grief. I couldn't believe it. Leafwhisker couldn't be dead! She just couldn't be!
The sound of racing paws thrumming on the ground drew my attention. As the warmth of Breezepaw's fur left my side, I opened my eyes to see Skypaw, Blackpaw, Breezepaw, Rainpaw, Stonepaw, Cloudpaw, and even Mistpaw leaping through the air, landing on the eagles and ripping out huge clumps of feathers. The eagles, confused by the sudden appearance of seven cats and pain-ridden, squawked indignantly and began flapping their wings, trying to get away. I followed Breezepaw, soaring up to slash at an eagle's underbelly. With a screech of alarm, it took off, flying away over the mountains.
My heart in my throat, I looked back at Leafwhisker, lying motionless on the hard ground.
She was dead.