Special Battle Tactic: Shadow Ambush
"Gather around, Apprentices. I know its dark, but you can hear my voice, can't you?" asked Breezeclaw. The Apprentices crowd around Breezeclaw. "That's right, over here."
"Will we fall into foxholes?" asked Rainpaw.
"No, Rainpaw, you're not going to fall into any foxholes. I checked this area earlier today that this would be a good place for our Ambush practice. Maybe one day you'll have to navigate somewhere with holes waiting to trip you up, but hopefully you'll be more experienced by then and more confident getting around at night." Devilpaw begins climbing a nearby tree. "That's if you live that long, Devilpaw! Come done from that tree at once!"
"Can you see better than me?" asked Devilpaw.
"No, I can't see any better than you can, however, I do have ears, and a deaf badger would have heard your claws scraping on the bark when you climbed up. Moreover, the fact that your scent is now coming from above my head is a dead giveaway." Devilpaw sullenly climbs down from the pine tree. "Heartpaw, Angelpaw, Harpypaw, Stormpaw, are you here."
"Yes, Breezeclaw!" shouted all of the Apprentices.
"Good. Now, I want everyone to standstill and close your eyes." Rainpaw begins to snore quietly. Stormpaw begins laughing lightly. "Stormpaw, Rainpaw, that's not nearly as funny as you think it is. Only horses sleep standing up, and if you'd like to live with them and eat grass all day, I'm sure Redstar can arrange it." Stormpaw and Rainpaw stand perfectly still at the threat. "Right, keep your eyes closed until I tell you otherwise. Mouths closed too, Rainpaw. If I can hear you whispering, well then so can the enemy. Use your other senses: what can you hear? Smell? Taste? Feel on the ground? In addition, on your fur? Well? Anyone?" None of the Apprentices speak. "Okay, you can open your mouth if I asked you a direct question."
"There is a breeze coming from the lake…" Stormpaw said slowly.
"Good, Stormpaw. There is a breeze coming from the lake, bringing with it the scent of water, fish, and WaterfallClan. Nevertheless, the scent is not strong enough to suggest that they are any closer than their own territory."
"I think I hear CloudClan snoring," said Heartpaw.
"You think so. No, you can't. The day that Redstar gets a prophecy about a cat that has the ability to hear farther than any other creature, and then I'll believe you."
"There are two owls calling to each other beyond the island border," said Harpypaw.
"Good work."
"And one of those HouseCats is making its usual fuss about being shut in on a fine night for hunting," said Heartpaw.
"Correct again. Therefore, our senses have told us that our territory is empty save for the creatures that live alongside us – no trespassers, nothing that seems out of place. Now, open your eyes."
"It's very dark…" said Rainpaw.
"Yes, Rainpaw it is very dark. However, you can see a little more clearly, can't you? Your eyes have started to adjust to seeing without light. Look at how the trees are outlined against the sky. Down on the ground, you still won't be able to see much, but thicker shadows could be a bush, or even another cat. The more you practice moving around at night, the easier it will become. The other Clans are frightened and baffled by the dark; without the sense of sight, they are as helpless as Kits. Only LeafClan understands the power of the night and sees it as strength." The Apprentices shift around slightly waiting for a further explanation. "Tonight, we are the Ambush patrol. We are going to lie in wait for our enemy and launch a surprise attack using the darkness to hide us and weaken our rival before we unsheathe a single claw. First, we need to find an attack zone, a place where we can wait without being seen or scented and with enough room to fight when the other cats arrive. Any ideas?"
"What about the ditch here?" asked Angelpaw.
"Good, Angelpaw, this ditch is just what we're looking for. The sides are high and steep; therefore, if we attack from each end the enemy won't be able to escape. It's an obvious route to the camp, so we can be confident that any invaders would pass through it. In addition, we can hide in the bushes at the top, with the advantage of attacking from above." The Apprentices bounce around excitedly. "Stormpaw, why don't you pick a bush on the side of the ditch where we can hide?" Stormpaw pads over to a large bush a little ways from the edge of the ditch.
"How about here?" Stormpaw asked pointing father behind them.
"Hmm, maybe not so far from the edge. We need to be able to hear our enemy approaching and see them when they enter the ditch. This one is better. Right, squish in, everybody." Breezeclaw and the six Apprentices hide deep within the selected bush. "So, we're hidden up here, but it would be good to know when the enemy is coming near. We need an early warning patrol, just two cats to keep track of the invaders as they head towards the ditch. Imagine that you're following them and need to warn the ambush patrol to be ready for the attack. What call would you give?" Devilpaw imitates an owl's call.
"Well, Devilpaw, which was a very good imitation of an owl, but perhaps the patrol, might think it's a real owl? What noise would travel clearly on a night like this, but stand out only to the cats that live in this part of the territory?" asked Breezeclaw.
"How about, ssssssss?" suggested Harpypaw.
"A snake's hiss!" shouted Heartpaw.
"Not a snake, Heartpaw," said Breezeclaw.
"The wind in the trees?" asked Stormpaw.
"Why would that work tonight?" asked Breezeclaw.
"Because the breeze is coming off the lake?" asked Rainpaw.
"That's right. In addition, since its coming off the lake, it shouldn't be enough to move the branches of the pine trees. Cats from the other territories wouldn't know that, because this is the only place where pine trees grow by the lake. However, what little breeze there is would work in our favor tonight, carrying the scent of the invaders towards us, and hiding our own." The Apprentices look expectantly at Breezeclaw. "We need to spread out along the top of the ditch, if this was a real ambush patrol, we'd have enough cats to line the other side too. We take up our positions, always within earshot of the leader of the patrol, and wait. Let me see you all waiting now." The Apprentices follow Breezeclaw's example and begin waiting. "What problem would we have if there was moonlight or starlight?" asked Breezeclaw.
"Our shadows?" asked Angelpaw.
"That's right, Angelpaw. We'd need to stay on the dark side of the bush to keep our outlines hidden, too. Remember, if you can see the enemy, the enemy can see you. That's why darkness is our ally. Okay, now imagine that the enemy is entering the ditch. Who would attack first?"
"The cats at the end of the ditch?" asked Devilpaw.
"Yes, Devilpaw, they would go down first, to trap the enemy and let them know that they are surrounded. Then the others attack, straight down the sides, using the weight of our fall as part of the first blow. Apprentices, strike!" The Apprentices do as directed. Rainpaw's tail goes in Breezeclaw's mouth.
"Oof! Rainpaw get your tail out of my mouth!" grunted Breezeclaw. Rainpaw removes his tail from Breezeclaw's jaws. Devilpaw has landed underneath Breezeclaw. "Who's that underneath me? Get up, Devilpaw." Devilpaw looks at his tail.
"Is my tail broken?" asked Devilpaw.
"No your tail isn't broken; it's just a bit…dented. Now, in a real ambush, no one would be squashed, apart from the enemy. Remember, when I told you that we'd be a line along the top of the ditch? Well, we'd hold that line as we attack." The Apprentices look at Breezeclaw wide-eyed with unsuppressed excitement. "What's the use of landing on one or two invading cats in one big jump leaving their Clanmates free to fight? We'd hope to outnumber them in order to overpower them as swiftly as possible. Once the command to attack has been given, there will be no more orders. You each know what you have to do."
The Apprentices glance at each other briefly before looking in Breezeclaw's direction again. "As soon as the enemy surrenders or begs to flee, the fighting stops. Stand still with your head help high. You are a LeafClan cat; we do not gloat over our defeated enemies. We simply wait for them to leaving, knowing they will be in no haste to return. In addition, when they have gone, head for the closest shadow before you go back to the camp. Make no sound. Melt back into the night, so that if our enemy looks back, they see nothing but emptiness. The forest is ours – and we are unseen. The night, the darkness, and the cold still air all belong to LeafClan. That is our Ancestors' gift to us and we honor their memory with every ambush. It is up to you to prove that you are worthy of that gift and will preserve the night as our greatest weapon," said Breezeclaw.