CHAPTER EIGHT

"That is it!" our leader's usually soft voice was deep and harsh and angry. She was pacing in front of the leader's den with fury. "We're doing our first attack. Tonight. Jaysong!" Crimsonstar whipped over to look at her deputy. "Make your patrol."

Jaysong glanced around the clearing. He looked enraged. "Hawkeyes, Brokentail, Ringtail, Mountainpelt, Emberheart, Tawnyfur, and Rowanflame, you're with me."

Crimsonstar nodded in agreement. "Stripefur, Blazeheart, Tigergaze, Nutfur, Dappletail, Ripplefur, and Leafeyes, you're with me. I'm going to attack first, they'll think they have to advantage but then Jaysong will storm in with the rest of the patrol and you will fight with all you have. Gingerpaw, you're on my patrol and Featherwhisker you're with Jaysong. Everyone rest up and be ready. We leave at dusk!"

Songpaw stared at the ground in front of her, shaking slightly. She'd been there when Stripefur, Rowanflame, and Leafeyes were at the border because we'd smelled SkyClan. She'd watched the cat black she-cat had called Echosong, be jumped on and absolutely ripped to pieces. The black she-cat couldn't even handle Leafeyes but she didn't flee. Both of them were torn up pretty bad but they were on StrikeClan territory. The sight of blood rushing down Echosong's eyes and pelt had shaken Songpaw and she couldn't get the petrified look on Leafeyes' face out of her head. Crimsonstar finally decided she'd had enough and now… Cats were in danger of being killed.

"Are you okay, Songpaw? Stripefur told me you were on the patrol…" a familiar low, husky voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she rose her head to see Tigergaze standing in front of her with sympathetic gaze.

She managed to nod her head and she parted her jaws to respond but no words came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I-I-" Songpaw cut herself off and shook her head clear of her thoughts. "No one prepared me for how brutal we are in battle…"

Tigergaze nodded in agreement with her. He still seemed sorry. "Just be grateful you aren't going to this battle, Songpaw. Look around." She did and she could see everyone was flexing and digging their claws into the ground. They looked furious. "This is a Clan who has had enough. This is a Clan who will not hold back anymore. Cats are going to die from SkyClan tonight."

Fear flashed through her. Yellowpaw and Acornpaw! Would Leafstar make her friends fight in this battle? It was impossible to tell but she hoped they'd be okay.

"Just be careful okay?" Songpaw warned, glancing behind him to see Jaysong with his muzzle pressed up to Rubymist's ear and his mouth was moving as he whispered to her. She felt irritated. He should be reassuring Ripplefur! Not Rubymist! Rubymist was nobody compared to Ripplefur. He had two kits with Ripplefur! She clenched her jaws together tightly and turned her head to see Ripplefur and Brokentail grooming each other and sharing words. What was going on?!

Tigergaze was nodding when she looked back at him. "Of course, Songpaw. You do a good job protecting camp." He turned around and waved his tail in goodbye as he padded over to where Blazeheart and Crimsonstar were talking.

Songpaw felt panicked. SkyClan might not try to kill but StrikeClan was going to. Yellowpaw and Acornpaw didn't stand a chance against any of StrikeClan's warriors. Not even Ripplefur who hadn't fought in around five moons. Hopefully Leafstar knew this.

"You look worried for someone," mewed the last voice Songpaw wanted to hear. "Hopefully that someone is a StrikeClan cat," Owlpaw purred softly, his eyes flashing at her.

Her pelt prickled. "Obviously, Owlpaw. Both of my parents are going into battle!" she snapped but she felt guilty. Yellowpaw and Acornpaw were really the only cats she was worried about right now. She knew her parents could handle themselves."Worry about yourself, Owlpaw." She quickly padded away from him and glanced around, seeing everyone was too busy preparing for the battle to notice her slip out of camp and began racing through their territory to get to the SkyClan border. She prayed to StarClan to send her friends there.

Trees flew past her and she could see the border up ahead. Her heart lifted when she saw both Yellowpaw and Acornpaw standing at the border, waiting for her.

"Songpaw! We knew you'd come!" Acornpaw purred in excitement and then cleared his throat.

She nodded, catching her breath. "M-My Clan is going to attack you tonight. They're prepared to kill. Please don't be in camp tonight. Please," she begged, watching their eyes widen. "You wouldn't stand a chance against any of them."

Yellowpaw growled in frustration. "StrikeClan is the one who attacked our medicine cat!" he snapped, glaring at the ground. "And you were on the patrol that attacked her!"

Songpaw's mouth opened wide and she shook her head quickly. "I didn't attack her! We were just defending our territory, I'm sorry!" She ducked her head and closed her eyes tightly, expecting them to be angry with her.

"It wasn't her fault, Yellowpaw!" Acornpaw mewed firmly and she looked up at Acornpaw in surprise. "Ebonyclaw told me she didn't attack at all. There was nothing she could do, she had to be loyal to her Clan."

Yellowpaw was staring at Acornpaw in the same surprise Songpaw had. "T-Thank you, Acornpaw…" Songpaw mewed and then shook her head "They're leaving at dusk so you should leave about then. They won't be at your camp until the sun is down. Please be careful, I have to go now."

Acornpaw met her gaze calmly and Yellowpaw nodded. "Thank you, Songpaw," Acornpaw called as she began to rush away from them.

She hoped no one noticed her missing from camp. They would probably freak out and send a search patrol after her and then she would be caught sneaking away from the SkyClan border. And that would be bad.

There was yowling from inside the camp and Songpaw looked up to see dusk had arrived and that the patrols were leaving. Thudding pawsteps began running towards her and she quickly jumped into a bush beside the camp entrance and crouched down low, watching the warriors race past her. They were all gone within heartbeats.

Now she slipped into camp and glanced around. Owlpaw was nowhere in sight but Pebblepaw was talking to Rubymist and Lilacfur outside the nursery.

She relaxed a little when they didn't even glance her way. What were they supposed to do now? Sit around and wait for them to come back with news. Songpaw didn't want to wait but she also didn't want to go into battle.

"Songpaw?" a soft voice made Songpaw jump on her paws, completely startled and then she looked over at the light-colored she-cat who really had white fur but some of the tips were gray. "I just wanted to speak to you about Jaysong," Rubymist mewed, her brown eyes shining in hope. "I've already spoken to Pebblepaw and he's on board with Jaysong and I being mates."

She instantly glared at Rubymist but tried to calm down a little, taking a deep breath. "Then talk, Rubymist."

Rubymist smiled and nodded. "I know we haven't got along very well but I am expecting your father's kits and I'm not trying to replace your mother or anything so you don't have to call me 'mom'. But I'm going to be having your half-brothers or sisters, so I consider you family," Rubymist purred with warmth in her voice.

"Good because you will never be my mother," Songpaw spat, glaring at her with angry blue eyes. Songpaw did not like Rubymist, especially now that she was expecting Jaysong's kits. "I accept that you are having my father's kits and that they will be my half-siblings. But that doesn't mean I'm not upset about it!" She sent one last glare to Rubymist before padding away from the light-colored she-cat and over to Lilacfur and Pebblepaw who were laughing quietly.

"Hi Songpaw!" Lilacfur mewed happily, smiled warmly at her. "Shouldn't the both of you be getting to sleep soon? You can't stay-"

A yowl interrupted Lilacfur and Crimsonstar followed by Jaysong and the rest of the Clan raced in, some of them having minor scratches and bites but by the looks of them it seemed like we had won.

"StrikeClan has had its first victory!" Crimsonstar yowled and cheers echoed the clearing. "Everyone get your wounds checked and then get to your nests!" she ordered and then padded over to Featherwhisker.

Songpaw felt her heart pounding in her chest and she wanted to race to the border to see if Yellowpaw and Acornpaw were there but Pebblepaw was standing beside her, waiting for her to follow him to the apprentice's den. Please let my friends be okay!

The border was empty and Songpaw's paw itched for her to race over it and to find Yellowpaw or Acornpaw but Stripefur was beside her and his mouth was moving and Hawkeyes and Pebblepaw were on her other side.

"Songpaw, are you listening?" Stripefur growled and she jumped looking at him with wide eyes. "My StarClan you weren't even in the battle last night and you're acting like you had a tough time sleeping!"

Pebblepaw cleared his throat awkwardly beside her and she nodded, looking down at the ground. She didn't feel ashamed, she just wanted to make sure her friends were okay.

"Songpaw!" a voice called and then she watched a gray tom enter the clearing. "Come with me at once!"

She rolled her eyes at Jaysong but padded after him as he led her out of the clearing.

"What is it? I'm in the middle of training."

"Rubymist told me she spoke with you last night," Jaysong mewed calmly, glaring at her. "She said you were very cold and unwelcoming and you said you didn't like her." He shook his head in disappointment.

Songpaw stared at him for a heartbeat. "Excuse me? She tried to have Blazeheart kill me! And she stole you from mom! Of course I hate her!"

Jaysong gasped. "Okay I understand that she tried to have Blazeheart make you understand you can't be a soft-hearted cat in StrikeClan, which is no reason to hate her, but Rubymist did not steal me from your mother! I swooped her up before another tom could." He chuckled softly.

She shook her head. "No. Rubymist is a disgrace," Songpaw spat and whipped around, racing back towards camp, her head swirling. Her father knew Rubymist commanded Blazeheart to attack her and he's still going to have kits with her.

The camp was just ahead but Songpaw wasn't ready to go back to where her mentor and brother were probably waiting for her, as well as her father's new mate and her mother with her new mate. So much drama that Songpaw didn't want to be apart of. So, instead, she swerved around the camp and went to the backside of it where a large tree hung high in the sky and the leaves turned yellow, red, and orange and fell off the tree.

And right beside the tree with his eyes closed and his ears pricked was a cat Songpaw had become very familiar with: Tigergaze. He seemed to be sleeping but his ear kept twitching.

"Have you come to relax as well?" Tigergaze purred softly without opening his eyes. "I often find myself here and I try to think and process everything." He opened an amber eye and it glimmered warmly at her. "Come, sit with me." He opened both eyes and scooted over to leave her room.

She tilted her head and padded over to him curiously. "So, what, you just sit here with your eyes closed?" Songpaw giggled softly and sat down, looking sideways at him warmly. Tigergaze was sitting up tall with his eyes closed and his ears pricked again.

"It just helps me think sometimes," Tigergaze mewed softly but didn't look at her but his voice was full of thoughtfulness and warmth.

Songpaw nodded even though he couldn't see her and closed her eyes softly, sitting up straight and then clearing her thoughts completely before pulling out her first problem: Her parents.

They don't have to be together, a voice said in her head. As long as they're happy, you should be happy too! Songpaw nodded in agreement with the voice and pulled up her next problem: the war raging on with SkyClan.

All you can do it pray Leafstar has some sense and doesn't put Yellowpaw and Acornpaw in the battle, the voice told her softly and she shrugged, pulling out her last problem: the prophecy.

A hostile shadow will appear over the place where the stars shine. It made her fur stand up just thinking about it. StarClan gave her a prophecy. You have to fulfill your destiny, Songpaw… Crowstar's voice whispered in her ear and Songpaw's eyes flickered open in fear.

Her pelt prickled in fear and she glanced over to where Tigergaze was sitting. But he was no longer there. And then sun was almost gone from the sky and the moon was beginning to appear. He probably went back to camp and didn't want to disturb her. Her head hurt from thinking. She'd have to see Featherwhisker about something to take for it.

Songpaw rose to her paws and stretched out her legs and then padded along the camp to the entrance, slipping inside and seeing only a few cats were out in the clearing, most of them were in a group talking quietly but they didn't pay any attention to her as she crossed the clearing and entered the medicine den.

"Songpaw?" Featherwhisker chirped, looking up from her herbs and Gingerpaw was sitting beside her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded at Featherwhisker and gave a small smile. "Of course. I just wanted to see if you had anything for my headache?"

Featherwhisker smiled. "Oh of course! Gingerpaw, what do we give her for her headache?" she asked her apprentice with shining eyes.

Gingerpaw blinked for a second and then offered an answer, "Feverfew!" She jumped to her paws and ran to the shelves, pulling out a group of flowers that reminded her of daisies and a sharp tangy smell. She handed it to Songpaw. "Eat it."

Songpaw took it in her jaws and chewed the soft leaves before swallowing them. "Thank you Featherwhisker, and you Gingerpaw." She smiled at them both and then left the den. Gingerpaw was definitely ready to get her warrior name.

Now she crossed the clearing. The sun was gone from the sky and the moon was rising slowly. The group in the clearing had completely dispersed and went to the dens and Songpaw slipped into the apprentice's den, seeing Owlpaw sleeping quietly on the left side of her brother who was also asleep and she crawled into her nest on Pebblepaw's right side, realizing how tired she was.

Quietly, she curled up in a ball and tucked her tail by her nose and closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her.

Songpaw glanced around wearily and sighed heavily, feeling panicked. There was a small window of opportunity for her to meet up with Yellowpaw and Acornpaw.

"There you are!" she gasped softly and without even thinking she ran across the border and rubbed her muzzle against both of them and then backed up across the border, laughing quietly. "I was worried!"

Both of them smiled but Yellowpaw was the one who spoke, "Our medicine cat has died. And one of our warriors, Honeyleaf, passed away last night as well." He made a sad face but overall looked happy to see her. "Leafstar commanded all the apprentices to leave the camp until morning. Thank you, Songpaw."

Acornpaw nodded with sad yellow eyes. "The battle with vicious. We watched from the Skyrock," he mewed softly and shook his head.

Songpaw frowned at them. "I'm sorry… I was worried that you two would still be in camp trying to fight with your Clan." Her ears pricked and she dropped her head in disappointment. One of her Clanmates killed a SkyClanner. "I have to leave now, I don't have a lot of time but I'll see you soon," she promised and quickly padded away, leaving her two friends by the border.

She couldn't shake the bad feeling from her pelt. That wasn't even close to the last battle between SkyClan and StrikeClan. More deaths were approaching, she could feel it.