Chapter 10~!
Staggering from blood-loss, Graystripe looked around, surveying the camp. RiverClan was without a doubt hopelessly out-numbered, most of their warriors in unfair 2 against 1 odds. Stormpaw, where are you…?
"Tired, you mangy piece of fox-dung?!"
Before Graystripe could figure out where the taunt had come from, a cat toppled into him, their claws sinking deep into his back. Fury and adrenaline surged through the gray warrior's veins. Not even close!
He shook himself fiercely, pleased to feel his attacker's grip loosening, until Graystripe turned and sank his teeth into the other warrior's foreleg, clamping down until the warrior screeched in pain and tore away, flipping around to slash Graystripe's face. He avoided the attack—but only barely, moving just out of reach before jumping forward with a hiss and swatting the ShadowClan cat once, twice, three times on the side of its head, before rearing up on his hind legs and letting his full weight drop onto the crouched warrior's shoulders. Leaving a parting bite on the cat's hind leg, Graystripe spat out its fur and turned to face the next warrior that dared to threaten the nursery. He was dismayed at the sight, noticing that though he had just chased off yet another warrior, it seemed that there was 3 more fresh, battle-ready cats to take his place. Those mangy rogues…! Graystripe thought mutinously. Nearby, he saw Stonefur grappling with Tigerstar, and though he was smaller, the RiverClan warrior's speed gave him the advantage. Mistyfoot, on the other hand, was struggling against 2 ferocious toms, and Graystripe quickly jumped to her aid.
"Ther're tearing us to pieces…!" She gasped, and with Graystripe's help, they chased the toms away. "We need-"
A sudden yowl split the air, and the two warriors spun to see none other than Fireheart standing at the entrance to the camp, a large patrol of fresh ThunderClan warriors behind him—and Stormpaw at his side.
"Thank StarClan!" Graystripe heard Mosspelt exclaim, before lunging back into the battle, her pretty tortoiseshell pelt badly torn and bloody. The ThunderClan cats rushed into the battle, claws unsheathed, and Graystripe felt as if his own energy was refilled and multiplied. ShadowClan would never chase them from their camp! The only clan that belonged beside the river was his clan.
"Stay strong!" He yowled, before launching into the thick of the fighting. He heard a yowl of agreement come from Stonefur, and another from Loudbelly, and then the roaring in his ears and the heat of battle clouded his mind. He would fulfill his warrior vows and defend this clan even at the cost of his life.
Slowly, he noticed the number of ShadowClan warriors growing less and less, until finally Tigerstar struggled away from his battle with Leopardstar and shoulder his way through to the entrance. "Retreat, ShadowClan!" He yowled, his tail lashing, and his amber eyes gleaming with fury. "This isn't over, Leopardstar!" The huge tabby spat. "ThunderClan won't always be there to come to your rescue!"
With that, he spun around and followed his clan out of the camp, leaving a devastated RiverClan behind. Limping heavily and leaving a patchy trail of blood, Graystripe padded forward to give Fireheart a weak head-butt.
"I knew you would come…" He rasped. Fireheart purred.
"Of course I would. There have always been four clans in the forest. That's the way it should stay."
"Fireheart." The rough mew sounded from Stonefur, who bowed his head in greeting as he came to stand beside Graystripe. "I've never been so happy to see another cat in my life." His blue-gray fur was dusty and matted with still-fresh blood, but he stood steady on his paws, seeming not to notice or not to care the severity of the wounds. As far as Graystripe could see looking around, not a single RiverClan cat had come out unscathed, most bearing wounds that looked as if they had been delivered by a LionClan warrior. Even Shadefrost bore the claw-marks of a ShadowClan warrior, having stepped forward to defend the nursery herself alongside Featherpaw when Graystripe had been needed in the thicker fighting.
"I don't know where Leopardstar is," Stonefur continued, his blue eyes clouding. Graystripe rested his tail reassuringly against his friends flank.
Fireheart gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry we couldn't have come sooner…" He murmured, gazing around the ruined camp.
"Fireheart.." Sandstorm stumbled over, her eyes stretched wide. "Fireheart there's got to be something more we can do…!"
The deputy seemed thoughtful, but he glanced at Stonefur before carefully answering. "We must speak with Leopardstar before we do anything." He mewed, licking her ruffled shoulder. Her green eyes sparked with defiance, but before she could object, a devastated wail rose from the edge of the camp, sending a chill down Graystripe's spine end setting Stonefur tearing across the camp to Mudfur's den. Graystripe kept on his heels, aware of Fireheart beside him, and the wary looks of RiverClan's warriors following them, wide with fear and shock.
"Leopardstar…!" Stonefur gasped, skittering to a halt beside the mottled golden tabby. She stood rigid, her green eyes blazing with mixed emotions as she gazed out a hole in the camp wall, right beside Mudfur's den. Graystripe felt his own amber eyes shoot wide as he saw what the she-cat had seen—a few specks of blood and tuft a kit-soft tortoiseshell fur snagged on what was left of the reeds that made up that part of the camp wall.
"My kits…" she rasped, her claws sinking into the ground, her eyes clouded with grief and fury. Graystripe remembered with astounding clarity Leopardstar urging Redkit and Willowkit to go visit their brother in the medicine den. And now…
"I'll flay that crow-food eating piece of fox-dung!" Stonefur snarled, unsheathing his claws and tearing at the ground beneath his paws. "He'll pay for this nine times over!"
Fireheart, for his part, seemed stunned into silence. Either from hearing that Leopardstar had kits, or that he was as mortified as the others, Graystripe didn't know.
"We'll get them back, Leopardstar…" The gray warrior promised quietly, longing to comfort his leader and former mentor.
"Not by yourself you won't." Fireheart cut in, stepping forward to face Leopardstar. "Leopardstar," he murmured. "Let ThunderClan help you. Tigerstar is a traitor, and a threat to the whole forest. Until he is gone, every cat in the forest—and your kits—is in grave danger."
Leopardstar's tail twitched, gazing at Stonefur as if torn between the grief of a queen who had lost her kits, and her duties and fury of a leader who's clan had almost been chased from the only home it had ever known. Stonefur pushed his muzzle against hers, before rasping his tongue gently over her ear.
"The clan needs you now." He whispered, and she nodded, before shaking herself as if she had just climbed from the river. Without another word, she turned and stalked back across the clearing motioning for Fireheart and the rest to follow her. Reaching the Rock Ledge, leapt up and turned to address her clan.
"RiverClan!" She called, most of the clan already gathering before her perch, limping with their tails dragging the dust. "I never believed that there would be a day that RiverClan's camp was breeched…" She began, bowing her head. "The water had defended us for so long, we became reliant on the fact that other clans hated water. Now Tigerstar has lead his clan to our camp, water or no water."
Distressed wails greeted her words, and she paused for a moment before raising one paw for silence.
"It is only thanks to Fireheart and his ThunderClan warriors that we survived this battle." She motioned the warriors with her tail before continuing. "But RiverClan has not been defeated! We will not be defeated! Tigerstar has gone too far!" Shocked mews rippled through the cats, and Graystripe braced himself for their reaction of her next bit of news. The whole Clan adored and doted on Redkit, Willowkit, and Rushkit. "Not only have they attacked us, and tried to drive us out…" She continued, her eyes blazing and her tail lashing furiously. "But Tigerstar and flea-bitten band of rogues have stolen my kits!" This time, fury met her equally angered words, many cats demanding to go get them back straight away. Mosspelt ushered Stomrpaw and Featherpaw closer to her, as if they were still young enough to be stolen without putting up a fight. Mistyfoot looked with shocked eyes to Stonefur, who stood gazing up at Leopardstar, as if waiting for the order to kill Tigerstar that he wanted so badly.
Leopardstar, however, just shook her head. "We are in no condition to fight them now…" She rasped. "We need time to recover. You have all fought well, though. Every single one of you. Stormpaw and Featherpaw," her eyes sought them out in the crowd. "we couldn't be more proud of you. You are too young now to earn your warrior names, but you fought like cats of LeopardClan, and RiverClan honors your courage." She paused, her eyes clouding over with grief and pain. "Now I must consult with my senior warriors, and your patrol, Fireheart, if you would join us. Every one, stay still and be patient while Mudfur tends to you, if we are ever to attack ShadowClan it must be soon. We must recover!"
With that, She leapt down from her perch, flicking her tail at Fireheart as he signal for him to follow with a few of his warriors. Graystripe was beyond surprised when she motioned towards him in much the same way. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, until Stonefur came up beside him and gave him a gentle nudge.
"Come on, Graystripe." He rumbled, before following his leader and mate to her den under the twisting branches of the great willow, more than ready to fight again—that very second, if Leopardstar asked it—to avenge their ruined camp, and to save her precious kits. Fireheart is right… He thought quietly as they entered. Tigerstar is a threat to the whole forest. Until he his dead, there can be no peace.
End of Chapter 10! Sorry it took a few days to up-date this one, but I've got it now! Woot woot for 3 day weekends! Thanks for reading, and thanks to samredlamb7, Cap'n Jade Sparrow, and Cinderstar377 for reviewing! I appreciate it! Lots of love~!