*This chapter is basically all a battle. This was really fun to write :D*

Chapter 10

Autumnpaw could feel the older warriors' suspicious looks burning into her from behind. But she kept on, her head held high, trotting beside her father. Her thoughts turned to Nightrose, wondering if she could convince Leapstar at least to send some warriors over.

Sure enough, ShadowClan scent hit her nostrils, and she saw Nightrose leading Leapstar deep through ThunderClan territory. "Leapstar!" Goldenstar called.

"Goldenstar," he dipped his head "I assume you have heard the er… news," he said uncertainly "I must admit, I didn't believe Nightrose at first, but the absence of Ripear convinced me."

Goldenstar nodded "I don't blame you," she paused "Now more dawdling, let's go see this for ourselves!"

In unison the two patrols ran deeper into ThunderClan territory, heading towards WindClan "Nightrose!" Autumnpaw found her black pelted friend "How ever did you convince Leapstar to do anything?"

"He already had his suspicions," Nightrose shrugged "His deputy had been gone for days."

"Still, nice job," Autumnpaw muttered, casting a glance at the stony faced ShadowClan warriors. But not Starlingcall, of course, as his gaze lit up as he saw her. Autumnpaw quickly looked away, fur ruffled. Nightrose snorted, and Autumnpaw "accidentally" stepped on her foot to shut her up.

"Any idea how close we are?" Leapstar muttered to Goldenstar.

"Very close," Goldenstar replied, "See? The moors are over there-" the ThunderClan leader was cut off as they heard an earsplitting screech coming from the direction of the WindClan camp.

"Oh, no," Acornspots said as the two leaders led their patrols forward at a breakneck pace "We're too late!"

"WindClan can hold them off for now," a ShadowClan she-cat, Brightleaf, said reasonably "And if RiverClan is already there, then we're probably hardly needed at all!"

"I sincerely doubt it," Autumnpaw braved contradicting the senior warrior "There were a lot of rogues there."

Brightleaf nodded "You have more knowledge on the matter than I," she said.

The warriors burst upon the WindClan camp, panting. WindClan and RiverClan were locked in battle, but losing stamina quickly. These rogues were definitely not afraid to kill!

"ThunderClan, attack!" Goldenstar yowled, leaping away. Here we go!

Leapstar called a similar call, and the ShadowClan warriors launched themselves at the enemy cats. Autumnpaw noticed with a pang that they were avoiding the ShadowClan warriors that had turned against them. Not that it was a bad thing, she just felt bad for them. ThunderClan, on the other hand, had no problem ripping the traitors to shreds.

Autumnpaw launched herself at a small tabby she-cat rogue. Yowling, the she-cat clawed at Autumnpaw to get her off. Autumnpaw whipped around and bit down hard on her tail, and clawed her back at the same time. Yowling, the rogue struggled out of her grip and bolted out of the camp.

On the opposite end of the scale, a large white tom barreled her over. Autumnpaw writhed beneath the rogue's steel grip, lashing out as much as she could. The white tom pressed a paw against her throat, and Autumnpaw felt the world fading…

But the weight was lifted, and her vision cleared. Someone had knocked the tom off of her! With a start, Autumnpaw saw Starlingcall hissing and lashing out of the confused rogue. Feeling better, Autumnpaw got up and launched herself on top of the white tom, clawing with all the strength Goldenstar had when she protected her on the night Silentshadow had tried to steal her away. Eventually, they drove the white tom into the paws of Acornspots and Brightleaf, and they overwhelmed him, and he darted away, yowling like a kit. Acornspots and Brightleaf jumped immediately back into battle, but Starlingcall gazed at Autumnpaw for one long moment, then launched himself back in.

"No! Coalpaw!" a yowl from a RiverClan warrior, Whisperwing, cut through the clearing. Autumnpaw frantically pushed herself through the crowd to see a small black and red shape lying in the clearing, clearly dead. A bright ginger she-cat rogue had slit his throat with one claw!

"How dare you kill him!" Coalpaw's mentor, Greenlily hissed at the rogue and clawed her face. The rogue seemed a bit taken aback, but then recovered herself and fought Greenlily back. Whisperwing joined the battle, clawing ferociously at the she-cat who had killed her son. RiverClan warriors piled on top of the rogue; Autumnpaw saw Coalpaw's littermates Creekpaw and Wolfpaw, and the kit's father, Furzeclaw fighting. Soon, the RiverClan warriors left the she-cat for dead.

Pinewhiskers paced the clearing as he heard far off yowls from the WindClan camp. He stiffened as he heard a sad yowl. Some cat must've died he thought sadly.

Pinewhiskers looked around. Brightmask had gathered up various herbs and set off for the battle, ready to heal any injured cat. Blazefang and Nettleleaf also paced, ready to attack any rogue who dares come into their camp. Iceshine, and Sunpool were the only warriors left in camp, along with Shadepaw and Buzzardpaw. Dewpelt was given strict orders to stay in the nursery, she was too close to giving birth. Pinewhiskers feared that she would give birth while the medicine cat was gone. But we have Nettleleaf he thought, as Nettleleaf used to be the medicine cat before he retired.

The black elder came up to him "I have some herbs in case Dewpelt gives birth," he said, dropping some herbs at Pinewhisker's paws.

"Good idea-" Pinewhiskers was cut off from a nearby yowl from the nursery "and just on time," he said quickly "Come on!"

Nettleleaf grabbed his herbs and darted into the nursery. "Nettleleaf?" Dewpelt panted, "Where's Brightmask?"

"Helping out at the battle," Nettleleaf mewed smoothly.

With expert skill, Nettleleaf helped Dewpelt deliver the first kit "Stillborn," he said sadly, as he tried to lick the black tom awake.

But there was another kit, a small silver tabby she-cat. Nettleleaf hurriedly licked her to warm her, and nudged her next to her mother's belly.

"Oh, thank StarClan that's over," Dewpelt said, nudging her kit.

"Blackstripe will be so happy," Nettleleaf murmured.

If he makes it, Pinewhiskers thought grimly.

"Skykit," Dewpelt said simply "That's what I want to name her."

"Skykit is, then," Pinewhiskers said.

"Snowglimmer…" Nightrose ran up to Autumnpaw "Dead… I tried…"

"Snowglimmer?" Autumnpaw was shocked. She had never imagined what it would be like without the bouncy, cheerful white warrior around.

Nightrose nodded. There was another loud shriek. A ShadowClan traitor had pinned Moonshine down, and she was fading fast. With a loud battle cry, Flowerpelt leapt at the warrior and tried to get him off of Moonshine. Two more rogues pulled her off, and left both she-cats dead. Autumnpaw had run forward, but Nightrose called her back. "It's too late," she said hollowly.

Spottedstar let out a low, sad yowl as she saw the still body of her loyal deputy. The leader launched herself at the rogues. Autumnpaw moved to help, but she heard Starlingcall's ferocious battle cry and turned to see him and Oakfoot battling two large rogues. Autumnpaw, determined to return the favor of Starlingcall saving her life, jumped on one of the rogues and clawed his back. The rogue's ugly companion hissed and swatted Autumnpaw off. Starlingcall snarled and moved to attack him, but Oakfoot got there first, taking on both rogues at the same time. Starlingcall followed him, and Autumnpaw got up, but the two rogues had pinned Oakfoot down, quickly taking his life.

"Fight someone your own size, you mangy crow-food eaters!" Starlingcall growled attacking his brother's killers.

"Starlingcall! You're hardly their own size!" Autumnpaw hissed jumping into the fight to help him. Oakfoot's life was draining away on the grass, and his eyes had glazed over.

"They killed my brother," Starlingcall hissed, swiping at one of the rouge's face.

"Yes, and they'll kill you, too!" Autumnpaw said.

"We're dropping like flies!" Nightrose yowled in despair.

Before Starlingcall could reply to either of them, Autumnpaw heard an ear splitting yowl from Goldenstar Oh no! Autumnpaw raced into the middle of the battle to see Rabbitfoot had left deep claw marks on Goldenstar's neck, and she was losing a life. Some ThunderClan warriors, Acornspots included, had formed a protective circle around their leader. Brightmask and Butterflypaw had darted into the circle; herbs clamped in their mouths, and were quickly healing her wounds.

Autumnpaw took her place beside Nightrose, lashing out at any rogue who dares come near. Out of the corner of her eye, Autumnpaw saw Goldenstar struggle up. Brightmask leaned against her sister. Autumnpaw saw Rabbitfoot look uncertain, seeing his cats being beaten badly. Before he could slink out of the battle, Whitemist set her paws firmly in his path "I have seen it! StarClan has denounced you as not only a medicine cat, but as a Clan cat!" the blind she-cat yowled.

Rabbitfoot flattened his ears and hissed, and he ran in the direction of the edge of the territories, followed by the rogues who were still alive. Cats from all Clans gave chase, yowling in triumph.

But a hollow victory it was.

*Ah, the death hangs over the Clans with the weight of a giant boulder*