Chapter 9: Being Reckless

"What do we do?" shouted Crabclaw, panicky.

Pinetail looked around frantically, his head swinging violently as if he was trying to search for a hiding place.

"We fight," growled Icepool suddenly, commanding the attention of the whole patrol.

"Don't be stupid," Pinetail hissed, "I told you already, it'll ruin everything!"

"Everything is already ruined!" replied Icepool, logic and reasoning thrown out of her mind, "Redstar won't help us and we need to send a message to WindClan. We're NOT going to bend over and let them take our land."

Rainwhisker was gazing at Icepool's face again and Seapaw was beginning to smile. Crabclaw looked troubled however, and Pinetail was staring at the WindClan patrol with apprehension.

"I think Icepool is right," Seapaw spoke up, "and anyway, it's the only way we're going to get out of here alive. If we run, they'll chase us into RiverClan land."

The cats were getting closer. Pinetail took a deep breath and turned to face Icepool. She felt his sharp green eyes pierce her fur. A glow began to emit from the deputy's eyes. Icepool could almost see his mind working furiously for another way out. Finally, the brown tom gave her a look she had only seen once before in her life: a look of blind trust.

"Very well," Pinetail sighed, "Seapaw, run back to RiverClan and tell Silverstar we need backup."

The apprentice hissed, her fur bristling. "No way! I want to fight!"

"You must do this for us!" Pinetail hastened, his eyes darting towards the patrol, "go now or you'll be caught."

To her surprise, Icepool found Seapaw's eyes on hers, as if she was seeking Icepool's permission.

"Listen to your mentor," Icepool said, "and hurry."

Seapaw hesitated, but then turned and hared off, her white-tipped tail bobbing off into the growing light.

"Don't attack until I give the signal," Pinetail commanded, facing the WindClan patrol. Crabclaw and Rainwhisker nodded. Icepool's claws slid out as she felt a heavy calmness settle over her. She was through being angry with WindClan. Now she was just numb.

There was another angry snarl from the approaching cats and then flashes of different colored pelts as the other patrol dashed towards them. The WindClan cats had the RiverClan patrol encircled in less than a minute, their snarling faces pulled back into grimaces of triumph. They were surrounded by six cats, two she-cats and four toms. A dark brown tabby tomcat stepped forward and leered at Pinetail.

"Well, well. It's RiverClan's deputy, Pinetail," he spat, "and he's brought three little kits with him."

Icepool hissed loudly, her white teeth gleaming in the rising sunlight.

"Take that back, Sparrowwing!" screeched Crabclaw, voicing Icepool's thoughts.

Sparrowwing! The cat on the patrol they had heard earlier?

"What are you doing in our territory?" demanded Sparrowwing, ignoring Crabclaw's lashing tail.

"Isn't it obvious?" said one of the she-cats, a calico with blue eyes, "they're coming back from ThunderClan. I suppose they went to ask Redstar for help. I bet that didn't work out, huh?"

Icepool recognized this cat's voice too; it was Acornpaw.

"It's really none of your business," Rainwhisker said haughtily.

"Of course it is, this is our land you're strolling through!" the second she-cat said, her mottled brown pelt fluffy with fright.

Icepool wondered why she was so afraid but then caught sight of her belly; it was huge. That must be Lizardtail, the cat who's about to have her kits, thought Icepool.

Rainwhisker abruptly turned his back on Lizardtail and lifted his leg, marking the ground in front of the WindClan cat's with his scent. Icepool let out a satisfied purr of laughter at the outraged expressions on the other cats' faces.

"How dare you!" snarled one of the toms, a thin gray cat.

Icepool smirked at the gray tom; he was old and obviously an elder. The other two toms seemed to be elders as well. Icepool purred louder. The only cat that seemed to be a threat was Sparrowwing. The rest of the patrol was a joke to her.

"Are you going to let us leave peacefully?" Pinetail asked, glaring at Rainwhisker and Icepool.

"Why are you even bothering to ask?" Acornpaw hissed, unsheathing her claws.

Icepool glanced over at Pinetail, mentally urging him to let the RiverClan cats attack.

"You're about to find out what happens to cats who cross WindClan," Sparrowwing said.

Before Icepool or the others could react, Sparrowwing launched himself at Rainwhisker, his brown paws knocking the gray warrior off his feet. Sparrowwing locked his back legs around Rainwhisker's neck and brought him to the grassy ground, making his limbs thrash spasmodically. Icepool didn't wait for Pinetail's signal. Claws outstretched, she lunged at Sparrowwing, fury pounding through her veins. With a yowl, Icepool sunk her teeth into Sparrowwing's ruff, drawing blood. Sparrowwing hissed in pain and released Rainwhisker. The gray and brown tom gasped, trying to return the air to his lungs, as Icepool and Sparrowwing tumbled around on the soil, teeth and claws flashing in the morning sunlight.

Icepool barely noticed the rest of the patrol throw themselves at the WindClan cats, teeth bared. She heard the sounds of the battle unfold; Rainwhisker coughing as he nipped at Acornpaw, Pinetail's paws scuffling on the ground as he swiped away at two of the elders, and Crabclaw hissing, refusing to attack Lizardtail while batting the other elder's claws away from his face.

The sun was weak, leafbare's approaching wind was strong and heavy, buffeting the fighting cats. Icepool could barely see; Sparrowwing's paws kept whacking her face but she kept her teeth fastened around her enemy's ruff.

Icepool felt blood trickling into her eye but she ignored it. Her rage seemed to be engraved into her heart, forcing her to keep fighting. Images kept flashing before her eyes: Redstar, refusing to help RiverClan, Miststorm's body lying motionless, Strongstar's evil glare.

Icepool snarled and bit down harder. Sparrowwing cried out, flailing his limbs and mewing like a kit. Icepool set free the other warrior and struggled to her paws, watching the tom run off. She managed a small, satisfied smile before a heavy weight crashed into her back, forcing her to the earth and turning the world black.