Chapter 10

"Thunderclan has crossed the border!"

Sunpaw looked up from the crow he was eating.

"What?!" Brightstar exclaimed.

"By the lake," panted Rainfeather. "They were stealing prey too. Our prey!"

Brightstar paced back and forth. "Never have tensions been so high within the clans," she muttered. "Thunderclan just attacked us...is Thrushstar looking for trouble?"

Rainfeather replied impatiently. "Yes, yes, but we're in a hurry, Brightstar. What do you want to to do?"

Brightstar nodded. "A patrol should take care of them...Sunpaw," she added. Sunpaw looked surprised. "I think it's time to test your battle skills. Honeypaw too...Along with Ratfang, Grayscar, Featherflame, and Ashpelt. Rainfeather, you'll have to come, you know where they are...that should deal with them...Twistedfoot, you'll be coming too...I won't, though...I'm not feeling too well...Bluefrost, prepare your herbs. Oh, nearly forgot...Hailheart, why don't you come too? Daisypelt...Fallenclaw too, just to be safe. And Stormstripe is one of our best warriors... I think that should be it."

Before she had even finished speaking, however, the patrol was off.

"Not exactly on top of things, is she?" remarked Ratfang.

Twistedfoot looked over his shoulder. "Brightstar's getting old. If she wasn't a clan leader, she'd have retired to the elder's den moons ago."

"She is rather slow," said Grayscar.

Twistedfoot looked at them sharply. "You do not talk about your clan leader like that."

Grayscar harrumphed.

"We're here," announced Rainfeather suddenly. The large patrol stopped. Sure enough, Sunpaw could see several Thunderclan warriors stalking a thrush on Windclan territory. Sunpaw grew hot with anger when he realized that Dovefire was among them.

"Thunderclan!" Twistedfoot shouted. "What are you doing on Windclan territory?"

Dovefire stepped forward. Her face was twisted into a cruel smile. "Windclan? Oh, not anymore. This is now Thunderclan territory."

"Never!" Twistedfoot threw himself upon Dovefire. Hissing with disgust, the silver she-cat thre him off. "Too easy!" she crowed.

And suddenly, all the cats surged against one another. Sunpaw found himself facing a tortoiseshell she-cat. Sunpaw growled and bit the she-cat's paw. The she-cat snarled and slashed his muzzle.

Then the tortoiseshell she-cat was thrown aside. "Go find someone else to fight, you bratty kit," Doverfire hissed at her clanmate.

Dovefire grinned. "Say goodbye, kit."

Sunpaw shrieked and raked his claws down Dovefire's back. Dovefire howled with pain and sliced at Sunpaw's cheek. She darted under him, making Sunpaw stumble, and ripped at his belly. Screeching with pain, Sunpaw bit down hard on Dovefire's tail. Dovefire rose up and ripped at his ears. Sunpaw shrieked and was about to slice open Dovefire's nose when he was lifted up into the air.

Smooth, hairless twoleg paws had grabbed Sunpaw. He saw that Dovefire was grabbed too, by a twoleg kit, and Honeypaw was screeching and hissing as an adult twoleg scooped her up.

They carried them to a monster. Sunpaw eyed it warily. It looked asleep, at least for now, however.

"Sunpaw! Honeypaw!" Sunpaw and Honeypaw turned. Their clanmates were chasing after them, as was Thunderclan.

"Dovefire!" Thunderclan shrieked.

"Help!" wailed Sunpaw. "Help!"

"I'm stuck with kits!" hissed Dovefire.

"Stay put!" yelled Rainfeather. "We'll get you!"

The twolegs somehow opened the monster. They climbed inside it's smooth, black pelt. Honeypaw screeched. "Don't leave us! Help!"

The monster growled, then started running. It moved along a thick, black thunderpath.

Ashpelt screeched as he ran in front of the monster. "Let them go!" he shouted. "You filthy-"

"NO, ASHPELT, NO! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Ashpelt ignored Sunpaw. The monster didn't seem to slow. Ashpelt hesitated, then leapt away.

He was a whisker too late.

"Ashpelt!"

The monster collided with Ashpelt's side, then, without pausing, sped away. Sunpaw could only watch as Ashpelt rolled aside, blood caking his dappled gray pelt.

"Ashpelt," whimpered Sunpaw.

"We've got more troubles, kit," hissed Dovefire.

Sunpaw looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Dovefire glared at him. "The twolegs are taking us to be kittypets. And wherever they're taking us, it's far away."