Volepaw padded toward the fresh kill pile, and thought, Carp would be nice. He reached for a carp, when Snakepaw raced into camp, still limping from the deep gash Burnshadow left in his paw.
"CaveClan is heading towards camp! They are in a giant battle patrol! Riverfang sent me for reinforcements!" Snakepaw yowled. Ripplestar rushed out of his den.
"Okay, I need Stormfeather to lead the first patrol with Jadebelly, Hawkwing, Titaniumwind, Bramblefrost, Lionflight, Breezeflower, and Volepaw." The giant silver tabby yowled.
"Take Blazingsnow and Snakepaw as well. The rest of you will stay and guard camp. I'm staying in camp." Stormfeather flicked his tail and the patrol leapt into the water of the lake, and swam, paws flailing in the tide strongly and swiftly as they swam to the CaveClan border.
Stormfeather gave a flick of his head and his patrol crept forward. The silver tom pointed with his tail, and Volepaw saw Spottedstar leading a huge battle patrol, marking trees and brambles. Thistlecloud and Riverfang's patrol came to join them.
"When I give the signal, we will pounce down into the hollow on their sorry tails." Riverfang hissed. CaveClan can swim almost as well as we can. Volepaw remembered. They have to be able to swim out of the tunnels if there is a flood.
"LakeClan, attack!" Riverfang yowled. The patrol pounced on the CaveClan cats, and Volepaw chose a small warrior fighting Snakepaw. He pounced on her back, instantly recognizing her as Dawnflight. He backed away, and she whipped around to face him. She growled with fury, and hissed,
"We aren't allies; we are enemies!" She lept onto Volepaw's back, digging in her claws deep. She slashed his ear, causing blood to drip into his eyes. Blindy, he slashed and pounced, his claws ripping deep into something soft. He heard a her yowl with pain, and whipped his head to clear the blood from his eyes. He had ripped into her shoulder and bit down hard on her leg, feeling bone. She yowled and he loosened, allowing her to flee. He watched her run, feeling satisfaction run though his ears to tail tip.
A tom was being chased by Blazingsnow, and Volepaw watched him run, Blazingsnow pelting after him. While Volepaw was distracted, a tom crashed into him, sending him reeling. When Volepaw recovered, he turned to a cry of pain, recognising it as Breezeflower. He scanned the area, spotting her tortoiseshell pelt, pinned down by Spottedstar. The CaveClan leader worked her claws into Breezeflower's shoulders. Volepaw raced over to help, grabbing Spottedstar's tail in his teeth, and pulled her off. Breezeflower lay dazed, blood gushing from her wounds. He fought like he never had against Spottedstar, remembering all of the highly effective battle moves Burnshadow taught him. He confused Spottedstar, dodging this way and that, slashing and biting, and Breezeflower eventually jumped up next to him. Together they slashed at the tortoiseshell she-cat.
Suddenly, pain waved over him, and he collapsed. His belly ached with pain, and swiftly the pain grew worse, and he vomited. He shook his head, and a wave of pain followed a gash on his side. Breezeflower saw this, and cried out with rage. She flung herself at Spottedstar, grasping her scruff in her jaws and shook her like a rabbit. Spottedstar turned and ran. She turned back and yowled,
"CaveClan, go to their camp! We need their territory!" Her warriors ran, jumping into the water and swimming into camp.
"And as for you, LakeClan warriors." Spottedstar growled.
"Half of the patrol was already fighting in the camp! You had no idea this was coming! Your territory will be ours!" She turned tail, and leapt straight into the water.
"I knew there was less warriors here than before!" Riverfang growled. "We must go help camp!" She lead the LakeClan warriors to the water, and they propelled themselves through the lake. Volepaw went to follow when a voice grew in his head.
"Turn around, turn around," Volepaw crumpled to the ground, refusing to follow Burnshadow's command. He writhed in the soil, thrashing as more and more pain washed over him. I have to help my clan! He thought. Burnshadow carried the tom's pawsteps around, but Volepaw refused. He crouched low, pain searing, completely vulnerable to Burnshadow's torture. He looked up at the tabby tom, agony racing through him. Suddenly, the pain washed away like a wave washing up on shore.
He stumbled and fell, hitting his head on a rock as Burnshadow growled with collected rage,
"We never fight our allies! Do it again and I shall have you dead." Burnshadow had a hint of pride for an apprentice to beat a leader so quickly and easily. Volepaw slammed his head purposely on the rock again, trying to get away from Burnshadow, and everything turned black.