Chapter 27:
Rosepaw bounded over to listen, but Hollowfur stopped her.
"You aren't going." she said.
"Dawnstar said I could go!" Rosepaw bristled.
"She said she would ask me if I thought you were ready, and I don't."
Rosepaw kneaded the ground in frustration. "I'm just as good as Nightpaw, and he gets to go."
Hollowfur considered this for a moment. "All right then. If you can beat Nightpaw in a practice battle – claws sheathed – then I'll tell Dawnstar you can go on the raid."
Rosepaw nodded confidently. "Of course I can."
"It's settled then. You can attend the meeting first, and then you can fight your brother." Hollowfur padded forward until she could hear Dawnstar, sitting down in front of the fresh-kill pile.
Rosepaw craned her head, looking for Owlpaw and Nightpaw. She found them sitting near the camp entrance, and bounded over, curling up next to them to listen to the battle plan.
"...aren't expecting us, so we have the element of surprise on our side. Now, I have broken you into two patrols for a reason: My patrol will go in first, and we will battle ShadowClan for a little while. ShadowClan will get cocky and think I only brought a small patrol of warriors, making us easy to defeat." Dawnstar snorted. "This is not so! After a little while, Sharpeye's patrol will converge with us, teaching ShadowClan not to mess with us." Dawnstar gave a proud nod to the cats gathered in front of her. "Once ShadowClan has learned their lesson, we will triumphantly retreat." she stood up, and before retreating into her den, mewed, "We leave at moonhigh, so any of you who haven't eaten had better do so quickly."
Owlpaw turned to Rosepaw, his tail lashing with excitement. "So you're coming with us?"
Rosepaw hesitated. "Actually, Hollowfur said that I had to beat Nightpaw in a practice battle before she'd let me go."
"Great!" Nightpaw mewed. "When?"
"Now, I guess." Rosepaw said. "I'll go find Hollowfur." Rosepaw found her mentor, and waved Nightpaw and Owlpaw over to the Halfrock.
"All right, Nightpaw, don't let her win."
Nightpaw shook his head earnestly. "I won't."
This will be easy. Rosepaw promised herself, missing Hollowfur's mew of "Start!"
Nightpaw leaped on her instantly, bowling her over and pinning her down.
Rosepaw remembered her training session a few sunrises ago. Belly rake or playing dead? She quickly considered her options. Then, Rosepaw forced her muscles to relax, complaining, "I wasn't ready!"
Nightpaw instantly released his grip on her. "That was too eas-"
Rosepaw thrust her self up from under Nightpaw, cutting him off. Then, twisting around, she leaped on his back, accidentally digging in her claws in an effort to stay on.
"Ow!" Nightpaw yelped, trying to shake her off.
But Rosepaw merely hung on, swiping at his ears and face with a carefully sheathed claw. She was digging her teeth lightly into his scruff when Hollowfur interrupted.
"That's enough."
Rosepaw hopped down from her brother's back and shook herself eagerly. "So I can go?"
Hollowfur nodded. "You fought well, for a practice fight. Why don't you three share a mouse while I go tell Dawnstar?"
Rosepaw's chest almost burst with excitement. "My first fight! I can't wait"
"I can't believe you beat Nightpaw!" Owlpaw crowed, happy that both of his friends could fight alongside him.
"Yeah, well, I let you win, of course. You're welcome." Nightpaw paused to lick his chest.
Rosepaw suppressed a mrrow of amusement. "Of course, Nightpaw, thank you." she picked out a small mouse for them to share as Hollowfur had suggested.
"It's moonhigh!" Owlpaw gulped down a bite of mouse. "We're leaving soon!"
Rosepaw felt butterflies in her stomach. Why are you nervous? She scolded herself, swallowing a small mouthful of mouse, and leaving the rest for the two toms. ThunderClan is going to win, for sure. Remember, we have the element of surprise!
"I can't wait!" Nightpaw kneaded his claws into the dark green grass, oblivious to Rosepaw's nerves.
A few heartbeats later, Dawnstar yowled, "Let's go!"
ThunderClan cats poured through the entrance, with Rosepaw, Nightpaw, and Owlpaw at the tail end.
"Remember the plan. Sharpeye's patrol will wait until I give the signal, then they'll attack with us." a few cats nodded, and Dawnstar continued. "We must keep as quiet as possible when we cross the border. They musn't see us before we reach the camp, or else we'll loose the element of surprise."
Rosepaw weaved through her Clan-mates until she reached Dawnstar. "What patrol am I on?" she asked.
"You will be on mine," she replied, "and stay near Hollowfur, or practice team fighting with Nightpaw. This isn't practice, so remember to unsheathe your claws, because the ShadowClan cats won't go easy on you." she cautioned.
Rosepaw nodded seriously. "All right." she dropped back to trot beside her den-mates.
"What did you ask Dawnstar?" Owlpaw wanted to know.
"Which patrol I would be on." Rosepaw replied.
"Well? Which one?" Nightpaw pressed.
"Dawnstar's!" Rosepaw mewed excitedly.
"Aww." Owlpaw looked at the ground traveling beneath his paws. "I wanted to practice team battling with you."
"We can fight back-to-back next time." Rosepaw reassured him.
"Shh!" some cat hissed from the front of the patrol.
"No more talking, we're almost on ShadowClan territory." Dawnstar mewed.
Rosepaw nodded. She could smell the ShadowClan scent-markers as the ThunderClan patrol passd over them. I hope we win! She thought, the butterflies in her stomach growing larger with each passing heartbeat.
The ThunderClan cats traveled deep into the heart of ShadowClan territory, dodging dangling vines and marshy terrain.
When the scents of fresh-kill, nursing queens, and herbs filled Rosepaw's nose, Dawnstar stopped, and the two ThunderClan patrols gathered around Dawnstar.
"Sharpeye's patrol will wait here until I yowl for you to join us. As for my patrol, we'll attack the warriors den," Dawnstar whispered, "but don't touch the nursery. ShadowClan kits don't need to be inolved in border disputes. Dawnstar nodded, and crept over to the ShadowClan camp entrance.
Rosepaw followed her, feeling waves of nervousness and excitement radiating from her brother. She looked over at him, touching her tail-tip to his shoulder. "May StarClan be with you." she whispered almost silently.
Nightpaw blinked in acknowledgment, breathing, "And you."
Rosepaw steeled herself as the cats in front of her squeezed through the bracken entrance. I wonder why there's no one guarding the entrance, she thought absentmindedly.
"It's your turn." Nightpaw whispered, nudging her.
Rosepaw steeled herself and wriggled through the entrance as silently as she could. This is it. My first battle, she thought, following Fawnspots over to the warriors den.
As soon as Clawfoot, who was bringing up the rear of Dawnstar's patrol, came through the entrance, Rosepaw heard Dawnstar yowl, "ThunderClan, attack!" and adrenaline instantly flooded her veins.
Well? How was it? Tell me your thoughts in a review! I'd love to hear them :)
