Chapter 28:
Lakeshadow paced the camp anxiously.
"Are you okay?" Yellowpaw asked her nervously.
"Yes, I'm fine." Lakeshadow lied to her apprentice. Today was the day of the battle and Flamestar had made Sedgestream's kits apprentices just the day before. What had he been thinking?
Luckily, they wouldn't be coming to the battle. Bramblewing had insisted they stay at camp with three warriors.
Yellowpaw shrugged and padded over to Kestrelpaw and Duskpaw.
"I want to come fight." Russetfall annouced.
"Are you mad?" Grayleaf gasped. "What happens if you die? What about your kits?!"
Russetfall shrugged a little guiltily. "If I die, I'll die protecting my clan."
"It's a noble offer," Flamestar told the queen. "But I cannot allow you to place yourself in this much danger. You will stay at camp with Grasstail, Hazelmist, Rosewind and Kestrelpaw, and Bramblewing's kits."
Russetfall sighed heavily. "Fine."
Grasstail's head shot up from where he sat with his brothers, Dustfur and Gorsefoot. "What? No fair!"
Hazelmist cuffed her son gently over the ears. "We'll be fine."
Flamestar nodded. "The rest of you, besides Tanglenose, Spottedsky, and Antwhisker of course, will come to the battle."
Lakeshadow glanced at the three elders. Tumblefoot had died a quarter moon ago, shortly before Antwhisker and Spottedsky moved in.
Darkfang looked elated compared to the other warriors, besides Dustfur and Fawnleap, perhaps.
"I can't wait to see my brothers again." She purred.
Lakeshadow nodded faintly. Either Fang died today or she would.
Flamestar went around the clearing to check on the other warriors before calling that it was time to go.
~*O*~
Lakeshadow's paws tingled. She hadn't fought in an actual battle since she was ten moons old and still a loner.
Flamestar beckoned her forward with his tail. Crowclaw was already waiting beside their leader. "You and Crowclaw to take care of the two gaurds on this side of the ditch." He ordered.
Lakeshadow dipped her head and slunk forward silently, Crowclaw at her side.
"Do you hear that?" One of the rogues, a skinny black she-cat, asked the gray tom beside her.
Before he could respond, Crowclaw sprang on the tom and buried his claws in the rogue's loose shoulder fur.
The she-cat jerked away in surprise, barely managing to yowl an alarm before Lakeshadow pinned her to the damp earth.
The rogue cat's green eyes lit up as she realized who was pinning her. "You're that she-cat who killed Ginger." She rasped.
Lakeshadow felt her paws moving over the she-cat's throat and roughly pulled herself away. "You're nothing but crowfood." She hissed, backing away. The she-cat stared after her.
"Lakeshadow, come on!" Wolfspirit called. "The real battle's down here."
Lakeshadow glanced at the rogue again before carefully climbing into the ditch after her clanmates. Crowclaw and the tom had disappeared.
No sooner had her paws touched the ground did a gray and white tom fling himself at her.
He was bigger than her so Lakeshadow allowed herself to go limp.
The tom snorted. "I know that trick!" He growled, pressing his paws into her side.
Lakeshadow gasped in pain and struggled to throw him off of her. She closed her eyes, remembering all those moons ago when Storm had died. . .
"But Fang wants you for himself." The gray and white rogue stepped off.
Lakeshadow heaved herself to her paws and looked around. Echostorm and Mothwhisker had a light brown she-cat cornered and Foxtail nose-to-nose with a gray tabby.
Lakeshadow shook her head. She had to find Fang.
"Looking for me?"
She spun around unsteadily, still trying to catch her breath.
"Ember told me you were here." Fang informed her.
Lakeshadow looked desperately over her shoulder but all her clanmates were locked in their own battles. It didn't matter. She needed to defeat Fang herself.
Fang smiled coldly and sprang forward, thrusting her back.
Lakeshadow tried to push him away with her hind paws but she wasn't strong enough and Fang raked his claws down her exposed belly.
She tried to flip away but Fang was stronger than her and pinned her to the ground.
"This is how you killed my mate." He hissed, holding one paw against her throat. "And its how you will die."
