"Help! Help!"
Stormynight grunted as Cloudpaw flipped her onto the ground. The white apprentice had the advantage, landing a blow to her shoulder and then leaping back to safety. Stormynight scrambled to her paws, swivleing her ears around. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah." Cloudpaw mewed quietly.
Stormynight heard pawsteps from a direction, getting louder. They seemed to be crashing through bracken. She stared, eyes narrowed, into the forest outside of the training hollow. Cloudpaw joined her side. Pelts brushing, the mentor and apprentice strained to catch a scent or a sight of the oncomer.
Stormynight took a pawstep forward, but the bracken before her flattened as a small black and white apprentice came into view. He had blood running down his face from a scar that bore over his eye.
"Help!" He cried, relived to see cats. "Th-the rouges-their attacking- WaterClan." He panted.
Cloudpaw gasped. Stormynight raced towards him. "Follow me quickly." She said, leading him in the direction towards camp. She turned her head and added "Cloudpaw, go find Moonscar, she's hunting near Ivylogs."
Cloudpaw nodded, turning and racing through the territory for the deputy. Stormynight raced through the undergrowth, the apprentice on her heels. She crashed through the thorn tunnel in anxiety. "Rainstar!" She yowled. Cats in the clearing all turned to look at Stormynight, but she ignored them, heading straight for Rainstar's den.
Shadeleaf was at the gray leader's side. "You should eat some of these herbs to help-" She broke off. "Stormynight?"
Rainstar lifted her head in alarm, sensing the worry rolling off her pelt. "What's the problem?"
The apprentice stepped into view, coated with blood. "The rouges are attacking WaterClan! You must help us!"
Rainstar was on her paws in an instant, but Sageleaf leaped up. "Rainstar, you shouldn't. You're getting to big to be able to fight."
The past moon had been hard for her... Stormynight thought. The past moon had been spent training for a battle against the rouges, but Rainstar only got bigger. Now it looks possible that the battle will take place within a few moments. Stormynight flipped around when Moonscar came into camp with her patrol. Cloudpaw was with them. "Rainstar." Moonscar raced over, halting beside Stormynight.
"I know. I know." Rainstar bit her lip, lost in thought.
"I'll organize patrols to be sent in a first wave. We'll bring back up to replace those injured." Moonscar suggested. Rainstar nodded approval.
"Apprentice, do you know if they sent for ForestClan as well?" Rainstar asked.
The tom nodded. "They did. I just hope we can get there in time." His paws kneaded the ground.
"We will." Moonscar leapt onto her place beside the highstone. Rainstar followed, trying hard to hide her belly; Though most the Clan knew by now. She bunched up her muscles to leap onto the highstone, but she hesitated. Moonscar nudged her hind with her nose for encouragement, and Rainstar leaped up, grabbing the side and hauling herself over. She nodded a thanks to Moonscar and called the Clan together.
"What's going on?" Suncloud joined her side.
"The rouges are attacking WaterClan." She replied, ignoring his surprised face. Coalwing and Thornrose joined her side in the instant. Briarpaw stumbled into camp, surprised to find the meeting in progress. He stumbled forward.
"Their attacking?" He gasped. "Where's Branchleaf?"
The Clan turned to him. "Wasn't she with you?" Rainstar mewed.
He shook his head.
Rainstar hesitated. "We'll find her later. For now, I want Moonscar to organize the battle patrols." She nodded to her deputy. The black warrior stood up. The cats seemed to bounce with impatience.
"Ashfeather, Mousenose, Treepelt, Moondust, Thornrose, Stormynight and Featherpaw, I want you on the first wave." Moonscar spoke loudly. "All of you gather and go on your way. Back-up will come after you fight your hardest. We'll be there soon. Go. Mousenose, your leading the patrol."
The brown warrior nodded, seeming honored to do so. He raced to the thorn tunnel, as well as every other cat who's name was called. Stormynight followed, wishing Cloudpaw could come too. She would no doubt be on the second wave, for sure. Sagewhisker ran to the group as well, Shadeleaf following. They each carried herbs in their jaws. Stormynight flicked around, feeling that it was going to fast. Thornrose joined her side. "Isn't this exciting?" She mewed in her ear.
Stormynight didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. Another thought came into her head. If Cloak is there... I have to fight him. She sighed. He deserves it for lieing to me.
Mousenose lead the group through the forests, the ground practically sweeping beneath Stormynight's paws. She felt as if she were flying, she was going so fast. The last battle had been a mere skirmish against ForestClan. Now they were expected to aid with ForestClan and WaterClan. She didn't mind though. The Darkest Hour came into her head, and the battle against BloodClan popped in her head. It was much like that. They were only rouges.
They ran across the border, which was a stream with many pebbles. Their paws slapped against the shallow pools of the water as they hurried. They didn't get far before the caterwhauls and yowls of cats filled the air. Stormynight bounced with the group, eyes facing forward with terror.
The group had already been split up. The battle came into view and Stormynight's paws came to a hault. She was standing above the ridge, staring down at the fight. The group passed beside her, going straight into battle. Her heart beat loudly as she watched.
Cats below were having their paws ripped sideways and throats lunged for. She watched with horror as a kit was murdered by a mere claw. Move your paws, you mouse-brain! She yowled to herself. She kicked herself with her tail, and adrenaline began to pump. She raced into the battle, lunging for the cat that had murdered the kit. It was a tom, brown and white.
She sunk her teeth into his shoulder, keeping her paws to the side. He turned and lunged for her leg, but she drew it back and landed a blow to his head. She leaped over him and slit a claw across his back. He flipped around, teeth bared, and bit at her tail as it swept by. She hissed in pain, ramming her paw into his face. He caught it by his teeth, and turned to wrench her paw. She used her back leg to kick his face, drawing her paw back once it was freed. We prepared for it. She thought.
She remembered that these cats were harsh, and could kill. That meant she must kill as well. She leaped over and bit at his neck, clawing his chest. He rammed her away and squished her against the ground. The breath was knocked out of her and the battle became a rush. She flailed, but couldn't move.
The weight was removed suddenly, and she turned around, gasping for the air she could not take in. Suncloud stood over the tom, eyes wild. Stormynight leaped to her paws. She had never seen Suncloud like this. The ginger tom rammed into the brown and white tom, and bit at his neck. The brown and white tom struggled, slamming his paw into Suncloud's shoulder. Suncloud leaped back, and then clawed at his back leg. The tom hissed, drawing away. Suncloud leaped onto him, pinning him down and hissing in his face. He grabbed his neck and held until the brown and white tom stood still. Stormynight was frozen once again.
"Look out!" Suncloud called, but his warning hadn't registered in time. Another weight was brought upon her and she rolled around, landing a blow to the cat's face with her paw. She hissed and brought her back legs in, slicing them into the cat's belly. It was the brown and black she-cat that had killed Stoneleaf!
Stormynight leaped up, clawing her face and then wrapping her paws around her neck, biting it. Leopard flipped around and bucked, kicking Stormynight in the belly with her hind paws. Stormynight fell onto the ground, the world turning sideways. Another cat lay beside where she was thrown. It was a brown pelt. Treepelt? Blood seeped out of his mouth. Stormynight rolled away as Leopard tried to leap on her. Stormynight's eyes were not failing. They were losing.
Finally, back up arrived, but when the group of cats arrived, the rouges were still standing strong, barely winded from the fight. Only a few actually died. Moonscar lead the second wave, and to her surprise she saw the fallen and injured Warriors. Sagewhisker and Shadeleaf were frantically racing around trying to help the injured. Someone rammed into Shadeleaf's side. Moonscar lead the group down into the battle field and the group immediately broke apart to begin fighting.
"ForestClan retreat!" Someone called. Stormynight gasped, looking up as the warriors of ForestClan that still remained tried to limp away. They're too weak to fight. If they stay any longer, more could die. She batted Leopard away and rammed into a cat that attempted to pursue the retreating ForestClan Warriors. Snarling, they locked into a tusstle.
"WaterClan retreat!" She heard someone call. No! We need to stand and fight! Her mind was changed in the instant. They couldn't retreat. Not now.
It wasn't Silentstar that called the retreat. She flipped her head away from her tusstle to see a gray she-cat dragging a body across the ground. Silentstar! His eyes fluttered, but he was in a daze. He could have lost a life. She thought.
Now it was only DarkClan. Soon, Moonscar would call retreat. She was brought back into her tusstle when the cat slammed their paw into her shoulder. She hissed, leaping away from them. The cat leaped back onto her and bit her paw. She was weak, and had trouble wrenching it away.
"Lilac." A familiar voice snapped. The jaws were released, and Stormynight drew away quickly. Cloak stood, facing Lilac. He had blood seeping down his back paw. "Leave her alone, she's already injured enough." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Lilac scoffed. "You always were the soft one." She turned, but Stormynight had already begun to run. Her tail between her legs, she ran towards the familiar pelt of Thornrose. The pain in her cuts and scrapes made her eyes water up, and her paw felt as if it was wrenched from it's socket. It could have broken, if Cloak hadn't distracted Lilac. Did he do it purposely? She wanted to wonder, but now wasn't the time. Thornrose was fighting against the small black-and-white pelt of that apprentice. Shim. Thornrose landed a blow to his shoulder and he hissed, slipping away. He leaped on her back, biting into her neck. The apprentice-sized cat was no match for both warriors. Stormynight hooked his pelt with her claw and threw her off. She didn't have the heart to kill a small cat.
She didn't have to worry, for when Thornrose bit into his paw, he turned and fled, tail streaking. Thornrose panted, and Stormynight gasped for air, watching the battle around her. Many cats lay on the ground, and the medicine cats were going like crazy trying to help everyone. She spotted a few of her clanmates being dragged by their scruffs.
"I don't think we can hold off much longer, I-"
"DarkClan retreat!" Moonscar's voice rose, and DarkClan did not hesitate to run. But Mousenose stood, still fighting against that one she-cat, Icedrop.
"No, Moonscar, we can't retreat!" He sounded desperate. Moonscar leaped into the battle and drew the cat he was fighting away with her teeth in her throat. Icedrop landed on the ground with blood seeping from her neck. She scrambled to her paws and ran back to re-group.
"We honor your bravery, Mousenose, but look around you. Cats are dieing." Mousenose took the moment to watch as his clanmates were being dragged by their scruffs. He frowned, eyes becoming sad.
"I understand." He said, and then ran towards Sagewhisker to help her carry Ashfeather's injured form.
The rouges were left, howling for their victory. Stormynight glanced back at Thornrose and the two took off, running as fast as they could with their injuries. The battle was lost. Painfully. Suncloud joined her side, and Thornrose panted as she ran. An image of Cloak with his injured leg was brought to her mind, but she shoved it away. He was just soft. He didn't like watching cats get hurt. He said it himself a long time ago he would never attack an injured cat.
She left the battle field, the memory fresh in her head. She didn't look back.
Yay. Battle chapter.
I want to tell yall something... So badly... but it's a secret. I can't tell you. You'll just have to keep reading. EUGH. I really want to scream it to the sky, since we're 35 (35 right?) chapters into the story and yall still don't know.
BTW, remember when I said I might get fan-art? My friend is a liar X_x She has too many requests right now, and said "When I get around to it."
Which will probably be never.
Anyway, enjoy the longness. I hope you love it. The truth will come. Soon. Verrryyyy soooonnnn.
Please review.
~Stormy:D