Chapter Fifteen
Echopaw looked in astonishment to her leader, and then to the she-cat as they stared at each other. The silver cat – Frost - was the first to break the agonizingly long silence, her oily voice dropped low, to a threatening rumble. "No. You are no kit of mine."
Oakstar flinched with each of her words, as though he had received physical blows. He suddenly looked smaller than Echopaw had ever seen him before - more like an apprentice than the mighty leader he was.
"These cats are my Clan now, and as for you," Lizardclaw hissed as he swept his cold gaze over the stunned Clan cats. "You deserve to be driven out!"
A flash of ginger blew past the corner of Echopaw's vision, and Brightstream shoved Lizardclaw off of the Greatstone. "You," She hissed as he plummeted to the ground, his tail whipping around to keep balance, "have no right to be on the Greatstone!" The orange she-cat's words seemed to cue the whole Clan into action, and all of the warriors around surged forward into the crowd of rogues with claws unsheathed.
The entire Clan seemed to roar with an anger louder than thunder when a sickeningly familiar cat stepped in front of the silvery she-cat.
"Did you miss me?" Owlfang yowled.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that." The rogues formed a defensive circle around Frost, and more cats than Echopaw had ever seen before poured out of the surrounding trees. Echopaw had never felt more vulnerable as she realized that they were completely outnumbered. "Not if you want our message."
Oakstar was still in a state of shock, so Beetlewhisker took over, commanding for the furious warriors to subdue their attack. "Let's hear what they have to say."
"Now you're talking." The she-cat had a satisfied smirk on her face as she stepped up to the wary ThunderClan warriors. "Okay. Are you ready?" She spoke slowly, as if she was explaining StarClan to a kit. Before the cat could begin her speech, Brightstream sprang from the front of the crowd.
Echopaw could only watch in amazement as the brave ginger she-cat launched into Frost, and the two rolled in a tousle before the massive crowd of rogues sprang into the battle. Brightstream disappeared underneath a heap of snarling cats.
"No!" A silver tom leapt after Brightstream, and Echopaw recognized him as Skywind. He fought against the river of cats with vicious slashes and bites that sent them caterwauling into the distance, hopefully far away from ThunderClan's camp.
Echopaw shared a glance with Ashpaw and Rainypaw before jumping into the turmoil as one.
She hoped that her Clanmates would follow as she fought side-by-side with her littermates, Brightstream, and Skywind, blocking as many heavy blows as she could.
Echopaw was relieved when Frostwing joined in, allowing herself a brief smile to her kits before she plummeted into the masses of enemies, weaving in and out enough to distract them for ThunderClan cat to leap onto their backs.
She blocked out all of the pained yowls that split the air around her, focusing only on the black she-cat that was taunting her.
"Helpless scrap of fur!" The cat hissed as Echopaw failed to dodge a heavy blow that sent her tumbling off balance. She lunged forward and dug long claws into her shoulders, holding her in place.
Echopaw flinched as the black cat tightened her grip. She pressed herself into the soil beneath her, wishing that she could disappear into the pockmarked ground.
"Giving up that easily, kit?" The cat snarled.
Echopaw tried to think of something witty to say, but no sound came out when she opened her jaws.
"Nighthawk!" A frightened yowl rang nearby, and Echopaw twisted her head to see an apprentice-sized grey tom with a ginger forepaw trapped beneath a furious Skywind.
The black she-cat sprang to her feet, giving Echopaw a deep scratch on the nose before she lunged fiercely into the silver warrior.
Echopaw scrambled to her feet and shook her head, sending drops of blood spattering to the ground. Adrenaline pounded in her ears as she raced back into the fight, slashing at Skywind's attackers.
The silver tom smiled at her as the black she-cat and the young grey tom sprinted away.
Skywind panted. "Thanks, Echopaw."
She nodded, then sprang back into the riot.
"Echopaw!" A frightened mew broke out nearby. Echopaw shook her head again. More blood spattered around her. She saw Rainypaw struggling with a large tom that was twice the size of her. The tabby apprentice pounced on the she-cat she was fighting, sending her scurrying back into the swarm of cats, and then raced over to her sister.
"What do you need?" She asked as they sent the overwhelmed tom away with a flurry of precise blows.
Rainypaw pointed with her tail to a huge ginger cat that was fighting Cloudleap beside the nursery. "Defend the kits!"
Echopaw nodded and sprang toward the battling cats. She lunged at the orange cat, sinking her teeth into its shoulder.
The cat hissed.
Echopaw froze, recognizing the fierce meow. It was Talon.