December 6th 2020

It was a bright day as she crouched down. Eyes narrowed onto the mossball that sat just a few inches away from her. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to try and teach the kits whatever she knew about hunting.

"Keep you paws like this, make sure to be steady. And you want to keep your tail above the ground, and still." She added, green eyes flickering to Weatherkit who, in the past few days, showed just how entergetic he really was.

The young tom jumped every which way. He never stayed still, and whenever she, or anyone else, tried to explain things to him, he ended up forgetting instantly, or just hopping off to another topic.

Weatherkit perked his ears ar this. Mixed eyes wide as he nodded, looking as if it would fall off his shoulders from the sheer force behind it. "Okay!" He squeaked.

What seemed like hours passed before she found that the kits picked up something. Icekit was best at leaping, rolling, and swipping out before dashing away. Leapingkit had more swiftness and quick swipes before he could dip and move if needed.

It wasn't until she got to the other two did she see things going wrong. Jadekit had almost no interest in doing battle skills, instead she did a little hunting things before trying to snuggled up to Beepath. And little Weatherkit was just to jumpy and excited to learn anything.

Beepath was about to usher them into the nursery when Dirtclaw came running up to her. His pelt was snagged with thorns, and his face had a cut along the cheek. "What happened?" She meowed, eyes wide as she leaned forward to clean off the blood.

It was a deep cut, and she swore there was bone showing before fresh blood poured out. Dirtclaw breathed heavily as he tried to speak, jaws opening and closing before he finally spoke. "..FlameClan..attacked..." His legs gave out as he slumped to the ground. And she spotted more blood along his underbelly

Hesitantly she crouched down to nudge his side. His flank was raising and falling, but he also looked pitiful. The cut was deep, and with more that she could find under his coat she felt sick. Shellwhisper was ready at his side, paws pressed against a wound as she tried to patch it with cobwebs.

Leafstar was being followed by three more cats as she walked out. Eyes narrowed in a dark thought as she looked down at the scrawny tom. "Smokefur, lead a patrol down to the FlameClan border." She ordered.

The gray tom dipped his head before waving his tail. Beepath was still crouched beside the white-and-brown tom as she watched at least five other cats gather at the deputy's side. "Let's go." Smokefur growled.

Hornetrun was on the patrol, and he stopped at her side to touch his nose to her ear. "Don't worry, Dirtclaw will be fine. I'll give some FlameClan scum a nice bite for him."

With a curt nod she raised to her paws. Claws digging into the earth. Icaruswind was also on the same patrol that Dirtclaw has been. How would they treat him after he left them? Was it why Dirtclaw looked so beaten, they targeted him?

"Just be careful, FlameClan fights dirty." Beepath was about to say something else but he left. Leaving her to sit and do absolutely nothing but watch Dirtclaw being patched up.

*

Claws dug into his shoulder as his face was being pushed into the ground. Teeth grabbed his scruff as he tried to move, only to feel claws ripping though his flank.

Two toms were on top of him. One held him down, a paw, with claws in his shoulder and flank, on each limb. Boartusk had his claws stuck in Icaruswind's flank, with each tug of his paw the silver tom felt his skin tearing.

"You'll regret leaving FlameClan!" Jaggedlight snarled through the scruff fur.

Icaruswind peeled back his lips. He hasn't been able to find Dirtclaw in the mess of the attack. A battle patrol had found and ambushed them giving them no time to react.

The silver tom continued to try and get up. Struggling as he rolled, hindlegs kicking at Boartusk who yelped as a unsheathed paw hit his jaw.

With the weight of the second tom off he tried to stand up. Eye narrowed in consitration as he felt more teeth dig into his tail and pull. "You mangy furballs!" Just as he felt the blood leaking down his shoulders and into his single eye, the weight was lifted off.

Icaruswind rolled instantly. Paws planted safely on the ground he looked around. Whatever had been in his patrol before looked beaten. Each fighting at least two cats to one. Icaruswind swallowed hard. He felt his pelt burning as he watched a wave of fresh SaltClan cats leap into battle.

Jumping at the closest cat he bit down onto their leg, just at the joint, and pulled. The cat, who he recognized as Goannapearch, only screeched before kicking at his face and racing off.

He was always weak. Icaruswind thought bitterly as he turned and dived at a she-cat. It was Kinklight, the tabby was always known as being ficious, even by Crackedstar and his twisted thoughts about she-cats.

The tabby slashed at his face. Not missing a beat as she continued to lash out, teeth snapping and grabbing ahold of his ear before she yanked. Warm blood rushed down his face as he leaped. Teeth ripping out a chunk of fur from her side.

Kinklight acted as if she didn't even feel it. Instead, she took the closeness of them and rammed her head into his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Just as his vision blurred and he felt his legs giving out, a warm body pressed into his side, holding him up as Kinklight was pounced on by two SaltClan warriors.

The she-cat didn't last long as she fought her way out. Leaving behind a nasty slash along Flytail's side before turning tail and running. Icaruswind gasped for air. He never had to go into bad battles, only little fights about territory, but now he watched as the FlameClan cats left and dread sunk in.

This was just a revengeful fight. Icaruswind knew that Crackedstar wouldn't ever forget or forgive them leaving. But now he felt his legs growing weaker as blood dried against his face, what he thought were claws, still stuck in his fur, he came to the realization.

"We're at war."