Half a moon had passed, and Ravenpaw was much better now. Today he could resume his training. Ravenpaw exited Yellowfang's den and gasped as a group of cats swarmed in. With bitterness, he recognized Brokenstar and Blackfoot. Other rouges and former ShadowClan cats were behind them.
The warriors surged at the invaders and stood their group. Ravenpaw noticed Graystripe and Fireheart among them and dashed to their side. Fireheart had obviously been about to argue, but was interrupted as Sandpaw and Dustpaw practically knocked him over to stand in front with the warriors.
"Brokenstar. Get out of my camp." Tigerclaw hissed, flexing hiss claws and looking more than fierce.
"I do what I want, I go where I please." Brokenstar replied.
Blackfoot and Boulder looked menacing behind their leading along with a group of unknown rogues.
"Where's Bluestar?" Ravenpaw muttered to Fireheart.
The response filled him with dread. "She's on a patrol with Willowpelt and Longtail." Bluestar wasn't around.
"Brokenstar, we will not have the mercy that Whitestorm, Mousefur, Darkstripe, Fireheart, Graystripe, and Runningwind showed you. We will drive you out or kill you. And really drive you out this time." Tigerclaw replied, implying that the mentioned warriors had failed to get rid of the leader.
"I'm not scared of your puny clan, especially when your leader isn't around." The remark forced all the ThunderClan cats to stiffen, and some glared at Ravenpaw.
Brokenstar noticed. "Oh, what's wrong? Your own clan has traitors? You couldn't possibly be referring to Ravenpaw, could you?"
Ravenpaw gasped. How did he know my name?
He noticed Tigerclaw turned to glare at the apprentice. "We knew this all along, and Bluestar would not believe us! Ravenpaw is a traitor; kill him now, before he escapes with Brokenstar!" With that, Tigerclaw lunged onto his apprentice. Ravenpaw squealed as the long hooked claws dug deep into his sides.
"Ravenpaw!" Fireheart crashed himself into Tigerclaw to get the brute away from his friend, then stayed beside the shaky tom to guard him. "The real enemy is Brokenstar, what are you all doing?"
"Don't worry kittypet, we'll take care of Ravenpaw after," screeched a ThunderClan cat. In an instant the clan was tangled into a fierce battle with the rogues. Ravenpaw's heart lurched when Graystripe was flung down, his gray pelt smeared with blood. He didn't rise. Ravenpaw turned his gaze to see who had done it. Brokenstar.
"You lied!" Ravenpaw hissed as he flung himself into the strong tom. "You told them I was a traitor!" Clouds began to cover the sun, the sky darkening into a cold gray.
"So what? You're of no importance to me!" He said, swinging his unsheathed claw at him quickly.
Remember your training, Ravenpaw, remember you training. Ravenpaw ducked the blow and swung at Brokenstar's feet. The old tom was unprepared, and toppled over. Ravenpaw pinned him to the ground and let out a menacing hiss, despite his fear. "I will not be beaten by a kit again!" Brokenstar yowled. He dug his long legs into Ravenpaw's stomach, his claws unsheathed, and flung Ravenpaw hard. The small tom landed in a slump by the nursery. He got back to his feet in an instant and charged the nearest rogue. The rogue swung her hind leg at him, kicking him hard in the chest, and Ravenpaw fell back a bit. He flung himself onto her back and dug his claws in deep. She shook her back fiercely, but he kept his hold, claws digging in deeper with every motion. The she-cat rolled over, but Ravenpaw jumped off just in time and had this rogue in a pin as well. He raked his claws down her belly and she screeched. Her pain kicked in reflexes, and she kicked him hard in the stomach. He fell down, panting for air. After obtaining his fill, he looked around to see what could be done.
Graystripe was up again, and battling by Fireheart's side against a large rogue tom. Sandpaw and Dustpaw were fighting a black she-cat, and the other warriors were all fighting one-on-one or tag teaming. He glimpsed Tigerclaw fighting Brokenstar, but there was something strange about it. Then he felt claws sink into his back and turned to see the white she-cat who loathed him so fiercely. Only then did he realize he was near the nursery still. "Get away from my kits, you traitor!"
"Frostfur, I'm not a traitor!" The she-cat hardly heard, for she aimed a blow at his jaw, and he turned and fled before it hit its mark. Then some one tackled him, and he kicked the attacker off.
A yowl of Brokenstar stopped the fighting for a moment as he and Tigerclaw wrestled violently. Brokenstar came out on the bottom, and kicked Tigerclaw in the stomach. Tigerclaw jumped up before he was hit and landed back on his paws gracefully. But the rogue leader was already fleeing into the bushes, his army following in an instant. A rumble from the clouds erupted, and the rain fell from the sky.
"This is good. The rain is washing away the past, and leading to a new beginning," Yellowfang meowed, as she watched the rain fall. She went from cat to cat, healing and helping where she could. When she reached Ravenpaw, she eyed him. "You fought hard. Like a real warrior."
Ravenpaw shuffled his paws. "I guess. I just want to prove myself. Do you think I'm a traitor?" He stared into her eyes nervously.
"I was once called a traitor as well, in both ShadowClan and ThunderClan, but I have proven myself, and now these cats trust me with their lives. If I was a traitor, I could easily have slipped yew into the herbs mixtures I give this clan, and they'd all be dead. You just have to work at it," She advised as she placed cobwebs over his wounds. Ravenpaw waited quietly while she did so, contemplating her words thoughtfully.
"What has happened?" Bluestar, Willowpelt, and Longtail burst into the clearing, bewilderment clear on every cat's face. "Was this Brokenstar? We scent rogues on the journey back."
"Yes, Bluestar," Tigerclaw meowed. "And our cats fought bravely. Especially the two apprentices. Sandpaw and Dustpaw, I mean. Ravenpaw fought bravely too, I'm just not sure for which side he fought." Ravenpaw's stomach dropped as he heard the words.
Bluestar let out a
hiss. "This only happens when I'm out of camp! I feel like a bad
leader, like I'm putting cats in danger. Did we loose any?"
The
deputy shook his massive head.
"Good. There will be a ceremony at moonhigh," she meowed in a louder voice. "Every one rest until then. I will not leave camp any more than I need to."
Ravenpaw weakly padded into the apprentice den and curled in a miserable ball. Sandpaw padded over and licked his ear. "Look, Ravenpaw, I'm sorry things are turning out this way. I don't believe you're a traitor. Just, keep fighting, keep working at it. Remember that you've got friends on you side. More friends then you think."
Ravenpaw looked up at her with bewilderment.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier," she continued, "I really am. But you've got to remember that whether Tigerclaw or Bluestar fail to notice it, you deserve to be a warrior just as much as I do, maybe more. I can tell you're loyal, and I really am sorry. Am I forgiven?"
Ravenpaw searched her face. "Yes. Thank you."
"Ha! You're so dumb!" Dustpaw burst out, entering the den. "You're willing to believe anything from any one! Maybe that's why you trust Brokenstar. You believe he'll help you."
"Shut up, Dustpaw! Don't be such a pile of foxdung. Even if you can't help it," Sandpaw sneered. She turned back to the black apprentice, who was staring at her in shock. "Good night." She nudged him gently, then lay down beside Dustpaw as usual.
Ravenpaw stared at his black paws and thought all this through. Maybe this was part of their game. He glanced up at Sandpaw, her ginger pelt rising and falling gently as she slept. Part of Ravenpaw hoped it wasn't. As he shut his eyes, he felt a feeling that he'd yet to feel in a long time. The feeling of belonging.
