Screeches ripped through the air as Heronpaw and the rest of the CedarClan patrol neared the camp. Heronpaw couldn't see what was happening through the darkness and the thronging wave of pelts that blocked his view. He could only hear his leader's voice rise above the commotion.
"CedarClan, attack!"
Heronpaw felt a surge of energy pulse through him as he crested the hill and burst out onto a scene of chaos.
There were rogues everywhere. Their scent choked him and made his eyes water. He felt Hawkpaw speed past him and saw his brother launch himself at the nearest ragged, mangy pelt.
The fight had not entered camp yet. Someone was holding the entrance with their body. Rogues were surging against the wall of brambles and tree trunks with a frothing, spitting rage. CedarClan warriors fell on them from every side.
The sight caused Heronpaw to falter. What in StarClan's name was happening? He had never seen rogues in this number before. What were they doing here? Why were they attacking the camp directly?
He gave himself a moment to be confused, before shedding his hesitation. He needed to fight.
Heronpaw caught sight of a familiar pelt disappearing beneath several scarred tabby rogues. With a screech of rage Heronpaw threw himself at the back of the nearest rogue. With a tremendous heave he threw the she-cat off of her prey. She squealed with shock and pain as Heronpaw's claws pierced her thin pelt and tore her skin.
Specklepaw was pinned to the snow by the paws of the other rogue. Her green eyes blazed with fear and pain as the rogue crushed her beneath his superior weight. Heronpaw used the momentum of pulling the she-cat away to spin and ram his shoulder into the exposed flank of the tom. He let out a strangled yowl as he was thrown off of the apprentice.
Heronpaw took the opportunity to help Specklepaw. She was in a bad way. One of her front paws was twisted awkwardly and she had several deep wounds in her belly. Her wild eyes steeled as she met Heronpaw's gaze. That was a good sign.
"Can you move?" he shouted at her over the din.
She grit her teeth and nodded.
"Find somewhere to hide." He barely had time to get the words out before the rogue tom was back. He threw himself at Heronpaw with outstretched claws. Heronpaw ducked and let the tom tumble over him. He nudged Specklepaw to her three good feet.
"Go!"
She nodded and hobbled away towards a fallen, hollow log. Heronpaw didn't have the time to make sure she got there safely. His opponent had recovered and was pacing back and forth close by. The rogue kept looking at Specklepaw's retreating form. Heronpaw stood firmly between them. He slid out his claws and fell into a crouch. Their eyes met. The tom's eyes flickered over Heronpaw's left shoulder.
The rogue made a dash to the right.
Surprised, Heronpaw had to correct his course mid reaction. He pivoted on one paw and slashed at the rogue as he lurched by. Heronpaw's claws ripped fur but made no significant blow. The rogue was going to reach Specklepaw before Heronpaw could regain his balance.
A flash of white and gray fur intercepted the rogue before he could take another step towards the injured apprentice. Heronpaw watched as Ferntail slashed at the rogue's face with long, vicious claws.
The rogue howled with pain and veered away from his attacker. Ferntail, a light of fury in her usually soft eyes, didn't let him. She hooked her claws into his retreating rump and pulled herself on top of his back. The rogue bucked and yowled but Ferntail held fast in his matted fur. She used her back legs to rake the tom's spine with merciless precision.
With a final, throttled yelp, the rogue bucked hard enough to send Ferntail flying. She landed on deft paws and sped after the fleeing tom.
Confident that Specklepaw and Ferntail could take care of themselves now, Heronpaw spun and headed back into the fray. He knew he had to get to the entrance to help whoever was there. He ducked beneath flying tails and weaved between slashing claws as he made his way through the battle.
Here and there he aimed blows at unfamiliar pelts as he went, but his only thought was to get to the tunnel. After fighting his way past a skinny black she-cat, Heronpaw could finally see his goal.
Talonscore had wedged himself inside the camp's entrance. His face, front legs, and chest were laced with scratches but he was still standing firm. Three rogues were trying to drag him from his position but they couldn't get a grip on the ginger warrior. He shrank back into the bracken as they swiped at him, denying them a good angle.
Heronpaw pushed himself into a gallop and leapt. He landed squarely on the middle rogue's back. The mangy white cat shrieked and tried to whirl around to face his attacker. His flailing limbs shoved his companions to the side and knocked Heronpaw off of his perch. He landed with a stumble in the snow.
The other rogues hissed and tried to get back at Talonscore but more CedarClan warriors were arriving.
Cherrynose darted forward and dragged a white and black she-cat by her tail away from Talonscore. The rogue dug her claws into the frozen ground but Cherrynose was stronger.
Kestrelfeather appeared at Heronpaw's side and together they blocked the white tom from getting near the entrance. It felt good to be fighting side-by-side with his mentor again. Heronpaw fell into the familiar cadence of a two-on-one fight. He would step forward and slash, then duck as Kestrelfeather attacked from behind.
The white rogue snarled in frustration but he would not give up. His amber eyes blazed with hatred as he tried again and again to force his way past mentor and apprentice. They would not let him.
A cry from behind Heronpaw made him glance away for a moment.
A third rogue, a tabby tom, was grappling with Talonscore. The ginger warrior was trying vainly to gain the advantage as he was shoved further into the brambles. Heronpaw looked back at his struggling Clanmate.
"Go!" Kestrelfeather shot at him as he blocked the white rogue's attempt to get past.
Heronpaw spun and fell on Talonscore's opponent. Heronpaw grabbed the rogue by the shoulder and pulled him away. The rogue spit and rolled, breaking Heronpaw's grip. The tabby righted himself and faced Heronpaw with a snarl. Quick as a fish the tabby slashed at Heronpaw's front legs.
Heronpaw tried to dodge backwards but the close quarters fighting made his back legs collide with Kestrelfeather. The rogue's blow landed true and Heronpaw felt a sharp pain stagger across his legs. Blood spurted from the wound and onto the ground. Heronpaw stumbled to the side.
The tabby rogue took his chance and aimed a bite at Heronpaw's weakened forelegs. Before his yellowed teeth could make contact, the rogue's head was jerked backwards.
Talonscore had leapt forward and grabbed the back of the tom's neck in his jaws. With a heave the ginger warrior tossed the rogue aside. The tabby's flailing limbs tripped one of his companions and the mangy cats fell into a tangled mess.
Heronpaw flashed a grateful look at Talonscore who nodded before sinking back into his defensive position. Heronpaw turned to see if Kestrelfeather was in need of his help and saw that Elkheart had jumped to the auburn warrior's side. Together they were driving the white tom away with ease. More CedarClan warriors had made it to the entrance now, and rogues were being thrown aside left and right.
Heronpaw watched in stunned awe as Falconstorm knocked away two rogues at once with a massive blow. The fight was turning, but the rogue force was still pressing against CedarClan with everything they had.
"They're in the camp!" A screech split the air from somewhere beyond the protection of the camp wall. Heronpaw whipped around and saw a crooked tail disappearing through a torn gap in the bramble barrier.
Without thought, Heronpaw ducked around his fighting Clanmates and pelted after the intruder. Thorns ripped at his fur as he scrambled through the breach. After a few heartbeats of struggling, Heronpaw burst into the camp. Three rogues had broken through and were facing the queens just outside the nursery across the clearing.
Fury boiled in Heronpaw's brain. He thought of little Fawnkit and Waspkit, defenseless and weak. He was across the clearing in two strides. He didn't know how he had jumped so far but he didn't stop to ponder it. He grabbed the first flailing rogue tail he could get his teeth on. It was the crooked one.
Heronpaw bit down on the kink in the gray tabby's tail. There was a satisfying crunch as his jaws crushed the oddly angled bone. The cat shrieked and tried to pull away but Heronpaw held fast.
Blood pounded in his ears and his vision went blurry. He bit down harder. The rogue flailed and yowled but Heronpaw would not budge. He yanked as hard as he could and tasted blood.
A sudden, huge weight on Heronpaw's shoulders caused one of his legs to slide forward and collapse. The other crumpled beneath him into a forced crouch. He let go of the tail as his muzzle was shoved into the frozen dirt. Grit and snow stung at his eyes and nose and the breath was driven from his body.
He had been careless. He hadn't noticed a fourth rogue.
Forcing himself to relax, Heronpaw went limp beneath his attacker's weight. His bad shoulder burned with pain as one of the rogue's paws pressed down on it. A flash of panic lurched in his belly. Fighting the pain and the nauseating feeling of his leg being slowly forced out of place, Heronpaw pushed up with half of his body.
The trick worked and the rogue was thrown off balance by Heronpaw's jerk. As the unseen foe lost its balance and stumbled, one paw came back down on Heronpaw's shoulder. The sudden pressure did the job.
Pain, familiar yet just as breathtaking, shot through his leg. An instant numbness began spreading from his toes and up his paw. He shrieked with agony and rolled away from the rogue. His leg dragged uselessly at his side.
"Heronpaw!" Runningriver cried. She called out to him from where she was wrestling with another rogue at the nursery's entrance.
Heronpaw looked up at her shocked face. Her momentary lapse of concentration caused her to take a nasty blow to the side of the head. Heronpaw's stomach lurched as the silver tabby warrior reeled and fell to the side. The rogue who had dealt the blow wriggled forward and tried to enter the now only half-guarded entrance.
Four paws shot out to meet his face. The rogue howled and stumbled backwards, blood spurting from his eyes. Heronpaw's mouth dropped open as he caught a glimpse of Honeyleaf's two nearly full-grown kits with their claws out and teeth bared.
Within a heartbeat, Runningriver was back in position and shoulder-to-shoulder with Honeyleaf. Together the queens held fast against their attackers.
"Get to the herbs!" A rough voice yowled.
One of the three remaining rogues broke off from the assault on the nursery and began running straight towards the medicine den. Panic and adrenaline forced Heronpaw to his feet. His leg dangled uselessly at his side but he still had three working paws. He took a few excruciating steps towards the fleeing black tom but it proved to be too much. He stumbled and fell. The pain gurgled up into his throat and he retched out a few mouthfuls of bile.
He couldn't make it to stop the rogue. Plumleaf's store of herbs would be destroyed. Heronpaw felt dizzy.
A piercing battle cry caused Heronpaw to look up. Hawkpaw and Morningpaw had managed to get through the torn entrance and were bearing down on the escaping rogue. Through watery, blurred vision, Heronpaw saw Hawkpaw crash into the black rogue and take him down into a violent roll. Once the flailing limbs had settled, Hawkpaw hopped backwards off of his quarry. The ragged cat was lying in the snow with its head twisted at an awkward angle.
Hawkpaw paid no heed. He turned on his heel and raced to join Morningpaw as she arrived at the nursery. The two apprentices flexed their legs in unison and jumped right over Heronpaw and onto the remaining rogues. Heronpaw watched in awe as his Clanmates tore into the invaders.
Morningpaw confounded the bigger rogue with her speed and grace. She darted in and out, landing blows on the hissing brown tom. He swiped at her with long hooked claws but she danced out of reach every time. Hawkpaw had taken the cat with the broken tail and was raking its flank with his back legs.
In a few more heartbeats it was over. The broken-tailed rogue crouched low and tucked his injured appendage beneath his flank in a submissive gesture. The larger brown tom wailed with frustration and broke away from Morningpaw. He lumbered towards the hole in the barrier and was met by Whiteshade's claws as the CedarClan deputy burst through the brambles.
The blinded tom was huddled alone next to the nursery. He was trying desperately to rub the blood from his eyes. He let out a wail of pain with each pass of his paws.
Heronpaw let his head rest on the ground. The pain in his shoulder was getting to be too much. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing in and out.
He didn't know how long he laid there. He was faintly aware of Hawkpaw yelling at him but he didn't know what was being said. After what felt like hours, he felt a gentle prod at his side. He peeled his eyes open and saw Petalpaw's worried face looming over him.
Her white fur was stained with dirt and blood and her eyes reflected the pale light of dawn. Plumleaf's face appeared behind her apprentice's.
Heronpaw knew what to expect when Plumleaf gripped his injured leg in her jaws. He knew to take a deep breath beforehand. He knew to bite down on his stick as hard as he could. All of that did nothing to reduce the sickening agony as his shoulder was wrenched back into place.
"You should be able to stand now." Plumleaf said as she examined Heronpaw's shoulder.
He nodded and struggled to his paws. Petalpaw steadied him as he tested out his leg. Plumleaf was right. The dull ache didn't intensify as he shifted his weight around. He let out a relieved sigh. Plumleaf gave a satisfied nod and bustled away to where the queens were gathered outside the nursery.
Heronpaw turned to Petalpaw. "Is the battle over?"
She nodded. "They all ran away." She sounded exhausted.
"Are you hurt?" Heronpaw looked her up and down. He couldn't tell where the blood on her fur was coming from.
She shook her head. "No." Her voice wavered. She leaned into Heronpaw's side and closed her eyes. Heronpaw let her lean on him as he took in the rest of the scene.
Warriors were still limping into camp from outside. Shadowgrove and Elkheart were dragging the dead rogue through the clearing. Whiteshade was directing Cherrynose and Brushfire to patch up the hole in the bramble barrier. Swiftwing was standing guard beside the blind rogue. All around, cats were licking their wounds. None were lying still or dead. Heronpaw let out a breath of relief.
Petalpaw pulled away from him. Heronpaw looked down to meet her gaze. They said nothing. After a heartbeat Petalpaw padded away to meet a limping Ferntail at the fern tunnel.
Heronpaw watched her go, then shook himself and limped over to where Hawkpaw and Morningpaw were sitting. Their tails were entwined. Neither looked seriously hurt, but Hawkpaw was staring at the body of the rogue as it disappeared through the fern tunnel. Even when the black tail slipped out of sight Hawkpaw kept staring.
Heronpaw plopped down beside his brother and laid his tail on the tabby's side. The three apprentices sat there for a while and stared. Heronpaw took the time to look for his family and friends.
Ferntail was helping Specklepaw limp across the clearing. Kestrelfeather was at Runningriver's side. Hawkpaw was here next to him so he didn't have to worry about that. He had seen Petalpaw.
His eyes raked the clearing looking for black or cream fur.
His eyes fell on neither Crowfrost or Dawnheart, but Falconstorm. The tabby warrior was sitting alone and half-obscured by dead undergrowth at the far edge of the clearing. He was staring at Heronpaw with unseeing eyes.
Heronpaw suppressed a shiver and tore his gaze away from his father.
Heronpaw got to his feet. He needed to find Crowfrost and Dawnheart if he was to truly relax.
"You have him?" Heronpaw asked Morningpaw, gesturing to the still-staring Hawkpaw. Morningpaw nodded and laid her tail protectively over Hawkpaw's back.
Certain that Hawkpaw was in good care, Heronpaw padded away. He was fully intent on finding Dawnheart or Crowfrost, but he found his eyes wandering back to where Falconstorm was sitting out of the way.
His father's eyes had stopped following him. They stared blankly at the ground now. He had a torn ear and several bleeding scratches that he had left unattended.
Heronpaw hesitated. He wrestled with an inner desire to go over to Falconstorm. What would be the point? They had never been close. Falconstorm didn't deserve Heronpaw's attention. Heronpaw turned away with a stiff motion.
And yet his paws didn't want to move. He remembered the look on Falconstorm's face when he had seen the brother he had believed was dead. Something in Falconstorm's face resonated with Heronpaw.
With a snort, Heronpaw whipped around and stalked over to Falconstorm. He stopped at the warrior's feet. Falconstorm didn't look up.
Heronpaw twitched his whiskers. "Have you seen Plumleaf?"
Falconstorm lifted his head. His gray eyes searched Heronpaw's face.
Heronpaw's paws itched to flee from his father's sight. He focused on keeping them still. "Well?" he demanded. The word came out harsher than he had meant it to.
Falconstorm shook his head stiffly.
"Well, you should. I'll send her over." Heronpaw said. He turned to go.
There. He thought, I did something.
The feeling in his belly wouldn't budge. Annoyed, Heronpaw tried to banish the discomfort. He owed Falconstorm nothing. In fact, Falconstorm was the one who owed Heronpaw his time.
Still Heronpaw stayed where he was. Frustrated, he turned back to Falconstorm, sharpness on his tongue.
The barb dropped from Heronpaw's mouth before he could speak it. There was stark grief in Falconstorm's face. His eyes were wide with pain.
"Are you alright?" Heronpaw said quietly.
Falconstorm blinked. He met Heronpaw's gaze. "You look so much like your mother." he said.
Heronpaw flinched, taken aback.
Falconstorm got to unsteady paws. "You're right, I should see Plumleaf." He padded past Heronpaw.
Heronpaw watched Falconstorm go, bewildered. He hardly had time to ponder the exchange when Hawkpaw and Morningpaw came padding over.
Hawkpaw looked better. His eyes no longer stared into nothingness.
"Have you seen Crowfrost?" Hawkpaw asked once he was near enough.
Heronpaw shook his head. "I'm sure he'll turn up." he said. He exchanged a nervous glance with his brother.
"Who are you talking about?" a familiar voice demanded.
Heronpaw turned to see Talonscore hurrying up to him. His eyes were wide with concern. Heronpaw tensed.
"Crowfrost. No one has seen him." Hawkpaw answered.
Talonscore cursed and made to dart away. Heronpaw blocked him.
"What's wrong?" Heronpaw said.
Talonscore glared at Heronpaw. "Dawnheart is missing, too."