The forest floor was slick with rain. Badgerpaw slid her paws over the loosening earth, careful not to brush any leaves. Her tail itched to twitch, but she would not let it. She held her breath and remained still as stone.
Then the vole emerged from its cover.
Badgerpaw sprang, claws outstretched. She scooped the vole into the air, but before it could let out a warning shriek she reared up and nipped it in the neck. As all four of her paws landed on the forest floor, Badgerpaw's catch dangled from her jaws.
"Well done!" purred Brightheart. "Not a heartbeat off."
Badgerpaw puffed out her chest at her mentor's praise.
"Now, let's uncover our other catches and head back to camp," Brightheart meowed. "It's too wet to practice our tree climbing today."
"Yes, Brightheart," Badgerpaw meowed, her voice muffled through vole fur.
It had been a quarter moon since the battle with ShadowClan. Badgerpaw's scratches had healed - as had Sunpaw's, to his disappointment. The cats of ShadowClan had not made another attempt on ThunderClan land, but they kept their border well-marked. ThunderClan did the same.
It was a miserable gray day, but Badgerpaw refused to complain - even when her fur was heavy with the morning drizzle. She and Brightheart had gone out at dawn to hunt, and had been successful despite the rain. Even the mice and voles had to come out of their holes to search for food, Brightheart had told her apprentice.
On the way back to camp, mentor and apprentice continually found more of their catches. Soon their jaws were full, and they padded back to camp with their heads held high.
Once back in camp, they deposited their kills onto the pile. "Bring something to Mousefur and Longtail," Brightheart instructed, "then you can take something for yourself. Well done today, Badgerpaw."
"Thanks, Brightheart!" Badgerpaw mewed. She dipped her head to take a blackbird to the elders, but then a voice rang through the hollow.
"Dog attack! Dog attack!"
Whitewing burst through the thorn tunnel and skidded to a halt in front of Highledge. "Dog attack!" she yowled again.
Badgerpaw immediately looked to her mentor. Brightheart bristled furiously, her tail lashing and ears flattening.
Cats filled the clearing, staring wildly around with claws unsheathed.
"Are they near the nursery?" Hazelpaw called.
"Where are they?" Ferncloud demanded in a trembling voice.
"It's just like the badger attack!" wailed Daisy.
Firestar leaped down from Highledge in one bound, Sandstorm on his heels. "Where are the dogs?"
Whitewing's words came in gasps as she fought to get her breath back. "They're not on ThunderClan territory," she panted.
"Where are they, then?" Firestar demanded.
"On WindClan territory," Whitewing reported. "I was patrolling with Thornclaw and Cloudtail near the border, and we heard dogs barking and cats shrieking from the moor."
"Where are Thornclaw and Cloudtail now?"
"They went to investigate."
"StarClan protect them," Ferncloud breathed.
Featherpaw and Sunpaw appeared on either side of Badgerpaw, their whiskers brushing hers. "Will Firestar send a patrol?" Sunpaw asked a little too eagerly.
"WindClan could be wiped out!" Featherpaw cried.
Cinderpelt limped out from the medicine den. "Any injuries?"
Whitewing shook her head. "We didn't see WindClan; w-we just heard them screeching, and the dogs…" Her ears twitched. "They were howling for blood."
Firestar raised his chin and took in a deep breath. "We must send a patrol to help WindClan," he decided.
Spiderleg spluttered, "Have you forgotten the last time we fought dogs?"
"We lost warriors that day," Sandstorm remembered grimly.
Firestar glanced at Brightheart. "What do you think?" he asked gently.
"We nearly lost everything when the dogs attacked us." She held her head high, but Badgerpaw could see that her mentor was trembling. "We can't let the same thing happen to WindClan."
"But if we go, we might risk leading them here," Dustpelt pointed out.
"They might find their way here anyway," Firestar meowed.
Brambleclaw nodded. "WindClan territory is too close to our own to ignore this," he agreed.
"Exactly." Firestar gazed at each of his warriors. "You will be risking your lives to save WindClan, but you will also be defending ThunderClan from a deadly enemy.
"We must help them!" Birchfall called.
Spiderleg paced in an agitated circle. "We have to drive the dogs away!"
Badgerpaw clawed at the ground.
"Ashfur! Graystripe!" Brambleclaw called. "You've fought dogs before. I'll need your experience. Sorreltail and Birchfall! You come too. Millie!" He swung his head toward the kittypet. "You know about dogs from when you lived in the Twolegplace, don't you?"
Millie nodded. "They don't scare me," she meowed. "And I know how easy they are to trick."
"Good." Brambleclaw nodded. "Come with us, then." He turned to his apprentice. "You too, Berrypaw."
Berrypaw unsheathed his claws, his eyes shining.
"Shall I come too?" Whitewing meowed.
"Yes. We'll need you to show us which way Thornclaw and Cloudtail went," the deputy told her.
"What about us?" Sunpaw stood forward. Badgerpaw looked up at her father hopefully.
Brambleclaw sized up the two. "Badgerpaw, Featherpaw, you're with us," he meowed. Sunpaw and Featherpaw's whiskers drooped. "Sunpaw, I need you to stay here and help Brackenfur guard the camp," Brambleclaw explained. "Someone will have to patrol the entrance and make sure no dogs get in if we can't stop them at the border."
Sunpaw looked like he wanted to argue, but he dipped his head. "Yes, Brambleclaw."
Brambleclaw glanced at Firestar. "Will Onestar accept our help?"
"I think so. Onestar's proud, but he's no fool," Firestar meowed.
Ferncloud left the nursery and padded toward her brother. They rubbed cheeks and exchanged a few words. In that time, Sunpaw turned to his littermates.
"We'll be careful," Badgerpaw promised before he could say anything.
"I was going to say, don't have too much fun without me, but that too," Sunpaw purred. He pressed his muzzle to Badgerpaw's, then Featherpaw's.
Then it was time to go. Brambleclaw raced toward the entrance. Ashfur spun and pelted after him, falling in behind Graystripe and Millie. Birchfall and Sorreltail dashed after them, and Badgerpaw followed, her pelt brushing Featherpaw's and Berrypaw's.
The patrol pounded out of the camp, picking up speed as it headed up the slope toward the WindClan border. Would they get there in time? What if the dogs were already at the border? Images of vicious fangs flashed in Badgerpaw's mind, making her tail tremble. She unsheathed her claws and pushed harder against the sodden earth.
Her pelt was plastered against her skin by the time they reached the border. She scanned the moorland as the patrol streamed up into WindClan's territory, but the wind drove the rain into her eyes.
A distant howl ripped the air.
A panicked meowed shrieked from over the heather. "We have to lead them away from the camp!"
"This way!" Whitewing called, taking the lead. Badgerpaw could smell Thornclaw's scent on the heather as they charged up the moor.
Berrypaw pulled ahead of her, his drenched cream fur bristling into spines. Badgerpaw lengthened her stride. The springy grass beneath her paws made it easy to speed along between the gorse thickets. Ahead she could see Brambleclaw's powerful shoulders rise and fall as the warrior bounded through the dripping heather.
A shaggy-haired black-and-white shape streaked across the grass ahead. It sped swiftly over the rough moorland, yelping and snarling. Two cats fled only tail-lengths ahead of its snapping jaws. Badgerpaw recognized the black pelt of Crowfeather and the brown pelt of his apprentice, Heatherpaw, just beside him.
"They're leading it away from the camp," Brambleclaw realized. He skidded to a half and the patrol pulled up beside him. Badgerpaw dug her claws into the earth and slammed to a stop.
A second dog was pelting in the other direction, its shoulders pumping as his sped across the grass. Two more WindClan warriors - one black, one light brown - swerved out from the heather ahead of it. The dog spotted them and chased them down a rock-strewn slope. Its eyes flashed with triumph, and its yelps grew higher pitched as it began to catch up.
Suddenly Thornclaw and Cloudtail darted out from the rocks at the foot of the slope. They raced side by side up the hillside, past the two WindClan cats. Badgerpaw stared in shock. They were heading straight for the dog!
The dog's eyes gleamed as they drew nearer. Then they parted, like a stream breaking around a rock. The dog twisted and lunged toward Thornclaw. Badgerpaw heard Whitewing gasp in terror as its jaws closed only an inch from Thornclaw's flank. The ThunderClan warrior ducked into a narrow crack between the rocks and left the dog spinning in confusion as the WindClan cats and Cloudtail raced away from it.
"I told you dogs were dumb," Millie growled. "They can think of only one thing at a time."
"Then let's give them as much to think about as we can!" Brambleclaw decided.
Together, the patrol forged a plan. They split up: Graystripe and Millie headed for the WindClan camp. Brambleclaw, Berrypaw, and Sorreltail went to help Nightcloud and Owlwhisker. Ashfur, Birchfall, Featherpaw, and Badgerpaw wend to help Crowfeather and Heatherpaw.
Ashfur led the way. Badgerpaw pelted after the gray warrior, her pelt brushing Featherpaw's. Her heart was hammering like a woodpecker.
The two WindClan cats were still keeping the dog away from the camp, their paws sending up clumps of moss as they skimmed over the wet grass. The dog pounded after them, but they swerved one way and then the other, sending it skidding off course long enough to pull ahead for a while.
They must be exhausted, Badgerpaw thought, pushing on as fast as she could.
"Crowfeather!" Ashfur yowled to the WIndClan warrior as he cut across their path.
Crowfeather stared in surprise.
"We've come to help!" Birchfall called. Heatherpaw jerked her head to look at the ThunderClan patrol and stumbled. A rabbit hole had caught her paw, and she crashed to the ground. The ThunderClan cats gasped with horror as the dog swung toward her.
Without thinking, Badgerpaw raced for the WindClan apprentice. Crowfeather, too, had turned on his heels and was heading back to help. Birchfall and Featherpaw sped after Badgerpaw. Ashfur yowled a battle cry and joined the chase.
Heatherpaw struggled to her paws and began to run, but the dog was nearly on top of her. Badgerpaw could think of nothing else to do: she launched herself at the WindClan apprentice, paws sheathed, to push her out of the way.
Heatherpaw stumbled, skidding in the rain, but landed far enough away. Badgerpaw felt a shadow loom over her, and she braced herself for snapping jaws -
Then there was a battle cry - Featherpaw's! - and the shadow vanished.
Badgerpaw dared to look, and saw that her brother had leapt onto the dog's back and latched on with his claws. The dog tried to shake him off, but Featherpaw would not let go. As the dog leaned forward and shook, Featherpaw flashed out a paw and slashed it across the muzzle. The dog reared back and howled with pain as blood spurted from the wound.
Featherpaw's face was contorted with rage, and his eyes were alight with the gleam of battle. Shocked, Badgerpaw could hardly tear her eyes away from the sight, even as the other cats joined in the attack on the dog.
Heatherpaw skirted behind the dog and slashed at its hind legs, Ashfur reared up and raked his claws against its muzzle, Crowfeather clawed its flank - the dog could hardly react to every attack at once. Its head swung around rapidly, flecks of blood and foam spitting from its jaws. Badgerpaw joined the fight, leaping with claws outstretched and grabbing onto its hindquarters.
Slowly, the snarls of anger changed into agonized whimpers. Eventually the dog surrendered, and it turned tail and fled.
Featherpaw began to give chase, but Ashfur called him back. "I think it's had enough!"
Featherpaw skidded to a halt as the massive dog howled away from its attackers. Where was the other dog? Badgerpaw wondered. She glanced around and saw with a thrill that it was already racing away into the heather. It spattered the bushes with blood as it hurried to catch up to its companion.
Graystripe padded out from the gorse, his fur hanging out in clump and one ear stained with blood, but his eyes shining. Millie emerged beside him, followed by Tornear and Harepaw.
"Where's Brambleclaw?" Ashfur called.
"Here!" Brambleclaw's deep mew sounded from the heather on the slope above them. He bounded out from the springy bushes. Sorreltail, Berrypaw, Nightcloud, and Owlwhisker followed.
"WindClan owe you a debt of thanks," Crowfeather meowed formally.
Brambleclaw dipped his head. "May we accompany you back to the camp? I want to be sure that all's well there."
Crowfeather nodded. "Follow us," he meowed, turning and heading away over the grass.
Badgerpaw and Featherpaw padded side by side as they followed the warriors back to the WindClan camp. The rain was beginning to ease, but Badgerpaw could still feel water running along her whiskers.
"Are you okay?" Badgerpaw asked.
Featherpaw glanced at her. His eyes were still gleaming. "I'm fine. You?"
"Fine, thanks to you," she mewed, nudging him. "You saved me."
"You saved us both," Heatherpaw interjected from behind. The two ThunderClan apprentices turned their heads. Heatherpaw's soft gaze was grateful. "Thanks."
Featherpaw licked at his chest fur self-consciously. Badgerpaw purred with amusement. Same old Featherpaw.
"We're here," Heatherpaw meowed.
Gorse and heather interlaced with pricking brambles formed a warrior around a dip in the earth. Badgerpaw followed the warriors as they wove their way through a complicated tunnel. Suddenly they emerged in a clearing open to the gray sky; around its edge, Badgerpaw saw tunnels leading into the thick hedge, and she guessed that was where the dens were hidden.
As the patrol entered the camp, faces peered from the dens, and cats began to creep out into the open. A kit squealed, its tiny cry filled with fear.
"Hush, Buzzardkit," a queen soothed from somewhere deep inside the brambles.
Onestar slid out from a tunnel near to where the kit was still mewling.
"We chased them off," Turner reported.
"Good," Onestar meowed.
"How are the kits?" Crowfeather asked.
"Frightened, but they'll recover," Onestar answered.
More WIndClan cats began to emerge. Badgerpaw recognized some from the Gathering. They stared warily at the ThunderClan cats.
"Firestar sent a patrol to help," Crowfeather told Onestar.
The WindClan leader let his gaze slide over the ThunderClan cats. "WindClan thank you," he meowed, dipping his head.
"We heard the dogs from the border," Brambleclaw explained. "I hope you will forgive our crossing the markers, but we were not sure how many dogs threatened you."
"Fortunately we knew they were coming, thanks to Barkface." Onestar nodded to the brown medicine cat. "StarClan warned him, and we had a plan ready to draw them away from the camp."
"Your plan was working," Brambleclaw meowed.
"But we could never have chased off the dogs without you," Heatherpaw put in. "The dogs were faster than I ever imagined." She glanced at the ThunderClan cats. "Badgerpaw pushed me out of the way of one - and Featherpaw saved us both."
"Is that the kittypet?" A brown kit had crept out of the tunnel behind Onestar. She stared at Millie with round eyes. The other Clan cats turned to look at Millie with mistrustful expressions.
"I'm training to be a warrior now," Millie told the little cat.
"But you can't ever be a real w-"
A mottled tabby queen hurried out of the tunnel. "Sedgekit, come away," she called. "You'll get wet out here."
Sedgekit glared at her mother and stomped back inside.
"We should go," Brambleclaw meowed. He dipped his head to Onestar. "Those dogs won't dare come near this part of your territory again."
Brambleclaw turned and headed out of the camp. The rest of the patrol filed after him.
I'll sleep well tonight, Badgerpaw thought.
"Sunpaw will want to know about the battle," Featherpaw meowed, as though reading Badgerpaw's mind. She suppressed a groan; talking was the last thing she wanted to do. "I can tell him."
"Don't leave any of the good stuff out," Badgerpaw purred gratefully. "And don't downplay what you did!"
"That was truly amazing, Featherpaw," Birchfall commented over his shoulder. "Brambleclaw, you should have seen it! He just - leapt onto the dog - and wouldn't let go, no matter what! He flicked out a paw, and slash, right on the muzzle! He saved both Heatherpaw and Badgerpaw!"
"It was very dangerous," Ashfur growled. He tilted his head. "But it was incredibly brave."
"I'll bet Heatherpaw is going to tell that story to her kits," Birchfall purred. "You're going to be a WindClan legend, Featherpaw!"
Featherpaw's head picked up, his ears pricked. "You think so?" he asked. There was a thoughtful look in his gaze.
Birchfall nattered on for the rest of the trek back to camp. Upon arrival, the patrol was greeted with anxious mews.
"What happened?"
"Are the dogs gone?"
"Are you okay?"
Cinderpelt limped toward them. "Let me see any injuries," she demanded.
Firestar bounded down from Highledge and approached his deputy. "Were you successful?" he asked.
As Brambleclaw launched into the story, Cinderpelt checked Badgerpaw over. Badgerpaw could hardly stay on her paws. Her eyes were drooping as Cinderpelt nosed her flank.
"A little mud, but nothing more," Cinderpelt reported. "Give yourself a good wash, and if you see any scratches, come see me."
"Thank you," Badgerpaw meowed drowsily. Cinderpelt nodded and limped over to her next patient.
Sunpaw rushed up to his littermates. "Tell me everything!" he begged.
"Why don't I let Featherpaw tell you? I could fall asleep standing up," Badgerpaw sighed. Sunpaw's tail slapped against the earth.
"Oh. Okay." He turned to Featherpaw. "Well? What did you do?"
Featherpaw hesitated, but launched into the story. He started speaking about Brambleclaw's battle plan, and how the group split into three, as Badgerpaw shuffled over to the apprentice den.
Badgerpaw flopped into her nest with a sigh. I never brought that blackbird to Longtail and Mousefur, she thought, and fell asleep.
But then her eyes opened. And with a groan, Badgerpaw realized she was dreaming that strange dream again. She got to her paws, shedding her earthly body and becoming pure starlight. She shuddered and padded out into the clearing, and could barely hold back an enormous gasp.
The clearing was just as she left it. In fact, Cinderpelt was tending to the exact same cat as Badgerpaw remembered. Firestar was speaking to Brambleclaw. Featherpaw was recounting the events to Sunpaw.
Shock made her tail tremble. Badgerpaw had to look down at her paws and confirm that she wasn't still awake. No…no, she was still starry. Badgerpaw looked back at her body in her nest. I'm not…I'm not dead, am I? She peered closely - but no, her body was still breathing.
But this can't be a dream! This is…this is real!
Badgerpaw crouched outside the apprentices' den, staring out at her Clanmates. "StarClan, help me," she murmured. "What's happening?"
NOTES
Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear 'em!
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