Chapter 24
Silverpaw darted out of the den. Heronpaw was right behind her. She whipped around to face him. His blue eyes were wide with fear.
"Stay by my side or another Frostclan warrior," she ordered. He nodded. Turning back around Silverpaw charged into the fray. Sharknight and Crabclaw had ganged up on Tundrafoot but the grey and white warrior seemed to be handling them pretty well. Lichenheart and Shardclaw were back to back fighting Whaletooth, Dorsalfin, Divetail, and Tidefur. Silverpaw remembered when she had been in the Oceanclan camp. Tidefur had been so nice to her. She had become like a second mother.
Suddenly Tidefur grabbed Lichenheart's paw in her teeth and crushed it between her jaws. All thoughts of her being like another mother vanished. Silverpaw let out a yowl of rage and charged at her. Unsheathing her claws she brought them down her side. Tidefur dropped Lichenheart's paw and stumbled backwards.
"Silverpaw," she gasped. Silverpaw growled at her before clawed her again. Yowling Tidefur turned tail and ran out of camp. Silverpaw grinned as she ran away.
"Silverpaw," she heard Heronpaw's terrified cry and raced to help him. The brown tom was back up against a tree with two full grown cats stalking towards him. Silverpaw recognized them instantly.
"Shellpaw, Krisppaw. Leave him alone," Silverpaw demanded. The two cats whipped around.
"We're not 'paws anymore. I'm Shellfur," Shellfur bragged.
"And I'm Krispleaf," Krispleaf added. Silverpaw narrowed her eyes.
"It's sad really. Even though your warriors you still have to fight cats half your size," Silverpaw taunted them. Shellfur bristled.
"You're not half our size," Krispleaf pointed out. Shellfur nodded. Together the two sprang at her. Silverpaw dodged just in time. They crashed into the ground. Without letting them get up Silverpaw leapt on top of them and sunk her claws into their scruffs. Heronpaw hurried over and bit down on their tails. They let out yowls of pain.
"Do you surrender?" Silverpaw demanded. Before they could answer a pale ginger she-cat barreled into her, knocking her away from the two young warriors. She was joined by a white she-cat. They pinned her down easily.
"Leave my kits alone," the white she-cat growled. Silverpaw recognized her as Pelicanwing. Silverpaw gasped as Snowyowl knocked the she-cat off of her.
"They're pretty wimpy warriors if their mother has to rescue them," he yowled. Pelicanwing let out an angry hiss and attacked him. Silverpaw pushed up against the ginger she-cat. She flew into another Oceanclan warrior that had Stormstep pinned.
"Thanks," the grey warrior mewed before jumping back into battle. Silverpaw charged after him.
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Duskpaw was crouched in the medicine cat den with Twigshade, Paletree, Furledkit, and Bigkit. The battle was going very badly and Maplestar had called Whitefox to fight so they were watching her kits. They were at the back of the cave with huge terrified eyes. Paletree was pacing around the den, her tail lashed with frustration.
"If I wasn't so old I'd be fighting. I'd love to rip some Oceanclan pelt," she growled. Duskpaw didn't pay attention to the white she-cat. She was making bundles of herbs. She would put a small pile of poppy seeds inside some marigold leaves and wrap it all up in Cobwebs. Then she'd give it to Twigshade and he'd go into the battle and give it to the wounded warriors. So far none had been so bad that he had to bring them back to the den.
"Silverpaw got bitten. I need another bundle," Twigshade mewed. Duskpaw threw him one without even looking up. She didn't even react to her sister's name. At the moment the whole clan was her family.
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Snowyowl leapt onto a branch of the White Tree. He crouched down and waited for and unsuspecting Oceanclan warrior to run beneath him. Just then Heronpaw shot beneath him with an Oceanclan warrior at his tail. Snowyowl dropped onto his back.
"Ahhhhhh," the warrior screamed. Snowyowl dug his claws in and bit on his lashing tail. The warrior screeched and ran into the fighting cats with Snowyowl on his back. One of his clanmates rushed over and pulled Snowyowl off. Pinning him down the cat raked its claws over his stomach. Snowyowl gave a powerful heave and flung him off.
Jumping to his feet he saw Creamfoot fighting against three Oceanclan warriors. He ran forward to help but was intercepted by another warrior. Growling in frustration he swiped his claws across the attacker's muzzle. The cat let out a furious screech and clawed at his pelt, ripping out clumps of fur.
Snowyowl grabbed his paw before he could do more damage. Biting down hard he jerked his head downward and slung his opponent to the ground. Putting his paw on his head he slung his head upward and heard the pop of his leg being dislocated. The cat screamed in pain. Snowyowl stepped off of him and let him limb away.
Turning around he looked for someone else to fight. His eyes fell on Tundrafoot. The grey and white tom was battling two warriors. Blood was dripping from a gash that ran down his back. Snowyowl ran forward and tackled the two cats.
"You better go to Twigshade," Snowyowl mewed. Tundrafoot nodded and hurried towards the tabby medicine cat. Snowyowl turned back to the warriors. Sinking his claws into their pelt he bit someone's ear. The other cat shoved him off to help his clanmate. Snowyowl flew back into Silverpaw.
The she-cat was wrestling with a tabby tom. He looked to be an apprentice. Snowyowl rose onto his hind legs so that they were back to back. The two warriors he was fighting advanced.
"I could use some help," Snowyowl mewed.
"If you failed to notice I'm a bit busy," Silverpaw growled. Suddenly Heronpaw leapt on the tabby apprentice. "Never mind," Silverpaw mewed turning to face the other warriors. Letting out a fearsome yowl she jumped on one of them. Snowyowl took on the other.
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Duskpaw looked up from where she was making bundles as Twigshade entered the den. Maplestar was leaning on his shoulder. She was bleeding heavily from a cut on her neck. Duskpaw rushed forward to help. Twigshade laid her down on a bed of moss.
"Paletree," Twigshade snapped. The white elder ran to his side. "You are going to have to take care of the bundles now. Take them to any wounded warriors and tell them to eat the poppy seeds, put the marigold on their wounds, and cover it with the cobwebs. As long as you don't get into any fights it's any easy job," Twigshade mewed. Paletree nodded and grabbed a bundle. Giving Maplestar a worried look she ran out of the den.
Duskpaw grabbed some marigold and began to chew it while Twigshade inspected her for ant more wounds. Applying the herbs to her neck she wrapped it in cobwebs. Paletree thundered back into the den and grabbed another bundle. Duskpaw could see she would run out soon. She turned to the kits.
"Do you remember how I made the bundles?" she asked.
"I think so," Furledkit answered.
"Start making them," Duskpaw ordered. The two young toms immediately began to get to work. Duskpaw turned back to Maplestar. She was gasping for air. Twigshade had placed his paws onto her throat to stop the bleeding. Duskpaw grabbed more cobwebs. Twigshade moved his paws and Duskpaw placed the cobwebs over her neck. It didn't take long for them to be drenched in blood again.
"It's not stopping the blood," she mewed worriedly. Twigshade lashed his tail as he put his paws back over her neck. Suddenly Maplestar took one long shuttering breath then lay still. Her green eyes grew dull and stared ahead. Twigshade pulled his paws back.
"Get the other cobwebs off," he ordered. Duskpaw obeyed. "Put new ones on. She's only losing one life," he mewed. Duskpaw grabbed as big a wad as she could and wrapped it around her leader's neck. They waited in silence for her to return. Before anything happened they heard a yowling from outside.
Duskpaw ran to the entrance of the den to see what was going on. Belugastar was perched in the White Tree. His blue eyes a blaze. The fighting cats topped and looked up at him.
"Maplestar has lost a life. There is no one who can beat me. Oceanclan has won," he yowled. The Oceanclan cats cheered.
"Not yet," a new voice cried. A slender silver she-cat leapt into the tree and knocked Belugastar from his branch. Duskpaw's heart sunk when she recognized Silverpaw.
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Silverpaw sunk her claws into Belugastar's shoulders. The white leader struggled beneath her. He glared up at her.
"Get off you pathetic apprentice," he growled. Silverpaw racked her claws over his muzzle.
"Get out of my clan," she hissed. Belugastar narrowed his eyes.
"If you can defeat me then Oceanclan will leave and the war will be over," Belugastar mewed.
"What if I lose?" she asked.
"Then we take over your clan," Belugastar growled. Silverpaw narrowed her eyes. Should she risk it? Be strong Silverpaw. You can save your clan, a voice mewed in her ear.
"Silverpaw don't do it," Shardclaw ordered. Don't listen Silverpaw. You are stronger than him, the voice insisted. Silverpaw thought for a moment.
"I will fight you," she called. Belugastar grinned. Shoving his hind legs under her he shoved her off.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
A/N:
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. I reached the fifty reviews! Yay. Thanks so much everyone. It really means a lot to me. Please continue the good work. Thanks so much. Oh yeah I'm going to the Lake this weekend. We're coming home Sunday so I'll try to update Monday but I might not be able to. Well thanks so much for reading my story.