Snowpaw wakes up to the sound of yowls and caterwauls outside the den. What is going ON?! I'm trying to sleep, here! thinks to herself. Then she hears Ferntalon calling her name.
"Snowpaw, come on!"
"What's going on?"
"ShadowClan's crossed the border and is stealing our prey!"
A battle!? Immediately Snowpaw is up and running out of the camp with the rest of the chosen warriors and apprentices. The prospect of battling side by side with her siblings is amazing. Shadowpaw is running alongside her in no time with Spottedpaw at his heels. They're a team.
"I can't wait to fight in my first battle!" Spottedpaw meows ecstaticly, her tail twitching with excitement.
"Me either!" Shadowpaw said. Snowpaw is happy to see that Shadowpaw isn't angry with Spottedpaw anymore. They must have talked it over.
Suddenly, snapping out of her trance, she sees fighting cats all around her. She's suddenly scared: She doesn't know any fighting moves! Rowanclaw leaps at her, and she feels claws raking down her side. She falls limp, defeated. Then she feels Rowanclaw leap off her. Spottedpaw and Shadowpaw are doing amazing fighting moves that she never know about. Spottedpaw smiles and says, "Swiftnose knows a lot of awesome fighting moves!"
Snowpaw looks over and gasps. "Look!"
I'm pinned down with Russetfur and Smokefoot on top of me. Russetfur swipes her claws across my nose, and my eyes start to water as blood wells up on my nose. But I can't move. They're too heavy.
"Hold on mom, we're comin'!" Shadowpaw yowls.
But Owlpaw gets in their way with Rowanclaw behind him. They all split up. Snowpaw runs toward me. Shadowpaw leaps on top of Rowanclaw. Spottedpaw hisses and pounces on Owlpaw.
Snowpaw reaches me and stands there not knowing what to do. Then, before she can do anything, Lionpaw lets out a furious hiss and bites Russetfur's tail. She howls in agony, and turns to face him. While Smokefoot is distracted, I roll over and get on top of him. I swipe him across the nose and lock my claw in his ear. "Run!" I yell to Snowpaw. But it's too late. Oakfur and Ivypaw leap on top of her. Soon, though, Spottedpaw and Shadowpaw take care of them. Then I hear Blackstar yowl,"Retreat!"
Firestar and everyone else yowl triumphantly and chase them over the border. Then we turn and see something terrible. Hollypaw is laying on the ground, motionless.