Chapter Five

JaggedClan

I've been an apprentice for quite a few moons now. I train every day with Jackalclaw, battle practice, hunting lessons, and patrols take up almost all of my time. But I still have time to spend with Falconpaw.

I feel especially good today. Yesterday I learned new battle moves, and I'm really good at them.

I lay in the sunlight, sharing a shrew with Redpaw, Falconkit and Fallowpaw are sharing a black bird a few tail lengths away.

A patrol abruptly shattered the peace in the camp, barreling in through the entrance, yowling and screeching.

Everycat was on their feet.

"What's going on?"

"Where's Sorrelstar?"

"What's happening?"

"I can't see!"

Sparrowheart, at the head of the patrol, races to Sorrelstar's den. A moment later, they burst from the little sandstone cave.

"JaggedClan are invading!" Sorrelstar yowls.

The clan erupts into yowling, everycat is frightened.

Sorrelstar begins giving orders. "Jackalclaw! You lead the attack patrol! Dragonblaze! You lead the back up patrol!"

Jackalclaw leaps up. "Honeypatch, Falconpaw, Wildpaw, Shadowtail, Appleleaf Redpaw, Mintpaw, Sparrowheart, Foxslash and Royalpelt! You come with me!"

Dragonblaze was issuing orders behind me. "Echostream, Phoenixflower, Fadingecho, Fallingshadow, Bluepaw, Frostfoot, Stoneheart, Mistflight and Fallowpaw! You're on the back up patrol!"

Sorrelstar bounds after Jackalclaw and the rest of his patrol. "Sparrowfeather, Robinflight and Thrushfeather! Go and warn FireClan, NightClan and RoseClan! Every other cat is to stay her and protect the camp if they get this far!" She yowls. "Have no fear!"

It's not long before we can smell the rouge cats of JaggedClan. We weave through the forest and come upon the rouge warriors. "Attack!" Comes the Cry of Jackalclaw, only to be matched by the yowl of Owlstar, the JaggedClan leader. "Leave no cat un-scared!"

The clearing explodes into battle, and the air is rent with the screams of fighting warriors.

I leap at a small tom and strike the back of his hind legs with my paw, hitting the tendon and making him collapse. I jump on top of him and grab his scruff in my teeth, and he scrabbles beneath me.

I let him go and he shoots into the bushes toward Twoleg-Place.

I confront cat after cat and they all flee for the bushes. JaggedClan is being beaten back!

Suddenly I hear a sickening smack. I turn to see Sorrelstar slumped against a tree, a big tabby tom standing over her. Sparrowheart leaps on top of him and rolls him away, but Sorrelstar isn't moving. She's slumped against the tree, lifelessly.

"She's loosing a life," Says a voice behind me. It's Shadowtail. "She'll be okay."

I realize abruptly that there are cats streaming past me.

Owlstar ordered a retreat! I think.

Sorrelstar is stirring now, and my clanmates are crying out in triumph!

"Go back to your Rat hole!"

"That's right, you better run!"

"This is our forest!"

"There will always be four clans in this forest!"

My clanmates regroup and we begin the trek back to camp. My first battle left me with only a nick in my ear, but I'm proud of it. It's a fitting battle scar.

Falconpaw is proud of the cut across his nose, and we're all proud of the way we fought. Sorrelstar says we should be.

I know as I settle down in my nest that night that this wont be the last time I face JaggedClan, but next time, I'll be ready, and I'll be stronger then ever.