Chapter 6

Squirrelflight's P.O.V.

Squirrelflight woke up to find Brambleclaw curled up next to her, asleep. Squirrelflight got up as her tummy rumbled. She quickly went to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a rabbit. She dragged the huge rabbit to the Nursery and laid it down on front of Ferncloud, who was watching Snowkit and Badgerkit play.

"Thank you, Squirrelflight."

"Your welcome. I have one question for you."

"What is it?"

"How did you and Dustpelt get a kit that look like a badger when only you have black stripes and no white?"

"Well, it's not just the parent of the kits, Squirrelflight. It's their um family line. Haven't you noticed that Leafpool doesn't look like your father or your mother?"

"Yes."

"Firestar said she looks like Princess, your aunt."

"Oh, so, it's not just the cats who mate that make the kit, it's both of the parents side of the family?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Ferncloud."

"Your welcome." Ferncloud noticed something and glanced at her belly. "You should go eat. I expect your hungry."

"Yes, I am, but how did you know?"

Ferncloud purred in amusement, which greatly confused Squirrelflight. "No, reason. I can hear your tummy rumbling. Now eat and train Icepaw. She and Foxpaw should be getting their warrior names soon, shouldn't they?"

"Yes, they've been training for about two seasons now."

"Oh, then it should be really soon."

"Yep. Well, bye."

"Bye, Squirrelflight."

Squirrelflight padded over to the fresh-kill pile once more and grabbed a sparrow. She took it to the nettle patch and began eating it. It was hard not to finish it in a few ravenous bites, but she made herself eat it slowly. When she was finished she groomed her pelt, having it been drenched the day before and Squirrelflight had been too tired to groom it, but it had been uncomfortable.

Squirrelflight scented her father coming over to her as she was grooming her fluffy tail. She looked up to see her father's flame-colored pelt shining in the sunlight, and, since he was by her an not in front of the sun, her pelt was shining in the sun as well, making both pelts turn to flame (not literally, but you know what I mean. Their pelts shined like a fiery flame).

"What do you want, daddy?"

"I want you to find Cloudtail and bring Foxpaw and Icepaw to me, so I can test out their skills. Meet me at the lake and we'll patrol the whole territory." He left without another word.

Squirrelflight finished grooming her tail and padded over to the apprentices den. "Icepaw!"

"What?"

"Come out! Firestar wants us on a patrol."

"A patrol?" She came out her pale blue eyes lighting up in excitement. She gave herself a quick wash.

You, me, him , Cloudtail and Foxpaw."

"Are we getting our warrior names?" Icepaw asked in between licks.

"I don't know, but he wanted to test out your skills."

"Okay."

"Where is Foxpaw and Cloudtail?"

"By the training area. Why?"

"We have to go find them and meet Firestar by the lake."

"Why?"

"We're patrolling the borders."

"Wait. Did you say borders?"

"Yep."

"Oh, okay."

"Let's go."

Squirrelflight led Icepaw to the training area and found Foxpaw doing the hunters crouch. She put her tail in front of Icepaw, signaling her to stop. She slid back into the shadows as Cloudtail was saying, "Foxpaw, you need to keep your tail up! How many times do I have to tell you!"

Squirrelflight whispered to Icepaw, "Stay hidden and watch this." Squirrelflight let her speed run through her and she pelted out onto the training hollow. She streaked in front of Cloudtail and Foxpaw and up a tree that hid her, but also had a view.

Cloudtail narrowed his eyes. "What was that?"

"It looked like Firestar." Foxpaw looked like he was trembling and his green eyes were wide.

"Yeah, it did. Firestar is that you?"

Squirrelflight streaked down the tree and hared away in the direction of the camp, but stopped once she saw Icepaw.

"Icepaw, go out there and act like your looking for me. I'll keep this up until they recognize me. Go!" Squirrelflight breathed.

Icepaw nodded and walked out, asking "Cloudtail, Foxpaw, do you know where Squirrelflight is?"

"No, why?"

"I can't find her and Firestar want us to patrol the borders with you two."

"Oh well, I'm sure-" Foxpaw never finished that sentence.

Squirrelflight raced in a blur and up the tree.

Foxpaw jump about a foot in the air. "That thing is back!"

Brambleclaw stepped into the clearing. "What thing?"

"I don't know, but its really freaky."

Squirrelflight hared down the tree and circled them once away behind a bramble bush.

"That!"

Brambleclaw purred in amusement. "There are only two cats that have that colored pelt: Firestar and Squirrelflight."

"Well, I don't know where any of them are. I haven't seen Squirrelflight since this morning nor Firestar."

Squirrelflight crouched, ready to speed her way up to that tree, but then she smelled a scent, she opened her mouth: ShadowClan! She whipped around and saw Russetfur, the ShadowClan deputy.

"Firestar's daughter. Perfect."

Squirrelflight's eyes widened in horror, but then she growled. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"Well, it's common knowledge that cats mistake you for him."

"And?"

"Well, I won't tell you the rest, but either you come with me, or I kill Brambleclaw, Icepaw and all your kin or anything that you hold precious, like Leafpool killed your kits."

Squirrelflight growled. "You're pathetic. A sad excuse for a cat. But I'll come with you." She hung her head.

Russetfur purred. She lunged and clawed Squirrelflight down her side and across her back. Squirrelflight wailed in pain. Russetfur growled and snatched her up by her scruff and pelted to the ShadowClan border. Squirrelflight flinched and screamed at every movement.

"Shut up," Russetfur growled, but Squirrelflight kept screaming her lungs off.

She hoped Firestar or Icepaw or Sandstorm or Leafpool or any of her adopted kit or even Brambleclaw heard her.

Brambleclaw P.O.V.

Brambleclaw woke up to find Squirrelflight not next to him. He got up and went to the fresh-kill pile. He picked a thrush and ate it by the nettle patch. He saw Snowkit and Badgerkit playing and Brambleclaw remembered that they were nearing their sixth moon.

Brambleclaw padded to Firestar's den and called out. He heard a "Enter" and padded in. Brambleclaw dipped his head to Firestar, who had been more of his father than Tigerstar ever was.

"Ah, Brambleclaw, I was just going out. What do you want?"

"I remembered today that Badgerkit and Snowkit are reaching their sixth moon, and I was wondering if you thought about their mentors."

"Yes, I did. In fact, after Foxpaw and Icepaw receive their warrior name, I'll announce their apprenticeship."

"So who are their mentors?"

"For Badgerkit, I thought Icepaw would be good and for Snowpaw, I thought Millie could do it, but then I changed my mind. Millie has never been interested in training warriors or so I hear from Graystripe, so I thought Honeycloud would like an apprentice."

"Good choices. "What is Icepaw's warriors name?"

"Iceheart."

"Foxpaw?"

"Foxtail."

"Good names. That's all. I'll leave you then. Sorry for bothering you. I didn't know you were about to leave."

"No, problem, son."

"Did you just call me 'son'?"

"Yes, you're like a son to me. I basically raised you didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, but I never thought-"

"Brambleclaw, Sandstorm thinks of you as a son too. We basically raised you."

Brambleclaw dipped his head and backed out. He saw Squirrelflight talking to Icepaw and get up and leave with her. He followed them. He kept low and out of sight.

He saw Squirrelflight race out and go in between Cloudtail and Foxpaw before going up a tree in two seconds. Brambleclaw purred quietly.

. "What was that?" He heard Cloudtail meow.

"It looked like Firestar."

Foxpaw was close, very close.

"Yeah, it did. Firestar is that you?"

No, it's not.

Squirrelflight then hared down and went to her hiding spot where Icepaw was. She whispered something to her and Icepaw nodded and walked out with a worried and confused expression on her face. This made Brambleclaw wonder what they were up to.

"Cloudtail, Foxpaw, do you know where Squirrelflight is?" Icepaw asked.

What? She's right behind you!

That's when he knew what they were up to.

"No, why?"

"I can't find her and Firestar want us to patrol the borders with you two."

"Oh well, I'm sure-" Foxpaw never finished that sentence.

Squirrelflight raced up to them in a blur and up the tree.

Foxpaw jump about a foot in the air. "That thing is back!"

Brambleclaw thought this was the best time to make himself known, so he stood up and padded out saying, . "What thing?"

"I don't know, but its really freaky."

A flame-colored blur raced past them and hid behind a bramble bush.

"That!"

Brambleclaw purred in amusement. "There are only two cats that have that colored pelt: Firestar and Squirrelflight."

And I know which one it is.

"Well, I don't know where any of them are. I haven't seen Squirrelflight since this morning nor Firestar."

And I know which one it is.

"Yeah and we thought it was Firestar."

Wrong.

"But he was never that fast. So it has to be Squirrelflight."

Right you are.

Then he heard a wail, a wail he knew so well. Squirrelflight. He froze. Then he went towards the bramble bush and saw Russetfur dragging Squirrelflight and her flinching and screaming at every movement, blood running down her pelt. Russetfur growled but Squirrelflight just kept screaming at the top of her lungs.

Brambleclaw raced back to camp with Foxpaw, Icepaw, and Cloudtail following him.

When he burst into camp, he saw Firestar leaving his den.

"Squirrelflight's been captured!" Brambleclaw shouted.

Every Clan cat looked at him. Firestar, Sandstorm looked up, shocked. They almost lost her once, they couldn't loose her for real. Leafpool's gaze was empty and far away. Brambleclaw guessed she was using their mind-link to find out if she was alive and where she was.

"By who?"

"Russetfur."

The Clan gasped in shock. "So, she's in ShadowClan's camp."

Firestar leaped onto Highledge and yowled. "Cats of ThunderClan. We must save Squirrelflight. For not only is she my daughter, but this is not the will of StarClan. Clans are not supposed to capture other Clan leaders' daughter or a member of a rival Clan. "

ThunderClan yowled in agreement. Squirrelflight was not only like a princess, the Clan leaders' daughter, but she was popular within the Clan and everybody was her friend. She was the fastest, bravest and strongest she-cat they ever knew.

"I will attack ShadowClan's camp myself and get her back. I will take Dustpelt, Icepaw, Foxpaw, Brambleclaw, Graystripe, Lionblaze, Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Honeycloud, Thornclaw, Spiderleg, Hollyleaf, Sorreltail, and Ashfur. The rest of you, guard the camp. We'll be back by moonrise. Brackenfur, your in charge."

The golden brown warrior nodded his head. Firestar led the patrol out of camp, to the border and into ShadowClan territory. Brambleclaw saw Firestar's green eyes burning green fire; he was furious. Brambleclaw shivered. He stalked through the undergrowth to the ShadowClan camp.

Hold on Squirrelflight. We're coming.

Squirrelflight's P.O.V.

Squirrelflight screeched in pain. Her pelt was soaked in blood and her wound hurt like crazy.

Blackstar came to see who was screeching and gasped when he saw what was in front of him.

"Russetfur, what did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know the code! You just shamed ShadowClan! The warrior code says your not allowed to steal/capture another rival warrior. We can take prisoners, yes, but we can't capture them."

"This isn't any warrior. It's Squirrelflight, who's practically a princess."

"You mean that's Firestar's daughter?"

"Yes."

"Russetfur, that's even worse!" Blackstar growled. "For dishonoring the warrior code, you aren't the deputy anymore! Dawncloud, you are the new deputy."

Dawncloud looked shocked nut dipped her head. "I will do my best Blackstar."

Squirrelflight felt another wave of pain course through her and she screamed. After the wave pass, her breathing was ragged.

"Dawncloud, take Squirrelflight to Littlecloud."

The tortoishell warrior nodded her head and gently dragged Squirrelflight to their medicine cat.

Littlecloud gasped when he saw her. "Is that Firestar?"

"No, it's his daughter."

"Squirrelflight?"

"Yeah."

"How did she get in that shape?"

"Russetfur attacked her on her side of the border and captured her," Dawncloud growled.

"What?"

"Yeah, so Blackstar made me deputy."

"Congratulations."

Then Flamepelt padded in and meowed, "Who's the deputy now and what's going on?"

"Dawncloud is the new deputy because Russetfur captured Firestar's daughter on her side of the border."

"Oh, congrats Dawncloud."

"Thanks, do you think you can save her?"

"Save her? Of course we can! This isn't StarClan will. She's got a prophecy to fulfill."

That was all Squirrelflight heard, for she blacked out.