A/N: One of the longest chapters I've written, I believe, to make up for the huge update time.
Chapter 18 – Single Combat
At first Duskshadow was overcome with the feeling of foolishness. Alright, I said what needed to be said, but what now? The battle-ready cats would practically trample him in their rush to get to WindClan, and he wouldn't be able to keep up with three legs… or so he thought.
Running at the head of the Clan, beside Ravenwing, was a queer feeling. By all rights Duskshadow should be falling behind with his three legs; his crippled leg slowed him down all the time—but today, with the rest of the Clan running at his heels, he felt alive. Not the dead crippled cat who lay in the medicine cat's den with the bitter smell of herbs in his nose, but the apprentice he had been before he fell from the Sky Oak. He felt invincible.
The sight of the crippled cat keeping up their pace seemed to bolster ThunderClan's resolve; the apprentices were trying to keep up with the warriors' longer legs, but none were complaining. The elders had to stay behind, to watch the camp, but Duskshadow wasn't worried about having the camp attacked while it was defenseless. If they dare invade our camp while we're gone, he vowed, the cowards will have more than just my wrath to deal with. After his speech, all the warriors and apprentices seemed to be connected even more than ever before—and it was mostly his doing. Perhaps he could be a leader…
"Duskshadow, they're already attacking the camp!" Ravenwing yowled. Duskshadow could smell and hear it too: the stench of the crow-food eating rogues, the battle cries of the WindClan warriors, and the scent of spilled blood. "Do we rush right in, or…"
Duskshadow's battle-hardened mind was already planning. "All warriors, go with Ravenwing from the front! The apprentices and I will sneak up behind!" The cats separated themselves, from the older and the younger, and with a nod to Duskshadow, Ravenwing sped away with the warriors at her heels.
Duskshadow went on a different path. He didn't exactly know where the WindClan camp was, but Ravenwing did, and it would be simple matter to follow her and look for a good place to spring an ambush.
"Mousepaw!" The large brown apprentice, not well-suited to his name due to his size, approached him right away. "I want to you run as fast as you can to RiverClan and ShadowClan! Tell their leaders that Dawnstar has moved against WindClan, and they should come there as quickly as they can!"
Mousepaw had a sullen look on his face as he grumbled, "But I'm the oldest apprentice! I want to fight!"
Duskshadow silenced him with a look. "Then run as fast as you can so you can make it back. There'll be plenty of warriors to fight, and there's no point in losing your life in a lost cause. We'll need all the help we can get. And you have the longest legs of all the apprentices, almost a warrior. Think of it as your first warrior mission… Mouseclaw."
The apprentice took a moment to notice, and nodded frantically. "O-okay, Duskshadow! Leave it to me!" He was gone before Duskshadow could blink again.
"Follow me, everyone!" The apprentices did so willingly, excitement in their eyes. They followed Ravenwing's group from farther away, so they could tell where the camp was without stumbling into any of Dawnstar's rogues. Finally Ravenwing and the warriors disappeared into a thicket of heather and gorse—that must have been their entrance.
Duskshadow gathered the cats with a flick of his tail. "We're going to infiltrate from behind the camp," he whispered. "We need a scout to look ahead. Someone small, someone who can blend into the surroundings. Sootpaw?" The gray apprentice brightened up and nodded. "Alright, the rest of you will come with me. Don't wait for orders; if you honestly, truly think something is right to do, do it. Don't waste time dawdling and waiting for my orders—I'm not a leader. Technically, ThunderClan's leaderless, so I'm giving you cats free reign."
The apprentices looked at each other awkwardly. "We know Foxstar's gone, and Dawnstar's not our leader," Sootpaw spoke up. "But even without a leader, we consider you our leader, Duskshadow. You taught us a lot—and me, too. We all stood up to our mentors, and the rogues."
Her short sentences practically touched Duskshadow's heart, that he was reminded that yes, he did actually have one.
Duskshadow shrugged, trying not to let it show that her words were greatly appreciated. "Whatever you think, this is the real thing. You won't have any three-legged cripples running at you; these are full-grown rogues with no whit for the warrior code—"
He was interrupted by a bout of laughing. "Fine, fine, I know what you guys mean. Well, don't screw up. Sootpaw, lead the way!"
--
"So it's Ravenwing, the one-eyed medicine cat, and my fearless ThunderClan warriors," rang out Dawnstar's contemptuous voice. "I'm afraid you're too late. WindClan is defeated."
Duskshadow froze mid-crouch. The battle was over already? There was an awkward silence in the camp. He whispered to the apprentice next to him, "Spread the word to the other apprentices. WindClan has been defeated, and we're the ones that can save them. It'll be a surprise attack." The apprentice nodded, and whispered the words 'spread the word, WindClan defeated, surprise attack'.
They were crouched in the heather that surrounded the camp, and he could now see Dawnstar on the huge rock where the WindClan leader stood upon to address the Clan. Thistlestar, the leader of WindClan, was looking down at his paws with his tail limp, as if in shame. Ravenwing stood proud and defiant, though the ThunderClan warriors seemed less confident. "We've come to retake WindClan from your evil clutches," Ravenwing yowled.
"Oh? I outnumber your cats, at least three to one. You haven't brought my sweet brother, I see. Well, ever since he lost his leg, he has seemed the coward." Dawnstar shrugged. "Tiger! Come out and show this medicine cat to her proper place."
From the crowd of rogues, one massive ginger-brown tabby stepped out. He didn't really resemble the legendary cats of TigerClan, except for his ginger fur and tabby stripes, but the scars upon his pelt and his confident amber eyes attested to his strength. Ravenwing blinked, and unsheathed her claws. "I won't fight a lowly rogue when I can challenge you, Dawnstar," Ravenwing snarled. "Single combat. If I win, you have to leave ThunderClan with your rogues, and leave the Clans around the lake alone. If you don't agree—"
Before she could finish, Dawnstar flicked her tail, and the huge tabby named Tiger pounced with claws unsheathed and fangs bared. Ravenwing dropped and rolled away at the last second; Tiger's claws missed her face by a mouse-length. Was that surprise that showed on Dawnstar's face for half a heartbeat?
Duskshadow bristled as instinct urged him to run out and take his sister from the back, but Stormclaw's lectures stopped him again. Is there any honor in taking an enemy from the back? Stormclaw would say.
I'd rather scrap my honor and be done with all of this! What is one cat's death compared to tens of brave warriors' lives being wasted? All the same, Duskshadow signaled his apprentices to stay put. He had confidence in Ravenwing's ability, and it was about time the Clan learned it.
The rogues surrounded the two snarling cats to prevent any ThunderClan warriors from interfering. Tiger was different from one-half of the rogues; he was a fighter, having honed his skills from the streets of a faraway Twolegplace and from the lands that were harsh to cats not belonging to any Clan. Ravenwing's blind eye was well-known throughout the rogues, and it was obvious that the tabby was trying to take advantage of it—just as Duskshadow had first done. Only this time, Tiger didn't have Duskshadow's crippled leg.
For the first few minutes nothing changed: they spat ferociously, flew at each other to try and tear the other's fur. But as time dragged on, the battle's effects could be seen in both cats; Tiger was considerably slower, and he had given up snarls to save his energy to dodge Ravenwing's blows. Ravenwing was even worse off—her wounds were bleeding, and her blows seemed to bounce right off Tiger. Come on, you can do it! Duskshadow urged silently.
Finally, after an eternity of spitting and hissing, the two cats sprang apart, panting furiously. They were both bleeding, torn and tired—but none of the rogues, and Dawnstar, seemed willing to call it a draw. It was to the death. Duskshadow made up his mind: Okay, the little medicine cat couldn't cut it. I'll run in and try to kill Dawnstar from the back—
There were countless drumming pawsteps as a mixed force of ShadowClan and RiverClan emerged from the heather with Mousepaw leading them. There was nothing half so pleasurable a feeling that Duskshadow got from the look on Dawnstar's face.
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A/N: Okay, a teensy little cliffhanger thing. Ravenwing practically lost, because if she won this one, she would attain the title of 'Mary Sue'. Please read and review; thanks a lot you guys!