The cats back at the camp had begun to worry the next morning when Mossface hadn't yet returned. However, Mossface and the group were nearly out of there – they were almost done the hole. And it was their lucky day, because Swifttalon decided that she'd leave them today, so they'd heal up so she'd be able to do it all over. She wouldn't want to kill them – less to torture.
Mossface, Tree, and Feathersong were very close to the top. The cats were on a forty-five degree angle at this point. Mossface's black paws didn't look very different, since they were black. But now, it appeared that Tree's and Feathersong's paws were black as well. Mossface decided to jab her paw at the dirt still to dig. She suddenly saw light. Mossface smiled eagerly – the hole was basically done! Tree and Feathersong dug a little bit more so they could fit cats in it. It was also a good position to put a hole, since there was bush covering it. Mossface was in the den, getting the injured and torn ThunderClan cats towards the hole to escape. Mossface smiled at Rabbitleg as the hobbled tom leaned on her for support, so he could manage getting to the hole.
Three of Swifttalon's kits, Lifelesskit, Deathkit, and Revengekit had already gotten out, and was so happy that they could go home. It appeared that all three of them disliked their mother now, seeing what she was like. Mossface got Rabbitleg out of the hole, while Tree got Redpaw. Ashtalon also had gotten out by himself – the stubborn tom wouldn't dare let anyone help him, since he hated to appear weak. Tree and Mossface got themselves out, and then they soon wondered… where did Feathersong go? A shrill scream sliced through the air, from the hole. From the angle of the tunnel, they were unable to see what had happened, or what was happening. Mossface looked at Tree.
"Get them back to camp – get help from the others." Mossface looked at Rabbitleg, her gaze loving and worried at the same time. She gave him a lick incase she didn't get out of there on time. She went back into the tunnel, a snarl on her face. In the light beam from the smaller hole, lay Feathersong's body, it mauled. Mossface wondered who would do this. A tabby pelt flashed – by the smell, it was a ShadowClan cat. The tom leapt at her, and at that precise moment, Mossface realized who it was.
"Pineclaw!" he only laughed.
"I killed her, and now I'll kill you! After all… you aren't pureblooded." Pineclaw snarled as he tried to slash at her face. He's gotten much better than when I last saw him. Mossface thought. She dodged to avoid the direction of his leap, but Pineclaw spun around, cutting Mossface's foreleg. The three claw marks began to bleed, causing Mossface to wince in pain. Pineclaw laughed again.
"Pfft. Soft, much?" Mossface snarled, and leapt towards him. Pineclaw also dodged, with another chuckle. Mossface only grew angrier and angrier, her eyes beginning to narrow. She charged towards him, rearing on her hind legs. Pineclaw growled back at her. He also reared on his hind legs, attempting to stay balanced. However, Pineclaw had fallen, and Mossface took her chance. The she-cat's forepaws crashed on him, like what had happened when she battled him before, when they had challenged them for territory. Pineclaw grunted as the breath was knocked out of him. However, he spun his head around to bite on Mossface's foreleg.
Mossface growled, her lip curled at the tom, as his teeth sunk deep into her pale ginger foreleg.
"What will make you give up?"
"I'll only give up when you're dead!" Pineclaw growled. He began to tug on her foreleg. Mossface nipped on his sides. She moved one of her forelegs to sit on his throat, while the other one stayed on his stomach area. As blood ran down Mossface's leg onto his neck, Pineclaw hissed, trying to release himself from her grip. Mossface bent down to pick him up by the tom's tabby scruff. She moved her forepaws, and then tossed the warrior into the cave wall. Pineclaw groaned in his pain. Mossface growled at him, her ears flat and her fur bristled. A fear scent finally began to trickle from Pineclaw. His fur bristled; the tom slunk away, back into the darkness, going into the main cave. Mossface darted for the cave – she knew that he'd tell the rest of the cats. She began to run, some of the guards running after her. However, once she was in the undergrowth, she lost them.
How stupid is it to only have ShadowClan cats for guards? Mossface thought. She soon continued her way back to camp.
The she-cat was welcomed by warm cheers from her clanmates. Mossface couldn't help but feel like a hero – except for the fact that Feathersong wasn't able to return with them. Rabbitleg's bent leg had been ripped off by Swifttalon, but he was glad that he didn't have to lug it around anymore. The tom padded over to the ginger she-cat, and gave her a gentle, yet affectionate, lick on the ear. Mossface purred gently, and soon saw her white leader padding over to her.
"Mossface, I have to thank you," she smiled. "You got us back the clan." Flowerstar continued to smile proudly at the she-cat, but it soon faded. "However, it was a foolish idea." Mossface felt her jaw drop.
"Foolish? But why?" Flowerstar's eyes narrowed.
"You should have waited for the rest of us, instead of getting them by yourself – you and the others could have died."
"That's why I went – I didn't want my clanmates to die! And by the looks of it when I got there – they were pretty close." Mossface meowed. The leader only sighed.
"You are honored for your bravery, Mossface, no matter how poor your judgment is." Without waiting for a reply, Flowerstar spun around, to go talk to her deputy about a few things. Mossface only snorted in her reply, her tail flicking her annoyance. The pale ginger she-cat went into the warriors den, and then remembered about Tree.
"Flowerstar, wait!" Mossface called for the amber-eyed leader, the she-cat forcing her chest out to look stronger, yet Mossface was quite nervous. She spun her head around to look at Tree, who was waiting by the camp entrance, poking in his head to see what Mossface was going to do next. Flowerstar padded up towards Mossface, looking rather annoyed with the warrior.
"What is it?" she asked, sitting herself down. Flowerstar could tell by Mossface's posture that the conversation was going to be long. Mossface looked away from Tree's direction, flicking her tail to motion him to enter the camp. Flowerstar could see worry flicker in her eyes when she saw Tree, still smelling like rouge, entering the camp so nervously instead of viciously.
"Flowerstar, this tom is Tree. He was the one who helped us get out of the tunnel where Swifttalon was keeping us. If he goes back, Flowerstar, he'll most likely be sent straight to torture or death without mercy. We, me and Tree, were hoping you'd allow him into the clan." Mossface meowed to her leader, slightly afraid for her leader's answer. What if the she-cat would snap at her? She wasn't exactly sure. Mossface saw a thoughtful look cross the leader's eyes, before she made her reply.
"Fine." Flowerstar meowed simply. She looked at Tree. "You may have to share with Mossface, or sleep without a nest. It's too late to go out to get you bedding right now. We'll also have a naming ceremony tomorrow." The she-cat nodded her head, her glance welcoming to the new ThunderClan warrior. Tree smiled a toothy grin. Mossface nodded her head back at Flowerstar.
"Thank you." She meowed, and Flowerstar padded away, vanishing into the dark space inside her den. Mossface flicked her tail again, and then went towards the warriors den, to go show Tree where he'd be staying.
"And this is where you'll sleep for tonight." Mossface meowed, patting her paw down on the dirty den floor. Tree smiled, still having that silly grin on his face.
"Thanks." He said, and the tabby lay himself down, and quickly fell to sleep. Mossface nodded, and walked out of the den. She decided to get Rabbitleg and herself some prey before wanting to go lie with Rabbitleg.
He looked up at her when he saw her slim feminine shape appear at the entrance of the den. Rabbitleg smiled when Mossface came over to his side, and soon she lay in her nest. It was getting quite late at night – it was possibly morning already. Mossface looked over to where the torn scar was on Rabbitleg, where Swifttalon had ripped off his leg. The she-cat soon divided the prey between the two of them, her eyes travelling back to his scar. However, the she-cat was quite uncertain that Swifttalon's scare was over…
Back at the tunnel where Swifttalon and the rest of her rouges and other cats stayed, the she-cat paced back and forth. It appeared that ever since ThunderClan escaped, Swifttalon had been quite more agitated that she had been before. Her growled under her breath, hitting away pebbles and rocks that got in her way. Pineclaw sat by her, his head down.
"You weren't supposed to kill her, you idiot!" she spat, Swifttalon's lip curled in her anger. Pineclaw couldn't help but cringe at her tone of voice. The tom was about to speak, but was cut off. "Sorry won't cut it!" Swifttalon hissed, pushing her face in his. Her soft pink nose almost touched his small dark one. "You were supposed to gain Mossface's trust by letting her go! Not going and killing Feathersong to make her never trust you again! Dark Forest, what in the world was I thinking, letting you go and deal with her?!" Swifttalon pulled away, beginning to pace again, back and forth. Pineclaw couldn't look up from his paws. Fear-scent trickled off of him in small vibes. Swifttalon turned to face him again.
"Is that fear I smell from you, Pineclaw?" Swifttalon meowed, her voice slightly mocking the ShadowClan warrior. She had this strange 'haunting' smile on her face. Pineclaw shook his head quickly, though he knew that the she-cat would know he was lying. Swifttalon chuckled, her claws now becoming unsheathed. She placed the inside of one of her hooked claws, against his throat. She leaned into his ear, her hot breath tickling his ear like a snake as she whispered to him.
"Now, are you scared?" Pineclaw only nodded in his reply, though it was very small. The tom didn't want the claw to hook on his fur. Swifttalon chuckled again, the laugh full of venom and insanity. "Good."
Pineclaw gasped for air, blood swelling from his throat. The tabby's brown fur became tainted red after it became soaked with his own blood. Swifttalon had quickly swiped her claw against his throat, placing as much pressure as she could on the tom before he had fallen over. The she-cat laughed again, seeing the tom's body twitching helplessly. Soon, she saw Pineclaw's chest stop moving up and down, his body frozen. Swifttalon smirked in her blood-thirsty pleasure. The she-cat noticed that she hadn't eaten in quite some time. She looked around, to check that none of her followers were around. Swifttalon ducked down her head towards the dead body of Pineclaw, and began to eat.