"Wake up!" Mossclaw's voice rang out in the den. "It's got to be around sunhigh!"
Mottledsong and Ghostface stood and stretched. Thunderpaw remained laying down. "Come on, Thunderpaw, you can't sleep forever." Mossclaw said, padding over and placing his paw on her side.
The apprentice groaned and coughed, "I don't feel so good…" Mossclaw felt her face and pads.
"You're burning up, Thunderpaw." Mossclaw said. Mottledsong padded over and inspected her apprentice.
"Can you walk?" She asked, her voice filled with concern. Ghostface stepped closer. Her eyes and nose were running.
She let out a dry cough again and pulled herself up slowly. "Yeah. I'm just… really hungry." When she said this, Ghostface's stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten since before he had been captured.
"Yeah, me too. Perhaps we should hunt first." Ghostface said.
Mossclaw nodded and said, "But one of us should stay with Thunderpaw."
"I will." Mottledsong said. She remained crouched over her apprentice as the two toms padded out of the badger den. Ghostface squinted. It was still raining, but it had slowed to a drizzle. The sky was gray with clouds and they seemed to be in the middle of swampy marsh. Reeds spread about everywhere and puddles seemed unavoidable.
"The stream seems to have gone down a bit." Said Mossclaw, gazing down. It was still flooded, but it did seem to have receded a bit.
The soaked ground buried most scents of prey. Ghostface padded into the reeds that clustered on a small rise of ground, where most of the water seems to not have reached. He heard Mossclaw pad off. Ghostface paused, listening for any sign of prey. A gentle wind blew, rustling the reeds, but it carried no scent with it.
Suddenly he heard something that wasn't the wind. A strange rustling and digging. Lowering himself into a crouch, the pale cat slowly eased himself deeper into the tall reeds towards the sound. Directly in front of him he saw a flash of gray fur. He paused, perking his ears forward and heard a tiny heart thumping. Slowly, slowly he crept forward towards it and then, with a swift and forceful pounce he killed it. Dropping it on the ground, he saw that it was a vole, small but plump. Burying it in the dead grass, he went off to hunt some more.
After awhile he returned to the badger den with another vole and a mouse. Mossclaw was already back. He had managed to catch two small fish.
Thunderpaw was lying upright, nibbling the fish. Mottledsong was just finishing the last of her fish. Dropping his catch, Ghostface selected a vole and began to eat.
"The clan will be worried by now." Mossclaw said, "And a Marshclan patrol is bound to come by soon."
"Yes, we should leave soon." Mottledsong said.
"I haven't smelled any cats here, but the rain may have washed the scent away." Ghostface said.
"Can you get up?" Mottledsong said to her apprentice.
"Yeah." Thunderpaw slowly stood. Her legs were slightly shaky. Mottledsong rushed to her side and let her lean on her. "Come on, the sooner we get back, the sooner you can see Shrubfoot."
"But I don't need a medicine cat, I'm just tired is all." Thunderpaw said. Mottledsong just nodded and licked the top of her apprentices head. Together they padded out of the den, followed by Ghostface and Mossclaw. Though the sun was hidden, they knew it was just past sunhigh. Ghostface let out a sigh, knowing it would take them the rest of the day, if not into tomorrow to get back.
They all walked briskly, taking turns to scout ahead and help Thunderpaw, who stumbled along feebly. The blue-coated apprentice didn't complain at all.
When the sky darkened, the breeze brought with it a familiar scent. "Grassclan! I can smell it! We must not be far!" Thunderpaw called out excitedly, almost tripping as she lifted her head to catch the scent on the breeze.
They all dashed forwards excitedly, the adrenaline giving them energy that they seemed to not have throughout the whole day. The scent seemed to grow stronger and stronger. Ghostface pounded onward, at the lead. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the reeds and grass in around him rustle. He blinked and slowed slightly.
Suddenly two cats leapt out of the vegetation, hissing and blocking the path. Ghostface yowled in surprise and skidded to a halt. Mossclaw and Mottledsong stopped besides him and he felt Thunderpaw slide in behind him.
"Look what we have hear." Hissed the spotted brown she-cat. "Little lost GrassClan kits."
Mossclaw narrowed his eyes and stood up, "Talltree. Let us through."
Ignoring him, Talltree stepped forward, staring at Ghostface. The pale, patched tom wrinkled his nose as he smelled for the first time the musty smell of Marshclan.
"I don't recognize this one. What do you think Rubythroat? What is he? A loner? Is GrassClan clan taking in loners?" Talltree said, referring to the ginger and white tom beside her.
Rubythroat nodded and said, "You're right, Talltree, I don't recognize him either. How… pathetic of poor old Grassclan."
"I'm not a loner and GrassClan is not pathetic. Now just let us through and we'll be on our way. We got swept down the stream during the storm." Ghostface said, his fur beginning to bristle. He felt Mottledsong beside him stiffen and he heard her claws raking the soil.
"I'm afraid we can't do that. You're on our territory. You're our prisoners." Rubythroat said, glaring at them.
All around them the reeds began to rustle, and three more warriors stepped out.
Mottledsong looked around and then let out an angry hiss, lowering her head and lashing her tail. "Don't make me turn the rest of your coat ruby."
"Mottledsong, don't--" Began Mossclaw, trying to calm her before she started a full out battle.
"Was that a threat?" The tom said, a snarl playing on his lips.
"No, it was a promise." Suddenly in an explosion of anger, Mottledsong leapt at Rubythroat. At that all of the cats began to attack each other madly. Hisses and yowls were heard and coats of all colors clashed as they rammed and scratched, bit and kicked. Ghostface's heart began to beat wildly as his mind raced with worry. Could this ragged, tired and lost group hold off these warriors?
Ghostface hardly had time to think about the odds that weighed against them. He hissed as a golden she-cat pounced on him, her claws were digging into his back and he felt her teeth in his shoulder. Twisting around, he managed to rake her side. He spotted Thunderpaw wrestling with a much larger brown tabby tom. Angrily he dislodged his attacker and bound over to the apprentice.
He shot forward, claws extended, and barreled into the cat, knocking him down. Pinning him, he sank his teeth into his neck. The cat yowled and writhed beneath him and with his back legs, threw Ghostface off.
The pale colored tom turned and looked around. The Marshclan warriors were slowly pushing the smaller troop together, surrounding them. They were losing and he saw that Mossclaw and Mottledsong were dead tired and their movements were slow. Thunderpaw was backed against a thick thorny shrub, hissing and swiping at a dark brown tom with darker stripes.
Letting out a mighty yowl, Ghostface ran towards Mossclaw and Mottledsong. "You have to get back to the clan! Get help! I'll watch Thunderpaw!" He shouted. They would all get injured or killed if they continued, and Thunderpaw didn't have the strength to run away. He slashed Talltree's face as she tried to intercept him. She let out a low hiss and backed off, rubbing her face with her front legs.
"Alright." Mossclaw said after a brief pause. "Come on, Mottledsong, They'll be fine." Mossclaw muttered something under his breath that sounded vaguely like, "I hope."
"I can't leave Thunderpaw!" Mottledsong said, planting her legs into the soggy ground.
"This is our only chance, Mottledsong!" Mossclaw said, his voice full of pleading. The she-cat nodded, knowing this was the truth. She gazed back at her apprentice as they dashed off past Talltree, who was still nursing her face. The brown tabby tom from Marshclan yowled and gave chase and all three cats disappeared in the brush.
Ghostface backed up until he was beside Thunderpaw. The apprentice glanced at him, her eyes wide with fear.
"They left us!" She cried.
"Ssshhhhh, they just went to get help. They'll be back." Ghostface said, crouching down as the four cats surrounded them.
Ghostface pressed his bleeding pelt against Thunderpaws. She was panting heavily and her face was plastered with terror.
'What now?' Wondered Ghostface.