Nightpaw woke, suddenly. Tawnyleaf was prodding him frantically with her paw. "ShadowClan are attacking!" she yowled, sounding terrified.
Nightpaw leapt to his feet and raced into the camp. It was a mass of screeching, writhing cats. Behind him, his denmates spilled out of their den and stared, wide-eyed at the furious battle.
"Don't just stand there, do something!" screeched Tigerflower, as she rolled past battling with a huge dark brown tabby.
"Redfoot," hissed Rosepaw, as she leaped forward to help. Nightpaw looked around for Tawnyleaf, but as he did, he spotted Darkstar and Hawktalon in a furious tussle with Foxtail, just outside the nursery. They had the ginger deputy pinned to the ground, and as Nightpaw watched, Hawktalon bit down furiously on his tail. Foxtail let out a screech of pain.
They're going to kill him! Nightpaw thought desperately to himself. Before he knew what he was doing, he had crossed the hollow in a few desperate bounds and flung himself right on top of the ShadowClan leader's back. Darkstar screeched in shock and pain, and tried to roll over onto his back. Suddenly, Nightpaw felt a sort of calm wash over him. This was just like training. He knew exactly what to do.
He leapt off Darkstar's back just as the black warrior was about to roll over, and landed perfectly on his soft, unprotected underbelly. He clawed with all his might, but Darkstar was stronger and more experienced. Using his hindpaws, he expertly flipped Nightpaw off him, and streaked away, back towards the centre of the battle. Nightpaw ran after him, only to be cut off by Batslash, the ShadowClan deputy.
"What's a little kit like you doing so far from the nursery?" he growled, his amber eyes gleaming with excitement.
He's actually enjoying this, thought Nightpaw to himself. "In ThunderClan we fight with claws, not words!" he hissed, leaping at the huge, dark brown tom. He had managed to take the larger cat by surprise, but Batslash was one of the best fighters in the forest. Nightpaw managed to give him few scratches, but before he knew which way was up the dark brown warrior had flipped him over and slammed him to the ground, pressing his nose into the dirt.
"Like that, kit?" Batslash hissed in Nightpaw's ear. His next sentence was cut off by a furious yowl. Batslash's weight vanished. Nightpaw scrambled to his feet, and looked around wildly for his saviour. He caught a glimpse of silver-blue fur and realised that Icestar herself had slammed into the ShadowClan deputy's side and was now clawing him furiously while he squealed like a kit.
Next to Icestar, Darkfoot was battling Bloodclaw. Nightpaw had started forward to help, when he noticed something strange. As Darkfoot raised a forepaw to swipe at the dark ginger warrior, Nightpaw saw that his claws were sheathed. However, he had no time to consider this, as a small ginger shape slammed into his side, knocking the wind out of him. He recognised the light blue eyes of Heartpaw, before she started scratching and clawing him for all she was worth. Luckily, she had positioned herself badly, and so it was easy for him to roll over and leap behind her. He bit down hard on her tail, which was enough to send her shrieking through the bracken tunnel.
"Retreat!" called a deep voice, and Nightpaw saw Darkstar yowling to his warriors. The remaining ShadowClan cats streaked out of the camp and into the forest. The only enemy cat that was left in the clearing was Batslash, who was still being mercilessly pummelled by Icestar. "And don't... come... back... again!" she screeched, landing a vicious blow in between each word, before finally letting the battered tom pelt after his Clanmates, his eyes wide with fright.
The battered warriors gathered automatically around the Highrock. Icestar was bleeding from a deep gash on her shoulder, and she had scratch marks across her back. However, she still seemed strong enough to clamber up to Highledge and gaze down proudly at her Clan. "You fought well," she meowed. "If they thought ThunderClan was a push-over, we certainly proved them wrong tonight. All injured cats, go and see Goldmist immediately, and then get some sleep. We can sort out patrols and so on in the morning."
"Icestar, I really do insist –" Goldmist began.
"There are cats that are much worse off than me, Goldmist," Icestar interrupted. "I insist that you see to them first." She backed into her den and disappeared from sight.
"Let's go and see Goldmist," Silverpaw mewed, touching her nose to Nightpaw's shoulder. She was bleeding from one ear, and there was a scratch on her cheek, but her eyes were shining with pride. The two apprentices walked towards the medicine cat's den, to be greeted by a long line of cats all waiting to have their wounds treated. Snowpetal looked the worst; her white fur was coated with dust and dried blood, and she was cradling a twisted paw.
Through the bramble screen, Nightpaw could see Goldmist bent over Foxtail, her green eyes narrowed in concentration. Firedbird, his sister, was standing next to her, her tail flicking with anxiety. Foxtail was a bloody heap, groaning slightly as Goldmist prodded him with her nose.
If Foxtail was that badly injured, what could it mean for ThunderClan? Would they have to appoint a new deputy? What if Foxtail never recovered?
By the following evening, Nightpaw was exhausted. He had been on two patrols along the ShadowClan border remarking it, and he had just returned from his third hunting patrol that day. Quite a few cats were seriously injured, which meant that the healthy cats had to work twice as hard to keep the Clan running. Foxtail was still in Goldmist's den with numerous deep wounds and a broken toe, so patrols were being organised between Bluefire and Whiterock. Nightpaw had just settled down to enjoy a well-earned vole with Nettlepaw, when Icestar announced a Clan meeting. The two apprentices dragged themselves to their feet, and settled beaneath the Highledge.
"I'm sure many of you realize that Foxtail will be unable to continue his duties as a deputy for at least a couple of moons. In his place, I would like to appoint a cat to perform his duties for him while he is unable to," Icestar began. "The temporary deputy will be Darkfoot."
There was silence in the hollow. Every cat was shocked. A few even let out audible gasps. Darkfoot stood up, hardly bothering to disguise the greedy grin on his face. "Thank you Icestar," he meowed. "I will be sure to serve my Clan as best I can."
"Good," Icestar replied, looking down at her brother. "You can start by organising patrols." Icestar disappeared back inside her den, and the Clan started to disperse. Nightpaw saw the three elders, Lostfoot, Blacktail and Stoneclaw whispering urgently to each other as they returned to their den. It seemed that even the elders were worried about Icestar's choice.
Suddenly a vision clouded Nightpaw's mind. In it he was again watching Darkfoot fighting with Bloodclaw. As Darkfoot raised his paw, time seemed to slow, and Nightpaw saw that his claws were definitely sheathed. Yet again, he heard, or rather felt, the dark voice whisper in his ear. 'A time of great change is upon us. Darkness will deceive the narrow-minded, but the night shall speak the truth. The dawn will only come when shadows find their place, and stars return from the sky...'