AN: Sorry this took so long to get out! I've been rather busy lately with other stuff, and... yeah. Anyways, thanks everyone for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated! :D

Chapter 9

The rogues were back. Icepaw struggled to keep up when she heard the news from Flarepelt herself. A patrol had been ambushed near the bog once again, only this time there were more rogues than ever. They were trying to take over the bog, though Icepaw had a difficult time understanding why they would want it in the first place. It wasn't like hunting was any good around the bog. Prey rarely spent time there because they could get sucked into the mud.

Icepaw was following Seawhisker, Appleheart, Yellowtail and Ashcloud as they led the way. Lightpaw bounded beside her, tail fluffed up and eyes wide with fear. These were the same rogues that had cornered her and tried taking her hostage. Icepaw had no doubt she was remembering that horrible day when the rogues had killed Tanglefur.

"There they are!" Flarepelt's screech echoed through the forest.

Icepaw strained her eyes to see that Flarepelt was right. Among the dark trees were the writhing bodies of cats struggling to get a hold of one another. The rogues were fighting all at once, using all of their energy to take down the small patrol. Icepaw smirked when she realized that Flarepelt had timed their return perfectly.

The rogues will be too exhausted to put up much of a fight, she thought.

She followed Flarepelt into the fray when the rogues realized that another patrol had found them. One of the rogues was the same one that had cornered Lightpaw, and Icepaw made a point to give him a nasty scar or two. Without warning she barreled into him, using all of her strength to knock him over. The rogue let out a startled yowl when he was toppled to the ground.

"Still think it's fun to hurt innocent she-cats?" Icepaw sneered when she placed a paw over his neck.

"Yes!" Pain seared through Icepaw when she felt claws digging into her back. Another rogue had come to the tom's rescue, prying her off to let him go. "You Clan cats think you're so tough just because you had a little training," her attacker sneered.

Icepaw whirled around to see a tortoiseshell she-cat glaring at her. She winced when she noticed the scars along the rogue's muzzle and back.

"We're better because we have a code to follow!" Icepaw spat.

She swiped at the she-cat's vulnerable nose, hoping to drawl blood in the process. The she-cat was quick though, and easily dodged to the side as Icepaw struggled to land a blow. Than Icepaw remembered what Seawhisker had told her during training: "Don't let your enemy tire you out."

With narrowed eyes, Icepaw did just that. She let the rogue do all of the work by letting the rogue make a few blows with unsheathed claws. Despite the pain that Icepaw felt, she continued letting the she-cat attack until she slowed down. Just when it looked like the rogue had an advantage, Icepaw leaped over her and whipped around to give her tail a nasty bite. The rogue let out a screech of surprise before whirling around. Icepaw jumped out of the way just in time to avoid getting clawed in the face.

The rogue cringed in pain when Icepaw managed to swipe claws across her face. Icepaw wasted no time in making sure the rogue remembered her as she pinned the smaller cat to the ground. Her tail flicked from side to side triumphantly when she looked into the rogue's eyes.

"Still think we're weak?" she crowed. The black and white she-cat was about to deal a final blow when she thought better of it. Killing was against the warrior code, even if these were just flea-bitten rogues. Slowly but surely Icepaw released her grip on the rogue, and the young cat squirmed out of reach.

By now the other rogues were retreating from the fight. Flarepelt managed to give the tom that had spoken earlier a good bite on the ear before he fled with his tail between his legs. Icepaw watched with glee as the rogues disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Make sure they're gone!" Flarepelt yowled when the last of the rogues abandoned the battle. Appleheart and Yellowtail bounded into the undergrowth soon after the orders were given. Icepaw's shoulders were still trembling with excitement when she realized that the battle was over. "Anyone who is badly wounded must return to camp immediately," Flarepelt added after the patrols returned to where she was standing.

Icepaw smirked in amusement when she realized that the rogues were gone. The battle may have gone by quickly but she noticed how badly wounded some of the warriors were.

"Are you alright?" Icepaw nearly leaped out of her fur when she heard Bramblepaw speak up. She whirled around to glare at the ginger tom, but instead her gaze dropped in embarrassment.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Just a bit bruised."

"That's good," Bramblepaw murmured. "Those rogues just keep coming back,they don't care about border marks..." His voice trailed off, and for a moment Icepaw was worried that something had happened to him.

"Are you okay?" Icepaw's ears flattened. She knew it sounded strange considering the way she had treated him.

Maybe if I take things slowly... the thought made her heart soar when Bramblepaw's eyes lit up.

"One of those mangy rogues almost tore my ear off," he growled.

"You should get that looked at," Icepaw mewed.

She glanced over her shoulder before sighing in annoyance. Most of the patrol had gathered when Flarepelt called them over. She saw for the first time that the patrols were less injured than they had been in the last fight.

"This isn't the last of those rogues, that much I know," Flarepelt meowed. "You all fought bravely."

Relief washed over Icepaw when Flarepelt led the way back towards camp. She kept glancing over her shoulders to make sure the rogues weren't following them. If the rogues found their camp she had no doubts they would attack. And the Clan would be left in a vulnerable position if that happened.

She bounded after the patrol, eager to get back. Before Flarepelt had announced that the rogues were back she had been cleaning out the elder's den. By now her stomach was rumbling with hunger as she pushed forward.

"You all did wonderfully," Fallenstar purred.

"There were no casualties," Flarepelt reported when she greeted him. "Only a few were injured this time. It seems as though the rogues are testing us."

"I'll need to collect more marigold when this is over," Greenclaw muttered after the patrol was gathered around the clearing. "Anyone who was injured must report to my den immediately!" Icepaw sat back as Bramblepaw and Appleheart padded over to his den. A few of the other warriors stopped by to get their wounds checked over.

"The rogues are behaving strangely," Flarepelt explained when Fallenstar asked her what had happened. "They keep fleeing at the last heartbeat, and they leave us with little injuries." Icepaw leaned forward when she heard those words.

Something about that statement didn't seem right. Rogues fleeing just when the warriors were getting injured. None of it made sense, and Icepaw had a feeling Fallenstar was about to say the same thing. He glanced at Shadefrost, the most senior warrior in the Clan, who seemed to read Icepaw's thoughts.

"They're testing us," she hissed. "Each time they fight us they learn more about our fighting skills. The more they learn, the more powerful they get."

Fallenstar's eyes widened when he realized that Shadefrost was right.

"We need to set guards at the bog!" he announced when the Clan gathered around him. "Make sure that no rogue gets past without clearance. If you see a rogue, send them fleeing back to Twolegplace with their tails between their legs. The Clan will not be safe while they are around."

Icepaw closed her eyes when she realized just how dangerous the situation was getting. Whoever was leading the rogues knew what they were doing. Icepaw had a feeling that this was only the beginning of the rogue's attacks. The leader of the rogue was going to strike back, and he was going to make sure he knew everything about the Clan.