Chapter Four: The Battle Has Begun
I have taken awhile to do this, and I apologize. But like I said, I'm on hiatus.
"Remember, they don't follow the warrior code." The leader reminded her cats, "Now we must search for an entrance." The others nodded, and Sandstar poked around, but it was Falcontalon who found the entrance.
"Over here!" the mottled tom yowled, raising his voice over the commotion. He stood on his hind-legs, near a pile of rocks. Sandstar quickly padded over, eyes filled with excitement. "You found it?" she asked, and he nodded.
The entire battle patrol had gathered around Falcontalon. Walking over to the cliff wall beside it, he shoved part of the pile with his shoulder, revealing a tunnel that was held up by bracken, with moss intertwined. The scent of Berrywing and her patrol drifted into the air.
Falcontalon backed away, as Sandstar stepped forward to investigate. Berrywing and the others were helplessly outnumbered, as could be seen through the tunnel, and the leader sat up, right in front of the entrance.
"I will send two to three of you at once to help them." Sandstar said, "Galestorm, Oakfang?" the she-cat scanned the patrol. The two toms came forth. "You two will go." They nodded, and Sandstar stepped aside. "Quietwhisper, please run back to camp to retrieve Thrushpelt, Meadowsong, and Hawkpaw."
Quietwhisper nodded, and immediately left, darting through the bracken.
Galestorm's tail disappeared into the rogues' camp, and the patrol sat silently, ears pricked. Yelps of surprise came from the rogues as Galestorm and Oakfang appeared in their camp.
Quiet murmurs of agreements boosted Sandstar's confidence. "Alright, everyone follow me through the entrance. You must be as silent as possible!" she hissed quietly, and inched her way through the tunnel. Sandstar guessed that it was a short one, as halfway through the entrance; she saw light.
Letting out a battle cry, Sandstar launched into battle, her Clanmates surging after her, pouring out of the camp entrance.
Cedarpaw raced to help Hawkpaw, and tore a black and white she-cat, called Lilac, away.
Scorchcloud was battling three toms, and Falcontalon rushed over, leaping onto a dark tabby tom, biting and clawing his back.
Oakfang and Thrushpelt were overpowering a white she-cat, whose pelt was becoming splattered in blood. Suddenly, a pale grey tom raced by, attacking Thrushpelt. In a flash, Oakfang was on him, barreling him over.
Featherbreeze was pinned on the ground, a black and white mottled tom over her. Quietwhisper launched onto his back, claws sinking into his flesh. Instantly, Featherbreeze was up and battering Patches' muzzle in a flurry of fierce swipes.
Meadowsong was facing off with a lithe silver she-cat, a sandy rogue at her side. Meadowsong lashed out at Willow, but her attention was diverted as Emerald snapped at her legs. Snarling, the she-cat swiped at the silver she-cat's muzzle, earning a blow to the jaw.
Berrywing pinned the sandy she-cat down, raking her claws down Emerald's underbelly, and Emerald lashed out at Berrywing, slipping out of her grasp.
Sandstar was facing off with a large white tom, the two on their hindlegs. The she-cat clawed his muzzle, and Eagle stopped to shake the blood off. The sandy she-cat lashed out at his ears, nicking one. Eagle snarled, and barreled into the she-cat, knocking her into the cliff wall and began pummeling Sandstar's exposed underbelly. Blood spattered the wall.
Eyes narrowed, the she-cat hissed, and bit down on the tom's foreleg, before ducking and ramming her head into his stomach, winding him. Eagle let out a terrible screech, before tearing away from Sandstar and running off.
A silver she-cat bounded over, a few heads smaller than Sandstar. Her claws were sheathed, blood dripping from many wounds. A few mouse-lengths away, Meadowsong was looking triumphant as she battled a speckled grey she-cat, forcing her to back against the wall of the camp.
Willow looked at Sandstar, "We retreat. Why did you attack us?"
Sandstar found herself surrounded in a semi-circle by rogues, including the she-cat. Chuckling bitterly, the leader of SwiftClan said, "We found your scent deep in our territory."
Willow snorted, "We were preparing for leaf-bare, and we didn't know that foul scent belonged to you."
Hissing and spitting, Sandstar launched herself at Willow, the rogues immediately on her. Willow was coughing as the sandy she-cat pressed down on her throat. Sandstar locked eyes with the rogue, fury blazing in them.
SwiftClan resumed the attack, yowls filling the air again. A few cats came to help Sandstar, fighting off the rogues.
The silver she-cat coughed and hacked, eyes bulging. Sandstar loosened her grip, disgust evident in her eyes as she padded off, the fight resuming.
Willow was lying there, breathing heavily as she recovered from the attack. The rogue then snarled, leaping onto the nearest cat, which was Meadowsong. "You tell your leader that we have retreated, or everyone dies." She hissed, sinking her claws into the she-cat's flesh.
Meadowsong gulped, and Willow let go, padding away and lashing out brutally at Silvermeadow, who was attacking Eagle, Quietwhisper at her side.
The golden she-cat's pelt was now stained in crimson, and she raced off towards Sandstar who was fighting off a dark grey she-cat. "Sandstar! I have a message!" Meadowsong yowled.
Sandstar bit down on Shadow's neck, earning a blow to the muzzle before sprinting over to Meadowsong, blood dripping from many wounds. "Yes?" she asked, as Shadow limped away.
Meadowsong explained what Willow had told her. Sandstar sighed, before scanning the cats for the silver she-cat. Willow was facing off with Falcontalon and Galestorm. She fights well, without 9 lives...
Sandstar walked over to Willow, ears flattened. Willow smirked, leaping away from Falcontalon and coming to a stopping point in front of the sandy she-cat. "Yea?" she said, flicking her tail.
Growling, Sandstar looked calmly down at Willow. "I will agree to leave your… rogues alone if I do not see you in our territory anymore." She said, haughtily. The fighting had stopped, cats still in their battle positions. Willow sat down, tail twitching.
"I will think about your offer. Meet me at the full moon, where you found the scents." The silver she-cat now stood, staring into Sandstar's eyes.
The leader of SwiftClan shook her head, "I have to meet with the other Clans."
"There are more of you?!"
"Yes... why?"
"Never mind, meet me at the next half-moon then."
"I think I can manage that."
"Now leave us."
Sandstar held Willow's gaze for a while, before turning away, "Cats of SwiftClan, return to camp!" The Clan slipped out of the abandoned quarry, taking slightly longer than it had to come in, as they had wounds. Sandstar and Berrywing went last, and they returned to camp.
