Chapter Eleven: Clash of the Clans
See what I did there ^? *wink wonk*
*[I'M SORRY IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED I READ REVIEWS BUT I JUST- IDK I APOLOGIZE! IF I HAVEN'T ANSWERED MESSAGE ME, AND GUESTS I'LL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS UP HERE. OKAY ENJOY GUYS!]*
Rain dripped down the rough bark of the log that leaned above the apprentices' den, streaming into the bare branches of the shrubbery and soaking into the already-drenched ground.
Heronpaw sighed, and muttered something foul. Birdpaw nudged his side with her shoulder.
"Mosswing would've punished you greatly if you used that kind of language in front of her!" the mottled she-cat reprimanded her littermate with a smirk, before getting to her paws, almost shoving Heronpaw into the wet turf beside him.
He hissed. "Watch it, you fish-brain!"
"Watch your language!" Birdpaw snapped back.
Heronpaw shook his head in exasperation. "Sometimes I don't know how we're related, Birdpaw."
The she-cat shushed him quickly, staring at someone. He turned to see Shorepaw glaring fiercely at him. Spiderpaw was still asleep.
"Next time you talk, why not be a little louder, Heronpaw?" The white she-cat spat as she stalked out of the den.
Birdpaw shot her littermate a smug look.
"Shut up." Heronpaw scowled, and shot into the camp, almost face-planting into the mud as rain slid down his pelt and slicked his pads. He resisted the urge to turn around, and hurried towards the fresh-kill pile.
I didn't eat yesterday, so should I eat today? Snakefoot says a cat can go a few days without eating… But I should eat since I'm not a fat kittypet. Nor will I ever be. And besides, Dragonmist looked at me strangely that day I skipped all my meals. I'm fit enough.
Finally, the tom decided on a small trout, and turned around to look for a sheltered corner to see Birdpaw emerging from the apprentices den with Spiderpaw, looking crestfallen. Heronpaw blatantly ignored her, and marched to a group of evergreen bushes near the elders den, beginning to eat his meal as he watched his sister chose her own piece of prey and headed into the Nursery.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the Willow!" the dark figure of Petalstar rested on a slender willow branch as MistClan began to gather. Heronpaw saw Birdpaw reemerging from the Nursery to sit beside Spiderpaw.
The golden-brown tom stayed where he was, as he could still hear Petalstar.
"Yesterday, during a border patrol, I encountered a few of SwiftClan trespassing upon our territory. I have put up with this far too long! Our streams are still full of fish while their moors are barren. Should we attack? Should we wait?"
Shouts immediately broke out as Petalstar finished her 'speech'. Heronpaw flicked his tail. We would have the advantage, but do the medicine cats have enough herbs? He risked a glance towards the medicine cat den, where Dragonmist was talking to her mentor. The tom could see Petalstar staring at Tigerlily, who nodded.
Petalstar gathered herself, staring coldly at the cats who still yowled. They quickly quieted down. "Tigerlily has enough herbs," the black she-cat looked at the few senior warriors clustered near her. "What do you think, Blacktail?"
The burly black-and-white tom shrugged, flicking his tail. "We are well prepared. SwiftClan wouldn't be able to scent us due to the rain. And they have been trespassing for too long. I say we teach them a lesson." He looked around, amber eyes boring into the crowd.
The black she-cat nodded faintly, before her eyes scanned MistClan again. "We would have to leave a few behind to guard the camp. Does anyone volunteer?"
"I would like to stay behind, Petalstar." Darkwave stood, his gray pelt dripping water. Heronpaw shifted uncomfortably.
A chorus of protests followed. The she-cat silenced them with an icy glare.
"I know why you would want to stay, but you are one of the fiercest fighters within the Clans. We need you." Petalstar mewed. After a few moments, Darkwave nodded with his amber eyes still full of apprehension. The she-cat yowled, "Since no one else will volunteer, Rainpetal and Twilightsky will stay behind to guard the camp."
Rainpetal and Twilightsky nodded as Petalstar continued, "Reedwhisker will lead a patrol, and so will I. We will attack in different areas in their camp, as to overwhelm them. Deputy, select your cats now."
As the russet-tabby tom selected his cats, Heronpaw stole a look at his father, Darkwave. He seemed fine.
"Heronpaw! Get over here!" Reedwhisker snapped, and the apprentice obliged, hurrying over to the deputy. Greythorn was already there. The tom quickly nodded at his mentor, while Reedwhisker finished gathering his patrol.
Soon enough, they were heading into the territory, while the rain poured down on them, a bit more mercifully. StarClan knows if this is a good idea… Heronpaw frowned, ears flattened. They stopped at a roaring stream along the moor.
"Tired?" Shorepaw's smug voice interrupted his thoughts.
Heronpaw glared at the white she-cat. "Shut up."
With a smirk, she padded to the front of the patrol, where her mentor was. She-cats…
Heronpaw sprang across the river, the bank caving under his weight and giving away as he leapt onto the shore. He licked his chest fur, feeling his pelt warm.
They arrived at the hills surrounding SwiftClan's camp. Reedwhisker stalked along the long grasses, quiet as a snake. Heronpaw followed his lead, silent.
Suddenly, Reedwhisker erupted from the turf, barreling into what-seemed-to-be another cat. They rolled around, walloping each other. Greythorn ran alongside a barely-visible path, charging into camp. His apprentice followed and saw Petalstar's patrol already there.
Heronpaw let out a caterwaul and stampeded into Cedarpaw's russet-and-white pelt, mauling his back. Hawkpaw snuck up on the MistClan apprentice and bit into his tail.
Birdpaw appeared –seemingly out of nowhere- and leapt onto the brown-tabby-tom, raking her claws down his spine, before shoving him into a boulder. Hawkpaw sank into the ground with a groan.
Sandstar fought with Petalstar, the golden-she-cat butting into the black she-cat's side. Petalstar twisted around, striking the she-cat's muzzle in a flurry of relentless swipes.
"You piece of frog-dung!" the leader of MistClan yowled as Sandstar pinned her down. The black she-cat hissed as thorn-sharp claws raked across her exposed underbelly. She quickly threw the she-cat off and snapped at her hind-legs, jerking one out from under the she-cat. Petalstar panted, when a heavy weight knocked her to the ground.
Reedwhisker was locked in combat with Featherbreeze; the tom darted under the pale-gray she-cat and threw her onto the mud. Claws swiped at his muzzle, barely missing his eyes. Meadowsong barreled into him, shredding his back.
Oceangaze glared at Scorchcloud, whom was taunting her. "Hello there, my pretty. I'd hate to ruin your-" he was abruptly cut off by Stonetail, who lashed his claws across his neck wound, and the tom emitted a howl of pain as he ran off.
Oceangaze nuzzled her mate before leaping over to Petalstar. Stonetail watched her go and sprinted towards Blacktail and Berrywing.
Thrushpelt smirked as he trapped Petalstar in a corner and snapped at her hindlegs. Sandstar was battering at the MistClan leader's muzzle. Oceangaze leapt onto Sandstar, grabbing her by the shoulders and knocking her off-balance. The Siamese-she-cat tore her opponent's ears and bit sharply into the golden-she-cat's spine. Sandstar arched her back in pain, before whipping around and biting Oceangaze's tail.
Petalstar wrestled Thrushpelt down and raked her claws across his stomach, eyes cold with fury. She snarled, clamping down on a paw until she heard a crunch. This earned a screech from the tom, who thrust her off smack-dab into a boulder.
Spiderpaw hissed at Falcontalon, before lunging right at him and pummelling his muzzle, raking his claws across the mottled tom's eyes. The brown apprentice dove under him, snapping at his opponent's legs and darting away. The SwiftClan warrior chased after him.
Tigerlily and Dragonmist were a few fox-lengths away from the battle, sheltered by wet heather. "Stay here!" the brown-tabby mewed to her apprentice, hearing snarls close by.
Shellcloud was being tormented by Oakfang and Scorchcloud. A patch of cobwebs covered the black tom's throat. "Help me, Tigerlily!" the gray she-cat yelped as Oakfang snapped at her legs. A surprised look spread across the russet tom's face as Shellcloud mentioned her name.
Tigerlily shot towards Scorchcloud, shoving him into a rather-deep puddle, leaving him coughing and shivering. She then tackled Oakfang, uneasiness in the tom's eyes. No matter. We're still from different Clans. The medicine cat bit his ear sharply, and slammed him into the sludge. Tigerlily looked coldly at him, and turned away, back towards where Dragonmist was.
Galestorm tackled Robinfrost, while Berrywing wove in and around the she-cat, delivering bites and blows. Reedwhisker nipped Galestorm's heels, drawing blood. The older tom spun around, to see nothing but a blur while Reedwhisker slammed a paw across Berrywing's muzzle, causing her to stagger away. Robinfrost nodded in gratitude, before flinging herself at Galestorm and mauling his back, hissing and spitting.
A loud yowl came from the middle of camp. "MistClan has won!" Petalstar pinned down Sandstar, claws at her throat. "We may leave now."
Robinfrost lashed at Galestorm once more, before loping out of camp. Reedwhisker followed her. Oceangaze held one paw close to her body and limped out of camp. The rest of MistClan streamed out of the small entrance.
Dragonmist shook her pelt, stepping out of the ferns, quickly preparing a poultice as she saw a few warriors emerge, followed by others. Petalstar flicked her tail as the Clan came over.
Birdpaw quickly trotted over, panting. "Hi Dragonmist, should I wash my wounds?" she pointed at the small bubbling stream a few rabbit-lengths away.
"You're fine. Just lick them." She set to applying the poultice to the various wounds on the apprentice. The silver she-cat winced at a wound trickling blood on Birdpaw's hindleg. Dragonmist swathed marigold over it, before wrapping it in cobwebs. "Keep it clean. You can go."
The rest of her patients passed rather quickly, until she got to Heronpaw. "Sit still." She ordered, without looking at his eyes. Dragonmist rubbed another poultice over his back, where a number of cuts were located. "Don't move your face." She gently dabbed a paw in the herb mixture, and lightly smoothed a large amount of the poultice onto the gashes on Heronpaw's muzzle.
"We're done." Dragonmist looked away awkwardly, avoiding his eye contact.
Heronpaw nodded, and shifted his weight. "Thank you." His tail brushed hers quickly, carelessly. Then he limped away.
Am I getting feelings? I better not. Whatever, it was probably because of the awkwardness.
Somehow, Dragonmist almost always ends the chapter from the MistClan PoV. XD
Anyways, remember the thing I said up there. Sorry about the slow updating, but I am really busy.
Please review! Bye lovelies~!
