Chapter 5

A/N: First battle scene!

A couple sunrises after the gathering, Jadepaw found herself on a border patrol along with Leafstorm and Scorchfoot. They were currently along the border with the Thunderpath. Along the way, Jadepaw was put on little scenting tests and caught a couple prey.

When they were reaching the side of their territory nearest to the Deephollow, Scorchfoot abruptly stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air. "Leafstorm, is it just me or...?"

"You're right I smell it too. IceClan."

"Maybe it's just because we're getting close to their territory?" Jadepaw tried to be hopeful about her suggestion, even though she could scent them strongly as well.

"That's not it, but my question is why we're scenting them this far into our territory?" Scorchfoot looked around, as if expecting an IceClan cat to jump out at him at any moment.

"Let's find out." Leafstorm flicked his tail, a signal for them to stay low and stay quiet. They stalked through their territory towards Baskingstones. Before they even reached it, Leafstorm signaled them to stop.

Ahead, Jadepaw could see a patrol of cats heading toward Baskingstones with prey. They're stealing prey right in the heart of our territory! What kind of mouse-brained idea is that?!

After they passed by Leafstorm had them moving forward again but slower, and not long after, another group of warriors ran past with more prey. "What do they think they're doing! We're not letting them get away with this."

Leafstorm started forward and chased after the cats, heading straight towards Baskingstones. When her patrol reached the sunny boulders, she couldn't believe what she saw.

On top of Baskingstones stood just about every warrior of IceClan, and the whole clearing reeked of their fishy stench. Cloudstar was dead in the center standing proudly, Creekshine sitting to his right and Alderblaze sitting on the other side. They're planning on taking over Baskingstones... But what was the point in going into the heart of the forest to steal prey as well?

As if reading her mind, Cloudstar spoke loud and clear, "IceClan is taking over Baskingstones, but you know, my Clan is growing, and we need more territory for our prospering Clan. I think we'll just take your whole territory! I'll give JadeClan until sunrise to get out of the forest, be sure that if you stay any later... We're coming to invade your camp. Here's a warning in case you don't believe us." With a flick of his tail, Alderblaze crouched beside him and took a mighty leap toward her.

Before Leafstorm or Scorchfoot could do anything to block Alderblaze from reaching her, four more warriors pinned them to floor. Jadepaw yelped as he landed on her back and immediately tore into her pelt. Jadepaw was no match for Alderblaze, no matter how hard she fought underneath him. He managed to flip her onto her back and was getting ready to tear into her soft belly. StarClan help me! He's gonna kill me!

"Alderblaze enough! There's no need to kill her, we just needed to show that we mean business." Cloudstar signaled his warriors off the JadeClan patrol.

Alderblaze hesitated before jumping back up beside his leader, his stub tail stuck as high up as it can, as if proud to be serving his leader this way. Jadepaw stayed crouched, trembling on the forest floor as Leafstorm and Scorchfoot jumped to her side.

"Now leave and take my message to Sagestar, your young apprentice is an example of what will happen to your Clan if you choose to stay and fight."

"There's no way Sagestar is going to tolerate what happened today!" With that, Scorchfoot helped Jadepaw onto Leafstorm's back and they trudged back to camp. Jadepaw fell unconscious half way to camp.

Crap, my head hurts like hell. Jadepaw opened her eyes slightly. The first thing she noticed was that she was in the medicine cat clearing. The second thing she noticed was the mount of fur pressed against her, and her pelt aching all over.

"Jadepaw! You're awake! I thought you'd never wake up!" Jadepaw realized the mount of fur was her brother, who now stood over her, covering her face in licks, "Whoever did this to you is going to regret it." His voiced turned to ice.

He ran out of the den for a heart beat and came back with Tigerfang and Blazeclaw on his tail. "Thank StarClan your ok! Leafstorm and Scorchfoot told us what happened. I can't believe what IceClan is thinking." Blazeclaw mewed as Tigerfang pressed herself against Jadepaw's side, a pure rumbling in her chest.

"What has Sagestar decided? Are we leaving?" Jadepaw didn't want her clan to endure what had happened to her, she thought it was better for them to just leave.

"Hell no! JadeClan is staying to fight! I know what they did to you was terrible, but now they're gonna regret even having this fox-brained idea to steal our territory." Russetpaw was pacing back and forth, pelt on end.

Jadepaw sat up from her nest, a hard look on her eyes. "I want to fight! I want to show them that what they did to me doesn't scare me! Whatever the Clan is doing, I want in on it."

"Good because we're going to need every warrior JadeClan has for this battle tomorrow," a deep mew sounded from outside the clearing and Sagestar stepped inside with Leafstorm behind him.

Leafstorm rushed over to her, an apologetic look in his eyes, "Jadepaw I'm so sorry I couldn't stop Alderblaze from getting to you!"

"Alderblaze! That's who did it? That fish-breath is gonna pay for what he did to my sister!"

"It's alright Leafstorm, thanks to Froststripe I'm fine now. And Russetpaw, revenge won't solve anything. What we need to think about what we're gonna do come sunrise."

Sagestar replied, "I've already made plans, we're going to send a patrol of warriors to the top of the ravine, and hopefully hold them back so no fight comes inside the camp. You two apprentices will stay in camp with the elders, queens and kits, and I'll leave a couple more warriors in case the fight gets pushed back. The fresh-kill pile is already well stocked, so eat well and get a good rest, you'll need it for the morning."

Cloudstar left the den along with Blazeclaw to make more specific plans. Tigerfang shooed them outside to the fresh-kill pile to eat, apparently Russetpaw hadn't left her side all day since she came back, and Jadepaw picked a plump thrush while Russetpaw chose a squirrel. After they finished eating, Sagestar bounded into the Hightbranch.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!" At the sound of the call, every cat came to sit around the tree.

"Obviously you've all heard what IceClan is planning to do. There's no way we are going to let them take our forest from us! Come sunrise we will fight to stay! Eat well and get some rest, you'll need all the energy for the battle. Froststripe, do you have plenty of supplies for upcoming injuries?"

"I have more than enough, I'm well-stocked."

"Good. Now this meeting is at an end, Blazeclaw and I will take turns on night watch." He leapt off the branch and the warriors, elders, and apprentices went to their dens for the night.

"Get up, it's almost Sun-up." Tigerfang shook the apprentices awake. "Are you scared?"

Russetpaw sat upright, a look of determination in his eyes, "I'm nervous, but I'm not scared. I'm ready for what's to come, they're going to regret ever having this mouse-brained idea, and for hurting Jadepaw."

Jadepaw pressed her side against her brother, she was just as determine to show IceClan that she wasn't scared of them. Tigerfang beckoned them to follow her outside of the apprentice's den. "Most of the warriors are going to be outside the camp. Sagestar himself is leading a battle patrol a tree-length outside of camp, he's going to have another patrol of warriors waiting a few fox-lengths behind. The fight will more than likely fall back into camp, where the rest of the Clan will be waiting. I want you two to help Lionstorm defend the nursery. I will be in the second patrol along with Blazeclaw, be careful." She gave them each a lap on the head and bounded towards Blazeclaw, both looking ready to fight for their territory.

The newer warriors, Scorchfoot, Blizzardspeck, and Amberstrike were off to the side practicing battle moves. In the first battle patrol was Sagestar, Maplebranch, Breezefrost, Skyshade, Squirreltail, Bramblebush, and Dustmoon. The second patrol was made up of Blazeclaw, Tigerfang, Raggeddust, Scorchfoot, Blizzardspeck, and Ambermoon. The rest that were staying in camp were Froststripe, Leafstorm, Foxshade, Lionstorm, the three apprentices and the four elders.

Sagestar signalled with his tail for the two patrols to leave camp, making the camp seem significantly empty. Jadepaw crouched beside her brother, unease filled her belly, making her feel sick but she was determined to not let it show. It seemed like she crouched there for moons when suddenly she heard the screeching of fighting cat's.

The remaining cat's jumped to their feet, getting into positions they deemed best for protecting their camp. The elders lined up beside the old tree log, Stumpleg being shoved behind them, though he was just as determined to fight. Foxshade, Leafstorm, and Thunderpaw were standing with their fur rippling in the center. Frostripe was moved into the nursery with the kits while Lionstorm, Russetpaw, and Jadepaw stood in front to defend it, and after an agonizingly long time, Sagestar burst through the fern tunnel.

"Fall back! Everyone defend the camp!"

Froststripe called from the nursery, "Send the badly injured into the nursery!"

In the blur of the moment, Jadepaw saw Bramblebush limp into the nursery, and Squirreltail rush past her with a heavily bleeding scratch above his eye, making it hard to see. Sagestar rolled into the clearing with Cloudstar on top of him. Blazeclaw and Tigerfang were side-by-side fighting four warriors and Russetpaw rushed to their aid. Jadepaw was about to rush over when a dark gray and white she-cat rammed into her side, Jadepaw recognized her as Frostpaw from the gathering.

Frostpaw was still a new apprentice and really inexperienced with fighting, Jadepaw was surprised they brought her to the invasion. She jumped on Frostpaw's back and dug her teeth into her neck, avoiding any vital spots. A warrior does not need to kill. Frostpaw let out a yowl and Jadepaw sent her tumbling away with a harsh blow to her side. She searched around and saw Leafstorm fighting two toms, one warrior and one apprentice. She reached his side and reared up on her hind legs and matched the apprentice blow for blow. Leafstorm was on top on the warrior, pummeling his belly with unsheathed claws, puffs of brown and orange fur flying everywhere until the warrior scrambled away and fled toward the fern entrance.

Leafstorm lept away to help Squirreltail, who joined back in the battle, fight off two other warriors. Jadepaw was having trouble fight off the apprentice, who was almost twice her size, until Russetpaw was suddenly by her side, helping her fight him off. The IceClan apprentice was sent running towards the tunnel and Jadepaw didn't get in another breath before another cat barreled into her side.

"After the beating I gave you, I would have thought you would have your Clan running for their lives," a hiss sounded in her ear. She saw the red-brown fur and immediately recognized Alderblaze, a spike of fear rushed through her fur. He flung her a few tail-lengths away and jumped onto her exposed soft belly. He was about to sink his teeth into her belly when Russetpaw jumped on his back and threw him off.

"You're going to regret what you did to my sister!" With a yowl of rage Russetpaw barreled into Alderblaze just as he was getting up and knocked him on his side. Before Alderblaze had a chance to get up, Russetpaw sank his claws into his side, blood pooling out.

"Russetpaw!" Blazeclaw knocked Russetpaw off as he held Alderblaze to the floor, "I know you're angry at what he did but warriors do not need to kill, give him a warning blow and send him off, then go to the next one." Just as Blazeclaw jumped off to rush back into the fight, Russetpaw sank his teeth into the base of Alderblaze's tail. He let out a loud yowl and rushed away from the camp.

Jadepaw looked around and saw that IceClan was down to Cloudstar and five warriors. Sagestar was still battling with IceClan's leader while the last warriors were sent running from camp.

Sagestar had Cloudstar pinned to the ground, as Cloudstar stilled in the middle of camp. Oh no, Sagestar killed him. She looked in horror as Sagestar stood beside the unmoving body of Cloudstar. After a few heartbeats, he coughed and his sides shook with each breath he took. Wait… what just happened?

"Cloudstar, as punishment for attempting to get rid of my Clan, you have lost a life. It is obvious that StarClan has showed who is in the wrong. There are meant to be four Clans! How dare you try to kick one out! Leave my camp now, and if you are to try this again, you will lose more than just a life and one warrior today, be glad no more has been killed by your foolish mistake." With that, Cloudstar stumbled to his feet and walked to his unmoving warrior by the fern tunnel, and dragged him out, Jadepaw recognize the dead she-cat as Snowtail, the newly made warrior. All that was left was spots of blood around the clearing, and a few cat's lay still on the floor, but when Jadepaw looked closer, their sides still faintly moved with each breath.