Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors. Erin Hunter does.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews once again, SmokeyStorm and ShastamaeFirepool. ^^ I really appreciate it. :D Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as the action starts. :D
Chapter 5: The Rats
Nettlestar and Redfur froze as they listened to the scrabbling that could be heard in the quiet dawn. Darkstreak scanned the Carrionplace, looking for movement. Pieces of the mystery were finally falling in place. The trail from the Carrionplace to the camp. The use of crow-food.
"Someone wanted to lead the rats right into our camp," Redfur whispered, shocked by the severity and seriousness of the situation. "I guess now that the motive has been figured out, it's quite obvious." Redfur kneaded the ground in worry as realization hit home. He remembered the tales of the Carrionplace he was told when he was still a kit. These rats were the biggest they have ever seen, bigger than a small kit. They were vicious and their bites were lethal. Some of them carried disease with them.
"Darkstreak, hurry back to camp and alert the Clan of what's coming," Nettlestar ordered. "Prepare them for battle, while Redfur and I will hold back the rats for as long as we can." Darkstreak glanced at Nettlestar, his mouth curled up in the beginnings of a snarl and his eyes flashed dangerously, but he dipped his head to his leader and dashed in the direction of the camp.
Nettlestar and Redfur waited at the last piece of crow-food with their claws unsheathed and body tense, ready to spring at the first rat that appeared. The scrabbling stopped and a relatively small gray form dashed out of the hole in the fence and heading straight for the two warriors.
Nettlestar watched the rat closely and timed his leap so that he landed with two paws right on top of it. He tried to nip the rat's neck, but the rat squirmed and flipped around. It bit the gray paw closest to its neck. Nettlestar let out a small yowl of surprise, but didn't let go.
Redfur, who had watched this whole exchange that happened in less than a minute, dove into action. While the rat was still preoccupied with Nettlestar's paws, Redfur took the chance to claw at its face. The rat let out a squeak and turned on Redfur. But before it could attack Redfur, Nettlestar broke its neck.
"You okay, Nettlestar?" Redfur asked, worried. "According to the tales, the rat's bites are lethal."
"Just fine, Redfur," Nettlestar replied, a little breathless. "It just stung a little bit, but I'll be okay." As he finished his statement, Nettlestar gave his paw a couple quick licks, then focused his attention back to the Carrionplace.
"I've never seen prey fight back like that," Redfur said, as he also turned his attention back towards the Carrionplace. Nettlestar nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, another rat dashed out into the clearing. Nettlestar and Redfur were able to take it down more efficiently this time, as they knew what to expect. Nettlestar didn't make the same mistake as he had before and placed his paws further down the rat's flank. Redfur, meanwhile, distracted him by swiping at its head.
As more and more rats came out one by one, the two seasoned warriors were able to take them down, but as time passed, the rats grew wise and a torrent of them rushed out at the two cats. Redfur stared at Nettlestar in horror as they faced a hundred or so of enormous rats that rushed towards them.
"Fall back. Try to divert them from the trail of crow-food," Nettlestar yowled to Redfur. "We need more warriors. Hopefully, we gave Darkstreak enough time to inform the rest of the Clan." And with that, the two warriors turned tail and ran tangent to the line of crow-food. But as they ran further away, the rats didn't follow. They plowed forward along the trail and toward the camp entrance.
Redfur yowled in alarm and cut across to intercept the rats, but the rats refused to be diverted from their original path. Nettlestar gave one last burst of speed as he entered the camp about fifty mouse lengths in front of the horde of rats.
As Nettlestar entered the camp, he scanned the clearing for a battle patrol. But there were none. The warriors that had been in the clearing were doing their everyday routines. They hadn't been alarmed until Nettlestar burst through the entrance quite roughly.
"Where's the battle patrol?" Nettlestar demanded and yowled loud enough to wake up the whole Clan. He could see confusion flood the faces of all of his Clan.
"Why do we need a battle patrol?" "Is WindClan attacking?" "What's happening, Nettlestar?" "Is ThunderClan prey stealing?" As these spoken questions from his Clan entered his ears, Nettlestar felt a despair grip him. They weren't ready. How can we win? Nettlestar shook his head angrily and took control of the situation.
"Warriors, pair up and prepare for the fight of your life," Nettlestar announced to his Clan. "The rats of the Carrionplace are attacking!" Shocked murmur was traveling through the camp. Most of the warriors were rooted to the ground.
"We're getting attacked by those creatures from the tales of Brokenstar?" Whitekit, who had heard Nettlestar, poked his head out of the nursery and tried to catch a glimpse of the rats. Graykit and Dapplekit, who were right beside him, poked their heads out as well. Excitement was building in their chests.
"If only we had been apprenticed sooner, we would be in this fight. We're six moons old already," Graykit answered, disappointed. "I would have clawed them to shreds."
"Hush, you three, get inside where it is safe!" Willowtail ordered them, while shoving them back inside the nursery with her paws, then she turned and watched the camp entrance with a lashing tail and unsheathed claws. Nettlestar eyed his three kits with concern, but was glad that they were not participating in the fight. Then turned his attention back to the others.
"Get a move on," Nettlestar yowled as loud as he could when none of them had started pairing up. "The rats of the Carrionplace are upon us!"
Then, the clearing was full of activity as the warriors paired up with each other. Russetfoot with Rainpelt. Sootcloud with Brightnose. Ashlight with Featherclaw. Nettlestar went to join Willowtail outside of the nursery, while Softpelt and Foxstripe, the two ShadowClan elders, joined Nettlestar. Swiftfeather was tending to Cinderblaze, who was still unconscious, in her den.
"What about us, Nettlestar?" Mudpaw exclaimed as everyone paired up. "Do I pair up with Heatherpaw?" Nettlestar looked at the two apprentices standing side by side. Ashlight, their mother, looked at them in horror as she processed that their little kits were going to be fighting vicious rats.
"No, head into the nursery too," Ashlight wailed. Heatherpaw looked at her mother indignantly.
"I'm not a kit anymore, Ashlight," she replied. "I want to fight to protect the Clan too!" But when she looked at Nettlestar again, she saw him nodding his head, though she wasn't sure what he was nodding his head to.
"I think it would be best for you two to come in the nursery too," Nettlestar said. "You guys haven't learned enough in the five moons that you've been apprentices to be prepared to take them on." Mudpaw looked relieved at the news, but Heatherpaw was seething with anger. But the Clan leader's words were law, so she obeyed.
Just as Heatherpaw disappeared into the nursery, Redfur thundered through the camp entrance. The whole Clan's attention was diverted to the oncoming threat. Most already had their claws unsheathed and their tails were already lashing with anticipation of the fight ahead of them.
Redfur scanned the clearing and was relieved that the Clan was ready for the battle. He also noticed that they were all paired up with each other and since there were no cats left unpaired, he went to stand next to Sootcloud and Brightnose. Sootcloud nodded his head in a gesture of welcome.
"These rats are not like the prey we've been catching since the beginning of the Clans. Be wary and coordinate your attacks with each other," Nettlestar yelled. The warriors all flicked their tails in response that they heard the advice.
"Let's teach these rats not to mess with ShadowClan!" Redfur yowled as they awaited the arrival of the rats.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope it was enjoyable! Lemme know what you guys think. :D