Here's chapter 8. Sorry it took sooooo long. I've been busy :(

Chapter 8 – Monster Attack

"A monster is in the forest!" Leafpaw screeched tumbling into the hollow. Every cat around her stopped in their paw steps and stared at her. She quickly picked herself off the dirt floor and shook herself. "There's a monster in the forest!"

Oakstar bounded down from the Highledge and shouted, "Okay! This is not a drill! Everyone evacuate the camp! Ivyfrost, Bluefeather, Heatherwing: help the queens! Smokefoot, Blackblaze: help the elders! Silverwing and any other available warriors: make sure everyone makes it out!"

Leafpaw looked up at her leader. "What about Lionpaw? He's still in the forest!"

He looked down at her. "Right. Take me to where he is."

She gave a curt nod and darted through the entrance tunnel with the red tabby behind her. The monster's growl still filled the forest and as Leafpaw followed her own scent trail to where she knew she left Lionpaw. She skidded into the clearing where she had darted off and almost fainted when she didn't find Lionpaw. Oakstar stopped beside her panting looking around.

"His scent is here, but—," the Clan leader was cut off with the growl of the monster suddenly being cut off and a cat shrieked in the distance.

"LIONPAW!" Leafpaw screeched shooting through the trees in the direction of the shriek not waiting to see if Oakstar followed. She weaved gracefully through the undergrowth and leaped over fallen branches as if they weren't there at all. Her heart beat fast and her mind raced. The shriek was Lionpaw's. What happened to him? Was he okay? Trying not to think of what would she would do if he was dead, she clawed her way up a fallen tree and jumped down onto the other side ignoring the pain in her paw when she slightly twisted it on landing.

The monster that had chased the two apprentices earlier was crashed against a tree smoke rising from it. Inside the monster, Leafpaw saw a calico pelt pass by the hole in the side and bunched her muscles for a jump. She leaped and balanced herself in the hole. Lionpaw looked up from digging through something that smelled of Twoleg food. He purred at the sight of her. "Hey, Leafpaw. You should try this."

She leaped down and sniffed the food with a grimace. "I'd rather not. How could Twolegs eat this anyway?" Lionpaw shrugged. She sighed and looked out the front hole filled with an ice colored thing in it. The smoke had grown thicker. Leafpaw sniffed the air and her fur bristled. "We need to get out of here, Lionpaw!"

He lifted his head from the Twoleg food again. "What? Why?"

Leafpaw heard a small pop and she grabbed his scruff with her teeth, forcibly dragging him from the inside of the monster while ignoring his protests. She kept dragging him until they were a several tail lengths away and let go of his scruff. He shook himself irritably. "What in the name of StarClan was that for?" Lionpaw practically screeched. She flicked her tail at the monster and they both watched as it burst into flames. They jumped back, neck fur raised. "Never mind."

A red tabby slipped out from the bushes and padded to their sides. "Good, you're both safe. Let's go meet with the rest of the Clan. It's no longer safe here."

The two apprentices traded glances and followed their leader into the forest away from the fire.

ThunderClan had gathered a tail length or two near WindClan's border next to the lake. Kits playfully ran from and to the water while the queens looked on. Silverwing walked among the gathered cats making sure they were all safe and well. When the trio arrived she trotted up to them and gave them all a thorough sniff. At Lionpaw she flicked her ears but didn't comment on his strong Twoleg scent.

"Silverwing, my paw hurts," Leafpaw spoke up as the medicine cat was finishing her checking. She lifted her paw and the other cat gently touched it with her nose. The gray she-cat apprentice hissed in pain.

"Hmm," Silverwing sniffed it. "It's swollen. What happened?" When the apprentice shrugged she sighed. "Very well. Lionpaw, help her walk over to the lake."

The calico apprentice rolled his eyes but said nothing as he pushed his shoulder against Leafpaw's to help support her. The pair slowly made their way to the lake in silence with Leafpaw holding her paw up so it won't touch the ground. They stopped at a soft, sandy spot and Lionpaw gently helped his friend lay down on her side. She started licking her twisted paw making small whimpering noises.

Lionpaw watched her for a few minutes before raising his head and bringing the air over his scent glands. He grunted and walked off into a direction until he found a clump of stinging nettle. Carefully he took some of the leaves and padded back to where Leafpaw laid still licking her paw. He dropped the leaves down and nudged them toward her. "Here, chew these and apply them to your paw. It'll help with the swelling."

She glanced at him before doing as he said. Soon a smooth layer of pulp was on her paw and Leafpaw sighed in relief. "Thank you, Lionpaw. How did you know what to use?"

He shrugged and sat, wrapping his tail around his paws. "My father used to be a medicine cat."

"Hmm," She rested her head onto a paw and looked up at him. He shifted slightly under her gaze before mewing, "I should go see if Oakstar wants me to do something."

Before Leafpaw could say anything he padded off to where the leader was talking with his deputy. She sighed and closed her eyes deciding to just enjoy the sun and relax. It had been a while before she could do that without a mentor or another warrior giving her orders.

At the last second, Lionpaw diverged from his path to his mentor and entered a little ways into the forest. The smell of monster, fire, and smoke was still strong in the air despite the distance from where the monster died and where the Clan had gathered safely near the lake. He gazed into the forest to where he knew the monster was and thought about how strange it was to have one there. Lionpaw knew there was an old Thunderpath near the ThunderClan-ShadowClan border, but it was very old and didn't have the smell of monsters about it. Where this monster came from was a mystery and as long as it provided a danger to his Clan they were vulnerable.

The bushes rustled near him and a strong scent of ShadowClan flooded the air. His fur bristled as he crouched staring straight at the bush that had moved. It now stood still, but the scent of ShadowClan still clung to it and the air. Lionpaw stared and flicked his ears listening for any more sounds of a patrol.

A pair of black ears appeared over the bush and a whispered voice said, "ThunderClan scent is strong near here."

"Hmm. Then they should be taking shelter near the lake. Fresh water and comfortable moss; it would be a nice place to stay until the Clan decided the camp was safe," another voice added.

Lionpaw started stalking up to the bush prepared to jump onto the invaders. He knew there probably had to be more ShadowClan warriors nearby, but he could easily take on two warriors. The warriors had quieted and were once again moving through the undergrowth making Lionpaw's stalking easier.

They're going to scare off the prey the way they're moving, he thought as he paused to scent the air. The pair of warriors had stopped to scent the air as well and he was making sure they were still in front of him. Taking the opportunity, he started forward while they were still.

CRACK!

Lionpaw froze as the two warriors turned to face him growling.

"Fox dung," he muttered unsheathing his claws.

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