Chapter 9 - Invasion

A black tom and white tom stood before Lionpaw claws out and teeth bared. He bared his teeth as well and let out a fearsome growl that didn't do anything to the warriors, not even blink.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" asked the black tom. He started to circle the apprentice as the white tom stayed put. "A stray sheep away from its herd?"

Lionpaw held back any remarks and insults he wanted to say and focused on the black warrior as well as the white warrior. There was no way in StarClan he was going to let two ShadowClan warriors get the upper paw on him. He needed to get back to his Clan and alert them.

But I guess they know that too.

The white warrior flicked his tail. "Quite a mousebrained sheep then." They both laughed and he held back from growling, trying to take hold of his temper.

"Think of Leafpaw, think of Leafpaw," he muttered keeping his eyes on both warriors. Instead of calming him though, the thought of his best friend and love interest angered him. Lionpaw thought of the times they fought and got into arguments; how she always seemed to win at everything. Growling, he launched himself on the nearest cat, the white ShadowClan warrior, and sank his teeth into his ear. The warrior yowled and shook himself trying to dislodge Lionpaw. The apprentice jerked his head and ripped the ear off making blood spatter onto his muzzle.

He jumped off the cat and swiftly ate the ear before launching himself at the black warrior. Lionpaw raked his claws down the length of the cat's flank and chomped on his tail. It gained a yowl from that warrior too and the black cat turned on him claws aiming for his eyes.

"Too slow!" Lionpaw shouted as he jumped to the side out of the way and caught the muzzle of the warrior with his claws. "Gotta be faster to catch this sheep."

From behind, the warrior he ripped and ate the ear off of jumped onto his back and sank his teeth into his muzzle. Lionpaw shook him off and raked his claws over the wound he had left earlier. The warrior backed up and hissed, "This isn't worth it, Blackfang. Let's get out of here."

Blackfang darted off after the white warrior into the forest leaving the apprentice panting for breath. He absently licked his shoulder and flicked his tail considering which to do: go to his Clan and tell them about the invasion or follow the ShadowClan warriors.

"Lionpaw!"

He turned and met a party of cats with claws unsheathed. At the head of it stood his mentor and Clan leader whose gaze darted around the small clearing and mouth open to scent the air. After a few moments he finally mewed, "Which direction?"

Silently, the apprentice pointed his tail in the direction Blackfang and his fellow warrior ran in.

Oakstar gave a brisk nod and signaled for his party to follow him before following the two invaders. His father, Blackblaze, brought up the rear and stopped before him to check Lionpaw's wounds. With a disapproving growl he muttered, "Go back to Silverwing and get your neck checked."

Lionpaw spat on the ground. "Foxdung. It's just a flesh wound."

"That could get infected," his father added. "Go to Silverwing."

With a disdainful glare, he growled low in his throat and stalked off in the direction of the makeshift camp. His mood lifted as he scented Leafpaw near the lake and he darted to her side to find her sleeping, ears twitching slightly. The smell of a herbs clung to the paw that she injured rescuing him. Silverwing sat off to the side, far away to give her room but close enough to come to her if she was needed. He glanced at Leafpaw once more before trudging to the medicine cat's side. She looked at his face then the wound his father made him go back for and asked, "Got into a fight?"

He blinked. "Maybe."

She sighed and got to her paws. "Follow me and I'll see about it."

The pair walked off to a rock with a flat surface. On top of it in separate, neat piles was a small collection of herbs that were commonly used to treat wounds: marigold to prevent infection, poppy seeds to relieve pain, goldenrod to help wounds heal, and dock to sooth the stinging of scratches. Silverwing gestured for him to sit and pawed to her a few leaves of marigold and goldenrod. Checking to see if they were fresh, she instructed, "Clean the wound as best as you can."

Lionpaw sat and rasped his tongue over the wound several times making faces at the taste of ShadowClan that had stayed on his fur. Silverwing chewed the herbs she had pawed to herself spat the paste out onto a leaf. When the apprentice finished licking, he craned his neck for the medicine cat to apply the poultice she made. She gently pressed it into the bites and scratches.

"All right," Silverwing said as she pressed the last of the poultice on the wound. "You're free to join the fight. But don't strain yourself too much."

He flicked his tail and bounded into the forest with a last glimpse of the sleeping Leafpaw.