Chapter 19

Cloudpaw raced down the steep that led into SkyClan camp, the attack group surrounding her in all directions. As soon as their paws touched leveled ground, the camp exploded into a fighting mess of cats and rats. Darkshadow had leapt over everyone's heads and was pulling a couple rats off of Birdheart who looked up at him with affectionate eyes before the two warriors disappeared into the fight. Airpaw was standing beside Mintstar, protecting the SkyClan leader with his life. Cloudpaw watched her brother be attacked by dozens of rats, but relaxed when the kittypelt, Smut, went to aid him. Waterpaw was leading Stripes and Singer into the thickest fight, their teeth bared and their claws flashing in the dim moonlight. Ratpelt was stalking around and Cloudpaw raced to his side for both of them were after the same thing: Sandfire. This battle would never end until the traitor leading the rats was dead.

"Any sign of Sandfire?" Cloudpaw yowled, but Ratpelt darted into the sea of rats. Cloudpaw doubted that the dark warrior had heard her for she had barely heard herself in the midst of all the fighting. Cats were snarling and rats were hissing while occasionally both species shrieked with pain. Cloudpaw was about to follow when a painful yowl rose from behind her. She whirled around a black-and-white cat stumbled, dozens of rats clinging to his pelt. Yowling with rage, Cloudpaw recognized Snakefoot and knocked into him, sending two rats flying. Cloudpaw tried to attack the rats, but it was hard not to hurt Snakefoot in the process. Cloudpaw pulled one off the older warrior and in dismay, watched Snakefoot crumble to his paws. The rats scattered, seeing that their enemy was down.

"Snakefoot," Cloudpaw whispered, prodding the SkyClan warrior with a gentle paw. The warrior did not respond or move at all. His dark eyes stared up at her with no life in them and his chest had stopped moving. Cloudpaw buried her muzzle in Snakefoot's thick fur and said a silent prayer to StarClan that the tom's journey with them would be much easier than his life had been. The stench of blood overwhelmed Cloudpaw suddenly and she whirled around, a scarlet colored cat staggering towards her. She didn't recognize him, but when he coughed her name- blood trailing in between his jaws- she let out a moan, "Cloudpaw."

"Airpaw!" Cloudpaw raced over to her brother, trying to get him to lean on her shoulder, but he shook his head stubbornly, "I'll be okay, at least for a little-" Airpaw's wild gray eyes snapped down at Snakefoot's body and he moaned, "Who's that?"

"Snakefoot," Cloudpaw answered and Airpaw shook his head, "He was so young. Anyway, Mintstar and Sandfire are fighting on the ledge. I tried to tell Ratpelt, but I don't think he heard me. You have to go and help him! He's not strong enough to fight on his own!"

"Sandfire!" Cloudpaw whirled around at Ratpelt's snarl and saw the dark brown tabby chasing a larger ginger tom up the steep and away from the camp. The coward! Cloudpaw growled to herself, He can't even defeat Mintstar in camp. He has to take him away so no one can help him! Cloudpaw followed Ratpelt's scent and the stench of blood and arrived just in time to see Ratpelt knock Sandfire away from Mintstar, who was shaking uncontrollably in the shadows. Ratpelt lifted his head and growled, "Fight someone your own size, Sandfire! You coward!"

"Coward? Coward did you call me?" Sandfire growled, "Was it a coward who killed Ravenfur when Birdheart wasn't looking to secure my place as deputy? Was it a coward who went to JayClan to make sure only apprentices came to aid SkyClan in its destruction? Was it a coward who killed Grayleaf, drowning him in the river?" Cloudpaw's head swayed at that and she heard Mintstar moan loudly. Mintstar was Grayleaf's father and Grayleaf was Sandfire's father. "Was it a coward that falsely accused you so that you couldn't tell anyone what you had seen?"

"Coward!" Ratpelt screeched and Sandfire lunged at the SkyClan warrior, claws outstretched.

"No!" Cloudpaw snarled and leapt to protect Ratpelt, feeling Sandfire's claws scrape at her body. Her head slammed on the hard ground and everything went dark.

*

"Cloudpaw, Cloudpaw, wake up," Cloudpaw blinked as someone spoke her name and looked up, seeing a golden brown she-cat with gentle gray eyes. Cloudpaw's heart sank as she noticed that the she-cat's pelt was filled with stars.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Cloudpaw whispered, but the she-cat couldn't answer because three voices sounded at once,

"Cloudpaw!"

"Cloudpaw!"

"Cloudpaw! Cloudpaw!"

Darkshadow, Airpaw, and Waterpaw raced towards Cloudpaw, nuzzling her and looking at her with grave eyes. Cloudpaw stared at them all and whispered, "Are we with StarClan?"

Darkshadow nodded and hissed gently, "I was fighting with Birdheart when a ton of rats jumped on me."

Airpaw whispered, "You saw how I looked, Cloudpaw. It's no wonder that I died."

"You're not dead," The she-cat purred gently.

"I was fighting with Stripes when-" Waterpaw's voice trailed off, "What do you mean we're not dead?"

"You've just suffered a lot of injuries due to the rats," The she-cat gently answered while Darkshadow muttered, "No kidding? I thought I was just fine and dandy."

The she-cat gave him a quick glance and he quieted, "StarClan decided that your wounds needed time to heal."

"Like when a leader loses a life?" Airpaw asked and the she-cat nodded.

"But we're not leaders," Waterpaw meowed.

"That's true, but to StarClan you are the leaders of a prophecy," The she-cat answered.

Darkshadow gasped quietly beside Cloudpaw while Airpaw asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Jaystar, your ancestor," The she-cat meowed gently and there were gasps from all the young cats. They had listened to stories about Jaystar when they were younger. How she had been born a kittypet and then rose to being one of the greatest cats in the history of the Clans. It was because of her that Jayclan had been formed.

"But you're not a SkyClan cat?" Cloudpaw rolled her eyes at Waterpaw.

"True, I am not, but I have been given permission to walk these skies to send you off when you return to the waking world," Jaystar meowed.

"Can't you tell us about the prophecy?" Cloudpaw asked.

"In time you will learn what it means yourself, Cloudpaw," Jaystar meowed and Cloudpaw felt herself be pulled from Jaystar and her siblings.