With Fireheart in the lead, Tigerstar, Darkstripe, Longtail, Runningwind, Willowpelt and Swiftpaw set of towards the badger's den. It was just after sun-high and the chill of leaf-bare was just starting to disperse; it was slowly, but surely, warming up.
Fireheart stopped at the bramble thicket that he had pushed Sandstorm into for safety. "If we go through here," he mewed, gesturing with his flame coloured tail, "We will come up behind the badger and take it by surprise." Tigerstar growled, annoyed that Fireheart was acting like the leader. "I'm the leader," he snarled, "And I say we attack the badger from the side, not behind."
"Why?" asked Runningwind, who had liked Fireheart's idea.
"Because I want to!" spat Tigerstar. He started leading the others to a holly bush, which was to the side of where the badger was meant to be.
"We aren't crawling through that, are we?" asked Runningwind apprehensively. Tigerstar shot him a look and meowed, "Yes, we are." Runningwind rolled his eyes and sighed, which gained him another of Tigerstar's cutting looks. Fireheart spoke up, "But we'll be all scratched up by the bush before we even have to face the beast!"
"You'll just have to deal with that, kittypet," Darkstripe hissed, "You should respect your leader." he sneered. Fireheart growled at him but started to fight his way through the prickly holly bush, wincing as the leaves penetrated his silky pelt and then slashed at the skin beneath. He finally got to the other side of the bush, covered in scratches, and saw one of the badger's large cubs sniffing around on the other side of the clearing, taken aback by its size. He sat down with a sigh to wait for his clan mates. He noticed that Swiftpaw was struggling to walk, when he emerged from the bush, because of a deep scratch the holly had inflicted upon his left flank.
"Attack!" yowled Tigerstar. The cats launched themselves into the clearing, ready to avenge Lostface's misery. Hearing the racket, the massive badger plodded out of its den, nostrils flaring in anger. It charged at Runningwind with its teeth bared but he darted around its side and got a good scratch at it before it had a chance to turn and bite him. Fireheart jumped onto the brute's back and sliced his claws down it before it through him off. He landed on top of Willowpelt who let out a disgruntled mew before bounding away, into the battle.
The badger had cornered Swiftpaw, who was struggling to move with his stiff and swollen leg. Fireheart and Longtail saw this and sprang into action. Longtail attacked the creature from behind and Fireheart got in front of Swiftpaw to protect him from its wildly flaying front paws. The badger through Longtail off deftly and he lay still on the damp forest floor. Then it turned on Fireheart and tried to bite him, he ducked at the last heartbeat and it bit the air above him. Fireheart tried to claw at the badger's stripy monochrome face but it swiped him away with a huge paw. He flew through the air and landed with a nauseating thud on a sharp rock. The other cats were busy fighting off the badger's vicious cubs. They were stronger than they looked. Because of this, they didn't notice the badger trudge over to Swiftpaw, who laid shaking and mewing for help. He was paralysed by fear and he couldn't stand up. The badger stood over him, bearing its needle-like teeth and growling. It licked its lips and went in for the kill. It clamped its jaws down on the apprentice's neck. Swiftpaw's heart wrenching squeal was cut off as the beast dropped him and blood pulsated out of the gaping wound. The badger had torn out his throat.
The cats turned at the sound and their eyes collectively widened at the sight of the little cat's body. They all knew he was dead. Then they noticed Fireheart and Longtail, lying motionless, not far away. Tigerstar screeched in rage and pounced onto the badger, slicing open the back of the murdering brute's neck with his unusually long, sharp claws. Blood started to gush from the deep gash he had made and this egged him on. He made similar gashes all over the creature's body until it was drenched in its own blood.
The huge animal fell to the ground with a loud thump. It wasn't breathing. Its heart was no longer beating. It was gone. The cubs went over to their mother and whimpered in confusion. Then they realised she was dead and started wailing in grief. Tigerstar and Darkstripe cold-heartedly finished them off. The cubs were helpless in their state of despair.
Runningwind and Willowpelt went over to Fireheart and Longtail. Longtail was making sounds of pain but Fireheart lay silent and still...