I wonder what will happen to Windclan now that Shadowclan has launched an attack…

Chapter Three

Windclan warriors rushed out of their den and into the clearing, Foxblaze at the lead, as they took the Shadowclan warriors head on.

Shadowclaw ripped herself free from the claws gripping her back and spun around, coming face to face with a Shadowclan tom about twice her size. The tom wasted no time leaping at her. She ducked and swiped her paw along his side, her claws dug into his thick brown fur and she pushed harder until claws pierced skin. The tom yowled with rage coming at her again, but she was ready for him and as his claws neared her face she jumped back.

She could see anger brew up in his eyes and smiled. He leapt at her again, this time aiming for this spot just in front of her as if he thought she would do the same thing again. Instead she swiftly crawled under his belly and just as he was about to land she flipped onto her back and pushed up with her hind legs, throwing the Shadowclan tom into a Windclan warrior, who round on him.

Shadowclaw got to her paws, but before she could draw a breath, a cat slammed into her from behind, knocking her onto the cold ground. She scrabbled vainly to get free. Twisting her neck, she gazed into the pair of fierce amber eyes of a Shadowclan she-cat. A heartbeat later the Shadowclan warrior's teeth sunk into her shoulder. Letting out a yowl of pain, Shadowclaw battered at the she-cat's belly with her back legs, clawing out great lumps of dark tabby fur. The she-cat's blood spattered her as the Shadowclan warrior reared back in agony and was gone.

Shadowclaw scrambled up and looked around, panting. The fiercest fighting was in the center of the camp and the Windclan warriors were holding the invaders back. It seemed the Shadowclan invaders were slowly being pushed back toward the entrance of the camp and Shadowclaw was about to rejoin the fight, when a cry went up. It was Sweetheart, one of Windclans queens.

Shadowclaw raced in the direction of the nursery and saw a large brown tabby tom covered in scars from older battles running from the nursery. He must have been the Shadowclan deputy, Scarface, which Shadowclaw had heard so much about. Those were the type of stories mothers told to their kits about the dark-heartedness of Shadowclan warriors.

Sweetheart raced after him, screeching something about her kit. Shadowclaw was about to turn away when she saw what the Shadowclan warrior had gripped in his mouth. It was one of the queens kits

Rage bolted through Shadowclaw as she charged after the scar-faced warrior. Her paws moved like lightning over the hard ground and she felt as though she were flying. With caws outstretched, she reached for the tom, raking them down one of his back legs, temporarily stopping him. Her teeth clamped shut over his tail and he dropped the kit to screech in pain. He rounded on her, about to swipe one of his overly sized paws across her face but she backed away, not sure whether she should take on one of Shadowclans most experienced fighters.

"Scarface, get over her." A large grey tabby tom with the longest tail Shadowclaw had ever seen stepped into view. His yellow eyes swept over her and she shivered at the coldness she saw in them. "No one make a move."

Startled, she quickly looked around and saw that more Shadowclan cat's had arrived and now they had every Windclan warrior pinned, all but Nightstar. Scarface stood next to Shadowclaw and he snarled when she took a step toward the helpless kit.

"Now, no one try anything or this kit dies." His voice, clear as day, rang around the clearing so that every cat could hear. "Nightstar, I want you to agree to an alliance between our two clans."

Nightstar stared the Shadowclan leader down. "And why would I do that."

Snakestar laughed, "Because I have many a great plans for my clan, but they can only happen if another clan stands by my side."

Nightstars golden eyes turned from mutual to raging. "I wouldn't give up leadership of my clan to your bunch of fox-hearted warriors!" she spat each word at the Shadowclan leader, her voice laced with venom.

"I didn't say anything about giving up your leadership, I merely want you support, as I've already said." His tail twitched with annoyance, as though he hadn't expected this to take so long.

"Then tell me, why Windclan?" Nighstars gazed took in her pinned warriors before flicking back to Snakestar. "Why not look to Riverclan or Thunderclan?"

"Because Riverclan are too busy worrying other things and Thunderclan are too righteous and would help Shadowclan if it was the last thing they ever did. But I need you answer now."

"I'll not join forces with you if it was the last thing I ever did."

"Very well." Shadowclaw saw something gleam in his eyes she didn't like. "I can be patient enough because eventually you will agree. But for every cycle of the moon you wait, one of your warriors will die, and you will come to me, begging for my help when you have no warriors to hunt and defend you territory from the other clans. But don't wait too long or you'll have no warriors left" He nodded at his warriors to fall back and they each disappeared through the camp entrance. His gaze traveled to Sweethearts kit and he smiled. "Starting with this kit." His yellow eyes flicked to Shadowclaw for a moment before his jaws clamped shut over the kit's neck, who whimpered, and she heard the sound of snapping bones.

"NO!" Sweetheart cried, leaping after the Shadowclan leader as, he too, disappeared from sight.