Chapter Fourteen
Echopaw dropped her vole onto the fresh kill pile, it was the day before the battle and all the apprentices had been ordered to hunt, she'd caught a vole and a mouse, which was buried under a pile of leaves for leaf-bare. "The RiverClan cats will be here soon," Pricklepaw meowed. In the days earlier, Stonestar had visited RiverClan and they'd agreed to bring the cats they wanted to fight to ThunderClan's camp for the night. "I don't know if i'll be able to handle their smell overnight," Shellpaw chimed in.
"I know," Echopaw agreed.
"RiverClan has arrived!" a patrol consisting of Birchshade, Owlheart and Dovefeather burst through the thorn barrier, excitement was glittering in their eyes.
Stonestar leapt onto the highledge, ready to address the cats as they made their way into the camp. Echopaw was hit by the fishy smell that they held as the cats poured into the camp and sat down beneath the highledge. She glared at the cluster of cats, was Spiderpaw with them?
"Let all cats gather beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" Stonestar yowled, Minnowstar was now next to him.
"Tomorrow we will wake at the crack of dawn so that we can attack WindClan and show them that we're not prey stealers!" he announced.
The two clans cheered loudly for a few moments before he raised his tail for silence. "We have decided to attack in patrols," he meowed, "The first two patrols will attack from either side of their camp while the third and fourth will come a while later, when I signal out, we will also have backups who will stay close by."
Echopaw glared at Pricklepaw, "I hope I get to attack," she whispered.
"Me too."
"The first patrol will be Stonestar, Emberstep, Foxnose, Ravenwing, Lionwhisker, Stonetail, Mosswhisker and Branchfall while i'll lead the second with Birchshade, Hawkfeather, Owlheart, Oakfang, Mistyshine, Otterfur, Patchflower, Rowanbush and Sagefall," Minnowstar announced.
"No apprentices?" Echopaw tilted her head.
"They'll be in the next ones," Pricklepaw told her.
"The third will be led by Mudsplash with Icefeather, Creekshade, Lionwhisker, Mouseleap, Jayflight, Primrosepelt and Duskwhisper while the fourth will be led by Spottedwing with Raventalon, Tumblestep, Speckleshell, Marshtail, Treeflight, Rainsplash, Hawkfeather, Icefeather, Pricklepaw and Shellpaw," Stonestar meowed, "The backup will be led by Leafshine and will consist of Berrypaw, Echopaw, Spiderpaw, Cloudpaw, Dappleleaf, Fawnripple, Sandwhisker and Ripplestripe, while the rest of you will guard the camp."
"Make sure you all rest up and eat plenty, I want the deputies to sort out some patrols to hunt," Minnowstar ordered.
Mudsplash raised his tail, he was sitting at the foot of the highledge next to Spottedwing. "Foxnose can take Dappleleaf, Echopaw and Mouseleap hunting, try the great oak, I spotted a nest of mice there this morning and I want Creekshade, Oakfang and Leafshine to go to the grassy clearing near the ShadowClan border."
"And I'll have Mintclaw, Otterfur, Ripplestripe and Cloudpaw fish in the lake while Patchflower, Primrosepelt, Sagefall and Treeflight go hunting for land prey," Spottedwing ordered.
"Do RiverClan cats actually know how to hunt land prey?" Echopaw whispered in Dappleleaf's ear as they left the camp.
"I think so," Dappleleaf replied.
"WindClan don't stand a chance against us," Mouseleap meowed, "we've got too many cats."
"That's the idea," Foxnose stated, "Stonestar said we're not fighting to kill, but simply to show them that we aren't afraid of them and we're not stealing prey."
"Let's hope that they don't kill," Dappleleaf murmured.