Chapter 27

Tinyclaw had been right – he and Cloudpaw were too late. Just as they pushed through the last of the trees on the path leading to the camp, the last of the rogues was slinking through the thorn tunnel. Darkstripe had made it first, but still Tinyclaw pushed through the thorn barrier and shouted at the top of his lungs: "ThunderClan! Enemies! Atta -"

"ThunderClan! To me!"

Bluefur's voice drowned out Tinyclaw's. She was standing atop the Highrock, coat shining in the sunlight. The rogues were lunging throughout the camp, tearing apart and attacking whatever they could find – but at Bluefur's rallying call, what forces remained in ThunderClan's camp came together to defend their home.

Tinyclaw slipped to the side as Bluefur leaped down from the Highrock, landing atop one of the rogues. For a brief moment, Tinyclaw wondered if things where not as he had thought – that perhaps Darkstripe had separate plans of his own, ones that Bluefur wasn't privy to – but it was destroyed in the next moment when Bluefur sent her enemy away with nothing more than a stern look.

Fury boiled inside Tinyclaw and he almost lunged for her then – but one of the rogues, a dark ginger she-cat, slammed into him before he could. He wrestled with her, trying to tame the fury in his claws, until Cloudpaw dragged her off of him by the tail and chased her away.

"What do we do?" her fur was bristling to its ends, terror showing in the whites of her eyes. "Tinyclaw!"

Tinyclaw got to his paws. Frantically, he thought – the Clan was scattered to all corners of the territory. What patrol was the closest? "Sandstorm!" he breathed. To Cloudpaw, he snapped, "Sandstorm is at Snakerocks. Do you know the way there?"

Cloudpaw hesitated a moment before nodding vigorously.

"Go!" Tinyclaw ordered. "As quick as you can! Get Sandstorm's patrol, and get them to send someone else to the others. We need reinforcements!"

Cloudpaw's tail was bursting, but she turned on her paws and streaked out of camp. Tinyclaw hadn't time to wonder whether or not a rogue would follow her – she would be mincemeat if one did – because an attacker slid their way into his view.

They circled, but impatience flared up in Tinyclaw. Bluefur and Darkstripe are behind this, he thought. I need to find out before something happens!

Tinyclaw's opponent moved first, and Tinyclaw slipped out of the way. He ran his sharp claws along his foe's ragged, rumpled pelt with far more force than he ought to – they screeched in pain as blood spilled. They didn't come back for a second attack, and Tinyclaw was free to see what was happening in camp.

The clearing was in chaos. What few warriors left in camp were scrambling to defend important areas, but they were stretched too thin. Graystripe and Speckletail were wrestling with a rogue trying to invade the nursery, but both were outnumbered in an instant. Graystripe fought like all of LionClan, and it took Tinyclaw a moment to recall that Silverstream had gone to the nursery today. The spryest of the elders were helping Runningwind, protecting both the elder's den and the medicine cat's den – but the elders were weakening, and Runningwind was labored.

A shocked yowl rose from the other side of the clearing. Tinyclaw's tail bristled as he watched Brokentail lunge from his nest and fasten his teeth into his guard, Dustpelt. Aiming for the throat, Brokentail was clearly on the side of his rogue comrades.

For a brief moment, it all flashed before his eyes – the evening that Bluefur had been sharing tongues with Brokentail so casually, as if they'd been friends for seasons. Those monsters planned this!

Tinyclaw surged across the clearing, fury and rage lending him speed. He slammed into Brokentail, wrenching him off of Dustpelt. The tabby warrior gave him a grunt of acknowledgement – there was no time for thanks here.

Faced with two enemies, Brokentail let out a loud, keening wail. Tinyclaw and Dustpelt stepped back, stunned, as Brokentail got to his paws and kinked himself into a strange shape that seemed more than mortal. His eyes, frozen in their sunken pits, seemed to glow with untold fury.

Suddenly, Brokentail disappeared as Dustpelt and Tinyclaw were swept away by two of Brokentail's rogues. One on one, they circled and fought – but Tinyclaw made one misstep, and was caught off guard. Thrown onto his back, Tinyclaw had nothing left but to flail at his attacker as they made for his soft underbelly.

His attacker was yanked back suddenly, and Tinyclaw got to his paws. Together, he and Thornpaw drove the rogue off. Thornpaw was trembling with fear, but the golden brown tom nodded to Tinyclaw before surging off to the elders.

Head spinning, Tinyclaw turned about. Dustpelt had driven off his attack as well, and had gone to assist the nursery. Brokentail was gone, but the battle was raging on. Tinyclaw's eyes strained as he picked out the few ThunderClan warriors, surrounded and bloodied by the rogues – no warrior faced just one foe, but this was their home, and ThunderClan would not go out without a fight.

There! There was Darkstripe, sulking in the shadow of the dirtplace. He was watching with a spark in his yellow eyes and a curl to his whiskers that made bile rise in Tinyclaw's throat. He was one thing, though – where was Bluefur?

Where was Tigerstar?

Tinyclaw's stomach plummeted, and his ears rang as his heart beat thunder into them. Immediately his paws turned to the Highrock. The battle had happened so quickly, so suddenly… it was possible Tigerstar was only just now being made aware of what was happening, thanks to the sounds outside. And with Bluefur gone… there was only one place she would be.

He skidded to a stop next to the lichen-covered entrance to the den. It would do no good to barrel into the den like a fool – Bluefur would catch him and kill him the moment he tried. Tinyclaw dropped into a crouch and strained his ears past the battle-torn sounds. To his relief, Tigerstar's voice found him:

"… out there, Bluefur?" Tigerstar was meowing. His voice was tense. "I hear fighting, and…"

"Ah, that," Bluefur mewed coolly. "Don't worry, Tigerstar. Everything will be fine."

"Are you mad?" Tigerstar snarled. "We need to get out there! Our warriors -"

"The fools will die, and the smart ones will know who saved them," Bluefur finished with a snarl. Tinyclaw could hear the pattering of paws. "You, Tigerstar, are, unfortunately, one of the fools."

Tigerstar demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"

Bluefur chuckled. Tinyclaw's blood went cold. "The meaning?" she sneered. "This is your end, you weak old fool. It's finally time for someone better to lead this Clan!"

There was a great roar, and the pattering of paws. The scent of blood touched the air. Fear was replaced by cold determination in Tinyclaw, and he surged into the den.