Two ShadowClan patrols prowled through the ThunderClan woods. The freshly unfurled leaves in the canopy above waved in a gentle breeze, and morning sunlight drifted through the branches to dapple gold on Frostmask's pelt.
Frostmask raised her muzzle to the wind and opened her jaws to drink in the sweet tinge of nectar in the air.
Blood would be spilt in battle today, and they'd chosen the most beautiful new-leaf day for it.
The well disciplined ShadowClan patrols had unruffled pelts and walked in silence, but their eagerness for battle shone in their gleaming eyes and swift steps. They'd spent a long time waiting to get their revenge against SkyClan and RiverClan for the attack against their camp— almost a whole season in fact. But, the wait would be worth it. Prey was returning to the forest, and thanks to Frostmask's discovery with the poisoned rat, they'd learned how to avoid poisoned fresh-kill. After many days of full bellies, almost every ShadowClan warrior was back to full physical strength. The delay had also allowed for plenty of planning, and now the coming battles were plotted out down to the second.
There were to be two concurrent attacks at sun-high— one against SkyClan and one against RiverClan. The plan for the attack against SkyClan was a deceptively simple one. Mid-morning, between SkyClan border patrols, ThunderClan would move their scent-markers to reclaim the land stolen from them during leaf-bare, and then they would simply wait for SkyClan to come to them. SkyClan had grown used to the territory and would certainly not want to lose it without a fight. ThunderClan had also been harrying SkyClan at the border for some sunrises now, so their claim on the territory would not come as a surprise to SkyClan cats. However, hopefully ShadowClan's involvement would be. The idea was SkyClan would show up expecting a border skirmish, but be met with a vicious ambush instead.
For RiverClan, however, the plan was quite different. A much smaller ShadowClan patrol would infiltrate their camp in order to steal herbs, in repayment for what had happened to ShadowClan in leaf-bare. That was to be a stealth mission, and today was chosen specifically for its purpose. The lovely, balmy weather would attract RiverClan to the water like ants to honey. If all went according to plan, their camp should be virtually empty by sun-high, as the RiverClan cats spent the hottest part of the day cooling off in the river. On top of that, a ThunderClan patrol would create a scuffle with the RiverClan cats on the bank, ensuring they stayed plenty distracted.
Frostmask's tail twitched, her stomach rolling a bit uneasily.
She wasn't completely sure how she felt about the herb theft. It was a low blow, that was sure, but whenever she started to feel bad for RiverClan, she remembered Buzzardpaw's and Fogfur's slow and painful decline from greencough, and her sympathy evaporated.
Still though, Sedgestar's decision to pay RiverClan back in kind was a controversial one. He and Clearstream had had several increasingly public arguments about it. Frostmask suspected that they had tried to keep their disagreements private initially, but as both cats stubbornly dug in their claws, tensions heightened.
Frostmask had never seen ShadowClan's political leader and spiritual leader so at odds with each other before. Most of the time, they treated each other with great respect, giving weight to every opinion. But, for this issue, neither would be moved.
Frostmask grimaced slightly as she recalled their vitriolic final argument from yesterday evening.
"We're warriors," Sedgestar had hissed in exasperation.
He and Clearstream had both been inside of the cave in Clanrock, but their voices had rose enough that his words echoed loud and clear through the camp, easily reaching Frostmask's ears.
"We battle with the other Clans. You know that. You've never had a problem with us fighting, lying, or stealing before!"
"Those weren't herbs," Clearstream had snapped. "Medicine, Sedgestar! If you steal them from RiverClan it's not just warriors' lives you put at risk, but queens, elders, and kits too! Warriors have honor. Without that, we're just a band of rogues, and as ShadowClan's medicine cat, I cannot condone this roguish behavior!"
"Flymask was an elder, and Buzzardpaw a kit when he first fell ill," Sedgestar had shot back. "But, they both died because of SkyClan's and RiverClan's theft. I didn't see Swallowfur or Pebblestripe jumping to stop their Clans from launching that attack."
"I know they tried," Clearstream had hissed. "Swallowfur and Pebblestripe have been my friends for seasons; they'd never support such an attack on my herb stores, just as I'd never support an attack on theirs."
"But, it happened! Whether the medicine cats liked it or not, Fennelstar, Willowstar, SkyClan and RiverClan, raided our herbs," Sedgestar had snarled. "We're just paying them back in kind."
"Then you prove that we're no better than they are," Clearstream had spat in a low voice.
A loud growl had rumbled in Sedgestar's throat.
"It's new-leaf. Their herbs will already be growing and blooming in their territory. They didn't show us that same mercy in leaf-bare."
Tail lashing, Sedgestar had stalked out of the medicine cats' den then, ending the conversation.
Frostmask shook her ears, bringing herself back to the present. The herb theft would happen as planned, despite Clearstream's best efforts. Sedgestar's only concession to her was that the ShadowClan patrol raiding RiverClan's camp was comprised only of volunteers— any cat who took moral issue with it didn't have to join. Sedgestar was even heading the patrol, as if to show that he wouldn't ask his warriors to do something that he wouldn't do himself.
And, if ShadowClan's leader stealing RiverClan's herbs doesn't send a message to Willowstar, nothing will…
Frostmask's gaze flickered over the cats around her. Mosspounce, Dewleaf, Dustleap, Marshnose and Snakeeyes were on Sedgestar's smaller patrol and already prepared for the infiltration into RiverClan territory. Mosspounce's pale ginger coat and Snakeeyes' white one were both splattered with mud to camouflage their more conspicuous colors, and all of them already smelt like marsh plants. They'd rolled in a combination of reeds and fragrant flowers that grew near the river on ShadowClan land, and they would blend right in with the damp RiverClan territory scents.
With Sedgestar occupied, Grovepelt took responsibility for leading Frostmask's patrol against SkyClan. As she glanced over at Grovepelt, nervousness for the older warrior flashed in her chest. Grovepelt hadn't fought in many of the recent battles, besides defending their camp from SkyClan, and she was worried about how he'd fare. But, despite his age, the deputy's green eyes were hard and determined as he stalked at the front of the SkyClan battle patrol at Sedgestar's shoulder.
Frostmask's eyes drifted over her other clan-mates. At the head of their patrol with Grovepelt was Dampfang and Cedarpaw. Dampfang's tail-tip was twitching, betraying his eagerness to rip into the SkyClan warriors. He'd been pushing for ShadowClan to get vengeance for several moons now, and Frostmask wouldn't want to be in the paw-prints of the SkyClan cats who were caught in the path of his rage tonight. Cedarpaw walked next to his mentor's shoulder, his face creased in a serious frown. Despite being in the younger cohort of apprentices, Cedarpaw looked nearly like a warrior already with corded muscles rippling beneath his short pelt. But, Cedarpaw had hardened in more ways than one under Dampfang's tutelage. Frostmask's mind drifted back to his first day as an apprentice as she recalled his self-conscious and sometimes outright timid demeanor. He was still a quiet cat, but now Cedarpaw carried himself with a far more confident air. He'd definitely turned into an effective hunter and fighter, but Frostmask did occasionally worry about if Dampfang was pushing him too hard.
Behind that group was Pineshade and Cricketpaw. Cricketpaw's tail was flicking with nervousness, but Pineshade would brush her pelt against her apprentice's reassuringly every few strides. Then near the two of them were Dappledpelt and Leafbreeze. The mother and daughter pair moved in matched-step; their identical lean forms could be mirrors of the other if it wasn't for their completely different pelt colors.
Then finally, Frostmask brought up the rear of the patrol with Autumnleap on one side of her, and Lizardpaw on the other. Frostmask glanced over at her apprentice, pride for him battling with worry in her chest. This would be his first battle since the raid on their camp, and while he'd turned into a very effective fighter in the intervening moons, Frostmask couldn't stamp out her nagging anxiety. Lizardpaw had been the only one of his littermates picked for the attack patrols, and while Frostmask tried to think that was because Sedgestar had acknowledged his fighting prowess, she couldn't also escape the idea that it was one of Sedgestar's tests to see how Lizardpaw would manage with his disability in a real, organized battle.
Frostmask shook her ears slightly, trying to dislodge the buzzing worry. It wasn't that she lacked faith in Lizardpaw's abilities to fight well. Or that she was particularly upset that Sedgestar's chose him for the patrol, although if it was a test, Sedgestar's underhandedness about it did annoy her. But, Frostmask was acutely aware of the fact that there had been a string of ShadowClan deaths at SkyClan's paws, starting with Swoopstrike, and she didn't want this streak to continue. The dreadful thought of Lizardpaw being the next casualty almost made her heart stop.
The fur on her flank stirred, and she glanced over to her other side. Autumnleap had brushed his tail against her comfortingly as if he'd sensed her nervousness, and now he was gazing at her with gentle amber eyes. Frostmask blinked at him appreciatively, a soft purr rumbling her in throat in response.
As they drew closer to the contested ThunderClan-SkyClan border, Sedgestar signaled for the patrols to halt by flashing of one of Lizardpaw's signs with his tail. The ShadowClan patrol stilled and complete silence wreathed around the group. Frostmask glanced up at the dense, bright green canopy, birdsong ringing in her ears as they waited for the ThunderClan cats.
It wasn't long before the undergrowth stirred, and Morningstar's large, board shouldered frame came striding out, followed by a small patrol of ThunderClan warriors. Frostmask's stomach twisted and she realized how few cats were with him. Besides Morningstar, there was only Pineclaw, Foxbite, Barredclaw, and one golden-furred apprentice that she didn't recognize. The majority of the fighting against SkyClan would fall on ShadowClan's shoulders.
But, ThunderClan couldn't bring too many warriors, because they have to look like a regular border patrol. Plus a larger battle patrol of them will be fighting RiverClan to distract them during Sedgestar's raid. She reminded herself.
It still didn't uncoil all of the knots in her stomach though. Sedgestar strode up to Morningstar, who greeted him with a friendly nod.
"Are your cats in position?" Sedgestar asked, keeping his voice low even though they were still a good distance away from the border.
Morningstar nodded.
"Acornear is heading the other battle patrol. They're keeping an eye on RiverClan from near Fourtrees, but your idea seems to be a good one. Most RiverClan cats are on the river banks this morning, catching fish, swimming and sunning themselves," Morningstar said. "Acornear is waiting on your signal to attack. Is ShadowClan ready?"
"We're always prepared," Sedgestar said with a nod, flicking his tail to gather his patrol to him. "My patrol will head over there now and speak with Acornear. Grovepelt will be leading the patrol on the SkyClan front."
Grovepelt dipped his head briefly to Morningstar. Morningstar nodded back at him.
"Alright, may StarClan light your path Sedgestar," Morningstar said.
"And, yours too," Sedgestar responded. "Good luck."
Without another word, Sedgestar's patrol turned and vanished into the dense undergrowth. The ShadowClan warriors had already said their goodbyes and well wishes back at camp, with their clan-mates that had stayed behind.
Morningstar turned to Grovepelt.
"If you don't mind, may I join you and your warriors?" Morningstar asked. "I'd like to fight in this battle, but I fear that SkyClan seeing me on our 'border patrol' may spark suspicion."
"You are welcome to," Grovepelt said with a nod. "Although ShadowClan will be following my orders."
"Of course," Morningstar agreed, padding closer to the ShadowClan cats. "Should we get into position?"
"Well, first we'd like to borrow your scent," Grovepelt said, his whiskers twitching in faint amusement.
Morningstar blinked in surprise.
"Our scent?" he echoed.
"Yes," Grovepelt replied. "We've done our best to mask our own with vegetation, but we still smell faintly of ShadowClan marshes and pine forests. We will blend in better with your territory if we smelt more of ThunderClan."
"That makes sense," Morningstar said, his brow furrowing slightly. "Er… how do you plan on 'borrowing' our scent though?"
"Having your cats brush their pelts against ours should suffice for our purposes," Grovepelt said with a blink.
Morningstar jerked his chin towards his warriors, who hung back from the ShadowClan cats, their gazes flashing with uncertainty.
"You heard him," he said, and his cats crept over reluctantly.
Frostmask didn't blame ThunderClan for their hesitance. They may be allies, but there was quite a difference between exchanging friendly nods, and brushing pelts like they were old friends and den-mates.
Frostmask held as still as possible to make things easy for them as the ThunderClan warriors brushed their pelts against the ShadowClan ones. When they pulled away, Frostmask did her best to keep her nose from crinkling up as a strong wave of ThunderClan scent— a deep, musty mixture of leaf-mold and damp ferns, overlaid with an edge of nuttiness— washed over her.
ThunderClan smells so much like their musty forest, I'm surprised mushrooms haven't started growing on their pelts! And, yet the other Clans say that ShadowClan scent is bad?They've clearly never scented the sweetness of the marsh in full bloom or smelt the clean, clear scent of pine.
The ThunderClan warriors smoothed their pelts down with a few licks as they groomed themselves quickly, removing any faint traces of ShadowClan scent that clung to them. Morningstar nodded at the ThunderClan patrol.
"Go set the new border," he ordered. "We'll shadow you. If SkyClan sticks to their regular schedule today, they should be here at sun-high, but keep alert in case they arrive early. We'll be there backing you up no matter when those fox-hearts get here."
Foxbite, Pineclaw, Barredclaw, and the golden-furred apprentice nodded and turned away to lead them towards the contested territory.
The ShadowClan patrol followed them, keeping themselves well hidden in the bushes and ferns as the ThunderClan cats stalked through the trees, marking the new border as they went, reclaiming their old land. While the ThunderClan cats patrolled, Grovepelt directed their group with paw-signs, fanning them out to flank the ThunderClanners.
Morningstar watched Grovepelt with rapt interest as he flashed signs to the ShadowClan warriors, clearing dying to know what kind of system he was using to silently communicate.
Although paw-signs had originally been created as a means to communicate with Lizardpaw, of course, no cat could have anticipated the value it'd give ShadowClan over the other Clans when it came to stealth missions. No longer were they forced to rely on rudimentary signals or whispered instructions. All they needed was a clean line of sight, and they could communicate with as many details and directions as they could with yowling at each other.
For a while, they made their way through the forest unchallenged, but as the sun reached its zenith, an ominous rustle came from the undergrowth on the SkyClan side of the forest. The ThunderClan patrol froze, Foxbite pulling back from the tree she'd been rubbing her face against as the ThunderClanners' ears swiveled towards the noise.
Next to Frostmask, Lizardpaw tensed, his nose twitching as he scented them before they revealed themselves. The SkyClan warriors stalked out of the dense undergrowth, their pelts bristling and their eyes glittering with fury.
Frostmask's gaze swept over the SkyClan patrol. It was fairly large for a standard border patrol— six warriors and an apprentice, but it made sense that SkyClan would send out large patrols; ThunderClan had been pestering them at this border for several days now. Even with this sizable patrol though, they wouldn't be any match for the number of ShadowClan cats lying in wait. A grey and white tom who Frostmask believed was called Cloudleap was leading the patrol, and behind him Frostmask recognized Larchtail, who was next to Spottedflower from the gathering. The rest of the SkyClan patrol was made up of a black tom, a dark tabby, a ginger warrior, and a dark grey apprentice. Frostmask's paws prickled with nerves as she glanced back at Larchtail. She hoped she'd be able to avoid directly fighting with her.
At least Paledusk isn't also here.
She hadn't totally decided what the best move would be if she met him in battle, besides just trying to avoid him of course.
Grovepelt held the ShadowClan warriors back with a flick of his tail. They would wait first for the SkyClan warriors to attack.
"How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, ThunderClan?" Cloudleap hissed.
The sun-high light was blotted out by the canopy above them, shrouding the forest floor in gloom, but Cloudleap's unsheathed claws still gleamed as he scored them through the leaf-litter.
"Get off our territory and we won't have to tear your mangy pelts off," Cloudleap spat.
"Your territory?" Foxbite hissed incredulously, baring the unusually long canines which had given her her name. "We are just reclaiming what is rightfully ThunderClan's."
"Enough talk," Spottedflower snarled, her tortoiseshell fur fluffed up so much it made her look nearly twice as large. "If ThunderClan wants to get torn to shreds, it'd be my pleasure to oblige them."
ThunderClan released a chorus of defiant snarls and yowls, then in a flash, SkyClan was upon them. Frostmask's shoulders tensed, anxiety twisting tight knots in her stomach. She shot another glance over at Lizardpaw, hoping to make reassuring eye-contact with him one last time. But, Lizardpaw's blue gaze was locked intently on the battle. The ShadowClan patrol held back for a moment longer.
"Attack!" Grovepelt yowled.
Frostmask threw herself forward without thinking, her lips curling back into a snarl as an instinctual battle-cry ripped from her throat.
The SkyClan cats' heads reared up immediately, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of the descending ShadowClan warriors.
"Fox-hearted ambush—" Cloudleap's snarl was cut off as Dampfang tackled him.
Dampfang's green eyes burnt with fury and blood-lust as he wrestled the SkyClan patrol leader to the ground, screeching while he clawed out tufts of fur and tore into flesh.
A wave of alarm swept through the SkyClan patrol, and they shied back. For a moment, Frostmask thought that they'd flee. After all, ThunderClan and ShadowClan now had the SkyClan patrol outnumbered two to one. But then a dark-furred SkyClan warrior threw his head back, letting out a vicious caterwaul before flinging himself at Barredclaw and Autumnleap, and just like that, the fight was back on.
Frostmask followed Lizardpaw as he hared forward, targeting a ginger SkyClan tom, Mapleflight.
Lizardpaw lunged at him, but Mapleflight's board, muscular shoulders rippled as he sprung straight upwards to dodge. Mapleflight twisted in the air, aiming his paws towards Lizardpaw's back in an attempt to crash down on top of him. Lizardpaw managed to dodge out of the way just in time, and Mapleflight's paws hit empty ground. Mapleflight grunted as he landed hard, and Frostmask took the opportunity to spring forward, clamping a bite on his tail while his back was to her.
Mapleflight released a furious hiss and whipped his head towards Frostmask, wrenching his tail from her jaws as he did so, although he left quite a few clumps of ginger hairs behind. Frostmask was spitting fur out of her mouth as Lizardpaw flashed forward, taking advantage of Mapleflight's distraction to score his claws across Mapleflight's cheek and snap his head to the side in a hard blow.
Frostmask's heart thrummed against her ribs as she and Lizardpaw moved in tandem, circling like a pair of vultures as they took on the SkyClan tom. They'd trained together long enough now that they were completely in tune with one another's methods of fighting and could read each other through the barest glances and gestures. Lizardpaw liked to use his long legs to his advantage, keeping attackers at a distance, which he did so now by barraging Mapleflight with lightning-fast slashes.
Frostmask, though, was much too short and small for her slashes to have the same power behind them as Lizardpaw's did. Instead she relied more on her bites to do serious damage. She flashed towards Mapleflight to sink her fangs into the ankle of one of his hind-legs for an instant before nimbly dodging back, narrowly avoiding a kick to her face as Mapleflight lashed out at her in response.
Lizardpaw kept his gaze locked on Mapleflight the entire time as the three cats prowled around each other. To compensate for his deafness, he tried to never let his enemies leave his line of sight, even if it cost him the use of more complicated moves or poses. Although Lizardpaw's fighting style might be a bit on the simplistic side, he more than made up for it through utter mastery of his technique and his uncanny ability to anticipate his enemy's next move.
Lizardpaw warned Frostmask of that now, his ears rotating to one side.
'To the left.'
Wholeheartedly trusting Lizardpaw's instincts,Frostmask flashed to Lizardpaw's left, her right, stretching a paw out to trip Mapleflight as he surged there that same instant, trying to dart around them. Mapleflight stumbled over Frostmask's leg, but was quick enough that he was able to catch himself instead of sprawling out on the ground. Still that stumble allowed Lizardpaw to land a few more hits on Mapleflight's flanks, and blood-stained ginger strands of fur flew through the air.
Mapleflight snarled and leapt straight upwards again, but this time rather than using the leap as an attack, he simply jumped clean over Lizardpaw and Frostmask, landing a few tail-lengths away next to a huge oak tree. He turned, positioning the trunk at his back so they were no longer able to flank him.
Smart move. Frostmask thought grudgingly.
She and Lizardpaw surged forward, but the fight was now on more equal footing. No longer having to worry about attacks from behind, Mapleflight was able to focus all of his attention forward and unleash his full strength.
Burning pain suddenly ripped across Frostmask's chest as Mapleflight landed a deep slash with his claws. Frostmask flinched back for a moment, blood welling in her pale fur. Lizardpaw slashed at Mapleflight's ears, but he ducked under the blow and surged forward, headbutting Lizardpaw's chest and knocking him off-balance. Lizardpaw wheezed as he tried to recover from getting the breath knocked out of him, while Frostmask held Mapleflight back alone. Although having the tree behind Mapleflight protected his back, it also limited his movements, cornering him between the trunks and and roots and making it easier for Frostmask to keep him in place while Lizardpaw recovered.
Lizardpaw was back to swiping at the tom only a few moment's later, but Frostmask's attention was pulled away by a squeal of pain. A few fox-lengths away, Cricketpaw had somehow gotten separated from her battle partners and was fending for herself against Spottedflower.
Cricketpaw needs some help. Lizardpaw should be able to manage against Mapleflight alone.
Frostmask flicked her tail against Lizardpaw's flank to get his attention for a moment before jerking her head towards Cricketpaw. Lizardpaw nodded in understanding and shifted over to take sole duty in the fight against Mapleflight as Frostmask turned and dashed towards Cricketpaw and Spottedflower.
Spottedflower had her back to her and didn't notice Frostmask's approach. As Frostmask reached her, she reared back to slam both of her forepaws against Spottedflower's flank, knocking her away from Cricketpaw. Spottedflower whirled towards her attacker, her teeth bared, and rage flooded her gaze as she recognized Frostmask.
"You," Spottedflower hissed.
"Me," Frostmask agreed, shooting a sign at Cricketpaw with the flick of her tail.
Cricketpaw sprung onto Spottedflower's back as Frostmask lunged towards her face. Spottedflower staggered under Cricketpaw's sudden weight, but the strong SkyClan warrior's knees didn't buckle. Still though, with Cricketpaw hindering her movements, Spottedflower wasn't able to defend herself against Frostmask's claws, which she raked over Spottedflower's forehead. Spottedflower hissed again as blood welled in the scratches, some dripping down to her eyes, but instead of going after Frostmask, Spottedflower whipped her head to the side, sinking her fangs into one of Cricketpaw's ankles. With a strong heave, she ripped the apprentice off her back, flinging her several tail-lengths away.
"Paws off my apprentice, squirrel-face!" A new voice snarled, and Pineshade came sprinting over.
Cricketpaw shook the blow off, stumbling back to her feet as Pineshade reached the fight.
If Spottedflower wasn't such an unbearable fox-heart, Frostmask would've almost felt bad for her. The tortoiseshell dodged and weaved, trying to stay ahead of Frostmask's, Pineshade's and Cricketpaw's attacks, but even the most talented of fighters would find it close to impossible to do battle three on one. Frostmask, Pineshade and Cricketpaw chipped away at Spottedflower slowly— a bite here and slash there, while Spottedflower could do hardly more than dodge them.
Then, for an instant, Frostmask was distracted as Morningstar's voice boomed out across the battlefield.
"They're going to fetch reinforcements! Stop them!"
"I'll do it," a familiar voice growled from much closer to Frostmask.
A dark streak flashed in Frostmask's peripheral vision as Dampfang dived into the undergrowth, hot on the tail of whoever was fleeing the battle.
It all happened only in a matter of heartbeats, but it was long enough for Spottedflower to seize the opportunity.
Pineshade sprung at Spottedflower, clearly anticipating her attack, but Spottedflower managed to dodge her and leap straight at Frostmask.
Frostmask's attention jerked back to her fight, and she tried to duck.
Too slow.
Spottedflower bowled her over, and the two of them tumbling away from Pineshade and Cricketpaw in a whirlwind of flying fur, but then Spottedflower's powerful hindlegs slammed into Frostmask's side, flinging her off of her and throwing her several fox-lengths away, into the dense undergrowth.
Frostmask groaned as she hit the ground, the impact only marginally softened by the patch of bracken she landed in. She stumbled back to her paws, wincing at the new bruises Spottedflower's kick had left on her side.
Her gaze darted around the ring of ferns around her, expecting Spottedflower to come bursting through to continue her attack. But, no SkyClan warrior appeared. Spottedflower must have been intercepted by Pineshade and Cricketpaw.
Frostmask gave a quiet sigh and rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen her aching muscles.
She'd been thrown to the edge of the fighting, giving her a few moments to catch her breath as well as to survey the battle, at least as much as she could see through the brush and trees. As Frostmask caught glimpses of snarling cats thrashing in the undergrowth, she blinked in shock as she took in the bloody sight.
She'd of course known that ThunderClan and ShadowClan outnumbered SkyClan two to one, but knowing was different than seeing.
SkyClan was not faring well. They were overwhelmed and being relentlessly battered from every side. Each SkyClan cat her gaze skimmed over was riddled with deep claw marks and bleeding puncture wounds, however, it was quite a different story for the other side.
Frostmask had only one sizable wound on her so far— the slash Mapleflight had landed across her chest, and it seemed to be mostly the same for the ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats. This wasn't for lack of trying on SkyClan's part though; their cats looked like they were fighting for their very lives. SkyClan warriors slashed toward their opponents' vital areas, necks and bellies, but they were having trouble landing hits on one enemy when more attackers harried them from other directions at the same time.
With every passing heartbeat, more and more gashes were added to the SkyClan warriors' pelts, and they grew weaker and more desperate, But, they still refused to retreat.
Frostmask searched the scene with her wide-eyed gaze, swallowing hard.
This isn't a battle. It's a slaughter.
Frostmask took in a long, deep breath, steeling herself. No matter how pitiful SkyClan looked right now, she couldn't just stand here and refuse to participate in the battle. They could call a retreat at any time, and ShadowClan and ThunderClan would allow them to go— they were honorable warriors after all. But, until then she had a duty to fight for her Clan.
Frostmask prowled around a bush, heading back towards the battle, but she jolted as she suddenly tripped over something warm and fuzzy hidden by a clump of ferns. Frostmask glanced down, her paw-pads turning clammy. It was the body of a cat, and Frostmask recognized the pattern of the brown tabby fur as Larchtail.
She was lying on her side; her eyes shut. Her body was covered in scratches, and a deep wound on the side of her neck oozed dark crimson blood. Frostmask's stomach twisted as she ducked her head down, trying to tell if she was still breathing.
"Larchtail. Larchtail!" Frostmask hissed in a loud whisper, nudging Larchtail's flank with her paw.
Frostmask released a sigh of relief as Larchtail's flanks twitched under her prodding. One of her ears flicked too, but her eyes did not open.
Frostmask tried poking her a bit harder, but she was careful to avoid jabbing her wounds.
"Get up!"Frostmask ordered in a low voice.
Larchtail moaned, and to Frostmask's relief, her eyes flickered open. But, when Larchtail's gaze drifted up to meet Frostmask's, she didn't look nearly as relieved to see Frostmask as she was to see her. Instead, first surprise and then anger flashed in her eyes.
"Frostmask!" Larchtail spat, struggling to her paws.
"Shh, frog-brain!" Frostmask hissed, silencing her as she shot a quick few glances around to make sure no cats were watching them, or rushing over to attack.
Luckily for them though, they were in an area sheltered by tall ferns and bushes, concealing them from most of the fighting.
"I'm trying to help. Get out of here! Run!"
Larchtail blinked once in confusion before her gaze flickered away from Frostmask, drifting over the glimpses of the raging battle they could catch through the ferns' leaves. Larchtail's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. It was impossible for her to not notice the dire straits the SkyClan patrol was in.
"I can't retreat without orders!" Larchtail protested, her pelt bristling.
"You're in no state to keep fighting," Frostmask argued, her mew low and urgent. "And, I doubt my allies are as interested in mercy as I am! So, please. Save your pelt and get out of here!"
Larchtail's brow furrowed, and she hesitated. Her tail twitched behind her as her resolve seemed to wane.
Larchtail then opened her mouth to say something else, but a yowl of agony from the fighting cut her off. Frostmask's head immediately whipped towards the noise, cold fear flooding her as she recognized the voice.
Pineshade!
Pineshade stumbled out of the undergrowth in a daze. She staggered around groups of fighting cats without glancing towards them, as if she hadn't even noticed they were there. A constant stream of blood ran down her muzzle and dripped to the ground, but Frostmask couldn't see where she was wounded until her legs all at once gave out on her.
As Pineshade crumpled to the ground, her face turned in Frostmask's direction. Bile rose up in Frostmask's throat when she caught sight of the place where her left eye was. Or, more accurately, where her left eye should be. Because it was gone. Now there was only a gaping, crimson wound. And, blood. So much blood, pouring down her cheek.
Frostmask was already dodging around screeching, battling cats before she even realized that she'd left Larchtail's side. Ahead of her, a dark tabby tom was whirling on Pineshade's limp form. His expression raged as he closed in on her, as if intent on finishing her off.
Frostmask doubled down on her speed and threw all her weight against him as she collided with his side. Despite being much smaller than him, she'd gained enough momentum that she was still able to stagger him. The tom stumbled back a few tail-lengths, but instead of rushing after him, Frostmask scrambled back towards Pineshade. She stood over her, planting her paws firmly on either side of her friend's prone form and directed the most menacing hiss she could manage right at the tabby SkyClan cat.
"Don't touch her!" Frostmask screeched at the tom. "Can't you tell she can't fight anymore?!"
The SkyClan warrior blinked once as if stunned, and then outrage flooded his eyes.
"As if you ShadowClan rats don't always go for the throat!" he snarled, his tail whipping behind him. "Cinderpaw was less than a moon into his training, and you all butchered him!"
The SkyClan glanced to the side. Frostmask blinked hard, following the SkyClan warrior's line of sight to a crumpled dark form, and her stomach twisted sickeningly as her thoughts whirled.
That young SkyClan apprentice had been killed? It must have been an accident, right? No warrior in their right mind would go so ruthlessly after an apprentice that still had kitten fluff behind his ears.
Before Frostmask could even form the words to respond, the SkyClan warrior was in motion— just a brown and black blur in the corner of her vision. Frostmask yanked her attention back towards him, her body instinctually moving, but she didn't have the time to counterattack or dodge. The best she could do was tuck her chin in, curl her back, protecting her neck and her most vulnerable organs…
The SkyClan warrior was bowled over before he could hit her by a pale brown streak. Frostmask blinked once in stunned surprise as Grovepelt pinned the dark tabby to the ground, snarling fearsomely.
"Get Pineshade to safety!" Grovepelt snapped the order over his shoulder before the tom started buckling under him.
Grovepelt had been able to pin the cat with his pounce, but now that they were still, the advantage of the SkyClan warrior's strength and youth became glaringly apparent. He dislodged Grovepelt with ease, who sprung backwards as the dark tabby rose back to his paws. Grovepelt put himself between the SkyClan cat and Frostmask and Pineshade, his tail lashing and his sharp gaze never leaving his opponent.
Frostmask had to force herself to look away from the fight. She desperately wanted to help Grovepelt, but Pineshade needed her help more. Frostmask dipped her head down to assess her and was relieved to see that her flanks were still rising and falling regularly, although their speed was definitely faster than normal. Pineshade was still conscious too— her remaining eye open and wide. But, she was paralyzed by shock. She stared blankly ahead at nothing, her gaze not flickering to Frostmask at all.
"Pineshade? Can you hear me? Can you get up?" Frostmask asked, turning her tone gentle as if she was soothing a kit.
Pineshade blinked slowly, and her gaze drifted over towards her, trance-like. But, when her remaining good eye met Frostmask's, a spark of recognition lit in its amber depths. Pineshade didn't speak, but she dug her paws into the ground, her shoulders heaving and trembling as she struggled to pull her legs under herself.
Frostmask secured her fangs around Pineshade's scruff and pulled up in an attempt to help her to her paws. Frostmask felt a flash of gratitude that Pineshade took more after Redclaw's small stature than Weaseltail's tall and lanky form. If Pineshade had been as big as either of her brothers, Frostmask would've barely been able to budge her at all. Together, they managed to get Pineshade to her feet, and Frostmask offered her her shoulder for balance as they limped towards the edge of the fighting. Blood continued to pour from Pineshade's face, and Frostmask stared at the wound worriedly. If the flow didn't slow soon, Pineshade would lose consciousness, and after that…
Frostmask gave her head a sharp shake, refusing to consider that possibility.
She guided Pineshade towards the thicket of ferns that she'd found Larchtail in. It would hide Pineshade from the rest of the SkyClan warriors, and Frostmask trusted Larchtail enough that she didn't think she'd attack a cat in Pineshade's state, if Larchtail hadn't taken her advice and already fled of course.
When they reached the ferns though, Larchtail was no longer there. The only indication that she had been was a flattened patch of leaves and a few smears of blood across the ground. Frostmask gently lowered Pineshade to the ground, and then immediately jumped in fear as the ferns behind them rustled. Frostmask whipped around, but sighed in relief to see that it was only Grovepelt. He didn't look too much worse for wear from his fight— only a few new scratches were added to his pelt, but he was hopping on three feet, keeping one of his forepaws off the ground. Frostmask glanced down at his foot, her stomach twisting as she expected to find a terrible wound there, but she was greeted by a small clump of cobwebs instead.
"I found it in a nearby bush. It's not much, but we need to try to stop her bleeding," Grovepelt said, moving around to Pineshade's head.
With gentle paws, her tilted her head to the side so her wound was angled upwards. Pineshade allowed him to manipulate her without a sound of protest, her flanks continuing to rise and fall in short, shallow breaths. Grovepelt pressed the cobwebs to her face, and Pineshade flinched as it pushed against her wound, but beyond that didn't respond to his touch.
Frostmask stared at Pineshade, deep worry gnawing at her chest.
Why was she barely reacting? Why wasn't she speaking?
Pineshade was the strong one. Pineshade always fought back, either with her words or with her claws. She wasn't supposed to be stunned into silence, her eye open like she was awake, but her pupil blown out, glazed and unresponsive. This sort of thing didn't happen. Not to Pineshade.
"Come here." Frostmask jerked as Grovepelt's firm voice snapped her from her thoughts. "You take over. I need to get back to the fighting."
Frostmask padded over to her deputy, reaching a hesitant paw towards the cobwebs Grovepelt had pressed on Pineshade's wound. Grovepelt moved his paw so she could place hers were his had been, then he placed his paw back on hers to show her how much pressure she should be putting on the wound. It was much firmer than Frostmask expected.
"Aren't I hurting her?" Frostmask gasped, her stomach twisting as she stared down at Pineshade's blank face.
"Stopping the bleeding is more important right now than her pain," Grovepelt responded a bit curtly.
"The cobwebs are already soaked through," Frostmask muttered, swallowing hard.
Grovepelt's tail twitched.
"It's better than nothing," he added in a low voice.
"Can her eye be saved?" Frostmask asked, turning a pleading gaze onto Grovepelt.
Frostmask wasn't surprised when Grovepelt shook his head. She'd gotten a good look at the wound, and it wasn't a minor injury.
"No. I've seen wounds like this before," Grovepelt muttered. "Her eye is gone. The best a medicine cat can do is remove the dead tissue in the socket to try to ward off infection."
Frostmask's mouth turned dry, and her ears flattened against her head. How long could Pineshade last out here on the battlefield, relying only on Frostmask's untrained paws to stanch her bleeding?
"Why are we still fighting?" Frostmask demanded. "One of SkyClan's cats have been killed, at least one other is seriously injured, and Pineshade needs to see a medicine cat, now. We've clearly won, can't you call our clan-mates back?"
Grovepelt gazed at her, reluctance in his eyes.
"If it was up to me, I might," Grovepelt said with a small sigh. "But, I'm under strict orders from Sedgestar to not fall back until they call a retreat. Unless the tide turns against us."
Frostmask's brow furrowed.
But, we outnumber them two to one! There is no way SkyClan can win like this. More fighting will just lead to more cats being injured or killed, both their cats and ours.
Cold fear and anger settled in Frostmask's gut.
"You would let Pineshade die just to follow Sedgestar's frog-brained orders?" Frostmask hissed, glaring at Grovepelt with blue eyes that burned with accusation.
Grovepelt blinked in shock. Frostmask could hardly believe that she'd just spoken to him that way herself, but her rational thoughts were rapidly fleeing as instead a pounding certainty that Pineshade was going to die rose up in her.
Frostmask screwed her eyes shut, battering against the fear and panic that raged inside her like a hurricane. Her paws began to tremble as her breath shuddered in her chest.
No… No! Don't take her from me. She pleaded with StarClan, fate, the world. Whatever she could make listen to her.
"Frostmask, snap out of it!"
Frostmask felt a sharp jab to her shoulder, and her eyes snapped back open to see Grovepelt glaring at her hard.
"I need you to stay grounded," he said in a firm growl. "That's how you'll help Pineshade, okay? Focus on her. Stop the bleeding. Don't let your feelings overwhelm you."
Frostmask took a few shaky deep breaths and nodded at him, some of her panic ebbing to be replaced by shame. Pineshade was the one who was severely injured. She had every right to be stunned and silent, since she just lost an eye. And, yet now Frostmask what was the one losing her grip. What was her excuse?
Grovepelt brushed his tail against her side for a moment in a comforting gesture, his green gaze softening.
"You're okay. It'll be okay," he assured. "But, I need to go back now. Watch over her."
"…I will," Frostmask spoke hoarsely as she found her voice again. "Can you look for Cricketpaw and Lizardpaw? In case they need help."
"Of course," Grovepelt said with a nod.
Then without another word, the deputy turned and dashed off, disappearing into the undergrowth. Frostmask turned her full attention to Pineshade, keeping her paw in place on the wound. Pineshade's good eye had shut, but Frostmask couldn't tell if she'd lost consciousness or had just closed it.
Frostmask's ears jerked up at the sound of beating pawsteps.
"More SkyClan warriors coming!" Leafbreeze yowled the warning.
The new SkyClan patrol screamed out battlecries as they joined the fight, just adding to the chaotic chorus of hisses, growls, and yowls. Frostmask hunched down, trying to better conceal herself in the ferns as the battle suddenly stormed around her with renewed ferocity. The fur down Frostmask's back prickled as she spotted a flash of long snowy-white fur through the trees. Paledusk was heading the new SkyClan patrol, his green eyes glinting and his lips curled back in a snarl.
The numbers on the two sides now seemed better matched, but the battle was still leaning in ShadowClan's and ThunderClan's favor. After all, most SkyClan warriors in the first patrol had been badly beaten, so they really only had to worry about the new ones. But, some of their cats like Pineshade were too injured to keep fighting, and the rest surely must be growing tired…
Will we have the endurance to drive off a fresh patrol of warriors?
Frostmask jerked in surprise as a snarling tortoiseshell suddenly leapt out of the bushes and rushed towards her and Pineshade. Frostmask sprung to her paws to jump in front of Pineshade, fluffing her pelt out and arching her back defensively, but her attacker slowed and hesitated as they recognized Frostmask. Frostmask blinked, realizing that it was Mottledflame at that same instant. They must have come with Paledusk's patrol.
Mottledflame halted their approach, gazing at Frostmask uneasily from a few tail-lengths away. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke. It was Mottledflame who finally broke the silence, their ears flicking nervously.
"Have…" Mottledflame began in a low voice before pausing, their eyes darting from side to side as if making sure that no one was watching them. "…Have you seen Larchtail?"
Frostmask's posture relaxed slightly, and she flattened some of her fur. Thank the stars that Mottledflame seemed more concerned about their mate than fighting her and Pineshade.
"Yes. She's okay," Frostmask said. "At least, she was when I last saw her. She's injured, but I told her to retreat from the battle. I hope that's where she's gone."
Mottledflame released a slow breath and nodded, relief flooding their gaze. They cast a glance at Pineshade, their eyes lingering on her wound.
"I hope your friend makes it," Mottledflame muttered.
Then they turned, returning to the battle without attacking.
Frostmask sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief for a moment before she headed back to Pineshade, quickly returning to her wound. Blood was still leaking from it, and Frostmask's stomach churned as worries whispered in her ears that the flow wouldn't stop. Frostmask shook her head sharply, knocking those thoughts away as she reminded herself of Grovepelt's words. She had to stay focused in order to help Pineshade.
Frostmask's brow furrowed as she placed her red-stained paws firmly on Pineshade's wound and kept them steady even as blood oozed out around them. The raging battle faded to the back of her mind as she watched over Pineshade, counting the rising of her flanks to reassure herself that she was still alive.
Then a flash of white fur through the ferns shattered Frostmask's concentration. She tensed, the fur down her spine prickling as her gaze slowly drifted from Pineshade and towards the pelt. Anxiety twisted in her gut as she confirmed the cat it belonged to.
Paledusk was standing only tail-lengths away, on the other side of the fern thicket. Frostmask froze as if her body had suddenly rooted to the spot.
Has he seen me? What will he do if he does? Leave me alone like Mottledflame did? Or try to fight? He is always talking about how he admires that we are both loyal to our clans above all else…
Frostmask steeled herself. If Paledusk came after her, she'd meet him in battle. No matter her own feelings on the matter, if nothing else, she had to protect Pineshade.
Still though, it would be better to avoid a fight if possible. She crouched lower, making herself smaller and wishing that she could will her coat to be brown or black, so she'd blend in better with the undergrowth.
Paledusk's green eyes scanned his surroundings, his gaze cool and clear, and his face expressionless as he assessed the fighting for a few moments. Then his attention drifted towards the ferns, brushing over Frostmask's and Pineshade's hiding place. Frostmask inhaled sharply as his eyes seeming to flash right to her.
Then Paledusk's head whipped around towards the sound of crashing undergrowth from behind him. Leafbreeze and the ThunderClan warrior Pineclaw came barreling out, running straight at Paledusk. Instantly, Paledusk was battle-ready. His formerly neutral expression twisted into a snarl, and he leaned back on his hindlegs, freeing both of large forepaws to slash at his attackers. Leafbreeze ducked and dodged, but Pineclaw charged straight ahead regardless, slamming right into Paledusk. Pineclaw sunk his fangs deeply into the area where Paledusk's neck met his shoulder, and blood gushed into white fur.
Paledusk barely flinched.
A rumbling growl tore from Paledusk's jaws, and he wrapped his powerful forelegs around Pineclaw in a deadly embrace, slamming the ThunderClan warrior to the earth beneath him. Leafbreeze lunged towards Paledusk, but he kicked out with a hindleg, making solid contact with her flank and throwing her back a few fox-lengths as if she weighed as much as a kitten.
Pineclaw kept his teeth stubbornly buried in Paledusk's shoulder, refusing to release him as he tried to inch his fangs upwards, moving them closer to Paledusk's neck. But, Paledusk didn't give him the chance to bite down on something more vital. With a twist of his neck, Paledusk somehow managed to snake his muzzle around to secure his jaws firmly around Pineclaw's throat. Pineclaw's green eyes went wide, and for a heartbeat, neither cat moved, both keeping the other still with the silent threat to clamp down and sever the life-giving arteries that pounded beneath their tongues.
Frostmask watched the exchange with wide eyes as the heartbeat seemed to stretch on for seasons.
They're waiting to see who will surrender first.
Pineclaw caved. He jerked, his jaws opening as he freed Paledusk's neck. Paledusk growled, holding on to Pineclaw's throat for a moment longer, and Frostmask inhaled sharply, waiting to see if Paledusk would crush his windpipe. But, then Paledusk finally dropped the ThunderClan warrior.
Pineclaw slumped to the earth, alive, but Paledusk hadn't left his throat completely unscathed. Pineclaw's breaths wheezed as he lay on the ground, air and blood hissing out from the small puncture wounds that Paledusk's fangs had punched into his windpipe.
Paledusk didn't waste anymore time on him, instead he whirled towards Leafbreeze, who had prowled back over towards him, but seemed much more hesitant to engage the SkyClan deputy now that she was fighting alone.
Paledusk wore his blank-faced mask again. Frostmask gazed at him in shock, not comprehending how he seemed to barely acknowledge the deep gashes Pineclaw had left on his shoulder as he and Leafbreeze began to circle each other.
Paledusk struck first, lunging with speed that barely seemed possible judging by his bulk.
Move Leafbreeze! Frostmask silently urged her clan-mate, her stomach twisting.
Thank StarClan Leafbreeze was fast too. She sprung away from Paledusk, avoiding being trapped in his paws, but his claws did make contact. He raked them all the way down her side, from her shoulder to the base of her tail, leaving a long trail of blood in their wake. Leafbreeze darted a few fox-lengths away, and Paledusk followed.
Frostmask's pelt crackled with tension as she craned her head, trying to keep their battle in her line of sight. But then Pineshade suddenly shifted slightly under her paws, letting out a quiet moan of pain. Frostmask's attention immediately snapped back to her, and she ducked her head down, bringing her face close to Pineshade's. She was still bleeding, but if she was moaning, that must be a good thing; that must mean she was waking up, right?
"Pineshade? Pineshade, can you hear me?" Frostmask asked her, hope stirring in her chest.
Pineshade moaned softly again, but her good eye didn't open.
Frostmask jerked as the earth trembled under her paws as something suddenly slammed to the ground, only a few tail-lengths away on the other side of the ferns, and her gaze flew up. Her chest grew tight as she saw Leafbreeze lying on the ground, struggling to pull herself to her feet as Paledusk rounded on her, stalking forward with cold purpose.
Violent rustling filled the air as a black and orange blur shot out of the undergrowth and towards the two battling cats.
Dappledpelt sprung over her daughter, her lips curling back in a ferocious snarl as she blocked Paledusk's approach with her body.
"Run, Leafbreeze!" she ordered.
Leafbreeze obeyed, scrambling to her paws as blood dripped from her grey-furred side, and she limped off into the undergrowth. Paledusk didn't try to follow her. His sharp eyes just watched Leafbreeze flee for a moment before snapping to Dappledpelt. Dappledpelt's back arched, her tail whipping from side to side in a frenzy.
"You killed Swoopstrike," Dappledpelt spat, her ears flat against her head. "I'm not letting you take my daughter too."
Paledusk was silent, his expression impassive, although he began to pace slowly, his muscles rippling under a white pelt that was splotched scarlet with blood. Dappledpelt glared at him, hatred burning like fire in her eyes. She drew herself up to her full height, uncowed, but numerous wounds already marked her pelt.
Mounting distress tore at Frostmask's chest as she stared at the scene unfolding before her. What was Dappledpelt doing, challenging him to a fight alone?! She was already injured and tired, while in comparison Paledusk was relatively fresh, not to mention one of the most powerful fighters Frostmask had ever witnessed. Dappledpelt didn't stand a chance one on one against the SkyClan deputy.
I could go over there. Fight with her. Or, maybe Paledusk will even leave her alone for me.
Frostmask's gaze flickered down to Pineshade. She'd stopped moaning in pain, and now she seemed more eerily still and quiet than ever before. But, her flanks still twitched in short, shallow breaths as the gaping wound on her face continued to ooze blood. Frostmask pressed her paws to the wound a bit harder, desperate to stem the tide of the bleeding.
But, Pineshade still needs me!
Hisses and yowls filled the air as Dappledpelt and Paledusk collided. Frostmask's breath caught in her throat as she watched them battle. Thankfully, despite Dappledpelt's blind rage towards Paledusk, still had the sense to be careful as she fought him. Rather than facing him head-on as Pineclaw had attempted, Dappledpelt flashed in and out, landing shallower blows, but dodging most of his his attacks.
Frostmask swallowed hard. As long as Dappledpelt could avoid being caught by Paledusk's paws, she had a chance to beat him, or at least bring the fight to a stalemate. But, it was a risky game. All it required was one mistake on Dappledpelt's part, and she'd be mince-mouse in Paledusk's long, lethal claws.
The misstep came much too soon. Paledusk feinted left and Dappledpelt fell for it, moving right and stumbling when Paledusk kicked out a hindleg to trip her. Paledusk lunged, sinking his claws into Dappledpelt's fur, and in only a heartbeat, had her pinned to the ground.
Dappledpelt screeched, clawing out huge clumps of white fur from his chest and belly, but Paledusk grabbed her wrist in his jaws and forced her onto her side, directing her slashing claws mostly away from him. Dappledpelt's chest heaved as Paledusk put a heavy paw on her shoulder to keep her in place, his tail held low and thrashing slowly behind him. Dappledpelt writhed and clawed at his legs, but he didn't budge. She was no match for Paledusk's sheer strength.
Frostmask stared at them hard, willing Paledusk to release her.
He wouldn't kill her like he did Swoopstrike. He couldn't. He killed Swoopstrike because they'd invaded SkyClan's camp. But to kill Dappledpelt over this scrap of land?! That wouldn't be right.
Paledusk curled his lips back in a snarl as he loomed over Dappledpelt. Frostmask's heart hammered in her chest.
No!
Paledusk lunged downward. But, instead of going for the throat, his jaws delivered a hard snap to one of Dappledpelt's forelegs. Dappledpelt yowled in pain as he ground his fangs in, mangling her flesh, but then Paledusk was stepping off of her, releasing his jaws and sending her scampering off with a final hiss and slash of his claws down her shoulder.
Frostmask's paws trembled with relief as Dappledpelt limped off, defeated, and Paledusk turned away from Frostmask's hiding spot, diving behind a patch of undergrowth and disappearing from her sight as he entered back into the fray. Dappledpelt, however, looked like she didn't have much fight left in her.
Frostmask understood Paledusk's strategy now. The bite to her foreleg had been deliberate. It was debilitating enough to remove her from ShadowClan's remaining pool of fighting warriors, while not being inherently fatal. But, if Dappledpelt could take over watching Pineshade, Frostmask could take her place and return to the fighting. She wasn't nearly as injured as her.
Frostmask lifted her head, about to call Dappledpelt over to her when a grey streak suddenly shot out of the bushes and barreled straight into Dappledpelt.
The two she-cats tumbled for a brief moment, both snarling, but in only a heartbeat, the SkyClan cat had slammed Dappledpelt to the earth. Dappledpelt glared up at her attacker, her eyes blazing with defiant fury.
Then Frostmask could do nothing but watch as Suneyes ripped through Dappledpelt's throat with a powerful slash of her claws.
A gush of blood splattered across the forest floor, and for an instant, Frostmask was rooted to the spot. Numb shock tingled up through her limbs, and her belly clenched. It wasn't until Suneyes got off of Dappledpelt and stepped around the quickly growing crimson pool that the pain, grief, and fury hit Frostmask so hard that her shoulders slumped as if a heavy weight had suddenly slammed down on her back.
Panting, Suneyes' bright gold gaze darted around as she searched for her next target.
Frostmask trembled with rage and anguish, her eyes on Dappledpelt. But, it was too late; Suneyes' claws had struck too deep. Dappledpelt's flanks twitched for a few moments longer, then grew still. Frostmask clenched her jaws against the yowl of pain and fury that rose up in her throat, her eyes stinging.
Paledusk came dodging back through the undergrowth, new wounds already added to his pelt. He spotted Suneyes and Dappledpelt, although he hardly gave the dead ShadowClan warrior a second glance. Instead, Paledusk quickly summoned Suneyes to him with a jerk of the chin, muttered something to her, to which she responded with a curt nod, and then Paledusk was flinging himself back into the fray. This time, Frostmask had a clear view through the undergrowth, and she saw him charge straight at Morningstar. The leader and deputy clashed together like a thunderclap, and the two powerful warriors tumbled several fox-lengths head-over-tail.
But, then Frostmask's attention shifted back towards Suneyes, and her stomach dropped down to the ground.
The SkyClan warrior had found a new adversary.
Suneyes reared up her hindlegs, bringing her forepaws slamming down towards Grovepelt's head. Grovepelt dodged the hit, but only barely. He was dragging one of his forelegs, which seemed to have gotten torn up rather gruesomely from shoulder to elbow, exposing glimpses of bloody muscle between patches of brown fur.
Frostmask's blood pounded in her ears, obscuring other sounds. Grovepelt would stand no chance against Suneyes in the state he was in. Frostmask's gaze flashed down towards Pineshade and to where her paws continued to cover her wound. The bleeding was finally slowing. But, was that a good thing or was it because her body had run out of blood?
Frostmask's insides twisted so much that she felt sick as her gaze flew between Pineshade, Grovepelt and back again. Who should she help? Grovepelt had ordered her to stay with Pineshade, but how could Frostmask just sit here and watch as Suneyes killed another one of her clan-mates?
If Pineshade's slowing bleeding is a good thing, then she'll be fine if I leave her alone. If it's a bad thing… I can't do anything about that.
Frostmask's gaze snapped back towards Grovepelt, and a gasp tore from her throat as she saw him being barraged by Suneyes. She slashed at him and slashed at him— trying to go for the throat again. But, although Grovepelt's endurance was clearly flagging hard, he had experience and cunning on his side. He was somehow managing to dodge most of her blows, making Suneyes' paws tangle up in bramble patches or slam against tree trunks instead. And, for the few blows that landed, Grovepelt twisted his body in time that they hit his legs or shoulders rather than anything vital. But, Grovepelt wasn't a young cat, and there was only so much beating one body could take. Suneyes was both fresher and stronger than him. Soon enough, she would wear him down. He'd be a fraction too slow with a dodge, and it'd all be over.
Frostmask cast a final glance down at Pineshade before making her decision. After whispering a desperate apology to her friend and sending an equal desperate prayer to StarClan to keep Pineshade alive, Frostmask was on her paws streaking towards Suneyes. She ran past Dappledpelt's body, and then a limp tortoiseshell pelt that she recognized as Spottedflower, but Pineclaw was gone— he must have had to the strength to drag himself away or had been rescued by his clan-mates— and then Frostmask was at her deputy's side.
Claws stretched out to their fullest extent, Frostmask sprung onto Suneyes back, latching herself onto her pelt and snapping for Suneyes' right ear. She caught it and bit down. Hard.
A hot, metallic tang coated her tongue as the suffocating reek of blood clogged her nostrils, but Frostmask fought the urge to open her jaws. Rather, she clenched down harder, until her fangs ached. Dimly, beneath the dull drum of anger and grief for Dappledpelt that pounded through Frostmask's body, she could hear Suneyes screeching. She writhed under her like a snake, but Frostmask refused to be so easily dislodged. Keeping her jaws firmly closed together, Frostmask yanked her head to the side, slicing half of Suneyes' ear to ribbons as her fangs ripped clean through it.
Suneyes yowled in pain, and giving up on her writhing, she reared onto her hind-paws for an instant before falling backwards, intent on slamming Frostmask to her ground beneath her. Frostmask managed to free her grip on Suneyes' pelt just in time to spring off her, and the SkyClan warrior's back hit the earth, leaving her stomach exposed.
Frostmask lunged forward, slicing her claws down Suneyes' vulnerable underside. But, it was a fleeting blow, and as quick as a bolt of lightning, Suneyes twisted back to her feet, lashing out as Frostmask pulled back and raking her claws across Frostmask's brow, sending droplets of blood running into her eyes.
Blinking the red out of her vision, Frostmask retreated to Grovepelt, protecting his injured side. They would stand a better chance against Suneyes working together.
Suneyes rounded on them, snarling. Her bright eyes glittered with rage as a stream of blood ran down her head from her newly torn ear. She raised a paw to strike—
"SkyClan! Retreat!" Paledusk's voice thundered out.
Suneyes jerked with surprise, her gaze flying towards her deputy. Frostmask's chest heaved with pants as she followed her glance, hardly able to believe it herself.
Was it really all over?
Paledusk stood a couple of boulder-lengths away from them, but his pure white pelt cut through the undergrowth like a beacon. He held his chin high, but blood ran down his flanks from his wounds as SkyClan warriors streamed past him, heading back in the direction of their territory. With a final hiss at Frostmask, Suneyes turned tail and ran towards him, dodging around bloodied ferns and wounded warriors.
ThunderClan had won back their land and ShadowClan had gotten their revenge, but no cat seemed to have the energy to raise their voices in victory. Instead, ThunderClan and ShadowClan warriors just watched the retreating SkyClan cats with eyes glazed with exhaustion.
For the smallest fraction of a heartbeat, Paledusk's gaze met with Frostmask's. But, neither his face nor his body gave anything away as he turned around, back towards SkyClan territory.
Author's Note: I could say a lot about this chapter, but I want to keep this note brief. So, all I'll mention is that it was cool to finally get to see Paledusk's fighting firsthand!
Sorry about the long break between this chapter and the previous. I had a lot of life stuff going on. I'm on a break from work at the moment though, so I've got more free time. That means next chapter, which will also be the final chapter of Book 2, will be out soon (in about a week.)
Friendly reminder that the title of this fic will be changing to Cold Bloodlines in a couple of chapters!
Thank you all for reading!
Reviews:
Brian.H.H: Thank you! I know its been a while since the last chapter, but I still hope your essays went well. Also yeah, honestly some of my favorite scenes are of just the characters hanging out talking to each other. They're definitely not as exciting as big battles or dramatic plot reveals, but it's just nice sometimes for them to be having a good time together haha. I hope the battle lived up to expectations! This is definitely the longest battle scene that I've written so far, and that was deliberate since it was such a large scale fight.
Autumnleap: Thank you! I hope you liked it!
Avalanche: Haha yeah, it definitely wasn't a totally honorable move, but the Clans can be very stubborn when it comes to getting their revenge.
Anonymous: Thank you so much for this review! It really made my day when I first saw it. I'm so happy that you've been enjoying the story!
Blue Leaf Green: Thank you! Yeah I went back and forth about if it should be the overall name or the name of the parts... I do think that I want Cold Bloodlines to be the overall title though.