Desperate yowls and screeches reach our ears when we're still fox-lengths from camp. My mind races even faster than my paws. I can't see ThunderClan comin' after us, but could be WindClan wants revenge for yesterday's attack and bringing BloodClan into the forest. Or maybe RiverClan blames ShadowClan for killin' their deputy and the whole BloodClan situation. It wouldn't be rational for 'em to attack us right now, but cats do crazy shit when they're scared out of their fur.
But it ain't RiverClan or WindClan scent stinkin' up the place. ShadowClan is under attack by BloodClan.
"But that's not fair! Scourge said we had three days to leave!" Tangleburr yowls.
"He promised Firestar," Boulder says. "Scourge killed our leader, so he sees us as weaker than the other clans, easy prey."
"Let's show him he's wrong!" Lightningpaw snarls, and before I can stop her, she launches herself into the screaming, roiling mass of fighting cats.
For a few terrifying heartbeats, I don't even see any of my clanmates. The stench of BloodClan nearly drowns ours. But finally, I spot Newtspeck, Darkflower, and Tallpoppy fightin' four enemies by the nursery. With a terrific screech, Tangleburr leaps to join her friends and defend her kits. Boulder rushes to help his sister, who's pinned beneath another of Scourge's lot.
My breath catches when I see Runningnose, crouched by Clanrock and bleeding heavily. Gordon, the big black-and-white tom Nightwhisper fought off the night we decided to follow Tigerstar, advances on him, jeering insults. I sink my teeth into the meat of his shoulder, tasting blood. Gordon yowls and whirls on me, but I slip beneath his flailing forepaws and knock his back legs out from under him. When he's down, I bite his flank hard.
The BloodClan tom wriggles away, and I crouch beside Runningnose, sniffing him. Just when I start to worry he's unconscious or dead, he lifts his head.
"Thank you, Nettlethorn," he rasps.
"Can you get to your den?" I ask, eyeing the battle. ShadowClan is still fightin', but the resistance ain't organized. They're gradually herding us toward the edge of camp.
"I can," Runningnose meows, some fire coming into his voice. He gets to his paws, wobbles for a heartbeat, then steadies himself.
"You and Littlecloud should grab some herbs. We ain't gonna hold this camp much longer," I suggest.
As the medicine cat slips away, I fling myself at a BloodClan she-cat sneakin' up on Dawncloud. The bad news is, I misjudge the distance and tumble awkwardly, lettin' the enemy—Emerald, if I remember right—rake her claws down my spine. But before she can do more than rip some fur off, Dawncloud's pullin' her off me. I don't see no distrust or hesitation in her eyes as we fight side by side to reach a limping Flintfang.
"We have to get out of here," the older warrior pants, leaning on Dawncloud.
I scan the hollow for Blackfoot. The deputy is near the hollow oak that used to be Tigerstar's den, pinning a BloodClan tom called Snake. But then another cat seizes him from behind and rolls him over. Blackfoot almost breaks free, but Snake is too quick, raking his claws across the deputy's belly. To my horror, I recognize the cat who attacked Blackfoot from behind as Jaggedtooth.
"Traitor!" I shriek at the top of my lungs, launching myself at the ginger tabby.
I shoulder-check Jaggedtooth hard, knockin' him away from Blackfoot. He comes back with a fierce blow aimed at the side of my head. I roll away, but the tips of his claws still dig deep into my neck.
"I thought you worshipped the fleas on Tigerstar's pelt. Why you helpin' his killer?" I demand.
Jaggedtooth gives me his frustrated, you-don't-get-it look. "I followed Tigerstar 'cause I figured he was the strongest cat around. If you think I'm gonna die for these fools, think again. The clans are finished, Cici, but it ain't too late for you to join the winning side. I can help you with Scourge and Bone. We can be together, like in the old days."
I gape at him. "After what you did at the prison?" I hiss. "I'd rather eat all the dog shit in the world than join BloodClan or be your mate. Hard to think which would be worse, actually."
Jaggedtooth lifts his lip in a snarl. "Your problem is, you're too sentimental and take everything too personally. Be a noble idiot then, and die like your weakling brother."
Mentionin' Nightwhisper turns out to be a real bad move on his part. I lash out with all my rage and fasten my teeth in his cheek.
"I'll feed your guts to a fox if I see you again!" Blackfoot snarls, landing on Jaggedtooth's back. He claws and bites viciously until Jaggedtooth pulls himself free of us.
"Your flaying-me-alive-and-adding-my-bones-to-the-Bonehill threat was better," I say.
"Why did you save me?" Blackfoot demands, his eyes hostile slits. "None of you rogues have any real loyalty. What are you even doing here, now you know your brother's dead?"
I try not to show him how much those last words sting, probably fail to hide it. "We have a common enemy, and we both love cats in ShadowClan. And I ain't a coward, no matter what you think. Can't that be enough for now? Besides, I ain't you. I don't believe in this two-on-one, kill-from-behind dog shit."
Blackfoot flinches, and guilt darts through his eyes. Real guilt, I'm almost sure. "That's enough for now. We need to retreat," he says gruffly.
I soften my tone a little, on account of I know it ain't easy for him to be driven out of his home a second time. "Where will we go?"
Blackfoot thinks for only a heartbeat, then meows, "RiverClan. Leopardstar's the only one who might help us now." I see his uncertainty and know in that instant, we're both thinkin' of Stonefur.
But then he throws his head back and yowls at the top of his voice, "ShadowClan, to me, retreat!"
Clanmates break from their opponents and run toward us. Mostly the BloodClan cats let us go with a few warning nips and scratches. Wetfoot and Newtspeck are escorting the elders, mostly keepin' BloodClan at bay. But the enemy's real thick 'round the nursery. I dive into the mess and scratch the eyes of a huge tabby she-cat attacking Tangleburr. Another tom wrestles with Tallpoppy, but Stumpytail is there, yankin' him off. I gasp with relief when I see Tawnypaw and Lightningpaw teaming up against Brick.
When we clear the area, Tangleburr and Stumpytail run into the nursery and come out each clutching a kit in their jaws. Pinekit is whimpering in what could either be terror or excitement, and Duskkit is silent with shock.
Scourge scrambles onto Clanrock as our battered group joins the rest of the clan. "Flee while you can, forest fools. And just in case my first lesson wasn't clear… Snag, it's time to prove your loyalty to your new clan!"
Snag drags a writhing, snarling cat to the base of Clanrock. Mine ain't the only voice to cry out, "Fernshade!" One of my friend's back legs is obviously broken, and her tortoiseshell fur is covered in blood.
As Snag rips into Fernshade's throat, Wolfstep leaps forward with a howl of fury and loss. Frogtail and Oakfur, lookin' equally horrified but realizin' it's useless, drag him back.
All we can do is stagger out of our camp, defeated and utterly demoralized. We all made it out alive, except Fernshade. For most of these cats, she's the third clanmate they've seen murdered in two days. How can we come back from this as a clan?
Russetfur and I scout ahead, 'cause an ambush is just what we need to end this amazing day we be havin'. I wouldn't put nothin' past Scourge. This is fun for him.
But we make it to the RiverClan border, which obviously ain't been marked in a couple days. We cross and have barely reached the riverbank when a patrol intercepts us. It's led by Leopardstar, which saves time.
"What are you doing here?" the RiverClan leader asks, her tone far from friendly.
"BloodClan invaded our camp," Blackfoot says with as much dignity as he can manage.
Leopardstar's warriors be lookin' at us like we're somethin' a twoleg threw up. I wanna rip their fur off but make myself stay cool. They got a right to be resentful. I can tell a part of Leopardstar—maybe a pretty big part—wants to tell us to take a short walk to the Dark Forest.
But her gaze softens a little when she sees our wounds, our kits and elders, and in the end, the clans' penchant for mercy wins out. "For the sake of our alliance, I will shelter you. I suppose I have some… responsibility to you with Tigerstar dead. But you are under my authority on this territory," Leopardstar meows.
Blackfoot grits his teeth, growls, but dips his head.
"Very well," Leopardstar goes on briskly. "Your kits and elders can come to the RiverClan camp. The rest of us will camp by the Bonehill."
We all know this be an insult, but Blackfoot snorts like she's stupid for even mentioning it and says, "That's where I assumed ShadowClan would camp. We built it, after all, and we don't want to stay in your fish-infested camp."
Leopardstar curls her lip but decides to take the hit, figurin' power over two clans is worth a petty insult or three. And every cat knows how ShadowClan loves petty insults.
A/N: Sarcasm and petty insults for the win! This is just one of the many, many reasons ShadowClan is the best. *Cackles evilly for several minutes.* I may post another chapter tonight if I feel like it/get around to editing it.