In the training ground where the pine needles served as a carpet, Talonpaw watched nervously as Owlpaw and Hawkpaw circle each other. There was genuine aggression in the eyes of both cats, and for a moment, Talonpaw wondered why this was the moment their mentors chose to leave them behind during their battle training for a few moments to check out some suspicious scents that Icefire had reported.
"Are you going to attack me any time soon?" Hawkpaw asked, his amber eyes burning.
"Yeah. Right now!" Owlpaw lunged himself at Hawkpaw, and the brown tabby tom darted nimbly away before Owlpaw could land a blow, leaving the tom to hit nothing but pine needles. Owlpaw huffed with irritation, and Hawkpaw was on him in seconds, pummeling his spine with his back paws. Owlpaw hissed, dropping to the ground, but Hawkpaw had him in a position that he could not easily wrestle his way out of.
What are they doing? Talonpaw's eyes widened as Owlpaw became limp. Hawkpaw's muscles relaxed, and Owlpaw leaped from the ground, rolling over and pinning the mottled tom down as his claws scored down Hawkpaw's belly, taking out chunks of dark fur. Hawkpaw yowled in pain, and blood started to bubble at the top of his wounds. But the cries from the dark apprentice didn't seem to sway Owlpaw.
"Stop!" Talonpaw shouted out, horrified at the violence between his Clanmates. "You're Clanmates, you can't fight each other!" He threw himself at Owlpaw, barreling himself off Hawkpaw. Hawkpaw scrambled to his paws, breathing heavily. Owlpaw's claws were bunched with blood-stained fur as he glared at Talonpaw.
"Then tell Hawkpaw to stop making fun of me!" he hissed, lashing his tail from side to side as his claws dug into the needle covered floor. "Just because I'm not training as fast as him or Eaglepaw, doesn't mean that I won't be a good warrior!"
"Hawkpaw!" Talonpaw glared over his shoulder at the mottled dark brown tom. Hawkpaw's fur fluffed out defensively.
"He's just slowing us down," Hawkpaw growled, glaring at Owlpaw.
Tension sparked in the air between the two apprentices, and Talonpaw let out a low growl in his throat. He had to stop this! They were Clanmates, yet they were treating each other as enemies. Clanmates didn't fight with each other. They trusted each other with their lives. It was the nature of cats to deceive and be deceived, but if they could not trust those who fought alongside them, there would never be an end to the chaos.
"Enough is enough!" Talonpaw snarled, taking one step closer to the brown apprentice. His tail lashed back-and-forth, bringing up pine needles. If his mentors wouldn't solve this, he would. "This isn't a fight."
"The weak are wrong," Owlpaw muttered under his breath.
"What?" Talonpaw tossed his head over to stare at the tabby tom, baffled at that statement. Owlpaw would never say something like that! Was his animosity with Hawkpaw really that strong?
Owlpaw lifted his head, raising his voice as his blazing eyes met Talonpaw's. "In battle, lose and you die. They lack preparedness. I don't want to be weak. If fighting is what makes me strong, so be it!"
"Keep fighting and causing riots and you'll only get yourself kicked out of the Clan," Talonpaw warned him, his voice low in his throat. Lionstar surely wouldn't allow any unruly apprentices to attack their own Clanmates. And he didn't want Owlpaw to be kicked out of the Clan. Why is he acting like this? "Behave accordingly."
"You don't get it." Owlpaw glared at Talonpaw, his ears flattening as his tail kicked up brought up more pine needles. Tension sparked in the air as Hawkpaw studied Owlpaw with narrowed eyes. "I have to be like my father. He staked his life for his Clan, so that's what I'm going to do, too."
"I see." Talonpaw's ears twitched. So someone told Owlpaw about his father, huh? That must be why he's acting like this.
Hawkpaw's eyes darted to the ground, and Talonpaw was surprised that there was sudden remorse in the tom's gaze as he lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Owlpaw," he murmured. "I failed to see how you felt. I guess… I, too, follow that sentiment. But I'm still incompetent. I'm not a good judge of character. At this rate, I won't ever become a warrior, if I attack my friends like I just did."
"Hawkpaw." Talonpaw gazed at his friend, who looked up and met his glance. What would a Great General do? "What do you think is ShadowClan's asset?"
"We are known for our strength," Hawkpaw replied, drawling his words out.
"That strength is based on our Clan's unity," Talonpaw explained, recalling what he overheard his father say in meetings with Lionstar. "There's only so much a single warrior can do. But when we are joined by a strong bond, our strength is multiplied by tenfold, even a hundred-fold."
"Certainly," Hawkpaw meowed.
This must be stopped, once and for all. I won't tolerate my friends turning on each other, especially since we've just started our training. Talonpaw raked his mind for something that would bond the two cats together, to stop their rivalry. He thought back to Hawkpaw's easy-going relationship with his brother, Eaglepaw. I've got it! "Hawkpaw, Owlpaw," Talonpaw said, "I order you both to be sworn brothers."
"Sworn brothers?" Owlpaw echoed, baffled as he stared in shock at Talonpaw, and then Hawkpaw. "But Hawkpaw already has a brother!"
"He can have another one." Talonpaw's ears twitched, not willing to entertain Owlpaw's argument. He knew that if he didn't interfere, the hostility between the two apprentices would fester into something poisonous. "Owlpaw will be the older brother, and Hawkpaw will be the younger brother. With Owlpaw's wisdom and Hawkpaw's strength, being strongly united… how promising is that?"
Hawkpaw's amber eyes were round as Talonpaw padded over to Owlpaw, gazing into the tom's deep gaze. Owlpaw shifted his weight nervously, but his eyes didn't falter from Talonpaw's as he lifted his head.
"As the older brother, take care of Hawkpaw," Talonpaw ordered the dark tabby.
Owlpaw blinked twice. "I will," he said, and Talonpaw noticed that he was no longer arguing. Maybe he actually agrees with me.
"Hawkpaw," Talonpaw said, looking over at the mottled brown tom, who stepped forward curiously, shock still in his eyes. "Moving forward, you must not disobey Owlpaw."
Hawkpaw glanced at Owlpaw. He rested his spotted tail on top of Owlpaw's shoulders, and Owlpaw did the same. "I won't," Hawkpaw promised. Talonpaw blinked in shock, surprised that he had gained the two apprentices' agreement so easily.
Talonpaw sighed in relief as the two toms sheathed their claws, nodding to each other, but he jumped to his paws when he heard a low voice over his shoulders. "Well done."
He spun around to see his father. Sparrowflight loomed over him, his amber eyes warm. Where did he come from? Talonpaw hadn't even heard his pawsteps – something he probably should work on, the dark tabby thought. "I saw the entire thing. You managed to resolve Hawkpaw and Owlpaw's differences diplomatically, by reminding them the true purpose of ShadowClan. That's the sort of behavior Lionstar admires."
"Thanks," Talonpaw meowed, watching as Snakenose and Featherheart appeared in the clearing to collect their apprentices and take them away. Talonpaw wondered where they were going, but he hoped he had managed to smooth over the differences between Hawkpaw and Owlpaw. He knew that Owlpaw acted out because of the loss of his father at such a young age and maternal neglect, but perhaps being a sworn brother of Hawkpaw would help? "Do you think what I did will work?"
"Maybe," Sparrowflight meowed, his gaze trailing after where the cats had disappeared. "We'll see."
Talonpaw stretched his arms out, feeling a need to move. The conflict between Owlpaw and Hawkpaw lingered in his mind, and he wondered how they were doing. "So, what now?" he asked his father. "We've been training for a quarter moon already, and the only thing I've learned was the Clan boundaries and hunting moves."
"That's the basis of what every apprentice learns," Sparrowflight said, his whiskers twitching. "Don't think your training is going to be accelerated because you'll be learning how to train under Lionstar. I think he's spending today with his mate."
"Robinwing?" Talonpaw asked, remembering seeing the brown she-cat enter Lionstar's den on multiple occasions. There was a certain warmth in Lionstar's eyes when he looked at the she-cat as well, but he hadn't seen any public displays of affection. This was a simple guess on Talonpaw's part, from the rumors he heard in camp.
Sparrowflight nodded to confirm Talonpaw's guess. "He loves her very much, you see. You'd never guess, though. He doesn't show it in public."
"Why not?" Talonpaw inquired, falling in step with his father as the two cats trekked across the pine forest.
"He fears it'll make him weak." Sparrowflight jumped over a small patch of thorns, the tips of his ears twitching. "He thinks that if another Clan sees him with her, they'll use her against him. Every cat knows that Lionstar will do whatever it takes to protect what's dearest to him." He paused and glanced over his shoulder at Talonpaw. "That is what makes him such an excellent Clan leader."
"What happens if he's forced to choose between Robinwing and his Clan?" Talonpaw wondered out loud. Would Lionstar choose his mate, or prioritize his entire Clan? A cold chill ran through Talonpaw's blood. I wonder what would happen if I had to choose between Sparrowflight or my Clan. Or Thistlesnow. Or Birdpaw.
Sparrowflight's tail-tip twitched. "I don't know," he said. "Lionstar is a very loyal cat, to his Clan and to the cats he loves."
You do know, but you don't want to tell me, Talonpaw thought, seeing the shadows in his father's eyes. The answer scares you. Deciding it best not to prod, Talonpaw said nothing else as the two cats swerved through a gnarling path through the tightly compacted pine trees. As they scampered through the forest, Sparrowflight suddenly lifted his tail and stopped Talonpaw in his path.
"Halt!" he ordered, and Talonpaw already knew why. He could scent the ThunderClan stench wafting, too close to the scent marks, from here, far inside the border. Sparrowflight's amber eyes narrowed into slits, and his claws unsheathed. Talonpaw lifted his head and sniffed the air, wincing as the scent grew more and more potent. They're on our territory.
"Are we going to investigate?" Talonpaw asked his father.
Sparrowflight nodded. "Yes. If it's just a cat or two, we can take care of it ourselves. If it's a patrol, we gather as much information as we can and report back to Lionstar. He'll decide how to take care of it from there."
Talonpaw said nothing as he followed Sparrowflight and the scents of ThunderClan. Sparrowflight's ears were tilted upwards, and the tip of his tail was twitching in thinly veiled anger. Talonpaw could catch some curses muttered under his breath, and as the two toms pursued forward, they halted. Voices were drifting towards them.
"If we can get past this patch of pines here, we'll be as far as Flintstar wants us to go," meowed a cat.
"So deep?" asked another cat.
"It's to send a message, Falconheart," said the first voice. "If Lionstar thinks he can try and steal our territory for himself, then we're going to show him we can play that game, too."
"I know that, Sootfall," Falconheart meowed. "I just fear that we're in over our heads, trying to take this much territory."
The fur on Sparrowflight's neck started to fluff up, and Talonpaw felt his claws digging deep into the ground. The ThunderClan cats clearly were used to having undergrowth disguise them from other animals, for there was frustration in their eyes as they looked around for places to hide. Seemingly having given up, they spanned in a straight line. Talonpaw saw the head of the patrol – a slight gray tom with broad shoulders. Behind him was a golden tabby cat, a brown-and-white tabby she-cat, and a ginger-and-white tabby tom.
"That's Sootfall, deputy of ThunderClan, leading the patrol," Sparrowflight hissed in Talonpaw's ear. "Behind him are Falconheart, Brookfeather, and Stormwing. But there's something wrong." His amber eyes were narrowed into slits. "From what they're saying, they're here to conquer a vast swath of land. But there's too little of them in this single patrol. Which means…"
"There's more patrols out there," Talonpaw guessed.
"It's a multi-pronged attack," Sparrowflight whispered. "Talonpaw…" His father's voice trailed off, but he didn't need to speak for Talonpaw to know what he wanted to say. He wanted to order Talonpaw to go back to camp, to retrieve reinforcements, but if Sparrowflight's guess was correct, that meant Talonpaw would be running into the pine forest, with ThunderClan patrols roaming the land, searching for cats to attack. If Sparrowflight went instead, that left Talonpaw alone and vulnerable – perfect for a hostage, or to demonstrate a lesson to the ShadowClan cats. No matter what, ShadowClan had to be warned.
"I can do it," Talonpaw insisted. "I can warn Lionstar."
"There are more ThunderClan patrols out there," Sparrowflight whispered.
"Yes, and I'll avoid them," Talonpaw told the big tabby. "You saw how clumsy they are – they're used to hiding in the undergrowth the forest provides. Out here the only thing they have is the pine trees. I know the territory better than they do. I'll get back to ShadowClan's camp, and I'll warn them."
Sparrowflight's amber eyes glistened with an expression Talonpaw could not make out.
"Where are you going to go?" Talonpaw asked.
"I'll be on their tails," Sparrowflight said.
Fear flashed through Talonpaw. "If they catch you, they'll kill you!" he hissed.
"They won't catch me." Sparrowflight shook his broad, dark striped head. "Hurry, Talonpaw. Go to camp and warn Lionstar. There's not much time." He headbutted Talonpaw. "Go!"
At his father's stern order, Talonpaw took off in the direction of camp, feeling StarClan guide his paws as he raced through the pine forest. His paws kicked up pine needles and he swerved through the bare ground. He looked up, catching a glimpse of the sun at its highest peak through the thick foliage of pines. I have to run faster, Talonpaw thought, feeling the blood pound in his ears. I can't leave Sparrowflight on his own for much longer.
When Talonpaw spotted a thick tangle of brambles just a few fox lengths ahead, relief swamped over his body. Camp! He burst towards the brambles and down the dip that sheltered the heart of ShadowClan. Talonpaw slipped down the walls of the hollow and forced his way through the bramble tunnel, bursting into camp. He looked around wildly, searching for Lionstar's golden tabby pelt or Toadstep's brown-and-white tabby fur. To his relief, the massive ShadowClan leader was sitting right outside of his den. Talonpaw hurtled himself over to him, and Lionstar leaped to his paws, his green eyes wide.
"What's wrong, Talonpaw?" Lionstar demanded, his bushy tail lashing back and forth. Talonpaw looked over his shoulder, realizing his agitated arrival had caused a crowd. Blossomflower's green eyes were wide with fear, and Icefire's lips were curled into a snarl, as if she could already anticipate what Talonpaw was about to say. Morningmist and Thistlesnow exchanged nervous glances, while Redfeather and Lightpebble bounded over to Talonpaw.
"Lionstar!" Talonpaw exclaimed. "Sparrowflight and I were out on patrol when we caught ThunderClan scents."
Lionstar stiffened, and Talonpaw could feel uncontrollable rage pulse from the big tom's pelt. But his voice was calm and steady as he meowed, "Go on."
"We followed them because we weren't sure how many there were and if we could take them on in a fight," Talonpaw went on. "We saw Sootfall was leading a patrol, but there were only four cats, including him. But he was saying something about taking a large part of territory."
"Four cats on a patrol here to take territory?" Redfeather inquired, tilting his head. "Flintstar is either foolishly brave or suicidal."
"That's the thing," Talonpaw told Redfeather, keenly aware he was speaking to a senior warrior. "Sparrowflight doesn't think it's just that single patrol that's attacking. He thinks there's more than one, but they're just not traveling together."
Lionstar rose to his full height, his golden tabby fur bristling. "He may very well be right," the ShadowClan leader growled. He shut his eyes, and then when he opened them, his green eyes blazed with a resolve Talonpaw had never seen before. "Let your rapidity be of the wind, your compactness that of the forest. In raiding and plundering, be like fire, in immovability like a mountain. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."
This must be part of his strategy, Talonpaw thought as Lionstar padded to the center of camp. Several cats joined him, clearly having overheard their conversations. Claws were unsheathed and pelts were bristling. The taste of battle hung in the air, and Talonpaw felt his own claws digging into the ground. He was ready to fight if he had to. He hadn't been an apprentice long, but Sparrowflight had already taught him some moves that he'd be willing to use on a mangy ThunderClan cat.
"You know where the first patrol is, then?" Icefire asked Talonpaw.
"Yes, Sparrowflight is following them," Talonpaw meowed.
"I know Flintstar," Lionstar said, "and my guess is that he has two others. I think the patrol led by Sootfall was the scouting patrol. I bet an entire moon of dawn patrols that the second patrol is the full attack patrol – that would explain why Sootfall's patrol was so few in number. That attack patrol must be double the size of Sootfall's patrol."
"Do you think there's a third?" Cloudsong asked, padding up to his leader.
"Absolutely." Lionstar nodded. "My guess is that they're the backup."
"Would they all be in close proximity?" Hopflight asked. Leafpaw was right behind his mentor, and Talonpaw tried to catch his denmate's gaze. But Leafpaw was focused solely on Hopflight and Lionstar.
"The full attack patrol will be behind the scouting patrol," Lionstar meowed. "The defensive patrol is probably there waiting for us to come. What we're going to do is…" The ShadowClan leader lashed out his paw and clawed a line in the ground. "We're going to strike at the defensive patrol."
"What?" Lightpebble leaped to his paws. "But… why? Doesn't it make more sense to ambush the attack patrol?"
"Attack him when he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected," Redfeather quoted. "Do you not recall your training, Lightpebble?"
Lionstar nodded. "Redfeather is right. We're going to attack the defensive patrol. It's sure to be smaller than the full attack patrol. We'll gain the attention of the attack patrol that way, and we'll separate them using two patrols. Listen, here's how it's going to go." The big tabby started to claw out lines in the forest floor. "Toadstep will lead the patrol to slam into the defensive patrol's flank. This will entice the frontal attack patrol to join in, and just as they do, I'll be leading another patrol, and we'll take on that patrol and divide them up so we're fighting in different parts of the forest."
"And the scouting patrol?" Copperlight inquired.
"They shouldn't be too hard to take care of," Lionstar meowed. "There's only four of them, correct?"
Talonpaw nodded.
Lionstar jerked his head towards Hopflight. "Hopflight, take Leafpaw and find Featherheart and Snakenose. Hawkpaw and Owlpaw should be with them. You will be taking the scouting patrol."
"Where did they go?" Hopflight's amber gaze burned into Talonpaw's.
"I think they headed into the direction of the old Twoleg nest," Talonpaw told the big warrior.
"Understood." Hopflight nodded. "We'll find the ThunderClan patrol by their stench – and we'll keep an eye out for Sootfall, too, since he's leading the scouting patrol."
"Very well." Lionstar dipped his head. "Toadstep, as I said, you will lead the patrol that will attack the defensive patrol. Sunstream, Morningmist, Blossomflower, Redfeather, Lightpebble, Snowsplash, you'll be with him."
"What about Daisypaw?" Snowsplash asked, nodding to her white-furred apprentice. Daisypaw lifted her head, the sun shining on the yellow splotches on her pelt, as if daring Lionstar to tell her she could not join her mentor.
"She will join you," Lionstar meowed, "if you think she's ready."
"Of course I am!" Daisypaw declared.
"I will lead the patrol that will attack the frontal force," Lionstar meowed. "Fallensnow, Icefire, Cloudsong, Copperlight, Bluefeather, Maplepaw, you're with me."
Toadstep bounded over to Talonpaw. "Lead the way," he ordered, "since you saw the ThunderClan cats last."
"M-me?" Talonpaw stared at Toadstep.
"Are those ears for decoration?" Toadstep's ears twitched in disapproval. "Show us where you and Sparrowflight spotted those ThunderClan cats!"
Talonpaw nodded and waved his tail.
Lionstar let out a roar, akin to the animal he was named for. "ShadowClan, move out!"
Talonpaw bounded out of the clearing, feeling Toadstep and his patrol hot on his heels. Talonpaw felt his fur being raked by the brambles but couldn't care less as he retraced his steps through the winding path in the compact pine trees, tossing cones to the side when they blocked his way. His own scent – and Sparrowflight's – were strong, and Talonpaw followed it until he approached the clearing where he and Sparrowflight had watched the ThunderClan patrol march into the pine forest. Talonpaw's scent stopped here, but Sparrowflight's continued onwards.
"Single file," Toadstep ordered the patrol behind him. "Keep as silent as a mouse. We're following Sparrowflight's scent."
The cats in Toadstep's patrol nodded, and Talonpaw stuck to Toadstep's side like a burr as they tracked his father's scent. Talonpaw sniffed at a patch of ferns, where his father's scent was the strongest. He was here for a bit, Talonpaw thought, and continued to follow the scent trail. ThunderClan's stench was strong in the area as well. Sparrowflight had kept true on his promise when he said he would trail the patrol.
Talonpaw finally spotted the outline of his father's perked ears and waving tail behind a deadnettle patch. Toadstep flicked his tail to the patrol behind him, ordering them to stay put, and then he bounded over to Sparrowflight. Unable to stay behind, Talonpaw followed Toadstep, ignoring the deputy's hiss of disapproval. Sparrowflight spun on his heel and turned to face Toadstep and Talonpaw.
"You brought back up," Sparrowflight breathed. "Well done, Talonpaw. There are three patrols."
"So Lionstar was right, then," Toadstep meowed. "He guessed there were three. Is there a patrol following Sootfall's?"
"Yes." Sparrowflight nodded. "It seems to have the bulk of the army."
"And where's the third patrol?" Toadstep inquired.
"They're flanking the second patrol on the right," Sparrowflight told the Clan deputy.
Toadstep took a deep breath as the wind from the lake brushed against his whiskers. The fire of battle burned in his blue eyes. "Here's the plan." He quickly explained what Lionstar had decided in the ShadowClan camp, and just as Sparrowflight finished taking it all in, Toadstep meowed, "Sparrowflight, you'll be joining me in attacking the defense patrol."
"What about me?" Talonpaw piped up.
Sparrowflight and Toadstep both turned to look at him. Toadstep glanced at Sparrowflight. "He's your apprentice," the deputy meowed. "What do you think?"
"So long as he has someone by his side, I don't see why he can't join the battle," Sparrowflight said, his amber gaze burning into his son.
"Then it's decided." Toadstep lifted his head. "Talonpaw, you'll join the fight, but stay by Sparrowflight's side, or mine."
Yes! Talonpaw felt a rush of adrenaline flowing through his veins, making his claws unsheathe. I'll make those ThunderClan cats regret being born!
"Lionstar is behind us," Toadstep went on. "When he sees the attack patrol slam into our side, that's when he'll join in."
"Understood." Sparrowflight gave the deputy a brisk nod. Toadstep looked over his shoulder and gestured with his tail for his patrol to join him. The Clan deputy used the shadows from the pine tree to hide his approach as the patrol followed the scent of ThunderClan. Just as the scent grew thicker, Talonpaw could see the main battle patrol – he knew that this was different from the scouting patrol, because he couldn't spot any of the cats Sparrowflight had named in it. A little way's off was another patrol, consisting of a fair number of cats. Not as much as the battle patrol, and not as few as the scouting patrol. This is the one Toadstep – and Lionstar – wants us to attack.
Toadstep narrowed his eyes. Without letting out a battle cry, he launched himself into the side of the ThunderClan patrol. The rest of his Clanmates, including Talonpaw, followed him as Toadstep collided with a light ginger tabby tom. The ginger tabby tom let out a shocked howl, taken completely by surprise, as he disappeared under a torrent of claws and teeth. Sparrowflight yowled like a warrior of LionClan as he flipped over a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. Lightpebble and Snowsplash worked together to subdue a pale brown-and-white tabby, and the patrol erupted into a storm of screaming and hissing cats. Morningmist's claws struck true through a black-and-white tom. Fur and blood splattered the clearing.
Talonpaw spotted a cat around his age and size – dark gray with blazing blue eyes. The ShadowClan apprentice let out a furious caterwaul and threw himself onto the gray cat, sinking his claws deep into his skin and raking them down. Crimson blood splattered from the wound and landed on Talonpaw's face. Talonpaw sank his teeth into the gray tom's neck before he could react, and the salty tang of blood made Talonpaw want to gag.
The gray tom dropped limp, and Talonpaw relaxed his muscles in confusion and shock. How was it possible for him to have defeated this apprentice with a single blow? He hadn't, Talonpaw realized, as the gray apprentice used his moment of weakness to throw him off. Talonpaw let out a low growl in his throat as he landed on the ground, and he prowled around the gray cat.
"I am Talonpaw, an apprentice warrior of ShadowClan!" Talonpaw snarled. "And today, you will regret crossing the territory of the most honorable warriors in the forest."
"So we're introducing ourselves before killing each other." The gray apprentice's whiskers twitched in slight amusement, but his ears were flattened, showing Talonpaw that he was much more furious than amused. "Very well. I'm Hailpaw, and I look forward to seeing you in StarClan – or maybe the Dark Forest – in several years from now." Hailpaw launched himself at Talonpaw, and his sharp claws tore Talonpaw's ear into two. Seething pain, worse than the hottest forest fire, seared through Talonpaw, but he refused to back down. Hailpaw leaped back, and Talonpaw immediately ducked under the gray tom's underbelly like a snake. He sliced his claws at Hailpaw's sensitive belly, and the ThunderClan apprentice let out a pained yowl.
Talonpaw slipped away from Hailpaw's bleeding underbelly, and just as the tom turned on his heel to lash out at Talonpaw's face, Talonpaw grabbed his paw in his mouth and bit down as hard as he could. But even as Talonpaw wrestled with the gray tom, he knew that this cat had a much bigger advantage in the battle than he did. He could feel the tom's strong, taut muscles under his paws, and guessed that this cat was training longer than Talonpaw was. That meant he was stronger and knew more battle moves. I'll have to be smart, Talonpaw thought to himself. I'm not letting this cat win.
Hailpaw's fur was fluffed out to the point where he looked twice his size, and fury was boiling in his dark blue eyes. He lunged at Talonpaw, and Talonpaw recalled back to watching Snakenose and Bluefeather practice their battle moves in camps when they were just apprentices. Talonpaw ducked down and rolled away, leaving Hailpaw to land on nothing but soft pine needles. As Hailpaw desperately tried to gain his footings, Talonpaw scrambled to his paws and sank his teeth into Hailpaw's tail. Hailpaw yowled in pain, but his howl was drowned out by Lionstar's battle cry. Talonpaw used the spare second he had to look over his shoulder and realized that ThunderClan's frontal attack was heading right towards them. However, before the leader of the frontal attack could charge straight into Toadstep and his cats, Lionstar's patrol emerged from the shadows and met them, head-on.
Yes! Talonpaw thought triumphantly. He gasped as the wind was knocked out of him and he landed straight on the ground. He could feel warm blood spilling from the back of his legs, and he rolled over to see that Hailpaw had pinned him down.
"Never stop to gloat," the sleek-furred ThunderClan apprentice hissed. Talonpaw pummeled at Hailpaw's underbelly with his back paws, but the tom didn't move. Instead, the gray cat's claws arched so the tips of them dug into Talonpaw's delicate skin. Talonpaw groaned in agony as his opponent's claws started to tear skin, and panic made his heart pound rapidly in his chest. What do I do?
Just as he summoned the strength to try and bat Hailpaw off, he was taken aback when a flash of tortoiseshell-and-white fur leaped over him and tumbled into Hailpaw, sending him onto the ground. Maplepaw?! Maplepaw let out a furious hiss, her claws slicing deep into Hailpaw's extremities as the gray tom flailed under his grip. Finally, the ThunderClan apprentice found an opening in Maplepaw's attack, and used it to retreat, kicking up pine needles behind him.
Talonpaw scrambled to his paws as Maplepaw watched Hailpaw flee, triumph glowing in her bright green eyes. Then she turned on his heel and gazed at Talonpaw. Despite the roaring and screeching of the fighting cats around her, a purr rumbled in her throat. "I saved you once! And don't think I'll do it again!"
"Saved…?" Talonpaw felt the fur on his spine fluff up, even though he knew if it hadn't been for Maplepaw, he'd be crow-food at the claws of Hailpaw. But he couldn't deny that a flood of embarrassment washed over him as he realized he had to be rescued by another cat, when he was supposed to be training to be one of the greatest warriors ever!
"You really think you would've gotten out of here without any scratches?" Maplepaw's ears twitched.
Talonpaw felt his ears flatten. "Thanks, I guess," he muttered. He sighed, realizing just how petulant he sounded. He lifted his head. "Thank you, Maplepaw." As he looked up and down at the soft tortoiseshell she-cat, he wondered just how strong she was in battle. She looked gentle and downy, but she had flung Hailpaw off him as if he was just a piece of fresh-kill.
Maplepaw nodded. "You're welcome," she meowed, glancing over her shoulder at the fighting cats. "Now come on! What are you waiting for? Our Clanmates are fighting!"