Dark River

As he trailed miserably toward the thorn barrier, he saw it quiver. Paws were thundering through the tunnel. Lionpaw flattened his ears in surprise as Dustpelt exploded from the entrance, fur bristling. On his heels were Ashfur and Stormfur. Lionpaw leaped out of the way as they raced past him. Thornclaw, Hazelpaw, and Poppypaw pelted after them.

“Come on, Lionpaw!’ Hazelpaw called as she whisked past.

Alarm set the blood pounding in Lionpaw’s ears. He fought off his weariness and chased after his Clanmate, panting as he caught up with her.

“What’s going on?” He was fighting for breath, summoning up the dregs of his energy to keep up.

“Two WindClan apprentices chased a squirrel right over the border.” Hazelpaw swerved around a fern. “They caught it and killed it on ThunderClan territory. The dawn patrol saw them do it! They sent Mousepaw back to fetch us. The WindClan cats are saying it was their prey, no matter where they caught it!”

Lionpaw’s spine bristled. How dare they? It was bad enough they were hunting squirrels at all! He pulled ahead of Hazelpaw and caught up with Ashfur. The gray warrior glanced at him. “Where were you? I looked in the apprentices’ den when the alarm was called, but you weren’t there.”

Lionpaw stared ahead. What could he say? “I—I went out early,” he mewed.

Ashfur narrowed his eyes.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Lionpaw offered.

Screeching split the air.

Through the trees, Lionpaw could see the pelts of his Clanmates. He recognized the angry yowling of Spiderleg and saw Brook’s pelt streak across the forest floor. Brightheart was wrestling with Whitetail. Tornear, Ashfoot, Owlwhisker, and Weaselfur screeched and hissed, their claws flashing in the dawn light. The ThunderClan cats were outnumbered by the WindClan patrol.

As Dustpelt hurtled from the undergrowth, Spiderleg spun around in surprise and relief. “Thank StarCl—”

His yowl was cut off as Tornear knocked him to the ground. Ashfoot reared up behind the ThunderClan warrior and sunk her claws into Spiderleg’s shoulder. Brook was grappling with Owlwhisker. The mountain cat screeched in pain as the pale tabby tom pinned her to the ground and let Weaselfur clamp his jaws around her tail.

Dustpelt pointed his nose to a gap in the trees where the ground sloped down toward the stream that marked the border. “Spread out and drive them down there!” he ordered.

Thornclaw swerved toward Ashfoot. He butted the WindClan warrior with his head, knocking her away from Spiderleg. As Spiderleg scrambled to his paws, Thornclaw reared up and hurled himself at Ashfoot again. Sending leaves and earth spraying across the forest floor, Spiderleg spun and dived at Tornear.

Dustpelt darted in the other direction, skidding around Brook and flying at Weaselfur. The brown WindClan warrior let go of Brook’s tail and turned to face Dustpelt, darting beneath his forepaws. Dustpelt dug his claws into the earth and held his ground, wrestling Weaselfur to the floor while Brook turned and knocked Owlwhisker flying with a back-kick.

“Let’s take those two!” Poppypaw nudged Lionpaw and flicked her bushed-out tail toward Harepaw and Breezepaw, who were swiping at Brightheart as she wrestled with Whitetail.

Lionpaw nodded. “I’ll take Breezepaw,” he hissed. He pelted forward and flung himself at the black apprentice.

Caught off guard, Breezepaw rolled onto the ground.

Lionpaw leaped on top of him, using his hind legs to brace himself as he slashed out with his forepaws. But Breezepaw was quick. He ducked out of the way, leaving Lionpaw flailing at thin air. Lionpaw spun in time to see Breezepaw lunge at him. Remembering Tigerstar’s move, he flicked his hind legs into the air, spun on his forepaws, and leaped backward, then reared up and raked Breezepaw’s astonished face with each paw, before tucking his head under and doing a neat forward roll.

Satisfaction flooded him. Did you see that, Tigerstar?

Then he froze. He had spotted a pale tabby pelt among the fighting cats.

Heatherpaw?

His heart lurched. He looked closer and sagged with relief when he saw that it was just Owlwhisker hurtling away from Brook. Suddenly, his ear burned; Breezepaw had caught him with a thorn-sharp claw. Lionpaw’s ear grew wet as blood pulsed from the wound. Angrier than ever, he hurled himself at Breezepaw. The WindClan apprentice fell backward and Lionpaw reared up to rake him with his forepaws, but Breezepaw rolled neatly out from under him.

“Not fast enough,” the WindClan apprentice sneered.

Suddenly, Hazelpaw streaked past and butted Breezepaw with her head. The WindClan apprentice fell over, winded, and Lionpaw raked his claws down his flank.

“Never stop to gloat!” Hazelpaw hissed at Breezepaw and clamped her teeth into his tail.

Yowling, Breezepaw scrambled to his paws and kicked Hazelpaw away with his hind legs. He stared into Lionpaw’s eyes. “Can’t take me by yourself?”