Warriors Cats: A New Horizon; Ominous Skies [Book 1]

Chapter Eighteen

Cinnamonpaw felt the rush of wind blowing through her hair as she raced alongside Emberpaw towards Windclan. She could see Turtlepaw nearby, carrying all sorts of herbs she would need on the ready to treat different wounded cats. Her heart was racing fast as her legs raced in a single motion, everything seemed to be happening at once. She looked around, seeing Aspenheart running near Pebbleheart, Mistyhaze, Dappledflame, and Cleareyes close behind.

 She could see the Windclan border getting closer, and Redstar up ahead in the lead, Squirreltail nearby. They stopped near the Windclan border, she could see a few Windclan cats waiting there for them, they stood in a line, ready for whatever Thunderclan threw at them. Redstar led the Thunderclan cats, they stood parallel to the Windclan cats, staring at them from around two fox-lengths away. She could see Skyfern and Ebonybriar sitting off to the side next to Turtlepaw, Sorrelfinch, Acornspeck, and Olivepaw. They seemed to be murmuring to themselves, wondering when the battle would start. 

Cinnamonpaw could feel the tension between the two clans, Emberpaw was on her left, she could see his fur bristling, while Pebbleheart was on her right. They waited for what seemed like an eternity. Until the sharp sound of Redstars yowl broke the silence, telling them to attack. Cinnamonpaw listened, running along side Emberpaw until they barreled into a apprentice who was standing nearby. She slammed into the apprentice, sending cream and brown fur flying. Emberpaw held down the apprentice, while Cinnamonpaw gave him a few scars he would remember. The light-brown tortoiseshell tom ran back towards Windclan camp, yowling loudly. Cinnamonpaw nodded to Emberpaw, turning around, she could hear the raging battle behind her. Bramblesnow and Dappledflame were busy battering at a large Windclan tom, while Aspenheart and Pebbleheart were fighting in unison with two Windclan she-cats. Cinnamonpaw could see that Morningpaw was struggling to fend off a Windclan warrior by himself, so she yowled to Emberpaw to follow. She ran at the warrior, leaping onto his back as Emberpaw did the same. She bit and scratched as hard as she could, remembering the leap-and-hold technique that Pebbleheart had taught her.

The large tom tried to roll over on top of them, but Cinnamonpaw yowled at Emberpaw to leap off. The jumped off of him just as he smashed into the ground. The large tom scrambled to his paws, trying to bowl Emberpaw over with his forepaw. Morningpaw leaped up, biting down on his back leg, the warrior reared, screeching in pain. Even over the roar of the battle, Cinnamonpaw could distinctly hear the roar of thunder in the distance. And she could spot a large brewing black cloud coming over the horizon, the biggest cloud she had ever seen. 

A sudden pain at her side snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see another Windclan apprentice swiping at her. 

"Hey!" She hissed, slashing at the black she-cat. 

She recognized her as the same she-cat that Brindlecry had saved her from in the last battle with the Windclan patrol. The she-cat hissed back, swatting at Cinnamonpaw. The ginger apprentice leaped at the Windclan cat. Pinning her down, 

"I'll win this time!" She yowled, slashing at the Windclan cat.

 "NO!" The Windclan cat hissed back, slashing at Cinnamonpaws flank.

 Cinnamonpaw felt stinging, and let go, allowing the Windclan cat to go free. Cinnamonpaw shook her head, pelting after the black she-cat. She leaped onto her, shoving her down to the ground and biting into her neck. As she scuffled on the ground with the she-cat, she could feel the wind begin to pick up, and a light rain began to sprinkle down on the battling cats. The she-cat shoved her away, sprinting back towards Windclan camp. 

"Good riddance!" Cinnamonpaw spat indirectly. 

She whipped around, slashing at another warrior who was fighting with Pebbleheart. He turned to face her, slamming his forepaw down on Cinnamonpaws back, a large shudder of pain spiked through her body. She fell to the ground momentarily, when she looked back up again, she could see Aspenheart and Pebbleheart chasing him off. Little too late on the rescue. She thought as Aspenheart gave her a reassuring look. 

"I don't need any help!" She hissed at him, he glared back coldly, running over to help Pebbleheart. 

Cinnamonpaw could see that the storm was getting stronger now, she could barely see from how much rain was pouring down on them, and her pelt was becoming soaked. Lightning cracked down from the sky, sending white streaks of light down onto the moor. She could see that quite a few Thunderclan cats had retreated to the medicine cats, or even back to camp. The sky was dark, as a rough wind shook everything around them, Cinnamonpaw dug her claws into the soft earth, feeling as if she didn't, she'd be carried away by the strong winds. Thunder roared loudly, and lightening crackled in the distance. Loud enough for most of the cats to stop fighting, the blood that rushed from their wounds to be mixed with the heavy rainfall. They watched as a giant strike of lightning, biggest one Cinnamonpaw had ever seen, struck down into the windclan camp. Sparking a large flame, and quickly spreading around the camp. The cats watched with horror as the fire quickly began to envelope the camp. As Windclan cats who had retreated there, and queens and elders began to evacuate. 

"The camp is on fire! The battle must cease, NOW!" A golden tom echoed from behind them, Cinnamonpaw recognized the golden tom as Windclans deputy; Heronwish. 

He began to thunder towards the flaming camp. I assume he's going to save any cats who are left behind. 

"Where are we going to go? After the fire, we won't have any camp to return to!" Cinnamonpaw heard a queen screaming nearby, as she placed her russet colored kit down. 

The kit was mewling loudly, clearly scared by the storm and fire. Cinnamonpaws belly twisted with grief, and she wanted to run down there and save any cats left behind. But I can't, I have to be loyal to Thunderclan. Just then, Redstar began an announcement.

 "All of Thunderclan! I need you to run down there as quickly as possible, and help as many cats as possible...we'll need a medicine cat on scene." 

"I'll go!" She could hear Acornspeck meow, and Redstar nodded to him proudly. 

But he could die, just for Windclan? Cinnamonpaw could see Sorrelfinch pleading him not to go, but he seemed to ignore her.