Book One, Batpaw's Courage

Chapter Eleven

Batpaw walked along the Tallpines with Ambermoon, Goldenwing, Featherdust and Sweetpaw. They were on the evening patrol.

Batpaw was pretty exhausted already, Ambermoon took her on a hunting expedition after the ceremony and she managed to catch two rabbits, they put up quite a chase! She was ready to flop down and sleep for a moon.

They walked on towards Sunningrocks. She caught a familiar scent on the wind.. RiverClan's here!

The other cats seemed to have taken notice too, their fur stood on end, they all hid downwind from the small patrol. "Sweetpaw" Featherdust whispered.

"Yes, Featherdust?" Sweetpaw looked up. "Go and fetch some more cats and tell them to hide in this bush. If it comes to a fight, we'll be prepared."

Sweetpaw nodded and darted away. Featherdust, Goldenwing, Ambermoon and Batpaw padded down to confront the patrol.

"Shimmerstar." Featherdust tried to stay calm. "What are you and your warriors doing on ThunderClan territory?"

Shimmerstar snorted, "It's RiverClan's and always will be!" she flicked her tail, bringing two warriors to her side.

"Aspenheart, Jaywing, fetch more warriors.. this could lead to a fight." Shimmerstar sent her warriors off.

Ambermoon bared her teeth, Goldenwing snarled and Featherdust eyed Shimmerstar menacingly.

And out of the corner of Batpaw's eye, she saw multiple ThunderClan cats glare through the bush they were hiding in.

A couple minutes pass and soon multiple RiverClan cats were sliding out of the river, they shook their pelts and stood beside Simmerstar.

Then, Shimmerstar gave a silent signal and they leaped at the ThunderClan cats.

Batpaw was knocked over by a RiverClan apprentice, he was only a little bit bigger than her.

The tom had knocked her down and held her firmly to the ground. Batpaw instinctively raked at his belly with her hind legs.

The tom screeched in alarm and backed off, Batpaw pounced on him and landed perfectly on his shoulders, holding on tightly, he tried to throw her off.

Batpaw felt the heaviness in her paws as she tried to keep herself on him. Once the tom had basically given up, she raked at his back, giving him a couple last scratches to remember her by.

Batpaw let go of him and he bolted away into the river again. She looked around carefully, then noticed her mother was pinned down by a sleek she-cat.

"Goldenwing!" Batpaw exclaimed, rushing over to help her, she lashed at the she-cat, eyes full of hatred.

Then she noticed that her mother was laying unmoving on the ground.

"Goldenwing?" Batpaw rushed to her side and tried to lift her. "Goldenwing!" Batpaw wailed, suddenly, all the fighting around her stopped.

This wasn't supposed to happen! "Goldenwing no!" Goldenwing bore a deep scratch in her belly that was beyond repair.

Batpaw let out a wail as she dug her head into Goldenwing's fur, then after a moment, she raised her head, tears forming and stared deeply into the she-cat's eyes.

"You killed her." Batpaw muttered. "You killed her you foxheart!" She felt like she was going to fall.

"She was the only one who loved me!" Batpaw's words rung clearly throughout the battlefield.

"I-I..." the she-cat stammered. "Shut up you flea-brain!" Batpaw cursed. "Now tell me. What is your name..?"

The she-cat looked startled. "Shinewhisker" she replied. "Shinewhisker. I will never forget what you have done!" Batpaw wailed.

Featherdust padded up to Shimmerstar. "This battle has come to far." Featherdust looked darkly at Shimmerstar.

"RiverClan has a price to pay." Featherdust whisked away from Shimmerstar and up to Goldenwing, she signaled to Lightheart to help her carry her.

Batpaw walked in silence back to camp. She stared blankly at the ground, she didn't notice any of her battle wounds.

Goldenwing is gone.. Ambermoon came up and rested her tail on Batpaw's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Batpaw."

Batpaw just shrugged her off and went with Lightheart and Featherdust to start a memorial for Goldenwing.

Swiftbreeze was already poking her head out of the nursery, when she saw, she let out a wail and darted over to Goldenwing.

"No!" Swiftbreeze buried her head into her fur. "You can't leave your kits.. you can't leave me!"

Sweetpaw, Frogpaw and Pumpkinpaw all walked up to sit next to Goldenwing.

Cherryfur came out from the medicine cat's den with some herbs in her jaws and she placed them around Goldenwing, they were eliminating the smell of death.

Then she saw Hawkpaw coming into camp with a patrol carrying prey. He instantly dropped his and raced to the crowd now forming around Goldenwing.

"Goldenwing!" Hawkpaw fell down to her and nosed her, tears forming in his eyes. "Please get up..."

"She's gone, Hawkpaw." said his mentor, Emberstrike.

"She can't be.." he replied solemnly.

Batpaw went to lay next to him. "She was one of the only cats who loved me, and I couldn't save her." Batpaw's voice cracked with grief.

"I'm so sorry." she muttered to no one.

It was almost moonhigh when Batpaw managed to sleep. The rest of those close to Goldenwing slept out here, Soarstep was beside her.

Soarstep was Goldenwing's father, everyone insisted that it was too cold for him to sit a vigil out here but Soarstep insisted he stay.

"I'd rather freeze to death than not sit a vigil for my kit," he had said, "this was a day I never ever wanted to see happen."

After a while, Batpaw finally drifted off to sleep. She still couldnt believe that her own mother was gone.