Poolstar's Destiny

Chapter 11

Swiftfur stiffened, her ears flat. "Bravepaw?"
"Claw wound," Snowheart told her. "Bleeding badly. He needs to be taken away, and we can't spare any of the fighting warriors."
Swiftfur nodded, and her round gaze hardened. "Come with us," she ordered Poolpaw.

"What about me?" Featherpaw offered, eyes shining.
"One apprentice will be enough." Swiftfur flashed Featherpaw a look that she did not argue with. Featherpaw backed away, dipping her head.

"Stay close," Swiftfur told Poolpaw. She darted from the rock after Snowheart, out into the lashing rain.
Poolpaw screwed up on her eyes and kept as close as Swiftfur's flank as she could, feeling for her with her whiskers and pelt when the rain blinded her. The grass was slippery under her paws, and her tail was whipped up over her back by the wind.

Without warning, Swiftfur halted. Poolpaw slithered to a stop beside her.
Blinking, she saw the ground drop away in front of her. In front of them, was a circle of brambles, and underneath them led to a gorse tunnel. The scents were stronger now, and Poolpaw knew that this must be DawnClan's camp.

Her eyes stretching wide in horror, Poolpaw watched as the battle raged. Screeches and yowls ripped through the howling wind. Blood stained the ground and frothed in red puddles, lathered by the rain. Fur, heavy with flesh, flew in clumps and snagged in brambles. Poolpaw narrowed her eyes, trying to pick out which cat was which among her clanmates.

There! Briarfang was thrushing a DawnClan cat from him with flailing hind legs, only to be set upon by two more warriors; his claws shone and his teeth were bared. He twisted suddenly to protect his belly, fending off one warrior with a shove of his massive shoulders; but the other one clung to him, and Briarfang howled as the warrior's claws ripped hunks of fur from his pelt.
On the other side of the clearing, Icefrost and Bluefeather were fighting side by side with their backs to the brambles. They slashed and sliced at the four DawnClan cats who came at them in a vicious assault, raking the IceClan warriors's muzzles, snapping at their legs till the ground around them ran red.
Springleaf screeched as two DawnClan cats dived on her, their eyes wild. Her shriek made Briarfang's ears prick and he kicked off the DawnClan warriors and raced to help his Clanmate.
Briarfang pushed one warrior away with his shoulder, flipping him to the side, before sinking his teeth into the sodden tabby pelt of the other. The tabby let out an agonized shriek that pierced Poolpaw's belly.

"Come on!" Swiftfur's sharp order shook Poolpaw out of her frozen horror, and she skidded after her clanmate and plunged through the gorse tunnel.

She burst into the clearing after Swiftfur and raced to where Bravepaw lay.
A long wound stretched along the apprentice's flank, showing bright pink flesh beneath his brown tabby fur.

Swiftfur grasped Bravepaw by the scruff and began to drag her kit across the clearing toward the gorse tunnel.
Poolpaw tried to help, nudging Bravepaw along with her nose, but Bravepaw kicked out.
"I can walk!" He gasped, twisting and clawing at the ground.
Swiftfur let him find his paws, but as soon as she let go of her kit's scruff, Bravepaw collasped, his legs too shaky to hold him.
Swiftfur grabbed him again, and Bravepaw staggered toward the edge of the clearing.
Poolpaw followed, her nose filled with the scent of blood and fear and torn fur.

"IceClan brought kits!" A dark-reddish brown DawnClan warrior was staring at Poolpaw.