Rebels: A Warriors Tail

Chapter 5

Featherkit is woken abruptly to a furious war cry, louder and more cat-like than the bird this time, but just as angry and startling. She whimpers and curls up tighter when she starts to recognize signs of the nightmares, but she is surprised to feel her mother move behind her and to see Snowkit still beside her as no familiar cats had ever joined these dreams. Featherkit shook her head sharply, trying to shake herself awake and be rid of this 'nightmare' as more and more yowls sounded. The sounds around camp mirrored her dreams and she was astonished when an orange tabby burst through the entrance of the nursery, proving this was no longer just a dream.

Meadowshine immediately launches a counterattack, clawing and biting the orange cat's chest before he could even get all the way into the nursery. Moonrunner stiffens in fear and disbelief as not even the angriest warrior would ever harm another Clan's queens or kits and Featherkit can feel her fur standing on end. The tiny tortoiseshell kit moved closer to Snowkit and wrapped herself around him, this movement finally rousing him from his own dreams.

"What's going on?" he asked sleepily. Featherkit looked down at her brother and felt every bit as tired as he looked, between her weird dreams and having done so much the day before.

"Hush," Moonrunner mewed quietly, finally coming to her senses and wrapping herself around the kits. "Hush darlings. Don't worry. We will protect you."

As she said this, the orange tom was dragged backwards by a cat outside the nursery and Featherkit heard several blows being struck before the orange cat yowled as she hurtled away from the den and out of the camp.

Eaglestrike enters the den, meowing in warning so he is spared from Meadowshine's claws. Once inside he nods to Meadowshine and pads directly over to Moonrunner's nest to check on the kits. "Were either of them hurt?" he asked. Featherkit can see many fresh wounds marking his shoulders and forepaw with blood, the red droplets falling to the floor of the nursery and staining the dirt.

"No," Moonrunner responded, watching them worriedly. "They are both okay. For now..."

The tawny brown tom nodded and looked back as the den entrance rattled again and responded immediately to the threat, striking this cat hard and ruthlessly, though still sparing its life and letting it retreat. He turns back to Moonrunner.

"They aren't safe here," he mewed urgently. "These rouges are unlike any others I've ever seen and they will continue trying to attack them. They have already invaded Brindlestripe's den and tried to destroy our herb supply. We finally got the intruders out and we have warriors guarding it now with the elders and Owlwing inside with Brindlestripe. We need to get you, the kits, and Meadowshine there too." He broke off as yet another cat started trying to force his way into the nursery.

Moonrunner had stiffened as he spoke, laying her thick tail over her precious kits and looking desperately at Meadowshine. The black she-cat scratched at the cat Eaglestrike was fending off before falling back and tearing at the back wall of the nursery next to Moonrunner.

"We'll never escape that way," she hissed to the white queen. "Help me tear through this wall here. We'll take them into the forest and circle around the camp to the medicine den."

Moonrunner nodded and quickly started scraping at the wall with her denmate until there was a hole big enough for them to escape from. Meadowshine slid out first and looked around, standing guard as Moonrunner returned to Featherkit's side and picked her up by her scruff, nudging Snowkit in front of her to follow Meadowshine out. Eaglestrike looked back just in time to see them leave and started patching the nursery entrance with the extra brambles to prevent the cats from tracking them.