Warriors: Frecklesky's Heart

[ 17 ]

Larkstar drew herself taller, narrowing her eyes at the enemy warriors. "What is the meaning of this?" She hissed, sweeping her tail meticulously along the ground.

The ginger she-cat flicked an ear as the apprentice eagerly glanced back and forth between the patrols. "We're simply marking our borders," she growled.

"Can't you smell the boundary?" Larkstar mewed coolly. "You're on our side of the scent line, Weaselfang."

Weaselfang snorted, opening her mouth for a quick retort, but her apprentice eagerly jumped in, "This is ThunderClan territory, ShadowClan scum!"

Weaselfang flicked her tail over his mouth with a gentle hiss. "Quiet, Patchpaw." She drew her attention back to the enemy patrol. "This weather is showing to be considerably harsh for ThunderClan. We must have all of our territory if we are to survive the coming leaf-bare."

A growl slipped from Frecklesky's lips as she spotted the warrior's claws shining against the earth.

"You've already lost a battle," Larkstar cautioned, her eyes as sharp as blades of ice. "Are you sure it's wise to spill more of your blood?"

"ThunderClan isn't weak. We have plenty of blood to spill," Weaselfang scoffed. She turned to her patrol, who shifted uneasily under the harsh glares of their enemies.

Chiveclaw gave an imperceptible nod, and Frecklesky lunged before the ThunderClan warriors could react.

She slammed into Weaselfang with a screech, and the two went writhing into the forest debris. Weaselfang hissed and squirmed beneath her tight claw-hold, a constant snarl thrumming in her chest as she fought to dislodge the large warrior.

Noticing that Frecklesky's weight was too much, the ginger warrior simply resorted to squirming, her claws nicking into Frecklesky's skin as she wriggled out from beneath the thick-furred ShadowClan cat.

Frecklesky snarled and lurched forward, cuffing her heavily around the ears. Weaselfang stumbled, stunned, and Frecklesky took the opportunity to pummel her with both pairs of claws.

Once she gathered her bearings, Weaselfang spun back around and lurched forward, aiming for Frecklesky's throat.

Frecklesky yanked her head back, feeling the barest brush of teeth across her neck fur. She snarled as Weaselfang darted forward again and she lowered her head for impact. Their heads knocked together, and Frecklesky simply shook herself off at the nuisance as Weaselfang rolled to the ground.

Frecklesky snorted contemptuously. "Sorry excuse for a warrior," she spat, kicking dirt over Weaselfang's unconscious body.

Patchpaw spotted Frecklesky as she was finishing the disrespectful move, and the little apprentice's face twisted with anger. "I knew it!" He screeched, throwing himself at the large warrior. "You ShadowClan cats are as terrible as a pack of foxes!" He scrambled onto Frecklesky's back and dug his sharp claws into her pelt, and she blinked in surprise at the ferocity of such a young tom.

She twisted her neck around and tried to grab him by the scruff, but he was well out of reach. Pain began to lance along her flank with every long rake of his claws, and her anger only stretched higher as her struggles to shake him off proved to be of no avail.

She snarled and reared to her hind legs, smashing her paws back to the earth. Pain ripped through her shoulders as the apprentice clung more fiercely, anger shining in his eyes.

"Get off, kit!" Frecklesky hissed, snapping her teeth in a desperate attempt to snatch the tom away.

Slugface raced over. "Frecklesky, hold still!"

Frecklesky stopped her writhing as the apprentice's talons raked along her sides, blindingly painful. Slugface gripped his claws into the apprentice's side and he ripped him away. Patchpaw screeched as he was flung to the ground, stunned.

"Thanks," Frecklesky breathlessly muttered.

Slugface shrugged in response. "Take it as payment for the help the other moon."

Frecklesky nodded, and turned to see how the rest of the battle was going.

The ThunderClan patrol was failing miserably, and finally, the silver tom shouted, "ThunderClan, retreat!" He wriggled away from Chiveclaw and raced over to check on the apprentice and Weaselfang.

Patchpaw was still conscious but struggled to stand to his paws, while Weaselfang remained unconscious. Frecklesky bared her teeth at the tom as he raced by, and slowly, she limped back to her Clanmates with Slugface by her side.

"That little apprentice was a piece of work, wasn't he?" Firewatcher purred in amusement, knocking into her shoulder.

Frecklesky hissed in reply, her back and shoulders still stinging from the assault.

Dewfrost padded over as well, standing safely on Firewatcher's other side as he added, "I can't imagine what it must be like to lose to such a young ThunderClan apprentice."

Frecklesky bared her teeth at him, and in a startlingly quick move, she shoved Firewatcher out of the way and cuffed the tom harshly over the ears.

"You're not allowed to talk about this," she snarled, her voice laced with venom.

"Okay, okay!" Dewfrost's eyes widened, and he gingerly touched a paw to the now bloody tips of his ears. "Sheesh," he muttered softly as Frecklesky backed away.

Larkstar limped over with a nod to the injured warriors. "Good job, all of you," she purred, pride shining in her eyes. "Do any of you need your wounds seen to now?"

The cats exchanged glances, and though Frecklesky's injuries throbbed, she shook her head.

"Then let's continue."