Chapter 13

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"We're entering WindClan land now," Crowstorm warned. "Be alert and ready for enemy patrols."

Skypaw stretched his muscles. He had trained with Lionblaze during the short nap he had before travelling to RiverClan. He was totally ready to defend his friends if they got ambushed. 

Crowstorm paused after a while and tasted the air.  "Strange," he meowed. "This deep into WindClan territory, we should've met a patrol already." 

As if one cue, four cats sprang from the burrows littering the moor. They tackled the travelling cats to the ground, snarling. Skypaw hissed at his attacker and flipped himself, rolling with his opponent. Swipe. Lunge. Roll. He was born a warrior. Blood thundered in his head. His attacker stumbled to his feet, as Skypaw launched himself on top of him and battered at him with his paws.

Faintly aware of Crowstorm yowling at him to stop, he hesitated in his blow. He realized his mistake too late. His attacker struck him in the forehead and the world spun. Groaning, he opened one eye to see a battered black and white tom staring at him. 

"Hi." The tom sat on his haunches and licked his paws.

One of the WindClan warriors snarled, "Trespassers!"

Crowstorm had pinned his attacker to the ground. Carefully he released his attacker, who looked surprised for a moment and sprang back. "We come in peace. Take us to your... leader." 

Skypaw tensed nervously. The WindClan cats seemed to tense at that as well.

"No."

There was a moment of staring and silence. The black and white tom stopped licking his paws.

"Why?"

The WindClan cat was clearly at a loss of words. "We... Crowstar- he's uh-"

"Dead?" Skypaw blurted. The others stared at him, horrified.

It happened so fast that the wind was knocked out of his lungs. The dark brown tom snarled in his face while he flailed on the ground. 

"What secrets have you learned? How do you know this?"

"I-I don't-"

"TELL ME!" The tom shook him.

Skypaw felt helpless. It was as though he was a little kit again, teased and bullied by older kits and apprentices, ignored by warriors and elders.

But he wasn't Sneezekit anymore. He was Skypaw, the apprentice that outshone every warrior in his Clan, the best fighter. He wasn't going to be defeated easily by some WindClan warrior. In a single burst, he pushed up his hind legs and unleashed his anger.

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