Chapter 6

7 0 0
                                    

Bigpaw was wrestling with a wide brown apprentice. He flipped the cat over and pinned him with his heaving paws. Bigpaw parted his jaws and swooped his head down, aiming for his opponents throat.
      The apprentice wriggled under Bigpaw's grip. "Let me go!" They sneered, kicking their hind legs at Bigpaw's belly.
     "No! You decide to go at war with Peakclan, then war you will get!" The big tabby snarled, and loosened his grip to let his rival wiggle free.
      As the apprentice flipped to get to their paws, Bigpaw lashed out his claws and teared the cats pelt. You dare think I'd let you go that easily? He smirked
      The brown apprentice fell to the ground with a heavy gasp of agony. Bigpaw stepped forward and pressed a paw with unsheathed talons on to his rivals side—where the deep gash lied. He pushed down harder onto the blood dripping wound, making the Birchclan cat shriek.
"You mouse-brained liars are going to suffer for fighting with Peakclan." Bigpaw drew his lips back in a deadly growl and shot straight for the apprentices beckoning throat.
Suddenly, the tabby was drawn back by his scruff. "Hey!" He howled. "Put me down, I was about to finish 'em off!" Whoever grabbed him threw him to the ground. Bigpaw scrambled to his paws with a huff.
"Do you learn nothing?" Bigpaw recognized Addershadow's familar meow. "No cat has to be killed for a battle to be won."
Bigpaw watched his rival skid away with terror. The tabby turned his head back towards Addershadow. "But I—"
A voice on top of high ledge cut him off, it was KernelStar. "Enough!" He roared over the snarling pile of wrestling cats that seeped in to the hollow. Kernelstar's pelt was tainted with clumps of blood, though he seemed unbothered as he locked gaze with a Birchclan cat. "Where is your leader?" He demanded, holding his stare.
It was a long haired ginger tabby who stepped forward to speak. "She's not with us." The cat answered.
Kernelstar's neck bristled in fury. "Then who lead you here in to battle with my clan?"
The tabby hesitated. "No one."
"What?!"
"Sandstar directed us into Peakclan camp," The orange tabby looked around at his gnarled clan mates, as though searching for answers. "But she didn't come with us. She said that Peakclan warriors have been stealing Birchclan prey, and if we fought she would gift us."
"Gift you with what?" Kernelstar flicked his tail tip. "Gift you with the knowledge of a mouse? This is unacceptable! I demand you fetch me your leader this instant." His meow was stern and scorched like he was about to blow with anger.
Kernelstar beckoned with his tail for his deputy to come up. As Tegridyheart and Kernelstar spoke privately, Bigpaw strained his ears as he eavesdropped on the two tom's diverse conversation.
"What pity I give to those Birchclan warriors," Kernelstar glared down from high ledge at the cats below. "How could Sandstar do this with such irresponsibility?"
Tegridyheart nodded in agreement. "Indeed, you are right." The tom narrowed his eyes. "But what are we going to do with them in our camp now? Just let them lay around like they're lazy, belly-filled cats in green-leaf?"
Kernelstar squeezed his eyes shut tight, thinking vigorously. "I have no idea. For now, just take Tallpride and Addershadow and round them all up near the warriors den until Sandstar arrives."
      With no more to discuss, Tegridyheart nodded and swiftly leaped down from high ledge. He dashed over to where Addershadow and Bigpaw stood.
      "Kernelstar ordered me to fetch you and Tallpride to bundle all the Birchclan cats together until their leader arrives." Tegridyheart didn't need a response from Addershadow, and took off looking for Tallpride.
      Addershadow glanced down at Bigpaw. "No attacking any more cats while I'm gone, alright?" The amber tom teased and headed onward.
      Bigpaw cursed under his breath scornfully. As he scuffled his paws around camp, he bumped into red fur in front of him.
"Hey! Watch it!" The cat hollered behind him. He turned to lock eyes with Bigpaw. "Oh, its just you."
"Oh?" Bigpaw echoed. "What do you mean 'oh'? Are you just bummed put because you can't go to the gathering and I can?"
"Shut up, fur ball." Gingerpaw mewed through gritted teeth, his claws scraping the dirt floor.
"Its not my fault you decided to tackle me!"
"Actually, it is your fault!" Gingerpaw whipped his tail back and forth furiously. "And its your fault for this whole battle in our camp! And for—"
The medicine apprentice was cut off by gasps and murmurs of surprise. He and Bigpaw glanced up at high ledge where Kernelstar stood, staring down at a blonde she-cat. A wave of anticipation rippled throughout the hollow.
"Why have you sent your clan after mine?" Kernelstar hissed with his tail lashing.
Sandstar's eyes glowed lividly. "Your clan have been stealing Birchclan prey over the border!"
Kernelstar held his gaze. "That is no excuse for you to send out your clan—without you even following—to attack mine, right in our very own camp."
Sandstar lowered her head with guilt. "My apologies." The she-cat obviously was taken of words.
"There could of been other more peaceful ways of dealing with this situation."
      "I know who did it!" A single meow broke through out the silence of the hollow. Every cat wrenched their head to a tall and lean black she-cat apprentice, Cleverpaw.
      Kernelstar leaned his head forward, beckoning the apprentice to go on.
"It was him!" The she-cat whisked her tail towards the brown tabby—Bigpaw.
Meows and murmurs echoed of the hollow's walls, mimicking the sound of crashing ocean waves.
Bigpaw stepped forward, stiffening his legs to try and stop them from shaking so rapidly. "Where's your proof!" The tabby tilted his head.
Cleverpaw clawed over a piece of brown dark striped fur from behind her. "I know very well that we have few cats with this color of fur in this clan."
      The big tom scoffed and cocked his head towards the crowd of shock-faced cats. "Is that all the proof you have?" He glanced back at Cleverpaw with a smirk remark.
      The cats lean midnight pelt rippled through the suns rays as she shuffled the tuft of fur to Sandstar. "How does it smell to you?" She questioned.
      Sandstar cautiously bent her head down to stifle a few shallow sniffs of the tabby fur. She then lifted her head, staring wide-eyed. "It's him!" She whipped her head to Bigpaw. "You have been crossing Birchclan borders."
      "Wait!" Bigpaw squealed. "How do you know she didn't taint that pile of ruffed fur with my scent?"
      Cleverpaw rolled her eyes in grasping despair. "I was going to say that you're more pot-belly filled than a wealthy kittypet!"
      Bigpaw shuffled his paws in the dirt as gasps and whispers drowned out his thoughts. He noticed a purr beginning to rumble inside Cleverpaw's throat, as if telling him with her eyes told you so.
"Whatever! Thats no proof!" Bigpaw unsheathed his claws, scrapping the hollow's dirt floor. He felt as ready as a rabbit to leap at Cleverpaw.
      Abruptly, long black fur stirred his pelt. Beside him was his mentor, Tegridyheart. "Lets keep our claws sheathed." He murmured.
      "He's innocent!" A soft and sweet meow yowled from the back of the crowd. All the cats in the clearing turned to glance at Rainpansy. Bigpaw turned to grin at Cleverpaw. "I didn't raise my kit as a prey-stealer, nor a cat who crosses borders." She locked eyes with Cleverpaw.
      Blazinglion pushed forward to face Rainpansy. "Are you calling our daughter a liar?" Fury burned his pelt like a wild fire.
      Another warrior stepped forward, this time it was Tallpride. "I think I know how to settle this," Every cat cranked their head to face the spotted tom. His gaze stippled between the two quarreling apprentices. "They both get to pick through the elders ticks and clean their bedding for half a moon."
      Sandstar stood to her paws immediately. "No! I still have no idea who has been the thief to Birchclan."
      Kernelstar narrowed his eyes guiltily. "We'll settle this tomorrow at the gathering."
      Sandstar's throat rumbled in a low growl. She sneered as she called her clan together. "Come, Birchclan. They clearly have no sense in mind."

Note: Ignore this chapter and the ones before it, I had no idea of the plot ...

South Park - WarriorsWhere stories live. Discover now