Bright Forest

Chapter 20

He finished his sparrow as he waited for Dovepaw to return: the camp was filled with yellow light and several cats were all in for it. But all of them seemed calm and happy, and none of them thought of what would've come in for them.

Finally, the patrols returned and Dovepaw curled up next to him, eating a squirrel.

-I'm so excited!- she whispered. -We're going to do something that our clan will be grateful for!

-Yeah! I feel so proud but so nervous...

-I feel nervous too...

-But we're willing to die for our clan!

-I mean, yeah... kinda. That's what the warrior code wants!

They talked until the light disappeared, and many cats began to go to their nests or sleep. They watched Patchpaw go into the den and only Bristleglade and Firedusk remained. Before he left, he said something to her, which she nodded, and then the deputy took her place at the camp entrance.

Now the camp was empty. They waited until all of the voices lowered and got up.

-Wow, this will be a lifetime experience!- Dovepaw purred.

Rustpaw gave her a signal with his tail to keep quiet, and they sneaked into the secret hideout.

-Let's take these! The foxes will be in for a treat!- meowed the apprentice. He could tell that she was very excited for this.

-Are we ready?- he asked.

-Always been!

-Good.

He turned around to peek at the camp: nobody was there. Suddenly, something moved from the medicine cat den. Sliverstone slithered out and looked around. He sighed and dragged himself next to the leaders' den. "Too late to turn back now."

Dovepaw took the lead. They arrived at the OakClan border and hid their prey near a tree. The fresh breeze made them more nervous than earlier, but it was also somehow calming.

-Now, the OakClan dams are here...- mumbled the she-cat, pointing at some huddles of sticks blocking the stream. They scrambled up a tree. The apprentice lunged herself towards it. and landed on the pile of sticks. -Pretty steady. Try joining me.

Rustpaw leaped after her: he felt the wooden sticks on his paws, feeling unsafe.

-Alright, let's destroy this thing.- he meowed, taking a stick and throwing it away. They kept doing this until the platform started to tremble.

-We should get off this!- Dovepaw mewed, leaping on the tree branch and climbing down.

Rustpaw took off the last one before jumping on the edge as the water flowed past him. -That was close...

-Nice, now let's lure the foxes!- mewed Dovepaw.

They got their prey and arrived at the fox dens: a strong stench of fox filled an opening. A tall tree stretched up in the sky while there were a few holes beneath.

Rustpaw took the prey and glared inside. He could almost hear the foxes moving around in there. "Perhaps the noise woke them up..."

-We're lucky enough to find them here...- he mewed. He tossed the kill in front of the hole. Dovepaw did the same. As they started to create a trail, waiting for them to come until some golden eyes appeared in the darkness. They stumbled back as the creatures walked out.

They were huge, sniffing around the stuff laid out for them. Then they looked at the cats. They were only a few hops away from the beasts.

Rustpaw could hear a low growl, then more of them came out. -We should leave now.