Windclan's Hope

Chapter 6

"Bramblestar! Windclan is under attack! Squirrelpaw spoke to me, she said Riverclan was coming! They are alive!" Stempaw pushed into her den. "They are alive? How did you see her?" Bramblestar demanded. "I didn't.. She was like in my thoughts." Stempaw shrugged. "Fine. Thats enough for me. Windclan! Defense Line!" Bramblestar bounded from her den with an erupting yowl." Stempaw stood next to Fernleap, helping her into the nursery where Sheepfur stood guard, no cat would touch his mate or kits.
Stempaw crouched low, it was dark with clouds over the stars. The camp was silent, each cat alert and crouched in a defensive line. Bramblestar had sent Rabbitstrike and Ratfur to an old tunnel near the bridge to watch for the approaching attackers. Stempaw heard pawsteps and Rabbitstrike and Ratfur came over the camp walls and fell in line. The cats began to shift, getting ready for attack. The cold sand under his paws made them cold, he shook them out and watched as eyes came above the hollow, the Windclan cats squinted to keep their gazes unseen. "We got them unaware." Hawkgrowl chuckled. "Attack!" Ravenstar yowled. Windclan cats screeched, ctaching them off guard. Bramblestar leapt onto Ravenstar and took him down. Stempaw leapt onto an apprentice and dragged her down. "Wait!" She whispered in his ear. "Im Sproutpaw, I've been helping your siblings." She struggled beneath him. "Squirrelpaw and Ivypaw?" He gasped, pulling her towards the spare den and acted as if they were rolling into the den. "How are they?" He demanded. "They are fine. Well fed thanks to me. You have to get them out soon. Ravenstar is planning an on site ceremony to kill them." Sproutpaw spoke quickly. "Ill tell Bramblestar. We should get out of here. You first, ill limp out and go back to battle. Be safe, Sproutpaw." Stempaw watched as the she-cat left the den with a fleeing yowl. Sproutpaw left camp followed by a white-pelted tom and Branchfur. Stempaw leapt onto another cat who had torn Sheepfur from the front of the nursery and was heading inside. He growled and bit the tom's shoulder and dragged him down. "Applepaw. Hurry and grab the kits!" He hissed. Applepaw yowled and was flung down the slope. Sheepfur standing and watching as he fell. "Webfur help!" He landed with a thump. Stempaw shoved Webfur backwards. "Better help." He hissed. Webfur snarled and turned, met by Sheepfur. "Stealing my kits?" He challenged. Sheepfur reared, giving endless blows to the Riverclan cats muzzle and ears. Webfur began to flee, helping Applepaw out of camp too.
Stempaw heard a loud shriek and darted from the nursery. Dawn was coming now and the battle was still raging. Bramblestar was limp under Ravenstar. Mumblejaw was held down by Hawkgrowl while Lionoak kept other cats back. Stempaw crept down Tall rock, his pelt low to the rock and unseen. "This is your leader. Dead, lost, and on her way to Starclan." Ravenstar was saying. Sheepfur rushed around, telling each cat the plan he and the white warrior had come up with quickly. Stempaw was risking his life, yes, but he didn't care. The clan seemed to calm some and they all tensed, ready to attack once again. Stempaw let out a yowl and leapt onto Ravenstar. He ripped him off their leader. The clan joined in, Mumblejaw understood and bit down on Hawkgrowl's paw and dragged him into the sand. Lionoak fell under Birchwing, Owlfeather, and Lilyfrost how tore fur from his flank. Stempaw felt Ravenstar's weight fall under his paws, fur flashed in his eyes. Bramblestar leapt upwards and tackled Ravenstar. "Get ready to lose your first life." She growled and bit down on his throat. Ravenstar yowled. Hawkgrowl turned and yowled, "Retreat!" The few cats that were left fled. Lionoak lay limp as Lilyfrost stepped away from him, her white and brown fur splattered with blood. "Next time you'll return my apprentice." She spat even though she knew the she-cats had gone willingly. Ravenstar gasped, waking from Starclan. Hawkgrowl had began dragging Lionoak's body out of camp. Bramblestar nodded and sat down, Stempaw saw no grief in the leader's eyes for her kit or her former mate.
Stempaw bounded back to the nursery to make sure all four kits were there. Sheepfur was already there, nuzzling all four kits and Brairfang before heading to the prey pile. He sighed and padded back to Bramblestar's side. "Are you okay?" He asked. Bramblestar shrugged. "Come with me, into the medicine den. Mumblejaw and Turtleheart should hear this too." Stempaw followed his leader quietly.
"I am on my last life, i want to spend it attacking Riverclan to get out clanmates back. How long until we recover?" Bramblestar's eyes blazed with a fire he'd never seen before. He knew all her emotions were piled into her words. "But, you cant go waste your last life!" Mumblejaw gasped, getting to his paws weakly. "I can and i will. You'll be Mumblestar soon." Mumblejaw wailed, laying back down facing away from them. Stempaw knew Mumblejaw and Bramblestar had been best friends sine they'd become adopted siblings when Robintuft had abandoned Bramblestar, Bramblekit then, after Briarkit died. Turtleheart had kept quiet the entire time. "If that is what you want, mother, i see that no words can stop you. Most warriors should be healed in half a moon. Mumblejaw may be the only exception, Hawkgrowl gave him nasty wounds but they will heal i assure you that." Bramblestar nodded and left the den. "All able warriors gather for training assignments." She yowled. Stempaw followed them, standing next to Birdnose who had gotten the least amount of wounds. "Hey Birdnose, seems like Stempaw did more than you." Rafur spat, scratches and kits welled on his fur. Birdnose pinned her ears but before she spoke Stempaw did. "Yeah? Maybe se didn't carelessly fling herself into battle. Or perhaps she just fought better? Maybe she took care of her opponents before they could give blows, or is that not a concept for you?" He spat.Ratfur bristled and ducked into the medicine den. "Stempaw, you should get that gash from Ravenstar checked out." Birdnose pointed her muzzle at his flank. Only then did Stempaw feel the wound. He hissed, looking at it. "Adraniline get you? Pretty normal, go to the den and get some herbs. Don't train until Turtleheart says."