Warriors - Burnt Skies

Chapter 9

Nightpaw blinked open her eyes. It didn't make much of a difference - she couldn't make out anything in the darkness. What had happened? The last thing she remember was finding that cat on the Thunderpath. Who was it again? Oh yes, Darkflame, Emberpaw's mother.

"Is anyone here?" She heard a voice call out in the darkness, small and shaking.

"Blizzardpaw?" Nightpaw narrowed her sharp yellow eyes, making out the shape of a massive grey furball in front of her.

The RiverClan apprentice sat up and gazed at her with piercing blue eyes.

"Nightpaw," he said, sounding a lot more redeemed than when he had previously spoken. "I don't think anyone else is here."

"What happened?" She asked, starting to make out dark stone walls rising up around them as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"A bunch of rogues attacked us, somehow managed to render us unconscious whilst barely lifting a claw and dumped us in here," he spat, fluffing up his light tabby fur.

Nightpaw turned to her shoulder, where a small scratch was oozing an odd green liquid. She sniffed it - it had a strange, tangy scent. The black she cat rolled over, trying to rub it off her shoulder.

"I'm guessing this is what made us unconscious," she said, wrinkling her nose at the green smear across the ground.

"Dawnpaw would know what it is," Blizzardpaw mewed. "But she's not here."

Nightpaw stood up and walked over to where a pile of rectangular things were piled on top of each other, small slithers of light reaching through. It was the only side of this prison like den that wasn't a wall. She poked her nose through one of the gaps, not quite managing to lift the rectangular thing but she did get a good whiff of the air outside the den. It smelt of Twolegs food, the Thunderpath, and cats. Lots of cats.

"Ay! There's a nose pokin' through that box cage over there!" A gruff voice shouted, and she heard the thump of heavy pawsteps approaching.

Nightpaw ducked back inside, meeting Blizzardpaw's quizzical look.

"I have no idea where we are, but we are trapped," she meowed, backing away from the rectangular things.

A massive paw pushed them aside and a ginger face came into view.

"If ya try any heroics, you'll be dead before ya can say 'mouse'," the ginger tom snarled, green eyes narrowing menacingly.

Then he disappeared, leaving behind a gap in the rectangular things, which Nightpaw presumed were boxes.

"How mouse brained do you have to get to leave the perfect escape route for your prisoners?" Blizzardpaw muttered before wandering over to the gap. "Are you ready?"

"I feel like we should probably make a plan, but the others could be in danger, so I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be," Nightpaw replied, taking a deep breath.

Blizzardpaw crouched low on his haunches and leapt up, diving through the gap in the boxes. Nightpaw followed, sprinting after Blizzardpaw as he made his way through a massive open space. Around them 'box cages' towered around them, probably home to more prisoners. Their escape was making a commotion, and several cats, including the one that had let them escape, were heading after them.

Blizzardpaw was making a straight beeline for a box cage on the other side of the space, but his long fur was slowing him down.

"Save the others!" Blizzardpaw shouted as he turned around, baring his teeth. "I'll hold them off!"

Nightpaw hesitated, but only for a slight second. He was trained into the ways of a warrior, and would probably be able to hold them off enough time for her to save them.