Russetfur stared in dismay at her warriors thrashing helplessly in the undergrowth. "Retreat!" she yowled. The ShadowClan cats scrambled out of the brambles, leaving clumps of fur behind as they pelted past the ThunderClan warriors and fled back into their own territory. I scanned the battered ThunderClan cats. We had just run into a Shadowclan patrol and had been attacked severely. "Hollypaw!" Lionpaw yelled. "I'm over here!" Hollypaw squirmed backward out of the undergrowth, her bushy tail pricked with thorns, Moonpaw followed after her, breathing deeply. I rushed over to her. "Are you okay?" I scanned her pelt. She had a few scratches and a deep wound in her shoulder. "Cobwebs! I need cobwebs!" I cried. I spotted a dead stump nearby and collected the cobwebs, then dropped them over Moonpaw's wound. I knew I should've put marigold on it first, but I was in a hurry and there was no marigold around. Moonpaw stared up at me and smiled weakly. "Thanks" She purred. "Is everyone okay?" Firestar staggered out, his muzzle crimson with blood. "Sandstorm's twisted her paw." Brambleclaw was standing beside the ginger-coloured warrior as she licked at a forepaw. "It's just a sprain," she reassured him. "Stormfur?" Firestar looked at the grey warrior. "That looks like a bad cut on your shoulder."
"It'll heal," Stormfur replied. "I've lost a chunk of fur from my tail," Spiderleg spat. "But it was worth it if ShadowClan thinks twice before trying to steal our territory again."
"We need to make sure they're all gone," Firestar meowed. "I'll check," Brook offered.
"Are you injured?"
"Just a torn ear."
"Then take Spiderleg with you and search beyond the brambles," Firestar ordered. "Make sure no cat went farther into our territory." Spiderleg and Brook hared away through the trees. Ashfur flicked Lionpaw's shoulder with his tail. "Thank StarClan you got help so quickly."
"You held out well till we came," Firestar praised him. "Hollypaw fought like a warrior!" Birchfall commented. "And Jaypaw never gave ground," Brightheart added. I hurried past the bunch of warriors and stood at Jaypaws side. "You good?" I asked. He nodded. "That was terrifying."
"We couldn't let ShadowClan drive us from our own territory!" Graystripe growled. Brambleclaw gazed across the clearing where the ShadowClan cats had fled. "We're going to have to do something about ShadowClan before the next Gathering," he vowed. "Let's start by remarking the correct boundary," Firestar ordered. "Brambleclaw, you stay here with Ashfur and Birchfall and mark every tree twice along the border." Brambleclaw nodded. "I'll take the rest back to camp."
"Can't I stay with Ashfur?" Lionpaw begged. Ashfur shook his head. "Go back to camp and get some ointment on those scratches. I want you back in training as soon as possible." Reluctantly, Lionpaw turned and followed his Clanmates. Sandstorm was limping, and Stormfur kept stopping to lick at the blood welling from the wound on his shoulder. Millie's pelt was missing clumps of fur along her flank, but she was buzzing with the excitement that came from winning a battle, her ears pricked and her tail twitching. Moonpaw limped by Hollypaws side and Jaypaw checked me all over for any scratches. When we were near the camp, Leafpool had come out to meet the returning warriors. "Hollypaw! Are there any serious injuries?"
Hollypaw blinked. "S-Stormfur has a scratch . . ." she stammered. "Haven't you checked?" Leafpool asked anxiously. "Everyone can still walk," Hollypaw offered. "What about the tansy?" Leafpool pursued. "Did you find any?"
"Oh, yes," Hollypaw mewed. Leafpool looked at her questioningly. "Where is it?" Hollypaw looked crestfallen. "We were going to pick some on our way back from hunting, and then Birchfall arrived to warn us that ShadowClan had moved the border, and Brambleclaw ordered us to—"
"It's okay," Leafpool meowed. "I'm proud that you fought with your Clanmates. But keep a lookout for any healing herbs on the way back to camp. There'll be plenty of bites and scratches to treat when we get home. I'm going to check on the others." Hollypaw gazed at the undergrowth. "Do you think that juniper would do?" she murmured as they passed a large bush dotted with dark berries. "The horsetail growing next to it would be better," I advised. Hollypaw closed her eyes. "Horsetail—good for infections," she recited. Then she hurried over to the clump of spindly plants and tore one out by its roots. I could feel my scratches beginning to sting. My muscles ached from the battle, and when we reached the camp I padded to the halfrock and collapsed beside it. Jaypaw climbed onto the smooth, low rock and hung his head over the side, while Hollypaw dropped the horsetail she'd been dragging and flopped down beside them.
