Dawn

Chapter 14

Feathertail bounded over and leaned down to crouch eye level with Squirrelpaw. "Swiftpaw would want you to live your life," she meowed gently. "To grow old with kits of your own." The urge to run head-first, not mindful of the danger or the possibility of her death left her, but Feathertail went on. "Your Clan needs you now more than ever. Crowpaw, you can get off Squirrelpaw now."

Carefully he let go, his muscles tense as if he expected Squirrelpaw to leap up and dart into the trees again, but she only stood up and shook herself.

Behind them, the elm-killing monster attacked its victim. Thorn-sharp splinters of wood shot through the air, and Squirrelpaw felt searing pain as a tiny sliver of bark stabbed into her flank.

"Now!" yowled Skystar. The cats leaped forward just as the monster tore a branch from the elm, sending it crashing onto the forest floor where the cats had stood a heartbeat before.

Skystar stopped when they reached the bramble thicket. "Sandstorm, take Leafpaw and the rest of your patrol and get the kits and queens out," she ordered. "Mousefur, take Ashfoot and Crowpaw with your patrol and find the elders."

Squirrelpaw turned to follow her Clanmate, but Skystar called her back. "Squirrelpaw, I need you here!" she commanded. "Thornclaw, you help the apprentices get out. RiverClan warriors, go with him, please." Mistyfoot nodded and darted off with the ThunderClan warrior. "Dustpelt, wait at the entrance and make sure everyone escapes. Don't let any cat block the way."

"What about me?" Eagleheart demanded as the others charged away.

"I'll get to you soon," Skystar promised. She turned to Tawnypelt, who was tearing at the ground with her long, hooked claws. "You know this part of the forest better than us. We can't go back the way we came. Which way's the quickest out of here?"

"That way!" Tawnypelt answered at once, nodding to a break in the trees. "If we're quick, we'll get to it before the monsters and pick up a trail that will take us to the tunnel under the Thunderpath."

Skystar turned back to Eagleheart and Tallstar. "You two must defend our escape route," she meowed. It was the least dangerous of all the tasks, and Squirrelpaw guessed that her mother was trying to preserve the WindClan leader's last life.

Skystar looked at Brambletuft and Squirrelpaw. "You two, let Tawnypelt take you into the camp. She'll know which den is which. Make sure that no cat remains inside the camp. If you hear me yowl, get out at once. It'll mean the monsters have reached the brambles."

Brambletuft pressed his muzzle to Squirrelpaw's ear. "Are you okay with this?"

"Of course I am! What do you take me for—a kit who's never left the nursery?" Squirrelpaw jerked indignantly away. He blinked at her, his eyes glittering with concern, and she realized with a jolt that he was just worried about her. "I'm fine," she promised. "It feels like a battle, and I need to fight for the forest—even if we can't win. We can't let Tawnypelt down."

She whirled around and raced for the camp entrance. Tawnypelt was already scrambling through the prickly tunnel that led into the camp. As Squirrelpaw pounded after her into the clearing, the stench of terror nearly stopped her dead in her tracks. Pelts flashed everywhere as the ShadowClan cats bolted in blind panic. Terrified yowls tore through the air as queens called for their kits, and warriors shrieked orders.

Amid the chaos, the newly arrived warriors were somehow managing to stay calm: Squirrelpaw spotted Sorreltail and Ashfoot flanking a group of confused ShadowClan elders to herb them across the clearing; on the far side, Leafpaw urged Runningnose, the old ShadowClan medicine cat, toward the camp entrance.

Blackstar's white coat stood out among the shadows. A gray apprentice crouched beside him, his fur standing on end. "Don't be afraid!" the ShadowClan leader growled, nudging the apprentice to his paws. "I won't let you die."