Warriors: a path by the stars #1

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A few moments before

"What do you mean?" Stormpaw asked, his breathing heavy from the fight. His fur was slick with rain and mud, streaked with the marks of battle, but his spirit hadn't faltered yet.

"The group of rainForestClan warriors is heading for the camp," Ivypaw began, her eyes glancing toward the distant cats closing in on the camp. "If they get there, the camp will be overrun. We need to stop them before that happens."

"How?" Owlpaw demanded, her voice full of both fear and frustration. "There are too many of them! We can't fight all of them on our own!"

Ivypaw's mind raced as she pieced together her plan. "We don't have to fight them all," she said, her voice growing firmer as the idea took shape. "If we can slow them down, just long enough for the rest of the Clan to rally, we might stand a chance. We need to cut them off—lead them away from the camp."

Stormpaw blinked, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. "Lead them away? But how? There's so many of them. What if they catch us?"

A cold shiver ran down Ivypaw's spine. She knew it was a gamble, but what other choice did they have? "We'll split them up. If we can distract a few of them, it'll break their formation. They won't be as strong if they're scattered."

Owlpaw looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "That's insane! What if we get caught? We'll be completely outnumbered!"

Ivypaw met Owlpaw's gaze, her heart pounding. "I know it's risky, but it's the only way to protect the camp. MorningSun, coldpaw, hyenapaw, Silverfeather, the kits—they're all in danger if we don't act now."

For a moment, Owlpaw hesitated, the fear in her eyes obvious. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Alright. But we have to be smart about this. We can't take on too many at once."

Stormpaw gritted his teeth but finally gave a nod as well. "Fine. I'll go with you, but we have to move fast."

With the plan set, Ivypaw took a deep breath. Her fur prickled as they moved toward the advancing the rainForestClan group, careful to stay hidden behind the long grasses and rocks that dotted the ground The rain had turned the battlefield into a muddy mess, making their paws slide as they crept closer. Every heartbeat felt like it could be their last, but Ivypaw refused to let fear overtake her. She thinked back to what Greyfeather taught her, being one with the grass and unseen.

The group marched steadily toward the camp, their eyes locked on their prize. Ivypaw could hear them murmuring to one another, their voices full of confidence. They thought the battle was already won.

Not if I have anything to say about it, Ivypaw thought fiercely.

She glanced at Stormpaw and Owlpaw, signaling with her tail for them to follow her lead. The plan was simple: they needed to cause enough chaos to split the enemy group, making it easier for DawnClan to pick them off one by one.

With a swift movement, Ivypaw darted out from her hiding spot, leaping onto a nearby rock. "Hey! Over here, you mangy fox-hearts!" she yowled, her voice sharp and defiant.

The  warriors turned, their eyes narrowing in surprise as they spotted the three apprentices standing out in the open.

"There's only a few of them!" one of the warriors snarled. "Get them!"

"Run!" Ivypaw hissed to Stormpaw and Owlpaw, bolting across the muddy ground as fast as her paws could carry her. She could hear the pounding of paws behind her as the rainForestClan warriors gave chase, exactly as she had hoped. If they could just keep them running long enough, it would buy their Clan the precious time they needed.