Nightfrost's Choice

Chapter 16

"Nightpaw what are you doing here?" Firepaw hissed, panic flaring in his brown eyes.

"Umm, saving my clanmates, mousebrain!" Nightpaw shot back. Anger was fueling through her now that she realized Firepaw was the one guarding the kits, and he hadn't even helped them! Well, he is being loyal to his clan.... A small voice inside of her told her, and the anger was suddenly replaced by guilt.

"Get out of here!" Firepaw hissed. "Or I'll have to hurt you!"

"I don't care!" Nightpaw hissed. "These kits are ValleyClan!" She reached out a paw to scoop Silverkit and Squirrelkit out, but Firepaw aimed a blow at her muzzle that sent her staggering.

"Don't touch my sister!" Dewpaw hissed beside her, and she swiped at Firepaw, knocking him sideways. "Get the kits." Dewpaw ordered, and Nightpaw nodded and reached inside the hole with her muzzle, grabbing Squirrelkit by the scruff and hauling him up. The hole was deeper that she thought, and the sides were edged with brambles, so she had to be careful not to scratch Squirrelkit when pulling him up.

Suddenly a blow to her flank made her drop Squirrelkit and she heard him screech as the wind was knocked out of her and she was thrown sideways. Firepaw loomed over her, his eyes flashing.

"Don't make me wake up the entire clan!" He growled, raking his claws over her shoulder and sending pain flaring through her pelt.

Gritting her teeth, Nightpaw reared up on her hind legs and slammed her paws down on Firepaw's flank. He gasped and he struggled to breathe as he curled up, choking for air. Nightpaw felt a little bad, but mostly anger, so she tried lifting Squirrelkit up again, when a voice called,

"Over there! I scent ValleyClan!" She froze. Next to her, Dewpaw grabbed Silverkit in her jaws and Nightpaw struggled to get Squirrelkit out. She tried to get the little kit it without hurting him, but a face appeared and she darted back, trembling in the bushes next to Dewpaw and Silverkit.

Don't say a word. She mouthed to Silverkit, who's blue eyes were wide and frightening. Nightpaw could only watch with horror as a patrol of ForestClan cats padded up to Firepaw, who was struggling to his paws.

"We heard noises." A shecat hissed. "What happened?"

"ValleyClan cats." Firepaw croaked. "They tried to take back the kits."

"How many?" A golden brown tom pushed his way through the knot of cats. Nightpaw recognized him as Thronfang, the deputy.

Firepaw looked at him. For a second, Nightpaw was afraid he would give them away. But his eyes passed over their hiding place and he looked at Thornfang with extreme hate. "A huge patrol." He meowed coolly. "They went that way." Firepaw pointed his tail to the opposite side of their hiding place and Nightpaw let out a soft sigh of relief.

The shecat spun around. "What was that?" She hissed. Her eyes narrowed, and Firepaw stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Nightpaw, Dewpaw, and Silverkit.

"Probably the patrol." He snorted. "They breathe like a bunch of sweaty badgers after a fight. They gave me this." He flexed his muscles, and a bloody gash rippled across his shoulder. Nightpaw winced. Now she felt guilty about hurting him!

Thornfang's eyes gleamed. "We'll follow the patrol. We'll punish them for hurting Froststar's son!" He snarled, and Nightpaw froze.

Firepaw is Froststar's son?

"How many kits did they take?" The she-cat demanded, her blue eyes narrowing as she peered into the whole, and as Nightpaw watched, a ginger paw flew out and raked her muzzle. The shecat jerked back, blood dripping from her muzzle.