Warrior Cats; Empty Tide #1

Chapter 20

Silent footsteps padded against the cold stone ground of Twolegplace. The breeze ruffled their short fur and flattened their ears. The lead cat, a ragged furred red tom, raised his tail and kinked it over his back; signalling the cats behind him to follow. As quiet as mice in the forest, the cats followed him down the gap between the two Twoleg nests.

The unnaturally high sheer walls towered over the cats as they snuck through the Twolegplace, blocking out the jet black sky above them. Silverpelt glittered above, the tiny specks of silver stars surrounded the fat moon which illuminated the stoney path for the cats. The stench of the Thunderpath lingered in the air and the faint roar of a monster shook the ground.

The unintelligible chatter of Twoleg's drifted throughout the night air, echoing off the stone walls and confusing the cats.

Staying close to the cat in front, Mottlepaw pressed himself as close to the ground as was possible. He parted his jaws, licked his teeth and breathed in; scenting for enemy cats. Smokestar, the leader of TownClan, had ordered the cats to raid the Twolegplace rogues after one of their apprentices, Silverpaw, was killed.

The patrol continued; creeping across the Twolegplace as if they were hunting in the forest. But they weren't hunting birds or squirrels, they were hunting the rogues of Twolegplace. The stone path suddenly dropped down and the cats stopped. Remembering the orders to be silent, Mottlepaw looked at the red toms tail for the signal to run across the Thunderpath.

The hard black surface scratched at his paw pads like rocks on the BreezeClan moor and the acrid stench choked him. With a flick of his tail, Brickclaw raced forward, eager to catch up with the other patrol. Smokestar had ordered two patrol to attack; each would come in from a different angle and strike the camp in the dead of night.

Sprinting as hard as he could, Mottlepaw stretched out his legs like birds wings and he felt the wind rush under him. The distant hum of a monster terrified Mottlepaw, but by the calm looks of the TownClan cats, it was far away and no danger. He sighed in relief as his paws touched the smooth stone of the other side and he hastily began to lick the grit out before they got going again.

He remembered crossing another Thunderpath with Sockie, that one was wider and the black surface was tougher on his pads. A monster roared behind him, its dark green pelt barely visible in the darkness. Only the garish yellow lights on his front and the cacophony it created as its black paws carried it across the Thunderpath at speed.

After a few heartbeats rest, Mottlepaw felt a nose nudge his shoulder and reluctantly got to his paws. Motioning for the cats to follow, Brickclaw leapt to the top of a stone-divider, clawing his way up effortlessly before stalking across the to side of a Twoleg nest.
One by one, the cats leapt up and Mottlepaw saw Creekpaw of SleetClan struggling to get up; the grey and white tom unsheathed his claws and hauled himself up.

One of the TownClan cats noticed and Flowfur reached down to grab Creekpaw's scruff, pulling the apprentice up to safety. When it was Mottlepaw's turn, he crouched low, gathering his weight in his haunches. Springing like a fox, he leapt up and unsheathed his claws into the stone. As he scrambled up, he watched Yellowpaw follow. The golden mottled she cat found it easy, only slipping at the last mouse-length.

Thankfully, Creekpaw caught her and with the help of Mottlepaw, brought the SleetClan apprentice to safety. The cats padded along the stone-divider to the side of the Twoleg nest were Brickclaw was grooming his ragged pelt. The breeze blew all cats scents towards the TownClan camp, hiding both of the patrols scents and the rogue's scents; leaving both sides in the dark.

The patrol leader flicked his tail and clawed his way up the side of a black tree branch attached to the side of the Twoleg nest. The many paw holds and soft yet strange feel of the branch made it easy for Mottlepaw to climb to the top. The cool, smooth stone on top was refreshing to his pads and he drew his tongue over them several times.