Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter 30: Falling

Chapter 30: Falling

Rainstone breathed heavy in the dew-scented morning. She glanced apprehensively at Nightwing. He'd brought every cat except Raven, who as still recovering from the last fight, and Coal, who was watching the camp.

They stood just inside the ShadowClan border, pines soaring above them and the ground mushy and covered in soaked, prickly, pine needles. Though Needlepine seemed to be relishing in being back in his territory, not seeming to be worrying that they were there to attack his Clan-mates.

Rainstone had thought hard about how she was going to do this. She'd decided that she would fight, defeat at least one opponent, without hurting them much, and then allow herself to be chased off. Hopefully she'd face a cat that would make that believable.

She glanced down at her limp paw; it would be much too easy to use it as an excuse. Too bad Nightwing had ordered her not to let it be a weakness; she wouldn't dare use it as an excuse now. She looked up at the sky; balls of gray clouds swelled the openness, blotting out the rising sun as they waited for the dawn-patrol.

They stood further away from the RiverClan border then where they had attacked last time, obviously not wanting to have a combined Clan force again. Rainstone concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and steady, mentally preparing herself.

She wasn't sure what feelings ShadowClan had against these cats. They very well might kill if they got a chance, and Nightwing would expect her to kill as well. She felt that she had been thrust between two deadly opposing forces.

She cursed under her breath. How in the world had she gotten herself in this situation? Probably my crazy impulses and desire for excitement... One would think I'd have had enough by now...

She pricked her ears as she heard it, just a faint sound in the eerily quiet forest. Chills crept along her spine and she felt again the same jumpy fear from the ghostly cedar forest she'd crossed through once upon a time.

She glanced at the other cats; they were flexing their claws and shifting on their paws in barely refrained patience. They hadn't heard it, yet. But the sound grew steadily louder, and it was clearly the babbling sound of voices accompanied by five sets of paws.

Now the other cats heard it and Nightwing flicked his tail, the sign for them to split and outflank the approaching patrol that was already hopelessly outnumbered. Rainstone had heard the plan; they planned on cutting of the cats' retreat.

She was pressed between Slate and Niko; the two black cats were both shaking in excitement. Rainstone remained still, patiently waiting for the cats to come into view and the plain danger of battle to emerge.

She recognized three of the ShadowClan cats. There was Sunfire, Frogfoot, and Thistlebranch. Rainstone flinched inwardly for Needlepine, having to face his sister; she hoped he wouldn't give himself away. She was likely to go down with him if that came out.

The other two cats was the patrol leader, a silver-blue tom with gray eyes and then a young white she-cat with green eyes, hardly apprentice age it looked. Nightwing yowled the signal and her paws moved in sync with the other cats, swift and silent and deadly.

Rainstone wondered how long this would last. The Clan cats were largely overwhelmed and Nightwing's cats were being trained very skillfully. She didn't go for any cat in particular; just bumped against the fighting cats, making sure she only lightly brushed past the Clan-cats.

Claws gripped her tail and she was jerked to a stop. Turning, she kicked out with sheathed paws at her attacker, Frogfoot. She pulled the tom a little ways away from the group, the slinky murky-brown tom was hissing at her.