Warrior Cats: Into the Unknown.(1/3)

Chapter 11

Dew brushed against Oakpaw's belly as he raced after his brother, Birchfall, Sorrelstripe and Lionblaze. They were heading toward the Shadowclan border for a dawn patrol. When they had left the camp the forest was damp and misty. But as the sun rose, the mist thinned to trailing wisps that clung to the lowest branches; above them, the trees cast long shadows, and dew glittered on every cobweb and blade of grass. Oakpaw wanted to stop to let the sun warm his fur. As they closed in on the Shadowclan border, he immediately smelled the sharp scents of pines. Lionblaze, who was leading the patrol, skidded to halt. "What can you smell?" He asked Oakpaw and Timberpaw and turned around to face them. The brothers thrust their noses into the air, nostrils flaring and their jaws gaping to take in the scents. "A fox has passed by, not fresh, though. I guess it was here a couple of days ago." Oakpaw mewed, his ears pricked, eyes closed. "And I can also smell a vole, and of course Shadowclan scent marks." He added, tail flicking. Then Timberpaw stepped forward, still sniffing the air. "The Shadowclan scents are like really fresh, and there's a patrol not long off." He murmured, ears pricked. He opened his amber eyes and gazed into the shadowy pine forest. Lionblaze and the other warriors sniffed the air too. "You're right, and they've been refreshing the borders very frequently." Birchfall murmured before exchanging a worried glance with Lionblaze. "I wonder why they have. We haven't been threatening them or trespassing." Sorrelstripe pointed out. "Think again." Sorrelstripe let out a yowl of surprise as a black tom with blue eyes shot out of a holly underneath a large pine on the other side of the border. Lionblaze let out a hiss and was about at the Shadowclan tom when the fluffiest she-cat Oakpaw had ever seen threw herself on top of him. Oakpaw and Timberpaw pressed close together, staring in horror as a yellow she-cat let out a fierce yowl and barreled into to Birchfall who was about to leap to his clanmates' aid. "Juniperleaf, what are you doing?" Sorrelstripe snarled, staring defiantly up at her attacker. "We need to teach Thunderclan a lesson." He growled as four other cats stepped out of the bushes, two of them were warriors, but the other one, a fluffy white and grey tom, was probably an apprentice. Oakpaw stared in horror as they stalked towards him and his brother. "Go get help!" Lionblaze yowled as he tried to wriggle away from the fluffy she-cat. Oakpaw and Timberpaw exchanged quick glances. Oakpaw was a lot faster, and Timberpaw was a better fighter. With a nod, he spun around and bolted for the camp, his heart pounding. His eyes widened and his fur bushed out when someone yowled behind him. "Wasptail, stop him!" Oakpaw tried to make his legs work faster until they almost barely touched the ground. He risked a quick glance behind him, and his eyes widened with horror when he saw Wasptail gaining on him. Then his gaze hardened and he turned his head forward again. He knew the territory better than her! Glancing around, he spotted a large oak. He skidded to swerve and bolted towards it. Paws thumped on the ground behind him before he took a flying leap and fastened his claws in the rough bark. He quickly clawed his way up, and let out a yowl of pain when Wasptail swiped at his tail and pinned it to the trunk when he was only a fox-length from the ground. Looking down, he saw Wasptail clinging to the bark, and he felt a surge of satisfaction inside him when he saw a flash of fear in her eyes. She didn't know how to climb a tree! Writhing his tail free, he dug his claws into the bark before letting go with his hind claws. He lashed out with his hind legs, and let out a yowl of triumph when one hit her under the chin and sent her crashing down. As she lay winded on the grassy floor, he sprang away from the trunk. Landing with a soft thud, he bolted forward again. His heart pounded in his chest, but he still felt his legs lighten. He'd defeated a warrior! He let out a yowl to alarm Thunderclan as he pelted into camp. The cats in the clearing sprang to their paws, and Bramblestar shot out of his den and down the tumble of rocks. "Oakpaw, what's going on?" He asked as he hurried towards him. Out of breath, Oakpaw explained. He saw a frown appear on Bramblestar's face, and the cats that had gathered around them let out furious caterwauls, but Bramblestar's yowl rose above the rest. "Icefeather, Ivypool, Hollytuft, Molewhisker, Acornpaw and Frogpaw. I want you with me." He mewed and the chosen cats stepped out of the throng, their faces grim, and they unsheathed their thorn-sharp claws. Shadowclan would pay a pretty price for attacking their patrol. "Lead the way, Oakpaw." Bramblestar mewed and nodded to the entrance of the barrier. Oakpaw nodded and spun around and raced to the barrier. "I was pursued, but I took care of it!" He yowled to his leader as he raced on with his leader by his side. Bramblestar gave him an approving glance. Oakpaw and the patrol sped past where Wasptail had tried to stop him. But she was gone, Oakpaw realized grimly. Fierce yowls were coming from somewhere ahead, and fur brushed his as the larger Thunderclan cats raced past him with outraged caterwauls and fierce battle cries. Oakpaw sprang over the top of the rise and plunged down the steep slope. His brother was writhing away from the fluffy apprentice and another warrior while Lionblaze lay unconscious on the ground. Birchfall was grappling with two massive toms while Sorrelstripe was locked in a fierce tussle with Wasptail and Juniperleaf. The Shadowclan cats stopped whatever they were doing and whipped around when the Thunderclan cats came swarming down the hill. Acornpaw barreled into Juniperleaf while Frogpaw hauled Wasptail off Sorrelstripe. Ivypool had already pinned a dark brown tabby tom to the ground, her tail lashing and she snarled as he tried to wriggle away from her. A silver tom appeared out of the bushes and crashed into Hollytuft's flank, and with a yowl she landed on the ground a couple of fox-lengths away with a sickening thud. Bramblestar had reared up onto his hind legs to meet Mistcloud blow for blow. Icefeather's eye was swollen but she still fought fiercely with a black and white tom. It was Crowfrost! Oakpaw had seen him at the last gathering. He flinched at Timberpaw's cry for help. Oakpaw raced down to his brother and let out a loud yowl before flinging himself of the fluffy apprentice. He tried to rake his claws down his flanks, but his pelt was too thick for him to pierce his skin, and his claws only got tangled in his fur. The apprentice twisted and clamped his jaws shut around his paw, and Oakpaw screeched in agony as he crunched down until his teeth scraped against his bone. Oakpaw writhed vainly to free himself from his grip. His eyes widened as Timberpaw heaved himself to his paws, flanks heaving and dripping with scarlet blood, he dashed toward them and leaped onto the apprentice's back. He let out a yowl and dropped onto his back, crushing Timberpaw underneath him before rolling over. Oakpaw shot toward him and slammed into his side, carrying him off his paws. Timberpaw stumbled to his paws and pinned him down, a paw on his neck and shoulders. Oakpaw scrambled toward him and bit down hard on the Shadowclan cat's tail before yanking it backwards. Soon, the Shadowclan cats had to admit defeat. They were outnumbered. Molewhisker had pinned the fluffy she-cat down, while Acornpaw and Frogpaw had chased away their opponents, and stood side by side, flanks heaving. Bramblestar strode over to Crowfrost and leaned over him. Icefeather had cornered the black and white tom to a tree, and lashed out every time he tried to escape. "Why did you attack our patrol?" Bramblestar asked him. Crowfrost hissed at him without answering. Bramblestar curled his lip to show thorn sharp teeth, stained with blood. Crowfrost glared at him and slowly sat down, tail lashing. "Your cats have been lurking by our borders, not this one, Riverclan's or the lake's. And other cat scents too, unfamiliar, have been scented inside our borders. We came to teach you a lesson." The deputy snarled. Bramblestar's fur bushed out. "None of my cats have set a paw inside your borders, Crowfrost." He snarled, thrusting his nose toward the warrior's face. "Then explain to me why the scents are there." He growled, heaving himself to his paws. "Leave my territory, if you don't want your fur ripped off." Bramblestar growled before stepping away. Crowstar padded slowly past him and padded over into his own territory. Bramblestar signaled his cats to let the Shadowclan cats up with a twitch of his ears without taking his eyes off Crowfrost. Oakpaw and Timberpaw reluctantly let the fluffy apprentice up. It whipped around and raised a paw, but a brown tabby tom stopped him before he could strike. "Burrpaw!" Burrpaw glared at the Shadowclan tom before spinning around and stalking over to Shadowclan territory. "This does not end here, Bramblestar." Crowfrost snarled before sprinting away into the pines, with his patrol following him. The Thunderclan cats watched them disappear into Shadowclan territory, but they were all too shocked by their accusations to send yowls of triumph after them. Then, after what felt like a moon of silence, Bramblestar flicked his tail. "Come on, we'd better get back to camp." He mewed to his cats. Oakpaw's paw burned where Burrpaw had bitten his paw, and Timberpaw's flank was bleeding and his eye was a bit swollen. "Icefeather, Ivypool, Molewhisker, continue patrolling the border and mark every tree-. Then come straight back because-Lionblaze!" Bramblestar's orders were cut off when he let out a yowl of dismay. The brown tabby leader flung himself at the golden tom. Icefeather trotted towards him with Molewhisker on her heels. She pressed her nose into Lionblaze's fur. "He's still alive but we have to get him to Jayfeather and Alderleaf." The white she-cat mewed with a worried glance at Molewhisker. "I'll carry him home." The dark brown tabby tom mewed. Molewhiser nodded and carefully grabbed Lionblaze's scruff before gently dragging him over his leader's back. Bramblestar heaved himself to his paws, his legs shaking with effort under Lionblaze's weight. He nodded to Icefeather and she flicked her tail to summon Hollytuft and Ivypool before bounding away along the border. "Why can't we go too?" Frogpaw grumbled, his tail lashing angrily. Acornpaw cuffed him lightly around the ears with a sheathed paw. "Stupid furball. We have to help the others home." She mewed to her brother. The dark brown tom glared at her, his green eyes blazing, but he kept his mouth shut. Sorrelstripe slowly sat up, flinching because of a deep scratch on her shoulder, and her eye was swollen. Acornpaw padded over to Birchfall and nudged him to his paws. His flanks heaved with effort. His haunches were bleeding heavily and there were clumps of fur dangling from his body. Hollytuft padded over to Oakpaw and Timberpaw. "Are you ready?" She asked, her eyes concerned and worried. With a glance at Timberpaw, Oakpaw shrugged. "Come on." Bramblestar meowed before heading up the steep slope. Oakpaw limped painfully after him while Acornpaw lent Birchfall her shoulder, and the tabby tom leaned heavily onto her. Frogpaw nudged Sorrelstripe carefully up the slope. "Are you alright?" He murmured in her ear. The dark brown she-cat turned her head and nodded weakly at him. Hollytuft nudged Timberpaw on every time he stumbled.