Warrior Cats: Darkness Rising. (2/3)

Chapter 2

Timberpaw pelted after the squirrel, his brother by his side. Muscles bunched under their pelts as they crashed through the undergrowth. Oakpaw let out a yowl and sprinted to the side of the squirrel, blocking its way as it tried to escape up a tree. "Hurry!" Oakpaw yowled. Timberpaw, much slower than all his siblings because of his weight and size, growled of frustration. Oakpaw let out a hiss before taking a flying, powerful leap. He managed to dig his claws into the squirrel's bushy tail, and dragged it back before it could escape them. Timberpaw skidded to halt, and bit the struggling squirrel's throat. Warm blood flushed into Timberpaw's mouth, and it watered with the scent of prey. "Good job, both of you." Fernsong mewed, trotting out of a holly bush. "Now, Timberpaw, I want you to go to the twoleg clearing see if you can find anything there." Timberpaw's ears flattened to the back of his head in disappointment. This was a big challenge. He had never smelled even a whiff of prey-scent there before except once or twice. Fernsong nodded into the direction of the Shadowclan border. Sighing, Timberpaw trotted away, leaving the squirrel behind.

Timberpaw stepped out of the trees. Cold wind tugged at his thick fur, ruffling it the wrong way. A shiver ran down his spine like an icy claw. He sniffed the air, but he couldn't catch a whiff of prey scent. The wind was too strong, and he didn't expect to find anything here anyway. He padded further into the clearing. His mother had told him about the battle Bramblestar had led Thunderclan into when they were taking the clearing back after Shadowclan stole it. He tried to imagine the clearing full of screeching, battling cats, the ground soaked with blood and tufts of fur. Faint shrieks and battle cries touched his ears, but they were quickly carried off by the loud sound of the strong wind. He unsheathed his claws as he stared into the pine forest ahead of him. Somewhere beyond that border lay the Shadowclan camp. He had a hard time imagining these woods full of prowling Shadowclan cats, their hearts as cold as the wind that blew across the clearing. Then, a blur of movement caught his attention. Three apprentices were streaking after a plump squirrel. Timberpaw let out a growl. They were uncomfortably close to the border. He recognized Clawpaw, Whitepaw and Skypaw. He raced to the border, keeping up to them just on the edge. Clawpaw looked sideways and hissed at him, and at the same moment, Whitepaw caught up to the squirrel. She tugged it back to her and quickly bit its spine. He let out a yowl of rage when Clawpaw deliberately stepped over the border. Unsheathing his claws, he launched himself at the much younger apprentice. He was asking for a fight. But Clawpaw was tricky. Just when Timberpaw attacked, he stepped back over the border. Timberpaw skidded to halt inside the border before scrambling out of it. He let out a growl and lashed at Clawpaw, but he sprang further inside, his tail lashing in triumph. Timberpaw glared at him. He wanted to claw that smug look off the Shadowclan apprentice's face! Whitepaw dropped the squirrel. "Is there a problem?" She asked, trotting up to them. Timberpaw curled his lip into a snarl, but Whitepaw only flicked an ear. His eyes met hers, and he struggled to tear his gaze away from her shining, bright blue eyes. "If you're going to start trouble then it's you who have to explain yourself for crossing the border." She pointed out. Timberpaw stepped a couple of paces back. "You were just uncomfortably close to the border." He muttered, looking down at his paws. "But we didn't cross it." The white Shadowclan apprentice mewed with a hint of laughter in her voice. Timberpaw flicked an ear. She sounded so friendly. He was an enemy warrior for Starclan's sake! Skypaw trotted up to them. "Hello, Timberpaw." He mewed. He didn't sound aggressive, but not quite friendly either. Who are you and what have you done with the old Shadowclan cats? He wondered. He dipped his head to the light grey tom. Timberpaw's eyes shot to where Breezepaw and Bluepaw trotted into the open. Timberpaw was starting to feel very uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to show it. Lifting his chin, he gazed defiantly at the two apprentices. He was older than them, but he knew Bluepaw was as snarky as an old badger. "What's a Thunderclan cat doing so close to our borders?" She mewed, her tone scathing. "And alone?" She added. Clawpaw snorted. "Why do Thunderclan cats do anything?" Timberpaw felt himself seething inside, and he fought the urge to launch himself at the apprentice. He showed his sharp teeth and unsheathed his claws. But then Whitepaw stepped in front of Clawpaw. "There is no need to provoke a fight." She reasoned with her clanmates. "You better go." She mewed to Timberpaw. Timberpaw hated to obey another clan cat's orders, and younger for that! He nodded curtly before whipping around and stalking across the clearing once again.