Featherstars curse

Chapter eight

The forest whizzed past in a blur. Thunderclan charged through the bushes. The leaves crunched under our paws. We leaped over roots, logs and small bushes. Windpaw quickened to catch up to me. We looked at each other he smiled, then looked straight ahead. He stretched out his legs and powered ahead of me. Race. I thought. I quickened my pace and laughter filled my belly. The sounds of the forest chorused in my ears. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Windpaw gaining on me. I slowed my pace, and returned to my previous speed. Windpaw carried on until he realised his victory. He yowled in triumph. I laughed, my body filled with warmth. He slowed until he was running beside me. He smiled, but I was looking ahead, concentrating on the mass of cats that had pooled ontop the sunning rocks.

A reddish brown cat lashed out at my unprotected belly. I darted back, stumbling on a rock. I landed on my back. The ground sent a searing pain through my small body. Ignoring the pain, I leaped up and landed a heavy blow on his back. He hissed and lashed at my ear. Blood dripped down my face covering one eye. I lashed at his head, sending him reeling back. With my other paw, I targeted his underbelly. He hissed and scampered back. I grabbed him by the tail and bit down hard. He yowled and as soon as I released my grasp he raced into the huge mass of fighting cats. My heart thundered as I looked around me. A tornado of angry cats surround my shaking body. Yowls of terror and anger filled the air. Cats filled the raging river, sending water rippling through the air. The grass was filled with fighting cats, the green stained red. The sunning rocks where I was perched, lay home to a blur of the two clans.

The world seemed to slow as a huge force threw me forward. I stumbled and my face hit the smooth, cold stone surface. The momentum took my breath away. I slowly struggled to turn my head and spy the cat behind me. My eyes revealed a Tom with a widely set frame, built strongly. His dark brown pelt shimmered in the heat. He had dark stripes running down his back. He stared at me with glowing Amber eyes which shone with hatred. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Before I could even think about standing, he was on me. I could feel his warm breath on the back of my head. His huge paws dug into my back. Long claws scraped down my spine. I yowled. Pain filled me. I felt my blood oozing down my back. Time seemed to hang in the air. He held me in his killer grasp for endless seconds. Finally he released me. I lay sprawled on the ground, my heart fluttering. I heard a small voice in my ear. I looked up to find Foxpaw staring at me with concern. I couldn't pick up what she was saying, my head spun and the yowls of the battle raged in my head. I closed my eyes and everything went black.