Warriors: The Changed Clan #2: Danger Rising

Chapter Seven

Tigerstar was hidden in a tangle of gorse that surrounded the WindClan camp, peering through it as he secretly watched his apprentices sneaking into the camp. Of course, he sent them out at sunhigh so that the WindClan cats were already awake, making their task even more challenging.

"Hey!" a WindClan warrior yowled. "There's TigerClan apprentices in our camp!" Tigerstar recognised the cat to be Mudclaw. WindClan, aware of the apprentices, began to dart into battle with unsheathed claws.

Tigerstar wanted to join in since he loved battles but forced himself to stay in the gorse. He couldn't let himself be noticed-especially since he was supposed to be watching the TigerClan apprentices without them knowing he was there.

Crowpaw, an older WindClan apprentice, leapt for Tawnypaw. "Get out of WindClan, prey-stealer!" he yowled as Tawnypaw dropped a rabbit that was in her jaws. Her pale green eyes were wide as she stared at the dark apprentice.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Rowanpaw yowled at the WindClan tom as he propelled himself at him, throwing him onto the ground. The apprentice spat with rage while Rowanpaw looked to the tortoiseshell. "Are you okay?"

Tawnypaw nodded, looking grateful. "Thanks!" she purred.

Sorrelpaw dodged a blow from Nightpaw as she tucked her tail under her. Her claws lashed out viciously at the black she-cat and Tigerstar felt like praising Sorrelpaw as he was pleased. That apprentice sure learnt something.

Rainpaw leaped past Stormpaw and snatched a rabbit tightly in his jaws. His eyes bright, the apprentice darted swiftly away before anyone could stop him. Featherpaw was with Mothpaw, cowering back as their eyes were wide as several WindClan warriors had them cornered.

Fight! Tigerstar wanted to screech at them. After all, he had expected his apprentices to put up a fight against them for rabbits.

Why would you order your apprentices to get rabbits when your Clan despises them? Thistleclaw questioned Tigerstar in his thoughts. Only a mouse-brain would do that.

Oh, shut up! Since when did you become my leader? Tigerstar questioned and never heard more of Thistleclaw after that, assuming he had gotten rid of him.

Tigerstar's eyes brightened with hope as he noticed Featherpaw sneaking towards the pile of rabbits. "What do you think you're doing?" Crowpaw leaped in front of her, making Featherpaw freeze.

Crowpaw was just staring at Featherpaw and before he could even react, Featherpaw had stolen a rabbit and began running off. Crowpaw blinked and then shook his head, going back into the battle.

"Stop!" Tallstar yowled. The fighting stopped as soon as he had yowled. The old WindClan leader began walking towards them, his gaze staring at the smaller pile of rabbits. "Have you TigerClan apprentices no shame? This is against the warrior code!"

"Tigerstar said that if we stole some of your fresh-kill, we'd be made warriors," Sorrelpaw explained as blood dripped from her claws. "And the leader's word is the warrior code as well so we're not breaking the warrior code."

"You are half correct, young one," Tallstar admitted, "but stealing fresh-kill from another Clan is wrong. Tigerstar is a bad leader and you shouldn't listen to him. You should know better than to stir up trouble with a Clan."

"But it's for our warrior names!" Sootpaw protested. "Also, we have to do it otherwise Tigerstar said he'd punish us badly. What choice do we have?"

"Punishment?" Tallstar echoed, his gaze turning dull. He then let out a sigh. "Your lives must depend on this. But WindClan will not share prey with TigerClan, the Clan of rogues. We take honour in catching our prey and thank StarClan for it. We cannot share it with any other Clan."