Warriors Deadly Echoes: A Dangerous Hour

Chapter 8

Hollowpaw was beside Barkpelt and the rest of her clanamtes. They anticipated their arrival. If all of them made it back alive that is. Leopardheart limped too a halt, flanks heaving. "We...were...ambushed..." she panted and fell on her side. The other TimberClan cats all panted after running in and slumped onto the ground. Dovepaw was licking at a wound. "Why did we run?! We should have stayed and fought harder!" Racoontooth hissed.
"That attack was unprovoked! They ambushed us!" Tigerfur fired back in an enraged snarl. "Some cats died! I saw a WolfClan warrior be killed.." Runningfall meowed bitterly. Flintnose flattened his ears. "What even happened?" He looked to Leopardheart, who was trying in vain to heave herself up as cobwebs were applied to her flanks. "Some mange-pelt said he knew where our leaders were, but it was a set up." She hissed. Hollowpaw caught Lionpaw's eye. He had a patch of fur missing from his shoulder. "I really thought they were taking us to dad.." he mewed sadly.
"Well they didn't. They took us to our deaths. And thanks to your mom, we're as useless as we were yesterday." Crouchfoot growled.
"Don't you dare blame our mom for this!" Brownpaw hissed, thrusting himself forward, as his siblings padding to stand by his side, defending their mother, growling at the black and white tom.
"If anyone's to blame it's those crow-munching rogues! If they hadn't have taken Bravestar and the others in the first place we wouldn't be wounded and lame!" Vinewhisper declared. Pikestalk headed straight for the nursery to check on Poolhawk and his two kits, Acornkit and Chestnutkit.
"I think I've seen that cat before. Boarclaw. Trouble maker if I've ever saw one." Rivertalon meowed.
"Tell us everything you know." Flintnose mewed.
"I think we can too." Meowed a voice. The TimberClan cats got in battle stances.
Had the rogues made it as far as the camp? The cats revealed themselves. It was GlimpseClan!
"What are you lot doing here?" Stonewhisker asked.
"Our leader we should check on some of the Clans. She was told of the upcoming fight by her sister. Splashfur I think she was called." Meowed a black tom.
"And she didn't come to help us?!" Crouchfoot yowled outraged.
"Who would we have helped? We're a small group, we all would have been killed." Milkskip pointed out.
"Us!" Racoontooth hissed in response. A pale tabby she-cat's eyes flashed and she stepped forward, but a gray tabby she-cat stood in front of her. "No Nutclaw. We came to talk to them, not fight. They have enough casualties." She told the she-cat. The cat she named sniffed. "Sorry Lostflank.." she rumbled.
"But why we're really here is to tell you about Boarclaw. We don't know him, but we know of him. Shifty one." Milkskip meowed, looking to Rainfrost. "Tragically, we heard that a WolfClan warrior lost her life to the rogue attackers. Have you lost any lives?" She asked.
"No.." Leopardheart meowed, finally on her paws.
"We're all fine.." Flintnose half lied.
"Do we look blind to you all?" Milkskip asked. "Some of us didn't go with her." Heatherfur mewed from the nursery.
"Well Bravestar was one of the five leaders to help me shape my clan just before his capture, TimberClan has GlimpseClan's services. As well as the others." Rainfrost meowed.
"And we thank you for that. There will be no grudges against you for your offering." Leopardheart meowed.
"Now I must head to WolfClan to check on my sister and her clanmates." The white and gray she-cat meowed and padded off with her cats exiting the TimberClan camp. As Hollowpaw watched her go, she was treating her brother's wound. Hope sparked inside her. Maybe there was something to look forward to. With six clans in the forest, they could beat these rogues.