Warriors Deadly Echoes: A Dangerous Hour

Chapter 18

Thunder sounded in the distance of the forest. Littlepaw was gathering herbs with the medicine cats as a patrol at the same time scouted the borders of WolfClan and ViperClan territory.
"Smell anything?" Mudstreak asked her father. "All I smelled was rogue stench." He replied. "Do we have to patrol? Look at this weather." Clawstripe complained.
Jaggedtooth turned on the young dark brown tom. "Unless you want these cats to line their nests with your fur, I suggest you suck it up." He growled. "Understand?" The two toms held each other's gazes.
"I understand Jaggedtooth." The tom meowed and padded away to catch up with Mintburr, Thornfoot, Weaselwhiskerand Russetleaf. Coyotefoot and Rowanfang padded over to the two toms. "Nothing looked suspicious as far the woods." The tannish brown she-cat reported.
"But we caught a strange scent while we were," Rowanfang stiffened as a bark sounded. Darkshadow tensed. The barking sounded again. "Dogs. And it sounds like a pack of them." He meowed, his tone growing dark. Littlepaw pressed close to Thrusberry. "We have the herbs we need if you get hurt." She meowed.
"We can't risk our medicine cat and her apprentice." Jaggedtooth told her. Rain slowly began to fell as lightning broke through the clouds.
"We'll stay hidden then, where the dogs or Darktalon and his companions can find us." Hollyflight broke in.
"That's semi better." Jaggedtooth rumbled. "Well if you don't like it, be a dog's freshkill, until then, deal with this and try to stay alive." The gray she-cat told him. The cats that had left to patrol the other border markers came running back. "We just caught dog scent over that way." Weaselwhisker meowed. Darkshadow whisked his tail. "Follow me and Jaggedtooth. And for our signals to attack." He meowed. The cats all crept through the grasses. They could smell the scent of dogs. Under it, some ScarClan cats. Could the conjoined Clans and ScarClan be having the same objective? The leader of the three dogs padded forward, his eyes gleaming, he let out a low bark. The dog ran forward in a flurry of barks, drool hanging from it's large jaws.
"WolfClan attack!" Darkshadow yowled.
"ViperClan attack!" Jaggedtooth yowled.
"ScarClan attack!" It was Blazetoe, ScarClan's deputy. They did have the same goal! One of the dog's yipped excitedly at the sight of cats. The horrifying animal lunged for one of the cats, it's jaw fastening on it's tail. Darkshadow whirled around. "Stoneshadow!" He called. The tom's tail was in the dog's jaws. "Help!" He wailed.
Darkshadow latched onto the dog. Crowwing, Nightriver, Deerleg, and Russetleaf all did the same. The dog yelped and let go. The tom fell out of the dog's jaws with a thud on his side, growling in pain. But he ignored it and raced to help his Clanmates.
"Don't let the dog your neck Lynxpaw!" Hazelheart told her apprentice. Lynxpaw thinking quick, jumped and sliced the dogs eye blinding it in one eye. To their surprise, some of the dogs were either scrawny and old or yappy, that began to run as soon as they felt pain from the cats. Goldenheart, Silverwing, and Flamepelt all charged at a dog that was threatened Specklepaw, who seemed to be doing some damage. Flamepelt sliced at its belly. Specklepaw nodded his head, giving the indication that he was okay. The dog whimpered and scampered away. The cats yowled in victory. Out of the corner of her eye, Littlepaw saw a tan and white pelt smeared with blood and curled in an unmoving ball. She gasped. Darkshadow looked over. "Leafpelt!" He yowled.
The tom was breathing heavily. "Darkshadow..." he managed to croak. Lynxpaw stared at the tom in horror. "Don't try to talk.. you'll hurt yourself." He ordered.
"I'll get help!" Lynxpaw sprinted off. Feralstar had returned with her. Scrambling, worry clear in his hazel gaze. He was looking around. The WolfClan leader ran over to Darkshadow. "Where is my son?" He asked panting with concern.
Darkshadow looked at him his eyes widened. He gasped and saw his son, covered in blood as he peered past his deputy and friend. "Leafpelt..." he murmured. The tan and white tom choked out, "F-father.." The tabby tom silenced him. "Save your strength my son." He mewed.
The medicine cat bounded forward. Mudstreak kept to Hollyflight. Littlepaw and Thrusberry close behind.
"We can't bring him back to camp. If we try to move him, he may lose more blood." Hollyflight mewed.
"Then help him here." Jaggedtooth snapped. They nodded and went to work. Everyone sat down and rested. Silverwing stared at her dad, fear in her blue eyes.
"It'll be alright mom." Goldenheart mewed. Leafpelt was moaning in pain. A wail of shock and fear sounded. Lightspot ran over to him with his son, Howlingdawn at her side. "Leafpelt! Wh-what happened?!" She turned to her mate, sadness in her amber eyes. "Who did this?!" She wailed, demanding an answer.
"L-lightspot.." Feralstar managed to mew. Leafpelt strained to stare up at his mother and littermate.
Water welled up in Hazelheart's eyes. "Leafpelt..." she mewed.
"D-don't worry.. We've been through worse.." he tried to purr.
"He'll live," Hollyflight mewed. "Luckily for us and him, the dog didn't do that much but we still couldn't move him to the camp." She added.
Feralstar breathed a sigh. The cats of all three patrols were quiet for a time. Watching with anxious eyes as the medicine cats all healed the WolfClan warrior's body. Rain slowly fell from the sky. Howlingdawn's paws kneaded the ground. Silverwing pressed herself to her brother as he looked his father in fear. Littlepaw felt a rush of excitement. My second healing duty! Her eyes gleamed. She would be the best medicine cat.