Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Emberpaw knew that something was about to go very wrong when she stepped into the silence of the forest.

"Where's the prey?" Sparrowpaw mewed, half-joking.

Sunfade and the other two warriors thought nothing of it. "You might have to go and look for it." Sunfade disappeared into the pines.

Brackenblaze nodded to Emberpaw. "Try and catch something, and meet me here. Cherryheart did teach you the crouches, right?"

Emberpaw nodded, although it wasn't entirely true. Sparrowpaw had taught her the crouches when she was a kit.

Emberpaw bushed her fur against a cold breeze and moved into an area of dense trees. She scented the air for prey, but a different scent hung in the air.

Behind her, Sparrowpaw's fur was on end. "Dog scent," He whispered.

An ear-splitting bark came from behind them. Two large dogs stood behind them, before breaking into a run.

Sparrowpaw sprinted away, and Emberpaw hurried to keep up with him. Her paws fell into a rhythm once more, and she forgot she was even running until louder barks behind her startled her.

Emberpaw looked around for Sparrowpaw, but he was nowhere to be seen. She slowed to a trot and looked over her shoulder; the dogs weren't there, either.

Suddenly, a dog exploded from the bushes. Emberpaw yowled and shot up a nearby tree, eyes wide with fear.

The dog scrambled at the bottom, and leapt at the lowermost branches, barking and spitting. Emberpaw turned and clambered up higher, skidding down the trunk of the tree. She hooked her claws in and moved upward, not knowing how to climb trees.

There was an angry yowl, and Adderstrike and Brackenblaze leapt for the dog. Adderstrike sunk his teeth in the dog's ear, and Brackenblaze bit down hard on the dog's leg. The dog cried out on pain as Adderstrike ripped at its ear, and Brackenblaze moved to bite its tail. The dog shook Adderstrike off, and the warrior landed, winded.

But the dog was already bolting away, howling and barking.

Emberpaw watched as Adderstrike climbed to his paws. Brackenblaze moved toward the tree and glanced up at her. "Do you need help getting down?"

"I'm okay." She unhooked her claws and skidded down the trunk, landing beside Brackenblaze, who didn't seem as mean as she'd originally thought.

Sunfade's yowl of distress caused the larger toms to leap away. Emberpaw wondered if she should follow them. But, seeing the way that they easily took down the other dog, she followed.

This dog was broad, with bloody scars all over his face, still bleeding. Sunfade was crouched on a tree branch, and clinging to a branch below him was Sparrowpaw. Blood dripped from the branch quickly, and Emberpaw's breath caught in her throat.

Adderstrike watched the dog leap toward him before dodging and spinning. The dog, unprepared, turned its head as Adderstrike landed on his back, sinking his claws in the dog's long fur and biting down on its shoulder. Sunfade leapt from the tree, landing with force on the dog, whose legs caved in from under it. Sunfade raked his claws down the dog's spine.

Brackenblaze moved over to the tree. "Emberpaw, come and help me get him down," He beckoned to Sparrowpaw.

Emberpaw ran over and looked up. "How are we going to do this?" She asked.

"Climb up there and push him off the branch. I'll catch him."

Emberpaw glanced at Brackenblaze questioningly but obeyed. She clambered up the tree and walked out on the branch. At the end, Sparrowpaw was clutching the branch with his eyes shut. Three long claw marks ran from his ear down to the bottom of his head.