Bluefur's Choice

The Wrong Choice

"Quick! They're attacking the camp!" Bluefur flung herself down the ravine, her paws skimming the slope. Twisting her ears back, she could tell that the rest of the patrol was right on her heels.

Bluefur darted through the gorse tunnel, and let out a battle cry. Thrushpelt, Whitestorm, Dappletail, and Mosstail added their yowls to her cry; even Smallear let out growl as he stumbled along behind the group.

Enemy cats were everywhere. ShadowClan must have brought all their warriors because ThunderClan was outnumbered even in their own camp.

Bluefur sidestepped a large white tom and aimed a kick at his black paws, knocking him off balance. Thrushpelt sprang forward, slamming into another ShadowClan cat that had leaped to the white tom's defense.

Twitching his split ear, Thrushpelt paused and then dashed into the crowd of warriors. Bluefur noticed with a jolt of anxiety that Thrushpelt's attacks seemed to be wavering; the fight in RiverClan and the frantic escape had taken its toll. But as soon as she bounded over to join him he rushed the ShadowClan warriors with new energy.

Bluefur lifted a forepaw and flung a small ShadowClan cat away just as a piercing howl met her ears. At the panicked call that Bluefur recognized as stemming from Robinwing, Thrushpelt gave her an alarmed look. "The nursery!"

Bluefur spun around. "We need to get to them."

Nodding, Thrushpelt began to weave around the other fighting cats.

As Bluefur began the long trek to the nursery, slowed by the ShadowClan warriors that pounced from out of nowhere every step she took, she saw that Stoneclaw and Mistyfur were fighting side by side, and was grateful that her kits were looking out for each other. But where was Mosstail?

Then she saw her. Mosstail's pale gray fur was ruffled; she was cornered by three ShadowClan cats, and no one seemed to notice. Hurrying to get to Mosstail, Bluefur was stopped by a large, gray tabby tom.

Bluefur looked around frantically. Thrushpelt was out of sight; she had lost him in the crowd. Still surrounded, Mosstail struck at the warriors with her forepaws, and Bluefur felt a rush of horror.

Thank StarClan! Thrushpelt had appeared, and with a swift pounce wrenched the warrior off Mosstail's back. Bluefur continued to bite and slash at the ShadowClan cats, unsure how she'd manage to get past them. The fighting was thickest in the center of the camp, and that was where she would need to go to get to the nursery. Goldenflower and Willowpelt were fending off a pale gray she-cat, and Bluefur focused her eyes on them; the two were doing fine on their own. Tail lashing, Bluefur turned and threw herself at a cluster of ShadowClan warriors near the Highrock. The nursery would be fine for now.

A yowl hit Bluefur's ears as she went. She glimpsed the source of the sound through the fighting cats. It was Stormtail, and he was splayed out on his side by the elders' den, a deep gash in his neck. Bluefur glanced wildly over the sea of fighting cats, trying to make out a path she could take to get through. Layer after layer of screeching cats stood between them; it would take ages to fight her way past them. Could she dodge around them?

Mousefur reared up on her hindlegs, blocking Stormtail from view. Bluefur batted a ShadowClan apprentice away with a forepaw, knowing she'd meet more resistance the further she progressed into the group.

Adderfang was fighting where Stormtail had been before, his lips drawn back in a fierce snarl. Bluefur heard a screech from the other side of the camp, and recognized it as Robinwing's. ShadowClan must have made it to the nursery after all. Swinging her head back toward the elders' den, she narrowed her eyes, and was barely able to see a splash of blue-gray fur past the yowling cats. Stormtail wasn't moving.