NightClan's Threat

Chapter 4: Training and Trouble

  "I'll take Darkpelt, Foxclaw, Russetfang, Skyflower and Smokepelt for battle training." Nightstar told Blackcloud. 

  "Oh okay. I'll sort out some patrols from the rest. How many do you want here?" Blackcloud asked. 

  "At least two. I can't risk the rogues finding this place and harming the kits or Silverleaf." Nightstar recalled the night of the badger attack. The camp has been well reinforced, and is almost hidden. 

  Nightstar summoned her cats, and headed for the Moss Hollow, where they trained in a very dim environment. "Since the rogues seemed to be stealing our territory, we need to increase battle training. We have to learn how to fight. We have the advantage of seeing in the dark, so we will use the dark to help us." 

  She demonstrated by silently creeping behind an imaginary rogue, and then pounced. "They will need time for the eyes to adjust, and we'll use the time for our best attacks, to weaken them. By the time they're adjusted, they will be weaker." Nightstar suggested. 

  "Nightstar?" Skyflower spoke up. "That's a great strategy and all, but I remember Casper and Claws, the rogues, talking about some 'weak' cats at the Twolegplace or wherever they live. I think these cats are desperate so they have to rely on Casper for food, or Casper threatened them. Some of the she-cats have kits, so I think Casper and Claws are our real enemies?" 

  "She's right." Darkpelt agreed. "I was there with her too. If we fight, they would probably force the other cats to fight as well. So our target is Casper and Claws. Once we defeat them, we could invite the other cats to DarkClan so we can expand, or if they don't like, treat them until they are well to cope on their own." 

  Some of the cats murmured agreement, but Foxclaw argued, "What if they recruit cats who are like Casper and Claws? We must be prepared for anything." 

  "All of you are right." Nightstar meowed honestly. "There's a good possibility, but I think we will be able to differentiate the forced cats from the willing ones. The forced ones will be underfed, because they are fed scraps. The willing ones will be huge and muscular. Anyways, let's just start our training. We'll spy on the rogues if they set their camp on our territory. If not, this training could always be used. Let's try some moves." 

  Nightstar demonstrated a back kick and had her warriors practice until all of them pushed with force. After practicing a few more twists and rakes, Nightstar asked the cats if they have any fighting moves they want to try out.

  Darkpelt volunteered. "Skyflower did a good move to unbalance Casper when he's leaping."

  "Can you try it on me?" Nightstar stood in front of Skyflower, and leaped. As soon as Nightstar was in the air, Skyflower dropped to the ground and rolled in her direction. When Nightstar landed, she tripped on Skyflower's body. Taking advantage of that, Skyflower pinned Nightstar down.

  "That's a good move. You could give yourself more time." Smokepelt remarked.

  "The belly. What if your oppenent rakes your belly? It's exposed to them." Foxclaw pointed out.

  "You could always hold down their paws with your own." Russetfang suggested. The cats nodded.

  "Okay, let's pair up and take turns leaping. Smokepelt, I'll go with you." Nightstar leaped first, and Smokepelt rolled just in time to unbalance Nightstar.

  "Well done." Nightstar praised. "Let me try." Smokepelt crouched, and when Nightstar saw his muscles tense,  she fell onto her side and rolled. Smokepelt tripped and Nightstar pinned him down on his back. 

  "Let's return to camp. You all did great. We'll train again sometime." Nightstar padded towards camp, her warriors meowing excitedly about the new techniques. 

  Outraged yowls were heard back at camp. A group of warriors were gathered together and they were meowing furiously. "Nightstar!" Blackcloud hurried towards her. 

  "What is it?" Nightstar pushed through the crowd. 

  "The rogues!" Mosswing spat. "Rushtail, Tigerstripe and I were on a patrol, and we saw the rogues-the matched the description-settling down in our territory!" 

  "They just barged through our border as if it wasn't there!" Tigerstripe hissed. "We followed them and they stopped at a clearing with a hole in the trees near the Moss Hollow. Thank StarClan they didn't hear you training!" 

  "Why bother living in this dark forest when you obviously need loads of light?" Mudfur snarled. "Go find a better forest!" 

  Growls and hisses passed through the cats. "NightClan!" Nightstar called. The cats simmered down. "Rushtail, how many cats were there?" 

  "Around the amount of warriors we have, and five or six kits." Rushtail reported. "Four or five of the cats looked tough, but the rest are much more weaker. They are obviously lacking of food."

  "See what I told you?" Foxclaw growled. "They recruited bigger cats to make sure we can't stop them!" 

  "Right." Nightstar climbed onto the Nightrock, looking down at her Clan. "NightClan, one of our patrols have found out that the rogues that have been stealing our prey settled on our territory. From now on, we will increase patrols to keep a lookout, but we will watch them silently. If they're a threat to us, we will pay a visit to them, and give them time to leave. If not, we will attack!" 

  The cats below her yelled in agreement. Oh StarClan. Nightstar thought. Please let these rogues leave. You said this forest is our territory, so why are they coming to steal it from us?