Turtlestar's Destiny: Book 1

~Chapter 21: A Capture~

~Chapter 21: A Capture~

"Robinwing, Hollowstep, Frogpaw, Sunstripe, Otterpaw, and Turtlepaw will go fight these rouges. The rest will stay here to defend the clan, just in case." Larkstar announced. She dipped her head to Beepekt, who was left in charge, and ran out of camp with surprising speed. The warrior group followed her.

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Turtlepaw's heart seemed to thump in rhythm with her paws as they hit the ground. She was right on Robinwing's heels, Larkstar leading in the front and Hollowstep in the back. She felt guilty as she saw Hollowstep struggling to keep up with his lame paw. She shook her head out. "He does this kind of stuff all the time. He'll be fine." She thought, pushing her concern to the back of her mind. The only concern she needed right now was for the safety of her clan. Larkstar slowed her pace to a halt. She tasted the air, turning to the right. "This way," she hissed, "Unsheathe your claws and proceed with caution." The warriors around Turtlepaw dropped to ground, and she followed their lead. Slowly, the Windclan cats snaked forward. As they drew closer, they could hear loud, rowdy voices. They stopped behind some bushes. "Keep your head low. Don't do anything without my permission." she whispered. They all nodded.

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The band of rouges, about five of them, were in a clearing. They had a huge pile prey, and they were eating themselves silly. All of them were toms, and they tackled eachother and told jokes, making a ruckus. Larkstar stared at them in disgust. She popped her head below the bushes again. "The plan is," she whispered, "Robinwing, me, and Turtlepaw with surprise them by jumping over this bush. Sunstripe, Otterpaw, and Frogpaw, you will cut them off at the end of the clearing. Fight, but don't kill unless you have to. Remember, these cats are not bound by the warrior code. After they are beat, we will either take them as prisoners or drive them out of out territory." Larkstar spoke with confidence in her voice. "Got it?" They nodded, and Sunstripe, Otterpaw, and Frogpaw slunk into positions.

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Turtlepaw's breath caught in her throat as Larkstar wriggled her haunches, ready to spring. She flicked her tail, giving the signal. With a yowl, the three kept over the bushes. It was a blue after that as the rouges cryer in surprise and scrambled towards the undergrowth, where Sunstripe, Otterpaw, and Frogpaw cut them off. They hissed, unsheathing their claws. The battle had begun.

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Turtlepaw watched, her paws planted on the ground, as her clanmates rushed into battle. Otterpaw pinned a young ginger tom down, Larkstar circling a gray molted tom, Hollowstep fending off a black one. Suddenly, something swiped Turtlepaw's paws from under her, causing her to crash to the ground. "Ow!" Then she felt a stinging pain on her shoulder blades as the tom that attacked her earlier scratched at it. She rolled over quickly, hopping up and pouncing on him. She took him down this time, sinking her claws into his belly and shoulders. He just smirked, as she stared at him. His eyes traveled in the direction of the end of the clearing. Turtlepaw's eyes caught sight of a ginger tom pinning Otterpaw down, raising a blood stained paw to land another blow on her head. Turtlepaw screamed, getting off the tom, and rushing to her sister's aid.

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With a crash, Turtlepaw pinned the tom down before he even knew what hit him. Otterpaw got up shakily and scrambled away into the bushes. He growled, trying to throw her off but Turtkepaw held him firmly to the ground. Her eyes burned with the upmost hate and fury, and before she knew what was taking over her, she lowered her head and bit down on his neck. The tom yowled, trying to get away. She enjoyed the rush of blood through her teeth, then snapped back to reality. She opened her jaws and backed away from him. The tom got up, casting Turtlepaw a glare, and limped away into the undergrowth. She watched him go. "I could have killed him." she thought quickly. But in the back of her mind, a little concern reminded her, "But he could've killed Otterpaw."

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A tom rushed by her, following his companion. She turned in the direction of Sunstripe and Hollowstep, who had chased him away. The ginger tom ran by her too, and a wave of pride washed over her. Now there was only one tom left; a molted gray one. Turtlepaw turned to face Larkstar, who had him pinned down on his belly. He growled at her, but sheathed his claws knowing the battle was lost. Hollowstep and Sunstripe started toward them, followed by Turtlepaw and Frogpaw. Larkstar bore a long scratch down her shoulder and a bruised tail, but that was about it. Turtlepaw looked around at her clan mates, who wre panting and had wounds too, but not very bad ones. The gray rouge for up when Larkstar got off him. "So what are you gonna do to me?" he said in a rouge tone, his yellow eyes unrevealing. Larkstar faced him. "You're going to our camp, where you will stay and be treated like a prisoner. We will question you and you better answer honestly or you will never go home." His eyes narrowed into a glare. Larkstar looked around clamly. "Where is Otterpaw?" "She retreated." Was Turtlepaw's hasty reply. She hoped Otterpaw was okay. Larkstar nodded, her expression giving away nothing, and started out of the blood stained clearing.

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The Windclan cats made a circle around the rouge, Frogpaw and Turtlepaw taking up the back. It was an uneventful walk to camp. Frogpaw glanced at the deep wound in her shoulder blades, which was still bleeding. "Ouch," he muttered, "Are you okay?" She nodded curtly, not taking her eyes off the rouge in front or her. He was quiet after that. As they walked into the camp, their clan mates quieted and eyes the rouge uneasily. Larkstar led him into a spare den, the others departing to go have their wounds checked. She called out to Tigerstripe and Pebblepaw to guard the den.

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