ωåтєɾfåℓℓ ➳ warriors fanfic

| chapter 4 |

"Elders queens and kits stay behind, along with Lionsun, Pinewater, Skyblaze, Shatteredflame, Longear, Dawnpaw and Ripplepaw. Guard the camp. Lionsun, because you are my deputy, you're in charge," Brackenstar said hurriedly. He turned back to the wounded white warrior. "Can you still fight, Jayfrost?"

"Of course," Jayfrost dipped his head wisely.

"Then show us the way."

Jayfrost, only slightly weak from his many small wounds, raced at top spead across the beach, the cats that had been chosen trekking along behind him, close to his long white tail. Cinderpaw pelt her paws sink into the sand before they hit solid earth and the stone-like ground of the Thunderpath. Amberpaw galloped along beside her, huffing for breath only slightly. Sharpclaw, a black tom with short but thorn-sharp claws raced near the front, a grim expression replacing his usual look of toughness and hatred. He and Longear, another tom, usually hung out with Branchshadow, whom they thought was their group leader. 

Branchstar gained speed as he caught sight of a group of cats huddled together and loud caterwauls filled his sensitive ears. Cinderpaw kept her head low as she ran, her paws coming down hard on the swaying grass. As they came closer to the border of TideClan territory, Jayfrost was the first to properly prepare himself for battle. He lept into the middle of the border fight, swiping at anything his claws could touch. Cinderpaw stopped a fox-length away from the battle to catch her breath, putting her head close to the ground.

A growl sounded behind her but she had no time to turn and see who it was before she was rolled over down into the thickest of battle. Cinderpaw quickly unsheathed her claws, her teeth bared in a snarl as she stopped rolling and was pinned rather roughly. She looked up into the navy eyes of a black and white tom-cat.

"Crowshade," she hissed, swatting a paw up at his nose. She managed to catch a part of it and tear at it, hopeful that it would drive him off. Crowshade spat at her and sliced at her chest. Out of breath, Cinderpaw's hind legs suddenly hooked under the warrior's stomach and pushed him off out of pure instinct. Swiftly, the apprentice moved on.

The wind was suddenly knocked from her as Cinderpaw was shoved aside and landed with a large thud in the dirt. Being only a moon and a quarter into her apprenticeship, she didn't know too many skills that could spare her life. The apprentice lifted her head wearily, slightly dizzy, but managed to scramble to her paws and look around. She spotted Amberpaw being fought off by the LeafClan deputy, Gingersplash. On silent paws, Cinderpaw bounded over to the two cats and crept behind Gingersplash, her whiskers twitching.

When she was close enough, she launched herself onto the tom's back and began scratching and biting as much as she could. Gingersplash yowled, his ginger tabby fur beginning to get soaked in not only his own blood, but in other cats' blood too. Amberpaw smiled up at her friend. As Gingersplash struck a paw out, Amberpaw caught it in her jaws and bit down, drawing blood. He snarled and managed to somehow shake the ginger apprentice away before dropping and rolling in an atempt to squash Cinderpaw. She managed to leap away just in time.

Gingersplash snarled and lept on the apprentice, catching her off guard. Cinderpaw landed on her side, the wind knocked from her body in one swift motion as Gingersplash dug his claws into her side. Amberpaw stared at the tom, her belly close to the ground, fear causing her to stiffen up. Cinderpaw groaned, the ginger tabby beginning to draw blood.

"Amberpaw... behind you..." the chestnut-white-black apprentice panted weakly. Amberpaw quickly dodged to the side as Crowshade tumbled towards her, only to barrel into Gingersplash and knock him from Cinderpaw's side. Relief crawled under her pelt.

"Cinderpaw, get up!" Branchshadow's voice growled faintly. Cinderpaw's head twitched and she scrambled to her paws only to find Bluemist racing towards her, a LeafClan warrior and apprentice hot on her tail.