Warriors: Setting Sun: Falling Feather #1

Chapter 3

Rogue scent drifted over the border. Tidepool bristled, flexing his claws. "Ugh, I'm tired of these rogues! Why don't the Clans just chase them off? All of the Clans together clearly outnumber them!"

Lighttail, who was on the patrol with him, glanced at him. He flicked his long tail. "Perhaps the Clan just wants some cats around that they can fight," he me owed jokingly.

Nightsky padded up to Lighttail, rubbing her muzzle along his cheek. "We should go back to camp and report this," she mewed.

Tidepool wrinkled his nose as he caught the scent again. So digusting. He felt a growl rising in his throat. He wished he could just go to the rogue's camp and tell them to stop. Tidepool shook out his pelt. "You two can go back and report," he mewed. 

Lighttail blinked at him. "You aren't thinking about following the scent trail, are you?" He asked.

Tidepool turned his gaze on the former ThunderClan tom. "Maybe," he murmured. He flicked his tail, dismissing them. As the two cats disappeared, Tidepool stepped into the slightly thin river, which was the border that marked RiverClan and unclaimed territory. The water rose up to his legs soon, and now he was swimming.

Tidepool waded through the water, wondering how rogues managed to get across this river. Then, turning his head, his spotted something jutting across the water. He narrowed his eyes, flattening his ears. He spotted a long tree propped over the water, like a bridge. Tidepool finally made it to the other side and bounded over to the tree. He still saw the trunk.

Tidepool bent down to sniff and he caught rogue scent. Of course. Bristling, he marched toward the line of trees, his claws unsheathed. 

The crunching of leaves caught Tidepool's attention. He pricked his ears. He jumped into a bush, crouching. A rogue passed by.

"Darkspots, wait up!" A pale golden-brown she-cat ran after the tom. "So, are going to leave another marker?" She growled.

"Obviously. Darktail assigned us to. We'll soon drive RiverClan away," Darkspots meowed. His tail ran along the golden she-cat's chin. "What do you think, Goldensmoke? Do you think RiverClan will be easy to take over?" 

"Yeah," Goldensmoke growled, lifting her chin. "It will be easy. And then we'll take out ShadowClan, and then RiverClan, and then ThunderClan."

Tidepool felt anger course through his fur. They were planning to take over the Clans! He leaped from the bush, tackling Darkspots. He pinned the rogue tom down. "You think RiverClan is easy to take over?" He asked, curling his lip. "Well, you'll-" 

Tidepool was cut off as Goldensmoke leaped on him. She slashed his cheek, hissing. Tidepool bristled, his ears flattened. He flexed his claws.

Darkspots got up, his whiskers twitching. "Awww, one poor little RiverClan cat has come here to defeat us! Oh, you're sooo scary!" He meowed. The rogue tom lashed his tail. "Oh, stupid Clan cats, always looking for a fight!" 

Tidepool leaped forward, slashing the tom's ears. He yowled, his teeth sinking into his shoulder. Goldensmoke sunk her teeth into his tail and dragged him backwards. 

Tidepool yowled as Darkspots slashed his cheek. Blood trickled down his face. Tidepool hissed, lashing his tail. I won't give up! He leaped forward once more, but Goldensmoke leaped as well, tackling him to the ground. She slashed his ear. 

Tidepool kicked the she-cat off of him and got to his paws, but Darkspots ducked under his belly, slashing his claws across the soft fur. Tidepool fell, his claws grasping the grass. Claws slashed his flank and blood stained his fur. He yowled in pain.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Darkspots glanced down at Tidepool. 

Tidepool clenched his teeth. I should've never come here! He was suddenly doubtful. Tidepool blinked, realizing how foolish he was.

Suddenly, a yowl rang out. "Get away from him!" Reedwhisker, Tidepool's father, also RiverClan's deputy, leaped through the air, landing on Darkspots. He slashed the tom's cheek, then jumped back.

Rainfrost, Tidepool's sister, leaped in front of Goldensmoke, slashing her shoulder and making her fall to the ground. Another RiverClan warrior, Hollowflight, was with them. 

Darkspots glared at them. "We'll come back!" He hissed. He fled with Goldensmoke through the bushes, leaving behind dots of blood.

Reedwhisker turned to Tidepool, flattening his ears. "Why did you go out here alone? You could've been killed if Nightsky and Lighttail hadn't of known where you were going!" He growled.

Rainfrost blinked at Tidepool. "Are you ok?" She asked. She looked at her brother's wounds, seeing the blood stain his fur.

"I'm fine," Tidepool responded, pushing himself to his paws. He shook it his pelt.

"We need to go back to camp," Reedwhisker sighed. He looked at Tidepool. "Are you ok?" He asked, concern filling his voice. "They scratched you up pretty bad."

"I'm fine, just a little wounded," Tidepool sighed, flicking his tail. "I would've dealt with the rogues fine on my own," he mewed, lifting his head.

"You would've bled to death," Reedwhisker mewed. "You don't have to go and almost kill yourself just to prove yourself worthy to your Clan."

"That's not what I'm doing," Tidepool growled, then suddenly felt stupid. "Ok, fine. I just wish I could become deputy," he sighed. It's true. "I want to prove myself to my Clan, so that when you retire maybe I can become deputy."

"Just be patient and you'll get your chance," Reedwhisker murmured, nuzzling his son's cheek with his muzzle. "We should hurry before any more rogues come."