Lost Stars

Chapter fourteen

Blizzardclaw awoke to a shout. He gently removed himself from Brindlecloud's curled tail and went up the small steps that led outside the den and removed the small boulder.

He rushed outside and bumped into his apprentice. He saw Sunstorm and Hazeleye panting heavily with Gingerfoot jerking his head towards the entrance of camp. He made it over and heard the last part of the conversation. "-otters by One Tree!"

The wind howled fiercely and the rain from the previous night had slacked up. Stormstar nodded his head curtly before looking over his warriors that had gathered. "Thunderheart, Sunstorm, Nightwing, Blizzardclaw and Gingerfoot will go with me to fight these otters! Lilystream you will bring a second group if we don't be back in a few!"

The gray tom turned and padded to the entrance with his warriors behind him. Blizzardclaw felt the adrenaline coming and growled lowly. "I'm coming too!" He heard Redpaw mew.

"You're staying here. No apprentices will come, it's too dangerous!" Stormstar mewed sharply. "Let's go!"

The ones assigned to the first patrol left quickly. They pushed through the ferns and made a right and ran behind Stormstar.

'Those otters are making it hard for the Clans! First the shortage of prey in FireClan's and TreeClan's territory and now this!'

Grasshead Clearing passed by quickly and Blizzardclaw knew that One Tree would be approaching quick. He turned to look at his Clanmates. Then he realized he was with the best fighters of the Clan. 'Does Stormstar consider me one of the better fighters out of the younger warriors??'

He saw Thunderheart's face and the determination plastered on there. Sunstorm's face wad wild. Nightwing and Gingerfoot ran side by side with a fearful look on their faces. If only he could see Stormstar face.

He heard a battle-cry and knew it could've came from two Clans. WillowClan or LeafClan. The stench of the otters made his nose itch and burn but he kept running.

He saw Hailstar, Bluepaw, Foxtail, Stonepaw, Blackfoot and Thornheart fighting one of the two otters, ferociously. The second one was battling Deadfoot, Lion, Mouseclaw, Tyke and Badgertooth.

"Split up and help whoever you want! For CloudClan!" Stormstar yowled.

"For CloudClan!" Blizzardclaw mewed with his Clanmates just as loud. Blizzardclaw found himself with Sunstorm and Gingerfoot helping LeafClan.

Sunstorm instantly lunged with unsheathed claws and ran them down the side of the otter's flank. Blizzardclaw bit hard as he could on the otter's leg as Gingerfoot soared over it and gave it three quick hits.

Lion and Mouseclaw hit the otter from the left side of the face and it turned its attention to them leaving Tyke, Badgertooth and Deadfoot to shoulder it onto the ground.

It recovered quickly and swung and knocked over Blizzardclaw, Tyke and Mouseclaw. Then rounded on Gingerfoot and hit him before snapping at Badgertooth and Lion. Sunstorm hit it on its muzzle quickly, drawing blood.

Blizzardclaw shook his head and leaped up to his paws and jumped on the otter's back. While it was distracted by him, Deadfoot shot underneath its stomach and started clawing quickly. Blizzardclaw bit down on the otter's neck and it reared back on its legs before coming down hard.

A snap was heard then a wail from Deadfoot. "Deadfoot!" Mouseclaw and Lion cried out.

"I can't...can't move my shoulder!" He cried out in pain. Gingerfoot let out a battle-cry as he rushed over and shoved it away from the brown tom. Blizzardclaw jumped off its back and stood in a semi-circle with LeafClan warriors.