Dark Skies- Book #2 in Sunrise

Chapter 16
Jadepaw parted her jaws slightly, tasting the air. "Did you smell that?" Hawkpaw meowed quietly. Jadepaw gave him a curt nod to him and glanced at Bristlefur and Twitchheart. "It's ShadowClan," Hawkpaw whispered. He puffed out his chest when Twitchheart looked at him proudly.

Any cat could guess it was WindClan, they smell like rotten rabbits and hostility. Jadepaw crouched on the dry ground, scattered with leaves. Jadepaw felt her paws buzz with energy. They weren't anywhere near the border with WindCan. Dark pelts flashed behind thorn bushes. "Freeze!"

Bristlefur's yowl echoed through the empty air. Slowly, a small patrol emerged from behind the bushes. "What are you doing on our territory?" Twitchheart hissed fiercely. A dark tabby apprentice lowered his head. Another apprentice glanced up at her mentor questioningly.

A dark red she-cat looked at Bristlefur. "Hunting." She meowed calmly. Bristlefur looked like he was about to explode. "Hunting!?!?" He growled. "Yes," The tabby squeaked defiantly. Jadepaw bristled. "Why are you hunting on our territory? Did you scare all of the rabbits off of yours?" She hissed.

A gray tom glared down at Jadepaw. "Answer her." Bristlefur growled threateningly. "Sprintstar ordered us to visit you," The red she-cat growled. "And you're hunting?" Hissed Hawkpaw. "Who are you to talk?" The tabby apprentice asked, hostile. "Well, I am the one on my own territory right now, so I suggest that you shut your-"

Twitchheart gave him a glare that told him that he'd best be quiet unless he wanted to do a moon of dawn patrols. "Why are you hunting when you were supposed to visit our camp?" Jadepaw asked, her tone dripping with hostility. "We- we- were hungry." The white she-cat faltered, her head down. "What kind of dishonorable warriors are you to hunt on another Clan's territory, and try to keep it a secret?" Bristlefur growled.

"We said that we were hunting," The gray she-cat meowed. "How dare you hunt here?" Hawkpaw bristled. "We- we're sorry." The red she-cat dipped her head. "What did you catch?" Bristlefur asked, not letting his guard down. "Just a few of your scrawny squirrels," The tabby apprentice scoffed.

"Those scrawny squirrels may have just happened to be meals for our queen, elder, and medicine cats!" Hissed Twitchheart. "There's plenty of them in the forest," The red she-cat meowed calmly. With a hiss of rage, Bristlefur launched himself at the gray warrior. Jadepaw followed in on the white apprentice which had been casting glares at her when her mentor wasn't looking.

The apprentice hissed and dug her teeth into Jadepaw's shoulder. With a yelp of pain, Jadepaw allowed herself to slump to the ground. Jadepaw shot back up, butting her head against the young apprentices' stomach. Jadepaw felt superior standing above the white she-cat until the gray warrior barreled into her side.

With Jadepaw's disability in her leg, a shooting pain shot through her leg up to her right ear. In the fog of pain, Jadepaw clawed desperately at the warrior's back. Hawkpaw crashed into the warrior, sending him flying off of her. Jadepaw pressed her ear onto the cold ground. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears loudly.

The red she-cat leaned over Jadepaw, her eyes glittering. Jadepaw craned her neck towards the she-cat and bit her ear, tearing off a tuft of fur. The she-cat let out a yelp and followed her Clanmates out of forest territory. Jadepaw sat up and yowled after them "You'd better not come back!"

Hawkpaw scowled after the patrol, then turned to Jadepaw. "Wow! That was awesome!" "We'd better report this to Flipstar," Bristlefur meowed in a low tone. Twitchheart nodded in agreement. Jadepaw felt her shoulder tingle all the way to her back. The bite wasn't deep, but it had hit a nerve. She cringed at the zapping sensation going down her spine.