Mapleshade tensed as the creatures began darting towards her. Panic rose up in her chest as the largest one flung itself at her. But she successfully dodged to the side.
Should I yowl for my Clan? She thought, scraping her claws against the badger's flank. No! They would think that I'm weak! I can't let them ponder on that! Fury blazed through her green eyes. Yet it was only met by pain as the badger shot its paw upward, flinging her into a tree.
Long scratch marks had been place on her chest and shoulder. The tortoiseshell feline got up, hissing with rage. The badgers darted after her, each one closely behind the other. Mapleshade was able to slam her claws over one of the badger's eyes and get further away, but none the less the badgers would not back down.
"Grrrreerrh!" An odd loud growl bursted out from one of the black and white creatures as blood filled its eye. Mapleshade glanced at the creature, who was now stumbling. She rolled onto her back and drew her hind claws upward as a badger tried to pounce on her. This resulted in a long scar on the badger's stomach.
"Pah!" She spat out a mouthful of dirt as another badger pushed her into the ground. It raked its claws just below her ear before diving its snout down to bite at her neck.
No! Mapleshade begun to panic as it opened its jaws to grasp at her exposed neck. She shot her legs upward but didn't seem to unbalance the badger quite enough. Sharp teeth jabbed into throat, but she was not willing to back down. Wincing, the warrior struggled to free her right paw, feeling wind surge through her fur at last. Slamming it above the badger's eye, it seemed to unbalance it, blurring one of its eyes with blood. Yet it regained balance by sinking its sharp teeth into her neck.
"Gah!" Breath was taken away from her. Yet the badger seemed to helplessly flop off, now struggling in the dirt.
Mapleshade soon realized that her Clan-mates had came to help her, which was irritating as that could mean she was weak, but good as her life had not yet ended. She could now see that Duskpelt was wrestling with the badger that had almost taken her life, while Cherrypaw and Bluepaw were fending off the smallest two. Gorsetail and Ashflame were also at the scene, taking care of two others.
Thank you, StarClan, Mapleshade thought as she realized how much her life was in danger. Even if she had escaped alone, the remaining badgers would've surely killed her, or at least injured her severely.
Mapleshade launched herself onto one of the badgers Gorsetail and Ashflame had been fighting, and had also been having troubles with. She planted her claws into its shoulders, raking downwards before diving at its legs to unbalance it. It begun to fall to ground, but as it did planted a claw on her flank and swiped upward in a long, deep scar. Yowling with fury and agony she swiped her muzzle at its ears, easily chomping through one of them. The tortoiseshell she-cat then placed a paw on its chest and tore against the exposed fur, ripping it away from the badger. As life begun to pour out of the creature it managed to stumble forwards and tear it claws above Mapleshade's eye. Blood then began to blur her vision again.
"Mapleshade?" Duskpelt murmured, padding over alongside Ashflame. "Are you alright?" The slightly older warrior asked, voice laced with concern. She nodded defiantly.
"Of course I am." But at this state she knew that her wounds would definitely have to be treated by the medicine cat.
Duskpelt nodded uncertainly. "We should get back to camp," The pale brown tabby suggested, gesturing with his head for the cats to follow. They obeyed wordlessly, padding away from the dead badger scene.
Mapleshade glanced at her sister Cherrypaw, who looked like she had gotten injured pretty bad. Worry laced her expression, yet she dared not to show it.
---
The trip home didn't offer much trouble. As they arrived in the Clan camp, Raintail came rushing over, her intense blue eyes full of concern for her fellow warriors.
"What happened?" The grey furred she-cat demanded. "Badgers." Duskpelt was the first one to reply. The deputy instantly unsheathed her claws, sinking them into the soil below. A look of anger flashed through her eyes but quickly disapeared just as Vinestar approached them.
"I suggest you all go to the medicine cat. Least wounded first, though. We can't have a whole bunch of useless warriors lying around camp. Then whoever's most wounded after that, and so on," He dierected, gesturing his tail towards the medicine cat den. Mapleshade watched as Raintail narrowed her blue eyes slightly at his orders, but nodded to the patrol.
They padded over to the medicine cat, making a short line outside the den.
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Apologies for the shortness! I'll try and make chapters longer from here on out, but none the less, hope you enjoyed!
~Faith
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YOU ARE READING
Mapleshade's story
القصة القصيرةMany generations have passed in the Warriors world. But some go untold, and unrecognized by the public at what truly caused a cats actions. In this case, crimes. Because its time to look back into the past of Mapleshade, and what she suffered before...
