Shadowclaw headed across camp to the fresh-kill pile. It had been two moons since Dandelionshade had killed her sister, Amberfeather. Ever since, she'd focoused on fighting for her Clan. She glanced across to where Redstar and Berrythorn were organising patrols. Shadowclaw felt a familiar flash of pride as she gazed at her Clan leader. She'd mentored Redstar, from Redpaw to Redspots to Clan leader. Her attention was caught as she saw her brother, Birchmask, playing with Saltflight. Saltflight was his son, Shadowclaw's kin.
"Shadowclaw! I need you to join Polarice's hunting patrol," Berrythorn ordered. She nodded and padded over to Polarice and Badgerclaw.
The three headed to to Fourtrees, and Shadowclaw caught the scent of shrew. She flicked her tail at the patrol and began to stalk the little grey creature. After a short while, the shrew was near enough to pounce on.
She lept on it and squarely bit through it's neck. Shadowclaw straightened up with the limp body in her jaws,"Nice catch!"Badgerclaw exclaimed. She had always been close with Badgerclaw, who was her sister's son. He was half-Clan, his father being Stonestar, SkyClan's former leader who had died of a mysterious illness.
"Thanks,"she purred,"I'll bury it here so that we can collect it later,"
After scraping mud over her catch, they set off again. When they reached the ShadowClan border, having caught three mice and a squirrel, three cats were waiting there.
"What are you doing?"Polarice proceeded cautiously.
"Oh, nothing,"the leader of them, Carrotshine purred,"Apart from...oh, yes...hand over five fox-tails of our land and no-one gets hurt,"she unsheathed her claws.
"Oh yeah? Well, it looks like it's an even match,"Polarice hissed.
Carrotshine shook her head playfully, "Is it?"
At her words, countless more ShadowClan cats approached. From the youngest apprentice to the most senior warrior, they were all there.
Shadowclaw's eyes widened.
Polarice seemed frightened to, "Badgerclaw, get help!"
"B...but there are so many of them! I shouldn't lea-"
"Just do it!"
Badgerclaw obeyed, and sped back to camp, staring back with terror in his eyes.
Formally, Carrotshine stepped nose-to-nose with Polarice, the ThunderClan tom and the ShadowClan she-cat glared for only a heartbeat, then attacked.
Instantly, yowling broke out, and Shadowclaw was under the weight of half of the cats...but she held on. She decided to use her favourite trick, one that she used on her father, her brother and her sister as a kit. She went limp. Galapool snorted,"Too easy!"
For me!
All of them let go, and charged towards Polarice. At that moment, Shadowclaw lept up and charged at one of the warriors. She landed squarely on his back and raked claws down his flesh. He tryed to shake her off, but Shadowclaw had never fought in a rift before, so she felt alive. Other cats lept up to try grab her, she dodged. As she dodged a blow, another landed on her back, causing searing pain that made her skreech, and let go. The warriors closed in on her. Shadowclaw heard a taunt,"I don't know why you try, Shadowkit,"
Anger gave her the energy that she needed. For a while she forgot about her back, and just attacked, landing a flurry of blows and ignoring wound after wound that she caught. Unstandable pain ran through her body, her muscles screamed at her to stop, but she couldn't. Rage still brimmed through her. She was hardly aware of pain anymore, she had just fallen into the rhythm of dodging and hitting, though anger still had her in control. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Carrotshine's teeth nearing a weak Polarice's throat. Terror quenched her anger.
They're going to kill him!
She charged through the perimiter of cats, fighting desperately to save him. Shadowclaw teared through them, and at last reached Polarice. Oh no. As Carrotshine held down his throat, everything slowed down. She could vaidly hear the roaring of ThunderClan cats in the distance, but all that seemed far, far away. When ShadowClan retreated, her wounds began to burn, and Polarice's body was the last thing she saw before she collapsed.