Before they had gone much farther, Cloudtail came to walk alongside Bramblestar, who tried not to let his nose twitch at the reek of mud coming from the warrior"s white pelt. "I"m a bit worried about Jessy," Cloudtail whispered. "Should we really be taking a kittypet into battle?"
"I know she hasn"t had much training," Bramblestar mewed. "We"ll just have to make sure she doesn"t get cornered one-on-one."
Cloudtail grunted. "We might all be too busy watching out for our own tails."
"I"m looking forward to this!" Bramblestar heard Lionblaze speaking just behind him, excitement in his voice. "It"s been moons since we"ve had to use our battle moves."
"Which is a good thing," Cinderheart replied.
"I know," Lionblaze told her. "It"s not like I want to go through the Great Battle again; don"t think that. But how dangerous will it be, teaching a few kittypets to keep away from Clan cats?"
Bramblestar glanced back over his shoulder. "Kittypets who have already defeated ShadowClan," he pointed out.
Lionblaze"s eyes gleamed. "Oh, ShadowClan!"
"Remember that you don"t have your-your power anymore," Cinderheart warned him. "You can get injured, just like any other cat."
"I"ll be careful," Lionblaze told her, flexing his claws. "Don"t worry."
Cinderheart looked doubtful, as if she didn"t quite believe him, but she said no more.
"Hey, Bramblestar!" Ivypool"s voice came from a few fox-lengths away. "Come and look at this!"
Ivypool and her apprentice had been ranging away on one side; now they were standing in front of a drift of white on the ground. Padding closer, Bramblestar picked up the scent of ShadowClan, and realized that the white stuff was a scatter of pigeon feathers.
"ShadowClan must have killed here," Ivypool meowed.
Bramblestar nodded; the scent was fresh, too, much more recent than the other traces he had picked up.
"ShadowClan seems to be doing well enough on their own," Thornclaw declared, bounding up and giving the feathers a sniff. "Do they really need our help with these kittypets?"
"One dead pigeon doesn"t mean a full fresh-kill pile," Bramblestar meowed. "And remember that our borders will be threatened if ShadowClan goes hungry."
But as the patrol set out again, Bramblestar admitted to himself that he was starting to have his own doubts about their mission. I can"t let Tawnypelt"s Clan suffer, he insisted. And we need to protect our own territory. But his paws p.r.i.c.kled at the thought of being caught here by a ShadowClan patrol.
A little farther on, Bramblestar realized that the pine trees had begun to thin out. He stiffened as he caught a faint trace of a Twoleg and a dog, then relaxed as he realized that they were long gone.
Jessy trotted up to his side. "Do you see that tree stump?" she mewed, waving her tail at the remains of a lightning-blasted tree. "I"m pretty sure I recognize it. We must be getting close." She went on more cautiously, sniffing here and there, while the rest of the patrol bunched together as they followed.
"There"s kittypet scent here," Jessy announced, raising her head. "And I"m pretty sure they"re the ones who have been hara.s.sing ShadowClan."
"How sure are you?" Blossomfall pressed. "We can"t attack innocent kittypets."
"No kittypets are innocent!" Snowpaw declared. "They"re all fat and lazy."
Jessy cleared her throat meaningfully.
Snowpaw glanced sideways at her, his ears flattened. "Sorry," he muttered.
"We won"t fight any needless battles," Bramblestar a.s.sured his Clanmates. "Ivypool, you go off in that direction"-he waved his tail-"and Cinderheart, you go that way. Look for more traces of the kittypets, and any sign of ShadowClan patrols."
I really don"t want to be caught here, he thought as the two she-cats headed off in opposite directions. These are ShadowClan hunting grounds now.
Bramblestar waited until Cinderheart and Ivypool returned, reporting no further traces of the kittypets.
"We"ll have to go closer to their dens," Jessy meowed. "This way." She led them on until the trees thinned out even more, and dense undergrowth filled the gaps between the trunks. Wriggling his way through thick bushes that snagged his fur and soaked him to the skin, Bramblestar emerged into an open s.p.a.ce with a line of Twoleg fences at the far side. Twoleg dens, built of reddish stone, reared up beyond the fences.
The rest of the patrol emerged, bristling at the unfamiliar surroundings and the strong scent of Twolegs, though Cloudtail padded over to Bramblestar and murmured, "This reminds me of the old forest, where the trees met the Twolegplace."
"You"re right," Bramblestar agreed. "The same plants, the same kind of smells . . ."
"My mother, Princess, came from a den like these," Cloudtail added. "So did Firestar."
Bramblestar nodded, feeling a pang of unexpected regret that he would never see the old forest again. But a heartbeat later he was distracted by Jessy calling to him.
"I know where I am now! I recognize that big tree with the white flowers. Come on!"
She began running ahead, more confident with every stride, while the rest of the patrol raced after her.
"Look, there"s the den with the broken fence!" Jessy meowed. "And the place where I played with some little Twolegs. It"s not far now."
"I think she"s just showing off," Thornclaw grumbled as he bounded along at Bramblestar"s side.
"We"d be lost without her," Lionblaze pointed out. "Literally."
Finally Jessy stopped and the patrol gathered around her. "The kittypet who lives behind this fence is called Victor, I think," she began. "He comes into the woods with Ziggy and Riga. If any cats are going to cause trouble, it"ll be those three."
"Thanks, Jessy." Bramblestar turned to his Clanmates. "Stay here," he ordered. "Jessy and I will scout ahead."
He noticed that the warriors didn"t look too happy, but none of them protested as he jumped up to the top of the fence. Jessy followed him and together they looked down onto the neat square of gra.s.s behind the Twoleg den, surrounded by bushes and brightly colored Twoleg flowers.
"No sign of Victor," Jessy commented. "He might have gone to visit the others."
"Then let"s go look," Bramblestar meowed.
With Jessy in the lead they ran along the top of the fence, checking the enclosed s.p.a.ces, each with its square of gra.s.s. Bramblestar could scent several different cats, but they didn"t see any.
Suddenly a stronger aroma wafted over Bramblestar. "Who are you, and what do you want?" a voice growled from behind him.
Bramblestar turned, balancing awkwardly on the narrow fence-top. A muscular black-and-white tom stood in front of him, his teeth bared in the beginnings of a snarl.
"Who wants to know?" Bramblestar asked. "Are you Victor?"
"No, I"m a friend of his," the black-and-white tom replied. "My name"s Webster." He peered around Bramblestar and spoke to Jessy. "I"ve seen you around, whatever your name is. What are you doing with these wild cats?"
"I"m Jessy, and this is Bramblestar," Jessy replied. "We"ve come to tell you to leave the wild cats alone."
In spite of the defiance in her voice, her statement sounded feeble. Why should they do what we say, unless we back it up with our claws? Bramblestar thought.
"Oh, sure." Webster was scornful. "We"ll do exactly what you tell us-not!"
Bramblestar felt exposed on the fence-top, his legs wobbling as he unsheathed his claws. Webster flicked his tail-tip contemptuously and took a threatening stride forward so that he was almost nose-to-nose with Bramblestar. Though Bramblestar was aware that behind him Jessy was bristling, ready for a fight, he knew that he couldn"t take on cats like this, so far above the forest floor.
Is Webster really going to pounce while we"re on top of the fence? Bramblestar wondered. Sure, kittypets have good balance, but not that good!
"Get ready to jump down," he muttered to Jessy. "Take the fight to the ground."
"Oh, yes," a new voice purred from behind him, beyond Jessy. "What a good idea."
Bramblestar glanced over his shoulder to see three kittypets crowding up to Jessy on top of the fence. All three of them had bristling fur and bright, bold eyes.
"That"s Victor," Jessy murmured, pointing with her tail at the pale brown tabby who was in the lead. "The ginger she-cat behind him is Scarlet, and the silver tabby is O"Hara. Ziggy and Riga will be somewhere close by; you can be sure of that."
O"Hara waved his tail at Bramblestar. "So pleased to meet you," he purred.
As if his words were a signal, all four kittypets charged at Bramblestar and Jessy.
"Jump!" Bramblestar yowled.
Together he and Jessy sprang down from the fence on the forest side. Screeching furiously, the kittypets launched themselves after them. Bramblestar was knocked off his paws as O"Hara landed on top of him. He rolled over and sprang up again, raking his claws along the silver tabby"s side.
Jessy was bravely tussling with Webster, but for all her courage she was much lighter than Webster and she was getting the worst of it. Webster was obviously an experienced fighter, gripping Jessy in his claws so she couldn"t maneuver to strike. O"Hara had backed off, and Bramblestar was about to leap to help Jessy when two bodies slammed into him from behind. He let out a yowl as he felt claws digging into his shoulders. Twisting around, he found himself facing Victor and Scarlet, their eyes gleaming and their shoulder fur bristling as they tried to thrust him to the ground.
Remembering his battle training, Bramblestar let himself go limp, sinking to the ground with the two kittypets on top of him.
"Coward!" Scarlet jeered. "I thought you wild cats could fight."
Not wasting breath on a reply, Bramblestar exploded upward, balancing on his hind paws while he struck out at his enemies with both forepaws. His claws scored down Victor"s muzzle; the kittypet let out a yelp of pain and scrambled back out of range. But although Bramblestar"s second blow caught Scarlet across her ear, she barely paused, shaking her head to clear it, then leaped at Bramblestar again. Victor recovered himself and joined her, bearing Bramblestar to the ground. As his paws gave way he caught a glimpse of a slender black cat dashing up to join the fray, with a ginger-and-white kittypet hard on his paws.
Oh, no! That must be Ziggy and Riga! Jessy and I are crow-food! "ThunderClan, attack!" he screeched.
Bramblestar struggled under the weight of Scarlet and Victor. He was beginning to think his Clanmates hadn"t heard him when he heard yowls of defiance, so loud that they swamped the screeches of the battle, and the sound of cats crashing through the undergrowth.
Thank StarClan! My warriors are here!
A heartbeat later the weight of the kittypets vanished and Bramblestar caught a glimpse of Cinderheart chasing Victor into the bushes. Ivypool darted in to slash at Scarlet from one side, while Snowpaw copied her on the other side, leaving Scarlet not knowing where to defend herself.
You"ve taught your apprentice well, Ivypool, Bramblestar thought.
Cloudtail had torn Webster away from Jessy and was driving him back with repeated blows to his ears. Jessy staggered to her paws, battered and bleeding, but still looking around for the next attack. Bramblestar headed toward her, but was blocked by the ginger-and-white kittypet, who hurtled toward him with growls of anger and aimed a blow at him with claws extended. Bramblestar ducked under the blow and thrust himself at the kittypet"s chest, driving him to the ground, then leaped on top of him, battering at his belly with all four paws. The kittypet wriggled free and fled.
Bramblestar rose and looked around him, his head reeling from the force of the battle. I never thought kittypets could fight like this! He saw O"Hara trip Lionblaze, then crouch on top of him, raking his claws across Lionblaze"s shoulders, until Cinderheart grabbed him and chased him off. Lionblaze rose to his paws, glaring after Cinderheart with fury in his eyes. Bramblestar could feel his rage that Cinderheart thought he had to be rescued, even though blood was dripping from her wounds too.
Gradually the ThunderClan cats began to drive the kittypets back toward the Twoleg fences, their warrior skills overcoming their adversaries" uncontrolled attack. Bramblestar spotted Jessy copying his move of ducking under a blow from the black kittypet and shoving her to the ground. The black kittypet rolled away from Jessy"s claws and fled.
Jessy learns fast! Bramblestar thought admiringly. "Great move!" he called to her.
Victor lunged out of a nearby bush and hurled himself at Blossomfall, who staggered under the weight of his body. Bramblestar sprang after them and hauled Victor off, sinking his teeth into the kittypet"s tail. Victor let out a shriek of pain and whirled to face him, but he was off-balance, and Bramblestar easily crushed him to the ground.
Standing over Victor, pinning him down with both hind paws, Bramblestar raised his claws to slash through Victor"s throat. "Do you give in?" he growled.
Victor bared his teeth in a snarl. "Kill me if you want, flea-pelt!"
Bramblestar stepped back, letting the defeated kittypet scramble to his paws. "Do you give in?" he repeated.
Victor gave him a puzzled look, as if he wasn"t sure why he was still alive. The rest of the kittypets, apart from the black cat who had fled, gathered around, their expressions still threatening.
"Warriors do not kill if there is no need," Bramblestar told them. "But you must let the wild cats hunt here in the forest."
"Why should we?" Scarlet sneered.
"Because if you don"t, we"ll come back with more warriors, and show less mercy," Blossomfall growled.
The kittypets still hesitated, until Lionblaze stepped forward. His golden pelt was soaked in blood, and his eyes glared menace. He didn"t need to speak; all the kittypets edged away from him.
"All right," Victor agreed at last, dull anger in his voice. "We"ll leave the squirrel munchers alone."
"Good." Bramblestar was about to call his patrol together to leave, when a new voice spoke behind him.
"What in the name of StarClan do you think you"re doing?"
CHAPTER 22.
Bramblestar whirled around. Rowanstar stood a fox-length away, flanked by Pinenose, Ferretclaw, and his apprentice, Spikepaw. The fur of all four cats was bristling with rage, so that they looked twice their normal size. Their furious gazes were fixed on the ThunderClan cats.
"How dare you come here?" Rowanstar hissed.
Bramblestar was aware of the kittypets slinking away. He took a pace forward, trying to find the right words to defend himself and his patrol. Fox dung! I"d hoped we could get away without ShadowClan knowing we were here.
"What makes you think you have to fight our battles for us?" Rowanstar snarled. "This is our hunting territory now. What gives you the right even to set paw here?" He dug his claws hard into the ground as if what he really wanted was to rake them across Bramblestar"s face. "You came to offer us help, and we refused. Why couldn"t you take no for an answer?"
"I thought-" Bramblestar began.
"Thought!" Rowanstar spat. "That was Firestar"s problem, too. He always thought he knew what was best for every Clan."
Stung, Bramblestar forced himself to stay calm. He didn"t want other cats to think he viewed himself as superior to the other leaders, interfering when it wasn"t needed. "I found out Jessy had inside information," he meowed, angling his ears toward the brown she-cat. "She knew where these troublesome kittypets lived."
Rowanstar stared at Jessy. "Because she"s a kittypet herself, right? So ThunderClan is taking in kittypets now?" he sneered. "What a surprise!" He lashed his tail. "Stay out of our business, Bramblestar, and concentrate on your own Clan."
At a word of command from Rowanstar, the ShadowClan cats encircled the ThunderClan patrol and began to drive them back toward their own territory, keeping them tightly bunched together. Bramblestar felt as though they were being escorted back to the border like trespa.s.sers. Whatever Rowanstar says, we saved their miserable pelts, he thought furiously, but he remained silent, recognizing that nothing he could say would help matters.