Chapter 12

“This Gathering is at an end.”

Skypaw stood up and stretched her aching muscles. This was one of her first Gatherings, and it had been boring. She was beginning to wonder if they even needed Gatherings at all. No, we don’t, but sometimes there are emergencies. Though why every full moon? Things can happen before that, too!

“Hey, Skypaw.” Cloudpaw padded to her side. “That was so boooooring.”

“Super boring,” Skypaw agreed. “Pointless, even.”

“All Dawnstar said was, ‘Prey is running very well in ShadowClan,’” Cloudpaw mimicked. “It’s as if he’s bragging about it! And then Flystar was like, in her funny accent, ‘Pley is fine in WeendClan, too and the kits are well fid!’”

“Fishstar said the same, except he said swimming,” Skypaw added.

“Bleh!” Cloudpaw exclaimed. “Fish!”

“Oh, and ThunderClan said that they had a new leader, but she…drowned?”

Cloudpaw snorted. “Wow, great story! Nice try, weasel-brains!”

Skypaw nudged him with her nose. “Don’t you dare call them weasel-brains! I went on a journey with two of them! Spiralpaw and Swirlstem are actually pretty smart!”

“Yeah, smarter than you!” he teased, nudging her back.

“Hey!” Skypaw protested.

“Skypaw! Cloudpaw!” Treespring, who was standing by the entrance to the clearing, called to them. “We’re leaving! Get over here or we’ll leave you behind!”

“You wouldn’t!” Skypaw bounded over to the brown warrior with Cloudpaw.

As SkyClan left the clearing and headed across the tree-bridge, joy mixed with weariness crept over Skypaw. Bubble had left them alone for now, and Shadowleap was healing well in the medicine den. She still missed Goldenfur, but she knew he was safe with StarClan. Hopefully…I’ll stay until Bubble is defeated, Skypaw prayed. I can’t die at Bubble’s paws! I just can’t! I’m part of—I’m part of—all this! I have a connection to StarClan and I went on a journey with Spiralpaw and Swirlstem and Pinepaw and I had visions and—

“Skypaw, watch out!” Cloudpaw’s mew broke into her thoughts.

Skypaw dug her claws into the wood of the tree-bridge as a spike of shock shot through her. She was dangling at the edge; she’d nearly fallen into the water. Pulling herself upright, Skypaw leaped down at the end of the fallen tree onto the ground.

And hopefully I don’t drown first.

 

“I’m so tired,” Cloudpaw whispered to her again.

“I know,” Skypaw mumbled, too exhausted to be exasperated. “We all are.” She slowly stepped over a tree root.

“She isn’t,” Cloudpaw murmured, jerking his muzzle toward the front of the group of cats. Breezestar was leading, her head up and her ears alert for any signs of danger.

“She probably is,” Skypaw guessed. “She’s probably just forcing herself to be brave so she can be prepared to protect her Clan.” She nearly stumbled over a stone. “Maybe I should do that too.” She tried to straighten up, but a moment later her eyelids started drooping again and tiredness washed over her.

Cloudpaw snorted. “Sure. But I’m sure she’s very awake—AAAAAAAGH!” He cut himself off with a shriek that split the air.

With a jolt of realization Skypaw saw that something—a cat, most likely—had knocked her brother down. Rogue! She tried to leap forward and claw the cat’s pelt, but she could barely see anything in the darkness and she ended up crashing into a tree. She spun around and leaped again, this time using scent to guide her. Skypaw landed on a cat and started to dig her claws into its pelt.

“Ow!” Cloudpaw’s voice came from below her and she leaped off with a startled yelp. Argh! I should have seen his white pelt! The rogue must have leaped off at the last moment!

“Sorry!” Skypaw meowed. “It’s hard to see anything in this darkness!”

Around them, their Clanmates were also startled by the unexpected ambush, and hisses and growls filled the forest. Claws suddenly raked Skypaw’s pelt and she spun around, her own claws out to slash an attacking rogue, but stopped just in time as she recognized Stormsky’s black-and-white fur in the dim moonlight.

“I’m so sorry!” Stormsky gasped, and in her moment of distraction, a dark pelt slammed into her and pinned her to the ground.

Skypaw let out a growl and leaped at the rogue. Please, StarClan, let me land on it this time… She gasped as she landed on him and easily knocked him over. Thoughts flashed through her mind. Shadowleap taught me this one he’s purposely rolling over so my momentum will carry me over him I better hang on… She dug her claws into his pelt as hard as she could.

Skypaw could sense the rogue’s surprise as she clung onto him. She leaned down and bit his shoulder—or at least what she thought was his shoulder—and then kicked him away with all her strength. She spun around, slashing at any rogue that got close and carefully making out each of her Clanmates.

Sunleaf was halfway up a tree, biting at a rogue as it tried to follow her. Treespring and Cloudpaw were fighting side by side, driving two other rogues toward the lake. Sandpelt was wrestling with a dark tabby one, and Riverleap was equally fighting with a dark ginger tabby. Swingtail and Yarrowleaf were here, too. The medicine cat was lashing out frantically, his blows wild and random.

But wait—where’s Breezestar?

Skypaw’s heart quickened. She whirled around to the nearest SkyClan cat, which turned out to be Yarrowleaf. “Where’s Breezestar?” she asked.

“I don’t know!” Yarrowleaf yelped as a rogue nipped his leg.

Skypaw flashed a powerful blow that sent the rogue reeling. She turned back to the medicine cat. “Didn’t you see her? You were walking next to her!”

“I-I’m not sure,” Yarrowleaf stammered. “Suddenly something hit my side and then I had to turn around and then the whole Clan was suddenly fighting and I don’t know!” He tried to steady himself, taking deep breaths.

“Watch out!” Skypaw slashed the nose of a rogue who was creeping up on Yarrowleaf and she screeched and shot away. Skypaw quickly tasted the air. She’s not here. “I’m going to follow her,” she told Yarrowleaf, who was staring helplessly at his Clanmates.

In a few moments Skypaw found a scent trail and she followed it, pushing her paws hard against the ground. The sounds of battle were fading behind her.

Wait a minute…

Oh, no.

Breezestar headed for the camp. Of course she did.

Skypaw ran faster, fear pumping through her veins. Bubble isn’t stupid. She’ll have at least one cat invade the camp. But she knows we probably know that. So what did she do?

Slipping through the camp entrance, Skypaw burst into camp. Immediately she heard shrieking and startled yelps and she whipped toward the sound.

Strong paws slammed her to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. A dark gray rogue pinned her to the ground and raked his claws across her belly. But Skypaw’s eyes were locked toward the center of the camp.

Gray, black, and ginger fur flashed as Breezestar and Bubble battled in the middle of the camp. Breezestar already had a torn ear and her side and hind leg were bleeding. She was panting hard, already exhausted from the Gathering, while Bubble’s energy was fresh and she landed powerful blows.

Bubble’s dark amber eyes glinted red in the moonlight, and she pushed the SkyClan leader to the ground, her jaws wide open to bite her neck. More rogues were at the warriors’ den, preventing the cats inside from helping Breezestar.

“No!” A shriek left Skypaw before she could stop it. She wriggled desperately under the dark gray rogue’s paws. No—no! She tried to ignore the pain as he dug his claws into her pelt.

Time seemed to slow as Bubble leaned down and clamped her jaws around Breezestar’s throat. Dark red blood poured out, soaking her fur. The gray-and-black she-cat jerked once, twice, her paws churning weakly, and then fell still.

The night was silent once more.