Chapter 6

Swirlpaw padded beside Spiralpaw a tail-length away from the Twoleg fence. Now that she was closer, she could pick up the scent of Twolegplace. She immediately shrank back in disgust. She was definitely never going near Twolegplace ever again!

Skypaw was sniffing the wet grass. “I smell dog,” she hissed.

Swirlpaw glanced at her. “Are you sure it passed through here?” She padded over to Skypaw and sniffed the ground. The scent was faint, washed away by the rain, but it was definitely there. “We’ll be careful,” Swirlpaw promised.

They padded along the grass between the forest and the Twoleg fence. Suddenly there was a loud growl. The cats stiffened. Swirlpaw tasted the air and instantly scented the stink of dog. “Stop,” she hissed to her friends. “Be ready to run.”

At that moment a large shape exploded from the fence. Swirlpaw darted out of the way and screeched as it slammed its paw down on her tail, trapping her. Skypaw snarled and slashed it eye as fast as a snake. The dog from yesterday howled in pain and let go of Swirlpaw. She leaped out of the way and bit into its paw. Bright red blood sprayed onto the wet grass.

The dog crouched down, growling. Spiralpaw leaped onto its back and clawed at its back. Pinepaw went for its tail, biting down hard into its long brown fur. The dog suddenly shot out its paw and sliced Skypaw’s ear. The blue-gray she-cat yowled in pain.

Swirlpaw screech in fury and launched herself at the dog. She landed beside Spiralpaw and clawed at its ears. Spiralpaw leaned forward and slashed its other eye.

The dog yelped and threw them off its back. Its tail slapped Pinepaw in the face, and the ShadowClan apprentice, leaped backward in surprise.

Swirlpaw and Spiralpaw landed hard next to a moss-covered tree. Swirlpaw scrambled to her paws as the dog let out a final yowl and leaped back over the fence. The four cats crouched where they were, panting.

“That was…unexpected,” Pinepaw gasped.

“If it ever comes back again, we’ll teach it a lesson,” Skypaw growled.

Swirlpaw padded over to her. She gently licked the she-cat’s ear, and Skypaw flinched away from her. “We’ll get some herbs for it,” Swirlpaw promised.

“You’re not a medicine cat!” Skypaw growled.

“I’ve seen medicine cats at work, though,” Swirlpaw meowed back calmly.

Spiralpaw padded over to them. “We need cobwebs,” she meowed.

“I’ll get some!” Pinepaw yowled. He turned and bounded into the forest.

“Be careful!” Swirlpaw called after him. “If you hear or scent or see any danger, come back here and report to us immediately!”

Spiralpaw padded around Swirlpaw, sniffing her pelt. “Are you hurt?” she asked anxiously.

Swirlpaw licked the tabby’s ear. “No, I’m fine. Are you hurt?”

Spiralpaw shook her head as Pinepaw came running back on three paws with a wad of cobweb in his fourth paw. “I got the cobweb!” he announced as he hobbled over to Skypaw.

“I’ll put it on,” Spiralpaw mewed. She took the cobweb from him and started wrapping it over Skypaw’s injured ear.

Swirlpaw turned to Pinepaw. “Was it easy to find cobweb?” she asked.

Pinepaw shrugged. “Not too hard,” he replied. “It was all over the forest, though. You just need to look carefully.”

“I’m done,” Spiralpaw announced.

“Are you ready to keep going?” Swirlpaw asked Skypaw. She nodded.

Skypaw’s reply was drowned out by a loud roar. Swirlpaw stiffened. What was that? She dug her claws into the ground to stop herself from jumping when another roar sounded. “Let’s go see what that is,” she murmured to her friends.

“What?” Pinepaw meowed as they padded forward again. “Can’t we just ignore it?”

“I don’t think so,” Swirlpaw mewed as she caught a sour scent. “I think it’s right up ahead.”

They gasped as they came to a stop in front of a large, black path that seemed endless on both sides. Large, shiny monsters roared past them, following the path. On the other side was a dark green forest. Swirlpaw felt as if it were calling to her. “A Thunderpath!” she exclaimed. “We need to cross it.” Inside, her belly was clenched with fear.

“How will we cross?” Spiralpaw whimpered.

“We’ll be ready at this side,” Swirlpaw explained, struggling to keep her voice steady. “When I say run, run as fast as you can to the other side.”

Skypaw nodded determinedly. Pinepaw stood at the edge of the path, gazing at the other side. Swirlpaw waited until all of them were lined up, then crouched down beside Pinepaw. She watched as monster after monster zoomed past. Her heart quickened as she saw a gap between two monsters.

“And…RUN!”

They took off across the Thunderpath. Swirlpaw pushed her paws against the hard rock. She skidded to a halt on the other side and turned to make sure everyone had made it. They all had, except for one.

Pinepaw was still running toward them, his gaze bright with fear. A monster zoomed toward him, and Swirlpaw knew it would hit him if she didn’t do something.

Even though her insides were screaming with fear, Swirlpaw raced over to Pinepaw and nudged him as hard as she could toward the grass on the other side. The roar of the monster drowned out everything as they ran.

“Swirlpaw!” Spiralpaw and Skypaw screeched.

The monster screeched as it hit her. Pain exploded from her sides, and the last thing she saw was Pinepaw’s paws safely hitting the grass.