Sign Of The Moon

Suddenly a shadow fell across the battling cats. The screeching was abruptly cut off. Ivypool felt the weight that was pinning her down vanish. She scrambled to her paws, briefly blinded by blood that trickled down from a scratch above her eye. Swiping at it with a paw, she looked up to see Brokenstar standing at the edge of the clearing. Another cat stood behind him in the shadows.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Brokenstar meowed.

Hawkfrost took a pace toward him, dipping his head respectfully. “Welcome, Brokenstar. Can we do anything for you?”

“The question should be, what can I do for you?” the former ShadowClan leader replied. “I have a new apprentice for you to meet.” He paced forward into the center of the clearing, and the cat behind him followed. As the brown tabby emerged into the light, Ivypool drew in a horrified breath.

“This is Blossomfall of ThunderClan,” Brokenstar went on. “Some of you know her already. Blossomfall, these are your new Clanmates.”

Blossomfall glanced around nervously. Recognition flared in her eyes as her gaze fell on Ivypool, but she said nothing, just gave her a curt nod. Ivypool guessed she didn’t want to give the Dark Forest cats the idea that she would be more loyal to a ThunderClan cat than any of the others.

Some of the Dark Forest cats murmured greetings to Blossomfall, but none of them said anything more. Ivypool recoiled from how false everything was in the Dark Forest. Are all the cats here supposed to be a Clan? We don’t behave like one! And how can another ThunderClan cat be here? ThunderClan cats are loyal!

“So,” Hawkfrost drawled, “are you going to show us what this new cat is made of, Brokenstar?”

In answer, the ShadowClan cat beckoned to Ratscar with his tail. “Fight,” he rasped.

Ratscar had a torn ear from his bout with Hawkfrost, but he didn’t hesitate. He hurled himself at Blossomfall, who was so surprised by the sudden attack that she let him carry her off her paws. Ratscar let out a screech of triumph and slammed one paw down on her throat. Ivypool watched, her belly churning with tension, as Blossomfall lashed out with her hind paws and managed to throw Ratscar off. While he still lay on the ground she darted past him and got in a soft blow to his side before she spun around and waited for his next move.

You have to unsheathe your claws! Ivypool thought anxiously This isn’t a ThunderClan training exercise.

Ratscar crouched and leaped for Blossomfall; she dived underneath him, but at the last moment he twisted in the air and landed on her haunches, sinking his teeth into the base of her tail. Blossomfall yowled in pain and shock. The Shadow Clan warrior had pinned her down again, and this time Blossomfall couldn’t free herself. She struck out blindly at Ratscar’s head and shoulders, but Ivypool could tell that her blows were growing weaker.

Ivypool couldn’t watch her Clanmate being torn to pieces by the bigger, more experienced ShadowClan cat. She darted forward, thrusting her shoulders against Ratscar and rolling him off Blossomfall, raking his ears with her claws as she did so. Ratscar turned on her with a disbelieving snarl as Blossomfall stumbled to her paws.

“Stop!” Brokenstar’s voice rang out across the clearing before Ratscar could strike another blow.

All three cats froze as the black cat paced across the open ground to join them. Dismissing Ratscar with a flick of his ears, he loomed over Ivypool and fixed her with a baleful amber gaze. “Just what do you think you were doing?” His voice was low, but the menace in it made Ivypool tremble from ears to paws. “What gives you the right to interfere?”

Striving not to show how frightened she was, Ivypool lifted her head and returned glare for glare. “We’re loyal to one another, right?” A gush of genuine anger began to drive out her fear. “Should we stand by like cowards and let one another be defeated in battle?”

Brokenstar narrowed his eyes; every hair on his pelt was proclaiming his distrust of her. “You saved your Clanmate,” he pointed out.

“Here, they are all my Clanmates,” Ivypool retorted. StarClan, let him believe me! “I don’t see why an apprentice should be lost on her first visit.”

Brokenstar stood still for a moment more, his gaze boring into her, then let out a snort and stepped aside. Ivypool was left facing Blossomfall.

“You didn’t have to do that,” the tortoiseshell warrior hissed, smoothing her ripped fur. “I could have beaten Ratscar in the end.”

And hedgehogs can fly, Ivypool thought. Turning away, she spotted a brown tom in the group of Dark Forest cats and recognized him by his one black ear.

“Antpelt!” she exclaimed, bounding over to him. “I didn’t see you there. It’s great that you’re okay.”

The WindClan warrior’s wounds had healed, leaving long scars that sliced across his back and throat, but he looked strong and free from pain. He gave Ivypool a puzzled look. “This is my home now,” he meowed.