Tallstar’s Revenge

Talltail boiled with rage. “I’m no rabbit heart!” He dived forward, butting Blizzardwing’s shoulder with such force that the ShadowClan warrior staggered backward. Talltail ducked and nipped his forepaw and the tom fell to the ground, rolling onto his back. Leaping onto him, Talltail clung to his shoulders and churned his claws against Blizzardwing’s belly. He tipped his head away as Blizzardwing snapped at it, springing off before the tom could tear out more whiskers.

Plumclaw screeched with fury as a ShadowClan apprentice, Raggedpaw, joined the ginger tabby’s attack. The tunneler was beating them off with a flurry of blows, but they were driving her farther down the slope, closer to the monsters thundering past. Less than a tail-length from Talltail, Cedarstar wrestled Dawnstripe onto her spine. Newtspeck nipped at her thrashing hind legs. Blood stained her muzzle.

Dawnstripe! Talltail tried to jump toward her but claws pierced his flanks and Blizzardwing dragged him back. He glanced desperately up the slope. Had Aspenfall persuaded Heatherstar to send warriors? Dawnstripe shrieked. If help didn’t come soon, they’d have to retreat. Talltail turned and swiped Blizzardwing’s throat, rage surging through him.

Blizzardwing staggered back, his eyes lighting with surprise as blood splashed from his white scruff. “Not bad for a WindClan cat,” he hissed.

Snarling, Talltail lunged at the tom. Blizzardwing reared up on his hind paws. Talltail saw him totter, unbalanced by the slope. Twisting in the air, he aimed for the tom’s unsteady hind leg and sank in his teeth. Blizzardwing yowled with rage, and curling around, bit deep into Talltail’s shoulder. Pain scorched through him.

“Talltail!” Dawnstripe’s panicked screech ripped through the air.

Talltail twisted away from Blizzardwing. Cedarstar loomed over Dawnstripe as she writhed on the grass. Newtspeck leaned back, her lip curling in delight. Talltail braced himself to watch the ShadowClan leader deliver the death blow. Then he felt the ground tremble beneath him. Paws were thrumming toward them across the moor. Help is coming! If they could just hold the ShadowClan patrol for a few moments more. Energy surged beneath Talltail’s pelt. He ripped free of Blizzardwing’s grip, ignoring the burning sensation of losing fur.

Familiar pelts were streaking down the slope toward them. Reedfeather hared across the grass, his limp vanishing now that his blood was up. Hareflight, Cloudrunner, Redclaw, and Shrewclaw raced at his heels. Beside Talltail, Blizzardwing’s eyes stretched wide as Redclaw smashed into him, hissing. With a hefty blow, Cloudrunner sent Newtspeck staggering away from Dawnstripe while Reedfeather and Hareflight raced to help Plumclaw.

Shrewclaw glared at Cedarstar as the ShadowClan leader pinned Dawnstripe to the ground. Talltail saw hate gleam in his denmate’s gaze as Shrewclaw sprang onto Cedarstar’s back and dragged him off Dawnstripe. His claws sank deep. “This is for my mother! Remember Brackenwing?” Shrewclaw snarled. Jerking Cedarstar around, he slammed a hefty paw against the leader’s cheek. Blood spattered the grass as Cedarstar fell. Eyes blazing, Shrewclaw lunged at him again.

Talltail stared, shocked by the savagery of Shrewclaw’s attack. That’s what revenge is. There was nothing cold or planned about Shrewclaw’s rage. In the heat of battle, it drove him like fire through bracken. This was a true warrior’s battle.

Heart pounding, Talltail jumped in beside Shrewclaw, pummeling Cedarstar down as the ShadowClan leader tried to struggled free. Shrewclaw glanced in surprise at Talltail.

“I’ll help you kill him,” Talltail hissed.

Shrewclaw lifted his forepaws and together they swiped at the blood-spattered tom, driving him toward the Thunderpath.

“Cedarstar!” Newtspeck’s yowl split the air as the tabby warrior rushed to help her leader. She dived for Shrewclaw, ears flat, lips drawn back. She sank her yellow teeth into Shrewclaw’s shoulder, thrusting her paws around the WindClan warrior and hauling him off Cedarstar. Shrewclaw snarled and thrashed with his paws as he tried to reach for Cedarstar. But Redclaw had grabbed Cedarstar and was pinning him to the ground.

“Retreat!” Cedarstar fought free of Redclaw and fled for the tunnel.

At his cry, his warriors followed. As the last tail disappeared into the tunnel, Talltail heard a groan. He turned. “Shrewclaw!”

Hareflight was crouching over the WindClan warrior. Talltail raced to his side, slipping on the wet grass. He glanced down and saw his paws turn red. The wetness was blood. It pumped from Shrewclaw’s belly like water from the spring. “Fetch Barkface!” he shrieked to Dawnstripe. She met his gaze, her eyes glittering with horror, then dashed up the slope.

“Hang on, Shrewclaw.” Talltail leaned over his denmate, his heart twisting.

Hareflight crouched stiffly beside him. “He’ll die like his mother.” The warrior’s mew cracked. “Killed defending the moor against ShadowClan.”