Tallstar’s Revenge

Tallpaw dug his hind claws into the grass and thrust Shrewpaw backward. Pain ripped through him as Shrewpaw tugged a lump of fur from his flank. Don’t let him put you off! Tallpaw leaped to his paws. Shrewpaw faced him, eyes gleaming. Tallpaw backed away. Let him think he scared me. He felt a twinge of satisfaction as he saw triumph flash in Shrewpaw’s gaze. Come on, Weaselpaw.

Shrewpaw sprang. Tallpaw glanced at his denmate’s paws. His claws were sheathed. For now. He knew that Shrewpaw would be digging them in the moment they were out of sight of Hareflight and Dawnstripe. He leaped sideways. Shrewpaw twisted to counter his move and Tallpaw shoved his muzzle beneath Shrewpaw’s belly. Ducking under him, he felt Shrewpaw writhe on his shoulders before tumbling to the ground. Tallpaw dropped and rolled in the other direction, scrambling to his paws in time to face Shrewpaw as the young tom jumped up.

“That was a coward’s move,” Shrewpaw growled, just loud enough for Tallpaw to hear.

“Really?” Tallpaw spat. “It must be one you taught me.”

Shrewpaw curled his lip. “I’m going to take a piece of your ear back to camp for that.”

“I’d like to see you try!” Tallpaw lunged at Shrewpaw, turning on his forepaws and swinging his hind legs around. He kicked out and sent Shrewpaw staggering backward. But Shrewpaw recovered quickly and lunged at him. Tallpaw swallowed back a yelp as claws stabbed his flank. Teeth gripped his hind leg and jerked it from under him. As Tallpaw hit the ground with a thump, Shrewpaw leaped on him.

Pain flared white-hot along Tallpaw’s spine as Shrewpaw pushed his muzzle and churned his hind claws against his back. Couldn’t Dawnstripe see what was going on? Tallpaw pushed the thought away. He didn’t want Dawnstripe rushing to his rescue as if he were a kit. He twisted his head and clamped his jaws around Shrewpaw’s foreleg, just hard enough to get a grip, careful not to draw blood.

“Don’t you know any warrior moves?” Shrewpaw snarled. “I fought better when I was a kit. No wonder you couldn’t save your father!”

Fury roared through Tallpaw, stripping sense from his thoughts like wind tearing up heather. Without thinking, he unsheathed his claws and bit down on Shrewpaw’s foreleg so hard he tasted the young tom’s blood. Shrewpaw screeched and dragged himself free. Tallpaw plunged after him, grabbing him with outstretched claws, and hauled him back. Flinging him to the ground, he slammed his hind legs into Shrewpaw’s belly and began battering him with blows that sent fur flying across the grass. The heather swam at the edge of Tallpaw’s vision and the dark shape of Shrewpaw seemed to fade beneath him. In its place, Tallpaw saw the short, brown pelt of Sparrow.

“You!” He dragged the rogue onto his side, dripping blood from his scratched muzzle into the rogue’s dark, expressionless face. “You deserve to die.”

“Tallpaw!” Dawnstripe’s yowl seemed to come from far away. The tug of her teeth in Tallpaw’s scruff startled him. He felt himself being yanked back, clear off his paws.

Hareflight lunged in front of him, shielding Shrewpaw. “What in StarClan’s name are you doing?” The brown warrior stared at him, horror widening his eyes.

Tallpaw blinked. Shrewpaw was trembling, bloody and tattered, on the ground beside his mentor.

What have I done?

Chapter 23

Dawnstripe glared at Tallpaw, her pelt spiked with rage. “No claws, remember?”

Tallpaw stared back, shock pulsing through him. “I’m sorry!”

Beside him, Hareflight checked Shrewpaw’s wounds. Shrewpaw squirmed away from his mentor. “I’m okay,” he insisted.

He doesn’t want to admit that I nearly shredded him. Tallpaw winced as he recalled the fury that had driven him on. How far would I have gone if Dawnstripe hadn’t stopped me?

Dawnstripe smoothed her chest fur with a couple of licks. “It’s been a stressful day,” she meowed. “You just got carried away.”

Hareflight eyed Tallpaw warily. “I guess.”

“Sure.” Shrewpaw nodded as he shook out his pelt, hiding his scratches.

“It won’t happen again,” Tallpaw promised, but inside he felt a stab of panic. Would he fail his assessment because of this? He could have killed Shrewpaw because he’d lost control of his rage. I don’t deserve to pass the assessment. His pelt pricked with shame. True warriors don’t hurt their Clanmates.

Dawnstripe headed into the heather. “Let’s get back to camp.”

Tallpaw trailed behind his Clanmates, dreading what Dawnstripe would have to tell Heatherstar. Doespring and Stagleap were just leaving the camp as they reached the clearing outside.

Stagleap lifted his tail excitedly. “How did the assessment go?”

Doespring’s eyes widened as she saw Shrewpaw’s bloody nose. “What happened to you?”