The Forgotten Warrior

As well as the WindClan cats, Dovewing could hear the other ThunderClan patrols as they headed down their tunnels. The whole hill was alive with scurrying creatures, like an ants’ nest. The noises were growing so loud that Dovewing could hardly distinguish one patrol from another, or work out exactly where they were.

Then as they rounded a corner, the scent of WindClan suddenly grew stronger. Dovewing barely had time to gasp, “They’re here!” before they collided head-on with the WindClan warriors.

WindClan had no warning at all. As they charged into the ThunderClan cats, they let out yowls of shock. For a few moments they were helpless, shoving at one another in the dark, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

Hollyleaf and Dovewing lashed out, raking at their unseen attackers with claws extended. At first it was easy to push the WindClan cats farther down the tunnel, but after a moment they recovered and started to push back. Dovewing screeched as unseen claws slashed at her shoulder. Forcing her way forward, she felt chest fur against her muzzle, and stretched up to sink her teeth into the cat’s throat. Her opponent reared back; there was a dull thump and a shriek, and Dovewing realized her attacker had banged their head on the tunnel roof.

“You should have trained!” she hissed.

“Get back!” Hollyleaf ordered. “Let fresh cats come through.”

Remembering the battle plan Hollyleaf had worked out earlier, Dovewing flattened herself against the tunnel wall to let Cinderheart and Berrynose slip forward. She had a few moments’ respite, gasping for breath at the back of the patrol, while her Clanmates took on the WindClan warriors. Mousewhisker, Ivypool, and Sandstorm moved smoothly up to take their places, until the attackers were forced backward, toward the cavern with the river.

At last light began to filter into the tunnel from up ahead and Dovewing managed to make out the cats in the WindClan patrol. Breezepelt was leading them, with Whiskernose, Weaselfoot, and Harespring. Heathertail and Furzepelt brought up the rear.

The WindClan cats stumbled backward into the cavern and the ThunderClan warriors sprang out of the tunnel after them. Glancing around swiftly, Dovewing saw that they were the first to arrive; extending her senses she picked up the sounds of fighting in the other tunnels.

The WindClan cats bunched together, panting and glaring at their rivals. Their fur was ragged and several of them showed the marks of ThunderClan claws. Dovewing guessed they had expected to emerge into ThunderClan territory and launch their attack on an unsuspecting camp.

Then they had a nasty surprise, she thought with satisfaction.

Hollyleaf pushed her way to the front of her patrol and faced the WindClan warriors. “End this now,” she meowed. “You cannot win.”

“Mange-pelts!” Breezepelt snarled. “You tormented Sol!”

“We did no such thing!” Dovewing hissed. “We invited Sol into our camp. It was your leader who wanted him chased off.”

“And Jayfeather murdered Flametail!” Heathertail added, stepping forward to stand beside Breezepelt. Her eyes were blazing with hatred. “And you’ve been crossing our boundaries and stealing our prey!”

“That’s right!” Whiskernose put in. “You always think you’re better than us, just because we once needed your help before the Clans came to the lake.”

“What do you know about that?” Sandstorm challenged the young warrior. “You weren’t even kitted then!”

Dovewing was shocked at the strength of hostility directed at them from even the youngest cats. It’s so unfair! she seethed. We can’t even defend ourselves, because they won’t listen!

Suddenly Breezepelt let out a bloodcurdling yowl and hurled himself straight at her. Taken by surprise, Dovewing was swept off her paws and hit the ground with a thump. But before Breezepelt could pin her down, she rolled to one side and sprang to her paws again in time to catch him a sharp blow on his shoulder.

“You’ll have to be faster than that!” she taunted him.

With a snarl of defiance, Breezepelt launched himself at her, trying to force her back against the cavern wall. Remembering her training, Dovewing backed away, letting him think he was winning, then pushed herself off the wall and leaped over his head. The look of surprise on the WindClan cat’s face made her fur feel hot with satisfaction.

The other cats were battling it out alongside her now, and as Dovewing landed, Cinderheart and Heathertail knocked into her as they rolled past in a screeching bundle of fur. Dovewing lost her balance and as her paws scrabbled on the cavern floor, Breezepelt was on top of her.

“Think you’re clever?” he growled, his teeth gleaming close to her throat. “But you’re not clever enough.”

Dovewing battered at him with her hindpaws, but she couldn’t dislodge him. She could feel his claws digging into her shoulders and blood starting to flow.