Yellowfang’s Secret

She bit down once more on the ThunderClan cat’s neck, but at the same moment he surged upward, exploding with all the strength of a powerful young body. Yellowfang let out a snarl of surprise as she was thrown clear, tumbling back into a gorse bush.

The tom steadied himself on his paws and gave his pelt a shake. “Not such easy prey, huh?” he meowed.

Yellowfang ripped herself free from the prickly branches, hissing curses at the thorns. “Not bad, young apprentice!” she spat back. “But you’ll need to do a lot better!”

The young cat puffed out his chest. “You’re in ThunderClan’s hunting ground. Move on!”

“Who’s going to make me?” Yellowfang curled her lip. “I will hunt. Then I will leave. Or maybe I’ll just stay a while…”

“Enough talk,” the young cat flashed back at her.

Yellowfang sensed a change in him. She could tell that he was eager to fight, to defend his territory and protect his Clan. For an apprentice, he has courage, she thought with the first flicker of respect. I’ll need to use a little cunning here…

Dipping her head, breaking eye contact with the young tom, she began to back off. “No need to be hasty now,” she purred in a silky tone.

The apprentice wasn’t deceived. He let out a furious growl and leaped forward. Yellowfang sprang forward to meet him, digging her claws into his shoulders, and they rolled over together in a whirl of claws and teeth. Breaking free, Yellowfang reared up on her hind legs and lunged at the young tom’s head. To her frustration, he jerked away just in time and her teeth closed on empty air a mouse-length from his ear.

Before Yellowfang could lash out again, the apprentice swiped at her with one paw, dealing her a hard blow over her ear. Stunned, she dropped to all fours, shaking her head to clear it. As she tried to recover, her opponent flung himself forward and clamped his jaws tight on her back leg.

Yellowfang screeched, whipping around to snap at the young tom’s tail. Satisfaction flooded through her as her teeth connected.

The apprentice ripped his tail from her grip and lashed it in rage. His green eyes gleamed with fury. Yellowfang crouched for a fresh attack, but she could feel her strength ebbing. Her breath wheezed, and hunger gnawed at her like a live rat in her belly.

For a heartbeat the flame-colored cat hesitated. Yellowfang lunged, trying to reach up onto his shoulders and get a killing grip, but now she was hampered by her wounded leg.

“Get off!” the apprentice snapped, arching his back in an effort to throw her off.

But Yellowfang managed to dig her claws in and held on tight, using her greater weight to force the young cat to the ground. He twisted as he tried to avoid her thrashing hind legs; once more they rolled over together, biting and snapping.

Yellowfang knew that she had lost her chance to win. Her hind legs would hardly support her and she loosened her grip on the young tom.

“Had enough yet?” he growled.

“Never!” Yellowfang spat. But her injured leg gave way and she slumped to the ground. Glaring at the apprentice, she hissed, “If I wasn’t so hungry and tired, I’d have shredded you into mouse-dust.” Her mouth twisted in pain. “Finish me off. I won’t stop you.”

And then it will be over. No more pain, no more struggle…

The young tom hesitated, something in his eyes that Yellowfang couldn’t read.

“What are you waiting for?” Yellowfang taunted him. “You’re dithering like a kittypet!”

Rage flared in his green eyes. “I’m an apprentice warrior of ThunderClan!” he snarled.

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes. She had seen the cat flinch at her words, and she knew she had hit a nerve. “Ha,” she snorted. “Don’t tell me ThunderClan are so desperate they have to recruit kittypets now?”

“ThunderClan are not desperate!” the tom hissed.

“Prove it, then!” Yellowfang challenged him. “Act like a warrior and finish me off. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

The apprentice stared at her. She saw his muscles relax as a spark of curiosity woke in his eyes. “You seem in an awful hurry to die,” he meowed.

“Yeah? Well, that’s my business, mouse-fodder,” Yellowfang snapped. “What’s your problem, kitty? Are you trying to talk me to death?”

But her hunger and exhaustion were sapping her strength with every heartbeat. She knew she could do no more; she was at this cat’s mercy. Has it really come to this, StarClan? Is this the end I deserve?

“Wait here,” the young cat ordered at last.

“Are you kidding, kitty? I’m going nowhere,” Yellowfang grunted, limping toward a patch of soft heather. She flopped down and began licking her leg wound.