Wait For It | ▪︎ Tigerclaw

chapter 19

⊰᯽⊱┈──╌❊❊╌──┈⊰᯽⊱

WHITEPAW COULD TELL that there were several cats in the patrol, travelling fast. She couldn't recognise the individual scents of the cats through the earthy bog odours, but she knew it was ThunderClan. She held her breath as the pawsteps raced past and away.

"Are we really going to try to rescue the kits from ShadowClan alone?" Graypaw whispered.

Yellowfang answered him as Firepaw opened his mouth, "I might be able to find us some help from inside ShadowClan. Not all the cats support Brokenstar."

Firepaw pricked up his ears, Graypaw flicked his tail and Whitepaw shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"When he became leader," Yellowfang explained. "Brokenstar forced the elders to leave the security of the camp. They had to live on the boundary and hunt for themselves. These are cats who have grown up with the warrior code. Some of them might help us."

Whitepaw nodded, "And maybe Firepaw could be able to persuade the ThunderClan hunting party to help us too," she meowed. "If he can speak to them before they see Yellowfang, he might be able to make them believe her story. And Graypaw and I will wait at the dead ash, where we smelled the kit blood, till one of you return."

Graypaw looked worried, "But do you really trust Yellowfang to bring back help."

"Graypaw, we've been over this." Whitepaw gave him a look, "You can trust her."

"Yes," Yellowfang spoke. "I will return."

Without another word, the old she-cat sprang past the three apprentices and disappeared into the bushes.
"Have we done the right thing?" asked Graypaw.

"I don't know," Firepaw admitted. "If we have, we are heroes and the kits are safe. If we are wrong, then we are as good as dead."

Whitepaw and Graypaw waited awhile for Firepaw or Yellowfang to return. And Graypaw was beginning to pace as time went by. But Whitepaw pricked her ears when she heard her brother return with the patrol of ThunderClan warriors. The patrol consisted of Whitestorm, Darkstripe, Mousefur, Runningwind and Willowpelt.

"Any sign of Yellowfang?" Firepaw asked.

"Not yet," Whitepaw replied.

"We don't know how far it is to ShadowClan camp," Firepaw pointed out quickly, and Whitepaw saw Whitestorm stiffen. Whitepaw nodded, "She may be on her way back right now."

"Or she might be happily sharing tongues with her ShadowClan comrades while we sit here like fools waiting to be ambushed," meowed Graypaw.

"She will come back," Firepaw promised.

"Well said, young Firepaw," Yellowfang stalked out from behind the ash tree and sat down. "You're not the only one who can sneak up on someone," she meowed at the ginger tom. "Remember the day we met? You were both looking in the wrong direction that time, too."

Three other ShadowClan cats appeared from behind the tree and settled themselves calmly on either side of Yellowfang. The ThunderClan cats bristled, alert and suspicious.

Both Clans stared silently at eachother, Whitepaw crouched low with nervousness, unsure what was going to happen. Eventually one of the ShadowClan cats, a grey tom, spoke. His long body was skinny, and his fur looked dull. "We have come to help you, not to harm you. You have come for your kits; we will help you rescue them."

"What's in it for you?" asked Whitestorm warily.

"We want your help to get rid of Brokenstar. He has broken the warrior code, and ShadowClan is suffering."

"So, it's simple, isn't it?" growled Runningwind. "We just drop into your camp, snatch the kits, kill your leader, and go home."

"You will not meet as much resistance as you think," murmured the grey tom.

Yellowfang stood, "Let me introduce my old friends," she meowed weaving her way around the ShadowClan cars. She brushed past the grey tom. "This is Ashfur; he is one of the Clan elders.

"And this is Nightpelt, a senior warrior before Raggedstar was killed." She circled a black tom, who nodded at them.

"And this one of our elder queens, Dawncloud. Two of her kits died driving out WindClan."

Dawncloud, a small tabby, meowed in greeting. "I do not wish to lose anymore of my kits," she told them. Whitepaw felt a pang, she wondered how she would feel if one day she had kits and they died.

Whitestorm gave his chest a quick lick to smooth down his fur. "You are clearly skilled warriors if you managed to sneak up on us like that. But are there enough of you? We need to know what we'll face when we raid the ShadowClan camp."

"The old and sick of ShadowClan are slowly starving," meowed Ashfur. "The casualties among our kits are more than we can cope with."

"But If ShadowClan is a mess," burst out Darkstripe. "How come you have shown so much strength lately? And why is Brokenstar still your leader?"

"Brokenstar is surrounded by a small group of elite warriors," answered Ashfur. "They are the ones to fear, because they would die for him without question. The other warriors obey his orders only because they are frightened. They will fight by his side as long as they think Brokenstar is going to win. If they thought, he would lose..."

"They would fight against him, not for him!" Darkstripe finished the elder's words with disgust. "What sort of loyalty is that?"

"It's loyalty to the Clan, not the leader, Darkstripe!" Whitepaw meowed bravely. "I thought you'd know that out of all cats."

Darkstripe bristled and opened his mouth to say something to the white apprentice but Yellowfang spoke first, "Our Clan wasn't always like this. When Raggedstar led ShadowClan, we were feared for our strength. But in those days our strength came from the warrior code and Clan loyalty, not from fear and bloodlust." The old medicine cat sighed, "If only Raggedstar had lived longer."

"How did Raggedstar die?" asked Whitestorm curiously. "There were so many rumours at the Gatherings, but no one seemed to know for sure."

Yellowfang's eyes clouded with sorrow. "He was ambushed by a warrior patrol from another Clan."

Whitestorm nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that is what most cats seemed to think. These are bad times indeed, when leaders are picked off in the dark, instead of open and honourable battle."

Whitepaw frowned, her mind racing. "Is there any way of taking the kits without alerting the whole Clan?"

Dawncloud answered her, "They are very closely guarded. Brokenstar will be expecting ThunderClan to try and take them back. You won't be able to steal them in secret. Open attack is your only hope."

"Then we must concentrate on our attack on Brokenstar and his inner guard," meowed Whitestorm.

Whitepaw felt anxious, and immediately thought of how her mentor always stood by her when she got nervous. Firepaw brushed his pelt with hers and she felt calmness go through her, but it wasn't the same.

Yellowfang then had a suggestion, "The ShadowClan warriors should lead me into the ShadowClan camp. They could say they had captured me. We must make sure Brokenstar and his warriors are out of their dens. News of my capture will bring them all into the clearing. Once they're all out in the open, I'll give the signal for you to attack."

Everyone was silent for a few moments until Whitestorm nodded. "Very well, Yellowfang," he meowed. "Please lead the way to the ShadowClan camp."