DarkClan's Attack

Chapter 4

Luckypaw watched Goldenpaw leave the den without even looking at her. They had used to be so close, but now secrets and lies were wrapped around Goldenpaw. It was like they weren't related anymore.

Dovewing and Ivypool are so lucky. She thought wistfully. I wish my relationship with Goldenpaw was that easy.

She padded out of the den, scratching at the ground with her claws.

"Luckypaw! Fetch some prey for the queens and kits in the nursery, please." Lionblaze called from where he was grooming himself with Hollyleaf.

"Okay, Lionblaze," Luckypaw replied, marching over to the fresh kill pile. She picked out a juicy vole and a fat rabbit and brought it to the nursery.

"Hello, Dovewing, Daisy and Ferncloud," Luckypaw greeted the queens. Millie was evidently somewhere else, perhaps with Graystripe or perhaps out making dirt.

"Thanks for the fresh kill," Dovewing replied, nuzzling her kits closer to her. "Kits, have you met Luckypaw before? She's my apprentice!" she told the kits.

"No!" Thunderkit mewled.

Flowerkit responded by leaping onto Thunderkit's back. As the smallest, he couldn't defend himself, so Swiftkit came to rescue him. The three kits wrestled on the ground joyfully and Luckypaw felt a pang of sorrow. It had been ages since the last time she had play fought with Goldenpaw.

"Are you okay?" Dovewing must've seen her expression.

Luckypaw shook herself. "I'm fine," she told her mentor.

Daisy and Ferncloud eagerly gulped up the rabbit, leaving the vole for Dovewing and her kits.

"Here kits, this is vole, have you had vole before?" Luckypaw watched Dovewing encourage her kits to eat the vole.

"I have!" Flowerkit piped up.

"I'll be leaving now," Luckypaw nodded to Dovewing before dipping her head to Ferncloud and Daisy.

Leaving the nursery, she thought about Goldenpaw. She spied Fogwhisker sitting forlornly beside a tree in the camp; part of his punishment had been confinement to camp. Fortunately for him, his moon was almost over. Alarm flashed through Fogwhisker's eyes and Luckypaw jumped. He had clearly scented something.

"Intruders!" he yowled desperately. Luckypaw's fur was bristling and her ears were perked. She was ready to fight! Luckypaw would do anything to defend her Clan.

Almost immediately, a flood of cats burst through the thorn barrier. They were WindClan, Luckypaw realized. With a snarl, she launched herself at the nearest WindClan cat, a tom, and pummeled his belly with her hind legs. Claws unsheathed, she bit and scratched viciously, dodging his attacks. To her dismay, another WindClan cat had joined the tom, it was an unfair battle now! It was a she-cat apprentice.

The tom had pinned her down, and the she-cat was preparing to give her a nasty bite, when a blur of golden fur sped by. Goldenpaw had knocked the she-cat down and was grappling with her. They were the same size and speed and Luckypaw watched amazed, as they matched movements and techniques. She couldn't help wondering if they were trained by the same cat; their movements were so precise and predicted.

Finally, the enemy she-cat gave Goldenpaw a quick blow, no, a quick lick to the shoulder before murmuring a couple words in her ear and darting out of the camp. Luckypaw glanced around and let out a breath of relief. Her Clanmates were winning the battle. Dustpelt and Ferncloud fought side by side to defend the nursery, Graystripe and Millie leapt out of the camp to chase off a WindClan tom, Firestar was battling with the WindClan leader, Onestar.