The Missing Clan

Chapter 3

❅

Rabbitflight woke up. It was morning already! He looked outside, the dawn patrol had left already. I didn't wake up early enough to go on the dawn patrol. Perhaps he could just talk with other cats. Or he could go on a later patrol. 

Honeyfur, his mate, brushed her flank against his. "Are you glad Emberpaw is doing well?" she asked. Emberpaw was their kit. "Yes," Rabbitflight meowed happily. "Soon you're going to give birth to our second litter. Our kits are due tomorrow." 

Honeyfur sighed, "Hopefully they're going to be smart and not get run over by a monster." Oakpaw, Emberpaw's brother, got run over by a monster and was now in StarClan. Rabbitflight ran his tail across Honeyfur's flank. "We'll do better next time. We get experience from our mistakes."

"Look! The dawn patrol is coming back!" Honeyfur's eyes lit up at the sight of every cat carrying rabbits. "We have prey-rich land." 

Suddenly, a cat ran into camp. It was Beechpaw, who was supposed to be on a border patrol. "Rogues! We saw rogues!"

Willowstar flashed in front of Beechpaw. "Are they fighting?" "I don't know, but when I left, it certainly looked like it. Sorrelpelt sent me to get help."

"Okay, Oakclaw, is Storkpaw good enough for battle? Bring her if so," Willowstar meowed. "Minnowflight! Tallfeather, Emberpaw, Badgerclaw, Rabbitflight! Come with me! We're going in battle." Rabbitflight glanced at Storkpaw, there was a excited glint in her eyes.  "Come on, Storkpaw." Oakclaw, her mentor guided her with his tail.

"Needleheart! Can you get your herbs ready to cure wounds when we're back?" The gray tom nodded, "Sure can." Then he disappeared inside the medicine den. Rabbitflight flexed his claws, and was about to follow Willowstar, but Honeyfur stopped him. "Be careful. You're going to be the father of my second litter and you're the father of Emberpaw. We need you to be okay."

"I will be okay, I promise," Rabbitflight meowed. "I have to go now. The rogues won't fight themselves." Honeyfur nodded, "Be careful!" she called when Rabbitflight ran to catch up to the patrol. "Bye!" 

Rabbitflight ran with the patrol and followed Beechpaw. A battle cry rang out, and Rabbitflight saw a flash of brown fur. Hawk, a rogue cat who joined them in the Great Journey to the lake, clawed a black-and-white tom. The rogue yowled and clawed the air. Hawk dodged and pounced on the rogue's back, flattening the tom until he retreated. 

Rabbitflight glanced over to see how Sorrelpelt was doing. The tortoiseshell she-cat was pinned to the ground by a orange ginger she-cat, who was snarling things at her. Rabbitflight got the ginger's tail in his mouth, and bit on it as hard as he could. The ginger she-cat yowled in pain, whirling around to see her attacker. She snapped at Rabbitflight, but he didn't let go. Sorrelpelt got up and slashed her claws against the she-cat's flank. Then Sorrowpelt pinned the ginger she-cat to the ground. 

Sorrelpelt lifted her paw, and was about to make one last blow, but the she-cat begged for mercy. "Please, spare me!" Sorrelpelt looked at the ginger for one last moment, then let the she-cat flee.

Sorrelpelt turned to Rabbitflight, "Thank you. I would have never survived without you." Rabbitflight meowed, "You're welcome." He then turned around as a gray she-cat was about to pounce on him. Rabbitflight quickly slide aside, and jumped on the gray she-cat, pinning her to the ground. He gave the she-cat a few blows on her cheek, but she rolled around and pinned him. The she-cat dug her claws on Rabbitflight's underbelly. Then she slashed his cheek. Gritting his teeth, Rabbitflight slid underneath the she-cat and kicked with his back claws. The she-cat instantly went flying, yowling in shock.

A tom ran to her side and helped her up. The gray she-cat leaned on him as the tom led her into the bushes. Suddenly, Willowstar yowled, "Fight in pairs!" 

The LeafClan cats suddenly moved closer to another one, fighting blow after blow. Fur suddenly brushed his flank. It was Minnowflight, his mother. "We fight as one," she meowed. 

A black tom suddenly advanced on them. Minnowflight's gray paw suddenly shot up, aiming for the tom's cheek. Rabbitflight did the same, only on the tom's other cheek. Then their claws moved up, slashing the black tom's nose. The tom shrieked in pain, as their claws went down and slashed his neck. The tom retreated, fleeing into the bushes, blood splashing down onto the ground. Minnowflight gave a meow of triumph. 

Then a brown muscular tom turned on them. This cat must be the leader, Rabbitflight thought. His right eye had a scar over it. Rabbitflight aimed a blow at his left eye, but the tom ducked, and slashed Rabbitflight's neck. He's going for the kill! Rabbitflight realized. So I have to do the same. Kill or be killed. The tom lunged for his neck again, his jaws snapping. Rabbitflight lunged right, and turned around, scratching the tom's neck ferociously. The tom snarled, whirling around and giving Rabbitflight a scratch on his back. Rabbitflight lunged, nipping the brown tom's hind leg. The tom shrieked in pain. Then Rabbitflight turned and bit the tom's tail. 

The tom yowled in pain. "I am Fang. I cannot be defeated!" Rabbitflight decided to prove him wrong. He dug his claws in Fang's neck. "Retreat or I'll rip your neck," Rabbitflight threatened. "Either way, you group will have to retreat. Live or die." He dug his claws harder. "Okay, okay! Retreat!" Fang yowled. "Just let me go!"

Rabbitflight released Fang's neck, triumphant. Fang and his remaining companions ran into the bushes, defeated. 

Sorrelpelt winced, faltering to the ground. Her leg had a deep bite on it. I should have stayed by her side! We need to get her to Needleheart now! He padded to Sorrelpelt's side. "Can you walk?" Rabbitflight asked. "Y-yes. I've walked on three legs before," Sorrelpelt assured him. Then she winced again. "I can handle it." The tortoiseshell feebly made it ahead of him.

~ ⋅ ~ 

Honeyfur rushed up to Rabbitflight, buring her nose in Rabbitflight's fur. "Thank StarClan you're okay," she meowed. "I was so worried." 

"Does your belly hurt?" Rabbitflight asked. It was sunhigh already. "No," Honeyfur meowed. "You should go to Needleheart. Those wounds look fierce." Rabbitflight nodded and padded to the medicine den.