Warriors: The New Forest-A New Light

Chapter 5

It was already dark out, and the DuskClan patrol, which consisted of Shadowstar, Moonshine, Raggeddrop, Sparrowpaw, and Darkpaw were patrolling their border making sure no other patrol or clan was trespassing their territory.

Despite it being dark, the moon gave out some light for the patrol to see where they were going. As they looked around to see if anyone was passing their territory or prey running about; Shadowstar stopped and smelled the air catching a scent of something.

Moonshine and Raggeddrop caught the scent as well. Then they heard the sound of a fox and cats squealing for help. The patrol ran to where the commotion was going on and saw foxes attacking a patrol of FreezeClan warriors.

"Of all the times like this, a fox had to come at night." Shadowstar said.

The FreezeClan warriors were clawing their way to attack the foxes. Silverstar landed on one of the foxes, digging his claws on its back to keep him away from Suncloud who had claw marks over his belly. The other fox then can a bit Silverstar's neck, and he suddenly blacked out.

"Oh no." Shadowstar whispered, he knew what happened to Silverstar.

"What's wrong with Silverstar?" Darkpaw asked feeling worried for the other leader.

"He lost one of his lives." Shadowstar whispered.

Suncloud saw his leader, slowly regaining consciousness and decided scratch the fox, in the face but the other fox pounced on him and started to claw him to pieces, and ended by bite his neck.

The apprentices closed their eyes in horror, and once they opened them back up, they widen seeing Suncloud, dead, with blood oozing from his neck.

A small apprentice named Crowpaw saw his former clan mate dead and decided to attack the fox. "Crowpaw! No!" Pricklestripe, Crowpaw's mentor yelled. Crowpaw tried to attack the fox, but the fox grabbed his foot and slammed him to the tree knocking him out cold.

"Should we help them?!" Sparrowpaw asked to his clan mates.

"Their FreezeClan warriors," Raggeddrop spat, "let's leave it to them, their other clan mates should be the ones to help them." The patrol looked at Raggeddrop and back at the FreezeClan warriors.

Sparrowpaw looked at the fox attacking the warriors and remembered seeing something from a few moons ago. Seeing a fox standing over his parents, and Sparrowpaw looking at them straight in the eye with fear in his own eyes.

Sparrowpaw snapped out of it when he saw Darkpaw run near the foxes and FreezeClan. "Darkpaw!" Sparrowpaw yelled.

"What is he, mouse brained?" Raggeddrop asked.

Darkpaw his into the bushes, then had his tail up and waved it a bit. The foxes looked up and smelled him, and turned around facing the small black tom. The black tom looked scared, but had to feel confidence in him. One of the foxes had their muzzle inside the bushes, and in one swipe Darkpaw slashed his facing making the fox run off.

The other fox growled at him and was ready to pounce only for the patrol to come by and protect him. The fox then saw the standing remaining FreezeClan warriors growl at both the fox and the DuskClan patrol.

Seeing it was in the middle of the crossfire, the fox ran off. Both clans felt a sigh of relief as the FreezeClan medicine cat; Honeypelt came by and took Crowpaw. Silverstar looked at the injured apprentice now being cared by Honeypelt, and his dead warrior, and saw there was no need to fight DuskClan at this time, instead he waved his tail, giving them a single to retreat back to their clan.

The cats ran off back to FreezeClan and Silverstar was behind giving a glare to DuskClan, and caring Suncloud's body back to camp. DuskClan sighed seeing there was no need for a fight. Darkpaw slowly appeared from the bushed looking down, as his mentor and brother glared at him.

"What we're you thinking mouse brain!?" Sparrowpaw yelled.

"I-I just wanted to help, there was no way they could defeat foxes themselves!" Darkpaw yelled.

"Yeah, but you would of gotten killed!" Sparrowpaw yelled back.

"But." Shadowstar said steeping in. "It was really brave of you to help them." He said giving a smile. "Though I would punish you, but FreezeClan needed help, they couldn't defeat foxes themselves." He explained. "Nice strategy with your tail."

Darkpaw looked at his tail and gave a smile. "I don't know what came over me, but I thought if the foxes caught my scent I could lead the foxes away." Darkpaw explained.

"That's a great strategy." Moonshine said with a smile. "But its already moon high, we should continue with the patrol." She explained.

"Right, Sparrowpaw, Darkpaw do you two think you can survive the rest of the patrol, Raggeddrop could take you guys back to camp, if you feel like it." Shadowstar explained. The two apprentices looked at each other not sure what to do.

"I guess we can patrol for a little while." Sparrowpaw said. Shadowstar smiled and led the patrol and they followed.

As they patrolled with the moon high up, Raggeddrop decided to pull Darkpaw forward and decided to talk to him. "I must say I'm very impressed with your strategy there, Darkpaw."

Darkpaw smiled seeing his mentor was finally impressed with him. After moons of being an apprentice, Raggeddrop finally started to be nicer to him. "Really? Thanks."

Raggeddrop looked at his apprentice more, seeing that this little apprentice could be something more to him. Maybe even a strong warrior, which was what Darkpaw was thinking of. "I hope to expect more from you." Raggeddrop said as he then went back to the patrol.

Darkpaw smiled and looked at the stars twinkling in the sky again. He then went back to his patrol, and they headed back to camp. Once they were there, Darkpaw went to his nest, and waited to tell his brother what happened.

"So Raggeddrop was proud of your skills tonight?" Sparrowpaw whispered as the other apprentices were asleep. Darkpaw nodded. "Wow." He said. "Well I'm proud of you, but be careful okay."

"I know." Darkpaw responded. He yawned and lied down on his nest. Sparrowpaw smiled and fell asleep as well, however, before he did he caught a small glimpse of Raggeddrop leaving the clan again.