The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 17

Sunlight shone through the bracken that warm morning. They had nearly reached the Fourtrees when Stormfoot spoke.

"What do you smell?"

Sunpaw pricked up her ears and breathed deeply. Her eyes widened.

"WindClan," she muttered. "And it's rather recent."

Stormfoot seemed interested as he tasted the air.

"Hm," he meowed softly. "You're right."

"What do we do?" Sunpaw looked at her mentor.

"We tell Stormshadow and Maplestar," he decided. "At once." He turned on his heel to walk toward camp. Sunpaw followed him.

"Stormshadow!" Stormfoot mewed as they entered. The dark cat pricked up his ears. "Sunpaw has news for you."

"WindClan," the apprentice announced breathlessly. "I scented them in our territory, near Fourtrees."

Maplestar padded out of her den; she had apparently been listening.

"We'll send a patrol there," she mewed. "I will take Lavenderpelt, Falconwing, Oakleaf, Forestfrost, Fogpaw, and Sunpaw. Stormshadow will stay with the rest of you. Are we agreed?"

Rumbles of agreement ran through the crowd, and the cats that had been called ran to the ThunderClan leader.

"Are we going to attack?" asked Littlestripe.

"Only if we have to," replied Maplestar calmly.

The seven cats padded through the gorse tunnel and headed north. Maplestar looked determined as each paw steadily touched the earth, one by one. As they passed the Owl Tree and neared Fourtrees, Maplestar flicked her tail and the cats advanced.

"They were here," she confirmed quietly as they went. The smell of WindClan filled their nostrils as they crossed the border. Sunpaw could catch the vague fear-scent on her brother as they passed a hollow. The scent of the enemy Clan was steadily growing stronger as they neared the WindClan camp.

Suddenly, Maplestar halted. A tear in a clump of bracken had appeared in the entrance of the camp. She flicked her tail, breathed deeply, and entered.

Sunpaw edged through behind Forestfrost into the camp. Some kits who were playing in the grass by a heather nursery stopped as their mothers pushed them inside. Spiritheart, the cream-colored WindClan deputy, stopped.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Have you come to bring a message?"

"Where is Dewstar?" Maplestar asked. "I wish to speak with her."

Spiritheart bowed his head. "Very well," he meowed, and padded into one of the dens. Dewstar walked out, looking serious.

"We have come to discuss trespassing," Maplestar growled. "We caught WindClan scent on our territory."

"Did you?" Dewstar narrowed her eyes.

Oakleaf twitched his tail irritably.

"Yes," Maplestar meowed, her hackles raising. "Explain yourself."

"If it is a fight you want," Dewstar went on dangerously, "It is a fight you shall get. How many warriors have you with you?"

Maplestar's tail flicked. Clearly, she did not want Dewstar to know - it would increase their chances of being outnumbered. 

"I have not come to fight."

"Any intrusion into my territory is a cause to fight! Attack!"

Maplestar's eyes fixed on the WindClan leader, fur sticking straight up on her neck, and she pounced.