At least we can see the monsters properly, not just their blazing eyes!
Sandstorm stood in the middle of their line, her head turning to and fro as she waited for a gap between the monsters. “When I say ‘run,’” she mewed, “then run as if the whole of ShadowClan were after you, and don’t stop until you get to the other side.”
It seemed a long time to Alderpaw before the roaring of monsters died away and the last of them dwindled into the distance.
“Now!” Sandstorm exclaimed. “Run!”
Alderpaw leaped forward in massive bounds, his paws barely touching the hard surface of the Thunderpath as he raced toward the trees on the other side, Sparkpaw keeping pace next to him. Then the roar of a monster burst upon Alderpaw’s ears, and he heard Sandstorm shriek, “Faster!”
Glancing over, Alderpaw saw the biggest monster yet bearing down on him, looming over him with its jaws gaping. All his instincts told him to freeze in terror, but Sparkpaw barreled into him, forcing him to keep running.
The monster passed behind them with a blast of wind, and Alderpaw collapsed, panting, on the grass at the far side of the Thunderpath.
“Great StarClan, that was scary!” Sparkpaw exclaimed.
Alderpaw sat up, panting for breath.
“Thanks, Sparkpaw. You saved—”
His sister gave him a hard nudge. “Shut up, stupid furball.”
“We ought to get under cover,” Molewhisker suggested. “The monsters might start throwing things again.”
“Good idea,” Sandstorm agreed.
They trekked through the trees for the rest of the day, as clouds began to gather, casting a gloom over the forest. Wind rustled the upper branches, and a few drops of rain spattered down. Toward evening the sky cleared again, but the air remained chilly. Fluffing up his fur, Alderpaw wished he could look forward to his cozy nest in the apprentices’ den. At least I don’t think we’re being watched anymore.
Maybe we lost the creature, whatever it was, back at the Thunderpath.
Eventually they came to a hollow edged by thick holly bushes. There was a small pool of water at the bottom, and all the cats, sore-pawed by now, limped down the slope and lapped gratefully at the water.
“This is as good a place as any to make camp,” Sandstorm meowed. “Alderpaw, you and I will collect bedding while the rest of you hunt.”
Alderpaw felt a pang of regret that he would never be chosen to join the hunters, but quickly set to work collecting leaves, moss, and ferns to make a nest for his Clanmates to share in the shelter of a bush. It was ready, soft and comfortable, by the time the moon had risen and the others returned with a couple of thrushes and several shrews.
“Good night,” Sparkpaw yawned when she had gulped down her share of the prey. “Maybe we’ll find this shadowy thing tomorrow.”
“Oh, no,” Sandstorm responded sleepily.
“There’s a long way to go yet.”
Alderpaw burrowed down into the nest with Sparkpaw by his side.
He was almost asleep when he heard the crunching of leaves coming from somewhere among the bushes. He sat up, instantly alert, to see that Sandstorm had heard it, too, while the other three cats were still struggling to their paws. As the crunching sound continued, Alderpaw thought that he could distinguish paw steps.
Sandstorm signaled with her tail for the others to stay where they were. “I’ll check it out,” she whispered.
As cautiously as if she were stalking a mouse, Sandstorm crept out of the nest and headed toward the bushes. She had almost reached them when the night air was split by a ferocious growl.
A strong reek flooded over Alderpaw, and he let out a yowl of fear as a shape hurtled out of the bushes and lunged at Sandstorm.
Alderpaw caught the flash of teeth and claws, the gleam of malignant eyes.
“StarClan, no!” Sparkpaw wailed. “I think that’s a fox!”
Chapter 11
Alderpaw couldn’t believe how fast the fox was. He watched, stunned, as its wiry body leaped through the air and landed on Sandstorm, its pointed snout burying itself in her fur as its gnashing teeth sank into her shoulder.
Sandstorm let out a shrill yowl of pain.
Shaking off his shock, Alderpaw raced forward and flung himself on top of the fox.
Snarling, it turned and reared up, throwing Alderpaw off its back. Free of its jaws, Sandstorm rolled away, looking dazed. Blood was pouring from the wound in her shoulder.
“Get out of this!” Alderpaw called to her.
“It’s too dangerous—you’re hurt!”
Sandstorm hesitated, sliding out her claws, then reluctantly started dragging herself off to one side.
Alderpaw darted toward the fox again, scoring his claws down its side, then leaping back out of range as it snapped at him. Where are the others? he thought. He gazed around, and his heart pounded even harder as he saw a second fox attacking his other Clanmates, who were defending themselves desperately. They won’t be able to help me, Alderpaw realized, his terror mounting. The night air was full of snarls and yowling and the reek of blood.
Alderpaw’s fox swiped at his face, and he barely managed to duck in time to avoid the blow. The fox lunged at him again; leaping backward, Alderpaw crashed into something hard, and he realized that he was trapped against the trunk of a tree.
The fox growled, claws raking at the ground in front of it. Alderpaw tried to hiss at it in defiance, but the sound came out weak and unthreatening. I wouldn’t even frighten a kit!
Alderpaw braced himself as the fox crouched to spring. But before it could move, a high-pitched cry rang out. In the moonlight
Alderpaw saw a whirlwind of fur fly out of the bushes and land right on the fox’s back.
The fox let out a fearsome screech and thrashed back and forth, trying to dislodge the ball of fur from its back. But the furball had dug its claws in and managed to cling on.
It’s a she-cat, Alderpaw realized. Great StarClan, she’s brave! But she’s no match for a fox.
There was no time to wonder who the strange cat was. Throwing himself back into the fight, Alderpaw tried to get his claws into the fox’s throat, but his grip gave way as it shook its head violently. Then he realized that Sparkpaw had joined him, fighting fiercely by his side, slashing at the fox’s shoulder, then darting back out of range.
“Swipe at its eye!” the cat on the fox’s back called out. “Go for its hind leg!”
The strange cat’s voice sounded oddly familiar to Alderpaw, but he had no time to think about that, and in the fitful moonlight he couldn’t see her clearly.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go!” Sparkpaw gasped to her.
“I wasn’t planning to!” The strange cat raked her claws along the fox’s back, while Alderpaw and Sparkpaw kept on attacking from the side, trying to throw the fox off balance.
At last the creature screeched and, with a massive shake, hurled the strange cat off; she went sprawling in a patch of fern. Alderpaw dashed between her and the fox, ready to defend her, but the fox had clearly had enough.
It turned tail and ran, while Cherryfall and Molewhisker drove the second fox after it.
For a few heartbeats all the cats stood still, their chests heaving as they fought for breath.
Sandstorm was the first to speak. “Is every cat okay?”
“I’m fine,” Alderpaw responded.
“I banged my shoulder on the ground,” Molewhisker mewed. “I think it’ll be stiff tomorrow, but it’s not serious.”
“I’ve just lost a bit of fur,” Cherryfall added.
Alderpaw began sniffing Sparkpaw all over to make sure she was unhurt, though she wriggled under his questing nose. “Honestly, Alderpaw, I’m okay.”