Is Webster really going to pounce while we’re on top of the fence? Bramblestar wondered. Sure, kittypets have good balance, but not that good!
“Get ready to jump down,” he muttered to Jessy. “Take the fight to the ground.”
“Oh, yes,” a new voice purred from behind him, beyond Jessy. “What a good idea.”
Bramblestar glanced over his shoulder to see three kittypets crowding up to Jessy on top of the fence. All three of them had bristling fur and bright, bold eyes.
“That’s Victor,” Jessy murmured, pointing with her tail at the pale brown tabby who was in the lead. “The ginger she-cat behind him is Scarlet, and the silver tabby is O’Hara. Ziggy and Riga will be somewhere close by; you can be sure of that.”
O’Hara waved his tail at Bramblestar. “So pleased to meet you,” he purred.
As if his words were a signal, all four kittypets charged at Bramblestar and Jessy.
“Jump!” Bramblestar yowled.
Together he and Jessy sprang down from the fence on the forest side. Screeching furiously, the kittypets launched themselves after them. Bramblestar was knocked off his paws as O’Hara landed on top of him. He rolled over and sprang up again, raking his claws along the silver tabby’s side.
Jessy was bravely tussling with Webster, but for all her courage she was much lighter than Webster and she was getting the worst of it. Webster was obviously an experienced fighter, gripping Jessy in his claws so she couldn’t maneuver to strike. O’Hara had backed off, and Bramblestar was about to leap to help Jessy when two bodies slammed into him from behind. He let out a yowl as he felt claws digging into his shoulders. Twisting around, he found himself facing Victor and Scarlet, their eyes gleaming and their shoulder fur bristling as they tried to thrust him to the ground.
Remembering his battle training, Bramblestar let himself go limp, sinking to the ground with the two kittypets on top of him.
“Coward!” Scarlet jeered. “I thought you wild cats could fight.”
Not wasting breath on a reply, Bramblestar exploded upward, balancing on his hind paws while he struck out at his enemies with both forepaws. His claws scored down Victor’s muzzle; the kittypet let out a yelp of pain and scrambled back out of range. But although Bramblestar’s second blow caught Scarlet across her ear, she barely paused, shaking her head to clear it, then leaped at Bramblestar again. Victor recovered himself and joined her, bearing Bramblestar to the ground. As his paws gave way he caught a glimpse of a slender black cat dashing up to join the fray, with a ginger-and-white kittypet hard on his paws.
Oh, no! That must be Ziggy and Riga! Jessy and I are crow-food! “ThunderClan, attack!” he screeched.
Bramblestar struggled under the weight of Scarlet and Victor. He was beginning to think his Clanmates hadn’t heard him when he heard yowls of defiance, so loud that they swamped the screeches of the battle, and the sound of cats crashing through the undergrowth.
Thank StarClan! My warriors are here!
A heartbeat later the weight of the kittypets vanished and Bramblestar caught a glimpse of Cinderheart chasing Victor into the bushes. Ivypool darted in to slash at Scarlet from one side, while Snowpaw copied her on the other side, leaving Scarlet not knowing where to defend herself.
You’ve taught your apprentice well, Ivypool, Bramblestar thought.
Cloudtail had torn Webster away from Jessy and was driving him back with repeated blows to his ears. Jessy staggered to her paws, battered and bleeding, but still looking around for the next attack. Bramblestar headed toward her, but was blocked by the ginger-and-white kittypet, who hurtled toward him with growls of anger and aimed a blow at him with claws extended. Bramblestar ducked under the blow and thrust himself at the kittypet’s chest, driving him to the ground, then leaped on top of him, battering at his belly with all four paws. The kittypet wriggled free and fled.
Bramblestar rose and looked around him, his head reeling from the force of the battle. I never thought kittypets could fight like this! He saw O’Hara trip Lionblaze, then crouch on top of him, raking his claws across Lionblaze’s shoulders, until Cinderheart grabbed him and chased him off. Lionblaze rose to his paws, glaring after Cinderheart with fury in his eyes. Bramblestar could feel his rage that Cinderheart thought he had to be rescued, even though blood was dripping from her wounds too.
Gradually the ThunderClan cats began to drive the kittypets back toward the Twoleg fences, their warrior skills overcoming their adversaries’ uncontrolled attack. Bramblestar spotted Jessy copying his move of ducking under a blow from the black kittypet and shoving her to the ground. The black kittypet rolled away from Jessy’s claws and fled.
Jessy learns fast! Bramblestar thought admiringly. “Great move!” he called to her.
Victor lunged out of a nearby bush and hurled himself at Blossomfall, who staggered under the weight of his body. Bramblestar sprang after them and hauled Victor off, sinking his teeth into the kittypet’s tail. Victor let out a shriek of pain and whirled to face him, but he was off-balance, and Bramblestar easily crushed him to the ground.
Standing over Victor, pinning him down with both hind paws, Bramblestar raised his claws to slash through Victor’s throat. “Do you give in?” he growled.
Victor bared his teeth in a snarl. “Kill me if you want, flea-pelt!”
Bramblestar stepped back, letting the defeated kittypet scramble to his paws. “Do you give in?” he repeated.
Victor gave him a puzzled look, as if he wasn’t sure why he was still alive. The rest of the kittypets, apart from the black cat who had fled, gathered around, their expressions still threatening.
“Warriors do not kill if there is no need,” Bramblestar told them. “But you must let the wild cats hunt here in the forest.”
“Why should we?” Scarlet sneered.
“Because if you don’t, we’ll come back with more warriors, and show less mercy,” Blossomfall growled.
The kittypets still hesitated, until Lionblaze stepped forward. His golden pelt was soaked in blood, and his eyes glared menace. He didn’t need to speak; all the kittypets edged away from him.
“All right,” Victor agreed at last, dull anger in his voice. “We’ll leave the squirrel munchers alone.”
“Good.” Bramblestar was about to call his patrol together to leave, when a new voice spoke behind him.
“What in the name of StarClan do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter 22
Bramblestar whirled around. Rowanstar stood a fox-length away, flanked by Pinenose, Ferretclaw, and his apprentice, Spikepaw. The fur of all four cats was bristling with rage, so that they looked twice their normal size. Their furious gazes were fixed on the ThunderClan cats.
“How dare you come here?” Rowanstar hissed.
Bramblestar was aware of the kittypets slinking away. He took a pace forward, trying to find the right words to defend himself and his patrol. Fox dung! I’d hoped we could get away without ShadowClan knowing we were here.
“What makes you think you have to fight our battles for us?” Rowanstar snarled. “This is our hunting territory now. What gives you the right even to set paw here?” He dug his claws hard into the ground as if what he really wanted was to rake them across Bramblestar’s face. “You came to offer us help, and we refused. Why couldn’t you take no for an answer?”