Yellowfang ignored him. Once out of the camp she raced toward the Thunderpath. Everything was silent. Perhaps the patrol will just set new border markers and leave, she thought hopefully.
Panting, Yellowfang emerged from the trees close to the place where the tunnel led into WindClan territory. She couldn’t see Brokentail or his patrol, but her heart sank when she sniffed around the entrance to the tunnel and scented ShadowClan warriors heading through it. Yellowfang padded forward, her pelt brushing the tunnel walls. For a few paw steps, light from the opening lit her path, but soon that faded, leaving her in the dark. She jumped, her belly lurching, as a roar sounded from overhead, echoing around the tunnel until she thought her ears would burst.
It’s only a monster, she told herself. Why are you so jumpy? One of those huge things would never get down here.
Gradually the end of the tunnel appeared, a bright circle in the dimness. Yellowfang’s ears rang from the noise of monsters as she clambered out. Dreadful shrieks rose into the air from somewhere up ahead. Oh, no! Cats are fighting!
She broke into a run, scrambling up a short, steep slope covered with tough moorland grass, and clawed her way across a sandy overhang. Reaching the top, she looked down into a narrow valley with a stream running along the bottom. The ShadowClan patrol was grappling with WindClan cats. Yellowfang recognized Talltail and a small, russet-furred tom called Redclaw. The others were strangers to her.
“Trespassers!” Talltail growled as he launched himself at Brokentail. “Get off our territory!”
“Prey-stealers!” Brokentail retorted, raking his claws down Talltail’s side.
“Stop!” Yellowfang screeched, but no cat heard her.
For a heartbeat she wanted to hurl herself into the battle and help her Clanmates, but she stopped herself. I am a medicine cat. I must keep apart from Clan rivalries.
She watched, horrified, as Raggedstar and Redclaw tussled together in a shrieking ball of fur, battering at each other with their strong hind paws as both cats strove to break free. Cloudpelt jumped on top of another WindClan warrior, lashing at his ears until the blood ran freely. Then he sprang off and flung himself at Talltail, who had pinned Brokentail down and was clawing at his face. Scorchwind had fallen beneath the paws of a tabby tom, who was trying to sink his teeth into the ShadowClan warrior’s throat.
Yellowfang’s heart began to pound harder as she realized that her Clanmates were being beaten back toward the tunnel. Even though the patrol was made up of ShadowClan’s best fighters, they were no match for WindClan’s fury.
Raggedstar broke away from his battle with Redclaw and staggered to his paws. “Retreat!” he yowled.
Brokentail snarled with rage, in spite of the blood running down his face, but Raggedstar gathered the patrol together and they gradually fought their way back toward the tunnel, still harried by the WindClan cats. Yellowfang gasped as a stabbing pain shot through her throat. She scanned her Clanmates and saw Cloudpelt stumble to the ground. His thick white fur was turning red.
As she rushed forward to support Cloudpelt, she heard Raggedstar hiss, “What are you doing here?”
Yellowfang ignored the question. “We have to get Cloudpelt back to camp!” she gasped.
To her relief, they were only a few fox-lengths away from the tunnel mouth, and the WindClan cats, satisfied with their victory, drew back at last.
“Don’t set paw on our territory again!” Talltail yowled after them.
Yellowfang helped Cloudpelt through the tunnel, stumbling through the darkness with the roar of monsters all around them. The Clan deputy scarcely seemed conscious, and she had to take all his weight. At the other end of the tunnel Scorchwind came to Cloudpelt’s other side to prop him up, and the patrol struggled back to the camp.
“Cobwebs! Quickly!” Yellowfang snapped at Runningnose as she dragged Cloudpelt into her den. She remembered how she had battled to save his life before, when the rogues leaped out at him. I succeeded then. I will succeed now. “StarClan, wait your turn!” she hissed aloud.
The other members of the patrol crowded in after them, but Yellowfang only had eyes for the white warrior, who had collapsed onto the ground.
“Get a juniper berry,” she ordered as Runningnose brought her a thick pad of cobweb. “Crush it and see if you can get the juice into him.” She pressed the cobweb to the gash in Cloudpelt’s throat, but his blood soaked through almost at once. Runningnose dropped another pad beside her before fetching the juniper berry.
“I need marigold and thyme!” Yellowfang ordered, pressing the fresh cobweb to Cloudpelt’s wound.
As she worked she was vaguely aware of dismayed wails coming from the clearing, as the rest of the Clan heard about the patrol’s defeat. Meanwhile Runningnose dealt with the injuries of the rest of the patrol; none of them were serious.
“Get off me!” Brokentail snapped when Runningnose tried to help him clean up the scratches on his face. “I don’t need a stupid medicine cat pawing over me.”
Runningnose shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he muttered. He watched Brokentail stride out of the den, then turned to examine the claw marks on Scorchwind’s flank.
This is all my fault, Yellowfang thought as she listened to Cloudpelt’s wavering breath. I should have forced Raggedstar to listen to me about that rabbit. WindClan had fought this fiercely because they had been falsely accused.
The rest of the patrol left the den after Runningnose had finished treating them. Yellowfang looked up to see that daylight was already fading; she had lost all track of time. “You’d better get some sleep,” she told Runningnose. “I’ll call you if I need anything.”
Runningnose nodded, glancing anxiously down at Cloudpelt, then curled up in his nest and closed his eyes.
The night dragged on. Yellowfang never moved from Cloudpelt’s side, listening to his shallow breathing and watching the ooze of blood that still trickled from his neck. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there when the young warrior’s eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes.
“Yellowfang?” he murmured feebly.
“I’m here.” Yellowfang rested a paw reassuringly on Cloudpelt’s shoulder. “I won’t leave you.” She reached for a ball of wet moss and held it so that Cloudpelt could lap at it.
“That’s good…” Cloudpelt sighed out the words. “Am I going to StarClan?”
“Not if I can help it,” Yellowfang muttered grimly.
Cloudpelt twitched his whiskers. “Maybe I’ll see you there…” His voice faded and his eyes closed again.
Her heart clenched with grief, Yellowfang stayed by his side. Gradually she became aware that another cat was standing beside her. She looked up to see Brokentail.
“Have you come to have your wounds treated?” she asked.
“No,” Brokentail sneered. “I’ve come to tell you not to waste your efforts with Cloudpelt. His time is over. He would never have been able to lead ShadowClan.” He drew himself up, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. “There is only one cat who can do that after Raggedstar. I will be the next leader of ShadowClan.”
“How can you say that?” Yellowfang gasped. “I am a medicine cat, and I will always do everything I can to save my Clanmates!”
Brokentail did not respond, just looked down at Cloudpelt with eyes that glittered with hostility. Then without another word, he stalked out of the den.
Brokentail lied about the rabbit, I’m sure of it. And now Cloudpelt is terribly injured. Yellowfang remembered what Raggedstar had said to his son when he made Cloudpelt deputy. Don’t worry. I’ve many seasons left in me, and if anything should happen to Cloudpelt, it will be your turn next. She forced her darkest fears away. Even if Brokentail had deliberately caught the rabbit to start a battle with WindClan, he couldn’t have known how badly Cloudpelt would be hurt. Brokentail is ambitious, but that’s a good thing for a warrior. I can still be proud of him.