Four-Clan Battle

[Pie]

Feeling the cat fall beneath him gave Bearclaw a sense of empowerment. Feeling crazed the large tom pushed his paw down on Nightstorm's head. His claws were checked in, but his teeth still visible.

"Foolish," was all Bearclaw could get out before a cat took him by surprise and barreled into him.

xxx

Stromflower watched her Clan spring into battle and clash with the others. Their courage surged through her limbs, giving the Deputy the power she needed to fight. She was an okay fighter, but definitely not for the tom she was about to crash into. Due to her poor nose, and all the blood surrounding her, she failed to notice the cat beneath the giant of a cat, was not StreamClan.

All in all, she charged and soared into the MeadowClan tom, pulling him off the suffocating cat beneath. Eyes closed in rage she ripped her teeth into the other's ear, causing him to yowl and shake her off.

Hitting the ground with and Ooof Stormflower raised to her paws and shook her ruffled pelt. "Beast!"[/b] Screeching she held her ground and faced the larger tom off.[/size]

[kimmehh]

Satisfaction welled inside the tom when a surprised screech eruped from Sorrelpaw. Ravenclaw growled menacingly as she pulled away, dropping into a crouch, ready to spring.

The black-and-white long-furred warrior bared his fangs. He was a large, muscular cat; often not one to mess with in battle. But then, Ravenclaw was too bloodthirsty. Far too bloodthirsty.

With a yowl of outrage he flung himself at the apprentice once more, claws lashing, tail whipping from side to side.

~ ~ ~ ~

Dapplestorm, currently not in battle with anyone, took a moment to glance around. So many cats were caught up in their own tussles that they didn't notice her. Some cats, blinded by blood, lashed out at anything and sometimes occasionally attacked their own Clanmates by mistake. What a disaster; how long would it go on?

Then, in the corner of her eye, the slightly undersized she-cat saw something that made her let out a hiss of fear and alarm. Nightpaw, lying on one side; Darkpaw, close to death by a warrior biting into his neck. These were her Clanmates - Dapplestorm had to help!

With a yowl of pure defiance, the MeadowClan warrior forgot her pain and sped across the clearing. She barreled into the warrior, knocking him off Darkpaw with the unexpected blow. She lashed her claws out and raked them across his pelt, across his eyes, anywhere; so long as he didn't near the apprentices again.

[/font][/size]

[Nightfall]

Darkpaw opened his eyes blurrily. Was he...dead? No, he couldn't be. He could still hear the battle. Who had saved him?

He struggled to lift his head and saw his sister still laying on her side. He turned his head. Dapplestorm had saved him! She was fighting off the huge warrior.

"Dapplestorm!" He yowled. He tried to get up, but when he did, he fell back down. He had lost too much blood and was still losing more. His vision blurred again.

'No...' He thought. 'No...'

[Kiddo [le pwnsome]]

Nightstorm was at the brink of unconciousness when he felt the weight recede. The fangs were ripped from his back with a suprised yowl. Nightstorm coughed and hacked, trying to regain his breath. He heard snarls and a voice, a voice he recognized. Stormflower!

He knew he should help, knew it with every fiber of his being. But there was no response. Angrily, he forced himself to stand, staggering on unsteady paws.
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Sorrelpaw lunged sideways to avoid the attack, but her shoulder was ripped open by the whirlwind of claws at the cat barreled past once more. She staggered, vision blurring in pain. She knew she had little time, and spun to attack. She leapt, claws digging into fur and skin. But she had landed wrong, she knew it, her grip was off. Her back leg slipped slightly, and she dug in further, knowing the only thing keeping her alive was the strength with which she clung on.

[kimmehh]

Ravenclaw whipped around in fury as he came crashing down, missing Sorrelpaw as she dodged to the side. He barely had time to turn around when she attacked him with tooth and claw; pain seared through his veins and he struggled to regain himself.

"Foolish apprentice," the FogClan tom spat fiercly, flailing with his forepaws to try to throw her off. "I'll flay you!"

The black and white warrior tried to twist around, to face his opponent and get a better grip. But she had a firm grip on him that only got tighter as time passed. Ravenclaw tried raking his claws in her fur, tried biting her neck; but it was hard to twist around and reach her.

He would not let an apprentice beat him.

~ ~ ~ ~

After finally managing to chase off the warrior, Dapplestorm turned around to face her Clanmates. Darkpaw had yowled out her name at one point but she had chosen not to respond; her main target had been to get the enemy away so that she could see if these apprentices were alright. And her goal had now been achieved.

Worriedly, the little tortoiseshell staggered over to Darkpaw. "Darkpaw! Darkpaw, are you alright?" she breathed, worry filling her pale green eyes as the tom fell down. He couldn't die now. And what about Nightpaw?

Dapplestorm glanced across to the she-cat, basically unconscious. "Nightpaw," she whispered fretfully. She was no medicine cat! Oh, what do I do now? the MeadowClan she-cat thought, pacing the ground in irritation and fear.

[/font][/size]

[Nightfall]

Darkpaw opened his eyes. Where was he? He seemed to be in a cool grassy landscape with a few trees here and there. He stepped forward, only to be flung back by a strong force. A long-furred, slim she-cat appeared before him, stars dancing at her paws.

"No!" she cried. Darkpaw realized who it was.

"Mother!" He tried to move forward, but he mother darted forward and pushed him back.

"No! Stay away from here! You're too young to go to StarClan! Wake up! You must!"

"I'm...dead?" He whimpered. His mother nodded. "Stay away from this place. You must wake up. I can't help you anymore. Now go..." She vanished.

"Darkpaw!" A voice broke into his thoughts. He spun around. "Nightpaw!" His sister grabbed him roughly by the scruff and pulled him away from the invisible barrier. "We have to get away from here and wake up!" She told him, dropping him.

He nodded, and closed his eyes. 'Please, let me wake up...' He thought. Darkness then surrounded him and everything went black.

[Kiddo [le pwnsome]]

"Foolish apprentice, I'll flay you!"

Sorrelpaw winced at the fearsome growl of the Fogclan cat. She felt he hold loosening, and tightened her grip. But she was now grasping at fur, not skin. Frantically, she tried to unhook one paw from the tangled and matted fur and reestablish her hold. But as the cat writhed below her, she felt herself slip. One foot touched bloody grass, and then another.

"No!" she yowled, scrabbling at the ground. But it was no use, with a cry of fear, she slipped backwards and landed on her back.
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Icetail shivered at the sounds of screeches and yowls. She was away from the battle, in a small patch of ferns. A few herbs were scattered around her, and a few bloody, gasping cats were lying nearby. She had tried to help as much as she could, but she had to save her supplies for the others, as none would escape unscathed.

A groan. A small apprentice bleeding nearby. A screech from nearby as another wound was opened.

Icetail closed her eyes, the horror of battle and the weight of her responsibities forcing themselves upon her.

Help me Starclan, she prayed, help me to help my clan. Please.

[kimmehh]

A smirk formed on Ravenclaw's face when the apprentice's grip loosened. Soon the claws no longer penetrated into his skin but just gripped his matted fur. Deliberately the FogClan tom continued trying to force the apprentice off, shaking his body and thrashing his head from side to side.

At last Sorrelpaw fell, letting go of him altogether and landed on her back. In an instant Ravenclaw was leaping toward her, attempting to pin her shoulders to the ground. That way, her underbelly would be exposed and he could easily finish her off, weak or even better - dead.

"This is the day you die, apprentice," Ravenclaw growled. "Any last words?"

~ ~ ~ ~

Dapplestorm's ear twitched uncomfortably when Darkpaw didn't respond. Was he really dead?

Then a thought flashed into her mind. She had to get these apprentices to Icetail; maybe she could cure them. Carefully, Dapplestorm picked up Darkpaw by the scruff and dragged him toward the edge of the battle. She would come back for Nightpaw, of course, and she had to be quick.

Finally spotting the medicine cat, Dapplestorm gently carried Darkpaw over to her. "Icetail, Darkpaw and Nightpaw are unconscious," she explained quickly. "I'm going back for Nightpaw."

Before the MeadowClan medicine cat could reply, Dapplestorm raced back into the battle, heading straight for Nightpaw's body.

[/font]

[Kiddo [le pwnsome]]

"Drop dead." Sorrelpaw hissed in defiance, tail stiff with anger, but the tip twitched with supressed fear. She saw the wild anger in his eyes and knew, she would not be able to escape. She bared her fangs, and waited.

------------

Icetail spun around as a cat stormed into the area, it was Dapplestorm, and a limp bundle of dark fur. Darkpaw.

"Icetail, Darkpaw and Nightpaw are unconscious. I'm going back for Nightpaw."

The she-cat dashed off again.

Quickly, Icetail crouched over the still apprentice, she could hear the erratic beating of his hear, deep in her ears, but it was slow. By contrast, his breathing was fast and shallow. A deep cut on his neck gushed scarlet blood. It came in waves, driven by his slowing heart. Without waiting any longer, she scraped a wad of cobwebs from her stack of supplies and pressed it gently onto his gash.

The limp form did not move, she did not expect him to. She used a claw to drag a paste of marigold towards her. She had created a large amount during the beginning of the battle, leaving it on a dock leaf. She scooped up a small amount, and pressed it over the wound, adding another layer of cobwebs.

At that moment, the apprentice's sister, Nightpaw, was placed next to her. Icetail quickly inspected her. She was not badly hurt, just a bit knocked about. Icetail guessed she had hit her head, as a small lump was swelling between her ears.

Darkpaw was in more danger, and Icetail continued to busy herself around him, waiting for any signs of revival.

[Nightfall]

Nightpaw moaned, coming to. She smelled blood. Opening her eyes, she saw the dark fur of her brother. The blood smell was coming from him.

"Darkpaw!" She howled, and tried to get up. She tried to walk, but she was really dizzy, and fell back down. Her head was pounding. She could smell the medicine cat nearby. "Icetail... I don't feel well..." She mumbled. This was not good.