The Rescu

“May all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the fallen tree for a clan meeting!” Snowstar yowled. It was just before dawn. He gave the clan a moment to assemble beneath him. “It is time to leave for the thunderclan camp. we seek only to free our prisoners, not attack the camp or anything else. This will be mainly a stealth mission. But if challenged, we won’t say no to a fight, right?” the crowd below him echoed back a chorus of agreement. “Stormheart, you will lead Featherpelt, Poppystripe, Nightclaw, and Redstripe. Silverwing, you go too. You can bet they’ll be injured cats. Nightclaw and Poppystripe, take your apprentices.” Dawnpaw and Amberpaw looked at each other excitedly. “They’ll want the experience, you might need smaller cats to get in places where warriors can’t. but they’re to be kept out of he fighting, if any.” Dawnpaw and Amberpaw lept down from where they sat above the apprentices den. The battle patrol gathered near the entrance to camp. with a flick of his tail, they were led off by Stormheart.



   The patrol of cats crept through the trees towards snakerocks. Stormheart lifted his tail. The cats stopped. Dawnpaw and Amberpaw looked over Snakerocks. The entrance to the cave was guarded by five warriors! The skyclan cats gathered around Stormheart in a circle. “what do we do now?” Redstripe asked the deputy. “We attack. But quietly. Drop from the trees over snakerocks. Everybody cat choose one warrior. “What about us?” Amberpaw asked bravely. “You two will go and fetch the prisoners.” Amberpaw flicked her tail happily. “There will be a lot of warriors down their. Thunderclan and Skyclan. Take all of them. Lead them out around the cats, though. Espiacely if theres fighting. They’ll all be half-starved and weak, if I know Windclan.” He looked around all the cats. “Lets go.” The warriors slipped towards the cave entrance and fanned out. Dawnpaw and Amberpaw slipped as close as the could to the cave without falling out of a tree or being spotted. Silverwing waited in the trees, ready to treat any injuries. All the cats settled. The guards looked up, but passed it off as birds. They turned their attention back to the cave. Stormheart gave the signal. The warriors jumped and landed on their cats. any yowls were cut off by faces being slammed into the sandy dirt. Amberpaw flicked her tail towards Dawnpaw. They lept onto the ground and slipped, unseen, into the cave



   Dawnpaw led the way. It smelt of sickness and crowfood. Amberpaw wrinkled her nose. “Who’s there?” A weak voice called from the shadows. Dawnpaw jumped. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. “Cloverpelt!” “Dawnpaw?” She answered again. “Dawnpaw? Is that you?” Another voice called. “Ashclaw!” Amberpaw yowled. “Amberpaw, is that you?” This time it was Gingerblaze. The two apprentices continued their greetings like this, and would have gone on longer but Milkeye, a Thunderclan she-cat, spoke up “Well? Are you getting us out or what? Or have you come to share tongues with your clanmates. “Oh. Right. This way, everybody.” Cloverpelt trotted up to Amberpaw. “Thank you so much. I was so worried you would never come for us.” She said, still weak, but obviously much less miserable. “Did all the cats make it?” Dawnpaw asked, worried. Cloverpelt shook her head. “A thunderclan apprentice, Frostypaw, died of his wounds just after we got here. It gets worse, though.” She looked at Dawnpaw. “Rainstar is dead. He died trying to escape.” Amberpaw nodded. “We heard. Rainstar came to Moonpaw in a dream. He showed where you were being held prisoner.” She said “Oh. Good. I was dreading having to tell the clan that.” Amberpaw and Dawnpaw hit the light. The cats behind her stopped and blinked. Stormtail saw them from where he had a light grey tabby pinned down by her neck, muzzle in the dirt. “Hurry and get them to camp. We’ll catch up later!” he yowled. “Okay. Amberpaw, you go to the back of the group to look out for stragglers. I’ll lead them to the camp.” Dawnpaw told her sister. Silverwing leapt from the trees and started weaving among the cats. “Cloverpelt, do you know why Stonestar wanted to keep you there?” Dawnpaw Cloverpelt nodded. “I overheard him telling Mapleshade, the Windclan deputy, that he needed more warriors if he was to attack the rest of the clans.” Dawnpaw nodded. “Dawnpaw, Why are you asking me? Won’t Snowwhisker-wait, Snowstar, tell the clan all this?” Dawnpaw nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to hear it firsthand, for one. And I figured it would be easier to relate all this to Snowstar if you had your story strait first.” Dawnpaw told her. “Oh. Good idea, I guess.” Ashclaw limped up to join his sister and Dawnpaw. “Hi, Dawnpaw.” She noticed his hind leg was barely touching the ground. “Your hurt.” She said. “Yeah, I noticed. It really, really hurts.” He turned, showing them an angy-looking open claw mark on his leg. “Daisytail said it could be infected. She’s Thunderclans Medicine cat.” Dawnpaw nodded. Ashclaw smiled at her shyly, then dropped back into the crowd behind them. Cloverpelt giggled. Dawnpaw looked at her curiosly. “What?” She questioned her friend. “Didn’t you notice?” Cloverpelt looked at her, biting back a laugh. “Ashclaw really likes you!”



   Moonpaw sat by the edge of the Waterfall pool, nibbling on a pigeon when Poplarkit came bouncing out of the nursery. “Fawnclouds kits are coming!” He yowled. Moonpaw leapt up, startled. “Now?!” She asked, astounded. She had never helped a queen deliver kits without Silverwing. She hardly even knew what to do. She hurried after Poplarkit. She would have to try.

   In the nursery, Fawncloud was well into labor. Birdtail, Poplarkits mother, wasn’t anywhere to be seen. She must be hunting, Moonpaw thought. “Poplarkit, can you find a stick for Fawncloud to bite on? Something nice and sturdy.” “where are you going?” He asked “I need to get some herbs” She yowled over her shoulder.

   In the herb store, Moonpaw scrambled to remember which herbs Silverwing used for queens in labor. Chervil should help, she remembered and Fennel for pain, and Ragwort to give her strength. She quickly grabbed the ragwort and Chervil, and the last of the Fennel, and hurried back to the nursery.

Fawncloud was pushing hard, Birdtail at her side, when Moonpaw charged into the nursery. “Okay.” She said spitting out the leaves. “Eat these, She said, separating the Chervil and ragwort leaves and pushing them towards the queen. Fawncloud groaned and lapped up the herbs. “You’re doing fine, Fawncloud.” Moonpaw tried to encourage her. “It’ll be over soon” Fawncloud grunted and nodded. Moonpaw set a paw on her belly. “There’s three kits in there, at most.” As she spoke, Fawncloud yowled in pain. “Here. Try to eat these. They’ll help with the pain.” Moonpaw nosed the fennal towards the queen. Fawncloud ate it quickly, before the next spasim hit.



   Fawncloud had started kitting at dawn, just after Silverwing had left. It was sunhigh now. Moonpaw went back to her patient. The contractions were getting closer together now, and stronger. Moonpaw knew the kits weren’t far now. As she thought, her paw on Fawnclouds belly, she felt a ripple pass through her stomach, and a soggy bundle of fur plopped out into the mossy nest. Fawncloud sighed. “Hold on, Fawncloud, theres more to come. Here,” she said, handing the first kit to Birdtail. “Lick, get it breathing.” Birdtail started licking against the lie of the fur to get the kit warm. Moonpaw turned her attention to Fawncloud. The queen yowled in pain again as another massive ripple passed down her body, another tiny kit fell into the moss.

   This kit she passed to Willowkit, Poplarkits sister. “Lick it like your mothers doing.” She told the kit. “Just one more, Fawncloud, your nearly through.” She told the exhausted queen.



   Dawnpaw arrived at the camp at the head of the former prisoners to a chorus of cheering. It was just past sunhigh, so the cats of Skyclan were sitting in the clearing or in the trees above. Everyone was excited about the return of the patrol.



<p class="MsoBodyText">in the nursery, Fawnclouds third kit hadn’t made an aperance yet, but Moonpaw could tell it was close. She placed a paw on Fawnclouds belly. “Good job Fawncloud,” Moonpaw told her. She glanced at the two kits Birdtail and Willowkit were licking. “Last one, Fawncloud, your doing fine” she told Fawncloud. Another massive ripple heaved through the she-cats body and the third, and final, kit fell into the moss. “That’s it. All done now.” Fawncloud flopped into the moss just as Silverwing barged in. “Moonpaw! Poplarkit just came and told me that Fawncloud was kitting! It seems like you handled it well, though. Your alright, Fawncloud?” The she-cat nodded, exhausted. “You did very well, Moonpaw.” She told her apprentice “What will you name them?” She asked Fawncloud. “This one will be Icekit.” Touching a small white tabby tom with her tail. “This one Meadowkit.” She said, tapping the torteshel and white she-cat “And this one Rainkit.” The final kit was light grey. A perfect copy of his father. Moonpaw thought.

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<p class="MsoBodyText">   Both Dawnpaw and Amberpaw reiceved a heros welcome from all of Skyclan. The rest of the patrol had returned an hour later, pelting through the trees with Windclan warriors in persuit. Everybody ate well that night, in celebration of the missions success.