Chapt 44

Dovepelt's fur quivered in the Leafbare wind. She was standing side by side with Gingerstep. Dovepelt could hear Hollyleaf sleeping in her den, curled in a bed of moss. There were four guards out tonight, one in the front of the camp, two guarding the medicine den,and one in the center of the camp. Dovepelt flicked her ears towards the warriors' den where most of the cats slept. One cat was tossing in his nest, but all the others were sleeping soundly.
"Can we go?" Gingerstep whispered quietly. Dovepelt checked around the territory again, but no cat was in the forest.
"Yes, no cat is in the forest," Dovepelt added hastily,"Where is Skyclan staying?"
"The Shadowclan camp." Gingerstep pointed her nose towards the Shadowclan border. Dovepelt nodded. The two she-cats made their way to through the forest. Dovepelt carefully picked her paws off the ground so she did not crack the twigs and iced over snow. She had to unsheathe her claws so she would not slip and fall. She walked a few tail-length's forward near a shriveled brown fern. She whipped around as she heard a gasp and a crack against the ice. Gingerstep's paw was splayed awkwardly behind her, her eyes screaming out in pain that she could not voice. Dovepelt carefully raced over to her.
"My paw, I think it's broken," Gingerstep whimpered with clenched teeth. Before responding, Dovepelt reached her senses out to the stone hollow, no cats were stirring in the camp.
"What are we going to do, we'll have to get you back to camp," Dovepelt helped her up. She could stand on three paws, but her left front paw was bleeding heavily.
"i can't go back like this, the blood trail will lead them right back here," Gingerstep winced as she moved her paw.
"And there's no way you can make it through the tunnel back to the medicine den. Come on, we have to get you to the Shadowclan camp by morning," Looking up she saw the crescent moon floating right above them,"Come on, it's moonhigh already." Dovepelt helped her limp slowly across the territory, pausing every few steps to let her breathe. Her blood left an eery trail behind them, if Hollyleaf found them missing, it wouldn't be hard to follow their trail. Gingerstep gasped as she slipped a little, tapping her bent paw on a broken tree limb. By now her paw was soaked in blood.
"We need to find something to stop the bleeding," She added as Gingerstep slumped to the ground,"and fast." She scanned the forest for any silver silk of a cobweb in the white light of the Moon. She could not tell between the light reflecting off the snow of the forest floor and the icicles on the trees where she would find cobwebs.
"There's no cobwebs, I'll try and find some leaves," She turned back to Gingerstep. She was laying on the ground, eyes closed, and the snow around her was scarlet. Dovepelt thought she was dead until she raised her head.
"Please," Gingerstep rasped,"Hurry." Dovepelt knew that all the leaves left in the forest would be under the snow , a full mouse length deep. Dovepelt began digging, her paws going cold with the snow digging into her claws. The snow was packed hard, and the top layer was frozen. Her claws were being torn and she began to bleed a little, finally she had reached the frozen ground underneath. There were a few dead brown leaves, Dovepelt scooped them up and trotted back to the ginger she-cat. Carefully wrapping Gingerstep's paw in the leaves. Gingerstep squeaked a little, but other wise her mouth was firmly shut. Dovepelt looked up at the moon, it had barely moved since she had checked it before- they still had enough time to make it to the camp if they didn't stop again.
"Can you keep going?" Dovepelt murmured.
After a moments hesitation, Gingerstep nodded.
"Then let's go," Dovepelt mewed. They set off again, a little slow at first, but as Gingerstep got used to her limp, she tottered on her three legs. Dovepelt looked up to the night sky again, the moon had moved down the sky, the night was almost over. Dovepelt nudged Gingerstep along faster, they were halfway to the border. Dovepelt no longer worried about cracking the ice and twigs beneath her, she went through the forest as quick as she could while still supporting Gingerstep. They were finally at the border, when the first streaks of sunlight pierced the black sky.
"This is no use," Gingerstep murmured,"We'll never make it to the camp in time. You go ahead, I'll try and find Echosong when I limp my way there," There was no fear in the younger warrior's eyes, just a cold determination to help her clanmates back at the stone hollow.
"Be careful, Gingerstep," Dovepelt whispered in her friends ear.
"Go, now," Gingerstep shoved her a little with her head. Dovepelt gave her a lick on the ear, and she sprinted towards the Shadowclan camp. The pine needles made the ground slippery, not to mention the ice. Slipping through the trees, she could scent many cats up ahead. The entrance to the camp was a thick barrier of thorns and twigs. The sides scraped against her pelt, but Dovepelt didn't care. She had to get to LionblazeDovepelt thought that they would attack her, but Lionblaze burst out after them.
"Dovepelt! You're here!" Lionblaze's amber eyes looked past her,"Where is Gingerstep?"
"We must hurry, she's hurt. I think she broke her paw," Dovepelt quickly explained what happened to the young ginger she-cat. Another tom came up beside Lionblaze, an older ginger tom.
"How do we know this isn't a trap?" He whispered into Lionblaze's ear.
"Don't worry," Lionblaze mewed,"She's a friend." The ginger tom stared at Dovepelt for a moment, his deep green gaze piercing through her gray fur like a sharpened thorn. He nodded and trotted off. Another cat came up beside Lionblaze. She was a brown and cream tabby.
"Leafstar, this is Dovepelt. She was my apprentice many seasons ago, she is one of the three," Lionblaze gestured to Dovepelt. Dovepelt dipped her head respectfully.
"Greetings. I am guessing that this is Gingerstep's sign." Leafstar mewed. Lionblaze nodded.
"We need to help Gingerstep. She's out in the forest somewhere with a broken paw!" Dovepelt hissed. Her patience was beginning to fade with fear for her friend. Leafstar nodded.
"Echosong, we need you," Leafstar called. A small pretty silver she-cat trotted through a small whole in a den and appeared next to the group.
"What's wrong?" She murmured. Dovepelt explained the story once more.
"I'll go out right away, can I have a warrior please?" Echosong mewed. Leafstar dipped her head. Echosong padded away calling a dark brown tabby.
"How bad is it at the clans?" Lionblaze mewed.
"They are starting to kill us off one by one, everyday at dawn," Dovepelt looked back up to the sky, the sun was barely over the horizon,"They've already killed Firefoot and Cherrytail. They're not giving us enough fresh kill or letting us use dirt place. I came to get you and Skyclan to attack today. If I'm gone any longer they'll figure it out and kill more cats!" Dovepelt pictured her six small kits being slaughtered at the claws of an evil cat like Hollyleaf.
"We'll ;eave right away. We've already made battle plans," Lionblaze mewed firmly. Dovepelt was a little surprised that Lionblaze made orders without consulting Leafstar. Shrugging off her wariness, she followed Lionblaze and Leafstar to collect the battle patrols.