“Birdy?” I meowed towards him.

                “Yes kitten?”

                “Birdy, Birdy be careful.” I flexed my claws nervously.

He purred, “Kitten, I’ll be fine. Those mangy Windclan freaks won’t know what hit them with me on our side.” He entwined his tan colored tail with my russet one and I purred, reassured at last.

“Birdwing!” Jaystar shouted. Jaystar was the leader of Riverclan, he was a blue grey tom, and his deputy was Friarface, a light brown and white tom. “Birdwing, I want you to lead the first patrol, Friarface, you lead the second. I’ll lead the third.” Jaystar was busy organizing everyone into the battle patrols to attack Windclan. They had stolen fish from the river, infuriating us.

“Cometstrike, I need you to go in Birdwing’s patrol.” I flicked my tail happily, “Piggyfur, and Matifang go with Birdwing as well on the right attack group. Bogdiey, Pushclaw, Goldcoat Come with me on the lead patrol. Monkytail, Tulldog, and Iarcochfoot, go with Friarface on the left attack patrol.”

        I watched as we collected ourselves into our groups. Piggyfur came up next to me,

        “Hey, Cometstrike, do you think we’ll attack all at once or scattered attacks?” He asked, his strange pink fur blowing in the wind.

        “I think well be attacking all at once. Right Birdwing?” I turned to Birdwing.

        “This is correct-“Birdwing started, then flicked his ears, annoyed.

        “Right, Cometstrike. We will be fighting at the right side.” Matifang interrupted. Throwing her white head high and flicking Birdwing with her tail. He sniffed disdainfully, then added;

        “She is correct. Although I wish you wouldn’t interrupt me,” he added towards Matifang.

        “Piggyfur, do you think Birdwing can handle this? After all, he is going into this fight with, well, Cometstrike against his worst enemy, Heaselweasel.” Matifang asked Piggyfur while Birdwing was talking to Jaystar.

        “Well, if anything, Cometstrike will make him fight harder… but I bet it will be fine.” Piggyfur responded, turning away from Matifang and to me. “What do you think?”

        “He will be fine.” I replied uneasily. There was no need to worry this much! I glanced at him, he was with Friarface and Jaystar, probably discussing battle plans.

        “Everyone listen up!” I turned, just as everyone else had, to look to Jaystar, who was sitting on the high rock. “We will now attack!” Cheers and yowls went up, followed by Birdwing and Friarface quieting everyone down. With the amount of help Jaystar got from Birdwing, everyone knew he would be the next deputy. “I will lead, and once Windclan comes to attack us, Friarface and Birdwing will come up behind and back us up, ok?” Everyone seemed excited, the whispers and plans rushed through the crowd like the river.   “However, some will need to stay behind to protect the camp. The following include: Explodingwrath, Greenfern and Aviarfeather.” Jaystar concluded.

        I heard Explodingwrath mutter angrily, and felt like laughing. He was always so quick to fight.   Aviarfeather was calming him down, but he didn’t look happy about it either. Greenfern smiled happily. I wondered why he was always so happy.

        Just then, Friarface yowled into the silence. Everyone looked to him, surprised. I could smell Windclan! They were a ways off, but they were coming.

        “It’s Windclan! My patrol protect the nursery, get the elders and queens there too!” Friarface was ordering them, sending Monkytail to gather the elders and the others to guard the nursery.

        “My patrol, guard the camp, Birdwing’s patrol, guard the entrance!” Jaystar yelled as he leaped off the High rock, landing in the middle of our patrols. “Every other apprentice, join Friarface’s patrol! Other warriors left, join my patrol!”

        “Cometstrike.” Birdwing had come up next to me “This is your first battle. You can go hide in the nursery if you want.” He looked concerned, butting his head on my shoulder.

        “No way! The apprentices are even fighting! I’m going with you, deal with it. I can take care of myself.” I hissed, pulling away. I can’t believe that he wants to protect me! I’m fine!

        Then the Windclan cats burst in. I recognized the three most dreaded Windclan fighters leading the patrol. Puffystar, Losenot, Heaselweasel, and Paulenkowind were all hissing furiously,

        “How dare you take our prey?!” Paulenkowind was hissing angrily, his fur bristling. I knew we were being set up to fight, but we had to defend everyone!

        “Now let’s be rational-“ Birdwing started, then was cut off as Heaselweasel flew through the air, landing square on Birdwings shoulders, and they collapsed into a hissing whirl of fur, claws and blood. Each were experienced fighters, and were very strong, so it was hard to tell who would win. I stepped forward to help, but Heaselweasel had jumped off of Birdwing, springing onto me. Everyone flew into battle, I could see Friarface’s patrol defending the nursery and Pokepaw limping into the nursery. I worried for my little brother, younger by two moons, he was soon to be a warrior. Puffystar had wounded him, despite his exceptional fighting skills.

        I battered Heaselweasel’s fur, not making contact, and managed to push off him, running to help Goldcoat with fending off more of the Windclan snakehearts from attacking the queens. He was a new warrior like me, and I could see his golden brown coat was mangy with blood from fending off Xiaosky and Fliplion. We used the Riverclan duck and swipe combo, one cat diverts the enemy and ducks, while the other swipes the enemy.

        We drove off Fliplion and Xiaosky, and feeling the heat of battle, I flew forward, onto Ebonytalon, another Windclan scum. But Ebonytalon was strong, a senior warrior. I was being over powered, falling back with each of his strikes. Falling to the reedy ground of our camp, I was hit with a wave of furry. How dare them! There threatening everything I know, my friends, Piggyfur, Friarface, Explodingwrath, Pokepaw, and… my little birdy. They would not take them away from me! My clan must be protected!

        “Kitten, move!” Birdwing screamed, I realized that Ebonytalon had gone, and a shadow was flying down at me. My violet eyes flew wide, Heaselweasel was nearly on top of me, his claws extended, reaching for my throat.

        Then, I saw a tan blur streak out in front of me. The world stopped. I watched Birdwing leap slowly toward Heaselweasel, the collision shook my heart more than anything. My birdy was leaping into a fight I didn’t know if he’d come back from. I was rammed up against the wall, watching them fight with no way for me to help or escape, only watch my life shatter before me.

        “Stop this! Please Heaselweasel, please! This was provoked, we didn’t steal from Windclan!” I desperately hissed. He leaped at Birdwing, shoving him down, bouncing off him to me again. This was Birdwing’s chance! He could kill Heaselweasel and end this! But he didn’t. Instead, he leaped forward toward me, reaching me before Heaselweasel did. He landed before me, exposing his entire body to protect me. My eyes stretched wide as Heaselweasel collided with Birdwing, blood flying splattering onto my terrified face.

        “I…I’m sorry, Kitten, I couldn’t protect you…” He was taking the earth rattling breaths that meant only one thing. I saw red. Heaselweasel would die. I gingerly stepped around Birdwing.

        “I’m sorry I’m so weak, birdy. I’ll kill him, now.” I meowed, knowing full well that Heaselweasel could hear me. I turned my eyes to him. “Heaselweasel.” I hissed, my back arching, fur bristling, fangs bared. He casually turned away. I landed on his back, my claws tearing into his flesh. He yowled, screaming out his fury. We tumbled in the reeds biting and clawing, to no end.

The fighting had stopped. The Windclan warriors standing victorious over each one of us. I was pried from Heaselweasel, hissing and clawing each of the cats that took me off, BrezzCaption and Matty. It angered me to no end that I could recognize each of them, having grown up with them. And now they were killing my loved ones, tearing my world apart.

        I could see Jaystar losing a life, with Greenfern tending to his wounds. Greenfern needed a medicine cat apprentice, but I couldn’t step in. no matter how much I hated the fighting, or liked the herbs, I couldn’t stand the fact that medicine cats couldn’t have mates.

        “I believe we have won. Let this be a lesson not to steal prey from us. You should know better, but I suppose that fish-hearts don’t know anything.” Puffystar was standing by Jaystar’s lifeless body. Just then Jaystar gave a gasp. “Jaystar has lost a life. I could kill your leader right now. I could kill him however many times I need to, leave you without a leader. I could kill your deputy and leader, leave you to destroy your self’s with greed for leadership. Or I could have all of you killed. It could be my territory.”

Puffystar delivered his speech with steady anger, swishing his tail and ears furiously. If Friarface was killed there would be on one to succeed Jaystar if he was killed. That would mean certain disaster. Without Birdwing, I flinched thanking that, There would be no one else to turn to. Matifang was too easily provoked. “My clan almost starved to death because of your greed.”

        “Please… Puffystar. We have known each other for moons-“Jaystar feebly coughed out. The clan quavered, realizing that Jaystar wasn’t his usual strong self. I grimaced, remembering he only had 4 of his 9 lives left. Leaders were granted 9 life’s by Starclan.

        “Silence! My clan comes before friends!” Puffystar’s face twisted into a raging storm of anger.

        A yowl went up. I looked around for the source. Pokepaw was standing over Creemfur, our mother. She was laying lifeless before the nursery, having protected the clan and the clan’s kits to the end. He cream fur was now matted with blood.

        Another yowl went up, this time of Goldcoat. The clan began to yowl, screaming out their pain, each and every of them yelling out there unique, ere, cries. Mine went up last, loud and angry. Mine was a cry of vengeance. They would pay some day. Someday.