“Then we have to stop them fighting!” She glanced at Bramblestar, but his gaze had flitted behind her. Something was moving across the grass toward them. As she turned, ginger-and-white fur flashed at the edge of her vision. With a snarl, Flurry knocked her aside. As she staggered to keep her balance, Squirrelflight saw the she-cat crash into Bramblestar. Hissing, Flurry sank her teeth into Bramblestar’s neck. He stumbled beneath the huge she-cat’s massive weight, screeching as she pressed hard into his neck. He dropped onto his belly and rolled onto his back. Tucking his hind legs under her, he began to kick out, grunting with pain. Flurry let go and, pressing a forepaw into his chest, swiped his cheek with her other paw. Bramblestar’s muzzle was knocked sideways. He struggled to escape, but Flurry pinned him down and struck him again and again.
Squirrelflight’s pelt spiked with horror. Flurry was trying to kill him! She unsheathed her claws and leaped.
“They’ve trapped the kits!” Twigbranch burst from the bushes and hared across the clearing toward her.
Squirrelflight’s leap jerked into a stumble. Struggling to keep her balance, she spun to meet Twigbranch’s horrified gaze.
“The kits?” Flurry jerked her muzzle toward the young warrior. In an instant she was off Bramblestar and pelting across the clearing. Tail bushed, she plunged through the gap where the others had fled.
Squirrelflight darted to Bramblestar’s side. “Are you okay?” Her heart seemed to miss a beat as he lay limp. She lapped his bloody cheek urgently. “Bramblestar!”
With a groan, he nudged her away. Staggering to his paws, he looked at her, his eyes clouded with pain. “Were you going to let her kill me?”
“No! I was—”
Before she could finish, Bramblestar limped after Flurry. “Come on. It sounds like the kits are in trouble.”
Squirrelflight followed him as he tracked the patrol through ragged undergrowth. “I was going to pull her off.”
He ignored her. Angry mews sounded ahead. She pricked her ears.
“That’s no place to hide kits,” Bramblestar stopped beside her.
Twigbranch was with him. She followed his gaze. “It’s no more than a pile of rubble.”
Bramblestar peered past Flurry and Sunrise. “Are the kits in there?”
Twigbranch nodded. “With Moonlight and the rest of the Sisters.”
“Where’s Leafpool?” Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes as she tried to see past Flurry.
“She’s in there too.”
Squirrelflight glanced along the line of warriors. They were staring at Flurry and Sunrise, their hackles up.
Tigerstar padded forward. “Are you ready to leave yet?” he snarled at the Sisters.
A shape moved in the cave behind them. Moonlight limped slowly from the shadows and stood between her campmates. Her eyes were hollow with exhaustion. Squirrelflight’s heart quickened. The gray she-cat was in no state to fight. Moonlight looked along the line of warriors and curled her lip. “We stay,” she croaked.
Harestar narrowed his eyes. “But you’re outnumbered.”
“We can defend this cave for as long as we have to,” Moonlight hissed.
“Then we’ll flush you out.” Tigerstar nodded to Cloverfoot and Scorchfur. “Climb on top of the cave and start digging.”
“Be careful!” Squirrelflight hurried forward as Cloverfoot and Scorchfur leaped up and began to pick their way across the debris piled on top. Soil began to rain down across the opening.
Flurry glanced up, narrowing her eyes against the dirt. Sunrise growled at the warriors, her pelt bristling with rage. Moonlight showed her teeth.
Bramblestar padded to Tigerstar’s side. “We could starve them out.” He glanced nervously at the warriors on top of the cave as they began to dig. “There’s no need to endanger the kits like this.”
Tigerstar jerked his muzzle toward the ThunderClan leader. “Kits? No one mentioned that the kits had been born.”
As he spoke, Moonlight lunged forward. “Attack!” The Sisters streamed from the cave, pelts bushed, ears flat. They hurled themselves at the line of warriors. Squirrelflight ducked away as Moonlight smashed into Tigerstar and sent him crashing into a bramble. Shrieks exploded around her. Hawk leaped onto Duskfur’s back. Flurry swung a heavy blow at Snaketooth. Tempest hooked Reedwhisker’s pelt with her claws and dragged him to the earth. At the entrance to the cave, Thornclaw and Creek tumbled across the ground, paws churning as they tore at each other’s pelts.
