Nettlestar's Atonement {BEING UPDATED}

Chapter Nine

Nettlepaw took a hard blow to the side and fell over. "We never did such a thing!"

The gray tom sneered. "You're a lying fleabag, just like all the rest of your Clan!"

Nettlepaw was filled with unexpected fury. He launched himself upward and latched his jaws on the tom's shoulder. Yowling in pain, he writhed, shaking off Nettlepaw who fell heavily to the ground.

He was rescued by Applebreeze who bowled into the tom, giving him a few scratches to remember her by before driving him off with a nip in the hind leg.

"You okay?" She asked, panting for breath. Nettlepaw nodded, standing on shaky paws.

The small battle had cleared up, and most of AutumnClan had fled. The she-cat who had caught the squirrel, which was now laying tattered on the ground, was the only one remaining. She snarled, but quickly realized she was hopelessly outnumbered.

"You may have won, but AutumnClan will never give in!" She yowled before turning tail and fleeing into her territory.

* * *

Nettlepaw padded into camp after his patrol. He felt lucky, he only had a small scrape across his side from landing so heavily, and a few bruises, but Applebreeze was worse than him, having a torn claw and a scratch on her nose and shoulder. Dovewillow and Mapleblaze were beaten up as well. Strangely, Amberpaw who had been fighting the longest out of them was left virtually scotch-free.

The SummerClan cats immediately noticed something was off when they entered camp. It was well past sunhigh by then and most cats were back to camp.

"Dovewillow?" Featherstar, who was sharing prey with her littermates Stonesong and Birchclaw inquired. "Did something happened with AutumnClan?"

Mapleblaze answered for her. "Yes, something happened! While we were at the border they attacked us!"

While the Clan's eyes widened, Dovewillow corrected her Clanmates. "No, Amberpaw here," she cast a look at her apprentice, "attacked them. But the thing was, they had sent a patrol past our border and caught the prey she was chasing. They claimed they had never crossed our border, and we were the only ones that had."

"And then Amberpaw attacked them." Applebreeze finished. "And battle broke out. We had the numbers and drove them away, but I'm afraid they're planning something bigger."

Nettlepaw nodded. "Yeah, the she-cat said something strange when she left- 'you may have won, but AutumnClan will never give in' I think."

Featherstar was unsettled. "Then we must make a move. I was afraid it would get to this point, but it seems I have no choice. They must be stopped. In two sunrises, we will attack."

The Clan let out battle-cry yowls. Nettlepaw felt himself joining in, almost subconsciously. AutumnClan must be stopped!

"And I want Amberpaw, Redpaw, and Emberpaw to be there with us-as warriors!"

The three apprentices padded forward, eyes glinting with disbelief. Featherstar nodded, eyes warm.

"I, Featherstar, leader of SummerClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

She continued. "Amberpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Her paws were trembling, but the ginger she-cat didn't have an ounce of doubt in her mew as she spoke. "I do."

Featherstar purred softly. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Amberpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Amberheart. StarClan honors your bravery and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SummerClan."

She repeated the ceremony for Emberpaw and Redpaw, naming them Emberblaze and Redstripe. The Clan chanted the new warriors' names gleefully.

One day that will be me up there.

Nettlepaw caught Liontooth's eye. The pale warrior was stone-faced, neither disappointed or yowling with relief. Strange, Nettlepaw thought. He was pushing so hard for us to attack last time they crossed the border!

Suddenly the tom turned tail and left camp. Nettlepaw almost followed him out, but his mentor stopped him.

"Nettlepaw, you should get that scrape checked out," she said, worry in her mew. Nettlepaw realized it was starting to bleed, but still nothing serious. "Only if you come with me," he replied, noticing her own injuries.

"Fine." Her eyes glinted with appreciation.

As Sagefeather and Mudpaw treated their wounds, Nettlepaw had time to think to himself.

What is Liontooth planning? I wish I'd been able to find out.

Is he unhappy about attacking for a reason? Does he have kin in AutumnClan or something?

Nettlepaw stifled a gasp. Is he going to warn them?

But he had no choice but to stay where he was while his medicine cat tended to his wounds, the threat of the oncoming battle looming over his head.