Spottedleaf bore witness as Firepaw retraced his pawsteps toward the stream. The faint smell of a stranger danced on the breeze, and her muscles tensed. She opened her mouth to draw in more of the scent, learning many things: the new smell belonged to an old, sick she-cat who wasn't of ThunderClan. The stranger's smell could not easily be identified as one of the Clans.
Firepaw dropped low and moved forward, then paused.
The she-cat burst from the bushes behind Firepaw and, snarling, knocked him sideways, fast as lightning. He screeched in shock while paws gripped his shoulders and jaws closed on the back of his neck.
Firepaw grunted, went limp, and let out a howl of alarm.
Spottedleaf prepared to join the fight, pinpointing the location of the intruder as she let out a yowl of triumph. "A puny apprentice is easy prey for Yellowfang!"
Yellowfang! Of course ShadowClan would be the ones to trespass so boldly.
Yellowfang was on top of Firepaw, two fox-lengths from the tree where Spottedleaf hid. She had a broad, flattened face with amber eyes. Her fur was long, dark gray, and matted. It was clear she had seen several battles for her ears were torn, and her muzzle was marked with old scars.
Yellowfang bit down and Firepaw surged up. She was thrown back with a surprised snarl, tumbling into a bush of gorse.
Firepaw shook out his pelt. "I'm not such easy prey now, am I?"
Yellowfang tore herself free with a hiss. "You will have to do a lot better than that, young apprentice."
Firepaw puffed his chest out and stood his ground, glaring at the intruder. "You are in ThunderClan's territory. You better move on!"
"Oh, who is going to make Yellowfang leave?" Yellowfang challenged, exposing broken, yellow teeth as she drew her lips back. "Yellowfang will hunt, then she may leave. Or perhaps Yellowfang will stick around..."
"Enough!" Spat Firepaw.
Yellowfang's orange eyes warmed with a new respect for the younger cat. She stepped back, head lowered and eye contact broken. "Now, there is no need to be so hasty." Her purr was rusty.
Spottedleaf dropped down between the pair, landing silently on her paws.
"Spottedleaf?" Firepaw gasped. "I thought you had returned to camp!"
"And leave you alone? Great StarClan, no! On your first solo task, you've encountered a fox, almost got hit by a monster, and now have fought a ShadowClan intruder. Seems like you just can't keep your tail out of trouble!" Spottedleaf growled, shooting him a look. "But I will congratulate you, Firepaw, on a well done counterattack. However, it seems Yellowfang has given up. There is no need to attack her further."
"Yellowfang will never give up!" Yellowfang bravely hissed back. But she was badly injured and one of her hindlegs gave way under her scrawny body. After slumping to the ground, she attempted to get up and failed. The fire in her eyes dulled as she hissed up at Spottedleaf. "If Yellowfang was not so tired and hungry, she would have shredded your apprentice into mousedust." The old cat's mouth twisted in pain. "Finish Yellowfang off. Yellowfang will not resist."
Spottedleaf was taken aback. She wants to die? The tortoiseshell tasted the air again. There were no fresh ShadowClan scents. Yellowfang had come alone. Did she stumble onto ThunderClan territory alone just to be killed? She shook her head. "Warriors don't need to kill to win a battle."
"Pitiful excuse! If you were a real warrior, you'd finish Yellowfang off. You'll be doing Yellowfang a favor."
"You're awfully eager to die." Spottedleaf meowed.
"That's Yellowfang's business, ThunderClanner." Snapped Yellowfang. "What's the problem? Trying to talk Yellowfang to death?"
An exasperated sigh escaped Spottedleaf's maw. "No cat is dying right now. However, you will explain your presence on ThunderClan's hunting grounds."
Yellowfang tensed. "Hush, warriors are approaching."
Spottedleaf had been aware of the cats approaching. Their pawsteps were soft on the leaf littered floor and the wind that carried their familiar scents ruffled their fur. She knew they were her clanmates—ThunderClan cats comfortable enough on their own land not to care about being too noisy.
Silent shadows slithered out of the woods as the patrol of ThunderClan warriors encircled Firepaw, Spottedleaf, and Yellowfang. Spottedleaf recognized them immediately: her kin, Tigerclaw, Willowpelt, and Darkstripe, along with her leader. They are all hard-muscled yet lean. The air grew thick with Yellowfang's fear-scent at the sight of the other cats.
Graypaw bounded from the bushes to stand beside the taller warriors. "Hey, Firepaw!" Called out the long-furred tom.
"Shut up!" Growled Tigerclaw.
Firepaw glanced from his clanmates to Yellowfang. Despite her fear, the scruffy she-cat was glaring defiantly.
"Spottedleaf?" Bluestar's voice was cool. "What is going on here? Why is an enemy warrior on ThunderClan land?"
Spottedleaf respectfully dipped her head. "She has yet to confirm her reasons, but I suspect she came here to hunt."
Bluestar looked at Yellowfang and her eyes sparked with surprise. "Well, it seems like you two have found us a ShadowClan cat, and one I am familiar with, at that. Aren't you ShadowClan's medicine cat?" She asked the ragged she-cat. "Why have you come so far into ThunderClan land?"
"And why did you attack my apprentice?" Spottedleaf put in.
"Yellowfang is no longer the medicine cat of ShadowClan. Yellowfang travels alone now." Yellowfang hissed. "And your apprentice wouldn't have been attacked if he had been more alert!"
Bluestar's calm gaze fell onto Firepaw. "She attacked you?"
Firepaw dropped his head and crouched low. "Yes, Bluestar. She had backed off by the time Spottedleaf arrived." He mewed.
"Yellowfang doesn't back down!" Tigerclaw announced, his meow full of mockery. "She must have fallen on hard times if she would flee from a kittypet turned apprentice!"
"This old bag of bones is no use to ThunderClan. We should kill her where she stands." Snarled Darkstripe.
"Sheathe your claws, Darkstripe. Have you forgotten the warrior code?" Bluestar asked. "Yellowfang's bravery and wisdom is spoken of by all the Clans. We shall take her back to camp for it may benefit us to hear what she knows. After that, we will decide what happens to her." She addressed Yellowfang. "Do you need help or can you walk on your own?"
"Yellowfang still has three good legs." Snapped Yellowfang as she limped forward.
Spottedleaf noticed that pain glazed Yellowfang's eyes, but she was clearly determined to remain strong in the face of enemies.
Respect flicked across the ThunderClan leader's face before Bluestar turned to Graypaw. "Go ahead and make sure the Clan knows of our...predicament. And tell Mossfall of Yellowfang's injuries, please." After the apprentice had dashed off, she slowly led the way back through the forest. The other warriors surrounded Yellowfang as the group moved on, carefully keeping up with their old prisoner.
Firepaw and Spottedleaf fell into step at the back of the patrol. "Do you know of Yellowfang?" Hissed Firepaw.
"Yes, I do. I have seen her at Gatherings, but have not spoken to her until now. According to many, she had been a warrior before becoming a medicine cat. The changing of full ranks is unusual, however. Hard to imagine her as a loner. She was born in ShadowClan and has lived there her whole life."
"What is a loner?"
Spottedleaf gave him a glance. "A loner is, as the name suggests, a lone cat. They don't live with a Clan or twolegs. They tend to stay around Twoleg dens, but hunt for themselves. Tigerclaw calls them untrustworthy."
"Do you think Yellowfang will end up a loner once Bluestar is finished with her?" Mewed Firepaw.
"Bluestar is a fair leader." Spottedleaf reassured Firepaw. "She will not throw Yellowfang out. She looks pleased to have ShadowClan's former medicine cat as a prisoner.
Firepaw didn't respond and simply trekked onward.