Chapter Text
It was pitch black. The stench of the thunderpath stung his nose as he stalked along the dead grass. Guided only by the light of silverpelt he trotted at a fox’s pace, headstrong and determined to make his way to the crossroad. The tomcat stopped, suddenly, flicking his tail in command for the others to halt. Lowering his ears and bunching his shoulders, bracing for what he knew was coming. The forest was still for a heartbeat, the only sound the soft beating of their own hearts and the subtle breeze that brushed through the treetops.
It hit like a jolt of electricity, the cat barreling into his side, nearly knocking the wind out of his chest. Goldenclaw hissed and leapt back to his feet. No matter how well he knew it was coming, it still knocked him back a mouse’s step.
“Spiderfang, I thought I had warned you not to pass thunderclan's borders again, why am I seeing your foxface on our side of the thunderpath yet again?” goldenclaw hissed, raising his hackles and stalking around the other cat, who stood just as poised to jump. Around them other cats yowled and tore at each other's fur, garnering yelps and hisses when a paw connected with a cheek.
“I don't know what your talking about, Goldenclaw, Shadowclan has had the pass to fourtrees since before you were a kit!” the grey tomcat growled back. The two cats launched at each other, claws and teeth colliding in well practiced combat. Dangerously close to the edge of the thunderpath, Goldenclaw leapt back, not without earning a harsh swipe to his left ear.
“Fall back Thunderclan! Don’t let yourselves be caught on the thunderpath!”
The screech of a thunderclan she-cat tore Goldenclaw’s eyes from the grey tom infront of him, bounding over to where a red Shadowclan cat had the warrior pinned and his teeth bared for her throat. Goldenclaw barreled into his side, momentarily throwing him off his feet and calling back to the she-cat,
“Flowertail, move it!” he yowled, hissing as the Shadowclan warrior carved a deep gash over his eyebrow. The white she-cat bounded back to the cover of the forest, limping from a large gash in her shoulder.
“Goldenclaw we must retreat! I can see more Shadowclan warriors on the other side of the thunderpath!”
The tabby hissed, landing a blow to the back of the red warriors head, effectively making him stumble.
“No Redheart! We mustn’t let them encroach on any more of our territory! It is rightfully our hunting grounds!” he yowled back at his deputy, but proceeded to back further away from the center of the fight. Spiderfang growled in the two tomcats direction, smirking as he saw the thunderclan cats begin to be overwhelmed.
“Thunderclan retreat! We cannot risk any more lives! Fall back to the forest!” Redheart yowled, and the fighting broke apart. Thunderclan cats from their patrol limping and hissing as they hastily made their retreat back to camp.
As Goldenclaw turned his back to usher an injured apprentice forward, he heard Spiderfang and another shadowclan warrior snicker to themselves, reveling in the gain of new hunting territory. Goldenclaw seethed, and turned to Redheart; “we could have kept fighting! A little more and we wouldn’t have lost that land!” he continued to push the apprentice forward, glaring at Redheart as he bounded over a fell log.
“I understand your pain, Goldenclaw, but we musnt risk any more warriors, we already are short the expected kits this newleaf, and we cannot let more lives be taken. This is a momentary loss. Thunderclan will honor your courage, Goldenclaw.”
The yellow tabby huffed, ushering the small apprentice, Thistlepaw was it? Forward again as he staggered.
“Those maggot brain Shadowclan have more pride than they know what to do with” he seethed, but nevertheless continued on the path towards camp.
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“How is flowertail?” Goldenclaw asked, pushing his way through the fern barrier of the medicine den. After having his own minor wounds attended to, he wanted to see how the pretty she-cat was doing, hoping her shoulder wouldn't impair her ability to hunt and move properly. He glanced around the dark den, and spotted the grey speckled medicine cat to the side, sorting some kind of herbs Goldenclaw was to ignorant to name.
“Shes fine, nothing some cobweb and goldenrod can't fix”
Lilypelt was a fine medicine cat, and hearing his simple words eased Goldenclaw’s worry. Although she was not his mate, and he did not intend to take one, flowertail was a nice cat, she had been his apprentice and he had watched her grow and mature into a fine warrior. He nodded and with one final glance around the camp, headed to the warriors den and curled up in his nest, a dreamless night, blessing him a heavy sleep.