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As the patrol traveled through the woods, Brightpaw couldn’t help but feel like they were being followed. Whitestorm must have noticed too, since he suddenly stopped and called out: ‘Cloudpaw, come out!’
His sternness didn’t seem to scare Cloudpaw though, since he came out with his tail excitedly fluffed out. ‘Can I join too? Fireheart is busy and I don’t want to sit around camp the whole day!’
Longtail snorted. ‘It’s your call, Whitestorm.’
Whitestorm sighed. ‘It’s not safe sending him back alone, he’ll have to come with us.’
‘Yes!’ Cloudpaw bounced towards Brightpaw. ‘Shadowclan won’t dare to invade our territory with us patrolling it!’
Brightpaw laughed. Cloudpaw always had ways to make her smile.
‘You think that Shadowclan would be afraid of you? Perhaps they run away when they see your face,’ Swiftpaw sneered.
Cloudpaw’s fur bristled. Brightpaw knew that Swiftpaw detested Cloudpaw’s kittypet roots, but it still pained her to see one of her friends hurt the other.
A strange yowling came from the direction they were headed. Whitestorm halted the group with a wave of his tail. ‘You apprentices wait here. Longtail and I will check it out first.’ The two warriors disappeared into the forest.
A few seconds passed when Cloudpaw whispered: ‘Are we really going to wait here? Let’s go look!’
‘But Whitestorm told us to stay!’ Brightpaw protested.
‘We’ll be sneaky, they’ll never know!’ The young tom stalked away.
‘We shouldn’t let him go alone.’ Swiftpaw grumbled. They followed Cloudpaw.
Ahead of them came the scent of blood. Brightpaw’s movement stuttered, were their mentors okay? Swiftpaw gasped and Cloudpaw dashed onto the open field of Snakerocks. ‘Stop right there!’ he yelled.
Brightpaw stepped onto the clearing and was shocked to see that Whitestorm and Longtail were both knocked out, though with relief she realized they were still breathing. Standing a few tail-lengths away was what it seemed to be a monstrous fox-creature. ‘Starclan, help us…’ Brightpaw muttered.
‘Starclan?! Silly kittens, I’m far more powerful!’ It said.
Next to Brightpaw Swiftpaw tensed. ‘How dare you insult Starclan!’
He and Cloudpaw lunged for the creature but it knocked them down with a swipe of its paw.
‘Where are your ancestors now?!’ It laughed.
Brightpaw trembled, this was not something they could handle. Then she noticed that herbs were scattered all over the clearing and growled. ‘You’ve been taking our herbs!’
‘Yes, so?’
Brightpaw narrowed her eyes, Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw stood beside her. ‘We’ll not let you weaken our Clan! These were the last herbs you’ve taken.’
It began laughing when suddenly three stars fell from the sky and a bright light engulfed the apprentices. Where Cloudpaw just stood had now a bright yellow lion appeared. Brightpaw realised it was still Cloudpaw, only now his outside reflected his inside. In Swiftpaw’s place stood a strong, blue tiger. Brightpaw felt a strange power in her. She had become a red leopard.
This was how were going to defeat the creature and save their clan. They’d become Power Warriors.