The Star and the Moon

Chapter 17 - Ambush

Stardust padded wearily towards the mountains. Looking up, she saw the stars glittering frostily in the dark night sky. Moonshadow and Dawnwing were discussing what they would do when they reached the mountains.

"Dawnwing, there are rumors of animals with special powers who live in and beyond those mountains. What if we get attacked?" Moonshadow asked.

"Don't worry, we'll manage. Also, most of those animals are good-hearted but if we do encounter an evil one, the best thing we can do is run and hide." Dawnwing answered.

"Or I'll hit them, hard." Robintail growled.

Suddenly, a twig cracked behind them. All four of them spun around and stared in fear. Ten wolves were advancing menacingly towards them, their eyes were cold and their jaws parted to reveal thorn sharp teeth.

"Stay together and don't let them surround us," Moonshadow told them quietly so that the wolves wouldn't hear. Then, the wolves parted into two groups and revealed a white barn owl with two wolves on either side of her and they stalked towards them.

"Moonshadow, we meet again," Icefeather hooted coldly. "Surrender or my patrol will kill you all."

"I'm never going to work for you again you evil wolves," Robintail snarled. His russet fur was spiked up with fear but he managed not to tremble.

"We will not surrender and never will!" Moonshadow hissed.

"Very well. ATTACK!" Icefeather ordered.

The ten wolves leaped towards Stardust and Moonshadow. Moonshadow flapped his wings and dived onto one of the wolves, he sank his sharp talons into one the wolves' backs and drove it away. Stardust dodged as a grey wolf snapped his jaws at her tail. Dawnwing and Robintail worked together to fight off the rest of the wolves.

Stardust looked around her. Her friends were fighting desperately for their lives as the wolves snapped at their necks, trying to kill them all. Suddenly, Stardust felt sharp teeth sink into her neck and she squealed in pain. Her legs were lifted off the ground and Stardust flailed her paws helplessly through the air. Stardust shut her eyes.

"Stardust!"

A yowl rang inside Stardust's head. It was her father, Ash.

"Stardust, twist around and rake your claws behind you."

Stardust opened her eyes and twisted around to rake her claws behind her. The wolf dropped her to dodge the blow and Stardust landed heavily on her side.

"Stardust, look out!"

The wolf had come back and was about to slam his paws down on Stardust. Stardust rolled away and the wolf's paws hit the ground where she'd been a second before.

"Quick, leap onto him!" Ash meowed.

Stardust jumped as high as she could and landed on top of the wolf. She sank her claws on the wolf's back and the wolf yelped in pain.

"That's how you fight. Well done Stardust." Ash praised her. "Keep going, I'll be here beside you."

Stardust could not see Ash but she could feel his presence and smell his scent. She clawed at the wolf's back and the wolf howled for help. Looking behind her, Stardust saw two wolves loping towards her. One wolf was grey and the other was brown.

"Jump onto the grey, rake your claws on his side and bite the brown," Ash told her.

Stardust leaped and landed squarely on the grey wolf's back. She clawed, leaped again and landed on the brown wolf. Stardust bit the brown wolf's ear and the wolf bucked, trying to throw her off.

***

Icefeather, Hawkclaw and Flintscar watched as the wolves fought against Moonshadow, Dawnwing, Robintail and Stardust. Icefeather's cold blue gaze sweeped over the fighting wolves and their struggling victims. Suddenly, something silver caught her eye. The cat was fighting three wolves. The three wolves were struggling and tripping over each other; all three bore the claw marks of the cat.

"Icefeather, what are you going to do about that kitten?" Hawkclaw asked, he twitched his ear.

"Yeah, what are you gonna do? Sit and watch like a pigeon?" Flintscar scowled. "Clearly you don't deserve to be leading this patrol!"

"Quiet!" Hawkclaw snapped at Flintscar, then he turned to Icefeather. "Icefeather, this Pigeon-" Hawkclaw pointed his tail at Flintscar- "does have a point. What's your decision?"

"Flintscar, go and finish that cat if you have nothing better to do like a pigeon." Icefeather ordered. She was enjoying leading the patrol and giving orders. She watched as Flintscar glowered at her before he stalked off towards the cat.

"Nice decision Icefeather, I'm starting to like having you around as a lieutenant like me." Hawkclaw praised her. "I can't stand that complaining wimpy wolf a second longer."

"Oh neither can I, Hawkclaw," Icefeather replied. "Just so long as no one gets in my way and things will go pretty well."

***

Stardust leaped to dodge a bite from the grey wolf. She landed, spun around and quick as lightning, she gashed the grey wolf's muzzle before attacking the brown wolf again. She sliced the brown wolf's ear and leaped onto his back.

"Nice one, Stardust." Ash complimented again. "I think these wolves have had enough, go help your friends."

Stardust gripped the wolf's pelt with her claws and looked around her. Dawnwing was limping and Robintail was chasing a small grey wolf away from her. Moonshadow was managing to dive down from above and attack the wolves.

"Stardust, behind you!" Ash suddenly caterwauled.

Swiftly glancing behind her, Stardust saw a black battle-scarred wolf pelting towards her at full speed, his jaws were open ready to bite her. Thinking fast, Stardust leaped. She watched as the black wolf halted in confusion beneath her. The black wolf looked up and stared at her. Stardust unsheathed her claws and landed on the black wolf's back and began to claw his spine. Flintscar howled and rolled onto his back, trying to crush Stardust. Stardust darted away just in time.

"Quick! While he's rolling, go for his belly," Ash meowed.

Stardust leaped onto Flintscar and clawed his belly with her hind claws. Flintscar snarled at her and he tried to bite Stardust. Stardust leaped away, spun around and prepared to fight Flintscar again.

"I'll shred you for clawing me!" Flintscar growled, his ice blue eyes were blue flames, burning for revenge.

"I'll claw you if you hurt my friends!" Stardust yowled back at him.

Flintscar quickly got up, and pounced at Stardust. Time seemed to slow down. Stardust watched in fear as Flintscar neared her, his jaw open. Stardust could see his pointy teeth and his needle-like fangs. I can't dodge this one, Stardust thought in despair.