Stuck...and at a Very Bad Time

Silverwind raced through the tunnel of bracken and brambles. The plants clawed at her fur and snagged on her pelt, and her paws pounded the soft ground. she had just past the Owl Tree, and turned sharply into a narrower tunnel more thickly lined with brambles and sharp things.

Leaping out to jump the last fox-length of the tunnel, a shortcut leading to Fourtrees, Silver's hind leg snagged on a coil of brambles and thorns and she landed heavily on her chin. She whipped round to free herself of the plants, but got herself even more tangled up in the small tunnel. Snapping and clawing at the spiky, painful foliage, Silver whispered inside her head. StarClan help me! she thought, struggling. She could see cats running in front of her, but they all soon disappeared on their way to Fourtrees and Silver yowled in distress.

She knew she had to get out. She had heard the warning - the Fourtrees were in danger and she had to get there quickly. But none of the other cats were helping her, and very few knew about this secret shortcut tunnel to Fourtrees. Silver shouted again, hoping that someone would free her and she'd be able to help defend Fourtrees. She snapped and bit at the brambles again. A blackberry was squashed under her elbow and several drops of blood landed too, staining small patches of Silverwind's grey-silver fur. The thorns were sharp, and had cut Silver's nose and face, and she closed her eyes to avoid damaging them. She called out again, before returning to trying to free herself in the cramped space of the bramble-lined tunnel.

Hawkfire was about to eat a plump mouse when he heard the yowling. "That's Silver!" he thought. "What has she gotten into now?" Hawkfire muttered. "Don't worry everybody. I'll just go get her."

Hawkfire followed Silvewind's scent trail. He was following where everyone else had just come back. Then he noticed that Silver had turned left, and apparently leaped into a bunch af brambles. Hawkfire followed the scent trail more anyway, until he came to a tunnel to small for him to fit.

Hawkfire crouched down to look inside. "Silver, you in there?"

Silver turned her head as best she could to see the silhouette of a huge cat crouching at the entrance to the tunnel. She sniffed the air. "Hawkfire!" she meowed with relief. "Yes, it's me!" she crawled as far as she could towards him, but had to stop when the bramble grew taught around her hind paws and left front paw.

She looked up to see him. "Is Fourtrees OK?" she asked urgently, pulling her front paw out to the net of brambles with some degree of difficulty. A thin line of blood trickled down her paw and she licked it roughly. "What happened?" she questioned, pressing forward slightly with her urgency.

"Some twolegs came to destroy Fourtrees, but they're gone now. I was about to eat a plump mouse when I heard you calling." Hawkfire said. "There's no way I can fit down into that hole, so this might take a while." Hawkfire worked all afternoon, biting and clawing at the brambles. At almost moonhigh, Hawkfire could finally reach far enought to cut the brambles that snagged Silverwind's fur. Hawkfire was covered in scratches, but managed to pull Silverwind out of the tunnel. "Ouch," he said. "I need to see the medicine cat."

Silver tumbled out of the tunnel when Hawkfire freed her and let go. She sighed and shook herself, standing up.

"I need to see the medicine cat." Hawkfire said.

Silver nodded. "Me too. We're both covered in scratches from the brambles." she sighed. "I'm glad Fourtrees was not harmed." taking a few steps through the larger tunnel so Hawkfire could follow, she called to her friend, "Come on, Hawkfire. Let's go."

When they arrived back at the camp, Hawkfire skipped the medicine den and went straight to the freshkill pile. Thats when he saw something that completely ruined his day. An apprentice had just eaten the plump mouse Hawkfire was going to eat before he heard Silverwind's calls. Hawkfire growled at the apprentice before heading off toward the medicine den.