"ThunderClan! It's ThunderClan!" A voice yowled in fear.

Jaypaw jolted awake to the noise, ears flat. Her fur was ruffled even more now, because of the fear of the voice outside.

Jaypaw watched her denmates stirr beside her, Blackpaw yawning as he stood up.

"What was that?" Nightpaw growled, her tail lashing across her nest. "Something about ThunderClan?"

"That's what I heard-" Jaypaw began. She was interrupted by a second yowl. "ThudnerClan! At the border!"

Jaypaw looked outside, and it was already sun-high. She scampered outside, a tired-looking Wolfpaw flanking her side beside Blackpaw.

"ThunderClan!" Nightpaw scoffed. "They don't know what's coming!" The black-furred apprentice nudged past Jaypaw and ran into the clearing to speak with Sageleaf, her mentor.

Jaypaw walked outside too, her paws still sore from yesterday's assessment. Blackpaw and Wolfpaw followed her meekly.

Jaypaw met with Rowantail, who was talking with Redstar and Dawnberry.

"ThunderClan at the border..." Redstar mewed thoughtful. "We need to prepare for battle."

"Yes, Redstar." Rowantail and Dawnberry ran off to collect the warriors.

Jaypaw didn't know where to go. "What do we do?" She asked her denmates, who replied both with a quiet shrug.

Jaypaw's fur bristled as Redstar spoke. "ThunderClan is attacking! The following cats, gather by the entrance!"

Redstar stood and took a step back, letting Rowantail speak.

"Dawnberry, Tawnyeyes, Newtspeckle, Sageleaf, Nightpaw, Jaypaw, Blackpaw, Wolfpaw, Pinewhisker, Cedarfall and Ivyberry!" Rowantail listed off the cats. "You will fight! Me, Redstar,

Jaypaw and her denmates gathered with the rest of the large patrol, sticking close to her father. Jaypaw had never been very close with Pinewhisker, but right now, she needed all the family she had.

A battle. A ThunderClan battle. Against Leafpaw. Leafpaw! I can't fight her! Jaypaw's thoughts were scattered.

She felt Pinewhisker's tail on her shoulder. "I know, Jaypaw. This is your first battle, but you'll do well."

Jaypaw only nodded meekly and stared at her paws. Before she knew it, the large patrol of cats was moving out of camp.

Jaypaw kept her head low, passing trees and hills until they reached the Thunderpath that seperated ShadowClan from ThunderClan.

Jaypaw only lifted her head when they stopped at the Thunderpath. Monsters sped by, whipping dust everywhere, but the ShadowClan cats only bared their teeth at ThunderClan.

ThunderClan cats were lined up across the other side of the Thunderpath. Jaypaw didn't recognize most of them, but she made out Bearclaw, Dovecall, Leafpaw, Daisypaw, Yellowpaw, Hazelstar, Amberstorm and Voleheart.

Jaypaw gazed at Leafpaw, and her bright green eyes landed on Jaypaw. Leafpaw's fur bristled. Dovecall looked at her apprentice, and Leafpaw forcefully growled at the ShadowClan cats.

Jaypaw looked up at Rowantail, who had flanked her side. Redstar's voice made Jaypaw jump.

"ThunderClan! You can back down, but you will not be getting out territory! My warriors fight like tigers!" Redstar warned, his voice powerful and loud.

Dawnberry and Sageleaf flanked the leader. "ShadowClan will never surrender!" Sageleaf called.

Hazelstar nosed her way through the crowd as another monster sped by. When the dust had cleared, she cleared her throat.

"Redstar, we will not back down. Perhaps you are asking us to back down because your warriors aren't strong enough!" Hazelstar challenged.

Jaypaw's ears flattened in rage. She caught Leafpaw's eye again, and the ThunderClan apprentice looked terrified.

Leafpaw doesn't want to be here...Jaypaw noted in her head. She's not one to fight. She never has been.

Redstar let out a threatening growl from deep in his throat. "We will battle then."

Hazelstar opened her jaws to speak when a yowl split the air. Jaypaw whipped her head around to see a light brown tabby ThunderClan tom running across the Thunderpath.

"Beechlight!" Amberstorm yowled out to his Clanmate as the tabby kept running. Jaypaw felt glued to the ground, unable to move. Apparently, so did the other cats, because no one moved at all.

Hazelstar, eyes wide, held her deputy back with her tail as he went to get the tom off the Thunderpath, whose name was apparently Beechlight.

Jaypaw watched with the rest of ShadowClan and ThunderClan as Beechlight blundered across the acid-smelling Thunderpath, yelling curses.

"ThunderClan always wins!" The tabby tom yowled. "We will never be bested by ShadowClan!"

He was almost across the path when a loud sound split the air, making Jaypaw nearly jump out of her own fur.

"ShadowCla-" Beechlight was broken off by a loud crunch as a monster ran right over him, swerving a little before driving off down the Thunderpath.

Wails of sorrow came from the ThunderClan cats. A tortoiseshell she-cat ran forwards, her cries echoing through the quiet area.

Jaypaw dipped her head in silence, daring not to look at Beechlight's body.  When Jaypaw did, all she saw was a bloody mess.

Beechlight's body was contorted in different ways, his head twisted backwards while his legs were broken. There were marks all over his fur, some blood-covered and some not. Worst of all, his jaws were open in a silent, endless scream of agony.

It reminded Jaypaw of Tigerpaw's death, and she wasn't happy about that.

"Bloompetal!" Amberstorm hissed gently. "I know you're greiving, but please get off the Thunderpath. We can't afford to lose a second cat."

Sniffling, the tortoiseshell she-cat, Bloompetal, went back to her Clan with a dark brown tom that Jaypaw recognized as Bearclaw.

All of ThunderClan greiving, Hazelstar stood and took a step towards the Thunderpath. "You've cost us a ThunderClan cat's life!" She hissed.

Redstar only looked disgusted. "Hazelstar, do you have no dignity? Beechlight ran to defend his Clan, killing himself in the process, and you say it's our fault?"

Hazelstar growled, eyes slits. Jaypaw could see her claws unsheathing. "He wouldn't have ran if you weren't here!" She hissed.

Redstar raised his head. "You invited us here! If it's anyone's fault that Beechlight's dead, it's yours, Hazelstar!"

Hazelstar and the rest of ThunderClan let out surprised, shocked gasps. The cats of ShadowClan only glared back.

"If it's such an issue," Redstar began. "Let's fight."