CRASH!

Stardust stared in shock and surprise. A yellow blur slammed into Flintscar, shoving him away from Stardust, Flintscar landed heavily on the ground. Flintscar groaned, lifted his head and looked around in a daze, then he dropped and lay unconscious.

Stardust blinked and saw that the yellow blur was a cat. He was a pale ginger tabby with thin black stripes and his emerald green eyes were wide with concern. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine," Stardust stammered. I thought I was going to be food for that wolf! She thought.

The ginger tom nodded to her then pelted off towards Robintail; Robintail was pinned down by a large red-brown wolf. When the wolf was about to sink it's fangs into Robintail's throat, the ginger tom slammed into the red-brown wolf's side sending the wolf crashing to the ground away from Robintail.

Stardust ran towards Robintail whilst the ginger tom chased the red-brown wolf away. She saw that there was a deep cut on Robintail's foreleg and a gash on his flank was bleeding heavily. "Robintail, you okay?" Stardust mewed.

Robintail nodded and then he licked his wounds, his tongue reddened with his blood.

"Where's Dawnwing?" Stardust mewed as she looked around them. She saw Moonshadow battling furiously with three brown wolves. Dawnwing was nowhere in sight.

Robintail blinked and looked around him, "Dawnwing was fighting right here beside me a moment ago but then a couple of wolves blocked my view and then that red wolf pinned me down."

Suddenly, wolves howled in shock and fear as four ginger cats charged towards them. There was a large striped ginger tom slashing a grey wolf and two younger ginger cats fought beside him. The other was a ginger and white she-cat with pale blue eyes, she pounced on a brown wolf whilst the pale ginger tom with emerald green eyes, who had saved Stardust a moment ago, fought beside her.

***

Icefeather glared in shock and anger at the ginger cats. She never expected reinforcements to rescue the fugitives; the wolves were now beginning to weaken and the ginger cats were turning the tide of victory against them. Flintscar was knocked out and one of the wolves was dragging him by his scruff away from the fighting.

"Hawkclaw, attack those cats. I'm not going back to Scarface without a prisoner." Icefeather ordered.

Hawkclaw obeyed and launched himself into the air. He pounced on the large ginger tom, the younger ginger cats nearby helped the tom and the three cats fought back against Hawkclaw.

Whilst the three were busy fighting Hawkclaw, Icefeather flapped her wings and soared high above the battle below. She could see the silver grey cat and the fox fighting beside the Snowie owl but the smaller burrowing owl was nowhere near them. Scanning the ground, Icefeather saw Dawnwing limping towards Moonshadow and the others, trying to get to safety. 

Oh no you will never reach them, Icefeather thought with satisfaction as she plunged down with her talons open and snatched Dawnwing away. Dawnwing was injured badly and her struggles against Icefeather were feeble.

"Wolves, retreat!" Icefeather screeched into the night as the remaining wolves of her patrol pelted away into darkness.

***

"Dawnwing!" Moonshadow looked up and saw Icefeather carrying Dawnwing away. He flapped his wings and soared as fast as he could towards them. Icefeather glanced behind her and swiftly wheeled away to dodge Moonshadow's incoming dive.

"Give up Moonshadow! You're in no state to go against me to save her," Icefeather hissed at him.

"You'll never take her or another of my friends away again," Moonshadow spat. He beat his wings and caught up to Icefeather. "Let her go or else," Moonshadow threatened.

Icefeather scowled at him. "You can try but you will fail." Icefeather held up Dawnwing as a shield. "You hit me, you hit her." She taunted him.

Moonshadow glared at Icefeather. Dawnwing's breathing was shallow and her wounds still bled, her blood was beginning to stain Icefeather's white feathers, turning it dark crimson. Moonshadow decided to take the risk and try to save Dawnwing. He lashed out at Icefeather's left wing with his talon. Icefeather turned to the right and held Dawnwing to her left. Moonshadow saw it and managed to pull back his blow. His talon sliced through the air, only millimeters away from Dawnwing's face. Moonshadow breathed out in relief when Dawnwing was not harmed. Suddenly Icefeather veered round and scratched Moonshadow's left wing. Moonshadow was about to gash her but Icefeather had held Dawnwing in his way again.

"Nice try," Icefeather sneered. "Get back to the others and watch your back because one day, I will be coming for you."

Moonshadow had no choice but to head back towards the others and Stardust. I will retreat for now but I will be coming back for you Dawnwing, Moonshadow promised silently.