Dawn

Squirrelpaw nodded. When she glanced at Brambleclaw, his eyes were shadowed with worry. I faced greater danger than this on the journey to the sun-drown-place! she wanted to tell him. Stop treating me like a kit!

“Right,” Graystripe meowed, turning back to watch the monster. “The Twoleg is going to fetch another. We’ll be ready to take it by surprise when it comes out.”

He dashed from the trees, keeping low as he raced over the mud. Thornclaw, Sorreltail, Rainwhisker, and Brambleclaw ducked out from under the brambles and ran across the churned earth behind him. Squirrelpaw scrambled after them, feeling the mud suck at her paws and cling to the fur on her belly.

A few tail-lengths from the open door, Graystripe hissed, “Wait!” and the cats halted in the sticky mud.

The Twoleg stepped out of the wooden nest. It was carrying another cage and did not see the six cats waiting in ambush.

“Now!” Graystripe screeched, and he leaped at the Twoleg.

When he sank his claws into its hind leg, the Twoleg dropped the cage. The cage cracked open with a sound like a splintering branch. Squirrelpaw stared in astonishment as she recognized the gray pelt inside. It was Mistyfoot! The RiverClan warrior leaped out and hurled herself at the Twoleg’s other leg, hissing in rage. Thornclaw joined the attack, gripping the Twoleg as though he were clawing his way up a tree. The Twoleg bellowed in agony and hopped around with a cat clinging to each leg.

“Come on, Squirrelpaw!” Brambleclaw yowled. He jumped into the open belly of the monster, Sorreltail close behind him. Squirrelpaw heard the blood roaring in her ears as she watched Rainwhisker slip into the nest. She hoped there wasn’t another Twoleg waiting inside. Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself up into the monster with Brambleclaw and Sorreltail.

Rows of cages were lined up in the gloom. The fear-scent was overpowering, and for a moment Squirrelpaw froze. How in StarClan’s name were they going to rescue all these cats?

Then she saw Leafpaw, pressed against the mesh of her cage.

“Squirrelpaw! Over here!” she wailed.

“I’m coming!” Squirrelpaw streaked over to her and used her teeth to tug at the catch on the front of the cage. “It’s loosening!” she hissed as the catch began to tear away like the wing of a pigeon. She pulled as hard as she could until the cage sprang open and sent Squirrelpaw toppling onto the floor of the monster’s belly.

Leafpaw leaped down and quickly rubbed her muzzle against her sister’s. “It’s really you!” she breathed.

“Spottedleaf told me where you were!” Squirrelpaw gasped, scrambling to her paws.

Leafpaw blinked, then shook herself. “Tell me everything later. Come on; we’ve got to get all these cats out!” She raced to the nearest cage and began pulling at the catch.

Squirrelpaw turned to another and struggled until she thought she’d be spitting out broken teeth, but the catch eventually came free, and a matted rogue tom leaped out. Without a word he fled from the monster and sprinted toward the woods.

“You’re welcome,” Squirrelpaw muttered before starting on the next cage.

Unfamiliar cats leaped around her as Brambleclaw, Sorreltail, and Leafpaw worked on the cages one after another. The cages mostly contained rogues who were gone as soon as their doors were open. Then Squirrelpaw felt a cat push her aside, heading deeper into the monster’s belly, and saw Mistyfoot barging past. The RiverClan warrior made straight for the cage at the end.

“Sasha!” Mistyfoot yowled, and she began scraping at the catch with her claws.

“This way works better,” Squirrelpaw told her, nudging her out of the way to use her teeth. Instantly the catch opened and Sasha sprang out.

“Get out of here!” Mistyfoot urged.

Sasha hesitated, looking at the cages that were still closed.

“We’ll deal with these!” Mistyfoot promised.

Sasha’s fur was standing on end, and her blue eyes were huge with fear. She was shaking so much that she wouldn’t be able to open the cages even if she tried. At last she nodded and leaped from the monster.

Only a few cages still held cats. Leafpaw scanned the inside of the monster and called to Squirrelpaw, “Cloudtail and Brightheart are still in the hut! Go and help free them; I’ve got to let Cody out.”

“Who’s Cody?” Squirrelpaw asked.

“I’ll tell you later! Quick! Get Brightheart and Cloudtail!”

Squirrelpaw leaped out of the monster’s belly and raced toward the wooden nest. Her heart lurched when she saw that another Twoleg had arrived to help. Thornclaw finally lost his grip on the first Twoleg. The ThunderClan warrior landed heavily in the mud, but he scrambled to his paws and raced back to rejoin Graystripe in the attack.

As Squirrelpaw dashed into the nest, she was almost knocked flying by a brown tabby rogue running out. She swerved quickly out of the way as the scraggy tom hurtled past her; then she scanned the nest, searching for Cloudtail and Brightheart.