Beyond the Code/Part 2

Chapter Summary
Leafstar's PoV
 * Leafstar thinks that she tries to put Sol's method of catching prey behind her, but Sol avoids the rest of the Clan and sulks all day. She looks at Sol, who unhappily sleeps beneath the shade of a ledge. Waspwhisker and Cherrtail approach him, which Leafstar is thankful for, and Waspwhisker invites Sol to a hunting skills session with the apprentices. Sol agrees to come.


 * Leafstar is thankful that her kits are napping, allowing her to observe. She watches from the top of a rock, right beside where the training session is. Cherrytail gives the cats the order to pounce, and though Birdpaw and Honeypaw manage to do it, Sol clumsily falls on his stomach. Birdpaw asks if he is okay, though she thought he had already known this stuff, and Honeypaw adds that he had caught the prey. Sol grumbles that he is fine, and asks to go again. Leafstar watches throughout the training session, but Sol always lands on his stomach, and Leafstar is afraid that he will sulk soon.


 * Sharpclaw comes up to Leafstar and speculates that Sol isn't a born hunter. Leafstar responds that Sol needs one-on-one training, which she will do herself if she must. Sharpclaw notes that she is going to a lot of trouble for one cat, but Leafstar answers that he wants to be a warrior, so they owe to give him the training. She adds that they don't question apprentices like that. Sharpclaw agrees to find someone to help Sol, and suggests Patchfoot. However, he tells Leafstar that Sol doesn't seem to have any natural skills when he tries to hunt.


 * That night, as Leafstar sleeps in her nest with her kits, a plop noise is heard outside. Leafstar opens and eye, thinking she heard a footstep, and when the noise is heard again, she thinks that there it is again. She walks to the entrance again, wondering if Sharpclaw sent out a night patrol without telling her. However, she sees two foxes enter the gorge, and her eyes widen as she murmurs oh no. Leafstar jumps down from the ledge of her den and yowls that there is a fox attack, ordering her warriors to defend the camp. As she does so, several warriors are seen running, while the foxes snap their jaws. Sharpclaw gives the order to surround them. She tells everyone close to him to take the male, and everyone close to Leafstar to take the female. Leafstar yowls not to get close to their jaws but to concentrate on their back legs. Sharpclaw, Patchfoot, and two other warriors stand on a ledge above one fox, and Sharpclaw says to be ready. As Leafstar yowls to attack now, warriors jump down and bit the foxes.


 * Leafstar konws that Sharpclaw would tell her that she needs to stay back out of the fight, where she can command, but Leafstar jumps toward a fox, slashing a paw at its muzzle. She thinks that the foxes are deadly, and she cannot let her warriors face the treat alone. However, she turns her head in horror to see her kits at the entrance to her den, saying that they will fight the foxes. Leafstar is horrified, but sees Sol walking on a ledge above her, and yowls at him to come and take her place. The fox tries to throw the cats on him off, and as Leafstar tries to hang on, she asks Sol what's wrong with him, and plading him as she must save her kits. Sol hesitates, as Leafstar's kits begin to head down the ledge to her den, where the foxes are fighting. She cannot let go, as other cats will die if she does, but her kits will die if she own't.


 * At that point, Lichenfur jumps down and tells the kits to stop. She picks up Firekit by her scruff, telling her that she is going nowhere, though Stormkit is dissapointed. Leafstar is relieved and chomps down on the foxes ear, thinking that it is time to finish this.The foxes run away, yipping, and Sharpclaw yowls at the other fox as it also leaves, sneering at the two foxes to keep running as they run up the gorge. Leafstar comes up to Lichenfur, the kits standing at her paws, and thanks her over and over. Lichenfur replies that it was nothing, as despite them being pests, she has gotten used to having them around.

Major
{{mclist|2| }}
 * Leafstar{[r|ss2|43}}
 * Sol{[r|ss2|43}}

Minor
{{mclist|3| }}
 * Waspwhisker{[r|ss2|43}}
 * Cherrytail
 * Honeypaw
 * Birdpaw
 * Sharpclaw
 * Harrykit (Unnamed)
 * Stormkit (Unnamed)
 * Firekit (Unnamed)
 * Patchfoot (Unnamed)
 * Lichenfur

Mentioned

 * Patchfoot