Free Mistystar's Omen by Erin Hunter Page B

it let out a growl. With a mad scrabble of gigantic paws, the dogs whirled around and started to hurtle back toward Reedwhisker and the apprentices.
    â€œNo!” screeched Mistystar. Without thinking, she leaped down behind the dogs. “Come back here! Take me instead!”
    â€œGet back to the wall!” yowled Reedwhisker, who had reached the apprentices and was standing in front of them, shielding them with his tail.
    â€œRun!” Mistystar hollered. She was almost at the dogs’ heels now; mud was splashing into her face from their racing paws, and she was almost knocked off her feet by one of their thick-furred tails. She sprang up and grabbed the end of the tail in her teeth. At once the dog skidded to a halt, jerking Mistystar forward. She braced herself and sank her teeth deeper into the fleshy tail. The dog circled, and Mistystar found herself being dragged sideways.
    â€œLet go, Mistystar!” she heard Mallownose shout from the wall. Mistystar gritted her teeth and clung on. She could feel the dog’s breath hot on her neck and the stench was enough to make her gag, but she knew she couldn’t let go.
    There was a rapid pounding of paws, and suddenly Graymist and Robinwing were beside her, rearing up on their hind legs to slash at the dog. With a yelp, it jumped backward. Mistystar lost her grip and stumbled onto her knees. Graymist shoved her up to her feet, and the three cats raced back to the wall.
    â€œWhere’s Mallownose?” Mistystar yowled, realizing that the top of the stones was empty.
    â€œHelping Reedwhisker,” Graymist panted.
    Mistystar whirled around and saw the light brown warrior clinging to the back of the other dog, distracting it while Reedwhisker pushed Hollowpaw and Rushpaw up to the top of the fence. As soon as the apprentices were clear, Mallownose sprang from the dog’s shoulders onto the fence beside them. The narrow strip of wood shuddered and buckled as the three cats clung on.
    â€œReedwhisker! Watch out!” Mistystar shrieked. The deputy was crouching down, waiting for the fence to stop shaking before he jumped up. Both of the dogs leaped at him, jaws bared, drool flying from their cheeks. They landed with a thud and a dreadful tearing sound. Reedwhisker let out a shriek of pain that tore Mistystar’s heart in two.
    â€œReedwhisker! No!”

Chapter 9
    Mistystar bunched her hindquarters beneath her, ready to spring down, but Robinwing held her back.
    â€œWait! Mallownose has him!”
    The brown warrior had dug his claws into the top of the fence and lowered himself down until he could sink his teeth into Reedwhisker’s scruff. He hauled the barely moving cat out of the dogs’ reach and carried him along the wood, with Hollowpaw and Rushpaw stumbling in front of him. The dogs sprang and snapped at them from below, but Mallownose kept going, his eyes bulging from the effort of holding his Clanmate.
    Mistystar pushed the apprentices out of the way as they stood trembling on the wall, and stretched out to take her son from Mallownose. The black tom was moaning softly, and a huge gash stretched across his flank. The wound was so deep that Mistystar could see the white gleam of bone at the top of his hind leg.
    â€œOh, StarClan,” she whispered.
    â€œWe’re so sorry,” Hollowpaw whimpered. “We were just looking for food.”
    â€œKittypet food,” Rushpaw added. He hung his head. “We found some here before, and it didn’t taste too bad. We thought if we got enough to eat here, we wouldn’t have to take anything from the fresh-kill pile.”
    Mistystar stared at the apprentices, resisting the urge to claw their ears off until they screamed as loudly as Reedwhisker had. They never meant for any cat to get hurt. They thought they were helping.
    Robinwing stepped alongside Mistystar. “Let’s get Reedwhisker back to the camp,” he meowed. He and Mallownose stood at the