Acid Tongued

This is my story so far....

I snarled, as I cornered the rabbit, hungrily. Suddenly a noise rushed through the bracken. I curled my lip and turned swiftly. StormSpot cowered as I growled. “You just lost me some prey!” I cursed. StormSpot was just recently made a fighter. His ears were pinned flat against his head as I raged on. “That rabbit could have fed half the clan!” I yelled.
“Yes, of course!” StormSpot hastily amended. “But we need you!” I lowered my lip slightly.
“Why?” I growled. He glanced around nervously, trying to escape from my hot glare. He moaned nervously and glanced back at me, looking away quickly. I started to raise my lip again.
“The star’s being attacked!” StormSpot cried softly. My eyes shot open, from their normal half closed position. My eyes glinted cruelly and I pushed past StormSpot, and crashed through the undergrowth. I skidded to a halt, StormSpot ramming into me from behind, and I glanced down into our green, leafy valley, now swarming with a variety of pelts. I tore down the slope, my body filling with a balloon of rage. I snarled and leapt on the nearest fiend. I scratched and bit, not in any worry. Nine lives were very handy in certain situations. I shook the wolf by the neck and threw his limp body from my mouth.

“WinterStar! Help me!” I searched frantically just in time to see my friend, an apprentice, struggling under an unnaturally large male wolf. I snarled and leapt onto his back tumbling over and over with him, struggling and ripping fur from him. I glared at him as he struggled underneath my dainty but strong sharp paw, my newly shed claws digging into his chest. He coughed and shot piercing glares into my eyes as he wriggled and squirmed under my weight.
“WinterStar!” he spat, “Never thought you’d be so bold to attack a new leader of the SpringClan!” I stared at him.
“Hm,” I breathed, “So! You’re a leader now?” I looked SpringStar up and down and burst out laughing. “How could they possibly see possibility in you?” I snorted. SpringStar snarled and tried to kick me in the stomach; I hissed and hit him across the snout with my small, sharp claws. He rolled; I clung to his fur and bit his neck, shaking him back and forth. His size and strength was no match to another large wolf, but I had been told by the previous leader, my mother, that strength and size could be fought with agility and cunning, “Never fight fire with fire,” my mother had told me. I grinned and dodged his strong blow. I bit his tail, but that only annoyed him. And that’s the way I wanted it. He roared and sent me sprawling into the circle of his remaining wolves. My clan roared with laughter as I sent him, cursing, into the valleys’ rocky wall. I heard an elder laugh, “What a lesson for us all! A small she-wolf beating a large muscular male wolf? Ha! Courage can conquer greed!” I grinned at that and saw SpringStars’ eyes grow wide with rage. I wasn’t even breathing hard as SpringStar lunged at my throat. I narrowed my eyes in concentration as I sidestepped. Soon, the sunset, and SpringClan said goodbye and retreated back to their territory. I giggled under my breath as SpringStar cursed but continued lunging at me. I sighed, bored.
“Oh, go on! Your clan is already gone! GIVE UP!” I giggled. SpringStars’ eyes glittered.
“Fine. But just remember, WinterStar, you have won this battle, but you’ll lose the war,” he whispered. My eyes dimmed a little as I watched my foe walk up the trail and into the night.

I barked instructions, left, right, left, right, right! My muzzle swung from side to side. I stopped in a shadowy corner, itching my ear deep in concentration. What SpringStar had said was bugging me like a gnat buzzing in my ear. I looked around my camp slowly. An elder was itching for fleas, a warrior climbed the steep, only climbable slop out of camp for a chore, an apprentice tried to look dignified as a leaf drifted to the ground, but only after he had chased it. I smiled, my ears pricked and I looked up. FallStar strode into camp. I licked my paw one more time to ease the stinging of the newly pulled briar out of my foot. I walked slowly, trying, successfully, to hide the slight limp. FallStar had brought three warriors, one apprentice, and his healer wolf. Good, I thought, a chat of peace. I had deduced that FallStar was not going to break the Ancient Rules of Wolves and attack with a medicine cat. One of the main rules was, if a rival clan came with their medicine cat, and attacked it would be against the Rules. I bowed my head slightly, a sign of respect. I was a much younger leader, but I had had experience from my mother, she had let me help her with keeping the clan in order when she was dying. I respected her in the most loving way…and admiring.
“Good morning FallStar. What has brought you across may a territory to come to our humble camp,” I joked. He smiled faintly. As a fairly new leader, we both respected each others’ boundaries and were good friends. Many wolves said that one day we’d be the only two leaders from different clans to become mates. I always rolled my eyes and ignored them after giving them a steely glare.
“SpringStar is going beyond his limits,” FallStar murmured, and I could tell he was not joking, “He is stealing my packs food right in front of my nose.” I glanced at his peaceful party. Their ribs were showing, and their fur was unkempt. Their eyes flickered around the camp nervously, but stopping when they spotted the prey pile. In spring food was plentiful. I nodded to FallStar.