Prologue

The fight was all a blur.

I remember weaving in and out of the way of many fights and the constant burning of fresh wounds on my flesh. Somewhere along the way my I felt my shoulder tear out of the socket, leaving me limping in pain towards the camp.

"Where's Quailfeather?" I gasped, bursting through the barrier of bushes and collapsing on the ground. I blinked a couple of times as my vision went out of focus. I need a medicine cat soon.

"Great StarClan," Cherryblossom—WindClan's only queen—muttered, before pressing some cobwebs into the wounds. "You need to hold on, Icepaw. You've lost a lot of blood but you should be alright."

I grinned in my haze of pain. I loved Cherryblossom like a second mother; I'd spent many moons in the nursery listening to her swearing and lecturing to the other warriors as she got closer to kitting. "Cherryblossom . . . it's so terrible out there . . . so many rogues. I tried to get to Whitestar but he disappeared in the fray," I meowed, wincing from my cuts.

Cherryblossom gently applied some marigold poultice onto my cuts. I whimpered in pain and closed my eyes, trying to block out the sounds of fighting. "I'm sorry but if I don't treat them you could get an infection," Cherryblossom apologized, adding more cobwebs. "I can't do anything about your shoulder now, but I can try and get Quailfeather to take a minute and come over."

I started to nod but before I could darkness washed over me like a wash crashing on the shore.


"Icepaw! Icepaw, wake up now!" a sharp voice hissed in my ear.

I grimaced from my pounding headache but opened my eyes. Cherryblossom's green eyes were wild with fear. "Cherryblossom, what's—"

She cut me off, "Keep your voice down! The Clans are losing; you need to get away before the camp is overrun," she pleaded.

"What? Cherryblossom you need to go more than I do! Think of your kits," I reasoned, struggling to my paws.

Cherryblossom sighed. "You know I wouldn't make ten fox-lengths out of camp and I can't run for very long. But you, Icepaw, need to go," she ordered. I gave her a doubtful look but she just gritted her teeth and nudged me along.

"Ebony, get that she-cat over there!" a voice snarled.

I felt myself go down as something hard crash into my side, knocking me back down on the ground. It was a skinny black she-cat who was missing an ear; she grinned at me before leaping at Cherryblossom. "No!" I screamed, struggling to my paws.

I leapt at the she-cat and bowled her over, raking my claws down her sides. My advantage didn't last long—she was strong and I was exhausted. A hard blow to my face sent me reeling backwards; I could taste the blood in my mouth. Shaking my head, I bunched my muscles again but before I could leap, a sharp shove sent me sprawling again.

This time I did not have the strength to get up.

A/N: Yes the Prologue is short, oh well. Next chapter will be longer :P

~Stormyyy