"Remember, Nightslash. You must get revenge."
Night jerked awake, her green eyes blinking open. Her mother's soft, yet dangerous, words rang in her ears as she jumped to her paws, her eyes gleaming with determination. One would say she looked beautiful and majestic, yet dangerous and powerful, by her sleek jet-black fur, narrowed blazing green eyes, and steady, strong form. Her unsheathed claws tore at the grass beneath her paws, and her sharp fangs glittered in the morning sunlight.
It wasn't the first time she had received a dream from her mother. Ashwhisker, a light gray tabby she-cat, had been visiting her dreams ever since Night was two moons old. And Night had learned the story of her mother's life, before she had died.
Ashwhisker had been a part of the wildcats, the Clans, until her death. She had called her clan WindClan, and all the gray she-cat ever wanted to do was make the clan more powerful and strong than ever before. She had tried to rid WindClan of the leader Redstar, who, in her opinion, was much too soft, and had let in far too many rogues and loners. Ashwhisker had wanted to be powerful. She'd wanted to be leader.
But when she had tried to kill him, and destroy his leadership, Redstar had killed her, but only because she had slipped on Redstar's blood.
Night had learned that Ashwhisker had a motive when she walked in her dreams. She'd figured that Ashwhisker had wanted revenge on Redstar through her. Or, more than that, she'd wanted revenge on all the clans for what had happened.
Night had been kitted before Ashwhisker had died, but it was because Ashwhisker hadn't wanted her to suffer a life full of pain if she failed to kill Redstar. She had left her outside of the clans, to fend for herself.
Night had just been a kit when she had received her first dream when her mother had spoken to her. Slowly, Night had learned to trust Ashwhisker. She was, after all, Night's mother.
Night had been a loner all her life, barely finding areas to survive, hunting for herself, remaining alone. But gradually, Ashwhisker had taught her to fight for her survival, and Night had learned willingly, and she had grown into a formidable fighter. Now, she could fight, and well. And she relied on her skill to survive.
Night had grown to be powerful.
Just this past night, Ashwhisker had visited Night's dreams again. Night had been rather surprised by her words. Her mother had declared that she had learned the hunting and fighting skills of the very best warriors, and Ashwhisker had renamed her Nightslash.
Nightslash. Night tried the name on her tongue, and she decided that she liked it. I am Nightslash.
As Nightslash blinked sleep from her green eyes, a mild morning breeze ruffled her black fur, and her long tail swished with anticipation. She padded away from the deserted clearing and into the open meadow, the wind blowing against her face. Pinpointing a small vole by scent rather than sight, Nightslash's jaws watered as she leaped, landing neatly behind it and nipping its spine.
She had eaten well the night before, and the vole was all she really felt like eating now.
Nightslash recalled her mother's words. "Today will be the day, Nightslash. You will find revenge, with me there to guide you." She had been fighting and training all her life, so it wouldn't be a problem, right? How many cats were in a clan, anyway? Would she be able to fend them all off? These questions burned anxiously in her mind, but she pushed them away, flexing her claws.
Her mother's voice whispered into her ear. "Go on, Nightslash. The path is down the hill, and then you'll reach the WindClan moor. If you head toward the pine forest, you'll end up in ShadowClan. You can choose where you'll go first."
Nightslash twitched her tail. I hope I succeed. Drawing in a deep breath, she lowered her head a little and stalked down the hill. I'll head for WindClan. She broke into a steady run, the downward slope of the hill speeding her up as she raced down, her green eyes gleaming with eagerness.
She narrowed her eyes to slits as she glimpsed the moor that her mother had mentioned. A distance away, she could see the faint outline of a misty pine forest. The pine forest looks brilliant. I wish I was there now.
Nightslash threw her head back and let out a fearsome growl. She opened her jaws, scenting the air, which she realized was laced with another, unfamiliar scent. Nightslash wrinkled her nose, and realized that this must be the border with WindClan. Breathing slowly, she stalked across the border, her tail high. A smirk played its way across her face. You'll regret killing my mother.
She dropped into a crouch behind a bush, trying to remain unseen as she saw three cats, all reeking of WindClan, pad toward the border. Her eyes widened as she anticipated her next move.
Heartbeats later, she was pinning one of the cats down, her teeth fastened firmly in the young tom's neck, as he yowled and wailed. Her paws flicked across his cheek, as the other two cats, a tom and a she-cat, turned to face her, confused. Her eyes blazed furiously, as she raked her claws across the cat's back. The she-cat stepped forward, though, she, too, looked wary.
"Who are you?"
Nightslash bared her teeth. "Take me to Redstar."
The she-cat looked startled, and she growled slightly. "Why?"
"Take me to Redstar!" Nightslash repeated, slightly louder, and this time, pulled off part of the young tom's ear, then spat it onto the grass. The other tom looked furious. He leaped at Nightslash, but the black she-cat slashed her claws across the tom's throat, and he fell to the ground, blood bubbling at his neck.
The she-cat looked horrified, while Nightslash's face wore a faint look of amusement.
"Okay, I will." Nightslash obediently leaped off the younger tom, who let out a moan of pain, then jumped feebly to his paws, staring at Nightslash with a look of pure fear, then padded over to the she-cat, who was busy supporting the other tom's limp body.
Nightslash flexed her claws impatiently. "Go on, then."
The she-cat steadied the other tom's body on her back, while the younger tom leaned in to her for support. Nightslash twitched her whiskers. Ashwhisker was right, she thought. These warriors are weak.
Nightslash fell into step beside the cats, her heart pumping furiously.
And her mother's voice sounded in her ear. "Well done, Nightslash."
The she-cat turned toward her, stopping in her tracks. "Redstar will claw my ears off if I take you into camp without knowing who you are-"
"Then get your ears clawed," Nightslash retorted smoothly, not even pausing to wait for the WindClan cats. She heard the she-cat let out a hiss of frustration, but she was relieved when neither of the WindClan cats pressed her any further. They walked along in silence, Nightslash's fur sleek as always, her eyes gleaming in triumph as she was led toward the camp.
"Here we are. The WindClan camp."
And the she-cat raced down the hill, toward an area which seemed completely full of cats, all sharing the same scent: the scent of WindClan. Nightslash hesitated, digging her long claws into the ground for a heartbeat. Then, she bounded after the she-cat, skidding to a stop at the bottom.
"Intruder!"
Nightslash whipped her head around to see a silver-furred she-cat throw her a venomous glare.
Heartbeats later, a dark red tom stalked out of a small den. Redstar. Nightslash hadn't realized that he would be so large. He was strong-muscled and sturdy, and he would have the advantage of size over her. She was a smaller cat, and she would probably be nimbler.
"Grayfoot, why have you brought this intruder into our camp?" Redstar growled, meeting the gray she-cat's gaze. That's Grayfoot...
Grayfoot seemed at a loss for words, but she spoke anyway. "She attacked Stonepaw-" she flicked her tail toward the small tom that Nightslash had attacked earlier "-and told us to bring her to see you. When we refused, she... she wounded Windfur." Nightslash's gaze deliberately rested on the large tom who had a deep wound in his throat, formed by her claws.
Redstar looked confused. "Why did you wish to see me?"
Nightslash met his gaze evenly, her green eyes showing a challenge. "I wish to speak privately, with no interference." She lingered on her last two words for a little longer, and her claws tore easily at the grass.
Redstar dipped his head. "Very well." He flicked his tail, beckoning for Nightslash to follow, and the jet-black she-cat followed him into his den. Redstar stood firmly. "Who are you?" Nightslash's muscles tensed in excitement. Her mother's voice sounded in her head.
"Now!"
Nightslash sprang at Redstar, and before he could yowl out in shock, she pressed his muzzle into the damp earth. She twisted his head around to face her, then raked three claws across his face, making the larger cat growl, blood dripping into his eyes. "What do you want?" he growled, though Nightslash could detect a trace of fear in his voice.
Nightslash felt Redstar's claws graze her ear, and she ducked, plunging her own deep into his belly. Redstar let out a moan, falling to the ground.
"This is his last life. Kill him." Nightslash twitched her ear at her mother's words.
Nightslash leaned over him, and Redstar's eyes half-opened. "Why...?" he gasped.
The black she-cat's voice was barely a whisper. "This will be your last life..." she murmured, and Redstar's eyes stretched wide in shock and horror.
"How did you know?"
Nightslash cut him off, her paw slamming into his head. "My name is Nightslash," she growled quietly. "And I am Ashwhisker's daughter."
Before Redstar could let out a yowl of horror, Nightslash dug her claws into Redstar's throat, then darted out of the leader's den, and fled from Redstar's dying body.