Chapter 1
ThunderClan, Vinetrail
" If you aren't feeling like eating that delicious looking squirrel, I am!"
Vinetrail winced as Redfur not only swiped away at his squirrel with unsheathed paws, but at his flank, too. He turned to lick the wound.
" Don't be such a sissy, Vinetrail! Can't believe Sharpstar didn't get rid of you already."
" For your information, Redfur, Sharpstar 'keeps me' because I am one of the best warriors in ThunderClan." Vinetrail said in an effort to keep his voice down.
The young warrior sighed. " Can't get any fight outta you! Whatever, me and my wonderful apprentince-" rubbing it in, no doubt-" are headed to the hollow for practicing."
"What are you practicing?" Vinetrail wasn't really intrested, but he had a feeling that was what Redfur wanted him to ask.
" Well, Sharpstar had this awesome idea.."
"Yes?"
"Well, we had enough with this stupid unsheathed claws when we're practicing killing moves."
"Sooo..."
"So, we decided to head over to Twolegplace first.."
" What?!"
" Patience! And then capture some kittypets, bring 'em to the hollow, and practice on them!"
Vinetrail had heard enough. With an inaudible shudder, he pulled himself away from this terror and towards the safe warriors den...
RiverClan, Coldpaw
Coldpaw stopped and breathed heavily. The frosty air was penetrating but he was too breathless and tired to care. He narrowed his blue eyes in pain. His muzzle was still smarting, and the heavy tear in his right ear was definitely not helping.
He heard a rustling behind him. He gasped- but it was only a vole. Whew. Nobody could find him. If someone would find him, he would be crowfood. Or worse. He heard his Clanmates' shouts of glee mixed with yowls of pain. He tried to have a thought-a fragment-of satisfaction at the sounds of pain, like his Clanmates, but he couldn't. He sighed. Why couldn't he feel victorious after delivering the death-bite to a kit during training? Why couldn't he enjoy those moments of pure bliss after he stole a heart from it's owner? Why not?
Why was he different from all his Clanmates?
Three words- false, but how would he know, poor young thing he was?- echoed in his mind.
Because. You're. Scared.
Oh, how untrue these words would turn out to be!
ShadowClan, Gleameyes
Bright teeth.. Red teeth... Red? Why red?... She remembers...
Sharp, pure, white teeth...
Soft, unblemished, brown neck...
Sharp, stained, red teeth...
Torn, bloody, unrecognizable cat...
The protective stone wall she had built around her heart crumbled in the mere prescence of those teeth. It broke, splintere, whatever, and what was kept in there broke out, loud and clear.
Pain.
Pain? She thinks, You can't hear pain!
Then no, not pain.
A scream.
A loud, piercing, blood-curling scream...
WindClan, Lightkit.
" No, not Fangkit! Please! Take Lightkit, Yellowkit, not Fangkit!"
Lightkit bit her lip. Her own mother was willing to sacrifice her for a measly little flea with nothing but a bit of fur and blood and ugly teeth?
It was expected, though. Fangkit was Smoothear's favorite kit, with his small beady eyes and early hunger for blood.
" Have you gone mad? Fangkit killed Yellowkit last week! Besides, Fangkit is not worth it!", snarled Blackspot.
Lightkit snorted. Her eyes caught her mothers' tail flicking back and forth nervously. She quickly snapped at it, then, with the taste of blood smarting in her mouth, sped away.