Loud yowling came through the area. The pond that rested in front of the trees was tinted with red blood. Cats fought in the water and on the land, mud kicking up with every warrior that fell to the ground.
The one cat who could protect him was off hunting. Everything stopped as one black cat stood on the fallen branch of a tree on the edge of the water. All eyes were turned to her, the patrol of cats she'd brought frozen in their positions.
The cat glanced around, then stared down at the small tom caught in the middle of the battle. She smirked, "I wish to speak with your brother about the food he is meant to provide us." She told the small tom.
"H-he's out… c-collecting that food. B-but, it's the middle of summer! Why d-do… why do you n-need it now?" The small tom shrunk down under the she-cat's eyes.
A laugh rumbled from the back of her throat. "Our troops have grown this summer, more kits have been born and our warriors cannot hunt enough food for their mates. And it would be cruel to force the queens to hunt when their kits need them, right, Pepper?"
"Raiding three cats' camp is cruel enough, Cypress!" Another she-cat yowled out to her, standing behind Pepper. Her cream-and-white fur ruffled from the battle. Her kits were tucked into eachother under her.
The leader of the attackers jumped off her branch, padding around the small pond to face both of them.
"Rose. A little cardinal told me you became a housecat. Whatever happened about that?" She pressed, her gaze flickering on and off the queen and Pepper.
"I met my mate. I was expecting his kits, so I came to live with him and his brother."
"Classic." She hissed, looking down at the kits. "Well, if you cannot provide what the deal was, I'll take another deal."
Pepper felt just about ready to jump up and claw the leader's eyes out. She was asking for more kits, and her clan was big enough!
Rose shook her head, "You will not take my kits from me."
Cypress smiled. "Then I'll take you as well."
Pepper unsheathed his claws, black-freckled fur standing on end. "What if she refuses?" He asked her, voice tight in fear. "M-my brother will give you the food! I-I sw-!"
Cypress' claws raked over his back, "That's enough from you!"
Pepper's white fur was clotted with the sticky redness. Cypress' tail flicked up, then quickly to the side. Her warriors came over them. One scared Rose's back, and two more gathered her kits in their jaws.
The bleeding Rose fell, yowling at the warriors to stop with her kits. The same warrior that scarred her bit down on her foot. Pepper could only watch in horror as he tried to stand up.
Cypress flicked her tail again, and a warrior pinned him down. Rose's attacker grabbed her scruff, her front paws dragging uselessly in the dirt as they bled.
The warrior that was pinning Pepper down looked at Cypress as she walked away.
"What should I do with the runt?"
Cypress turned to him, smirking, blue eyes shining against her black pelt. "What else? Kill him."
The warrior nodded, quickly raising his paw. Pepper tried to get up and run to his brother, but he couldn't. The warrior's paw came pounding back down on his head, his claws digging into him, his other paw's claws dug into his back.
Pepper fell to the ground bleeding, waiting for death to take him now. No cat could help him. No cat would help him. Darkness came to the sides of his vision.
The stinging of Rose's cries hung desperately in his ears before everything he had once known faded to black.