Eaglewing blinked open her eyes slowly. She was in a strange place, the forest was warm and lush and prey rustled in the undergrowth everywhere she went. It was like green-leaf, although it should be leaf-bare.
"Eaglewing."
She knew that mew. Slowly, she turned to face her dead brother, Smokekit.
"Smokekit," she breathed. "I'm in StarClan, aren't I?"
He nodded. "I have a message for you."
"Okay." She whispered. He sounded too grown up, too wise. Too different from the kit she knew.
"Darkness hides round every corner. Only the Eagle's light can chase it away." He mewed, his eyes blank.
"Eagle's light?" She repeated. That meant her, she knew it.
"That is all I have to say. Good luck," there was a flash of sadness in his eyes. He looked more like her brother in that moment. "I miss you."
"Smokekit, wait!" She yowled, but it was too late. The dream had ended.
"Eaglewing? Are you okay?" She turned, panting, to face Darkblaze. His amber eyes were filled with concern. Her heart fluttered.
"I'm fine." She muttered.
"Were you having a dream about your brother? You called out his name." He told her, settling down beside her.
Fox-dung! "Yeah." She admitted.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked, sympathetically.
She shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Well, okay," he sounded doubtful. "Just get some more sleep then. Dawn is a while away yet."
She nodded numbly, curling up again. She was about to fall asleep when a thought occurred to her. If dawn was so long away, why was Darkblaze awake?
Eaglewing waited, pretending to be asleep. Sure enough she heard his soft pawsteps as he left the den. After making sure he was gone, she crept out after him and followed his scent trail.
He seemed to be heading towards the ShadowClan border. She swallowed, hoping he wasn't meeting a ShadowClan she-cat. He'd be breaking the warrior's code and her heart.
At the border, she hid in a bush and peered out.
"Frostheart!" Darkblaze purred, padding towards a pretty silver-and-white she-cat.
"Hello, Darkblaze." She purred back.
Eaglewing's worst fears had been confirmed. She felt like wailing or bursting out and confronting him, but she held her tongue and kept still. She had to keep watching, although she didn't know why, she just couldn't to leave.
"Where is Rainfur?" He asked.
"Just coming," Frostheart replied. "I left him behind since he was being so slow."
"Mouse-brain!" A blue-grey tom snarled, padding out of the bushes.
"Greetings, Rainfur."
"Whatever," the RiverClan cat rolled his eyes. "Now, where is Heatherclaw? Didn't she come with you, Darkblze?"
Darkblaze snorted. "She wanted to go her own way again."
Eaglewing frowned, confused. A meeting of four cats, one from each clan, that wasn't forbidden love. For a moment she felt relived, but she didn't know what it was.
"My way is better, Darkblaze," Eaglewing pressed herself flat against the ground as a pale ginger she-cat stalked past. "So, we're all here?"
"We are," Darkblaze growled. "Now we can begin our plans to conquer the forest."
She didn't hear any more of the conversation. She couldn't, not over the words repeating themselves over and over in her head. He's evil! The cat you loved, Darkblaze, is evil!
Suddenly burning hatred overtook her. She burst from the bushes, yowling. She barely heard their screams, all she knew was feel of flesh tearing beneath her claws and the tangy taste of blood in her mouth. Finally, they were all dead. She was looking down on the body of Darkblaze. Eaglewing was a hero. She had saved the forest. She had killed the evil cats. If that was so good, then why did she feel like dying herself?