Chapter One
Raveneye yowled in pain as a long claw slashed down her left flank. Whipping as fast as her paws could move, she darted under the dog and bit down savagely on its tail. The next moment, she was flying through the air to land with a sickening crunch on the other side of camp. Painfully she dragged herself to her feet and looked around in horror. Dogs were mauling cats everywhere! She heard the terrified scream of the apprentice Quickpaw. Her apprentice! The raven-black she-cat shot across the clearing to latch onto a snarling dog who stood over Quickpaw. The dog whirled and bucked, howling as Raveneye bit and clawed away at its skull. Quickpaw staggered up and attached himself to the dog's belly. Blood splattered on him as the dog moaned and collapsed.
"QUICKPAW!" Shrieked the distraught Raveneye. She leaped off the prone body and shoved and pushed furiously to reveal an imobile Quickpaw. Tears welling up, Raveneye pushed her nose into his fur, mourning her only apprentice.
"Goodbye…"She sighed and looked up to see two dogs harrassing Butterblossom; the medicine cat. Raveneye pushed herself to Butterblossom's rescue. She lept at the dogs, scramlbing about their legs and confusing them so much that they ran into each other. Raveneye hurried to the rasping medicine cat's side.
"Oh no!" She breathed, seeing Butterblossom's injuries. Butterlossom opened one eye and looked up at Raveneye drearily.
"I-I-I m-must t-t-ell you…"Her voice slurred. Raveneye looked alarmed at the weakness that colored Butterblossom's voice. The cat of whom she had looked up to and practically thought was invincible. Her heart wrenched when the medicine cat's voice caught in her throat.
"S-St-Starc-clan g-gave me a v-vison. Raven, Grizzle, Dove, Daisy, Roan, and Lilac will follow the Masked one. One will give his life for a star.
Butterblossom shuddered and her sleek head fell back. Her eyes fluttered and closed. Raveneye stared in horror. Then she lifted her head and screamed. And screamed, and screamed. All the dogs and cats stopped fighting and looked up to Raveneye standing over the body, her eyes wide as she rasped and stopped wailing. She didn't notice the fighters who stared at her like she had grown five extra paws. Sobbing she didn't notice the scrawny dog who ran up behind her and hit her with a large, bloodstained paw.
Dust rose above the camp. The stench of rancid, old blood hit Lilacpaw hard. She racked heavily and glanced tearfully at Maskface and Daisypelt. Maskface didn't even notice her, he was too busy finding his way through forest. Daisypelt glanced at her sympathicly, but didn't stop. Instead she hurried up to Maskface.
"What are we doing again?"She demanded. Maskface looked at her as if she couldn't have understood the last fifteen times he had told her.
"We're going to see if Lightclan has been attacked as well. If so we will try and find survivors for Lilacpaw to heal and work on what next." He turned back to his tracking, looking bored with it all. Lilacpaw frowned, an unnatural look on her pretty face. It is not THAT easy! She wanted to yell at him. He made it seem like a walk around camp, but it had never been easy for Lilacpaw. An orphan from birth, the only cat who wanted her was the medicine cat. Hisstongue looked mean and tough on the outside, but he really a big softy. Since no one would feed her, he made a potion for her to drink in stead of milk. He had excepted her as his apprentice, against the clan's angry disapproval and had walked with Starclan. When the dogs attacked, Hisstongue had forced Lilacpaw into a tunnel(his personal escape route) and had kept the dogs busy while she had hid in fear. Now Lilacpaw hated herself. If I had stayed out and fought with Hisstongue, he would be alive! She thought miserably, her anger turning into resigned sadness. It had to be Maskface who survived! He was the most stubborn, prejudiced, stern, crappy tom who ever lived in Iceclan. Then, they entered Lightclan.
It was devastating. Bloody bodies were strewn all over the camp. Lilacpaw took a single step and nearly fell on her face, for all the blood that was spilt.
Maskface froze. His face was a mask of horror. A second later, a hazy, red body slammed into Lilacpaw.
"LOOK OUT!" A huge gruesome dog lept into the spot where she had been standing the moment before. It snarled viciously and turned to face the three-now four cats now standing bunched together, facing the furious dog. Lilacpaw recognized the new cat, Roanpaw, from the Gatheirng. He was definitely Lightclan and the apprentice of the leader, Mincestar. Maskface, suddenly lunged and attacked the grey dog fiercely, raking his claws over the dog's ears. The dog howled and threw him off, just as Roanpaw launched himself furiously at the grey mutt. The apprentice attached himself onto the dog's belly and clawed his way determinedly. Lilacpaw retched as the reek of exposed guts. Maskface limped forward and bit down on the dog's hind leg, but the dog was already dead.
Roanpaw emerged, bloody and seething, but victorious.
"Well, as you can see, you are a bit late!" Snarled the apprentice. Lilacpaw stiffened at his tone. Before she could say anything Maskface had already yowled,
"We have been attacked as well. We are the only ones left of our clan."His words were heavy with grief and hatred for the dogs. Roanpaw's eyes widened in shock.
"What can this mean? For the clans?"