"Come on," whispered a pair of yellow eyes, glinting in the faint gloom. "We can't afford to lose more of us." The voice was rushed and panicked, sounding as if it had ran for a while.
It was the middle of the night. Thick clouds covered the sky and there was nothing but inky darkness that spread through the forest. All was silent except for the footsteps of the group, which were heavy but there was an attempt to quieten them.
"Mama," whispered a small kitten, barely three moons old. "Mama, I hear... I don't..."
"Saber hears something," mewed a leopard-pelted she-cat who Saber had addressed as Mama. "What is it, dear?"
"It's the- it's HeatherClan, Mama," whispered Saber, eyes wide with fear. "HeatherClan is coming, Mama!"
The leopard-patterned cat turned to the yellow-eyed tom sharply. "HeatherClan is approaching, Stone." She quivered. "Stone, we lost our last litter to the foxes! I don't want- I can't... I can't afford to-"
"Hush!" Stone turned to the fifteen or so cats following him. "Don't let them touch Saber," he growled. "Let's keep moving."
The leopard she-cat picked up the black and white tom, moving quickly despite a bad gash on her shoulder. "Hurry along, Mystic and Patch."
A gray tom kit with brown spots hissed to his companion, a leopard-patterned she-kit. "Saber isn't even our littermate, why is he getting so much attention?"
The leopard patterned she-kit nodded but said nothing, continuing the trek through the woods.
The gray tom landed with a thud on the ground, chest heaving. His paws flailed wildly as his jaws parted in a yowl, but more blood flowed out of his throat.
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
The gray tom went still.
What have I done..?
"Lemonstrike?" The cream-colored tom turned to see Cloudmuzzle. "What happened- oh."
The warrior hung his head. "He tried to kill me," the tom mumbled. "I was acting in self-defense."
"I believe you," she mewed. "Let's go home and report the rogue leader's death." The white she-cat turned to pad back to the camp, tail swishing from side to side.
Lemonstrike was about the follow her when he heard a tiny mew.
"He'll hear us!"
He turned to see three tiny huddled shapes below to root of an oak tree, trembling. As he approached, he noticed that they were kits.
"Mystic, you mouse brain!" screeched a black and white kit. "You've killed us all!" A gray tom kit flattened his ears.
Lemonstrike backed away. I can't save these kits. If the Clan knew they were rogues, especially from Stone's group...
Lemonstrike turned and followed his Clanmate back to camp. It's best if I just leave them here.
Woo! End of the Prologue!
I'm not good at writing them so this was a huge relief...