Prologue
Soft sounds of shallow breathing and snores could be heard from the craggy rock den that served as a shelter for the cats that fought with tooth and claw. Soothing 'hushes' and almost silent 'mews' drifted in the clear air from the small lavender bush lined with mallow leaves that was a nesting area for nursing and to-be queens.
Under the willow tree, a lean gray tom was breathing softly, and his sky-blue eyes were closed. But he was far from asleep like the rest of his clan-mates. His fur was prickling with unease this night, though he didn't quite know why.
'Why do I feel this uneasiness? It feels as if snakes have been slithering around in my pelt all day, but...Why?' The tom finally opened his eyes. He sighed and gave his long pelt a good shake, sniffing the air of his den. "Mmmmh...Well if I can't get to sleep, at least I can make myself useful and fill up the fresh-kill pile." He meowed, stretching himself out before slipping out of his den.
It was still dark, and Silverpelt and the moon shone beautifully in the night sky. It was unusually clear for a leaf-bare night. But, the cold nights were getting shorter, and the days were getting warmer. New-leaf was on its was way, and along with it, warmer blooded prey.
Sharpstar mewed a 'hello' to the dawn guard, catching her let out a yawn after she greeted him back. He couldn't help smiling as he passed the nursery and heard small mews from the sleeping kits. He was almost tempted to slip into the nursery to curl up with his mate and kits.
But Honeybriar and the other queens would never forgive him if he woke up the kits soon after they just got them to sleep.
'Hu?' The tom stood up straighter and pricked his ears. Had he...Had he just heard a rock tumble? Looking up, he searched the rocky crags that shielded his camp from the worst leaf-bare winds and snow. At the second he looked up at the top crag, he though he saw a dark figure slip away.
Instinctively, his fur fluffed up and bared his teeth. 'I-it's a raid! RiverClan is under attack!' Just as he was about to yowl an alert, one was sounded from the camp entrance by the guard.
But it was cut short as the pale gray she-cat was thrown to the ground. But it was enough, warriors and apprentices came out of their dens to find out what was going on and immediately jumped into battle as the cats invaded their camp.
Sharpstar yowled in surprise as he was bowled over by two warriors at once. "ThunderClan cowards!" He hissed as he brought down the ginger tom clinging to his neck, then taking out the tabby she-cat on his back. Hissing and bristling fur, he leaped into battle.
"Cowards! Hardly, we took on your whole camp...And it looks like we're the one's winning!" Sharpstar stopped in his tracks as he looked back at a dark brown tom with a golden splash on his chest. He held a sneer on his face and a cold leaf-bare chill in his icy eyes.
"Mudstar! You are a coward. Coming here and invading our camp, attacking when we have done nothing to you in seasons...You are nothing but a fox heart!" Sharpstar yowled and threw himself at the ThunderClan leader, sinking his long fangs into the smaller tom's neck.
Just as he was about to reach the point and taking one of the younger leader's lives, he heard a high pitched yowl from the nursery. 'No! Honeybriar!'
Sharpstar quickly dropped his burden and bolted across the camp, seeing the limp bodies of a small black queen and a white furred elder laying just outside. 'Moonflower and Wintermint...'
Rushing into the nursery, Sharpstar stood frozen as we saw the limp, unmoving body of his golden tabby mate and three of his kits. "No..." He meowed hoarsely.
The dark gray tom staggered to the beautiful she-cat, nosing her still warm pelt, "H...Honeybriar? Oh StarClan no..." Sharpstar then turned his attention to the two limp gray tabby bodies of his sons and the tortoiseshell and white pelt of his daughter, "Tumblekit...R-Rabbitkit? Leafkit..."
He heard a small mew beside his mate, and looked down to see the smallest and youngest of his four kits. A fluffy dark silver kit. She was nuzzling her mother's head, and running to her litter-mates, mewling to try and wake them up. He silent dragged the kit closer to him with his tail, licking her head as she mewled sadly for her fallen mother.
"ThunderClan! Time to head back to camp. We've won. Mouse Island is ours!" Mudstar's yowl sounded from outside the nursery, and the leader left with his warriors. Not even acknowledging the bodies of some of his own fallen warriors alongside the defeated RiverClan warriors.
The injured RiverClan cats looked at the retreating warriors in utter shock, unable to believe what happened. A small and frail silver she-cat limped around the camp with a gray tom and a young tortoiseshell she-cat. "Cinderice, Spottedpaw, go around the camp and round up the most injured warriors and apprentices to my den. And Cinderice?" She knew the tom looking at the stars and murmuring softly. "I-I'm sorry about Wintermint...She died doing what she always loved to do. Trying to keep her clan, and her kits safe..."
Cinderice was silent as we padded with the warrior apprentice helper past his mentor to help his clan-mates. Sharpstar came padding up to the old, blind medicine cat, "D...did StarClan tell you anything about if this was going to happen Graystep?" The leader looked as weak and as frail as herself. The elder cat nuzzled her leader's head softly, her unblinking eyes soft with emotion. "No...Not even StarClan would be able to know about Mudstar's intentions, Sharpstar." She said in a frail and raspy voice.
Sharpstar's eyes hardened, "I swear by the great Firestar, I will make Mudstar pay for this. He's reaped far to much from me this night..." His eyes narrowed into slits and his voice changed to a low growl, "He's killed my mother, my sister, my mate. Nearly all my kits!"
Sharpstar stopped his growl as he felt something brush up on his leg. His eyes melted as he looked at the sad budle of fur and he brought his now only daughter closer to him. "Almost all of them...Now only Mousekit remains..." He leaned down at licked the small silver kit's ear, "And I will always protect her, I swear on Honeybriar's death."
