The Alliance

~~~ Night, Twolegplace

"Where am I?"

Leopardstar whipped her head around. Her voice echoed into the corners of the Twolegplace. She spat in frustration. Her clan would be expecting her back soon, after she chased away those rogues. They appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the forest, and vanished as she set paw into the dark alley. When she gave up and turned around to head back, she didn't know where she was yet. Leopardstar, lost? The leader tried following her scent home, but it disappeared into a wall. Did she really go through there?

Leopardstar sighed in disbelief and utter mortification, a leader, lost. Night had begun to quietly settle upon the town, and she realized she had never seen the twolegplace at night. The thought sent shivers crawling down her spine, raising her fur.

She licked her pelt flat again and continued walking. A faint trace of forest lead her into dead ends, and what she thought was her warriors was just another rogue.

Paranoia started to creep into Leopardstar's mind, wondering if this had all been a set up…? Her breaths turned ragged, fear scenting her trail. Leopardstar hissed in frustration and fear, and turned around, claws unsheathed and ready for battle, and yet all she saw was darkness. Had she imagined somebody stalking her, ready to pounce…?

Leopardstar spat and whirled around, yet the other cat's presence continued to haunt her. For the first time in her life, Leopardstar felt alone.

Pawsteps behind her matched her own, and another cat's breath became in sync with her own. Was her own shadow coming alive?

"Leopardstar."

The said cat shrieked in surprise and fear, and spun around to see a small figure, a shaft of moonlight, reflecting off of her silver fur. She stepped forward, and Leopardstar in turn stepped back. This cat gave off strange and dangerous vibes… that said, Flee. Run away from me. But I will always find you.

Leopardstar turned and ran.

~~~ Same night, Riverclan camp

"Have you seen Leopardstar?"

"No why?" Mothwing replied.

Mistyfoot shook her head and said, "I don't know… She went off chasing a pair of rogues and, well, she never returned."

"She'll be fine. She has, what, seven lives left? Leopardstar will be fine, Mistyfoot."

"Yes, I know," Mistyfoot agreed with the medicine cat. Mothwing nodded and left.

Mistyfoot stared up at the night sky and quietly murmured to herself, "But, I can't help but feel that our leader may never return."

~~~ Same night, Twolegplace

"Cloudy."

The small tabby tom looked up, "Yes, Winter?"

Winter stood up slowly from her nest and said, "Go wake the others. Tell them I want to see them."

"Yes, Winter."

Cloudypaw quickly turned tail and pelted down the alleyway. It was very, very long, longer than a normal path you would see. The other eight assassins slept in the order of their skill, the strongest by Winter, and the weakest by the entrance. Cloudypaw's days had been reduced to nothing but "Yes, Winter", and attending to all the cats needs.

Of course, Winter and the others had slaves apart from him, but Cloudypaw didn't know where they were. Most likely dead…

Cloudypaw had never really met the other eight assassins who Winter commanded. Each time he spoke to them into their den—a cardboard box, an overturned trashcan—they just grunted and glided past him. There was one cat, though, that loved to torment him.

"Bronze? Winter would like to see—"

A claw smacked his nose, causing him to draw back.

"Ow!"

A huge, bronze colored tabby snaked out of his den. He had indeed bronze colored fur that shone in the light. They rippled with muscle and strength; Cloudypaw was surprised Winter was stronger than such a cat.

Faster than lightning, jaws fastened onto his throat, and he was smashed into the opposite wall within seconds. Cloudypaw's head spun, and he grunted as Bronze didn't let go.

"Like that, forest cat?" Bronze spoke into her neck fur, sending tingles as his breath met raw flesh, "Your kind always think they're better than alley cats, but how wrong are they?"

"V-very wrong." Cloudypaw struggled to breath, and yet the golden cat had yet to let go. Instead, Bronze dug his claws into the apprentice's flank and dragged them down his sides. Cloudypaw gasped in pain. He felt himself slowly being crushed into the wall as the other cat leaned into him. Blood welled from his wounds and trickled down his fur.

"Let go, Bronze," another voice said. It sounded like a song.

Cloudypaw felt lightheaded, and wasn't sure if it was Starclan speaking to him or not.

Bronze growled and let Cloudypaw go. Cloudypaw felt his head being lifted up with a claw. Blue eyes looked into his.

"Are you okay, Cloudy?" Harp Bell spoke, a melodic, ringing sound. Harp Bell was a grayish-tan tabby she-cat, long and thin and beautiful. She rarely voiced her opinions, and only said what was needed. Cold, and stoic, she was the third strongest assassin.

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

Harp Bell turned and said emotionlessly, "I didn't do it for you."

Pretty…Cloudypaw found himself thinking…how could she be third strongest?

Cloudypaw trailed after Harp Bell and Bronze, who was spitting at him. After Cloudypaw alerted the other cats, he followed to the meeting.

Winter sat on a ledge, high above the other cats. Each other assassin had a place to sit: piled cardboard boxes or trashcans. Cloudypaw sat facing the corner, like a child in trouble. He despised having to sit there; Bronze liked to taunt him when no one was looking.

"Is everyone here?" Winter asked.

There were nine cats in the area, exactly.

"I am here to tell you that I have finished assassinating three of the leaders."

A round of murmuring.

Cloudypaw sat stupefied, staring into his corner, ears alert and pricked. She had killed three leaders? Impossible. All of the leaders had at least five lives left, perhaps, how could have she killed over half?

"I have left the last one alive, for one reason."

Bronze called out, "Why?"

Everyone but Cloudypaw knew why. Whenever there was more than one cat to murder…

"To torture."

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