3. So you think you're tough, huh?

Yellowtail was scared to his roots. The battle around him was bloody and scary and he felt like he didn't have the strength to carry on.

Yes, he was a warrior, but he had only been a warrior for three sunrises. Bone Clan was harsh, having been waiting for seasons upon seasons to take their revenge on the clans.

Bone Clan was a descendant of BloodClan, being led by a cat with the blood of Scornge himself! They had the same traditions; the scariest was the tooth-studded collar. And these cats were experienced fighters.

Sure, Yellowtail had fought off a few stringy ones, but this gave him no self-confidence. Because the wins had come with sacrifices.

Blood welled from a deep gash on his shoulder making him pad with a limp and he had so many more wounds that he couldn't count them all.

A few of the younger cats had decided to give up already, and he had seen searching for Frostfoot to mend their wounds.

He looked past the fighting cats trying to spot the white furred medicine cat. He spotted Eaglewing fighting with a burly tom, and the petite Roseleaf taking on a bigger she-cat with a RiverClan tom at her side, and he also saw Mintfur lying on the ground. He stopped, his eyes wide.

He ran over to the deputy, just in time to see a white and black tom pad away. He nosed his former mentor gently, trying to wake her.

His paws were wet and sticky and he looked down to see a pool of blood around Mintfur, a deep gash in her stomach.

Her fur was ice cold, and he chest no longer rose and fell. Mintfur, the cat who had been ThunderClan's deputy for countless seasons, was gone.

He let out a yowl of pain, pressing his nose into her fur. Eaglewing, who had been her apprentice some time ago, padded over.

"Mintfur." He breathed and gently grabbed the she-cat's scruff, dragging her away. Yellowtail felt anger rising in his stomach. He searched for the killer of his mentor, but instead saw the leader of Bone Clan, a dark gray tom with red eyes named Odium.

The leader was snarling, and cornering a cat. Yellowtail plunged forward to him, feeling the wind knocked out of him when he saw that Odium was cornering…Frostfoot!

The white medicine cat apprentice had her claws out and glimmering but she was no match for the leader. Yellowtail tried to get to her, but was blocked by a dark brown she-cat.

Yellowtail fought her, and beat her easily and turned back to see that the Frostfoot's pelt was stained with blood.

With a yowl of anger, he raced forward, throwing himself in front of Frostfoot.

Odium hissed, and drew his lips back into a snarl.

"So you want to fight?" he asked, his voice deep and dark. Yellowtail didn't answer. Instead he padded forward, giving Frostfoot a chance to escape.

"Frostfoot!" Yellowtail saw out of the corner of his eye Bloodstreak racing toward him and Frostfoot, and nudge the disoriented cat to her paws. He led her over the bushes just a bit away.

"Frostfoot…" He mewed worriedly, licking her pelt, "Please wake up Frostfoot!" he begged.

Please wake up…please wake her up StarClan! Yellowtail begged, distracted for a moment. Frostfoot stirred.

"Bloodstreak?" She whispered, blinking up at him.

"What happened?" Bloodstreak asked.

"I was trying to get to Greenherb…Odium killed her…but he attacked me…I couldn't…" her voice broke off, agony brimming in her tone.

It was then that Yellowtail noticed an unmoving lump of fur that he hadn't recognized as a cat. Greenherb's fur was so washed with blood and her figure so mangled that it was hard to tell she had been a cat at one point…

Anger more fiercely enraged Yellowtail. Mintfur, Greenherb and countless others were dead. He shuddered; glad he saved Frostfoot when he did. That could have been her fate…it was hard to even imagine the beautiful she-cat like that…

A picture of her body, bloodied and broken, flashed through his mind making his shudder.

Suddenly, he went crashing to the ground, attacked by Odium. The large cat tore at his fur, making him yowl in pain.

"You saved your little white friend, but you'll be taking her place." He hissed. Yellowtail pushed upward, throwing the black tom off balance. He landed on all fours across the clearing. He let out a sinister purr.

"Is that all you got?" he mocked, "You'll be gone in no time."

The two faced each other, and Yellowtail felt fear down to the very tips of his fur. His fear scent wafted off from his pelt.

"I smell your fear." Odium growled, black amusement flashing in his blood red eyes. Yellowtail stood his ground. For a second Odium's eyes flashed to Frostfoot, and Bloodstreak growled, standing protectively in front of her. He chuckled.

Then he looked back at Yellowtail. He prowled forward, a claw reinforced by dog fangs swiped through the air, narrowly missing Yellowtail as he bounced backwards.

Great StarClan! He thought helplessly, how am I going to defeat him? The image of Greenherb came to his mind. He didn't want to end up like that.

He didn't see Odium's claws slicing through the air once again, and he felt the impact as they easily cut through his face. He yowled in pain, blacking out for a moment.

Have strength, Yellowtail…A quiet voice urged. Yellowtail blinked, trying to get back up.

Mintfur? He asked, smelling her scent.

Go back out there, we'll be with you…Mintfur mewed and he smelt two more cats besides her.

Greenherb! Lionstar! The two cats smell's came to him. Lionstar was dead?

He faintly remembered Frostfoot and Quietwhisper standing over a motionless golden body, but he hadn't known it had been Lionstar! Who would be leader now with the leader and deputy dead?

Odium paced back and fourth, and looked at Yellowtail straight in the eye.

"You think you're strong?" He snarled, "You don't know the meaning of the word strong! I'll kill you just like I did to that cat," He hissed, jerking his chin toward Greenherb's body, "You think you'll be the valiant hero- giving your life to save your little white friend here, but your wrong." He hissed, his eyes turning completely black.

Yellowtail's claws sank into the ground, and he got down ready to strike while Odium monologue. But Mintfur's sprit held him back.

Watch Odium's left back leg! Mintfur seemed to hiss. Yellowtail would have liked to kill him right then and there, but he didn't. He felt the presence of Mintfur and Greenherb as they pressed up beside him.

"No, you didn't save her- just prevent her death from coming so soon. Gave her a few more minuets to look back on her pitifully short life. I'll kill you, like I said, and then I'll kill that big strong ginger cat protecting her. And then, I'll kill your pretty little friend. And I won't stop killing until every single clan cat is gone." He snarled. Yellowtail felt a burst of hope as he watched Odium. His back left leg held the gaunter walk of an old deep wound, making it harder for him to turn left. He saw a widow of opportunity open up.

He crouched down, waiting for the right moment. Odium eyed him.

"You really think you can beat me?" Odium scoffed, "So you think you're tough, huh?"

In spite of everything, Yellowtail smiled.

"I don't think so." Yellowtail muttered under his breath and faked right, and then suddenly swerved left.

He latched onto Odium's neck, trying to ignore the cat's claws digging into his fur. He bit down, and upon hearing Odium's yowl, bit down harder.

The great cat's efforts were growing weaker. Yellowtail hung on, feeling the salty tang of blood in his mouth. When Odium no longer moved, and his tail didn't jerk and his stomach no longer rose and fell with breath, Yellowtail let Odium fall to Yellowtail's paws.

Odium's eyes were glassed over, his lips still drawn back into a snarl. But he didn't try to kill Yellowtail any longer- because Odium was dead.

"I don't think so," Yellowtail repeated louder and looked up at Frostfoot. Her eyes gleamed with admiration and respect, "I know so."