The wind howled through the trees, spinning the endless snowflakes around and around in circles, like stars slipping from the darkened sky toward the ground.
Fighting back the want to give up and lie down to die, the leader urged his companion through the snow-laden forest.
"This is hopeless!" cried out one of the cats, as her uneven pawsteps slowed to a halt. "We will never make it through this blizzard!"
The leading tom turned to face the she-cat. His amber eyes were reddened by trying to see through the snow gusts.
"Don't you dare stop now!" he snapped, letting out all the emotions he had been holding at his travel mate. "Not when we have gotten this far!"
The tom trembled, not from the blistering cold that was eating into their bones, but from worry. They were closer to their destination than they had ever been and he wouldn't let his friend give up here and now. Ignoring his own tired body that was edging him to forget all his worry, he knelt down beside the she-cat and begged, "Blueberry, please, we will find you a place to rest soon but not here…not now…"
Blueberry turned to look at Shadowstrike. The state she was in was so painful to see that the warrior had to turn away.
Padding forward, Milky-Way glanced at the pained expression on Shadowstrike's face and leaned forward to nudge the kittypet. "Blueberry, you can lean against my shoulder if you want, I don't mind."
The thin blue-grey cat panted heavily as she strained upright and then found her support against the loner's shoulder. They began to limp again through the snow.
Shadowstrike took the rear of the group. His muscles ached all over from the sudden movement, making his whole body cry out in pain. He was about the catch up with his companions when the faintest of scents crossed his nose, a familiar smell of warmth and home.
Speeding up his pace, the exiled warrior raced past Milky-Way and Blueberry and began to mount the snowy slope towering over them.
"Could it be?" his thoughts echoed through his mind, "I've been tricked like this before; could it be that I am being too hopeful or are we finally there?"
His pulse racing at the thought of finally reaching his destination, Shadowstrike made his way up the slope, only stopping to make sure that his companions were still moving along before leaping forward.
Then he halted, too startled to move or even speak. There, barely visible through the curtains of white, was the most astonishing sight the warrior had ever seen during his travels. A large forest cut by what seemed a snow covered thunderpath spread across the valley until reaching the edge a beautiful lake. Two islands appeared to poke out of the lake like tiny water beetles. Several rivers trickled into it, the largest racing through the clouded landscape like horses through a field of edelweiss.
He stood there, stunned, as the blizzard wind howled past him. But the warrior could feel an approaching presence. He turned his head to face the spectre, but all he could see through the growing snow storm was two gleaming angry eyes. The strange illusion bored deep into the warrior's gaze. The storm circled around him hissing out furious intentions:"Traitor! You should have never returned! They will consume you for your refusal"
The wraith and the cat stood face to face, locked in an imaginary battle, until the chaotic apparition scowled, disappearing in a bust of snow.
Shadowstrike fixed the space that has been filled by the angry eyes. He knew quite well to whom they belonged; he remembered the very same eyes staring up at him up at him as death approached. If the dark leader had silently watched his son leave the clans, his return would reawaken his lust for power, edging him to find someone to influence now that the grey warrior was free.
The tom was so lost in his thoughts that when the warrior heard the cries of his companions, he barely had time to turn around. Then, a sharp pain shot through his head, sending him tumbling down the slope. Trying to stand up, Shadowstrike realized that it was hopeless. His muscles wouldn't listen to him. The exiled clan tom lay in the snow, eyes fixed on the twilight sky as pawsteps echoed in his ears. He closed his eyes and all went black.
She was furious, how dare some petty she-cat stand up against her authority! Every muscle in Bat's body was urging her to pin the queen down to the ground and fill the nursery with her blood. Instead she sat there, listening to the mother's hopeless complaints.
"Bat! You cannot make my kits fighters!" the mother pleaded over and over while the grey she-cat fixed her purple eyes on her.
"These kits are useless to the crew unless they become fighters!" she snapped. Ever since Tangleheart had killed her children the leader had grown used to hating kits, loathing the sound of their hungry cries. "Are you worried that their clan blood will make them weak warriors?"
The queen froze, searching her mind for a proper reply for her leader.
Bat continued, her voice growing louder and louder by the minute. "Are you so worried that they might die when we ambush your precious clan friend that it did not occur to you that one day Thornheart's rogues may locate our base and rip their throats out anyway?"
Bat was yelling now, she was sure that the queen was grateful that her friend had taken the kits out to explore the snowy camp so they did not hear her yelling.
Suddenly, a voice broke through her anger-clouded thoughts, calming her rage. Gravity hissed out as she sauntered into the nursery to stand next to her leader, "How about you make a deal?"
The grey she-cat's eyes were fixed on the queen. "How about we make them fighters in exchange of something?" the second-in-command proposed to both the leader and mother.
Bat straightened up , smiling at Gravity. She sometimes admired the older she-cat's knowledge in battle-thoughtful techniques. "Right," she growled menacingly at the queen, "If we were to make them fight when needed, what would you demand in exchange?"
Suneye stood up, head bowed in defeat. "As you say, my leader…if you make Wildkit and Doublekit fighters that I demand that you make them apprentices first. Call them Wildpaw and Doublepaw instead of removing their kit names, and give them mentors to train them."
Out of the corner of her eye, Bat noticed Gravity frown. It was a risky deal the she-cat was trying to make. The crew did not follow the way of the clans, no law told a hunter not to eat its prey, and only the noble blood that made them cats urged them to bring food back for the elders and kits.
The decision was all hers. Bat could choose to dismiss the deal and ban the queen for treachery, leaving her no choice but to return to the clans from which she had had run away. Or, she could agree with the queen's plea and choose a suitable fighter to train the kits. She would have to watch them closely for their clan blood could easily make them unreliable.
"Alright," she growled, flicking her tail in annoyance, "it's a deal. But you will own me a favour for having agreed to this."
The leader turned around, making it clear that there was no point arguing further with her and that the discussion was closed. Padding out of the den to the fresh kill pile, Bat could not help but smile as a small tom cowered at her passing. It was good to be a leader.
She was about the crouch down and takes her share of the prey when the sound of approaching pawsteps caught her attention. Brianna burst into the clearing, almost tripping over one of the kits who were playing outside. "Bat!" she called out before noticed her leader and trotting over to the two she-cats.
"Bane and his patrol have located three wanders near camp. They were all found unconscious in the snow. He ordered me to scout ahead to warn you that they are bringing the cats back with them."
Drawn by Brianna's racket, a multi-colored she-cat came stalking out of the den. Paradox bowed to her leader before hissing out warningly, "They have arrived and with them so has the darkness! It's rising and will soon consume us all!"
Bat frowned at the oracle's words. It was often hard to tell whether Paradox had just had a bad dream or if it really was a prophecy.
Next to her, Bat heard Gravity gasp out loud at the sight of the patrol emerging from the pine needles. Leading the group of five cats was Bane, who was carrying a limp body in his mouth, dragging it through the snow. Behind him two other cats were hoisted on Luna's and Hazel's backs. Looking up at his leader, Bane dropped the cat he was carrying unceremoniously on the ground.
"What are you doing?" snapped Gravity at the large tom. "Don't put them there! Take them for Shadowmere to check. Paradox and Brianna - don't just sit there. Go help them!"
Gravity set about supervising the cats' transport to the healer's den. It was unusual for her to show what she was thinking openly to anyone in the crew except for Bat. Such an open display of emotions wasn't like her.
"You know one of them, don't you?" Bat hissed as the crew passed into the den. Gravity turned to stare at her leader in surprise. Neither usually kept secrets from the other, although sometimes Bat held back on some things with her subordinate. Shaking her head sadly, Gravity leaned forward in resignation. "The cat Bane was carrying," she meowed in a hushed ton to make sure no one else except for her leader could hear, "he's….that tom…he is my oldest son…."
