"Dawnshadow?" Tigerheart whispered.

The she-cat whipped around. She had Littlecloud cornered in the back of his den. The medicine cat had been fetching the last of the cobwebs for Oakfur, who had a bad neck wound.

"Yes?" Dawnshadow snapped. Her eyes held a wild fire, as if she lusted for the feeling of blood beneath her claws.

"I've come to stop you. And what did Littlecloud ever do to you?"

"TigerClan deserves a better medicine cat. Flametail will do a much better job then this fool."

Tigerheart glanced at Littlecloud. The tabby's blue eyes were wide, and he was mumbling a prayer to StarClan under his breath.

"I'll help you." Tigerheart mouthed.

Littlecloud nodded and lowered himself into pounce position, as if ready to spring.

"I'm tired of talking." Dawnshadow hissed. "I'll let Littlecloud live… if you let me kill Dovefeather."

Littlecloud mouthed the words "No! No!"

"I'm sorry, Dawnshadow. But you won't be killing anyone tonight."

"What are you doing?" hissed Tigerstar in Tigerheart's ears. "You should be helping her!"

"Is this a challenge?"

"You bet it is." Tigerheart hissed.

"Just pretend we're kits." Dawnshadow whispered. "It'll be over before you know it."

Tigerheart bit his tongue. This was his choice- leave and run or stay and fight. If he stayed, he had a good chance of dying. But if he left, many others would die under Dawnshadow's claws.

So he backed up a little and leaned down low to the ground. Dawnshadow pounced, screeching in anger. But she misguided her leap and crashed into the side of the den. Tigerheart rolled out of the way.

Dawnshadow gave a hiss of frustration and tried again. Tigerheart barely had enough room to roll under her paws, but she managed to claw his side. Pain struck through Tigerheart and Dawnshadow sank her teeth into the back of his shoulder… red flashed before his eyes.

***

Flametail paused. His shoulder burned like fire, and for a second he saw Dawnshadow's amber eyes flicker before him. Then the pain faded, and he felt… empty. What was that feeling.

Dovefeather's gasp brought him back to reality. He turned to the she-cat, who was exhausted and covered in sweat.

Duskkit and Firekit squealed as she moved in her nest. "Flametail…" she panted. "I don't think I can make it…"

"No! You can't die. What will I tell Tigerheart?"

Dovefeather didn't answer.

"Well, if you really want to die, at least die after you give birth. There are still three kits inside of you."

Dovefeather hissed. "I know that. Do you think I want to die?"

Flametail opened his mouth to answer, but a sharp pain above his eye made him cry out in pain. Then it faded again.

"Tigerheart…" he whispered. "Tigerheart's in trouble."

***

"Err!" Tigerheart screeched in pain as Dawnshadow hit him with another one of her sharp blows. What was making her claw marks so deep? What was making her moves so… so accurate? What made her claws burn like fire?

For the first time in his life, Tigerheart thought about dying. He never even got to say goodbye to Tawnypelt, or Flametail, or Rowanclaw- and here he was, dying at his sister's claws.

Dawnshadow moved her jaws closer to his neck. He felt her warm breath on his neck, and poised, ready to sink her teeth into his soft flesh. Tigerheart closed his eyes and waited for the strike, the strike where pain would clot his insides, and then everything would go black…

But that moment never came.

XXX
Ooh… cliff hanger. Once again, not the last chapter. I realize I made some major mistakes. Like I forgot to have Tigerheart and Dawnshadow's vigil. 0.o. And I said months, not moons. Err… Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this.

~Lukos