Starlingmask's POV

"Y-you know Gunner?" Priscilla's eyes widened and I could tell that the horrible memories were coming back to her in waves. Tasha nodded.

"I was his second mate when we were running away from StormClan." Tasha explained. "We stopped here so I could have our kits and he left me here."

"You forgot the part where he killed my mate!" A scrawny brown tom yowled angrily before he began sobbing.

"Shrimp, it was horrible. But it wasn't Tasha's fault." The black and white tom reassured him before looking back at us. "Tasha had three kits but all of them plus many former residents were killed by...um, the cows."

"The what?" Jessie asked.

"The...uh...um..." the black and white tom tensed up when Jessie spoke to him before the gray tabby next to him nudged him.

"The cows Chase." The tabby rolled her eyes.

"Thanks sis." Chase meowed. "Yeah, those big fellers out with their long horns and sharp paws. Those are the ones. Ever since their Twoleg left they've been antsy. Anytime they see somethin' that isn't another cow they kill it. We've never been able to leave since."

"So we're stuck here! Great!" Hazelstripe spat. "Briarpool, help me leave here now."

"As you...wish." My heart leaped at the suspicious tone in Briarpool's voice and I approached Briarpool and Hazelstripe.

"Briarpool, for your family's safety I'd ask that you don't let her leave please." I told him. Briarpool gave an obedient nod and I felt a cat touch me on the shoulder and it was Flashnose.

"Will we leave here Starlingmask?" Flashnose asked.

"Yes...but I think we should stay here for a while till me and Rabbitstar can come up with a solid plan on how to get everyone out okay." I admitted. "We just lost our home so we need to recover for a bit."

Cats like Roybranch and Minty nodded with complete understanding and other AngelClan warriors had already started looking for areas in the wooden den to sleep at. Marquis leaped onto one of the flat branches near the roof of the den and claimed it as his own.

"We better find a good spot before they're all taken." Jaspershade purred, walking further into the den till there was a path that split into two paths. How big was this den?

Jaspershade took the left path and I followed him to a big empty space with squares of long yellow grass and several weird branches built most likely to contain something.

"Those are stalls for the horses the Twoleg had before he left." The gray tabby she-cat explained walking into the space. "I'm Belle, Chase's sister. I hope y'all enjoy your stay."

"Thank you." I replied gratefully. As soon as Belle left a bunch of AngelClan warriors entered and cozied themselves on the grass squares.

Me and Jaspershade claimed the lone grass square in the corner next to one of the stalls and cuddled together. Huh, I didn't even bother to check what was in the right side of the den.

"Wolfwing, could you do me a favor and check what's in the right room?" I asked, my eyes closed.

"Whatever." I heard Wolfwing get up with a sigh and heard her pawsteps get quieter and quieter till there was silence. Then after some time passed I heard her come back.

"It's empty except for some things Belle calls 'tools.'" Wolfwing answered before I heard her leap back onto a grass square. "Cats like Roybranch and her daughter are staying there but I didn't see...I didn't see Briarpool or Hazelstripe there."

"On it." I opened my eyes and jumped out of my comfortable spot with Jaspershade and walked back into the main space of the den where several cats were sleeping including Marquis on the flat branch. I saw the wooden flaps at the entrance were slightly opened and I felt dread creeping up on me. She...she left.

And not only did Briarpool let her, he went with her. Even if he was doing this in her best interest, they could both get killed by the cows. I ran out of the den and saw it was becoming dark. I sniffed the air and was overwhelmed by the scent of fear, was I too late?

I heard panting and saw Briarpool collapsed on the ground and I ran to him.

"Where's Hazelstripe?" I demanded.

"Cows came...ran to get you..." Briarpool gasped.

He should've stayed with his mate, he could've purposefully abandoned her for all I know.

I dragged Briarpool into the den as fast as I could before running out of the den and followed Hazelstripe's scent. Then I froze when I heard a scream quickly followed by a loud snap...no...no...

I ran to the source of the two sounds and there Hazelstripe was...on the ground...with her head jutted at a weird angle and a huge gash on her neck.

She was undeniably dead.

I saw the cow that killed her running away and I realized with great guilt that I didn't even hold a vigil for the cats that died back in the forest. And now my sister who always hated me is dead. My heart stopped, the mother of Briarpool's kits is dead. Again.

It felt extremely weird when I realized it, and what if Briarpool did lead her out here on purpose because he...? No that can't be right, I thought he really liked her. And even if he did do this all intentionally, I had no way to prove it.

I began dragging Hazelstripe's body back to the den with a fast and urgent pace even though there wasn't any cows nearby. It was a miracle that I made it back, and Briarpool was still at the entrance where I left him. But so was most of the Clan.

Myrtleflower was standing over her exhausted brother and looked at Hazelstripe's body in shock and nudged her brother who was laying in the opposite direction. Briarpool rolled over and his eyes widened when he saw Hazelstripe's body.

"No!" Briarpool yowled. However my heart dropped for a different reason: that was the fakest sad reaction I'd ever seen. He didn't miss her at all.

"We should bury Hazelstripe outside the den alongside Otterheart and Crabapple." I decided. "Then we will spend a few moments of vigil for all the cats we lost."

"I'll help." Briarpool whispered, he looked at me with bright yellow eyes before lifting his mate's dead body. Jaspershade noticed and we looked at each other in shock with the same thought: He's a monster.