Eagleclaw looked around at all the cats hunting. Did I do the right thing? He wondered. Was it right to drive Barley and Ravenpaw away from their home? A distant cry interrupted Eagleclaw's thoughts. He jumped up and raced to the entrance of the barn. "What's going on?" He demanded. "It's Barley and Ravenpaw." Some cat replied. "And they have a lot of strange cats with them." Alarmed, Eagleclaw stepped out of the barn. "What do you want!?" He called to Ravenpaw and Barley. "Our home back!" Ravenpaw growled. " This is our home now!" Eagleclaw called out sharply. "Leave or we'll kill you all!" Barley threatened. "You? Kill us? We're warriors, you're just kittypets." Sneered Eagleclaw. "We'll see about that." Yowled one of the strange cats that Ravenpaw and Barley had gathered. "Attack!" He screeched. And the group of cats charged the Snowclan warriors. "Let's show these kittypets what we're made of." Growled Eagleclaw as he pounced on top of Barley. Barley rolled over on top of Eagleclaw and quickly had the bigger warrior pinned down. "Who's the kittypet now?" Sneered Barley. Eagleclaw kicked at Barley's soft underbelly but Barley wouldn't release his grip. Barley raised his paw for the death strike but some cat bowled him over. Eagleclaw got up and with a battle cry, through himself into the midst of the fighting cats.
Shadowpelt watched the fighting cats with mixed feelings of shame, and horror. "This is my fault." She whispered. "Don't blame yourself. Eagleclaw was the one that did wrong." A voice replied. "He's the one that's mouse-brained enough to do such a thing!" The voice growled. "I know." Sighed Shadowpelt.
Ravenpaw lashed out at a Snowclan apprentice and the younger cat retreated with a hiss. "We're not winning Ravenpaw!" Barley called out. "I know!" Ravenpaw growled as he pounced on another cat.
"Stop!" Screeched a voice from some where in the middle of the fighting cats. Everyone stopped. Eagleclaw was pinning down Barley and the older cat couldn't escape. "Leave or he dies!" Threatened Eagleclaw. Instantly the band of Rouges and Loners backed away. The turned and fled, all except Ravenpaw. "They left, let him go Eagleclaw." Ravenpaw meowed, there was a hint of anxiety in his voice. "I won't be doing that Ravenpaw." Eagleclaw meowed, there was no emotion in his voice. Eagleclaw raised his paw and crashed it down on Barley's neck. "No!" Yowled Ravenpaw. He tried to reach Barley but the Snowclan cats pushed him away.
Blood poured out of Barley's neck. He gave one last shudder and died.
Surprisingly, Eagleclaw didn't feel anything, except victory. "Get rid of Ravenpaw." He ordered. Three Snowclan cats chased Ravenpaw away from the barn. "You'll regret this! I will avenge Barley!" Was the last thing Eagleclaw heard Ravenpaw say.
...
"Have you seen any of the enemy cats around?" Eagleclaw asked one of his warriors. "Yes sir, we found one slinking around near the Twoleg Nest." Eagleclaw sighed. "Did you take care of him?" He asked. "Yes." The warrior replied. "What did you do with the body?" Eagleclaw asked. "We buried it." The cat answered. "Good. You have done well." Eagleclaw meowed. He then turned around and tried to get some sleep.
"What have you done!?" Demanded Shadowpelt. "Only what you wanted me to do." Eagleclaw replied meekly. "What I wanted you to do!? You have no such thing!" Shadowpelt spat. "But Shadowpelt, the barn is ours now!" Eagleclaw meowed desperately. "The barn belongs to Barley and Ravenpaw!" Hissed Shadowpelt. Eagleclaw puffed up a bit. "What do you know? You're dead!" He meowed in an irritated tone. Shadowpelt opened her mouth to say something, but she simply faded into darkness.
"Eagleclaw!
Eagleclaw, wake up!" Meowed a cat. Eagleclaw jolted awake. "What's
the matter?" He asked, out of breath. "We are under attack!"
The cat meowed. "It's Ravenpaw and the other Rouge's and Loner's."
"The Barn
belongs to Barley and Ravenpaw!
Eagleclaw
remembered what Shadowpelt had hissed at him. He shook his head.
"Then what are we doing just standing around? Let's go shred those
mouse-brained cats!"
Shadowpelt shook her head in disbelief. "I am so sorry Barley. I have no idea what went wrong with Eagleclaw." Barley looked down at the battled field, with eyes clouded with sadness. "His lust for power is killing cats, he has gone too far! We can only watch and hope that Ravenpaw can outwit this cat." Shadowpelt nodded. "I'm so sorry about him, it's my fault for choosing him to lead." Barley smiled weakly. "It's alright, things happen one way or another, no one cat can stop destiny. Eagleclaw only wants to do what is right for his clan, but he is going about things in the wrong way. His lust for power will be the thing in the end that ultimately destroys him." Barley concluded.