Starlingkits's Prophecy

Chapter Ten: Truth of the Forgotten Warrior

For a moment, the entire forest was silent.

There was pure silence ringing in each cats' ears.

Starlingpaw's heart thumped against her chest as she and her Clanmates stood side by side facing the WindClan and Dark Forest cats face-to-face. The deceased warriors were flaming with shadows and the WindClanners were snarling with hatred. Why in StarClan would Onestar ever let the dead, evil cats partake in the lives of the living?

Among the dead cats were Tigerstar and Hollyleaf. Why is Hollyleaf in the Dark Forest? Starlingpaw thought wildly. The black she-cat's green eyes blazed brightly in the blackness of night. She never did a single thing wrong according to Jayfeather.

But the real problem was Tigerstar. The huge tabby glared his amber eyes at Firestar. "Attack!" He yowled.

The warriors leapt at each other; claws and tails and tufts of fur went flying. The ThunderClanners were hopelessly outnumbered.

A small tabby WindClan tom raked his claws along Starlingpaw's flank. Hissing, she whipped around and rattled his head with a strong blow of her paw. The young she-cat was overwhelmed with cries of battle piercing her ears. She was surrounded by writhing furry bodies and she couldn't tell who was friend or foe.

She was thrown aside by a strong bash to the shoulders. She was flung against the stone wall of the camp and her eyes spun wildly. She shook her head and hopped up to her paws ready to keep fighting.

Then a silver body landed at her paws.

"Jayfeather!" She screamed.

Hollyleaf snickered. "He was in my way."

"What's wrong with you?" The apprentice growled. "He's your brother! We're kin!"

The green eyes of the evil she-cat flickered. She shook her head. "I'm... I'm with them, okay? I belong with the Dark Forest. They're more of a Clan to me than ThunderClan ever was."

Starlingpaw stared at her in disbelief. Then the sick realization that her father was dead finally sunk into her.

"I'll kill you, Hollyleaf!" She yowled in vengeance. She leapt towards her with outstretched claws.

The dark warrior dodged and ran out of the broken camp. Starlingpaw turned her back on her Clanmates and chased after the she-cat.

She ran into the forest which was eerily quiet compared to the loud, angry caterwauls of the camp.

"Starlingpaw."

She turned around and saw her two sisters standing side by side. "You can't beat Hollyleaf alone." Larkpaw mewed, secretly glad she was out of camp and away from the hopeless battle.

"Come on!" Flamepaw growled.

Starlingpaw nodded and they briskly walked through the forest, winding around trees, and ducking under shrubs. They rounded about a crag of rocks and the black she-cat sprung out at them in a surprise attack.

She flung herself at Flamepaw with shiny claws extended. It was slow motion as Starlingpaw cried in surprise and Larkpaw sprang out in front of the black warrior's path.

Larkpaw was hit with a hard blow to the neck. With a sickening mew she choked on her last breath.

"Larkpaw!" Flamepaw crouched over the lifeless body.

Starlingpaw stared in disbelief.

"You can't beat me," Hollyleaf told them triumphantly. "I was one of the Three."

"No, you never were, Hollyleaf," Flamepaw spat angrily at the cat who murdered her littermate.

"Shut up, rat-tongue!" She hissed. "I am more powerful than any cat can imagine!"

Hollyleaf snapped her jaws which grew broad and wide. Her teeth extended into large, white fangs. Her shoulders hunched over and grew to a massive size. Her paws flexed as her claws turned thick and sharp and her pads grew thick and hard. Suddenly the sleek she-cat had grown into a huge black bear with piercing green eyes. She towered over the tiny cats, her green eyes glowing bright with a once-envious glint.

"I'm a shape shifter," the bear growled joyfully. "Tigerstar promised me the power StarClan should have bestowed upon me in the first place. That's why I fight for him now."

Starlingpaw stared up at the huge creature.

How in StarClan could any cat ever defeat her?