"Well what have we here?" snarled Silence. She towered over the three apprentices, even Coalpaw, who was the biggest.
Coalpaw tried to look brave, but he was terrified by this she-cat, who looked more than capable of murder. "We are Coalpaw, Dewpaw and Owlpaw of the Clans," he said. "We have come to take back the diamond which you stole from the Clans."
Silence just laughed. "But I haven't stolen anything. The gem is mine! I am a direct descendent of the great Stormshadow himself! This gem is mine by right!"
"No!" Dewpaw said. "The gem was taken from Stormshadow because he was using it for evil and so will you!"
"You're very quick to judge a cat you don't know." Silence responded smoothly. "I could be using this gem for good."
"But you're not!' Owlpaw mewed. "StarClan told us you must be stopped."
Silence smiled and Coalpaw started to feel very unsettled. What was with her? She seemed amused with the idea that the three cats that had been chosen by StarClan itself were going to try and stop her. "Well then," Silence said. "Stop me."
Coalpaw focused on the power of the ruby, ready to feel the fire racing through his veins to aid him in this fight.
Nothing happened.
Coalpaw froze, shocked. He looked around to see the other two having the same problem. "What have you done?" He asked.
"I have done nothing," Silence replied. "But you have done something. You have gone outside the gem's boundaries. And now you are vulnerable." She grinned and unsheathed her claws, her mismatched eyes gleaming wickedly.
Coalpaw let out a wail of horror. Why had StarClan brought them here? Were the ancient warriors just going to watch them die? Then a faint voice whispered next to his ear "Look, Coalpaw, look." Coalpaw glanced around Silence into the alleyway and caught a glimpse of something shining. His eyes widened. The diamond! Silence obviously liked to keep it close to her so she'd never get out of its range.
"I see the diamond and I'm going to try to get it! Cover me!" Coalpaw hissed to Dewpaw and Owlpaw. They both nodded.
"Hey meanie! Over here!" Dewpaw cried. While her insults weren't the best, they did get the job done, because Silence turned away from Coalpaw and twisted after Dewpaw. Coalpaw darted down the alley towards the small glimmer of light. He seized the diamond in his teeth and raced out of the alleyway. He almost opened his mouth and dropped the diamond when he raced out of the alley. Dewpaw was underneath of Silence while Owlpaw was scratching at Silence's neck ineffectually.
Coalpaw lunged for Silence and, by sheer luck, managed to catch her off guard. She slipped off Dewpaw, who instantly got to her paws and sped away, Owlpaw quick on her heels with Coalpaw barely a whisker length behind. The three cats darted through the Twoleg Place, trying to lose the crazy she-cat on their tails. Just as Coalpaw thought they were about to lose her, something stepped on his tail, sending him sprawling to the ground. The diamond fell from his mouth and skittered away from him. Coalpaw tried to call for help, but the air had been knocked from his lungs when he had landed. A shadowy black cat stepped in front of him. The cats form was smoky and clouded, like it was shrouded by a thick fog, or simply made of fog. The strange cat picked up the diamond in its mouth and vanished into thin air.
"So you failed to recover the diamond." Coalpaw glanced around and saw Heatblaze staring at him sadly. Two other cats, a blue-grey tom and a brown she-cat, stood next to Dewpaw and Owlpaw respectively. "I suppose this means we must return to our original plan." Heatblaze looked at the other two cats with a guarded expression. "It is time," he said.
"Are you sure?" asked the brown she-cat. "They're so young…"
"Forestlight, they are almost warriors!" the blue-grey tom replied. "You know as well as I that they must use the power of the elements!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Owlpaw.
"You must be joined with the elemental gems," Heatblaze said. "Only then will you be able to stand up to Silence, who has the power of air and darkness on her side."
"Will it hurt?" Dewpaw asked.
"No. It will not hurt you. It will make you stronger. But first there is another task you must accomplish." Heatblaze looked at them sternly. "You must find Silence's kin. All elements must be present for the binding."
"Who is her kin?" asked Owlpaw.
"Silence's kin is her cousin. Her name is Cloud and she must be found as quickly as possible. She lives in the Twoleg Place, as a loner. Find her, and the ceremony can proceed." Forestlight explained.
"Well, if we want to get this over with quickly, we'd better get started," Coalpaw said. "Let's go!"
Silence crept through the alley, glancing around carefully. She'd heard rumors of a band of loners living here, but she'd never met them… until now. A grey and white tom suddenly stepped out of the shadows in front of her.
"You're Live?" Silence asked.
"Yes," Live replied curtly.
"Good," Silence replied. "I need your help…"