Now what?

I turned to Reedpelt desperately, looking for the guidance I so desperately needed. He returned my blank look. But frozen with fear, I couldn't move.

Reedpelt shook his broad, tabby head, and charged for Honeywind. The golden she cat met him with a ferocious bite.

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to Leafpaw. She was creeping up behind Reedpelt, with a killer's look in her eyes.

A sudden powerful feeling coursed through me. With a roar, I threw myself at my sister.

She yelped, the wind knocked out of her. Leafpaw lashed out a paw, at my eye.

I screeched. Pain coursed through my face. A spray of blood hit Leafpaw. I rolled over, and she snapped her jaws over my ear. Stinging pain flooded my movements, before I hissed, and tripped her.

We rolled across the floor, locked in combat, ferociously attacking. She slashed my nose open with a paw as fast as a bird, and I screamed. With anger spiking my blood, I roared and slammed my paw over her head. Briefly stunned, she fell to the ground, and I loomed over her.

Leafpaw shrieked and yowled under my tight grip, when suddenly I heard a cry.

Reedpelt!

I turned my head to look at him, and Leafpaw saw her chance. She broke free of my grip, and fled, towards Honeywind and Reedpelt, who were wrestling. Leafpaw threw herself onto Reedpelt with a hiss.

I pursued with adrenaline coursing through my veins.

And then Leafpaw pinned Reedpelt. Honeywind held him down.

Leafpaw lifted a paw over his throat.

No!

A very strange feeling overcame me. I felt like I was floating. I was deaf to the shrieks, and I could see perfectly in the pale moonlight. I was at peace. I was calm. And I was sprinting to Leafpaw, where her paw was suspended in the air, above Reedpelt. I crashed through.

I broke free of the feeling. High pitched wailing of Reedpelt pierced my ears. And I had Leafpaw. She was wriggling in my paws.

Her throat was slashed.

What have I done?

Leafpaw looked at me from the ground, and got up to her shaky paws. From that viewpoint, I could see that I'd missed her windpipe by a whisker-length, and she would survive.

Her eyes burned with fire. And anger. And hate.

And fear.

Is that what I was now? Somecat who could kill without noticing it?

"Amberpaw! Come on!"

I snapped out of my fear, and ran to Reedpelt, who was anxiously waiting for me. We butted heads briefly, and then he spoke.

"Come on. We have to go."