Hawkpaw burst from the thorn tunnel alongside Cragfall, keeping up with the rest of their battalion. Of their group, only Rushwind had been too injured to go on after a glancing blow from the bear's claws. Swiftshadow was straggling as well, favouring his left forepaw.

Hawkpaw's own body felt a little battered. The bear had unintentionally thrown its weight at him, sending him flying. But he'd shaken off the pain and jumped back into the fight.

Now the bear was a few foxlengths ahead, shifting its massive paws warily as Littlestar's battalion surrounded it in a loose circle. Loudpaw recklessly dashed forward, swiping at the monster's flank with the speed of a snake before bouncing away, but not before stumbling when it turned to attack.

Mousebrain, Hawkpaw thought. The whole point is to overwhelm it with force and numbers, not with little squirrel scratches.

Because that's all they were. Nothing phased the monster. Hawkpaw was beginning to doubt that the Clans' strategy would work. They had achieved too little and suffered too many losses. Not only that, but the remaining warriors still able to fight were exhausted and injured.

Soft fur brushed against him as Flowerbelly pelted ahead. "Don't hold back!" she cried, leading the battalion into the fray. Forcing some energy in his limbs, Hawkpaw dashed forward to take his place in the line. Relieved of their post, Littlestar's battalion fell back. Confused, the bear began to shamble after them.

"Not so fast!" yowled Darkshade, bunching his muscles for a massive leap. To Hawkpaw's shock, the old Shadowclan warrior landed squarely between the monster's shoulders. He buried his claws into the coarse fur and sank his teeth into its eye. Blood spurted and the monster roared, rearing up on its back legs. It shook its head back and forth as Darkshade clung on desperately. When that didn't work, the bear reached up with one massive paw and scooped Darkshade from its scruff and slamming him into the ground, pinning the old tom beneath it. The monster, blood gushing from the empty eye socket, bent its head and tore at the much smaller cat with its wickedly sharp fangs.

"No!" cried Goldenpaw as Darkshade shrieked in agony. Yowling, Leopardclaw charged forward, and Hawkpaw kept right on her heals. They approached on its blind side, but some supernatural instinct had the bear lifting its head to face the new threat. Darkshade's blood dripped from its maw, and its one beady eye needled into Hawkpaw with a hatred and malice so strong that the apprentice stumbled.

Leopardclaw reached it first and attempted to take out its other eye with her sharp claws. But the bear was ready. It threw back one of its paws and sent the young she-cat flying. Hawkpaw skidded to a stop a few foxlengths away as the monster began to drop its head to continue tormenting Darkshade, whose struggles were becoming more and more feeble. It wasn't harming him anymore, but it kept him pinned as it growled menacingly at the cats around it. Hawkpaw needed to free the Shadowclan warrior now, or else he wouldn't live to see the upcoming sunrise.

"What should we do?" Hawkpaw turned to see Cragfall approaching slowly with Flowerbelly and Shepherdheart at his side. Over their shoulders Littlestar could be seen reassembling both battalions in preparation for an all out strike.

"We can't fight it until we get it away from Darkshade," Flowerbelly meowed.

"Then lets lure it away!" Hawkpaw replied. "Keep hassling it and when it gets mad enough—"

"It'll go after us and chomp off our tails." Cragfall cut in, his whiskers quivering with fear. Upon Hawkpaw's glance he straightened up. "But not if we're fast enough!"

"All right, Hawkpaw," Flowerbelly meowed, nodding at him. "Lead the way."

"What?" demanded Shepherdheart. "We're letting an apprentice be in charge?"

"There's no time for technicalities!" snapped Hawkpaw. "Darkshade needs us now!"

Without waiting for a response from the Riverclan deputy, he turned and jumped forward. Sensing his approach, the bear lifted its muzzle again and barred its teeth at him.

"Let's go you fat badger!" Hawkpaw yowled. "Come and get me!" He flashed a paw near its nose and leaped back as the monster snapped at him, its jaws closing on empty air with an unsatisfied snap.

"Don't look now!" Cragfall taunted, running up on the bear's other side. He had time to tug at its scruff with his teeth before it turned to swipe at him. He jumped nimbly aside, attempting to draw it after him with his tail. It stretched forward, but when the Thunderclan warrior was out of reach, it settled back again.

"Foxdung!" Shepherdheart growled. He boldly raked his claws across one of its stubby ears and hissed loudly. Flowerbelly followed up with a nip on its shoulder. Hawkpaw and Cragfall moved forward until all four cats surrounded it in a loose semi-circle. Enraged, the bear finally moved its attention from its prey, getting to its paws.

"That's right you mangy clump of fur," Shepherdheart snarled bravely. "We're here for the taking."

The bear snarled back, and with almost no warning, it surged forward, snatching Shepherdheart by the scruff and dragging him towards it.

"Oh, no you don't!" Flowerbelly yowled.

Hawkpaw, Cragfall, and Flowerbelly swarmed the bear. Desperation drove Hawkpaw harder than ever before.We're not losing any more warriors!

"Let him go!" Cragfall demanded, grabbing Shepherdheart's scruff and yanking him back. The tortoise-shell tom writhed in the bear's grip, twisting around and clawing at its face. Thankfully, it released him, raising a paw to rub at the thin scratches on its muzzle. The three cats backed off, drawing it towards them again. This time the monster followed cautiously, strategizing its attack

By then Littlestar had his forces assembled, and the other two battalions had caught up as well. The heartbeat the bear was close enough to them and away from Darkshade, they closed in on it. Hawkpaw was about to join the battle again when he spotted the small gray-and-white form of Rockhead, slinking along the grass, belly fur brushing the ground. He came to a stop and crouched beside Darkshade. Hawkpaw felt uneasy about leaving the medicine cat so exposed with the bear a few foxlengths away, so he crept over to stand guard beside them. One of Darkshade's back legs twitched, causing ripples in the puddle of blood beneath him.

"Will he live?" Hawkpaw asked.

Rockhead didn't respond immediately. He ran his paws over Darkshade's haunch, where the worst of the damage was. Bone and sinew tore at the skin and fur. "He may yet survive," the medicine cat mewed eventually. "But he will have to retire and take it easy for the rest of his life. This leg will heal badly no matter Nightfrost's skill."

Hawkpaw nodded once. "Its better than death."

"Help me carry him behind that cluster of stones," the Riverclan tom flicked his tail over at the rocks Windclan cats used to keep a watchful eye on the territory. "The rest of the medicine cats are there."

"Right." He padded over and helped shimmy the unconscious cat to his paws…

...

Thorns tore at Shellpaw's fur as she pelted through the empty and desolate Windclan territory. She had only travelled through the moor once, and that was on her Moonpool journey. This time she was going in a different direction, following the faint trace of the battalions and the fresher trail of Whitekit.

For a kit she sure runs fast, she thought as her legs burned with exertion. Faint roars and yowling drifted on the breeze, and her heart quickened. Ignoring the pain she picked up speed, praying to Starclan that she would catch Whitekit in time. But there was no sign of the little ball of fur, and Shellpaw began to accept that she would have to jump into the fight to find the lost kit. She passed a large circle of thorns, the scents clouding from there confirming that it was the Windclan camp. Not far now, Shellpaw thought fearfully, remembering the leaders' strategy. She looked up at the dark sky, the stars flickering faintly. Please guide my paws Flaretail!

She pelted over a high hill, pausing at the top to take in the devastation below her.

The field was littered with injured cats, their cries and moans of pain reaching her ears and pulling at her heartstrings. What cats remained standing were crowding the bear, bravely attempting to drive it further and further back, towards the edge of the territory. They were making very slow process, and they lost a warrior to pain and exhaustion every few steps the bear took.

Ignore it Shellpaw! Urged Flaretail, his warm scent wreathing around her. Find the kit!

But Shellpaw couldn't ignore it. The plan wasn't working! The monster was just too much for the Clans to handle. She threw her head back again. Starclan help us!

But the stars held no answer, no offer of help. Shellpaw looked down upon the battlefield with sorrow. Were the Clans destined to lose everything?

A small white blur flashed across her vision. Blinking hard, Shellpaw scanned the clearing again. She swore that she would save at least this young life, just as Flaretail had said. Maybe she could join Rockhead and the other medicine cats afterwards to help the injured. Locking her black thoughts away, she began to creep down the slope. White fur flashed again, and Shellpaw gasped to see Whitekit stalking towards the bear from behind. The warriors didn't notice her approach because they were so preoccupied with the monster.

You fool! Shellpaw thought despairingly, picking up her pace. But she was too far away, and Whitekit yowled, taking a tiny leap until she was lodged in the bear's back leg. She yelped something Shellpaw was too far away to hear, but the bear didn't even seem to notice the little burr caught in its pelt. That is, until she grabbed its looser skin and began to shake her head back and forth.

"Someone stop her!" Shellpaw yowled frantically. But the warriors were too involved in the fight, and none could see Whitekit because she was attached to the bear's flank while they were facing it head on. But one cat recognized Shellpaw's cry. Rockhead looked up at her and met her eyes. He was standing with Hawkpaw, and injured cat between them, but he followed the direction of her pointed tail, finally spotting the stubborn kit half-buried into the bear's fur.

The monster kicked its back leg like a horse, and with a squeal Whitekit was flung into the air. Her cry caught its attention, but not before it swept its massive forepaws into a wall of advancing warriors, knocking them back like flies. It then turned its bulk around, its glittering eyes finding Whitekit, who was dazedly stumbling to her paws. With a roar of victory, it advanced towards her.

"Run Whitekit!" screeched Shellpaw, not even bothering with caution and stealth anymore. But she was just too far away to save the little she-kit in time, and the rest of the Clan cats were recovering from the recent blow and they too couldn't reach her.

But there was one cat who was.

Rockhead realized what was happening and jumped into action. Without hesitation he left the other two cats, pelting over to his niece. But he reached her just before the bear did.

Shellpaw skidded to a stop, her claws digging into the ground as her mentor picked Whitekit up between his teeth. But the four-moons-old kit was hard to carry for a warrior, let alone a medicine cat who had never lifted a claw in his life.

All Shellpaw could do was watch as the monster attacked. It grabbed Rockhead by the tail, yanking him back. Whitekit squealed with fear as the bear wrapped its jaws around Rockhead, lifting both cats high in the air. In the chaos, Rockhead's rolling eyes somehow found Shellpaw's. In that moment, she realized that both their sets of eyes were the same exact shade of gold, and watching her mentor was like watching herself in the lake.

A perfect match.

Then Rockhead squeezed his eyes shut and he threw back his head, launching Whitekit as far as he could. She wailed with terror as she was thrown several tail-lengths, landing a safe distance away. Just as she did so, Rockhead shrieked. The bear crushed the tom between its powerful jaws, destroying everything he needed to keep living. When it was through it tossed the medicine cat away like used fresh-kill.

A resounding wail rode up from the Clans. Shoalblaze jumped to the front line, his thick fur slick with blood and dust. His eyes glowed with agony and sorrow.

"Die you monster!" he yowled. The rest of the Clans took up the cry, and together they mobbed the creature, climbing onto its back and clawing at anything they could.

Oakpaw lodged himself in the creature's neck. "For Rockhead!" he cried valiantly.

"For Riverclan!" Yowled Brackenfoot.

"For Windclan!" Ravenfeather took up the cry.

"For Thunderclan!" followed Wildpath.

"For Shadowclan!" Duststripe bellowed.

"For the Clans!" finished Cragfall.

But it was nothing but noise to Shellpaw's ears. Nothing mattered now. She scrambled over to her fallen mentor. She tripped and stumbled over the uneven ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps. When she reached Rockhead's body, her heart lifted for a brief moment when she saw that his eyes were open. But they were glazed over, no light shone from within. He was gone.

Feeling as if her heart was being turned inside out, she collapsed at his side, unable to move except to run her tongue over her mentor's ears, sharing tongues one last time right there on the field of battle. Something warm pushed against her side, and Whitekit whimpered shakily, her wide eyes taking it all in. Shellpaw reached out a paw, bringing the tiny kit into her belly fur. The smaller cat buried her face in there, shutting off the rest of the world. Shellpaw wished she could do the same, but she couldn't drag her eyes away from her mentor.

Another pelt brushed on her opposite side. It was Hawkpaw, eyes as hard as flint, keeping watch on the battle's movements for her as she grieved. Bramblenose was now carrying Darkshade towards the medicine cats.

Hawkpaw rested his muzzle between her ears for a moment, just as a leader would. "I'm sorry." Was all he said.

Cries and roars reached her ears, but Shellpaw ignored to it all. Nothing else mattered except for the tiny world she lived in with Whitekit, Hawkpaw, and Rockhead.

A familiar scent drifted across her muzzle, and she blinked. Rockhead's body was glowing ever so slightly. Shellpaw narrowed her eyes, and for a moment, she thought she saw two faded shapes standing above the body. One was golden, the other patched with white and gray. Her heart ached as she watched her teacher, partner, and friend fade away to join Starclan. Just as he left the world completely, a deafening crack went off, almost like thunder, but there were no clouds in the sky.

There were only stars.