A half moon glowed on smooth granite boulders, turning them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of water from the swift black river and the whisper of the wind on the sand dunes beyond.
There was a stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe dark shapes crept stealthily over the rocks. Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed like amber. And then, as if on a silent signal, the creatures leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching winged-wolves.
At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive dark wolf pinned a bracken-colored male wolf to the ground and drew up his head triumphantly."Aubrey!" the wolf growled. "How dare you hunt in our territory? The river belongs to the DesertClan!"
"After tonight, Sharok, this will be just another MountainClan hunting ground!" Aubrey spat back.
A warning howl came from the shore, shrill and anxious.
"Look out! More MountainClan warriors are coming!"
Sharok turned to see sleek wet bodies sliding out of the river. The drenched Mountainclan warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled themselves into battle without even stopping to shake the water from their fur.
Sharok glared down at Aubrey. "You may swim like lurker sharks, but you and your warriors do not belong in the Wasteland!" He drew back his lips and showed his teeth as the wolf struggled beneath him.
The desperate scream of a DesertClan female wolf rose above the clamor. A wiry MountainClan male had pinned the brown warrior flat on her belly. Now he lunged toward her neck with jaws still dripping from his swim across the river. Sharok heared the cry and let go of Aubrey. With a mighty leap, wings outstreched, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the female. "Quick, Fala, run!" he ordered, before turning on the MountainClan warrior who had threatened her. Fala scrambled to her paws, wincing from the deep gash on her shoulder, and raced away.
Behind her, Sharok spat with rage as the MountainClan warrior sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward regardless and sank his teeth into the hind leg of his enemy. The MountainClan wolf yelped and struggled free. "Sharok!" The bark came from another warrior with a tail as white as snow. "This is useless, There are too many MountainClan warriors!"
"No, Garret. DesertClan has never been beaten!" Sharok howled back, flying to Garret's side. "This is our territory!" Blood was welling around his broad black muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering scarlet drops onto the rocks.
"Desertclan will honor your courage, Sharok, but we cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors," Garret urged. "Ather would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds. We will have another chance to avenge this defeat." He met Sharok's blue-eyed gaze steadily, then reared away and flew onto a larger boulder at the edge of the river.
"Retreat, DesertClan! Retreat!" he howled. At once his warriors squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. Spitting and snarling, they back toward Garret. For a heartbeat, the MountainClan wolves looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Then Aubrey howled a jubilant cry. As soon as they heared him, the MountainClan warriors raised their voices and joined their deputy in howling their victory.
Garret looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his tail, he gave the signal and the DesertClan wolves lept into the sky , and disappeared into the Wasteland's darkened sky. Sharok followed last. He hesitated at the edge of the boulder and looked back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, his eyes furious slits. Then he leap after his Clan into the vast desert sky.
In a deserted clearing, and old gray female wolf sat alone, staring up at the clear night sky. All around her in the shadows she could hear the breathing and stirrings of sleeping wolves.
A small female white wolf emerged from a dark corner of a cave, her pawsteps quick and soundless.
The gray wolf dipped her head in greeting. "How is Fala?" she said.
"Her wounds are deep, Ather," answered the white wolf, settling herself on the night-cool sand. "But she is yound and strong; she will heal quickly."
"And the others?"
"They will all recover, too"
Ather sighed. "We are lucky not to have lost any of our warriors this time. You are a gifted healer, Jazlyn." She tilted her head again and studied the stars. "I am deeply troubled by tonight's defeat. DesertClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became alpha," She murmured. "These are difficult times for our pack. The season on newleaf is late, and there has been fewer pups. DesertClan needs more warriors if it is to survive."
"But the year is only just beginning," Jazlyn pointed out calmly. "There will be more pups when greenleaf comes." The gray wolf twiched her broad shoulders. "Perhaps. But training our young to become warriors takes time. If DesertClan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon as possible."
"Are you asking StarClan for answers?" asked Jazlyn gently, following Ather's gaze and staring up at the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky. "It is times like this we need the words of ancient warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you?" Ather asked.
"Not for many months, Ather"
Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the desert. Jazlyn's tail twiched and the fur along her spine bristled. Ather's ear pricked but she remained silent as Jazlyn continued to stare upward.
After a few moments, Jazlyn lowered her head and turned to Ather. "It was a message from StarClan," she murmered. A distant look came to her eyes. " Dark Eco alone can save our Clan."
"Dark Eco?" Ather echoed. "But Dark Eco is feared by all the Clans! How can it save us?"
Jazlyn shook her head." I don't know," she admitted. "But htis is a message StarClan has choosen to share with me."
The DesertClan alpha fixed her clear blue eyes on the white wolf. "Who have never been wrong before, Jazlyn," she said. "If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. Dark Eco will save our Clan."