Warriors: Forest of Blood

Prologue

Firestar crouched, glaring defiantly at Scourge. "Die, rogue!" the ginger tom yowled, mustering all his burning anger and strength. Fighting the BloodClan leader had already cost him one life; he could not afford to lose any more. He had to defeat BloodClan, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of the whole forest. And to do that, he had to kill their leader. I have to end this quickly.

He leapt at the smaller tom, but Scourge was fast. The black rogue whipped aside, hissing a taunt. "Hah! Slow forest fool!"

Fury and pride welled up in Firestar's blood. Snarling, he attacked again. Scourge slid forward, ducking under the ginger tom's deadly claws…and sunk his own claws into Firestar's chest. A fountain of blood welled out, spurting and staining both cats' fur and the grass around.

Firestar gazed down in shock at his chest wound. Desperately, he scrabbled at the ground, fighting the wave of blurry darkness that was overcoming him. It washed over him; he knew he was losing a life. Seven left, now. No! the leader of ThunderClan thought in panic. I have to get up! I have to fight!

He expected to find himself back in the hollow at Fourtrees, to speak with StarClan, and let his body recover for the second time. But the world before his eyes was dark, dark as night. And there was a searing pain in his chest, searing agony…

Nearby the ginger tom's still body, a huge gray tabby tom battled another rogue. The spiked teeth on the rogue's collar flashed in the sunlight as he dodged Graystripe, the ThunderClan deputy's flailing claws. Graystripe hissed with satisfaction as the other cat gave ground steadily, knowing he would win.

Then something caught his eye. A cat's body. Not just any body. The body of his leader and best friend, Firestar. "Firestar?" he called out, sparing a moment from the fight. He knew his leader was probably losing a life and would recover soon, but what worried him was that Scourge was crouched nearby, eyes gleaming.

The rogue chose that moment to dart in and slash at his cheek, so Graystripe turned and dealt him a heavy blow, scowling. Then a choking cry form behind him stopped the grey tabby in his tracks.

He whipped around, eyes widening in shock and horror. "No!" Firestar had not managed to enter the healing sleep StarClan should have given him. The ginger tom writhed on the ground, coughing up blood, choking. His eyes were beginning to glaze over, his struggles weakening. Graystripe stared, frozen. No, it can't be…Scourge took Tigerstar's nine lives in a single blow, but Firestar would never let him do that…

But he could not deny the horrifying scene in front of his eyes, nor look away. As he watched, Firestar's body grew limp. Six lives left. StarClan, let him survive…Graystripe prayed.

The ginger tom began convulsing again, limbs flailing. Scourge watched, a cruel smile on his dark face. As Graystripe stood rooted to the spot, the rogue he had been fighting leapt on him, pinning him to the ground. "I won't kill you till you watch your leader die," he snarled. But Graystripe had eyes only for the scene before him.

Five lives left, then four, then three. Firestar grew steadily weaker. By this time, other cats had noticed the commotion. They, too, were frozen in terror. Firestar was their leader. Without him, they would not be able to fight on, even the other Clans, RiverClan, WindClan and ShadowClan. We've lost, thought Graystripe hopelessly. Two lives left. One.

Firestar's body grew limp, for the last time. Scourge threw back his head and howled to the skies, a chilling cry of triumph. "Kill them!"

The BloodClan rogues answered with a dreadful roar. Claws and fangs flashed as they slew their enemies. But the Clan cats of the forest had no fight left in them, without their leader. Soon, bodies littered the floor of Fourtrees, staining the ground red with blood. There was no one left living in the clearing except for the rogues.

Amid the horrifying carnage, they stood. Scourge leapt up onto Great Rock, never to be used by the leaders for addressing the Clans during a Gathering again. "Cats of BloodClan!"

His rogues answered him with a roar that grew in strength and power. "Scourge! Scourge! Scourge!"

The black tom smiled, flicking up his tail for silence. "We have won this prize for ourselves: forest territory with good hunting, good living. Those forest fools paid their price with their lives. From now on, we rule the forest!"

"Bone is dead; and I have decided that my new second in command shall be Diego. Diego, I will speak to you after this. You may all spread through the former territory of the four Clans, as they called themselves. Remember I am your leader, though, or you will pay a price in blood." He smiled, not at all a pleasant smile.

"Dismissed."

The BloodClan cats began to stream out of the clearing in small groups. Scourge looked over his new domain, and smiled. He would rule this new territory with iron claws, as he had his old one.