Blurb
Greenleaf, a time of plentiful prey and sunshine, is the season when cats expect the least to go wrong. Unfortunately, that isn't the case for ThunderClan. Their leader, killed by a fox on the edge of ThunderClan territory. The deputy and medicine cat, found murdered and ripped to pieces by the claws of an unknown cat. Yet something is amiss - is everything really what it seems?
Prologue
Brindlestar padded softly through ThunderClan territory, heading toward the forest border. It wasn't often that a leader could get quality time to themselves. Suddenly, a twig snapped from behind her. Brindlestar froze. Was she being followed? Perhaps it was just a piece of prey. Shrugging off her concerns, the brindled grey tabby continued her walk through the forest.
Was it just her imagination, or could she hear the muffled sound of squelching paws moving through the undergrowth? Calm down, Brindlestar. There's no one following you. It must be your old age, and you're just getting paranoid. Brindlestar forced herself to believe her conscience. She must be losing her touch, now that she was probably now one of the oldest cats in the forest.
With a soft sigh, Brindlestar sank down before the beautiful sight of four elegant trees stretching toward the sky, surrounding a large lump of rock at the centre of the hollow. Fourtrees was a wondrous sight, even during daylight. Then, a foul, sharp scent drifted across Brindlestar's senses. Fox! It was large, and an incredibly bright shade of ginger. So much for a relaxing walk through the forest.
Brindlestar leapt at the fox, claws outstretched and teeth bared. "Get out of our territory, mange-pelt!" Though it most likely didn't understand what the ThunderClan leader was yowling, the fox seemed to get the message. However, rather than turning tail and running, it snarled back and leapt at Brindlestar. A momentary wave of panic washed over the grey tabby. She had no clanmates close by, nor was she in her prime years.
For a few moments, the two creatures fought, however Brindlestar was quickly overpowered and pinned to the earth, the fox's teeth about to sink into her neck. No! This is my last life! That was when she noticed it - her amber eyes flitting over her beloved territory for the last time - a cat. Dark, stony amber eyes glaring through the lush forest undergrowth. Brindlestar recognised it. No! He couldn't have been standing there the whole time, ready to see me get ripped apart! Any cat but-
The kind, trusting, brindled ThunderClan leader sank to the floor, life flowing out of her as the fox's teeth met her throat.