Chapter 1:

"Fox! Fox help me!" Maple screeched as a large tom pinned her to the forest floor and put a claw to her throat. "FOX! HE-" Her cry for help was cut short as the tom dug his claws deep into her throat, she tried to call out again but the only sound that came out was the gurgling of blood as it poured from her throat and mouth.They both should be back from hunting by now, I thought to myself as I stood up and stretched my sore muscles. After stretching I walked over and sat next to the entrance and perked my ears, ready for any sign of their return. I waited for a while, staring out the entrance, but never saw them. Finally my anxiety won, I stood up and took a couple steps toward the entrance, one I was at the edge I put one paw outside the den and hesitantly took my first step into the outside world after my last battle.

Before I even realized what had just happened I was sitting up in my bed panting. I looked around the old badger set but didn't find Maple or Shade, I looked up through the mouse-sized hole in the ceiling and saw that it was night.

I looked around but there was no danger, everything was quiet and peaceful, almost calming. I took two more steps, looked around. nothing. Three steps. nothing. I started walking slowly, very slowly, away from the den. Every couple seconds I would glance over my shoulder to see if anything was following me, but there was still nothing, I kept thinking to myself that it was all in my head, but I kept on looking. Next thing I knew, I was running through the forest as fast as my legs would let me go, feeling the wind in my fur, was I enjoying myself? What was that? I thought. I stopped running and turned around, I didn't see anything. There it is again! Where's that sound coming from? I looked around frantically, and still didn't see anything. I sat down on the leafy forest floor and perked my ears, trying to catch that sound again. I heard it again, I stood up and started walking towards the sound. As I walked farther I heard more sounds, and some of them sounded like cats, I was running now, images of my dream were popping up in my head. The most common one, Maple as she tried to scream for help one more time before her death. At that I pushed myself harder, I unsheathed my claws to get a better grip and I could feel the hard earth tearing at my claws as I ran. As the trees thinned out into bushes he slowed his pace and looked around again.

"Shade? Maple?" he called. "Where are you guys?"

A yowl of pain interrupted him. He sprang through the last bush and saw three huge cats blocking his path, their claws unsheathed, and their ears flattened to their heads. Their eyes glinted with fury as they glared down at him, he could just make out the gleam of their sharp teeth.

In a heartbeat, the cat to his right sprang at him; Fox leaped back just in time to hear the older cats teeth snap a mouse-length away from his leg. He swung a paw and raked his extra long claws down the side of the cat's head. It fell back, shaking the blood off his face, but at once another cat took its place. Fox caught a glimpse of Maple snarling fiercely as a tom sank his teeth into her back leg. While he was watching his friends be attacked the two cats in front of him jumped onto his back and he went down under a writhing mass of fur and flesh.

He had the wind knocked out of him and could hardly catch his breath. He kicked with his hind paws and felt his claws sink into a cats belly. He heard a screech and some of the weight on him vanished, giving him enough time to scramble to his paws again and slash his claws down another cats side. He looked to see where the other cat had gone and saw him in the air with what looked like vines? He looked harder, it wasn't vines, it was roots, and they were coming straight out of the ground and wrapping themselves around the helpless tom that was on top of him. He was amazed, and when he looked at friend, Shade smiled back at him and nodded. Fox gaped at him in disbelief, then he tried to hear what his friend was thinking, 'pretty amazing huh?' Shade thought, Fox just nodded. He has never seen Shade have to use his power before. He's seen Maple use her powers lots of times, but never has Shade used his power. A huge cat bowled Fox over, knocking him out of his thoughts.

Fox threw himself back into the battle right next to Maple, who was dragging a cat by it's tale back toward her and hurled herself at it, ears flattened and jaws parted ready to rip the fur right off of the poor cat that attacked her. The cat fled; Maple let go of it's tail and turned to rake her claws down another cats flank. The attacking cats started retreating; Shade dropped his terrified cat and gave him one last clawing on his ear.