"Echostar?"
Echostar looked up from his nest and stared at the dark ginger she-cat standing at the entrance of his den, blocking out the snowfall that colored the camp below a pure white. Standing up and quickly stretching, he meowed, "Yes, Squirrelflight?"
"Bramblestar and I just finished talking to Forestgaze." Her eyes darkened before she went on: "We have come to a decision on what to do concerning the battle with the Place of No Stars. The only thing is that we need your approval before actually taking the plan into action."
The black-pawed tom perked his ears slightly. "Very well. What's the plan?"
"Echostar!" An alarmed screech stopped Squirrelflight from speaking. Soon, Willowpaw had scrabbled onto the Skybranch, her light gray pelt barely visible in the snow. "Echostar, come quickly!"
Echostar brushed past Squirrelflight to look at the apprentice. She was trembling slightly and her eyes were stretched wide. "What's wrong, Willowpaw?" he asked.
"It's LeafClan!" she wailed. "They're attacking. They ambushed our patrol. We're outnumbered! You have to help; Tallwhisker's hurt and..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to catch her breath.
Echostar felt his pelt bristle. How dare they ambush his Clan on their own territory! Without glancing at either she-cat next to him, he quickly scrambled down the tree. There was no time to call a Clan meeting - he would just find his remaining warriors himself. Dashing into the warriors' den, he nearly collided with Shadowclaw.
"I heard Willowpaw's voice," she mewed. "What's going on?"
"LeafClan is attacking," he growled loud enough so the other cats in the den could hear him. Looking around, he added, "Sunwhisker, Amberstorm, Birdsong, Jasper, and you, Shadowclaw, come with me. We need to help the patrol."
"LeafClan...?" Jasper blinked and looked at Amberstorm, who was already on her paws.
"The other Clan," she quickly replied and padded up to Echostar. "Let's go."
Echostar narrowed his eyes slightly at the tabby's eagerness, but remained silent. Once his warriors were ready, he quickly made his way to the camp entrance, the patrol following. The WillowClan leader picked up his pace once they had entered the forest, but Amberstorm's yowl made him freeze in his tracks.
"It's the patrol!"
Quickly scanning his surroundings, Echostar finally spotted Crookedtail dashing towards them, with Tallwhisker, Blacktail, and Gingerfur hard on his paws. Blood splattered the ground from their injuries, and their fear scent washed away the smell of the forest.
"Get into the camp!" Crookedtail caterwauled.
Echostar stepped in front of the deputy. "What's going on, Crookedtail?"
Instead of replying, Crookedtail merely turned back around, his tail fluffed up twice its normal size. Following his gaze, Echostar felt his heart skip a beat.
Nearly all the warriors and apprentices of LeafClan were running straight at them.
"Great, StarClan," Sunwhisker breathed. "We'll never win!"
"We have to try!" Echostar growled. "Quickly, get back into camp...and guard the apprentices!" They haven't even had battle training yet, he added silently.
Swiftly turning around, he exploded into the camp. "Attack!" he screeched and turned back around to face the entrance. He would give all nine of his lives to win this battle and protect his Clanmates.
Soon, LeafClan was upon them and the clearing exploded into battle. Echostar's heart sank when he realized that they were outnumbered. He quickly spotted Minnowstream, who was grappling with two toms twice her size. Unsheathing his claws, he ran towards the warriors, but was quickly halted when a lithe brown cat rammed into him.
"We meet again, Echostar," a hissed tickled his ear.
Looking up, blue eyes met yellow and Echostar let out a snarl. "Elmstar! This battle is unjust! We've done nothing wrong!"
"You denied my Clan the right to eat," Elmstar growled. "I believe that that's reason enough to start a battle."
Echostar easily pushed the skinny she-cat off of him and got back on his paws. "You brought your whole Clan here; you haven't started a battle, you've started a war."
"Call it what you will," she spat, "but LeafClan will be victorious."
In your dreams! Echostar let out a fierce battle cry and lunged at Elmstar.
Once again, Echostar easily overtook the other leader. As his claws dug into her ribs and glared at her, he couldn't help but notice how skinny she was. They truly haven't been eating enough, he thought. But that doesn't give them any reason to attack our camp!
Suddenly, pain exploded from his side where Elmstar's claws and torn through his flesh. She may be skinny, but her skill hadn't abandoned her quite yet. Hissing in rage, Echostar clawed her underbelly, but quickly jumped off the she-cat when she lunged for his eyes.
"I'll give one more chance Elmstar," he panted. "Take your warriors and leave."
"Never!" she spat and ran at him again, causing them both to crash into the clearing where Forestgaze kept her den. The medicine cat and her apprentice were nowhere to be seen, though, and their leader assumed that they had hidden away from the battle.
Once they had broken apart, Echostar decided to try to negotiate with her again. "Elmstar, this can't be the will of StarClan."
The brown cat narrowed her eyes. "Oh really? If they don't approve of this battle, then why aren't they helping you like they did before?" When he didn't reply, she reared up and went to claw his neck.
Quickly dodging, he dashed under her paws and gave a sharp nip to her back leg. Rolling away so she wouldn't fall on him, he managed to claw her side as he went by. Skidding to a halt, Echostar glared at his opponent, who was having a hard time staying on her paws. This battle is too easy! He thought. But then again, it wasn't that hard to fight an old, starved she-cat. It honestly didn't even seem like a fair fight to the WillowClan leader. I have to fight though. She is a threat to my Clan.
Echostar tensed as Elmstar ran at him once again. He bared his teeth in a snarl, he watched her closely, trying to find out how she would attack. The LeafClan leader jumped onto her hind legs and prepared to claw at his head. There! Echostar lashed out with his front paw and aimed a sharp blow at her stomach. Echostar felt a thrill of excitement, knowing that this attack would send Elmstar and her warriors back to her own territory. Suddenly, excitement turned to horror as he realized that he had timed it too late. His aim was off. Claws met flesh and blood splattered onto the short-cropped grass. As Elmstar fell to the ground, Echostar began to shake.
He had torn out her throat.
The light in her yellow eyes was quickly fading as Elmstar let out a rasp so quiet, Echostar barely heard it. "I...Just wanted what was best for my Clan," she said. Her body then jerked and she became still.
Echostar didn't even hear the screeches of battle coming from the main part of camp as he stared at the body before him. "StarClan, don't let that be her last life," he whispered.
But wherever it was, StarClan did not hear him. Elmstar's body never moved and her eyes were sightless. She was dead. The black-pawed tom felt sick as the blood on his paws was painfully obvious. Sickness changed to sorrow when he realized that the first cat he had ever killed was the one that allowed him and his Clan to live here in the first place. I owe her so much, he thought, even if we were rivals.
"Echostar?" Forestgaze's mew jerked him out of his thoughts as she padded up to his side.
"I killed her," was all he could say to her.
The medicine cat placed her tail on his shoulder. "I know. I saw the whole thing. You didn't mean to, Echostar; it was just a horrible accident. You know that, right?"
Echostar felt like wailing like a kit. "But she's dead! All she was doing was fighting for the sake of LeafClan and I killed her!"
"This is the life of a warrior," Forestgaze murmured. "Cats die in battle. It doesn't matter what they're fighting for. It just happens."
Before he could reply, three cats crashed into the clearing. In front was Nightfang, his pelt covered with wounds. Chasing him were Amberstorm and Blacktail. Both cats' eyes were glittering with rage as they closed in on the deputy, but when they saw Elmstar's body, all three stopped.
"Great StarClan!" Amberstorm gasped.
"Elmstar!" Nightfang dashed to his leader's side, his amber eyes stretched wide. He nudged her body for a few moments and when it didn't move, his hackles rose and he spun around to face Echostar. "You killed her!" he screeched. "You worthless piece of fox-dung; I'll destroy you!" He began to run towards Echostar, but Blacktail intercepted him.
"If you attack Echostar, then all of WillowClan will be upon you," he meowed calmly. "Then you'll be dead. Is that really worth it?"
"She was my leader," Nightfang snarled.
"I understand that; I felt the same way when my leader in TreeClan died, but think about Elmstar. Would she want you to be killed, therefore leaving her Clan without a leader? Or would she want you to carry on in her paw steps?"
Echostar flinched when a crow cawed loudly. Looking up, he saw the large crow-food eater in the tree just above Blacktail and Nightfang. He looked away, knowing too well what the bird was there for. Looking over to Forestgaze for support, he was surprised to see her staring at the crow, her fur spiked like a hedgehog. Was she afraid of crows? No, that couldn't be it. Was she receiving a prophecy? But how? Echostar wondered. StarClan is gone! Is Tigerstar sending her a prophecy?
Amberstorm stood still as she watched Blacktail and Nightfang. She prayed that Blacktail would be careful; Nightfang was a dangerous foe and he would be even more aggressive at the news of his leader's death. She relaxed slightly when she realized that Blacktail's words had calmed the deputy a little. The relaxation was short lived as the crow cawed once more. The tabby let her claws slip out again. This bird would not make a meal out of any cat, especially not Elmstar. Despite the fact that she was the enemy, she was also a leader and her body should be treated with upmost respect.
"Fine," Nightfang hissed. "I won't attack; not this time at least." He flashed another searing glare at Echostar before gently grabbing Elmstar's scruff and heading towards the main camp.
Amberstorm stepped aside to let the tom pass. She stared after him, noticing that his tail was drooping and his head was low. He and Elmstar must have been close, she mused. Feeling a rush of anger, she turned and glared at Echostar. "I thought warriors didn't need to kill to win a battle."
Echostar put his ears back. "It was an accident. There's no need for you to speak to me like that about it."
You hypocrite! "Then why do you have any right to speak to me in a similar way about Mistpelt?"
The tom hissed. "That wasn't an accident! You just murdered her because you're following in Tigerstar's paw steps!"
Instantly, Amberstorm was on him. Taking advantage of his surprise, she pinned him to the ground. "I am nothing like Tigerstar," she snarled. "And you don't even know half of the things Mistpelt had planned."
"Amberstorm, that's enough," Blacktail calmly meowed. "He's not worth it, trust me."
She hesitated for a moment before allowing Echostar to get up. The leader glared at her once more before padding away. Amberstorm looked at her paws. A warrior is supposed to respect their leader, she thought, but what if their leader doesn't respect them?
"Amberstorm?" She looked up at the sound of Blacktail's calm voice. "Let's go over to the others. Jasper will probably be worried about you." There was a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes, as if he already knew about her and the kittypet's admiration for each other.
She nodded and went to follow him, but Forestgaze stopped her. "Blacktail, I have to speak to Amberstorm privately," she mewed. Blacktail looked confused, but nodded and walked away. Once he was out of earshot Forestgaze turned towards Amberstorm. The strange gleam in her eyes made the tabby uneasy.
"What is it?" Amberstorm asked.
"I received a prophecy," she replied. "I think it's about either Nightfang or Blacktail."
Her interested peaked when the medicine cat had mentioned her best friend, but she still felt reluctant to hear it. "Then why aren't you talking to Echostar about it?"
Forestgaze sat down. "He and Blacktail haven't gotten along lately," she explained. "If I told him, he would accuse Blacktail, and I don't want him to overreact, especially if Blacktail is innocent."
Amberstorm sighed. "Very well; what's the prophecy?"
The bracken colored she-cat got a distant look in her eye. "A cat the color of night will rise up and set the willows ablaze."
Amberstorm blinked. "Well it's Nightfang of course! He's the new LeafClan leader, and he wants revenge since Echostar killed Elmstar."
Forestgaze shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. You see, while you were gone, Blacktail began to hate Echostar for accusing you of murder. Quite a few cats agree with him, too."
"What are you trying to say? That Blacktail might lead a revolt?" Her heart dropped at the thought.
"It's possible."
She sighed. "I'll...keep an eye on Blacktail." Amberstorm narrowed her eyes. "But we can't rule out Nightfang."
"Of course we won't," Forestgaze mewed.
"Good." She then stood up, nodded to Forestgaze, and walked back into the camp. She didn't bother waiting for the medicine cat so she could be healed; all her wounds were minor.
"Amberstorm! You're okay!" She let out a purr as Jasper ran towards her. The tom halted to a stop in front of her and pressed his muzzle against her cheek.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I am now that I know you're okay."
She blinked affectionately at him before looking around the camp. By the looks of things, she and Blacktail were lucky. Minnowstream had claw marks stretched across her side, Crookedtail was lying under a tree, blood trickling down his shoulder and his head, and Gingerfur had a gash in her underbelly.
"It's going to take a while to recover," she muttered. When she turned to face her companion, though, she was surprised to see his fur spiked up and his eyes wide. "Jasper, what's wrong?" When she followed his gaze, she got her answer.
There, in the center of the camp, Littlepaw was lying on the ground, his paws splayed out and blood from a wound in his chest turning the grass scarlet. Beside him, his littermates Willowpaw and Mousepaw stared down in pure horror. Suddenly, at the same time, Forestgaze and Echostar dashed up to the apprentices.
"No," Echostar whispered. "Great StarClan, no..."
Forestgaze quickly began to press cobwebs that she had brought with her to the small cat's chest. Turning towards Amberstorm and Jasper, she meowed, "Go get Tallwhisker and Birdsong! Hurry!"
"Where are they?" Amberstorm breathed.
"They went with Shadowclaw, Speckledpelt, Firestorm, and Sunwhisker to make sure that LeafClan returned to their territory," Jasper quickly explained. "Let's go."
Soon, both cats were dashing through the forest, following the patrol's scent. Amberstorm suppressed a shiver as rain began to fall. Soon, she saw the pelts of the cats that they were looking for and increased her speed. "Tallwhisker! Birdsong!" she yowled. Both cats turned around as she did so.
"What's wrong?" Tallwhisker asked.
"It's Littlepaw," Jasper panted. "He's been gravely injured."
"No!" Birdsong wailed and dashed towards the path that led back to camp. Unfortunately, her panic made her less aware to her surroundings and the blind she-cat stumbled over a fallen tree.
Quickly, Tallwhisker ran in front of her and placed his tail on her shoulders. "I'll lead you back," he meowed gently to his mate. Together, both cats quickly headed back to the camp.
"The poor little scrap," Shadowclaw meowed. "I hope he's alright." She looked towards Amberstorm. "How bad is it?"
"A chest wound," she explained. "It looks pretty deep."
Sunwhisker's eyes stretched wide. "He was only made an apprentice a day ago!"
Speckledpelt shook her head. "StarClan help him."
"What will happen to him," Firestorm whispered, "since StarClan has been banished?"
Amberstorm felt a jolt of horror. What the she-cat said was true. If the tom died, where would his spirit go? Where is Elmstar's soul now?
All the cats stood there in silence before Shadowclaw stood up and flicked her tail in a silent signal. Amberstorm followed her, her tail trailing across the ground and her head bent low. My first battle as a WillowClan warrior, she thought, and our youngest apprentice might die!
When they got back, the tabby looked up to see Birdsong and Tallwhisker crouched down by their son. Birdsong was leaning against her mate, trembling, while Tallwhisker stood there as if he still couldn't believe that this was happening. Forestgaze had stepped back from the apprentice. Her head was bowed and her eyes were closed. Instantly, Amberstorm knew why.
He's dying.
"How bad is it?" Birdsong finally mewed.
"It's bad," Tallwhisker replied, his voice breaking.
Littlepaw's eyes slowly opened at the sounds of his parents' voices. "M-Mama?" he squeaked.
"I'm here, little one," the blue-gray warrior murmured.
"Mama, I don't want to die. Where will I go? I won't be able to find StarClan."
Tallwhisker leaned down and licked the top of Littlepaw's head. "StarClan will find you." His voice was so quiet; Amberstorm had to lean forward to hear him.
The statement calmed the small black tom and he let out a sigh. "Then when they find me, I'll ask...I'll ask them to give Mama better eyes."
Birdsong forced a smile. "I would be very thankful if you did that," she meowed.
"I'm sorry for being nasty." Littlepaw's voice was getting quieter and blood trickled out of the side of his mouth. "Do you forgive me?"
"Of course we do," Tallwhisker replied.
If Littlepaw had said anything else, the Amberstorm didn't hear him. She watched, grief enveloping her as his eyes closed and the rise and fall of his stomach stopped. Birdsong let out a strangle sob and lifted her head to the sky and let out a chilling wail.
Littlepaw was dead.