Chapter 16

Yowls echoed around Stormsong as she raked her claws down the rogue's face. Frostwind hissed in fury and swiped her own claws across Stormsong's muzzle. She screeched in pain when the claw marks burned through her skin.

"That is nothing compared to what I will do to you next!" Frostwind let out a laugh before knocking Stormsong aside. "I will make you suffer until all of the blood is spilled. I will make you feel what I felt when I was attacked!"

Stormsong felt her fur standing on end when she glowered at Frostwind. The creamy brown she-cat's blue eyes glittered with frost.

"Get on with it then," Stormsong hissed.

"No." Frostwind suddenly sheathed her claws. "You are too much like Magnolia..." Her eyes clouded over before she bounded away into the fray of the battle.

Confusion washed over Stormsong before she recovered from the shock. She spotted Graystripe crouching over Firestar's body. Horror coursed through Stormsong when she realized that Firestar was losing a life. Blood pooled out on the ground where he lay.

Graystripe bared his teeth and was about to deliver another killing blow when Stormsong barreled into him. The deputy let out a screech of surprise when he stumbled backwards. Speckletail and Goldenflower fought back by slashing their claws across his flanks. Frostfur and Dappletail stayed back during the worst part of the fight.

She didn't bother nodding thanks to their help. Instead Stormsong let out a furious hiss and managed to pin him down. Though Graystripe was bigger than her she noticed that he was skinny, and must have lost some of his fighting skills while he was with Frostwind.

"Graystripe, don't do this!" she growled when her claws were pressed against his neck.

The deputy simply stared at her with hard yellow eyes. "What you did to Frostwind you will do to everyone," he whispered in a snarl. "This is only the beginning of the end!"

Without warning he pushed her off and sprang forward. Stormsong screeched in surprise when he clamped his teeth around her neck. She half expected death to claim her instantly when Graystripe was pried off of her.

She gasped in shock when she realized that Hawkfrost had pulled Graystripe off. His blue eyes were glittering like his namesake.

"You need to kill him," he meowed when he held Graystripe pinned to the ground. "It's the only way."

"What about Frostwind?" Her voice quavered when she mentioned Frostwind's name. Frostwind had spared her life because of Magnolia. Maybe Frostwind wasn't purely evil after all.

"Take care of him first, or he'll try killing Firestar again," Hawkfrost told her. The sounds of battle still raged on around them - Stormsong knew that they didn't have much time left.

She swallowed before nodding in agreement. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she looked down at Graystripe. He was writhing around and trying to break free from Graystripe's grip. She knew what had to be done.

"Let him go," she whispered. "I will make it quick."

Hawkfrost held her gaze before lifting his paw. Graystripe was about to turn on Hawkfrost when Stormsong bounded forward. With one quick lung she managed to grab him by the neck with her teeth. Her stomach clenched with sickness when she tasted blood in her mouth.

The deputy's body writhed a few heartbeats before it was still. Stormsong closed her eyes when she guessed that he was dead. She dropped the body as gently as she could and opened her eyes.

I killed him, she thought angrily. StarClan, why did you make me kill him?

She wanted to wail in shock and pain at the thought of the loss that would follow. She was certain that Firestar would be furious with her when he found out.

That didn't matter at the moment. Once Frostwind was dead the fighting would end. The rogues would have no one to follow. Stormsong felt her shoulders tighten with rage before she followed Hawkfrost through the crowd.