CHAPTER 2
Redwillow, Shredtail, and Silverhawk had arrived at the WindClan camp… Or what was left of it.
Bodies were scrambled everywhere, some of DarkClan, some of WindClan, or some of kits murdered by the merciless DarkClan warriors.
A purr rumbled in Silverhawk's throat at the sight of the wrecked camp.
A few DarkClan warriors padded over to greet them, limping and bloodied.
"We've destroyed ThunderClan." Redwillow announced, his eyes shining with evil pride.
"Good. What about RiverClan and ShadowClan?" He asked, Sunstrike, Icewing, Beetlewhisker, and Thornclaw padding up behind him.
"They're destroyed." Shredtail replied, also looking joyful.
"We have succeeded." Hawkfrost purred, waving his tail over the moorland. Dark dead-looking grass was creeping up the hills, and the water was a strange green, sticky looking substance.
"Shredtail, Redwillow, go to the rest of the camps and tell them to go to ThunderClan territory." Hawkfrost ordered, shouldering past the three cats, already making his way down the moorland.
It had been three moons since the Dark Forest had taken over. Bones scattered around the hollow, new fresh pools of blood scattered around kits' lifeless bodies. Brokenstar was in charge of training kits, at one moon old. Most died. He had said that it was normal, and that anyone who grieved them would be killed.
They already had new kits arriving soon. Almost every she-cat was baring them, some who already had kits were huddled in the shadows, attempting to hide them.
"Icewing's kits are a moon old," Mapleshade purred, padding out from the shadows to face Brokenstar.
"Get them." He ordered gruffly.
Mapleshade nodded, and padded back into the dark, where a scrawny white queen curled her tail around her kits.
Mapleshade flicked her ears, indicating for Icewing to uncurl her tail, but she didn't.
With a snort, the tortoiseshell batted the weak queen away with one massive forepaw. Snickering, Mapleshade grasped two scrawny kits in her jaw, before bounding back over to Brokenstar, not caring about the way the kits heads roughly bounced up and down. She dropped them at his paws, one cried weakly, but no one cared.
"Any other queens will hand over their kits!" Mapleshade yowled, circling around a tiny clearing, most queens were hidden in the dark.
Ivypool padded out of the shadows, a white she-kit in her jaws. She dropped it at Brokenstar's paws, and it landed beside Icewing's two squirming kits. "Her name is Snowkit." Ivypool gave him a hard glare. Ivypool has had two litters within the past three moons, both killed, and both had different fathers.
Without another glance at her kit, Ivypool padded back into the shadows.
Last of all, Furzepelt padded out, with three kits at her paws. The queen looked tired and weak.
"Names?" Mapleshade growled. Furzepelt's gaze rested on the tortoiseshell for a moment.
"They don't have names." Furzepelt meowed, then quickly retreated.
"You name them." Brokenstar growled, prodding one of Icewing's kits with a claw.
Most queens didn't name their kits, they found that it was easier to cope with their deaths that way.
"Bloodkit, Bonekit, and… Nightkit." She decided, glancing at a black little kit—Their father was Breezepelt.
"Is that all?" Brokenstar asked loudly, waving his tail.
No other queen padded forward, only silence met Brokenstar's words.
Brokenstar smirked. "Then to the training hollow." He kicked one of the kits, growling, "Follow me."
Eyes followed Brokenstar out of the hollow as the group of kits trailed after him.
That night, Brokenstar returned that night with only Bloodkit and Snowkit. He said that the others failed training, but everyone knew that he meant that they were dead.
Blossomfall and Sunstrike were already baring kits, so and Ivypool was expected to be carrying Hawkfrost's kits.
Suddenly, a yowl rang through the hollow, and Breezepelt came striding into camp, a brown she-cat following him.
Redwillow and Thistleclaw who had been sparring, stopped, turning their heads.
"Who is this?" Tigerstar snarled, padding down from his den. The she-cat didn't even flinch as he thrust his muzzle into her face.
"Her name's Jessy. She wants to join us." Breezepelt replied, flicking his tail to a wound on Jessy's shoulder.
"She survived you?" Tigerstar grunted, padding back a step to murmur something into Brokenstar's ears.
Breezepelt nodded.
"Jessy, do you wish to join us?" Tigerstar's eats twitched. The brown she-cat didn't say anything, she just nodded.
"Then you may. But only the strong survive here." Tigerstar's voice was icy, as he turned to pad back into his den.
Breezepelt left Jessy alone, padding across the clearing to join Thistleclaw and Redwillow.
"You've got to learn the killing bite," Breezepelt snarled to Redwillow as Thistleclaw easily shook the tom off. Without a warning, Breezepelt lounged for Redwillow, grasping his throat in his jaws. The former WindClan tom bit deeper, and grasped on tighter as Redwillow thrashed beneath his grip. Redwillow tried to say something, but instead his mouth gurgled with blood, and he collapsed.
"That's what happens when you're not strong here." Breezepelt snarled.