In the end, it was not really much of a contest at all.
Lionblaze pounced onto Matilda's back, where she twisted her body aside and rolled neatly to her paws. Lionblaze had to leap clear or risk being crushed like an ant by her massive weight. With a snarl he swiped at her face with his claws, but she was no longer there, dodging aside and lunging at him with a paw. He fell onto his back in evasion and kicked upwards with his hind legs. It was like trying to move a mountain, and his claws barely parted through her thick fur. The wolf let out a growl of irritation as she felt the small thorns prick her skin, and snapped downwards with her teeth. Her fangs closed down upon his head, but cats are more agile than wolves, and Lionblaze was already backing away, ears flattened, his face distorted by rage to match Matilda's own.
Hollyleaf would only remember what happened next in a series of flashes.

Lionblaze sinking his teeth into the wolf's ear-
Matilda throwing him off with kittish ease-
His head struck a rock, his limbs refusing to obey him-
The silver beast stalking towards him, hatred in every hair on her bristling pelt-
Gleaming white fangs-
A horrible crunching noise, a new cloud of sanguine-
And then Lionblaze was gone, flying into the trees, a horrible mewling noise echoing through the blood-stained air as he vanished into the shrub. Hollyleaf pricked her ears, but she heard nothing except the heavy breathing of the wolf and the cats around her.

Matilda turned her head to the Clan cats, her intention clear as she curled her lip. Hollyleaf jerked into action.
"Climb! Climb a tree! Wolves can't climb! Go!"
There was a tidal wave of movement as SunClan sprinted for the edge of the clearing. Matilda lunged for the cats, who scattered aside as they leaped for the nearest branch. The wolf let out a howl of frustration, standing on her hind legs and clawing at the bark of a tree that contained two terrified warriors, before landing back on all fours and swinging around to face her.
"Saffron! Come on!" she cried to her mate, extending her paws and pounding for the nearest tree. A desperate yowl stopped her in her tracks.
"Hollyleaf!"

In a moment that might have taken a second or a thousand seasons, she turned to meet her worst nightmare. Matilda had her beloved by the neck, her teeth cutting into the skin around his throat. Blood was already dribbling to the ground.
Hollyleaf may not have been one of the Three from the prophecy, but she had been gifted with intelligence, courage, logic, and above all else, quick thinking. She charged directly for the Tribe healer to-be, literally throwing him to the ground and pinning him there, her claws hooking into the fur above his neck.

"Let Saffron go or I'll rip his throat out!" she screamed to the wolf, who froze. Saffron made a gurgling noise, his paws thrashing in an attempt to get air. Hollyleaf tightened her grip on Rabbit, who was shaking violently beneath her, babbling apologies and other things that she was deaf to. Her mind scrambled for another bargaining point, and found it.
"The Clan cats! I can tell you where the Clan cats live! You want to find them, right?"
It worked. Matilda dropped Saffron before trapping him to the ground with one paw.
"Where are they? Where are the Clan cats?" she demanded in a terrible voice that turned her spine to liquid. She shook her head and held her ground, and her prisoner.
"Let. Him. Go!"

Matilda tilted her head back in savage fury. "I do not need you! The little cat has already told me they live by a lake."
"There are hundreds of lakes, wolf- kill us and you'll never find out which one!"
"Then I will search until the end of my days. Your flesh will sustain me on that journey!"
"WAIT!" she snarled, dragging Rabbit even closer to her, ignoring his squeal of terror. "Look at it this way, wolf! Kill him, and we both lose, because I'll lose my mate and you'll lose your slave or friend or keeper or whatever this cat is to you. Do things my way, and we both win! Saffron lives, and you'll know where the Clan cats are! Aren't wolves supposed to be smart?"
In another timeless moment, Matilda stared at her with her steely golden eyes, before slowly lifting her paw off of Saffron. Hollyleaf's shoulders slumped with relief and loosened her grip on Rabbit. "Sorry," she muttered to the little cat, who merely tucked his tail between his legs and slunk over to the wolf.

She lifted her head to meet the beast's stare. "Where are the Clan cats?" Matilda said in a soft voice that was perhaps even worse than her rage. "Tell me now or die where you stand."
Hollyleaf forced her legs to stay firm. "They do live by a lake," she mewed, unable to keep a tremor out of her voice. "If you follow the rising sun through this forest then you'll come across a stream. Follow it downstream and it'll take you to where the Clan cats live."
For a moment the wolf merely stared into her eyes, as if judging what she saw there. Finally Matilda nodded and turned away. "Leave." she growled coldly before returning to Rabbit.
Hollyleaf dipped her head. "Saffron? Are you okay?"
"As well as I can be," he mewed, much to her relief. "What about you?" He padded over to her.
"I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

"Right away," he agreed, and they padded into the trees together. For a while they didn't speak, until finally Hollyleaf mewed, "So, what now?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Shouldn't we try to warn the Clan cats? We could probably make it before they do." Hollyleaf did not ask who 'they' were.
Hollyleaf shook her head. "What's the point? They wouldn't believe us anyway."
"If we could find some of the SunClan cats…" he smiled and sighed. "SunClan! You were right, they're a bunch of mousebrains. We should never have stayed with them."
Her green eyes were serious. "I know. I'm sorry."
Saffron gave her a nudge. "It's all right. You were concerned for your brother." He looked up. "What happened to him?"

"I guess he's dead," she mewed hesitantly. Saffron's blue eyes lighted on her. "Well, that' s not very optimistic."
Hollyleaf shrugged. "He took on a wolf. He deserved it."
"Those rogue cats ran for their lives, and died anyway. Did they deserve it?" When she did not answer, he rubbed his head against hers. "At least we should try and bury him."
The black she-cat nodded. "He'll probably be near that clearing. Let's hope the wolf's gone."
"I think she would. There's no reason to stay." Saffron took the lead, winding through the trees to approach the clearing from a roundabout angle. It was not the fastest route, but neither of them had any desire to see the two mutilated corpses again.

Soon Hollyleaf had a trace of her brother's scent, and followed it. She frowned. "That wolf must have thrown him further than we thought. This isn't close to the clearing."
"Or maybe…" Saffron began, but his suggestion was answered when they caught sight of the golden tabby staring at nothing, his amber eyes wild. Blood spattered his coat, and the two mercenaries caught a glimpse of bone in his hind leg.
Hollyleaf shifted. "He's alive. Let's go."
"He's hurt," argued Saffron, and padded over to the ThunderClan warrior.
"Lionblaze? It's me, Saffron. Remember me?"
A blank vagueness settled across the mighty warrior's face. "Saffron…?" he mewed dully. "What happened?"

"You…you're hurt. You must have hit your head. Come on, we'll patch that leg up for you-"
"No. Where's the wolf?"
"It's gone, Lionblaze, we're all safe."
"Did I kill it?"
"…No, Lionblaze, remember? You lost. It threw you."
The big tom turned his amber gaze to meet Saffron's bright blue ones. He narrowed his eyes, and Hollyleaf felt a prickle run down her spine. She stepped forwards. "Saffron, come on, leave him…"
To little, too late.
With a bellow of anger Lionblaze swiped forwards, his claws catching in Saffron's throat. Saffron let out a cry of agony and bewilderment as the golden tom dragged him forwards.
"Lose? I don't lose!" he spat, before sinking his fangs into Saffron's neck and severing his spine.
Hollyleaf screamed.
"Saffron! Saffron!"

She leaped for him, rolling him onto his back with her paws, shaking him, calling his name, her tail quivering as she stroked his face. But he was lost to her, torn from her heart and released into a shadowy void she could never follow. "No-no-no!" she wailed.
She swung around to face Lionblaze. "You son of a bitch!" she shrieked. "He was helping you! HE WAS HELPING YOU!"
Lionblaze's teeth curled into a insane smile. "He was weak."
With a bellow of pain and loss she lunged for him, her claws ripping through his fur. Taken by surprise, her brother recovered quickly and swatted her aside. She skidded through the leafy soil and leaped to her paws.
He paced around her. "Come on, Leaf," he snarled through white teeth. "I'm injured. I'm alone. Finish me off."
Hollyleaf crouched again, but didn't move. Kill him! You foxhearted coward, kill him! He killed Saffron!

And he'll kill me, she realised with horror. He may be injured, but if I fight him, I'll lose.
"What's the matter, rogue?" he chuckled. "Scared?"
Hollyleaf backed away. "No. Killing you here and now wouldn't be painful enough. I'm going to make you suffer. Watch you limp away and try and lead your pathetic life. You're a cripple now-you'll never be leader! But keep your eyes wide open, Lionblaze, because one day, when you're least expecting me, I'll be there. I'll rip your guts out and leave your head for the crows. You'll never sleep peacefully again!"
She turned and ran into the forest, ignoring the calls of "Coward!" behind her. She had no idea what to do now. There was an empty darkness in her heart. She needed a purpose. She needed something…
A scent drifted into her nose, and she stopped. Strong and fresh.
Hollyleaf looked up at the sky, and ran after the wolf.