Thank you all for reviewing! I know some of you must be excited for the battle. ;) Here you go! Nightstorm, will you please?
Nightstorm: Before I say the disclaimer, I just want to make it clear that I am female. Understood, some people?
Me: *scowling at Nightstorm* No curtness was intended.
Nightstorm: Born of True Destiny does not own Warriors
A loud shriek sliced through the land and echoed eerily in the darkness.
Sunmask's felt her legs shake when she heard the cry. She knew that it was sounded somewhere out in the territory, close to camp. Smokestar's mouth was slightly parted in almost a dreaded sense of surprise. Pouncefoot closed his eyes and looked down. The apprentices gasped in fear and all the other warriors stood with wide eyes, watching for the camp entrance.
"Ready yourselves!" yowled Smokestar and his look of astonishment changed to fierce determination.
"Make sure you run as fast as you can!" Pouncefoot yelled to the apprentices. "And only will you fight with someone of your own size unless a warrior is there to help you."
"The question is, why did the battle cry sound so far off?" Smokestar asked, his voice low.
"Because," Sunmask said, surprised that she had the will to speak at all, "The other Clans were planning on attacking too this night. The Black Horror must have found them."
"We have to go help," growled Smokestar. "They were caught in surprise. We must lend all the help we can." He yowled and said, "Everyone, move out!"
"What about the camp?" Ashpaw asked.
"There will be no point to find it if no one is here. We have to move, now!"
"What about me?" Stormwhisker asked, "And my herbs?"
"You stay behind," Smokestar ordered. "Those herbs need to be protected, just in case some Black Horror cat, really does find there way down here." He straightened his back. "ShadowClan, let's move."
He headed towards the camp entrance, his warriors following him. Sunmask didn't realize she was still until Pouncefoot gaze her a nudge on the flank. She turned to look at him, into his amber eyes, and she didn't know what to say to him.
"This was your destiny, to unite the Clans as one so we can fight the Black Horror and save StarClan," he whispered.
"I haven't accomplished any of that. Can you imagine the chaos that could happen out there? Every cat can be turned against each other! It's just too much to think about," she whimpered.
Pouncefoot rested his brown and white tail over her back, silencing her. He gave her the deepest, the most meaningful look he had ever given her, one she couldn't look away from. "Then don't think," he said, voice loud and clear. "Just fight."
She sighed and gave him a nervous smile. He nodded at her slowly, and padded off, heading out to the forest, where the deadly battle had broken out. Sunmask took a deep breath, tried to clear her mind of her complicated thoughts, except for the image of her Clanmates - what she was fighting for - and followed him out.
No signs of battle could be seen directly outside, but every once in a while, a pain-filled cry would sound, not too far off, and the way it echoed around the territory made her think that it was everywhere, and there was no way that she could find it all in time, but she shook her head, abandoning the thought and raced forward.
Sunmask was hot on Pouncefoot's tail, her head constantly swinging from left to right. Searching for the first horrid sign of Black Horror cat. The scent of them, which was musky and tainted with the smell of blood, grew stronger, and as soon as Sunmask saw the flash of fur though the trees, she skidded to an abrupt halt, and allowed Pouncefoot to escape further into the forest.
She stared at the gap between pine trees where she had seen the flash of fur. She hoped that it had disappeared further away, so she wouldn't have to worry about fighting at the moment. She felt like she had forgotten all Pouncefoot had taught her.
No, Sunmask thought, her eyes narrowing at herself. You're acting like a coward, like Blackstorm had called you all along. You can't let fear win in this battle.
And who said you need to know anything more than your teeth and claws when fighting for your life?
A great weight slammed into Sunmask and she stretched her eyes wide with a screech. Her claws automatically unsheathed and tore down the back of the attacker. A hiss of pain sounded from the cats lips.
"Stop! I'm on your side!"
Sunmask blinked and gazed up at the cat. She was a dark black she-cat with big eyes and blood dripping from her flank where Sunmask had clawed her. This cat looked unfamiliar, and she carried that horrible smell that signaled the Black Horror.
"Nice try," Sunmask growled, cuffing the she-cat's ear. She gasped and pulled back.
"I'm serious!" yowled the Black Horror cat, flicking her ear. A drop of blood landed on Sunmask's nose and she screwed up her face. "Midnight killed my brother before we even learned to like him, and he died right in front of me. I was forced to obey everything he said, and this is the time I can finally fight him. I don't know where I would go after the battle is over though, but that doesn't matter at the moment. Now we have to defeat those horrible badger-hearts."
Sunmask narrowed her eyes wondering whether or not to believe this she-cat.
"I would have just killed you now if I were lying," she murmured, as if reading her thoughts. "Please."
"Fine," Sunmask said, "I believe you. But I am not the cat you want to talk to. You will have to find my leader Smokestar and talk to him. He is the gray furred tom with the gray eyes."
"Thanks," the she-cat said, turning away. "The name is Hollow by the way, and you might want to get out there." She ran off, disappearing into the darkness.
Sunmask stood up and started padding off in a different direction, before she knew it, cats we're scattered everywhere, clawing away from each other and rolling around on the ground. Blood was splattered everywhere, over pelts, trees and grass. To her horror, she recognized Cherrystar, pinned to the ground by a massive ginger tom, and her deputy Blacklight who was trying unsuccessfully to grip a dark tabby by the throat.
A yowl emitted from somewhere behind her and Sunmask gasped as she whirled around to see a small ginger she-cat leap at her, claws outstretched.
Stinging pain flared in her shoulders as the attacker's clsank sank into Sunmask's fur. As she slammed on the ground, the she-cat descended over her, paws crushing her legs with the force of her landing.
Sunmask closed her eyes, as the pain of being thrown mercilessly onto the ground shook her vision. She didn't notice the claws that tore across her muzzle, pulling at her whiskers. She cried out, stretching her eyes wide again, and finally getting a good look at the attacker.
"Flowerpaw!" she screeched in shock, and jerked her shoulders, freeing herself from the grip of Mouseflight's daughter. "I'm not a Black Horror cat!"
"I know," she hissed, facing Sunmask, "That's why I attacked you."
A thorn pierced Sunmask's heart once she realzied the meaning behind the young cat's words. Flowerpaw snarled and leaped again, but Sunmask abandoned her shock and dodged just in time.
"I knew there was a cat in ShadowClan I couldn't trust. I just didn't think it would be you," Sunmask growled.
"Oh please, you think I'm the only one who joined the Black Horror?" Flowerpaw asked ducking from Sunmask's own blow. "You frog-brains are practically hopeless now."
Sunmask almost froze. "Well, then...who else has betrayed us?"
Flowerpaw lunged and grasped her ear. Sunmask grunted and used her hind legs to kick at the ginger cat's belly. Flowerpaw gasped and stumbled back. A dark look clouded her gaze. "Well, let's just say you made a mistake letting Stormwhisker guard the camp."
Without another warning, Flowerpaw barreled into Sunmask. She was surprised at the young cat's strength despite her being at least half her size. So if that was what an apprentice had to offer, Sunmask feared what it would come to with a full-grown recruit.
Sunmask managed to free a forepaw and strike Flowerpaw over the head. The ginger she-cat hissed as blood dripped into her eyes, and Sunmask delivered another powerful blow to Flowerpaw's chest, and given her size, she launched back and landed on her shoulder. As quickly as she could, Sunmask stood, and tried to reach Flowerpaw, but Mouseflight's daughter was quick to recover and rolled away just as Sunmask's claws descended.
"Oh," Flowerpaw growled, "And did I forget to mention that your little friend Soottail has also joined our little organization?"
Sunmask tried to force down the feeling of surprise, because she had her suspicions since his first little disapproving remark towards her. Perhaps it really wasn't astonishment that she was feeling, but actually an emotion of sadness and disappointment.
Flowerpaw snickered and dove at her, teeth bared and ready to close down over flesh. Sunmask would have allowed her to do so if not for the determination that resided within herself to make things right again. She didn't know if she meant it for the Clans or for her own good, but either way, a snarl peeled back her lips and she gripped Flowerpaw's scruff. Sunmask shook the traitor and tossed her three tail lengths. Flowerpaw stumbled back, a wound in her neck. It wasn't a wound that would kill her, but it was enough to send her running.
Sunmask sighed, turned around, and ran deeper into the forest, searching for a new cat to fight.
IMPORTANT: I will be on vacation for the next week, and the day I return will be the day before school starts. 0.0 There may not be an update until then. I apologize. But hey, why don't you review? It would make me happy.
~Destiny