Sunpowers: First of all thanks for the feedback! I have always known that my punctuation isn't great and I've been asking friends of mine if they will edit. All have refused. Also I don't like to use beta readers so it makes it difficult but I'll be on the lookout for those kinds of mistakes.

Chapter 4: Assassins

Silence at first. All Hawkpaw could hear was shifting and rushing but there were no yowls, no cries for help, not a word. Doom seemed to have disappeared and the moon was still covered by the clouds making it impossible to tell where anything was. That's when all hell broke loose.

It started with a yelp that was cut off and then another one broke out about a fox-length to Hawkpaw's left and was also cut short. Hawkpaw backed up away from the scream. What's happening?!? He thought. Hawkpaw turned around and tried to flee but he kept running into cats he didn't know and tripped. All around him cats were calling out to each other trying to find each other in the suffocating darkness only to abruptly be cut off.

"Don't call out to one another, you'll only draw attention to yourself and then they will find you and they will kill you." A cat he didn't know murmured in his ear.

Hawkpaw nodded even though he knew the cat couldn't see him then he trudged on. Once or twice he thought he felt a cold claw graze his fur, but he quickened his pace to get away from whatever it was. Finally Hawkpaw distinguished a familiar scent out of the many cats.

"Redfur over here." he whispered.

There was no answer from the ginger tom.

"Redfur?" he murmured again.

He stepped closer to Redfur's scent and reached out to touch his fur but instead, to his horror, met warm sticky blood on his paws. Hawkpaw almost threw up right there but he held it in and tried to steady himself as he kept walking. A million questions went by Hawkpaw's head. How come they can see us and we can't see them? How many more clan cats will I find dead? Is Lightpaw or Darkpaw among them, or worse, are they both dead? Hawkpaw forced himself to stop thinking. Just then somebody screamed just a cat-tail length away from him. Her scream was cut off as well. Hawkpaw's muscles tightened as his scent glands picked up the familiar scent of Beeheart and a scent he didn't recognize.

"H-H-Hawkpaw?" Beeheart stuttered "P-Please help me I-I can feel him HEL-

Beeheart's cry was cut off.

Hawkpaw dared not move or speak. Instead he felt rage build up inside him. Cowards! Attacking poor innocent cats in the dark. Cowards! They will pay.

Hawkpaw raced away from Beeheart's body. We have to get out of here. We have to find a way out.

Hawkpaw's thoughts were interrupted by a startled mew.

"Hawkpaw, Is that you?"

Hawkpaw stopped in his tracks. "Lightpaw?"

"Oh Hawkpaw, thank goodness you aren't dead."

"I'm glad to see you to. Where is Darkpaw?"

"I don't know." She replied her voice choked with sorrow. "We got separated."

"Well we have to find him." Meowed Hawkpaw determined to find his friend.

"But how," Lightpaw sounded close to panic. "We have no idea where he could be."

"I found you." Hawkpaw pointed out."

"That was just luck though." Lightpaw said quietly.

"Well we better go now before it's too late.

Lightpaw didn't reply but he heard her follow him anyway. Hawkpaw and Lightpaw both searched for what felt like moons, but neither caught even a whiff of Darkpaw. Just when Hawkpaw was getting worried a voice called out to him.

"Hey, Hawkpaw is that you." Beechpaw's voice came out to him.

"Beechpaw?! It's good to hear you."

"No kidding." His voice came out tight. "I'm glad I found someone that means I can return to the tree."

"Why? What's at the tree?" Lightpaw asked.

"Apparently a group of cats met up and made up the idea that we should all go to the big tree in the center to figure out a plan to escape." Beechpaw explained.

"What is the plan?"

"Come with me to the tree the leaders were thinking up a plan when I left." Beechpaw meowed.

"Ok we'll follow your scent lead the way."

With that Beechpaw turned and started fast-walking in, apparently, the direction of the tree. After a moment of listening to the dwindling number of cut-off screams Hawkpaw asked a question.

"How many are missing?"

"About twenty cats. Suntail, medicine cat of Riverclan, is among the missing and Loudheart, deputy of Shadowclan is confirmed dead." He said without emotion.

Hawkpaw's tail fluffed up "That's terrible." He whispered.

"Loudheart was my father." Beechpaw said nonchalantly.

No one said anything for a moment.

"I'm sorry Beechpaw." Lightpaw whispered.

"We're at the tree." Beechpaw said disregarding Lightpaw's pity.

Hawkpaw felt his way to the base of the tree. When his paws met the roots of the tree he bunched his haunches and took a leap at the bark. When he had a firm grip on the tree he scooted himself on the closest branch he could find with only his tail. Seconds after he settled himself down Lightpaw sat down next to him and Beechpaw followed right after.

"Who's there?" said a voice right above the apprentices.

"It's me Beechpaw," Replied Beechpaw. "I also have Hawkpaw and Lightpaw of Thunderclan with me."

"Hawkpaw? Lightpaw? Is that really you?" The voice said.

"Darkpaw?!" Lightpaw exclaimed.

"Thank Starclan it's great to hear your voice."

"Same goes to you Darkpaw, but I think it would be better if I could see you to." Hawkpaw replied.

"What is happening with the leaders Darkpaw?" Beechpaw asked.

"They are almost done they just wanted to wait a little longer in case anyone else would show up." Darkpaw replied.

"I hope we leave soon…I just want to go back home." Lightpaw whispered.

Hawkpaw noticed that Lightpaw sounded close to panic.

"It will be ok Lightpaw you'll see."

"No. It will not be ok almost 20 cats are missing more than likely they are dead and you have the nerve to tell me everything will just be ok."

"Lightpaw keep your voice down your going to have every rogue come to the tree and kill us all."

Lightpaw shook her head. Hawkpaw squinted; Lightpaw just shook her head? Yes. Hawkpaw looked up to the sky a tiny sliver of the moon was poking out. As the clouds sped away from the moon more and more cats turned their heads skyward to see the sweet sight of the full moon. By then the clouds were at the very edge of the moon and a full moon shined down on the assembled cats. Then Hawkpaw turned his gaze to the ground and almost wished that the rogue cats would return with their giant cloud.

The ground was littered with the bodies of the innocent cats who thought they were only attending a gathering. This wasn't a gathering. This was a massacre. Cats were leaping from branches with cries of dismay at the sight of their clanmates lying broken and bloody on the ground. One she-cat apprentice was almost torn completely in half. Hawkpaw climbed down and went directly to the apprentice. This cat probably had a mother and a father that loved her and now look. What cat would do this? What monster would kill a cat that hasn't even been in this world that long? Hawkpaw walked away from the grotesque scene. Hawkpaw walked around the grieving cats each around a cat they had known or loved. Hawkpaw saw Beechpaw standing over his father with Thornstar next to him whispering something in his ear. It was hard to recognize his face which was distorted by a combination of hate and extreme sorrow.

Hawkpaw found himself walking right towards Lightpaw and Darkpaw who were standing Waterfur who had like so many had died in the rogue attack. Lightpaw and Darkpaw's eyes were glazed with sorrow unlike Hawkpaw who felt almost unfazed by the death and destruction around him. This disturbed him deeply. Just then a yowl came from the center tree. Thornstar had just called for all cats to meet beneath the tree that Hawkpaw now despised to even look at.

"The rest of the leaders and I have decided that we won't be meeting here anymore, well at least not for a very long time."

Murmurs of agreement passed among the clan cats.

"Instead," continued Thornstar. "We will be meeting in WindClan territory."

There was silence as no one seemed to have anything to say. Greenstar and Wavestar flicked their ears to their cats and they headed towards the log off the island. Eaglestar and Thornstar did the same and the remaining cats obediently followed. Hawkpaw took one last look at the clearing behind him. Are we to leave the bodies here to rot and be eaten by flies? Hawkpaw didn't ask, he knew what the answer would be. Then Hawkpaw turned away and followed his clanmates off the island.