Ashwinter gasped at the destruction and despair of her Clanmates. What a cowardly attack! Striking when everyone was asleep, and the leader was out at the Moonstone! Dustrise yowled and flung himself into battle. Desperately, Ashwinter searched for Equinoxrise. Winterfury wasn't in the battle yet. She spotted her older brother boxing with a gray tabby tom. Relaxing somewhat, Ashwinter assessed the battle, wondering where to pounce. A strange feeling wafted over her, like eyes burning into her pelt. Whipping around, her gaze met with Tigerstar's stare. Anger replaced the old feeling. Why was he watching her? A small rustling made her look back to the battle. A large calico tom was stalking towards her. Ashwinter crouched down, preparing to fight.
" A little thin to be a warrior, don't you think? Run for your life, little flower, we wouldn't want to scratch that pretty face, now, would we?" he growled.
Ashwinter looked defiantly at him. " I don't think I'd care if a ShadowClan warrior disfigured my face so horribly that my own leader would not look at me ever again, as long as my opponent no longer walked in living daylight!"
" Ooh, she's brave too!" he taunted her.
"You better believe it!" she hissed.
Suddenly, the tom sat up. "What's your name, flower?" he asked.
" What's it matter to a ShadowClan cat?" she felt a jab of annoyance.
" Possibly a lot." He pleaded with his eyes.
Ashwinter paused. "It's Ashwinter."
"Ashwinter," he murmured, " Ashwinter. What was the day you were born? Do you know?"
Ashwinter hissed. Nosy, nosy, nosy! "Of course I know!" she snapped, " I was born on the seventh sunrise of the second moon of Leafbare, two seasons ago!"
The tom gasped and backed away from her. "No. No, it can't be," he choked. What was this guy's problem?
"Why does any of this matter to you?" she meowed sharply. The tom just shook his head.
" What was your mother's name?" he asked.
" Like I would tell you!" she replied.
" Tell me!" he barked.
"NO!" she roared.
" What is her name!" the tom yowled.
" ECHOSONG!" Ashwinter screamed back.
The tom kept backing away, shaking his head. He turned and ran further into the battle. Ashwinter wondered in she should be following him. 'No, why waste my time answering his stupid questions in the middle of a battle?' Noticing Blackfeather being mauled by two she-cats, Ashwinter dashed to his side and hauled one off. The she-cat didn't even put up a fight. She just high tailed it and ran.
" Thanks," Blackfeather meowed gruffly.
" No problem," she replied.
A screech filled the crisp night air. Ashwinter's blood ran cold. Equinoxrise! Ashwinter fought her way through the fighting cats to her brother's side. Blood ran from a deep gash along his stomach and from his throat. The calico tom stood over his body.
" WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!" Leopardstar had returned. Every cat in the camp stopped. Tigerstar remained on the Hightree. Equinoxrise jolted in a small spasm before laying still. Ashwinter stared at her brother in disbelief. Leopardstar turned to Tigerstar.
" How dare you come into my camp and attack my warriors with no reason!" she hissed.
" I think you will find I have a rather good reason," Tigerstar replied evenly.
" And what is that?" Leopardstar spat.
Tigerstar's amber gaze bore into Leoparstar's. " RiverClan will join TigerClan."
Leopardstar bristled and looked down at Equinoxrise.
" You waltz into my camp," she hissed, " attack my warriors, send one to StarClan, and ask me to join you?!"
" On the contrary, I did not kill your warrior. My trusted friend did." Tigerstar meowed.
" That was me." The tom spoke up proudly.
" You! You killed my brother!" Ashwinter hissed. The tom's eyes widened.
"You're…brother?" he whispered.
" That's right. You will pay for this!" she yowled. Ashwinter pounced at him, bowling him over. As the tom stood back up, Ashwinter raked her claws across his throat. Blood poured from the wound and the tom toppled over. Ashwinter stood over his body.
" I have my vengeance," she hissed.
" Ashwinter…I'm so sorry…I didn't know!" he gurgled.
" ' Sorry' doesn't bring Equinoxrise back to me and Winterfury." She spat.
" Winterfury… Ashwinter…. Really, I am Swiftflight. I am your father." He whispered.
Ashwinter gasped and looked from Swiftflight to Equinoxrise to Winterfury to Echosong.
" Is this true?" she asked, facing her mother.
Echosong's eyes were clouded with grief. She met her daughter's gaze. " Yes. He speaks the truth. You and your brothers are half Clan cats."
Swiftflight's eyes glazed over. " I'm so proud of you two…you three…Echosong was right. You would have made great ShadowClan warriors." He gasped before laying still. Ashwinter flinched. Winterfury stood next to her, shocked. Ashwinter padded away from her dead brother and father, past her mother and out of camp. She couldn't stand to look at Echosong right now. Why had she lied?
" Dustrise," Leopardfur meowed, " follow Ashwinter. Make sure she will make it back to camp. Don't let her know you're there, just keep an eye on her."
Dustrise raced out of camp after her. He followed her stealthily in the bushes. Ashwinter lay down under a small holly bush. She stayed there, past moonhigh, past when the ShadowClan warriors padded out of RiverClan territory. She slept there, engulfed in her pain and sorrow, until the dawn's light. Through that entire time, she knew she was being watched. Not just by one set of eyes, but two. Three when Tigerstar had walked by. Dustrise stayed hidden a little ways away, upwind, his amber eyes never leaving her, never growing tired, almost unblinking. Another cat also watched, high in the trees, they're yellow eyes more relaxed. This cat watched the gray she-cat until dawn peeked over the trees of ThunderClan territory, then slunk away, making no noise; mind still filled with determination and desire.