Chapter 1

The dark pelted cats ran from the clearing, only a few larger assailants fought for their lives. Lionblaze panted heavily. Blood trickled slowly from his shoulder, but that was his only wound, which was from falling onto a sharp stone. His heart pounded as he launched himself at his rival, Hawkfrost, Bramblestar's half brother. He raked his claws down the dark tabby's side, warm blood landing on the rocks. Sleet poured down from the sky, the day had fallen under the clouds punishment as it covered the sun completely, sending dark shadows everywhere in the camp's clearing. He grappled with Hawkfrost for a few moments before shouldering his face into the mud.
"Jayfeather!" Lionblaze mewed horsely, hoping his blinded brother could hear him through the storm. His saw his brother's gray tabby head poke out of a crevice in the stone. Hawkfrost's paws scratched at his fur, but his hits were clumsy with pain.
"Jayfeather! Over here!" Lionblaze called again. Jayfeather rushed over to his brother.
"What's wrong?" Jayfeather murmured.
"Get off me you coward!" Hawkfrost rasped.
"Oh, I see. Do as you did to Tigerstar, and make it quick!" Jayfeather snapped as sleet hit him on the face. Lionblaze nodded and swatted Hawkfrost's tabby paws away as he bit down onto the back of his neck. Hawkfrost screeched in the mud as Lionblaze severed his spine. His head jerked as Lionblaze recited the phrases he did before, but to Tigerstar, Hawkfrost's father.
Hawkfrost's body lay in the mud, rain and snow spattered his fur in odd angles, making his body look distorted and malformed.
Lionblaze looked around, there were no more Dark Forest cats in the clearing. They had won. But Lionblaze could not celebrate now, he needed to find Cinderheart and his kits. Carefully, he stepped over the bodies and called out his mate's name.
"Cinderheart?" His mind fluttered worriedly. Where is she?
"Mountainpaw?" He called his son's name. He saw his son flopped on the ground near the old elders' den. His hind leg was splayed awkwardly to one side and his ear was torn.
"Mountainpaw!" He rushed over as the black and ginger tabby weakly raised his head.
"Lionblaze?" Mountainpaw squeaked.
"Yes, Mountainpaw, it's me. Where's your mother and sister?" he murmured, gently licking his son's head. Mountainpaw grunted, moved his body slowly, and pushed aside a branch. Leopardkit was lying nestled between twigs and brambles.
"Leopardkit," he sighed. She raised her delicate face and drew her tongue over his nose.
"Where's your mother?" He mewed urgently to Mountainpaw.
"I don't know," Mountainpaw flopped back onto the muddy floor. "Last time I saw her she was by the highledge...:" Mountainpaw's eyes fluttered as he drifted in unconsciousness.
"Help!" Lionblaze looked around for Willowshine or Jayfeather, anyone that could help his son. he saw Willowshine tending to a cat's shoulder.
"Willowshine, help Mountainpaw!" The golden tabby tom called the gray she-cat over. Willowshine looked up, murmured something into the cat's ear and hustled over to Lionblaze.
"What was that, I didn't catch the last part," Willowshine mewed briskly. Lionblaze stepped aside to give Willowshine a view of his son.
"Oh my, Help me get him to the medicine den." Willowshine's eyes widened in grief as she lifted Mountainpaw's head. Lionblaze took gripped his son's fur in his teeth, his eyes stinging with the bitter sleet that still poured down from the clouds in the sky.
"Have you seen Cinderheart?" Lionblaze huffed. Willowshine shook her head. Lionblaze grimaced, where was his mate? If anything had happened to her, he would tear out the throat of whoever did this.



Yeah, I know it's short, but it's more of a filler for an exciting part that comes up. YAY! :D And yay, new book and stuff. Well, hope you continue to read, I'll really enjoy your comments.
~Firefoot