[Rɪsᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ] - [Warriors fanfiction] - [Chapter 1 up]

[SunnyJustice]

Tʜᴇ ᴄᴀʟᴍ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀᴍ

Oɴᴄᴇ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, four Clans of cats coexisted peacefully around the lake. ThunderClan, the valiant; WindClan, the faithful; ShadowClan, the ruthless; RiverClan, the intelligent. Whilst they were typically separated by borders and normal Clan rivalry, when disaster struck, they would cooperate to survive. The Clans had originally lived in a forest, which had been savagely destroyed by the apathetic Twolegs, and they had helped each other make the Great Journey to the lake. Apart, they could easily manage normal conditions, but when great difficulties arose, they needed to unite to guarantee the safety of every Clan. This proved true a second time when they came together to defeat the Dark Forest, a gathering of antagonistic dead cats who were waging a war against the Clans out of bloodlust. After this, the Clans lived in peace and benevolence for a lengthy time.

Iᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇ

Tʜɪs ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇғᴜʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs sʜᴏʀᴛ-ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ, unfortunately, as all good things always come to an end. The inevitable fall of the four distinct Clans came, fifteen generations following the end of the Dark Forest battle. Since the Clans had prospered for so long, their population had been steadily rising, with the birth rate increasing as the death rate fell. Unfortunately, this apparent blessing would prove to be their downfall. As the overpopulated cats' resources were slowly depleting, a few farsighted individuals decided to strike out on their own, becoming loners and leaving their Clans. Then, dark times fell upon the cats of the lake, arriving suddenly and with no forewarning. The Clan cats were severely mistreating the otherwise good-natured loners, causing them to band together and retaliate as a group. A war broke out, ultimately ending the lives of countless cats. As the Clans and the loner gang were almost completely obliterated, there was no true victory for either side, and all seemed to be lost.

Nᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ

Dʀᴀsᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ, with each cat frantically attempting to save or even just prolong the lives of themselves and their Clanmates. The few survivors, only enough cats to make up two relatively small Clans, banded together in an effort to enhance their chances of living. Over time, the cats decided to reform a Clan - its name would be AshClan, named because it had rose from the ashes of the fallen four Clans of the lake. It would have a strict conformity to rules, with the punishment for serious offenses being execution, along with different ranks and such. At this, the cats split up; approximately a third of them could not handle the revised warrior code combined with its death penalty. Half of the cats who left the Clan created their own, which was based directly off the Clans of the past, with the same warrior code and the same punishments as their ancestors had. This was named DoveClan, as a dove was a sign of peace to come. The other half became loners, not wanting anything more to do with Clans for the time being. AshClan consistently outnumbered DoveClan, four to one, and they quite despised the smaller, more peaceful Clan - yet, they still held gatherings together and tried to tolerate each other.

But then, even in this somewhat dystopian state, jealousy for their perpetually cheery and peaceful dispositions and their endless supply of happiness overcame AshClan and motivated them to hate DoveClan. The gatherings were terminated, all signs of harmony suddenly absent. Whenever a DoveClan member did the slightest thing wrong, they would be murdered by AshClan - it even got to the point when a DoveClan apprentice literally set her tail over the border by accident, and an AshClan patrol ripped her throat out and left her to die. After this, it only kept getting worse; yet, the peaceful Clan never struck back, their amiable natures keeping them from harming AshClan, which was a shadow of its former self. Despite its acceptance, DoveClan seems to be hiding a sinister secret, as they obviously have some degree of desire for justice.

A select few young cats of AshClan have been graced with gifts like none other, given to them from StarClan with no explanation but 'use them well.' Will they be able to repair the seemingly irreversible damage done to the friendship between the two Clans, before it is too late and DoveClan seeks their revenge? Even for cats with these gifts, it will be a near-impossible feat, as the AshClan leader is in power and the apprentices will have to reach that level of authority before being able to make important decisions on behalf of AshClan.

And even if they can restore the peace, will there ever be a way to ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ʟᴀsᴛ?

[SunnyJustice]

A ғᴏʀᴋ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴛʜ

First post - gives an insight into this story, stating the main idea and a short recap of Clan history.
Table of contents - contains links to various sections of the story, as well as other things of interest.
Allegiances - more about the Clans, and also gives a view of what the characters are roughly like.

Chapter one
Chapter two - work in progress

No advertisements for other stories. Send me a private message if you would like yours to be displayed on here.

[SunnyJustice]

DᴏᴠᴇCʟᴀɴ - ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏʏᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴛʀᴜɪsᴛɪᴄ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇᴍᴀᴋᴇʀs

Iɴ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴜɴᴛʟᴇss ᴅɪsᴘʟᴀʏ ᴏғ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ, DoveClan had split apart from AshClan to lead their own peaceful lives. These resolute yet warm-hearted cats are fair and just, never wishing to spill blood and certainly more willing to save a life than end it. While AshClan boasts a population four times that of DoveClan, the latter is still self-sustainable and competent, despite their small numbers and perpetually peaceful dispositions. Although they would seem to be helpless in the event of a war, DoveClan actually holds a secret, unknown to the larger Clan. They have conformed to the warrior code and ranks of their ancestors, making them the only traditional Clan left in the forest.

One; Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.
Two; Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
Three; Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.
Four; Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
Five; A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
Six; Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
Seven; A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
Eight; The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.
Nine; After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
Ten; A Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
Eleven; Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
Twelve; No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.
Thirteen; The word of the Clan Leader is law.
Fourteen; An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his/her battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
Fifteen; A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.

Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ - self-explanatory; responsible of managing the Clan, and additionally, is given nine lives.
Goldenstar; pale ginger tabby she-cat with bright golden eyes
Dᴇᴘᴜᴛʏ - second-in-command, succeeds the leader after he or she steps down or dies.
Oakfoot; dark brown tabby tom with warm green eyes ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇ, ʟᴇᴀғᴘᴀᴡ
Mᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ - serves the Clan by healing, and typically has a strong connection with StarClan.
Robinheart; small reddish she-cat with green eyes
Wᴀʀʀɪᴏʀs - the majority of cats; they hunt and fight, providing the Clan with food and safety.
Smokeheart; dark grey tom with light blue eyes
Aᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇs - a cat in training to become a future warrior or medicine cat, always has a mentor.
Leafpaw; tall ginger tom with green eyes, brother of the late Petalpaw
Qᴜᴇᴇɴs - a she-cat expecting or nursing kits, although some are permanent queens for reasons.
None at this point in time
Kɪᴛs - a young cat from birth to six moons old, who has not become an apprentice yet.
None at this point in time
Eʟᴅᴇʀs - a cat who has retired due to not being in shape for duties; is quite respected.
None at this point in time

AsʜCʟᴀɴ - ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʜᴏɴᴏʀᴇᴅ, ɴᴏᴡ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʟᴇss

Fᴀʟʟᴇɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ɢʟᴏʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴏʙʟɪᴠɪᴏɴ, AshClan is a shadow of its former self. These cats are quite varied in personality, unlike the thoroughly peaceful and amiable DoveClan. A select few retain the kind nature of Clan cats of the past, but the majority are much darker than the typical cheerful, caring, and optimistic individual - apprentices are trained at birth to become ambitious and borderline antagonistic, even at the cost of their kithood innocence. Its newly formed laws and ranks were meant to keep the cats in line, but instead, it has caused excessive bloodshed and needless deaths.

One; Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may not have friendships with a cat from another Clan, and if you are caught doing so, the punishment will likely be death.
Two; Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory, no honourable warrior would do this. The punishment is a harsh clawing.
Three; Higher ranks eat before lower ones. The higher-ranking cats are permitted to eat as much as they want, even if it means the starvation of the lower cats - it's survival of the fittest.
Four; Prey is typically killed to be eaten, but there are some exceptions. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
Five; Newborn kits become apprentices immediately. They are given a number name, in the order in which they were born in. Until they reach their adult rank, the apprentices retain their number name. Upon reaching their full rank, they will be given a proper warrior name, or leader name.
Six; Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their full rank and name. Breaking this silence early is disrespect, and will likely end in death.
Seven; Once the apprentices are ready, they will be given an assessment to determine their mentor. Since there are limited spots in the full ranks, apprentices who are inadequate to receive a mentor will be killed.
Eight; The deputy succeeds the leader when the leader dies, steps down, or goes into exile. The new deputy, chosen when the previous deputy becomes leader, must have been an authoritative warrior. The cats move up in the metaphorical ladder of ranking when the ones above them leave or die.
Nine; After the death of one of the cats who have a full rank excluding the leader and deputy, their apprentice succeeds them, thus receiving their proper name.
Ten; Apart from the apprentice rank, there will always be a certain number of cats in each rank - no more, hopefully no less. If there is a shortage of warriors in a rank, the best apprentice training for that rank will take that spot.
Eleven; Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge or kill all trespassing cats.
Twelve; Weakness is a disgrace - including old age, injury, mistakes, failures, handicaps. An AshClan cat does not pity the weak, and instead, the standard will be to despise them. Unless there is a high chance that they will be a valuable contribution to the Clan again, the weak will be killed.
Thirteen; The word of the Clan Leader is law. Furthermore, lower-ranking cats must always obey higher-ranking ones. The punishment will usually be death, the only exceptions being very small first offences.
Fourteen; Killing another cat in battle is considered honourable, and is not frowned upon. However, cowardice - defined by not killing the enemy when one has a chance - will probably be punished with death.
Fifteen; An AshClan warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet, loner, or DoveClan cat. Failure to do so, such as becoming one of them, will certainly result in death.

Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ - similar to normal Clan leaders, but much more like a dictator, and does not have nine lives.
Stonestar; dark grey tom with hard amber eyes. He is stubborn and enforces the AshClan warrior code carefully, often being much too harsh and uncaring of the well-being of other cats.
Dᴇᴘᴜᴛʏ - second-in-command to the leader, but is not allowed to speak up and must always obey.
Sparkshine; small, bright ginger she-cat with intelligent blue eyes. She is experienced at metaphorically thinking outside the box, and is very empathetic towards others' emotions - she is quite helpful and amiable, similar to some DoveClan cats.
Aᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ - high-ranking cats, but like others, are not allowed to ever make important suggestions.
Stormclaw; dark grey tom with stormy blue-grey eyes. He is Stonestar's brother, and quite resembles him in both appearance and personality - he is also quite aggressive often, and has a short temper.
Hawkwing; tawny brown tom with keen blue eyes. Unlike the stereotype for high-ranking AshClan cats, he is quite humble and diplomatic while also being valorous - he is rather considerate and lenient towards others as well.
Sᴜʙᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀᴛᴇs - the normal warriors who are neither great nor horrible, quite in-between the others.
Appleleaf; long-furred ginger she-cat with warm golden eyes. She makes friends easily, and is normally on good terms with everyone, as she is sociable and welcoming.
Falconstrike; dark ginger tom with some silver streaks in his fur and sky blue eyes. He is dark and cold and typically bitter and emotionless, but inside, he has a kind heart and will not hesitate to help a Clanmate.
Brooksplash; skinny white she-cat with blue-green eyes. Outgoing and adventurous - quite reckless, short-tempered, and believes herself to be capable of eventually moving up to a high rank.
Iɴᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛᴇɴᴛ - the warriors who are not as successful as many of the others due to reasons.
Finchfeather; small brown she-cat with blue eyes. Finds a lot of things hilarious, so it's not hard at all to get her laughing.
Ravenflight; swift black tom with a white tailtip and striking blue eyes. Loves to joke around with his friend, Finchfeather.
Aᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇs - a cat in training to become a future warrior, has to fight in the assessment for a mentor.
One; athletic brown she-cat with vivid violet eyes. Attentive and always tries to impress everyone else, suggesting a non-dominant individual who obeys higher ranks easily.
Two; black she-cat with dusky brown eyes. Dark, ruthless, fierce, and antagonistic on the outside while ambitious, strong-willed, fiercely loyal, and resolute.
Three; tortiseshell she-cat with bright blue eyes. Rude, argumentative, annoying, and irritating - however, she considers it to be 'ferocity' and thinks she is better than she actually is.
Four; calico she-cat with light green eyes. Sensitive and gets depressed very easily, and she is the younger sister of One, Two, and Three.
Five; tall and skinny light ginger tom with grey eyes. Diplomatic and tolerant, and always tries to be funny, although he typically ends up as being annoying instead.
Six; chubby white tom with green eyes. Helpful, caring, fearless and loyal, but also very stupid.
Seven; skinny reddish she-cat with lush green eyes. Quite similar to Three, and also either gets depressed or angry often.
Eight; grey tom with deep blue eyes. Quite similar to Three, and always puts the blame on someone else - additionally, his arrogance is astounding.
Nine; skinny brownish tom with warm amber eyes. Ten’s brother, overly optimistic and quite outgoing - he can be quite annoying but that is only because of his lack of intelligence as of now.
Ten; tiny light ginger tom with fiery golden eyes. Loyal and persistent, even when things discourage him - also altruistic and selfless.
Eleven; small tortiseshell she-cat with warm blue eyes. She is very random and often tries to lighten the mood by saying something humorous or silly.

Aᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ɪɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇ

Sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛ! This section is a reference for what the characters are like right now - so if Two was renamed Randomface on chapter fifteen, then her name here would become Randomface when chapter fifteen is out. Do not take that example literally, please. This will contain major spoilers, so I advise that you do not read any further until you are up-to-date with the chapters out so far. If you are just beginning to read this story, it would be wise to only read the above two allegiances sections, and skip this one altogether.

DᴏᴠᴇCʟᴀɴ

Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ - self-explanatory; responsible of managing the Clan, and additionally, is given nine lives.
Goldenstar; pale ginger tabby she-cat with bright golden eyes
Dᴇᴘᴜᴛʏ - second-in-command, succeeds the leader after he or she steps down or dies.
Oakfoot; dark brown tabby tom with warm green eyes ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇ, ʟᴇᴀғᴘᴀᴡ
Mᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ - serves the Clan by healing, and typically has a strong connection with StarClan.
Robinheart; small reddish she-cat with green eyes
Wᴀʀʀɪᴏʀs - the majority of cats; they hunt and fight, providing the Clan with food and safety.
Smokeheart; dark grey tom with light blue eyes
Aᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇs - a cat in training to become a future warrior or medicine cat, always has a mentor.
Leafpaw; tall ginger tom with green eyes, brother of the late Petalpaw
Qᴜᴇᴇɴs - a she-cat expecting or nursing kits, although some are permanent queens for reasons.
None at this point in time
Kɪᴛs - a young cat from birth to six moons old, who has not become an apprentice yet.
None at this point in time
Eʟᴅᴇʀs - a cat who has retired due to not being in shape for duties; is quite respected.
None at this point in time

AsʜCʟᴀɴ

Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ - similar to normal Clan leaders, but much more like a dictator, and does not have nine lives.
Stonestar; dark grey tom with hard amber eyes. He is stubborn and enforces the AshClan warrior code carefully, often being much too harsh and uncaring of the well-being of other cats.
Dᴇᴘᴜᴛʏ - second-in-command to the leader, but is not allowed to speak up and must always obey.
Sparkshine; small, bright ginger she-cat with intelligent blue eyes. She is experienced at metaphorically thinking outside the box, and is very empathetic towards others' emotions - she is quite helpful and amiable, similar to some DoveClan cats.
Aᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ - high-ranking cats, but like others, are not allowed to ever make important suggestions.
Stormclaw; dark grey tom with stormy blue-grey eyes. He is Stonestar's brother, and quite resembles him in both appearance and personality - he is also quite aggressive often, and has a short temper.
Hawkwing; tawny brown tom with keen blue eyes. Unlike the stereotype for high-ranking AshClan cats, he is quite humble and diplomatic while also being valorous - he is rather considerate and lenient towards others as well.
Sᴜʙᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀᴛᴇs - the normal warriors who are neither great nor horrible, quite in-between the others.
Appleleaf; long-furred ginger she-cat with warm golden eyes. She makes friends easily, and is normally on good terms with everyone, as she is sociable and welcoming.
Falconstrike; dark ginger tom with some silver streaks in his fur and sky blue eyes. He is dark and cold and typically bitter and emotionless, but inside, he has a kind heart and will not hesitate to help a Clanmate.
Brooksplash; skinny white she-cat with blue-green eyes. Outgoing and adventurous - quite reckless, short-tempered, and believes herself to be capable of eventually moving up to a high rank.
Iɴᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛᴇɴᴛ - the warriors who are not as successful as many of the others due to reasons.
Finchfeather; small brown she-cat with blue eyes. Finds a lot of things hilarious, so it's not hard at all to get her laughing.
Ravenflight; swift black tom with a white tailtip and striking blue eyes. Loves to joke around with his friend, Finchfeather.
Aᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇs - a cat in training to become a future warrior, has to fight in the assessment for a mentor.
One; athletic brown she-cat with vivid violet eyes. Attentive and always tries to impress everyone else, suggesting a non-dominant individual who obeys higher ranks easily.
Two; black she-cat with dusky brown eyes. Dark, ruthless, fierce, and antagonistic on the outside while ambitious, strong-willed, fiercely loyal, and resolute.
Three; tortiseshell she-cat with bright blue eyes. Rude, argumentative, annoying, and irritating - however, she considers it to be 'ferocity' and thinks she is better than she actually is.
Four; calico she-cat with light green eyes. Sensitive and gets depressed very easily, and she is the younger sister of One, Two, and Three.
Five; tall and skinny light ginger tom with grey eyes. Diplomatic and tolerant, and always tries to be funny, although he typically ends up as being annoying instead.
Six; chubby white tom with green eyes. Helpful, caring, fearless and loyal, but also very stupid.
Seven; skinny reddish she-cat with lush green eyes. Quite similar to Three, and also either gets depressed or angry often.
Eight; grey tom with deep blue eyes. Quite similar to Three, and always puts the blame on someone else - additionally, his arrogance is astounding.
Nine; skinny brownish tom with warm amber eyes. Ten’s brother, overly optimistic and quite outgoing - he can be quite annoying but that is only because of his lack of intelligence as of now.
Ten; tiny light ginger tom with fiery golden eyes. Loyal and persistent, even when things discourage him - also altruistic and selfless.
Eleven; small tortiseshell she-cat with warm blue eyes. She is very random and often tries to lighten the mood by saying something humorous or silly.

[breath.]

Your soooo good this story is AWESOME!!!! I WANT MORE

[SunnyJustice]

Free Wolf, I gifted you ^^ thank you very much for the kind and considerate comment, I greatly appreciate it and I will surely be writing more soon.

[indebted]

{{Beautiful format, Two. It looks better than my stories so far. Write...chapter...one...and...post...

[SunnyJustice]

That was incredibly kind, you just made my day for the second time in a row. I will start immediately. ^^

[hilde]

-

[Jetti]

This looks great!

I have a bit of trouble reading the text thought.

[SunnyJustice]

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ

Tʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴇ's ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴘᴏᴜɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴀs sʜᴇ ғʟᴇᴅ, her tiny silver paws frantically scrambling through the thickly fallen snow as the sounds of her pursuers were heard behind her. Stormy grey clouds gathered in the dismal night sky above, and a frigid wind blew from the north, carrying with it a harsh snowfall that threatened to bury the young she-cat in a blanket of white if she stopped running. She knew that her only hope of survival was to escape back to her Clan, to seek safety in numbers – surely, her Clanmates would stand with her, and hopefully save her from the heartless cats who were relentlessly hunting her down.

She hadn’t tried to cause trouble, sincerely. The young cat had been chasing after a swift rabbit, and a rock jutting out of the snow-covered ground had caused her to merely trip, skidding along the somewhat icy surface below. As she raised herself to a standing position, she had nonchalantly flicked her tail over the border which separated the two Clans around the lake, in an attempt to balance herself so she would not fall again. Alas, a patrol of cats from the enemy Clan had detected her presence, and they accused her of disrespecting borders; that Clan was ruthless and wrathful, exalting the practice of killing other cats and holding it to ridiculously high standards. This proved to be a dangerous situation, as those cats had targeted her to be their next murder victim.

The apprentice now felt like prey – threatened, hunted, faced with the likely prospect of death. The cats chasing her were catching up; she could feel it in the way their heavy paw steps resonated throughout the flaky snow. She was exhausted, feeling as if she could not carry on, but she forced herself to continue her desperate sprint towards her Clan’s camp. At last, she was nearing a dense cover of trees; the young she-cat dashed ahead, her faith in her survival restored. As she burst into a clearing, her eyes tightly shut against the stinging snow, she yowled for help from her Clan. Her pace slowed to a casual run, knowing that her Clanmates would come to her assistance very soon, and she smiled at the fact that she was going to live another day.

All was silent, the only exception being the continuing noises of the enemy cats. The young apprentice’s eyes snapped open, and then she glanced around fearfully; it slowly dawned upon her that this was not the correct clearing, and the Clan’s camp was still ahead. Stifling a scream of frustration and terror at her probably fatal mistake, she turned to sprint again in that general direction.

It was certainly too late now. A raven-black she-cat, about the same age and size as the young apprentice, sprung from the foliage surrounding the clearing and tackled her to the ground. The apprentice could hear the voices of her Clanmates, and the opposing Clan’s members – although the voices of her friends and loved ones were present, and growing nearer, she knew it was too late, that all was lost. She didn’t even make an attempt to get up, since she knew that this was the finality of the chase, and there could be no other way to truly end it. The black she-cat’s Clanmates came into vision, and the apprentice could hear them, encouraging ‘Two’ to take the little she-cat’s life. She learned that the ebony-furred cat was named Two, and that she was going to kill her.

As the dark she-cat lunged, the apprentice saw her dusky brown gaze, which was gleaming with bloodlust and dominion. The young apprentice closed her eyes, wanting to be anywhere but here. When the silver she-cat felt the black cat’s teeth sinking into her throat, it seemed faraway and unimportant, and she was quite detached from what would have been agony if she had been fully aware of herself in those final moments. In her mind, images appeared to her; she saw her whole life flash before her, concluding with the fleeting glimpse of victory as she entered the clearing, and the shattering reality that she realized a few heartbeats afterwards.

The last thing she heard before losing consciousness, was her brother’s outraged yowl, which soon faded in the howling wind; “Petalpaw!”