It All Begins

Prolouge
A brown tom slithered through the undergrowth as he lead his patrol to the battle field. He flicked his tail, telling his battle patrol to keep low and quite. The warriors did as was told and flattened themselves to the ground. Their dark pelts were perfect camouflage.

The tom narrowed his eyes as he saw a flicker of movement across the old Thunderpath and flexed his claws, sinking them into the soft soil.

"I will not let you threaten my Clan or my kit." he vowed. His clanmates didn't seem to hear him. Please, don't let them get to camp! he pleaded to StarClan. The dark sky was dotted with stars and filled the scene with some substance of light.

"Attack!" he yowled and hurdled himself across the clearing. Yowls of rage and pain split the air like a thorn in a pad. Cats flung themselves at their enemies, and pelted over to help their companions. The tom clawed an enemy warrior's muzzle then nipped his hind legs. The cat yowled in pain and pelted away from the brown tom.

The tom's amber eyes glinted in the faint moonlight and his fur was spattered with his enemy's blood. A white she-cat appeared next to him.

"Snowpetal," he breathed as he took in his mate's scent. "we have to defeat these fox-hearted ShadowClan warriors and apprentices. For the sake of the Clan and Hazelkit." he turned and began to rip tufts of fur from a tortoiseshell apprentice.

Suddenly, he was caught off gaurd and fell with a thump as two large tabbies unbalanced him.

"Snowpetal!" he cried as he franticly tried to push off the stronger cats. But Snowpetal sat in the sidelines. Her green eyes glinting with happiness and she showed no intention of moving and rescueing her mate from the blood-thristy ShadowClan warriors.

"Snowpe-" his cry for help was cut off as one of the tabbies lunged at his throat and bit down hard. Blood roared in his ears as he felt the sticky trickle of blood oozing out of the large gash in his throat. The other tabby began to claw his belly. Snowpetal kept on sitting and watching, as if watching a kit stalk and ounce a leaf. Her green eyes were flowing with ameusment.

Why sin't she helping me? he asked himself. His energy began to fade as he lost more and more blood. His beely was fully open and his throat was gushing out blood like a waterfall.

"Oh Talonclaw," began Snowpetal. "to think I liked you when I was young."

Talonclawknew his life was slipping away. The two ShadowClan tabbies' teeth glistened in the moonlight. They were sharp and specked with blood.

A pool of blood began to form along Talonclaw's body, and he felt his life ebbing away.

Talonclaw, called a smooth, soft voice.

Petalwhisker? he asked. His mate Petalwhisker died of greencough four moons ago.

''Talonclaw, let go of your life. Time to join me in StarClan.''

''No! Hazelkit still needs me! And my Clan.''

''Hazelkit is our kit, no? She is strong and good willed. She will cope as long as you believe that and let go of your life.''

Fine. Talonclaw agreed with his former mate, mother of his kit, and closed his eyes. Awaiting eternal sleep.

Talonclaw looked over at the cat he loved, the same one that betrayed him. The yowls and spitting of fury were fading away.

"Snowpetal, you will pay for this." he breathed.

Snowpetal's whiskers twiched in amuesment. "Oh, Talonclaw, you just wish. ThunderClan will cope well without you. Bye-bye." With one last gasp of air, Talonclaw closed his eyes and followed Petalwhisker upward towards Silverpelt. Where one more star will join the sky