Lightstar's Life by Crystal Chen (beach books TXT) 📕

SunClam cats yowled with fury and leapt up, fur bristling. Swallowstar's eyes stretched wide, but she meowed levelly, glaring at me, "It was my deputy, Magicstorm's, idea, and I approved."

I narrowed my eyes and let out a disapproving hiss. "Don't you know that is against the warrior code?"

Swallowstar fell silent. I glowered menacingly at her, my green eyes challenging. "Rogues." I heard Thorntail mutter.

The SunClan cats heard his remark and sprang up, lips pulled back in a snarl. Panic pricked my spine as I realized how insulting Thorntail's words were. "Thorntail," I scolded, "take those words back now! Swallowstar is a young leader, so she might not know as much as we do..." I trailed off when I felt the SunClan leader's furious eyes burning into my pelt.

"SunClan will know more then MoonClan ever will!" she growled, lashing her tail. I bristled defensively and opened my jaws to loose a spitting comeback, but thought better of it and hissed instead, "This Gathering is dismissed." Then I leapt nimbly down the Twinstone and flicked my tail, indicating for my warriors to follow me. Tension crackled between the Clans as we silently left the clearing.

"Mouse-brains!" Thorntail snorted, his ears twitching with scorn. "How could they say such a thing?"

I didn't have the guts to argue; I kind of agreed with him. "We should prepare for a battle." Lightningstrike told me quietly, "I overheard the SunClan cats planning to attack while they left."

"Thank you, Lightningstrike." I meowed, feeling anxious about my first battle as leader.

"We'll rip their pelts off!" Dawnshine mewed, and her littermate, Kestrelwing, added, "MoonClan will never be beaten!"

I sighed and hoped their wouldn't be a battle at all. But my itching claws told me other wise. "Should I attack if they don't first?" I asked the patrol just as we broke into the hollow.

"Yes!" Thorntail meowed, his pelt bristling. Lightningstrike muttered under his breath. Dawnshine and Kestrelwing nodded vigoriously. Splashnose let out an approving hiss. Frostfur twitched one ear and meowed, "It's up to you, Lightstar."

I stopped at the foot of the Highrock, deep in thought. "Alright," I decided, "I shall attack at sun high."

The cats cheered, all but Lightningstrike. "I shall announce it to the Clan, and assign the battle patrol." I told them, leaping up the hill.

“Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

The Gathering patrol murmured excitedly. I watched grimly as cats emerged from their dens or ran in through the dirtplace tunnel.

When they had settled, I announced;

"At the Gathering today, Swallowstar said that SunClan knows more then MoonClan ever will!" The cats spat furiously and lashed their tails with rage.

"How dare they?"

"Those fox-hearted furballs!"

I lifted my tail for silence. "We shall attack at sunhigh!" I yowled. "The battle patrol shall be me, Frostfur, Nightflame, Dawnshine, Thorntail, Kestrelwing, Nightwhisker, Rushpaw, Thrushthorn, Sunfang, and Ripplepaw. The rest of you will stay and defend camp."

"Yay!" Rushpaw leapt up, her black-bown tail lashing. "My first real battle!" Thrushthorn slapped his tail over his apprentice's muzzle and hushed her down.

"What about me?" Dawnpaw wailed. "How come Rushpaw and Ripplepaw get to go?" Splashnose flicked her on the nise. "I don't go either." He soothed gently, "besides, we'll have to fight off the fiercest warriors that break through the attacking lines!" Dawnpaw brightened, "Okay then."

I purred with amusement and went on, "Kestrelblaze," I met his amber gaze, "you may go to battle if you would like, but you also may stay if you want to watch over Leafstream, since she is expecting her kits this moon."

Kestrelblaze glanced at his mate and meowed, "I will stay and guard camp."

I dipped my head. "You may go back to your duties."

Watching my Clan disperse I suddenly felt a rush of pride. My claws tingled, thirsting for battle. The trees above seemed to whisper my name as they rustled. The battle for revenge was to come!

I let a low growl of satisfaction rumble in my throat. The winds whizzed in my pricked ears as I raced through the forest. The sun was rising, dawn was coming. I was on battle patrol, ready to avenge Flamestar and Swifttail's death.

"Where will we attack?" Thorntail panted.

"We'll split up," I responded, "into thirds, and surround their camp. Then we'll attack from all sides. Remember," I called to the rest of the patrol bounding along behind me, "don't kill for blood. Only wound. You can wreck their medicine supplies, but don't kill any cat."

I slowed to a halt as we neared their border. There was a rustle of leaves as an enemy patrol neared. "Run!" I hissed, and pelted ahead into enemy territory. The MoonClan cats fanned out quickly, separating into three groups. I was leader the group which was to attack the heart of the camp, with Frostfur, Thorntail, and Nightflame. Thrushthorn led the other group, and Dawnshine led the last one.

We neared SunClan camp, and I spotted a few cats on guard outside. "Split." I hissed softly. My patrol darted off in different directions. Frostfur remained behind by my side, which i was grateful of. It was dangerous for a Clan leader to fight alone.

"MoonClan, attack!" I yowled at the top of my lungs, my voice carrying all the way to Thrushthorn's patrol, as well as Dawnshine's. Frostfur and I sprang from the undergrowth and tackled the first guard with such force he dropped unconcious. I stifled a snarl of scorn and pelted on, knocking out guard after guard until we had made it into camp. Thrushthorn was battling two senor warriors, Rushpaw at his side.

Suddenly, a familiar yowl sounded, and before I knew it, claws had sunk into my back and I was knocked to the ground. I twisted in the cat's grip and looked up into the cold eyes of Swallowstar, who was once a friend, but now an enemy.

I looked wildly around for Frostfur, but she was fighting off Magicstorm, the SunClan deputy. Then I turned back to Swallowstar. "Get off me!" I seethed, and shoved the cat off. Pelt burning with anger, I pounced on the warrior and slashed her flank relentlessly until a long, bloody gash formed. Then I jumped off and watched scornfully as she yowled in fury and limped away.

Frostfur yelped in pain behind me. I spun around and hissed, "Don't touch my deputy!" Then sprang onto Magicstorm's back. Frostfur wriggled out from beneath her and battered her belly with her hind legs. The SunClan deputy snarled and pounded away.

I shook blood from my eyes and scanned the camp. A group of enemy cats were racing out of the hollow, heading for MoonClan territory unnoticed. I shrieked, "Stop those cats!" And raced after them, Frostfur hot on my tail. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Dawnshine and Kestrelwing raiding their medicine cat supplies. Thorntail was pushing Barkclaw to the back of the hollow, shoving him relentlessly against the cliff face.

I could hear the enemy cats ahead, thrashing through the undergrowth. Frostfur panted and unsheathed her claws to get a better grip on the earth. Nightflame, Sunfang, and Ripplepaw had come to join me in the pursuit.

The SunClan cats broke into out clearing with triumphant yowls. Dawnpaw, Splashnose, Kestrelblaze and a bunch of other cats that guarded the camp started with suprise. "Get them!" I screeched, leaping onto one's back, shredding his hears until he spun around, wailing for his mother. Another warrior, most likely his littermate, hissed in fury and sprang at me. Frostfur bowled him over and shoved him into the dirtplace tunnel.

"Thanks." I gasped, stopping to catch my breath. My shoulder throbbed where Swallowstar had clawed me, but after a few moments I leapt back into battle.

Dawnpaw snarled and slashed at a warrior two times her size. The enemy cat towered over her laughing, and pounced with claws unsheathed. Dawnpaw screamed and turned to flee, but the warrior had pinned her down, paw upraised to aim a killing blow.

"No!" I cried, but I was too far away to help. I searched desperately for Splashnose, but he was nowhere to be seen. The claw came down hard on Dawnpaw's head, and there was a sickening crack!

I yowled and launched myself across the hollow. Dawnpaw's body limp, her pelt ragged and eyes wide with terror. Her mouth was still open with her soundless scream, but now she was gone.

I turned furiously to the killer. "Don't you have any respect for life? For the warrior code? Thorntail was right to say you are nothing but rogues!" I unsheathed my claws and growled, muscles bunched up to leap.

The cat's eyes grew wide and he raced away, leaving my claws to slice air. My body tensed top pursue the killer, but I knew deep down, would I kill him to avenge Dawnpaws death? No.

I shook the blood red rage from my eyes and looked around the clearing. Blood spattered the cliff walls, but the MoonClan cats were safe, and the SunClan attackers had fled. But grief weighed my heart like a stone. Dawnpaw was dead.

A rustle behind me made me spin around. SunClan scent hit my nose, and I bristled, claws out and ready. A dark shape stirred in the shadows. "Come out at once." I commanded, ears twitching warily.

The MoonClan cats came over to watch. The unseen cat placed a careful paw forward, then another. Then finally he emerged into the light. "Please don't kill me." he whimpered, ragged pelt trembling and an ugly patch of bare skin where someone had clawed off a pawful of it.

Shock emanated from the cats around me. My heart froze, cold with anger.

It was Darkcliff.

"Darkcliff?" I rasped.

The ragged warrior whimpered again. "It wasn't me!" he whispered, quivering with fear. "I know it may have seemed so, but I swear by StarClan name, it wasn't me!"

"What wasn't you?" Splashnose shouldered his way to the front, one ear torn and bleeding. He stood beside me, his tail wrapped protectively around my flank. I stifled a purr and turned back to Darkcliff.

"How can you prove that you didn't kill Flamestar or Swifttail?" I meowed.

"Kill him now! Avenge Flamestar's death!" Kestrelblaze snarled from in the crowd. "Or my kits will be his next victim!"

"Hush, Kestrelblaze." I told him. "Listen to what