****Sparkpaw's POV****

It was needless to say that Sparkpaw and Simon had been caught off guard when the badgers attacked. The small, flame-colored she-cat found herself quickly separated from her mentor and Patchfur as the battle began. Her only reassurance was that Simon was still by her side as they were pressed up against a dead tree stump withered with old age.

RAWWWRRR

A big black-white head snapped at her with gnashing yellow teeth. Sparkpaw barely avoided getting bit on the muzzle as she spun away. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she avoided another lumbering blow from a second badger. This one had been trying to knock her legs out from under her. For the most part, it was unsuccessful in its attempt, though it had gotten the small apprentice a little off balance, nicking one of her sides in the process.

"Sparkpaw watch out!" Simon yowls.

Sparkpaw swivels her head just in time to see the first badger trying its second attempt to tear her apart one ferocious bite at a time. Snarling with rage, Simon slams into the massive creature with brute force. The tabby tom sinks his pristine white fangs into what had to have been stinking fur on the animal's shoulder. Blood spurts from the wound making a metallic scent fill the air. The badger screeches angrily, battering him with its powerful paws until Simon let go and rolled away from a retaliation bite.

"Thanks!" She calls out to him before taking her own swing at one of the other badgers. This one foamed after the mouth, it's big eyes beady and dark with anger. She uses a swift precision to rake her claws across its chest before sprinting away. Sparkpaw lands next to Simon, taking in long gulps of cold air.

"Don't mention it. Where are all these things coming from anyways?!" Simon growls at the badgers as they prowl closer yet again.

Crimson blood coated the snout of the one that had been bitten earlier. The other one had a chunk of fur torn of its shoulder, leaving it fleshy and spewing blood. Sparkpaw felt grim satisfaction at the pain they were in, her own sides heaving with strain from the scratches the badgers had nicked her with earlier.

"I have no idea. We just have to keep moving." She tells him.

"Sure. Do we have a plan?" Her friend asks. Simon's tabby fur was all fluffed up, his amber eyes searing into their opponents.

"We send these guys running and then find Arrowheart and Patchfur! They'll know what to do." Sparkpaw tells him. Arrowheart had to have some idea how to handle these monsters, and if he did not then surely Patchfur would.

"Sounds like a plan." Without waiting for anymore preamble, Simon leaps onto the burliest of the two badgers. The tabby vampire lands square on the things back, going to town with his claws on the black and white animal's scruff.

RRRRREEEEEEEEE

The badger lets out an outraged cry. The thing tries desperately to buck Simon off, but is unable to do so as the tom's claws sink deeper into its skin. Sparkpaw follows her friend's example with the other badger. She attacks the creature's face first, scoring her claws right across those beady eyes. The flame colored she-cat watches the badger stagger back before leaping onto its back, scratching at its back with furious swipes.

RRRRRAAAAAAAAA

It isn't long before the two badgers are running for the hills. Simon and Sparkpaw are panting for air by the time they finally slide off the massive creatures' backs. Her ginger fur felt sweat soaked from all the effort she had been putting in just moments before, her heart hammering away in her chest with the volatility of an rapidly pounding jackhammer on wooden planks. For each plank that was broken the thuds became louder and all the more painful.

Sparkpaw struggles to control her breathing, the adrenaline rush almost making her vision burn an angry red. Around them the rest of the cats continue to fight on. She finds herself unable to pick out Patchfur and Arrowheart from the fighting crowd, though she does see Silverthorn and Strikeclaw tag teaming a badger with a particularly nasty scar across its nose. The thing was gnashing at the two cats with its massive teeth. This was to no avail however as the two werecats would continue to narrowly escape each and every attack.

Their strategy was extremely dangerous, and one wrong move could result in serious trouble.

Sparkpaw found herself liking it all the more.

"I don't see Patchfur and Arrowheart. Do you?" Sparkpaw asks Simon.

Simon's eyes narrow as he scans the group of battling combatants, looking for some black or ginger fur. Eventually he nods, his whiskers twitching.

"They're over that way!" Simon shouts before launching forward. With his vampiric speed making him much faster then he previously was, Sparkpaw struggles to keep up with her friend. She was mindful of the paw swipes and screeches of angry badgers.

Blood coats the forest floor to stain her own paws red. Her heart pounds wildly as she passes by a body laying on the ground. She had past by it much too quick to recognize who it was, but from the shape it had to be a cat. Her whole body trembles with the knowledge of death

Just how many cats will die here before the bloodshed ends?! How many lives will be needlessly lost?!

Sparkpaw was scared to find out the answer. So she focuses on propelling herself through the madness. Dirt kicks up in dusty sprays, not doing anything to cover up the red stain on the forest floor.

They find Arrowheart and Patchfur mauling a ginormous badger. The creature was an odd coloration of mostly white with a few whisky stripes of black, though it's originally blanc coat was splattered with blood now. Arrowheart is busy scratching down the badger's right flank, while Patchfur claws at those beady black eyes. Red magic swirls around Patchfur's claws as he attacks, slamming into other parts of the badger to cause immense pain.

RAAAAAWR

The badger yelps after receiving a particularly nasty bite from Arrowheart in its hindquarters. The creature turns to run, making the warriors leap down from it in the process. The silhouette of the badger is like a runaway ghost in the night, disappearing quickly into the tree line.

"Arrowheart, Patchfur, what do we do? How do we stop these things?" Simon asks.

Arrowheart spits out a chunk of flesh, shaking his fur out. The furry blob that laid on the ground was likely from the Shadowhunter's attack on the badgers shoulder, but seeing as it had been missing several chunks of fur from its body. Sparkpaw is mildly surprised that either one of the couple took the initiative to rip off fur, especially since the smell of it was dank and greasy.

"I have an idea, but it might be dangerous." Arrowheart murmurs. The tall, lithe warrior was panting loudly, his shoulders heaving with the effort. Blood stains his paws and drips down his muzzle. Sparkpaw is relieved not to see any visible wounds on her mentor, or on Patchfur for that matter.

"And that would be..." Patchfur trails off, his golden-green eyes widening in realization. "You can't be serious?! That could get you killed." He growls.

"Sparkpaw can give me the Fearless rune so I can handle the badgers. You don't have a better idea, do you?" Arrowheart challenges his boyfriend. The two are staring into each other's eyes, their expressions fierce. Blue eyes bare down at Patchfur with relentless intensity.

Eventually, Patchfur looks away. "I don't like this. I don't want to see you getting hurt."

Arrowheart gives a sad nod, pressing his head against Patchfur's. "I know. And I don't want to see you get hurt either. That's why I have to do this. It'll be okay."

"You promise?"

Arrowheart lets himself look over his shoulder, canvassing the still battling badgers. There were about three left now, a fourth one making its way into the dense tree line as it fled. Many of the werecats had collapsed to the ground out of utter exhaustion. They had done a great job in removing nine of the badgers, but their energy had likely been stretched beyond its limits in this fight. Sparkpaw hopes that there are no more casualties than the dead cat she saw earlier, but a sinking feeling in her gut tells her otherwise.

"I-I...yes." Arrowheart swallows, as if the words were a hard lump in his throat. "I promise."

"Okay then. Stay safe." Patchfur accepts his boyfriend's words. Simon watches the two toms with a worried amber gaze. His tail tip twitches behind anxiously. She wishes she could reassure him, but as she herself does not feel assured, she knows she cannot.

"Sparkpaw, if you would?"

Sparkpaw steps forward to take the stele that Alec summons for her. With a shaking jaw, she draws the fearless rune. A sparking white light glows from with it as the power of the angels surges through the young Shadowhunter.

Arrowheart seems to rise up to an even fuller height now, his chest puffing out and his white splash of fur becoming all the more visible. The white fur is shaped oddly like what an arrow would, and Sparkpaw wonders if it had anything to do with Arrowheart's name.

Arrowheart strides over to Patchfur, touching noses with the older tom. For a brief moment, the couple shares a peaceful ease. Her mentor whispers something soft into the warlock's ear. Sparkpaw cannot pick out what it was, but judging by the way Patchfur seems to brighten at those words, and the way that he seems to be so so darn happy, she knows that it had to be something amazing.

****Arrowheart's POV****

Unlike the last time Arrowheart was under the influence of the fearless rune, this time he feels much more in control of himself. His body is flooded with a fierce adrenaline, and it is with that energy that he slams into the closest badger full throttle, his unsheathed claws burying deeply into the badger's neck.

RAWWWRRRRR

Everything goes by in a blur. His senses are heightened as he takes in the scent of metallic blood and nasty breath. Teeth gnash close by his head, but are unable to reach him. He pictures this evil creature hurting those he cares about. He would not let these things hurt what was his. The Shadowhunter tears out the badger's throat with quick ferocity.

The creature collapses to the ground with a gurgling thump. The badger attempts to growl at him, but can only manage to cough up more blood. Arrowheart clambers off of it, not bothering to watch the badger take its final breaths. Around him, Arrowheart can feel the piercing gazes of the werecats on him, giving him looks of startled shock. He thoroughly ignores them. There is no way he can take the time to explain things to them now.

"Where are the other two?" He growls in question.

One cat, a small apprentice, jerks his head off to the left. "They're by the tree line."

"Excellent." Arrowheart gives what must look like a feral grin. There is no fear inside him now, only a lust for battle, and a need to deliver justice.

He turns to run off in the pointer out direction. His paws barely seem to touch the ground as he skims the earth in what must have been a speed as fast as a werecat or vampire could provide. He can see some half shifted cats as he runs, their bodies extended with extra muscles and longer limbs. Sharp, elongated canines protrude from their mouths, their lengthened limbs making them be higher off the ground than normal.

"What in the world?" One cat asks as Arrowheart races by.

He comes up to the next badger screeching with fiery rage. The creature, who had been mauling a black she-cat with green eyes, loses interest in its target momentarily as Arrowheart appears. Those yellowed, gnashing teeth attempt to take a bite out of him. He ducks the blow, returning it with one of his own as he swipes his claws down the badger's flank as he attacks from the side.

"Run!" He yowls at the she-cat.

The black cat scampers off, presumably to safety. Arrowheart doesn't pay any heed to her, instead he claws his way up onto the badger's back before biting down on its neck. With all the biting he was doing, Arrowheart had a feeling that his jaw would be sore tomorrow. Some feral part of him didn't mind, his brain too clouded with bloodlust to pay attention to much else.

Rrrawwwwwr

The badger bucks and shakes in an attempt to knock Arrowheart off. The black furred Shadowhunter hangs on with grim rage, his claws sinking all the deeper into his opponent's thick furred flanks. He can feel the powerful muscles welling up in the badger's body as it moves, and he can taste the metallic tang of blood dribbling down his mouth. Frankly, he's surprised the liquid doesn't make him choke.

The badger gives one last cry before it begins to run away, likely too afraid to continue fighting against the battle crazed Shadowhunter. Arrowheart leaps off of its back, the tough grass crunching underneath his paw pads.

His head swings to the last of the badgers, which just so happens to be the most massive one of the bunch. It's black head was swinging over a silver she-cat, whom he realized to his utmost horror was none other than Silverthorn.

Those gnashing teeth were embedded in her shoulder, blood spurting from the wound in hot rivulets. A few paw steps away lies Strikeclaw. The brown tom was sprawled on the ground, stunned after being thrown off the badger's back. It was clear that Silverthorn had tried to protect him, only to end up facing the badger's vicious wrath.

He charges at the badger with his claws extended. The badger's head swings up to face him, those beady black eyes blazing with enraged anger. Arrowheart wastes no time swinging his claws across the badger's nose, forcing the thing to pull its muzzle back. He had not planned for the massive paw that slams into his side, sending him hurtling backwards. He hits the ground with a painful thud, temporarily left breathless.

"Hah...hah...hah...." Arrowheart struggles back onto his paws. He can feel the effect of the fearless rune beginning to drain now, letting him know that he would have to end this fight quickly, otherwise he was unsure if he would be able to finish it at all.

Despite its slow pace, the badger was rushing again. To his horror, the black and white creature was once again attempting to have a go at Silverthorn. It's maw was already dripping with her blood; it was clear that the badger was excited to land the killing blow.

He needed to move, and he knew it too. Yet Arrowheart found his body frozen in place. Everything was a blur around him as sweat slipped into his eyes to make them burn. He sucked in some gasps of cold air, his body shuddering.

"Silverthorn no!" Strikeclaw shouts out.

The brown tom's paw was extended towards his companion, desperate to save her but unable to move. Arrowheart too remains frozen in place, his blue eyes fixated on the blearily blinking Silverthorn, the dazed way she seemed to be taking in her surroundings. The she-cat remains clueless of the untimely death that was about to befall her. The badger is just about to sink it's teeth into Silverthorn's throat when...
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something unbelievable happens.

Rookstar comes out of nowhere, landing on the badger's face. The old leader claws at the badger viciously, sending up a spray of blood everywhere.

Rrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeee

The badger cries out in pain. Arrowheart watches those yellow teeth sink in around the leader's leg, drawing out blood. Still, the WolfClan leader hangs on, reaching down to swipe his hind claws on the badger's throat.

It is this movement that sends the leader sprawling as the badger collapses to the ground in a dying heap. Rookstar crashes into a hard, dead tree stump. Arrowheart can hear a sickening crack at the collision, and he watches with horror as the old brown tabby tom slumps on the ground. Something had sounded vitally broken at that noise, leaving him to fear the worst.

"Rookstar!" Grayfur shouts.

The shout seems to break Arrowheart and Strikeclaw out of their stupor. The two toms rush over alongside Grayfur to stop next to the leader's unmoving body.

Just like Arrowheart had feared, something indeed had been vitally broken. Rookstar's body was bent awkwardly, his back broken in half so that his body was bent in an unnatural angle, just as one of his hind legs was. He did not have to be a medicine cat to know that Rookstar was paralyzed now, and that there was no possible way he could survive all the internal bleeding that this injury had undoubtedly caused.

Even StarClan could not save him.

Silverthorn, Bellflower, Tendrilpaw, Patchfur, Sparkpaw, Simon and a few other WolfClan cats come rushing over, their gazes stricken with horror as they gaze at their now dying leader.

"Rookstar no! Why did you do that? You-You" Silverthorn seems to be choked up, her green eyes welling with tears.

Rookstar coughs up a bit of blood, his amber gaze tired. "WolfClan needs you Silverthorn. That's why." The leader lets out a gurgling sigh, his body shuddering weakly. "I say these words before StarClan, so that they may approve of my choice. Clearbreeze will be the new deputy of WolfClan, and soon, the new leader." Tired amber eyes swing towards a white tom, who Arrowheart realizes must be Clearbreeze. "Take care of WolfClan Clearbreeze."

Clearbreeze seems to swallow back his grief, those blue eyes welling with sadness.

"I will father. Rookstar, I promise I will." There seems to be so much more that the new deputy wants to say, but finds himself unable to do so. Even so, Rookstar seems to understand, a soft smile alighting his face despite the severe pain he was undergoing.

Arrowheart feels surprised when Rookstar gestures weakly to him.

"Clearbreeze, this HunterClan cat is good. He will lead his Clan, all the Clans for that matter," Rookstar coughs up a wad of blood weakly, "into prosperity. Work with him, not against him. Promise me."

The fierceness in Rookstar's tone startled all of them. Clearbreeze numbly nodded.

"Yes Rookstar. I promise." The white tom answered.

"Good."

And then Rookstar dies, his breathing coming to a halt once and for all. Cats cluster around to grieve for their leader. Arrowheart stares numbly down at the deceased tom, his blue eyes dripping with water. All the while, Foxtail's words echo in his head, a ghostly ring that wraps around his heart to squeeze tightly.

"You can't save everyone Arrowheart."