THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES VIOLENCE. MOST OF THEM DO.

Early morning sunshine shone through the upper branches of the medicine cat dean, where Shadeberry lay, awake. She was wondering how she could persuade Ashstar to stay in camp so she could help attack her clan-mates with Toad and the others. 

I could pretend to not feel well. She thought to herself. But that wouldn't solve the problem. When they come back, what could she say? She would have to escape her Clan once and for all with the rogues. Then she will not be able to come back.

She flexed her claws thoughtfully, so many different thoughts crowding her mind.

"Shadeberry?" Ashstart's concerned, croaky meow shook Shadeberry from her dark thoughts.

"Yes, Ashstar?" She returned the call, standing up and shaking her fur.

The dark gray tom entered the den, his fur ruffled and eyes dull.

Shadeberry's heart leaped.

"Are you okay?" She leant forward and sniffed his fur. The smell of sickness hit her nose.

"No, I don't feel well," he rasped, settling down in the nest closest to him.

"What hurts?" She demanded.

"My stomach. I think I ate some rotten prey," he croaked, closing his eyes painfully.

Shadeberry stood still. She couldn't kill him; she would be exiled or even killed as well.

No, Ashstar is fair. He wouldn't kill me unless I remained on his territory after I had been exiled. She decided.

She took a deep breath and padded to the far end of her den, grabbing her recently stocked pile of deathberries. Crystalpaw was out collecting more herbs, and shouldn't be back any time soon.

Slowly walking back to her leader, the poison in her paw, she stuffed it in his mouth. He knew as well as she did what deathberries looked like, and it wasn't worth the risk.

His yowl was cut off as he flayed his paws around, claws unsheathed, aiming to scratch Shadeberry.

She wrestled him, growling.

"Y-you... poisoned... t-the others," he choked, fighting harder.

Shadeberry grinned to herself and cast a blow to his face, claws unsheathed.

His eyes rolled back into his head and he lay there, still. His fur turned cold. The scent of death filled the den.

She stepped back, and Darkthorn appeared beside her, admiring the work.

"Good job. As soon as he has a new life, try kill him again. And again. Until he has lost all his lives. Then they will have no leader or deputy."

"Okay, but they will still have a deputy? I haven't killed them." Shadeberry protested.

Darkthorn glanced at her all evil-like.

"I'll kill them."

.~~.

"Other cats can see you?" She meowed in disbelief.

He nodded. "If I want to show myself, I can. I've killed people before in the dark forest. I can do it now."

Shadeberry was still in shock. "Will anyone recognise you?"

He stood, silent.

"Yes. Some probably will."

At that second, Ashstar jolted his head up.

"What happened? Shadeberry? Wait, no!" He stood immediately and leaped at her, hissing.

She quickly dodged and he fell into Darkthorn, who dug his claws into his neck.

"D-Darkthorn?" He managed to croak, his throat pushed into the dusty floor.

Darkthorn grinned before leaning down and biting his spine.

Shadeberry heard a small crunch and she quickly out her paw over his jaw so he didn't call out. If any cat heard, they would come in. She had to quickly drain him of all his lives, and maybe get the chance to run away.

Ashstar twitched before laying still.

However, Darkthorn didn't release his grip. 

Ashstar shuddered, and wrestled to get free.

He has 6 lives left. She thought carefully to herself. Maybe we could get rid of all his lives at once.

"Darkthorn. Go get the deputy," she ordered. "I'll be fine killing Ashstar multiple times."

Darkthorn took one glance at her, and raced out of the den. 

She quickly took his place, holding her paws down on his neck, and leaving one paw on his spine.

Once she saw him shudder again, she turned him over with her sharp claws and swiped at his throat as strongly as she could.

He was sent flying across the den, making a crack as his bones hit the edge of the den where the herbs were stored.

Blood dribbled out of his mouth and he lay still as stone.

Shadeberry stared in horror. The scene was horrible. So much blood. And the smell was overwhelming.

She heard screeches and snarls from outside, and she guessed cats were too busy trying to fight Darkthorn to notice the strongly smell of blood and death.

A pool of blood began to surround Ashstar's dead body, and Shadeberry realised he was gone. Gone forever. She had took away all of his lives.

She shivered as a ghostly figure appeared above the body, glaring at Shadeberry with starry, furious eyes.

Ashstar.

Shadeberry returned his gaze.

"How could you, Shadeberry. This angers StarClan.." his meows echoed as he faded away.

Taking a quick gulp, Shadeberry shook her head and quickly turned to charge outside to help Darkthorn.