"Go, Midnight, but be careful!"

I was smart enough to know that at least two of the ill-minded wolves had fallen asleep; because there was no voices to be heard; only gentle snores.

Midnight slipped out through a crack in the bark, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for sending her first.

She could easily be spotted and killed, tortured for escaping...

And I'd sent her out first because of her stealth, and ability to slip unnoticed through the dark trees.

But then again, she could succeed in her mission and we could escape without trouble. Well, that was, so long as everyone upheld their part...

There was still two more phases of the plan. Now that Midnight had left and Diamond was still sleeping on the cat's giant black head, there was an extra pawstep of space.

I decided to let Fallan have it so we could form a tight circle.

"Alright, if this works out, Midnight will slip through the forest, staying hidden. And when she is at a far distance from us and the wolves she will yowl. Hopefully two of the wolves will go to check it out, leaving us with one to defeat. When they leave, that's your signal, Fallan."

I nodded towards her, and she gave me a toothy grin.

Fallan would be taking Diamond with her and running far ahead, where, if this worked out, we would meet her later by following scent trail.

"Remember, run as fast as you can, and go straight ahead. A good distance away. Then hide yourself, and we'll meet you soon. Be quiet so not to wake up the wolves, though," I added.

"And you'd better wake up Diamond now," I said because I wanted to make sure that at least two of us survived.

Lastly, I turned to Hannah and the black cheetah.

"Hannah and y-you."I cleared my throat because... Oops. I stammered. Well, because obviously I wasn't used to addressing this tom yet, but it had to be done.

"You two will come with me outside and fend off whoever is there still, then we will go to Fallan and wait there for Midnight, if she hasn't shown by then."

After that, it was obvious; we would run for our lives.

But the muscular black cheetah stiffened, staring at me intently as if needing to ask a question.

"Yes?" I nodded small and avoided his direct burning green gaze.

"But what if this... Midnight doesn't come back?" I breathed and thought about that for a moment, only no answer came.

"Then we'll explore that problem when it comes. For now, we wait on Midnight." By now Fallan had woken up Diamond and she was bright-eyed and ready for action. Hopefully I had gotten the point across to everyone, though, and they knew what to do.

Minutes passed, and I had begun to grow hot. I could have been really stupid, sending Midnight off all alone like that.

If she was dead now, I figured the wolves would have come back. But wouldn't we have heard them get up and run to go after her?

If she wasn't dead, she sure was making sure that she was a ways away.

Then again...

My worries were cut off as I heard a blood-chilling yowl, that echoed twice through the woods, causing my ears to ring.

Hannah leaned forward and we hissed urgently to Fallan who had already scooped up Diamond in her jaws and was ready to leave.

"Go!" Fallan slipped out and didn't look back, quick as a fox.

I perked my ears but heard nothing yet.

Good, no guards had seen her, no doubt sleeping or looking in the direction of Midnight's yowl.

So far nothing had gone wrong, but I wasn't sure if it would stay that way. There were many possibilities of someone getting hurt, or failing their part, or the wolves not falling for our trick...

And then there was no time to worry, because I heard voices outside, and moved my ears toward the frantic barks to understand the words.

"What was that?" The russet wolf.

"I don't know. Sounded like a cat. Maybe it's another one of those pitiful cheetahs!" Slamble growled, but didn't even sound concerned.

I heard Hannah mutter something under her breath in reply to that but ignored her.

Rack: "It was probably just a rabbit or something, boss."

Russet wolf: "A rabbit doing what? Giving birth!?"

The red wolf replied sharply, clearly trying to show that Rack had said something dumb. After that, silence.

"You go check."

That was Slamble, and I could tell he didn't feel like going by the tiredness in his voice, and so the red wolf hurried off.

So, we had two wolves to fight, but only Slamble really posted a threat...

"Actually," Slamble yawned, and I heard the crunching of leaves.

"It sounded kind of like a chipmunk, didn't it?"

"Yeahmm..." Slamble replied, and I could tell he had no thought that three of his prisoners had left and were probably already well away from here by now.

I laughed at their laziness and inability to think.

They had not even put any effort forth at all to protect their so-called prisoners; sleeping while on duty, not going to check things out and even forgetting to make sure we were all still inside the tree!

Inside the hollow tree there was a lot more room since Fallan and Diamond were gone. I stretched my muscles in turn, and ordered the others to do the same.

If we jumped out and instantly started fighting a foot could twist or a joint pop because we had been cramped up for so long.

"This is it," I whispered.

Both of the cheetahs had bright eyes and perked ears, muscles bunching in the ready to spring.

"Go!" I yowled the command and shoved through the bark-door, sailing out and into the clearing.

I landed with a thud on the ground, my paws skidding sideways, and realized it's become quite windy and cold outside, with the Skycat's back turning into a dark black and grey mass.

Our battle-cry didn't seem to have had any effect on Slamble and Rack at all. They were just sitting there, dumbfounded, their big yellow eyes staring at us as if we had just sprouted wings.

I couldn't help it; I started laughing, and then Hannah and the black cat did along with me.

Why had Ash- Or, the new Starwolf,-recruited these wolves?They were dumber than a sack of rocks!

Rack was still sitting on the ground, only his eyes were popped open, his lower jaw sticking out as usual, licking his lips once in a while, for what the reason I didn't know.

Slamble had finally jumped up to a standing position and lowered his head in a fighting position.

"Get back in that tree or you die!" He growled.

But I wasted no time on gloating at their misfortune, just sizing myself up; fluffing out my fur, baring my teeth, flattening my ears, digging my claws into the ground, and eyes glowing in blue flame.

Fallan and the black cheetah, who were behind me on the left and right, took up the same position. My tail lashed as I waited a few seconds for them to recover from shock.

Finally Rack jumped up, snarling with his ears shoved forward, tail straight out, and paws planted on the ground. Spittle flew from his lips as Slamble finally repeated his actions, looking much larger next to the small yellow wolf.

"Stupid cats. You can't beat us- We're a lot stronger that you, kitty-kitties."

They advanced, and I was forced to take a few steps back as they spilt into two and surrounded.

Rack ascended on me and spoke again, menace in his voice. Clearly trying to scare us.

"The boss will come for you and she will kill you."

He snorted.

"Why bother even running? She has scouts everywhere, searching for you, Spirit, and every other cheetah in the world. She'll find you and get you. She'll track you down if it's the last thing she ever DOES!"

The last word came out in a snarl as he lunged forward, but I was prepared as much as shocked by his words.

Even in the haze of everything I shivered at his words, then shook myself and snarled as he got up and shook the dirt from his fur.

He lunged forward again and I scrambled out of the way just in time, but the small yellow wolf managed to lurch his ugly head sideways and grab ahold of my leg.

His head was at a different angle than the rest of his body, so he didn't do much damage, not even managing to draw any blood.

Twisting my leg, I caused him to roll over onto his back and in this process ripped my leg from his mouth to give his belly a few good blows.

Rack snarled in pain and rolled up onto his paws, glaring at me and still snarling.

"I'll get you for that, you mange ridden cat!"

The wolf didn't have very many fighting moves, I could tell, especially when the idiot, again, leaped for me.

I flicked out a paw and hit his tendons hard with my claws. He tripped, just as I expected, and rolled a few times over in a blur of stinking yellow fur.

Hah! I couldn't believe he'd fell that easily. He hadn't even tried to plant his legs and grip the ground, and should have gotten up much faster, and never revealed his belly.

I hurried over and towered over him.

Once again he was belly-up, starting at me with a look of burning rage in his eyes.

Slowly a growl rose in his throat, but I wasn't scared at all.

Or at least, that was until he wrapped his paws around my neck and drove me down.

We rolled over and over in a heap of claws and teeth, and I felt some nips land on my shoulders and legs.

I tried to grasp some flesh, or swipe at something, but for some reason he had the upper paw and managed to sink his teeth in my tail as I stumbled slightly when we broke apart.

I yowled in pain, thunder cracking in the sky as Howler barked his rage to the Great Skycat.

Trying to rip my tail free from his jaws proved innefective, only making me want to how in more pain.

But he wouldn't let go!

Snapping my head around, I clawed his muzzle but it caused his mouth to press down harder on my tail. Blood poured from the wound, and as I yowled once again I felt Rack's teeth being ripped from my tail.

His fangs had vanished, but it still stung like fire.

Rage bubbled up inside me for the small yellow wolf, and I looked up to see the black cheetah landing some hefty swipes on top of Rack's head.

I heaved myself up despite my wound and bounded over to him, tail dragging lifeless behind me. Rack's yellow pelt blended in with the hefty cheetah's as they scuffled, tears staring to pour down from the Skycat.

Hannah was padding over to me, and behind her I could see a large dark heap on the ground, dragging itself away.

Again another clash of thunder rolled and the clearing lit up with light. My eyes almost rolled up in my head as I saw a claw of flame slice down from the Skycat after an angry bark of the Howler.

In the blink of an eye the oak that my Pride had stayed the previous night was caught on fire.

A blast of heat hit my face, and I stumbled backwards, mouth open in astonishment.

I saw Hannah's face clearly as the sky was lit up; her eyes were wide with terror, ears flat in fear.

We had to escape, fast, before the Howler...

Too late. Orange greedy tounges arouse from the dead tree, traveling along the sides of the clearing quickly until there was only a few tail-lengths of an opening left.

I turned as quick as I could and yowled. "Get out!" And I didn't really care about the wolves at this point, because we were all in grave danger.

Hannah, I saw, had heard my yowl and scrambled off to the other side of the clearing towards the opening which still flickered closer and closer to closing.

I turned around, frantic, and saw that the black cheetah was still wrestling with Rack as the world lit up again.

"Get OUT! The clearing is on fire!" Another crack split the sound of pattering rain, and I shivered both from fear and cold.

But the black cat and yellow wolf were still locked in combat, snapping and swinging paws at each other.

My eyes bulged out of my head in confusement, and worry and anxiousness.

Didn't they just hear me!? They'd be dead and I would too if we didn't go now!

My stomach turned.

I bit my lip and dug my claws into the ground, looking frantically between the fire and fight.

My tail curled as the fire closed in around us, gradually growing closer with each agonizing second. It rose up higher and higher, the orange flames licking up the tree bark and dying leaves hungrily.

I looked once again to our only escape route- and was blinded for a second as everything turned white with light again.

When my eyes adjusted, I squinted through the rain the see that the only opportunity to freedom had closed now.

That was it.

We were going to die now.