GORE LATER ON: WARNING

"ShadowClan is doing great. Prey is running well, and we are as strong as ever. Any trespassers will be fought." Darkstar announced calmly, glaring at Ashstar.

Ashstar snorted and looked away. "ThunderClan is also doing well. We previously fought a battle with ShadowClan and won." He boasted.

Darkstar cursed and stared at the moon above, pretending to not have heard.

"Well, the gathering is over then, I guess." Breezestar muttered, loud enough for the cats below to hear.

The leaders leaped down from their rocks and joined their Clans before immediately leaving the clearing.

"Wow, the Clans are so tight," Shadeberry muttered as she walked side by side with Toadpaw and Nightpaw.

Nightpaw nodded in disgust. "I heard that before all this war happened, we all stayed for ages and shared tongues."

Toadpaw glanced at his sister in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes!" She looked away. "Well, I'm going to go catch up with my mentor. See you!" And she quickened her pace. 

"Hawkshade told me earlier that we need to go to the dark forest tonight." Toadpaw whispered, his fur twitching.

"Alright. I was going to go anyway." Shadeberry mumbled.

"What?" Snowheart turned around to face the, with interest.

"We are talking about uh, Flickertide's story about the uh, dark forest!" Shadeberry meowed, thinking quickly.

Snowheart narrowed her eyes playfully. "Ah yes. The dark forest is an evil place, and the cats that go there eat medicine cats and apprentices!"

Shadeberry widened her eyes, playing along to make it look less suspicious. 

Snowheart gave a mrrow of laughter and turned back to the front.

"What nursery tales!" Toadpaw snorted, half to himself, half to Shadeberry, who nodded slightly.

"They aren't nursery tales!" Mothsight's amused meow from behind them made them jump.

The small black she cat stared down at them jokingly. "Dark Forest cats are cats to be scared of. They make other cats eat death-berries! Like Softwing! And they murder cat. You better watch out for them."

.~~.

Yawning, Shadeberry woke to the sound of birds squawking above her, and she looked up to see a gigantic hawk circling above camp.

She leaped to her paws, terrified.

It could get to the kits! Then she hesitated. But would she really care?

She shook her head. I don't want to be looked at as a heartless, selfish cat.

She pushed her way through the entrance as quick as she could, horrified at what happened next.

Morningkit was playing with Gorsekit in the clearing, until the hawk swooped down and scooped Gorsekit up.

Gorsekit wailed in shock and pain as the sharp talons gripped his skin.

Morningkit looked up, surprised and puzzled.

"Gorsekit! Where are you going? Can I come too!?" She yowled up at him.

Shadeberry raced forward, trying to leap high like Darkthorn had taught her to, and tried to grab the hawk.

She managed to bring it down to the floor, and she quickly took the kit away, and nudged him off to Morningkit, who was now being shielded by their mother, Brambletail.

"Gorsekit! Come here!" She quickly grasped her kit by the scruff and hauled him over into the base of her tail, and she turned her back on the hawk, and slowly made her way with the kits to the nursery.

Shadeberry bit down on the hawk's spine, and it went limp.

"Shadeberry! I never knew you could do that!" Ashstar's surprised meow came from behind her, and he raced forwards. 

"Oh, a feast! And it was nearly a feast for the hawk too!" He added darkly.

Shadeberry nodded, blood dripping from her mouth. She swiped her tongue around it and spat it out with disgust.

"That was a great leap!" Tigerstorm praised the medicine cat, who nodded in thanks.

"Yes, where did you learn that?" Mothsight asked calmly, her fur prickling with interest.

"Uh, nowhere, I guess. I just wanted to help my Clan." She mumbled.

Mothsight narrowed her eyes. 

Immediately, Shadeberry knew something was wrong about the she cat.