Soon as Viper glanced over his shoulder towards his army, Gingersplash and Dawnpaw leaped out of the bush and dashed as fast as they could towards camp. Gingersplash was running faster, only a tail length in front of Dawnpaw, who was right behind her.

Dawnpaw couldn't help but worry that the rouges were following close behind. She heard a male voice shout "Spies!"

Gingersplash panted in between breath "Are they following us?"

Dawnpaw looked over her shoulder and saw small cats from a distance. She looked straight ahead again and panted in reply "Yes! We need to hurry!"

Soon as the camp was in sight, they dashed through the entrance, and all the cats' attention was turned towards them. Dawnpaw and Gingersplash camp to a halt tired, as they caught their breath. Shadestar darted out of his den and asked worried "What happened?"

Dawnpaw mewed loudly "The rouges are coming! Viper too! They are coming to attack the camp!"

All the cats gasped in terror as Shadestar ordered "Protect Rowaneye, the Medicine cats and prepare to fight!" All the cats bream scrambling into battle positions as they began guarding the Medicine den and elders den.

Dawnpaw raced up to Dawnbreeze who stood by the elder's den stiffly. "Dawnbreeze...I won't let anything happen to you."

Dawnbreeze looked down at Dawnpaw and nuzzled her lightly "If anything does happen, I love you Dawnpaw."

Dawnpaw lowered her ears sadly "I love you too, mom." As she spun around and saw Hawktalon urging Dreamcloud towards the Medicine den.

Hawktalon growled "You are expecting kits! You can't be fighting in battles!"

Dreamcloud hissed back "I'm not useless yet!"

Gingersplash yowled "They're here!"

All the cats turned towards the camp entrance and saw Viper standing in the lead. Dawnpaw stood beside Gingersplash with her claws unleashed. She couldn't help but be intimidated by Viper.

Viper growled loudly "This territory belongs to us."

Shadestar made his way through the camp and stood in front of the clan "Over my dead body."

Viper licked his lips as he unleashed his claws "Precisely. Viperclan! Attack!"

Shadestar unleashed his claws as he yowled "Mistclan! Attack!"

Dawnpaw quickly looked around for Duskpaw, and she was no where in sight. When she looked straight ahead again, she saw a small orange she-cat leaping at her. Dawnpaw ducked and raised her paw as she raked her belly. The she-cat fell to the ground weak as Dawnpaw jumped on top of her and pinned her to the ground.

Dawnpaw hissed at her "Stay away from my clan." As she stepped aside and let the she-cat scramble to her paws and run the other way. Dawnpaw smirked with pride before another cat leaped on top of her and held her to the ground.

Dawnpaw struggled free as she made out the cat to be Shadow. Shadow pushed his claws into Dawnpaw's shoulders as he laughed "You're even weaker than I thought! You'd never be strong enough to join my father's army!"

Dawnpaw winced in pain as he claws dug deeper and deeper into her shoulders. Then he opened his mouth and aimed for her neck. Dawnpaw managed to move her neck out of the way and he just bit her shoulder. She scrambled to her paws as she swiped at his face, scratching his eye. He yowled in pain, as Dawnpaw kicked his front legs and made him tumble forward onto the ground.

She put her paw onto the back of his neck and dug her claws in. "Looks like you're too weak to be in his army." She tried to hide the pain of blood dripping down from his shoulders as she finished the sentence. Shadow snapped at her "Let me  go!"

Dawnpaw took her claws out before she kicked him with her back legs and ran the other way to fight more cats.

~*~

Duskpaw sat in the bushes as she watched the battle with anxiety prickling in her pelt. Then she saw Shadow running up to the same bush she was in as he leaped in beside her. Duskpaw saw the blood pouring from his back and she asked "Did a stupid clan mate of mine do that?"

He nodded as he narrowed his eyes towards Duskpaw "It was you're stupid sister."

Duskpaw rolled her eyes and unleashed her claws "What a surprise. Can you just go kill Dawnbreeze already?"

Shadow snapped back as he lowered his ears "I don't have to do anything for you."

Duskpaw bared her teeth as she hissed "I gave your clan the right amount of information for this battle to happen! You owe me mouse brain!"

Shadow huffed annoyed as he nodded quickly "Fine. I will do you this one favor." As he leaped out of the bush and raced towards the elder's den, which was what Dawnbreeze was defending.

He jumped in front of her and unleashed his claws as he licked the blood from his mouth...even though it was his own blood. "I hate to break it to you...but I'm gonna have to kill you."

Dawnbreeze snarled as she arched her back "Duskpaw put you up to this didn't she?"

Shadow narrowed his eyes as he smirked in reply "She did...and now you must die."

Duskpaw ran to Shadow's side as she smiled maliciously towards Dawnbreeze "Sorry mom. But this has to happen."

Dawnbreeze widened her eyes as she mewed surprised "It's true..." She looked away for a heart beat before glaring at Shadow with anger in her eyes "I won't go down without a fight kittypet."

Shadow yowled as he leaped at Dawnbreeze and Dawnbreeze leaped at him. They began swiping at each other as they fought viciously. Duskpaw watched with interest as they seemed to be tied in strength. Duskpaw mewed teasingly "You're not letting an elder kill you, are you Shadow?"

Shadow hissed between strikes "Never!"

He knocked Dawnbreeze over as he bit down into her neck as blood oozed out. Dawnbreeze let out a choking noise as she mewed "I love you Duskpaw."

Duskpaw padded up next to Shadow and they nodded towards each other. Duskpaw mewed back "I never loved you." Shadow raised his paw and stroked down onto her neck and dug his claws into her, making her go limp.

Shadow took a step back and mewed "We're even."

Duskpaw spotted Dreamcloud turning her attention towards Shadow, Duskpaw, and Dawnbreeze. She needs to believe I'm against the rouges! She jumped in front of Shadow and hissed "You killed my mother!"

Shadow growled "What are you doing?"

Duskpaw whispered angry "I'm keeping my place in this clan! Pretend I chase you off!"

Shadow nodded as he took paces back and Duskpaw snarled loudly "You monster! Take yourself and your pathetic clan out of here!"

Shadow spun around and raced the other way...away from Dawnbreeze's body and Duskpaw.  Duskpaw spotted Dreamcloud racing up towards her as she cried "Dawnbreeze! No!"

Dreamcloud ran past Duskpaw and began muzzling her mother with grief flowing through her. Duskpaw murmured "I'm so sorry...I tried to save her and...I failed..."

Dreamcloud sniffed with sadness as she looked up at Duskpaw "You tried...that's all we can ask for. You even chased off her killer...you're a hero."

Duskpaw laid down beside her mother and grieved beside Dreamcloud for a few minuets before standing back up. "We need to finish this battle."

Dreamcloud nodded as she stood up beside Duskpaw and mewed sternly "Her death will not be in vain...let's do this." Duskpaw nodded with her eyes narrowed as they both spun around and leaped into the battle.

~*~

" Say goodbye Shadestar." Viper sneered as he pinned Shadestar down to the ground roughly with his claws unleashed on his shoulders.

Shadestar growled "We will see about that!" As he kicked Viper in the stomach and rolled over and stood to his paws. He lowered his body and leaped at Viper as he raked his chest, making him leap back in pain. Viper snarled as he quickly ran behind Shadestar and leaped onto his back.

Shadestar hissed as he jumped around trying to shake him off, but he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Shadestar collapsed to the ground as Viper dug his claws deeper and deeper into his back.

Shadestar winced in pain as he struggled to free himself from Viper's grip. His vision began to blur as he closed his eyes and his body went still. Viper jumped off Shadestar as he pushed down on his head with his front paw. "How the mighty have fallen."

Shadestar's body laid limp in a pool of blood oozing from the back of his neck, while Viper stood in front of him laughing. Suddenly, a voice growled from behind him "Indeed...the mighty Viper will fall." Viper spun around and saw a dozen Mistclan warriors facing him.

Viper lowered his body and arched his back as he began hissing viciously. He looked over her shoulder and saw at least ten rogue bodies lying on the ground limp. He glared back towards the clan as he hissed "We will be back..."

He yowled loudly "Viperclan! Fall back to camp!" The remaining rogues fled from the camp with Viper trailing behind. Soon as they all vanished, the cats began to circle around Shadestar's body as Creamleaf and Leafblossum pushed through the crowd.

Creamleaf ordered "Give us some space! If you want to be useful, find any wounded warriors and bring them to our den." All the cats seemed to slowly spread out and make their way towards their kin. Leafblossum and Creamleaf knelt down and were beginning to carry Shadestar to the Medicine den. Along the way, Leafblossum asked softly "How many lives does he have left?"

Soon as they approached the den Creamleaf replied "Four...currently...counting this one...three." Leafblossum widened her eyes with sadness as they laid his body down in the moss and began treating him.

Dawnpaw was standing in the middle of camp confused on where to go, and how to react. Then, she spotted all her siblings grieving around Dawnbreeze's body. She widened her eyes and cried "No! Dawnbreeze!" As she raced as quickly as her paws would take her, as she joined her siblings in grief.

Beside her was Treebranch, Stonefall, Dreamcloud, and beside her was Duskpaw. Dawnpaw looked down at her mother and mewed softly "I promise I won't let your death be in vain mom...I promise."

She looked up towards Duskpaw with tears in her eyes as she forced herself to keep her mouth shut. You fox hearted liar...you didn't try to protect Dawnbreeze...you wanted her dead...