Larkwing looked upwards. In the darkness above her, she could make out a narrow pair of eyes. The pupils were so large due to the low incidence of light that the iris around them was only visible as a thin ring. Nevertheless, she could make out the colour with ease. It was an unusual ice blue colour, like nothing else she had ever seen.

That could only mean one thing.

When Larkwing realised this, relief washed through her like an unexpected wave. Lakepelt had found her. How, she had no idea. However, it didn't matter right now.

"Hey there, Larky," Lakepelt meowed down to her as he shook out his paws. Only then did he seem to take notice of the tendrils and he pressed his ears to his head. "What have they done to you?"

The sudden coldness in his tone made Larkwing shiver. "Nothing," she hurried to answer.

But that was a lie. Even though the ruin cats hadn't hurt her with claws, they had still tormented her. Her whole body was cramped from standing still for so long. Sharp pains had made themselves felt in her stomach and her dry throat was crying out for water.

Weakened, she waited for Lakepelt to come down. Everything will be fine now. We'll be able to escape. For sure. We'll leave this place behind us and never look back.

Stubbornly, she repeated these positive affirmations, thinking of nothing else. She pushed aside any hint of doubt — of realistic thoughts.

The next moment she became aware of the smell of blood again, which hung over her like a blanket of fog. As quickly as it had disappeared, her panic returned.

He has killed her! Her heart was working at full speed. He has torn her throat out just like that, like it was nothing.

"Why... why did you do that?" Larkwing's mouth moved and words came out without her really realising it.

Lakepelt tilted his head. "Too bad, isn't it?" he purred, his voice sounding oddly darker than usual. "What else was I supposed to do? They're holding you captive here. They've tied you up. Were you seriously going to let that slide?"

Larkwing was at a loss for words. Of course she was angry and horrified at what had been done to her. Nevertheless, she would never go so far as to give up her future place in StarClan.

With a tight feeling in her chest, she looked down at Lakepelt, who was sniffing at her paws. Which side of him was the real one? There was no denying that he had changed since Reedclaw's death, and it worried Larkwing. Suddenly, vengeance seemed to be the only thing he cared about. Vengeance on the Shadowless for the death of his littermate and his mentor, and now vengeance on the ruin cats for kidnapping his best friend for no apparent reason.

"They really look way too tight," Lakepelt noted, beginning to bite at the first tendril. "If you don't get them off soon, your blood circulation will be cut off and your paws will fall off."

Despite the predicament she was currently in, Larkwing couldn't suppress a twitch of her whiskers. "I don't think that's how it works," she replied.

"Maybe. I'm not familiar with that sort of thing. It would be good, though, because then you wouldn't be so fussy anymore about not getting your paws dirty."

Larkwing snapped at Lakepelt's ear with feigned indignation. "I just can't help it!"

At that moment, she felt the crushing feeling around her left foreleg disappear. She looked down and realised that the tendril had loosened enough for her to pull her paw out. How did he manage that if I couldn't?

Lakepelt then set about nibbling off the next tendril. "You know, Larky," he said, "sometimes you're far too vain."

"Not true—" Larkwing paused. "Wait... what did you call me?"

Without batting an eyelid, Lakepelt interrupted what he was doing and turned his head up to Larkwing. "Larky," he repeated simply.

Stars in the sky! What is going on in that male brain? Larkwing had already heard Lightshine call Bramblepaw 'little Bramble' a few times. It was quite possible that she also called her other kits Shadow and Mist from time to time — and the ones from her adult litter Red and Silver, although that sounded rather mouse-brained, to put it mildly.

But no one had ever given Larkwing a nickname before. At least not one she could remember.

And now Lakepelt, the cat Larkwing would least expect such a thing from, out of the blue started calling her Larky!

"How did you even come up with the idea?" she pressed out. "And why does it have to be 'Larky'? Wouldn't just 'Lark' have been just as good?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the second tendril came loose. She shook out her paw, infinitely happy and relieved to be almost free. Now Lakepelt still had to somehow manage to free her hind legs. However, this would no doubt take longer, as she had had no way of getting to them. It had been different with her front paws. She had already bitten the tendrils pretty severely. That was probably also the reason why Lakepelt had had such an easy time freeing her in the end.

The dark grey and white tabby warrior padded behind her. "Why not?" he replied as he nibbled on her hind leg. "I think we've reached a point where that's appropriate. Besides, you're really cute, so your normal name doesn't cut it anymore."

Bold words for someone who had insulted me as disfigured the very first time we met. This almost made Larkwing snort in disbelief, but then another sharp pain shot through her stomach. Startled, she hissed and arched her back.

Lakepelt lifted his head. "Are you all right?" he enquired worriedly.

Clenching her teeth, Larkwing ignored the pain that almost robbed her of her ability to stand and turned awkwardly to face him. In his light blue eyes, she thought, there was a gleam of genuine fear. No trace of the tom who had slain Pebbles simply to get to her.

"I'm fine," Larkwing replied, hoping he didn't realise she was lying. "By the way, how did you know I was here?" she added hastily in an attempt to change the subject.

Lakepelt didn't make a really convinced impression. Nevertheless, he continued to free her from the last tendrils. "Lavender told me."

At the name, Larkwing perked up her black ears with the red tips in surprise. "What, how did that happen?"

Her thoughts were already starting to race restlessly again. And why did she know about it? Is she also in cahoots with Sunray and the others?

Larkwing felt a tightening in her chest. She had just begun to understand the lilac tabby she-cat. If Lavender really was part of this plan, Larkwing would never forgive her.

"Apparently she watched a few cats dragging you around this afternoon," Lakepelt told her, while at the same moment the third tendril came loose. "It certainly sounded pretty credible. Although I didn't even realise that she was capable of saying anything useful."

Involuntarily, his disparaging tone made Larkwing's fur bristle and she opened her mouth to defend Lavender. Then it occurred to her again that Lakepelt had a good reason to hate Lavender. After all, she had come up with the absolutely crazy and unjustified idea that she could enter into a relationship with him just like that. And all because she had been manipulated from an early age to have to reproduce at all costs so as not to be considered the end of her family tree.

Then Larkwing became aware of the hissing and howling again, the sounds of battle. It sounded so far away and yet she was aware of how close she was to the action. "And that what's happening out there right now," she asked hesitantly, searching for the right words, "does it maybe have something to do with me?"

The last tendril came loose. Larkwing hurriedly stepped aside to put as much distance as possible between herself and these instruments of torture. Free at last! She shook her paws vigorously.

"I don't know." Lakepelt had a tense look on his face. "So much has happened that I've lost track. But it seems like some of the ruin cats have split off and are now attacking the remaining ones."

So that meant it wasn't rogues or Shadowless that had started the fight. "Why would they do something like that?" she muttered to herself.

Eyelids heavy, she looked around for Lakepelt. I'm so tired... For a brief moment, her surroundings threatened to blur and her eyes went black. To make matters worse, the ground began to sway and her paws stepped into the void.

Before she could hit the ground, she felt something furry pressing against her flank, pushing her back onto all fours. "You're not feeling well at all!" Lakepelt meowed, this time half horrified, half reproachful.

Larkwing was about to protest when she was overcome by another attack of weakness. It could no longer be denied. She was terribly hungry. Her throat was parched, her legs stiff. Added to this was a nerve-racking exhaustion and a roaring pain in her head. Even though she knew she had to get out of here as quickly as possible, her body simply wouldn't obey her.

She no longer really noticed that Lakepelt was pushing her forward with his muzzle. She simply stumbled to the edge of the pit without having to exert herself.

"You still have to hold on a bit, okay?" Lakepelt pleaded. Muffled, as if through a thick wall of clouds, his voice reached Larkwing's ear. "At least until we reach the forest. We won't be followed there."

Yes. Hold on. I must not meet my end here. Not like this. With difficulty, Larkwing opened her eyes and pulled herself up from the edge of the pit. Several times she felt like she was going to fall, but each time she narrowly avoided it.

The hole didn't seem to be very deep and she was sure that, had the circumstances been different, she could have easily jumped out from a standing position. Now, however, she felt as if it had taken her an eternity.

She had barely pulled herself over the edge when her gaze involuntarily fell on Pebbles, who was lying in a dark puddle with wide, glassy eyes. A multitude of bloody claw marks stretched down from her chin to between her front legs.

Larkwing hurriedly turned away. In the end, it was probably the only option. She shuddered at this gloomy thought. She would never consider death as a solution. At least she had lived by this principle all her life.

And yet something seemed to be changing inside her. She hadn't known Pebbles before, but what she had witnessed so far made it clear. A cat that had been involved in a kidnapping and most likely belonged to a rebellious group was not to be trusted.

See? This is how those who take the wrong path end up, a cold voice hissed in her subconscious. This time, Larkwing didn't bother to fight it. Not only because she couldn't muster any mental strength for it. It gradually dawned on her that sometimes it was necessary to do things that went against one's morals if it was for the greater good.

A short time later, Lakepelt was with her and nudged her flank. "We'll be able to get out over there," he meowed with a flick of his tail in the direction of an opening in the wall. "Actually, I would have preferred it if we found some alternative route. But I don't think you can climb in this condition, can you?"

Suppressing a prolonged yawn, Larkwing shook her head. "I can't," she mumbled, blinking away the tears from her eyes.

Only now did she realise that they were inside a ruin. The hard, crumbled stone walls towered as high as a tree. Moss and vines covered them, and all sorts of large, odd-shaped things lay in the shadows, of which Larkwing had not the slightest idea what they were.

In silence, Larkwing let Lakepelt manoeuvre her towards the opening. Although numerous questions kept her brain busy, she only concentrated on putting one paw in front of the other. She simply had to keep going. Every step took her further away from this place.

In front of the opening, they stopped. Lakepelt stuck his head out and checked the air with his mouth open. "There doesn't seem to be anyone around here," he informed Larkwing, then he pushed her outside.

After a whole day in this stuffy hole, the fresh, cool air of the night hit Larkwing like an unexpected wave, and she thought she had regained a tiny bit of strength as a result. Still, she was painfully aware that she was completely dependent on another cat. Normally, she would say that she was a good enough fighter to take on a ruin cat or two.

With a frustrated huff, she clenched her fangs. Right now she was nothing more than a wreck, barely strong enough to walk. If she tried to fight, it would only put her in unnecessary danger.

Still... Why does it bother me so much that I'm helpless?

As Larkwing let Lakepelt push her past the ruins without a sense of direction, she noticed how loudly she was breathing. Too loudly.

Suddenly Lakepelt slowed his pace. His fur ruffled, he pressed himself to the ground.

What's going on? Larkwing cocked her head before Lakepelt pressed her flat to the ground as well.

"There's no further to go," he whispered tensely and pointed forwards with his muzzle.

Larkwing followed his gesture. It was true: she could make out the outlines of cats pacing up and down between the stone walls. And not only that. The forest seemed to be quite close now, which meant that they were approaching the edge of the cluster of ruins.

Angered, the tortico she-cat tensed her claws. They had been so close to escaping. Besides, she had never noticed that there were guards in the past moon.

No doubt the renegade ruin cats knew that Larkwing would try to escape. They might be disloyal, but they certainly weren't stupid.

So the two had no choice but to turn around and find another way to the forest. But no matter how far they ran, there were always cats at the edge of the forest. Larkwing couldn't estimate how many there were. In any case, too many for them to take on.

Lakepelt nudged her into a small, empty ruin and under the long branches of a hazel bush. "There's no use."

Larkwing peeked out worriedly, ready to retreat at lightning speed should a ruin cat be lurking nearby. "What should we do then?" she replied in a breathy whisper.

"I don't know." Lakepelt looked at least as clueless and desperate as Larkwing felt.

Thoughtfully, Larkwing stared at her paws. If they didn't think of a way to get into the forest as quickly as possible, the chances of them escaping unharmed were slim.

She had been kidnapped and tied up in a pit. She had been called a sacrifice, and now the ruin cats were fighting each other for some unknown reason. A cold shiver ran down Larkwing's spine and one by one the hairs in her fur stood up. She didn't like what was happening here at all. Especially why it was happening at all — and why right now.

She opened her mouth to make a suggestion. "Is it not—"

Lakepelt immediately lunged at her, pinning her head to the ground with his front paws. He came very close to her ear with his mouth and hissed, "Shut up! I think there are some coming our way."

I can't see anyone. Panic swelled in Larkwing. She pricked up her ears and sniffed, but she was so dazed that she could hardly concentrate.

A shadowy silhouette suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Larkwing narrowed her eyes. No, there were two of them. Three? Or were there even more?

Lakepelt let go of her and stood crosswise in front of her. His lashing tail fluffed up, he hissed at the strange cats.

Strangely enough, they just stood there, slightly tense. With glowing eyes, they stared at Larkwing and Lakepelt, but at the same time didn't seem to take any real notice of them. Then the ear of one of the grey cats twitched slightly, and as if it had been a secret sign, they rushed forward.

Before Larkwing could react, Lakepelt had jumped to his paws and whirled around. "Run!" he hissed at her. With his bushy tail, he pulled Larkwing along by the hind leg.

Automatically, she also started moving, following Lakepelt out of the ruin. They dashed blindly and aimlessly around the labyrinth of stone dens. Larkwing hardly noticed anything of her surroundings. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, trying not to lose sight of Lakepelt. That was easier said than done, as he blended in with the shadows due to his almost black tabby fur and his white paws moved too fast for her to orientate on them anyway.

They had long been in the thick of the battle. Out of the corner of her eye, Larkwing could make out fighting cats wedged into each other. Howls and the scent of blood filled the air.

Where was the rest of the reconnaissance patrol? Suddenly Larkwing was overcome by a wave of apprehension. Were they here too, fighting the renegade ruin cats? Or had they fled into the forest, as she and Lakepelt had originally planned?

At that moment, she realised that she couldn't spot Lakepelt anywhere. Larkwing came to an abrupt halt. Swaying, she sought support on a ruin wall as she gasped for air. Fear seemed to have given her momentary strength, but as soon as she stopped running, her exhaustion returned stronger than ever.

"You shouldn't get away."

As if she had fallen into a thorn bush, Larkwing winced. Who's there?

Once again the voice sounded, closer this time and much more menacing. "If you try to escape me, you'll be one step closer to death."

Before she had even finished speaking, a she-cat emerged from the shadows. Her sleek fur, golden in the light of the full moon, gave her a mystical appearance. At the same time, her face was contorted with hatred. Her fangs flashed out of her mouth and she fixated Larkwing with her poisonous green gaze, drooling.

The RoseClan warrior gasped. "You!"

Sunray hissed. "Not just me," she clarified, twitching the tip of her tail.

At that, more cats slithered out from between the ruins, at least half a dozen. Stiff with fright, Larkwing backed away.

A fatal mistake. Her white tail tip barely grazed anything before she felt sharp claws digging into her hips and bringing her down. She caught a glimpse of the cat that had attacked her — Moth.

Anger flared up in Larkwing again and she tried in vain to snap at him. Damn... I can't muster any more strength.

The spot where Moth had caught her burnt like fire and took her breath away. To make matters worse, her field of vision blurred.

Sunray stalked a few steps closer before she stopped again. "Why?" She sighed theatrically. "Face it. Your fate is already sealed. No matter how you twist it, you'll end up with an agonising death."

No... oh no. Please, no. She's lying. I will survive. I've come this far. I won't let myself get down that easily.

"Forget it," Larkwing pressed out between clenched teeth. "I'm not that easy to—"

With a derisive snort, Sunray cut her off. "Wrong. You're mistaken. My masters have chosen you. Don't you dare resist. With every day that passes, more of their power fades. And it's my job to find a new source of energy for them so that they can..."

Her voice trailed off, horror creeping into her eyes. Without saying anything, she stared at Larkwing.

All at once, the pain in Larkwing's hipbones disappeared. Reflexively, she rolled away, catching a glimpse of Moth. Violently, he was yanked back by Lakepelt, who had reappeared soundlessly. In a tangle of legs and tails, Moth's neck landed heavily on the edge of a stone. Before he could react, Lakepelt dug his fangs into his throat until Moth went limp.

Barely a heartbeat later, two of Sunray's followers tore him away and he disappeared under a swirl of furs.

Larkwing's heart pounded fiercely against her ribcage. Now Moth is dead too. But she didn't have time to think about it. Sunray had broken out of her trance and she stomped towards the she-cat lying on the ground.

Larkwing fell into a panicked stupor. Her body no longer obeyed her, no matter how hard she pushed herself. Come on... She unsheathed her claws. Attack her. One well-placed strike and she'd be incapacitated.

Despite her petite stature, Sunray loomed menacingly in front of her. Her mouth twisted into a snarl. "No one left to protect you, huh? It's over," she growled, one paw raised.

"That's right, it's over. For you!" Crowshadow's voice rang out. The black she-cat stormed down a small hill. Her long pelt was full of holes and sticky with blood, and her ears had been torn to shreds. With a great leap, she landed in front of Larkwing.

"How did you find us?" Larkwing struggled out a faint purr.

Everything would be fine now. Crowshadow was at her side. And even though she must have had some fierce fights already, Larkwing could feel that there was still enough fighting spirit in her.

Crowshadow turned his head to her briefly, but didn't take his eyes off Sunray. "I'll tell you later. First I have to take care of these vermin here."

Next to Crowshadow, Sunray looked ridiculously small and inferior. Larkwing wrinkled her muzzle. Surely the golden spotted she-cat would give up now that she was facing a much larger and more experienced cat.

As expected, Sunray flattened her ears and backed away. Larkwing almost yowled triumphantly.

But then Sunray hissed, "You over there! Deal with the sacrifice!"

Four cats charged at Larkwing from left and right. They pinned her to the ground, holding her paws and head so that she had no chance to defend herself, nor could she see what happened next.

"By trying to help my masters' sacrifice escape, you have also incurred their wrath." There was a haunted undertone in Sunray's voice. "You'll have to pay for that."

Crowshadow replied with a snarl. "Never!" she retorted. "I won't let you touch Larkwing. First you have to manage to kill me!"

Only a moment later, she gasped for air. A ghastly crack sounded, followed by a horrifying scream — and at the same time, Larkwing lost consciousness again.