Vengeance

Chapter One.
As my clan and I walk along the lakeshore, I can feel the pebbles shifting against my feet. This Gathering was going to be interesting, I thought. After the battle with ShadowClan, there was sure to be tension between the two clans. As we get there, I smell the scent of RiverClan, and see them crossing the tree-bridge to get to the Gathering.

"Runningsky!" I hear our leader, Lilystar, calling, "Get over here! Don't just sit there daydreaming!"

I run over to her. She seemed tense, as if the entirety of ShadowClan were about to jump a her all at once. I placed my tail-tip comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said, "I hope that there won't be much trouble tonight, but after that display a few sunrises ago, there's bound to be."

I ran ahead to cross the bridge. As I reach the end, I can smell ShadowClan and ThunderClan as well. The clearing had less cats here than normal from ThunderClan and ShadowClan. I wonder if they are in trouble.

A yowl rang across the clearing. Hoverstar had called the meeting to order. I went to take my place among the roots, where the deputies go.

"I call this Gathering to order!" Hoverstar said, " Lilystar, if you would please speak first."

"With pleasure, Hoverstar," Lilystar began, "Our clan is thriving. Russetspots has given birth to a new litter of kits, and we have a new warrior. Mothpaw is now Mothflare." Yowls of approval rang out. Mothflare was always popular with the clans. Lilystar beckoned he head toward Stonestar, the leader of RiverClan.

"I am happy to hear about WindClan, Lilystar," Stonestar congratulated, "RiverClan is also thriving. Our medicine cat, Gingerspirit, has taken Cedarpaw as her apprentice."

"ThunderClan has some grave news," Hoverstar said, his voice filled with sorrow, "A patrol of cats from our clan have gone missing. We believe that this was done by one of the clans." Yowls of protest broke out.

Cinderpool of RiverClan started to speak, "What? Why would you even think that another clan would stoop to something so low? If you truely think that, then your whole clan must be mouse-brained!" Yowls of agreement flew through the clearing like echoes in a cave.

A loud yowl stopped the bickering. It was the leader of ShadowClan, Gemstar, "Along with ThunderClan, ShadowClan has also lost cats to an unknown force. There was no body found, no struggle, and it was only a single patrol, but we must think logically about this. Has any cat seen a loner around the territories lately?" No cat spoke. "Then we must be led to believe that there is a traitor among us."

The yowls broke out again, but one rose above them all, "Wait!" I turned around to see Crystalpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice, and Gemstar's daughter. She stepped forward. The wind started to pick up. "A few sunrises ago, I had picked up a scent that I had never smelled before. It smelled of the mountains, salt, and...," she hesitated, suddenly afraid, "It also smelled.... of blood."

It was then that the wind blew harder that any instance on the moor. A bright light flashed, and in the center of the clearing stood three cats, chanting Two, who have shown great courage, shall bring light as darkness and rage comes to engulf us all.

Chapter Two.
Prickletalon watched the leaders accuse each other.

"I wish we could have some peace for a while," Cinderpool grumbled. Suddenly Prickletalon though she heard a voice on the wind. She slipped away from her sister and began to listen harder. There was something about "two with courage" and "darkness and rage engulf us all".

Prickletalon closed her eyes to try to hear more but all she could hear was the wind.

"Is something out of place?" Rocktalon asked. Prickletalon didn't reply. "Well if there is, you'll be the first one to find it!" He continued.Prickletalon nodded slowly before dashing away. She always felt wierd around Rocktalon.clans

Suddenly Prickletalon heard a yowl from above and saw Hovestar and Stonestar growling at each other. Gemstar stepped in just before they were about to claw each other's face off. "This Gathering has ended!" Gemstar growled.

Hovestar let out a growl of pleasure and stalked away with his clan. Stonestar just sighed and waved his tail, telling his clan to follow him.

"That little stinkin' peice of fox-dung!" Cinderpool hissed. Prickletalon growled in aggreement Stonestar snorted. "I should have told the clans that we were having problems with rogues as well," Stonestar murmured.

Suddenly there was a shriek up ahead. Prickletalon stopped. It was a coming from Riverclan camp!

Chapter Three.
As I was going back to the WindClan camp, she thought about what had happened at the Gathering. ''Surely she hadn't imagined the prophecy. ''Though no one in the patrol seemed to notice that anything strange happened. The only cats in the patrol that seemed tense in the slightest were Lilystar, Pinerain, our medicine cat, and Pepperpaw, his apprentice. I padded up toward Pepperpaw. She was so distraught that she hadn't noticed me come up.

"Oh! Runningsky... I hadn't seen you there," She said. "Can you keep a secret?" She whispered.

"Does it have anything to do with the wind and voices that just happened?" I asked.

"You heard them too!" she yelled, then lowered her voice. "Did you hear what they said?"

"Two, who have shown great courage, shall bring light as darkness and rage comes to engulf us all," I recited.

We padded back to camp in silence. As we stepped in, a yowl caught me off guard.

"Lilystar!" I heard someone scream. Russetspots came up, "I can't find my kits! They just disappeared, and they aren't anywhere in camp!"

"Calm down, Russetspots," Lilystar soothed. "Runningsky, lead a patrol to look for them."

I called for Barkfeather, Flashclaw, and Sagepaw, and we set out. As we were about to reach th RiverClan border, I picked up a scent. It smelled...strange. Like salt, rocks, and another scent. I sniffed again. It was blood. I waved my tail for silence, and for the patrol to follow me.

We walked alongside the lake-shore for a while longer, until we reached the forest area at the end of our territory. There, hastely covered with leaves, were the bodies of the missing kits, bloody and cold.

Chapter Four.
Prickletalon raced ahead. She saw Skystripe, a queen, at the entrace. "All of them gone....." She shrieked.

"What's gone?" Cinderpool asked as she skid to a halt beside Prickletalon. Skystripe just let out another distraght shriek before falling to the ground. Another Queen, Shinningpoppy took her place. "All the kits have disapeared," She meowed her worry gaze travelling to Stonestar.

Stonestar shook his head, sadly, before calling all riverclan's warriors.

"Six of us will scout the rest will protect the camp!" He ordered. "Rocktalon you lead one patrol, Icestrike you lead the other. You both choose two more cats. Good luck."

Icestrike gave Prickletalon a curt nod and flicked his tail. "Prickletalon and Cinderpool!" He called, then Rocktalon called, "Smokefoot and Shinningpoppy!"

Prickletalon followed the scent. It was the oddest of scents, a mix of dead leaves and blood. The scent was getting stronger...

Suddenly something hit her on her head. The last thing she saw was blood and teeth before she blacked out.