The Moon's Shadow (Warriors fan universe)

Chapter Thirteen

Silverstorm awoke, her eyes flashing open. The cold wind made her pelt shriek. She pushed herself to her feet, looking around. She heard a commotion, and swiveled her ears around, trying to identify where it was coming from. She peeked around a large stone, looking down into a flat clearing. There stood five cats, standing out against the snow, all for one, who was almost invisible with their white coat.

"Here comes a hawk! That thing will feed everyone!" Called out a deep voice. Silverstorm saw a dark brown tom and a silver tabby slither up the side of the steep rock, and using their strong back legs to push themselves off the mountain, and lunge for the hawk. Their claws outstretched, they wrestled the big bird to the ground. Before the other three cats could rush forward to help in the kill, the hawk shoved off it's attackers, and flew off.

"Rat dung!΅ The white she-cat hissed, her blue eyes narrowed with rage. "I can't believe you let it get away!" She whirled around on her comrades. The silver tabby scowled.

"What do you mean!? If anything, you slowed us down!"

"Moonspeckle, Lightstep, stop!" A big, dark ginger tom stepped forward, breaking up the argument. "This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves."

Moonspeckle! Silverstorm realized the gray spotted she-cat was the hero from the legends. Though, she never thought that her hero would have such a nasty attitude.

"Stay out of it, Forest." Moonspeckle glared at him. "What would a rogue like you know about how groups work?" Forest flinched, and drew back his lips to reveal big fangs.

"I am a ThunderClan warrior!" Forest yowled. Silverstorm saw long claws slide out into the snow, and panic jolted her. Were they going to start fighting?

"What do you have to say about this, Darkclaw? Surely you can agree that these fools are incompetent?" Moonspeckle faced the great, dark tom.

Darkclaw narrowed his sharp, yellow eyes. "I think you are acting like an apprentice, Moonspeckle." He meowed coolly. The spotted she-cat hissed, flattening her ears back.

"I acted so foolishly back then." A voice behind Silverstorm spoke, and Silverstorm whirled around. There stood Moonspeckle, watching the scene unravel below them. Her fur glittered, and her eyes shone. Silverstorm put the pieces together and realized that this was a dream, and this ancient spirit had brought her here. "You might want to brace yourself for this next part." Moonspeckle warned, and Silverstorm turned back to the fighting cats below.

The vision showed Moonspeckle fighting off both Forest and DarkClaw now, claws and tails flying. Lightstep and the fifth cat, Oceaneyes, watched the three warriors roll back and forth, clearly hesitant to try and break it up.

Darkclaw caught his paw on the side of Moonspeckle's chin, and drew it back. Her face turned along with it, a sickening snap rang through the stiff, cold air. The brown tom leaped back, hissing in panic as Moonspeckle's legs buckled beneath her, and she hit the snow with a muffled thud. The group looked down at her in horror. Her neck was twisted horribly, just as the stories told, and her lifeless eyes were still staring up at the sky, wide with fear and fury.

"What... What have I done.." Darkclaw's voice wavered, grief and dread battling in his eyes. Silverstorm would never know what happened next, for a flurry of snow blew past her face, washing away the cats in the clearing. Silverstorm looked at Moonspeckle, the she-cat's brilliant blue eyes warm with emotion.

"I have so many questions."

"Ask away, we have all night." Moonspeckle said, with a rather casual tone, as she began to walk along the barren face of the mountain. Silverstorm followed, the cold of the stone no longer stinging her pads.