Pooling Blood (Shadows of Revenge Book 3)

Prologue

The battle at the Three Stones raged on. A dark-gray molly was clawing at a ValleyClan warrior, spitting and hissing. The warrior was much younger, so she wasn't too much of a challenge. The young warrior tucked her tail in fear, Crowsong almost felt bad for her. She would've let the poor kit run. That was until another force barreled into her. Another ValleyClan warrior, a white tom, latched onto her scruff and scratched at her chest. Crowsong yowled in shock, and before she knew it, she was on the ground. She expected to feel pain, the sting of a fresh wound. But to her surprise, she felt nothing. 

Mistwing had noticed the scene nearby. He watched as Doeflower sprinted away at Ivyear's command. It made him worry for his own newborn kits, who were mindlessly nursing at Flickerpelt's belly. What if they grew up fighting horrifying battles? Why are we even at war? His thoughts distracted him too much. The warrior he was batting at managed to shove him to the ground and gave him a clean slice on the neck. If he felt any pain, he would believe it would leave a nasty scar. Mistwing felt a wave of confusion rush over him when the enemy warrior gave a glance of regret before darting away.

Crowsong stood, but she felt odd. She couldn't quite feel the grass below her, nor could she feel her own weight. When she looked down at her paws, she let out a horrified gasp. Her body was still lying there, her chest bloody and her eyes lifeless. But she was standing, how could her body be there? I'm dead. That was her first thought. I'm a ghost, but where is StarClan? Why haven't they come for me?

Mistwing let out a similar gasp when he saw his own body. "Wait! I can't be dead! I have a mate and kits waiting for me!" The tom yowled to the sky. His desperate yowls turned into anger. "Just take me, StarClan! I don't want to watch this battle," He huffed.

"You're here, too?" Crowsong called out after spotting another ghost. "Do you know why we're not in StarClan?"

Another voice only familiar to Mistwing called from the edge of the battlefield. "StarClan isn't taking us," The voice mewed. Mistwing recognized the pale white-freckled coat as Fawnwind's. Beside him was Firebrook. Fawnwind was still covered in the wounds that killed him. Firebrook still looked as old and sickly as when she died. 

"W-why not?" Mistwing shakily cried. Crowsong noticed the killing wound on his neck was still visible. She assumed hers was, too.

"I'm assuming it has something to do with the war." Fawnwind hissed in frustration, which quickly turned somber. Crowsong tilted her head, confused about the situation. Before either ghost could answer, another dying gasp could be heard. The four ghosts looked over to see Willetstar, gasping for air. He was wedged in between two warriors, seemingly trying to stop the fighting. His body fell over, his spirit splitting from him when he hit the ground. Confused and scared, the speckled leader stood. 

"StarClan? Where are you?" He called out to the sky, his wounds still visible as well. He got more and more distressed as the seconds went by. 

"Willetstar!" Crowsong called. The speckled leader turned to the ghosts with a horrified look.

"Willetstar! You have to stop the war!" Mistwing echoed. "StarClan has turned its back on us  until it ends!"

"Please! Stop the war!" Crowsong added with a wail. Willetstar's face looked even more petrified before his spirit vanished. His body began to twitch with life as he lifted his head. His wounds weren't fully healed but healed enough to make them non-deadly.

"How did he return to his body without StarClan?" Mistwing questioned.

"He still has his lives. Though they don't heal him fully," Firebrook explained. "I'm guessing StarClan might favor SwampClan during these times, due to them not being a part of the war."

"I just hope this all ends," Mistwing held back a sob.

"Me too. My kits are in StarClan. I haven't seen them in moons and now I might not get the chance to," Crowsong huffed, gazing up at the sky.

"My mate's up there, too. And my daughter," A ghostly silver tom trotted closer. His shoulders were stained with blood. Crowsong recognized the tom as SwampClan's former deputy, Silverclaw. "I trust Willetstar, though. I know he'll find a way. He has to."