Warriors: The Third Strike: Book 3: The Death Voyage

Chapter 11

[Tulipheart's POV]

Leopardtail was next to me fighting, but both of us were getting rather hurt. I could feel the blood dripping from my cheek, but I looked okay compared to some of the other warriors I could see. Leopardtail was hurt, but not too bad.

I looked around trying to find our leader or deputy, but I couldn't spot Tinystar or Witheredsoul. As I turned to look at the nursery, I saw Maplesnow being thrown out of it. He tried lifting his head up, but it just fell back down in defeat. The moment after his head fell down, Maskedstar came out of the nursery holding two kits that were recognizable to the whole clan as the leader's only kits, Acornkit and Silentkit.

Acornkit was yowling loudly as she tried to squirm away. Silentkit just had his eyes closed and stayed still. It looked like he didn't care what was going to happen. He wasn't trying to struggle because he thought someone would save him. Maskedstar put them down by his paws and kept a paw on each of them so they couldn't go anywhere.

"Cats of DepthClan and SmallClan! This battle is over. DepthClan has lost, unless anyone wants to challenge me?" The tom said it almost like a question with his gaze glancing around the camp. No one dared to answer him. "Good, that's what I thought. I am taking over this clan and the Dark Forest. From this moment, I am demoting Tinystar and taking her spot." The black and white tom said with a smirk that I could easily see. He was wanting Tinystar to fight him so he could defeat her. He was cunning and evil.

"You cannot demote me! I am the leader of DepthClan and the Dark Forest! I've worked for this spot. What did you do? Join the Dark Forest's side at the last moment and got chose to be the leader of SmallClan?" Tinystar's hiss rang through the camp. Cats edged out of the way so it was possible to see the small leader. Her claws were dug into the ground, but her frame seemed weak. None of her other warriors were close to her.

"You have done nothing to keep your spot as the leader. Bloodtear only chose you because he saw something in you, and he wanted a cat that was alive to lead them." Maskedstar hissed not moving from his spot. Acornkit kept trying to get away, but he just put more pressure on her that just made her yowl louder.

"Leave my kits out of it! They have done nothing wrong!" Tinystar hissed as she slowly walked closer to the opposing leader.

"They haven't done anything wrong yet. You have a plan for them to become your successors. You plan on teaching them the ways of the darkness so that they can become great like you, yet you are lazy." Maskedstar laughed madly. He had lost it completely, and his madness was aimed at us. We may not like Tinystar, but I didn't want to be under this tom's rule.