Book 1: Stormstar's Promise

Chapter 2

The first rays of sunlight peaked over the horizon, awakening Stormstar instantly. Her blue eyes blinked open slowly, savoring the warmth granted by the rising sun. Then she hurriedly groomed her silver fur until it shimmered with a glossy tint. She bounded out of her tree and rushed over to the prisoner den. Shadelight was summoning the deputy and leader from the den already.

Shadelight's multicolored eyes glowed indifferently towards the prisoners impending execution. One of her eyes was a pale yellow while the other was a deep violet. Her different eyes were always a bit peculiar to Stormstar but no one seemed to notice. Stormstar slowed to a halt beside Shadelight.

"Do you really want to watch?" Shadelight whispered under her breath. Stormstar nodded tersely.

"A good leader always finishes what they start," she responded evenly. Shadelight said no more as they ushered the leader and deputy of Seaclan from the camp. Then a snarl made them stop.

"Leave my clan alone!" a voice shouted from within the pit. Its caterwauls of anger echoed throughout the camp, the cat kept chanting over and over again; leave my clan alone. Stormstar was at a loss for words. Who was this cat, so bold enough to openly defy her? Who would defy her when they knew it meant their death?

Stormstar's silver ears flattened against her head, her blue eyes narrowed with distaste and she stalked towards the pit with fury cackling in each paw step. She peered down inside and saw a gray Bengal cat pacing the hallowed ground, its eyes were bright and its tail was bushy. When the cat noticed Stormstar watching it hissed up at the Ravenclan leader.

"Come down here and face me you coward!" the cat challenged, there was no fear in her voice. Only remorse...

Stormstar couldn't sit idly by and let this cat degrade her in front of her clan. She calmly ordered one of her warriors to fetch the gray she cat from the prisoner pit. The cat was dragged out of the pit and shoved roughly in front of the leader.

"What is your name?" Stormstar asked gently, her blue eyes were unusually soft. The gray she cat was wary but saw no other option than to answer.

"Ashbreeze," she murmured. "Ashbreeze is my name."

"Kneel," Stormstar ordered. All calm gentles vanished from her voice like a spark being extinguished. Ashbreeze looked slightly taken aback, then her amber eyes glowered with a mix of emotions.

"I will never kneel to the likes of you. You will never lead Seaclan!" she roared. Stormstar slashed at the older she cats muzzle. Ashbreeze winced as drops of blood formed from the new wound. Then she met Stormstar's gaze, their eyes locked together and neither averted their attention from the other. What Stormstar saw inside of Ashbreeze's amber eyes was a mystery. A swirl of different feelings lurked in the golden depths. It almost seemed like a battle going on within Ashbreeze, a war of regret, love, hate, and sorrow.

Stormstar abruptly looked down at her paws.

"Shadelight, bring this cat with the leader and deputy for the executions," she said stiffly. Shadelight immediately obliged and grabbed Ashbreeze's scruff in her jaws. Ashbreeze didn't struggle as she walked side by side with her clan's deputy and leader. The three cats moved calmly and stoically towards their death. Stormstar felt like everything was spinning out of control, she quickly composed herself and marched alongside the Seaclan cats with Shadelight flanking their other side.

"Is it really okay, do you think, to kill a medicine cat?" the deputy of Seaclan remarked under his breath. Stormstar twitched her ears in surprise.

"Ravenclan isn't composed of monsters. We must take your lives to gain control of your warriors, but we won't kill medicine cats," she defended her and her clan. The deputy snorted.