Warriors: Rise of the Shadows (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Help!" Yowled a voice that made Sweetscent's eyes shoot open. Another yowl for help made her sprint out of the warriors' den and stop in the center of the clearing.

Her heart stopped at the sight of Mosspatch dragging a dead Swiftclaw by the scruff into the camp. Sweetscent raced to the two cats as the Clan made their way out of their nests to see what the commotion was about.

"How did this happen, Mosspatch?" Sweetscent asked fervently, looking from the dead tom to the gray and white she-cat. Her eyes were wide and wild as she began to explain that she was on a solo hunt when she found his body.

"And what's worse," she finished. "Is I'm expecting his kits!" Sweetscent sighed, tail draped over Mosspatch's shoulder for comfort as she sobbed.

Larchstar padded over to the two she-cats and studied the body of Swiftclaw closely. The leader looked to Mosspatch and his deputy and growled. "Another cat has been killed," he looked furious.

Sweetscent pulled an innocent look and voice to speak to her leader. "Another?" She asked, trying to be oblivious.

"Ripplethroat, Lionroar, and Deerspeck have been killed in the forest." Mewed her leader, eyes intense. "We are losing so many cats in such a short amount of time, who would do this?"

Sweetscent didn't reply, only looking at Honeypelt who was watching nearby and flicked her ear knowingly. 'We need to bring Larchstar down tonight.' She thought, eyes flashing.

**********

"We have to take him down tonight," meowed Sweetscent to her group of rebels. They all met in the warriors' den while Larchstar was asleep and the others were gone.

"But how?" Asked Sparrowgorse, gazing at his mother with confusion. "Larchstar is very lethal in battle and he will fight dirty in order to win."

"True, my son." Sweetscent meowed and rose to her paws. "But when we attack, Larchstar will kill as many of us as possible but we will evade every fight with him as long as possible."

The cats around her nodded in agreement. Tonight, she may not see some of them anymore until she died. Her friends, her kin, her family would die tonight.

Her amber eyes hardened and she unsheathed her claws. "Tonight, our leader falls," Sweetscent growled, turning her eyes to the sunset outside as the others began to bed down for some rest.

Hours passed and Sweetscent was still awake, eyes unreadable as she turned to her friends. "Wake up, everyone." She meowed, paws shifting with anticipation. "It's time."

Sparrowgorse padded forward, his amber eyes glinting with determination. "Who will you go for first?" He asked quietly as the others began to wake.

Sweetscent gave her son a sideways glance before looking outside the den. "Rainshadow then some other cat then hopefully Larchstar." She answered, sighing.

Sparrowgorse pressed against his mother and licked her ear. "Don't worry," he soothed, draping his tail over her shoulders. "We'll win this."

"Well said, Sparrowgorse." Purred Podheart, nodding to the tortoiseshell tom. Turning her gaze to Sweetscent, she dipped her head. "We're ready."

Sweetscent nodded and rose to her paws, claws unsheathed. "Then let's finish this," she meowed and padded out of the den with her friends behind her. After giving the home she'd grown up in a final look, she raised her head and yowled. "Attack!"