Thats what you think... Littlewind padded towards the patrol with Deerhide on his heels, nodding curtly to its members. “Is Deerhide awake?” Rumbled Rookscar, flicking his tail with impatience. “Barely.” Deerhide answered, flicking her ears, “I don't see why we have to do patrols anyway, ever since the Tribe of Rushing Water went to the mountains we haven’t had any trouble with anyone.” “There’s no harm in making sure.” Cricketleap pointed out. “But its been over two seasons!” “Complaining wont change anything.” Badgerbite growled. “Can we just get on with the patrol? The faster we stop arguing the faster the patrol ends.” Rookscar mewed evenly, challenging anyone to rebuke with his cold stare. The other cats nodded in agreement and padded out from underneath the the huge overhanging oak tree that shielded their camp, its thick, drooping branches scraping their pelts. Littlewind opened his mouth to draw in any unfamiliar scents as he patrolled his border.

Littlewind tried to look determined and focused, but in reality he senses were sharply aware of any sign of weariness expressed toward him. Deerhide trotted confidently next to him, her head and tail held high, and every now and then providing Littlewind with a comforting nudge. He wished with all of his might that he could move on with such ease, but his actions weighed over his head like a storm cloud, rumbling and crackling. Suddenly, Deerhide snapped her head upwards in alarm and pricked her ears forward. Her pelt was pulsing with fear mixed with curiosity, her pupils reduced to slits. The whole patrol stopped at Deerhide’s sudden change in behavior and started to sniff the air, nostrils flaring at the stagnant scent. ShadowClan. Littlewind could see them now, as vividly as if they were right in front of him. Their strong, rippling pelts sauntering next to their border, sticking their noses in the air with triumph as if they were unmeasurably proud of their border establishment.

He flattened his ears with annoyance. He crouched low to the ground next to Deerhide, his lips curling so tight that you could see all his gums. Rookscar, who was leading the patrol, nodded to the cluster of cats and dived into a nearby elder bush, leaves fluttering as he situated himself. The rest of the patrol followed, either clawing up a tree or scrambling into a bush. Littlewind personally preferred rabbit holes, where his lithe, small body could squeeze into. But since there were none around, he reluctantly scraped his way up a pine tree and settled at a high branch, only his ice-blue eyes visible through the greenery. He searched for Deerhide’s familiar speckled pelt through the thicket of pine needles, and spotted her standing stiffly in the middle of the clearing that the patrol had just flocked from. He began to get overwhelmed with worry as scored his claws into the pine bark with apprehension. But he knew all to well that if he called for his Clanmate, the ShadowClan patrol would be alerted.

She knows what she’s doing. He assured himself, shaking his pelt free of the wood he had sprayed himself with, After all, she is one of the clan’s five senses. Deerhide raised her nose expertly into the air, sniffing carefully. Her whiskers twitched with the effort, and her ears flicked from side to side, catching any noise. Littlewind watched with a unwavering gaze, his tail flicking from side to side. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she leapt into a clump of bramble. He froze in place when he saw a dark reddish-brown ShadowClan cat pad into the clearing, teeth bared in a snarl. “I heard you!” He yowled, scanning the clearing, “You cant hide!” Deerhide stayed as still as a deer in headlights. He lowered his nose and started snuffling around the clearing, shoving his nose into bushes and brambles. “Got you!” He screeched triumphantly, grabbing Rookscar by the scruff. Rookscar yelped in surprise and darted out of his jaws, rounding on him with his teeth clipping in a rapid succession of snaps.

The ShadowClan cat shied away, but was immediately swept off his feet with a neat swipe from Rookscar, sending the young ShadowClan tom scrambling to his feet. Once the ShadowClan tom found his feet he darted around Rookscar, landing quick swipes and nips at his sides. Rookscar swung his head to and fro wildly, then finally head-butted into the ShadowClan tom’s shoulder, pinning him down by the fore and hind legs. Rookscar leaned close to the ShadowClan tom’s face, releasing a intimidating snarl. “Get off of me, you mange-pelted rouge!” The ShadowClan tom spat, thrashing his paws helplessly. Rookscar pushed down hard on his forelegs with his, causing the ShadowClan tom to grit his teeth in attempt to suppress a pained wail. Suddenly, the ShadowClan patrol raced into the clearing, stopping abruptly at the sight of the ShadowClan tom sprawled on the forest floor. A black and white tom snorted and stepped forward, his Clanmates flanking him.

“Rustpaw, what do you think you’re doing?” The white and black tom scoffed, gazing at him through slitted eyes, “When you scent a rouge, you alert us! I had the whole patrol searching for your pelt!” “Sorry.” Rustpaw mumbled, squirming under Rookscar’s grasp. “Now, time to deal with the rouge.” A mottled brown she-cat hissed, swishing her tail, “It’s straying too close to the border, Hawkfur!” “Yes, Lilyfire.” Hawkfur nodded in acknowledgement and swung his head back toward the two wrestling cats, “I demand you to let go of this mouse-brain, or we’ll do so by force.” Rookscar held his ground, then nodded reluctantly and stepped off of Rustpaw, shooting him a final glare. “You should teach this kit some respect.” Rookscar muttered, flicking his tail toward Rustpaw, “I would’ve ripped his pelt off if y’all hadn’t shown up.” No, no, no! Littlewind thought, his body tensing from nose to tail-tip, Don’t make the situation worse than it already is!

Hawkfur let his cool gaze rest on Rookscar, “Would you like to test your theory?” Rookscar bared his teeth. “Maybe I do.” “Wait!” Lilyfire had her mouth open and body tensed, “Do you smell that?” Hawkfur raised his head and breathed in deeply, whiskers twitching, “I do.” Rookscar crouched and slithered on the ground like a snake, disappearing into the undergrowth. Rustpaw whipped his head around and let out a bone-rattling screech, charging into the trees. He dragged Rookscar out of his elder bush by the tail, spitting and hissing. “Attack!” Rookscar yowled, sending birds fleeing from the treetops.

Cricketleap flew from a neighboring pine tree and landed squarely on Lilyfire’s shoulders, scratching at her lower backbone and flinging her legs out from under her, sending Lilyfire twisting and turning like a landed fish. Cricketleap darted away fast as a bullet as Lilyfire leapt to her feet and lunged for Cricketleap’s neck, missing just by a whisker-length. Lilyfire’s claws snagged on Cricketleap’s pelt as she shot away and nipped at her forelegs, causing them to buckle beneath her. Badgerbite let out a blood-curdling battle cry and sped from his bramble bush, crashing headfirst into Rustpaw. Rustpaw let out a yelp of surprise and leapt over the black and white tom. Badgerbite spun on heels and used his momentum to catapult himself onto Rustpaw’s back, viciously tearing into Rustpaw’s flank. Rustpaw bucked and shot his paws to the ground, tossing his hind legs upward, causing Badgerbite to loose his footing. He clumsily slipped off of Rustpaw’s back, hooking his claws on Rustpaw’s side.

He used this unexpected advantage and wrapped his paws around Rustpaw’s neck like a constrictor, raining his chest with a shower of claws before slipping out from his underbelly, slinking stealthily into some drooping dew-laden ferns. Deerhide burst from her bramble bush and joined Cricketleap as she scored blow after blow on Lilyfire. What am I doing? Littlewind thought frantically, I need to help them! Littlewind’s paws were rooted to the wood beneath him, his pelt bristling with spasms of fear. He shook his head vigorously and bolted down his tree, tagging alongside Rookscar as he swiped at Hawkfur’s face. Littlewind ducked underneath him and bit savagely into Hawkfur’s foreleg, feeling the bone crack beneath his teeth. He suddenly tasted the sweet flavor of warm blood flood into his mouth. Littlewind’s eyes widened as he felt Hawkfur stumble from his blow, suddenly realizing the damage he had caused.

Suddenly a new anger swept over him, unsheathing his claws as a low, irritated snarl rose in his throat, rising to his mouth as he prepared to let out a earthquaking growl. His vision started turning red, a blood soaked battlefield unfolded before his eyes. He relished the screeches and screams that sounded around him, the fear edging their desperate yowls sounding like music to his ears. He licked his lips, his mouth cracking into a malicious smile. He shouldered his way between Rookscar and Hawkfur and pressed his face so close to Hawkfur’s that he felt his whiskers brush his. “You will regret this.” He leapt at Hawkfur’s neck, the power pulsing through his paws feeling almost unbearable. He felt a rush of pleasure as he felt his claws prick through Hawkfur’s skin, drawing them back to form deadly gashes along his sides. He slipped underneath Hawkfur’s belly and shoved his hind legs upward, flipping Hawkfur over like a dead piece of fresh-kill.

Hawkfur gasped in sheer horror as Littlewind appeared above him, his eyes crazed and wild. Littlewind felt himself lean closer, as if another cat had taken ahold of his body, and breathed into Hawkfur’s ear, “Say hi to Mallowleap for me.” Littlewind shot his jaws deep into Hawkfur’s neck, feeling his bones splinter beneath his teeth like twigs. Hawkfur tried to let out a yowl of pain, but that was slowly drowned out by his own blood flooding into his air vessels. Littlewind bit down harder, wanting to hear that sweet sound of pain and shock from his victim. He felt Hawkfur’s hot blood clog his paws and bathe his fur. He heard pained gurgling from Hawkfur as he fought for air. His vision blurred, all he could see was Hawkfur coughing and spluttering, sucking in desperate gasps for air. Lilyfire noticed what Littlewind was doing and started clawing his shoulders, letting out a raucous cry. Littlewind barley noticed Lilyfire's clawing, all his focus was concentrated on Hawkfur.

"Littlewind!" Deerhide screeched, trying to drag him off Hawkfur. But Littlewind didn't budge, digging his claws into the peaty soil and continuing to rip into Hawkfur's flesh. Suddenly he felt all the cats in the clearing tearing him away from Hawkfur, flinging him away as they started into Hawkfur’s bleeding, glazed eyes. "H-he's dead!" Rustpaw wailed after a long pause, mewing piteously into his chest. Lilyfire shoved aside Rookscar and dashed to Rustpaw’s side, her eyes glistening with grief and regret. "You killed him!" Lilyfire swung her head around to land a searing gaze on Littlewind as he struggled to his paws. The two patrols gasped in horror as they saw Littlewind's bloodshot eyes and unnaturally long claws. Littlewind blinked once or twice, his eyes flashing back to their usual cunning ice blue gaze.

He looked down at his claws and jumped with surprise at the sight of the fresh bright red blood that soaked them, and twisted his head around to see clumps of fur ripped from his shoulders and flanks. Suddenly the pain from his blows washed over him like a wave. His legs buckled underneath him and he crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily. "What happened?" He croaked feebly, his eyes landing on the stricken knot of cats.

That’s the end of this chapter! Yes, I did the cliffhanger thing hehe.