Ebonywind glanced at the sun. Sunhigh.

Time to go on patrol.

Luckystar had assigned her to lead a patrol at sunhigh to check the ShadowClan border and to bring three cats to relieve the current cats sitting watch.

"Alright, who wants to come on a patrol?" Ebonywind asked the clearing, her voice sounding weak.

"I will," Poppyfrost volunteered.

Gray fur streaked her muzzle, Ebonywind noticed, and the old she-cat walked with a slight limp.

"I will too," Rosepetal came up to her.

"Us too!" Whitefur and Leafsong mewed excitedly.

"I need two more cats," Ebonywind flicked her tail impatiently. "Skyheart and Stormcloud?"

"Sure, we'll come," Stormcloud purred.

A shriek cut the air.

Ebonywind's fur stood on end when she recognized the shriek. Echoflight.

The queen was in the nursery, letting out loud yowls.

She must be kitting.

"Do we still want to go?" Leafsong asked timidly.

"No, we'll wait for Echoflight to kit," Ebonywind mewed curtly.

The patrol sat around lazily, eating some fresh-kill, while Echoflight kitted. Jayfeather and Larkleaf hurried to and from the medicine den and nursery to help her.

"Jayfeather's getting old, isn't he?" Ebonywind asked Stormcloud.

"He should've retired. Same with Poppyfrost and Rosepetal. I'm afraid for them in this battle." The tom flicked his ears nervously.

Suddenly, Jayfeather came out of the medicine den, his blind eyes searching the camp. "Goldenperch!" he called.

The deputy bounded down from the Highledge. "How is she?" she demanded.

"Echoflight has kitted. Three." Jayfeather said simply.

Goldenperch let out a gasp before rushing into the medicine den. Ebonywind followed excitedly. She and Echoflight were related, after all.

"Congratulations, Echoflight!" Ebonywind cried, seeing the three small bundles of fur.

"What're you naming them?" Frogfern asked, already in the den.

Her mate.

"The black tom will be Waterkit," Echoflight decided.

"That's a nice name," Frogfern admired it for a second before pondering the gray and white she-cat. "How about Daisykit?"

"Yes!" Goldenperch nuzzled Echoflight.

"Firekit for the red tom?" Echoflight asked.

"No," Frogfern argued. "What about Burnkit?"

"That sounds horrible," Echoflight growled back playfully. "Emberkit?"

From the entrance, Ebonywind noticed Dawnmist wince at the name.

"Those are terrible suggestions," Goldenperch said haughtily. "What about Redkit?"

Both Frogfern and Echoflight agreed immediately.

Ebonywind called her patrol together and they headed towards the ShadowClan border.

"I smell blood." Whitefur said suddenly.

"Me too." Poppyfrost agreed.

"Leafsong, go get back up!" Ebonywind snapped.

She didn't know it, but she would regret it.

A circle of ShadowClan warriors enclosed them as soon as Leafsong left.

"Pinestone!" Ebonywind called frantically. "Don't do this! Please, Silverspots!"

"Sorry, Ebonywind," Pinestone snarled. "ShadowClan is too weak, and you know all our secrets."

What?

Then they attacked. She noticed Ashblaze, Brookblaze, Cloudstalk, Pinestone, Sandleaf, Silverspots and Slategaze.

All hell broke loose.

Ashblaze immediately came for Ebonywind with Sandleaf. They slashed at her flanks, using the partner technique.

"Poppyfrost, help me!" Ebonywind yelped, lifting a paw to defend her head.

The sleek tortoiseshell bounded over and fought off Sandleaf. Evenly matched again, Ebonywind took on Ashblaze.

A loud yowl echoed through the trees.

Reinforcements.

Ebonywind dodged a claw from Ashblaze, distracted by her mother, Goldenperch and some more warriors storming towards them.

"Keep fighting!" Cloudstalk caterwauled, injuring Whitefur.

"Luckystar! Help Whitefur!" Ebonywind cried out in pain as Ashblaze landed a paw on her flank.

"Get off you conniving, stinking piece of fox-dung!" she hissed at him.

"Help!"

Ebonywind turned. Mistake.

Ashblaze seized his opportunity and threw himself onto the older warrior.

Ebonywind fought him off desperately while watching Poppyfrost and Rosepetal being overtaken by several ShadowClan cats.

Rosepetal yowled in panic, the light fading from her eyes as Slategaze sunk her teeth into her neck.

"Rosepetal!" Poppyfrost snarled and leapt at Slategaze, ignoring all the other cats fighting her.

Ebonywind whirled into the battle, all her senses on high alert. Abandoning Ashblaze to Goldenperch, she lashed out at Brookblaze.

"Fighting me again?" the she-cat hissed at her.

"I'll win this time, and I won't get in trouble," Ebonywind spat back.

"Fine, you disgusting she-cat!" Brookblaze yowled.

Ebonywind darted and scratched Brookblaze's underbelly, leaving a thin trail of blood. She could feel her muscles aching and weakening, yet Brookblaze was still strong.

Gritting her teeth, she ducked as Brookblaze swung a paw to her head. Pain flashed from her tail and she lifted it to see the end dripping blood. Ashblaze snuck away, delighted with his success.

Enraged, Ebonywind didn't notice Whitefur howling in pain, a circle of blood around him.

Luckystar suddenly appeared at her side, fighting off Brookblaze with a few carefully aimed swipes.

"Thanks," Ebonywind breathed before darting off to catch Ashblaze.

Her green eyes burned with fury and passion and she caught up to the tom, clawing his underbelly and drawing blood.

"Stop!"

She kept going. Ashblaze's yowls of pain gave her pleasure and she sunk her claws in more.

"Stop!"

Ebonywind shook her head. Ashblaze was still at her feet.

"What've I done?" she gasped before dashing back to the camp.

Ebonywind watched dully as Luckystar stood on the Highledge.

"Today, we lost three warriors." The golden-brown she-cat sighed. "Poppyfrost, Rosepetal and Whitefur, who was a new warrior."

Snowfall sat beside Leafsong, both of the she-cats fur was bedraggled and dirty. Leafsong was taking shuddering gulps of air, exhausted.

Icecloud and Cinderheart leaned against each other, looking sick as they watched Poppyfrost and Rosepetal's bodies.

Ebonywind glanced at her broken body. Her tail was bloody, a poultice on it. There were scratches down her flank and her belly.

"We grieve for them and we will sit vigil tonight. Rowanstar has informed me that Slategaze has died of her injuries and Ashblaze has retired to the elders' den because he has lost his foreleg." Luckystar glared at Ebonywind.

"Sorry," she muttered, not feeling sorry at all.

He deserved it.

"Hollyleaf is retiring to the elders' den as well." Luckystar finished.

Ebonywind sighed and left the camp, padding through the forest until she reached the ShadowClan border. Blood stained the grass and there were scraps of fur everywhere.

"Restless too?"

It was Silverspots.

"Yeah. I feel like an outsider." Ebonywind confided.

Silverspots ducked her head. "Rosedusk kitted today. Just as we got back. Doekit and Rainkit have joined our Clan."

"That's amazing. Please congratulate her for me." Ebonywind purred.

Footsteps crunched in the leaves behind Silverspots, who jumped. "That's Rowanstar. He's coming to speak with Luckystar! Go!"