She could see the dawn light just barely touch the sky. Hear the battle cries of rouges preparing to dash off to war. It's selfish to hope for StarClan to save me, when I know they should be saving whichever clan is about to be attacked.

Sparkfur swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat. Blood was matted in her pelt, the red liquid had clotted and no longer poured out of her like water down a river. She shakily began to stand up. The score to her shoulder stung, bleeding a little as she did such a dangerous feat of standing right after being beat by the leader of the rouge band. Not as good as you thought, Sparky.

Wincing, she limped over to where the exit was.. She took a few pawsteps back before leaping gracelessly through the slim broken glass window, tumbling to the ground on the other side. The fresh wound to her flank reopened as soon as she had done so, blood tricking down her back leg. If Spruceclaw is determined to fight the clans, he'd have taken all of his best warriors. This place will be empty-- except for the queens. They might not know that I'm not one of them yet.. If I'm lucky.

      She forced herself back onto her paws after a few moments of rest.

     Take a pawstep.

      Now another.

      You can do it.

      Stone steps led her down to the first floor of the abandoned twoleg camp. She knew exactly which open entrance housed Gray, Gray's friend, and those kits. That kit. The kit she was supposed to be looking after. She used the frame of the entrance to support her, leaning heavily against it. The queens all looked worried as they talked quietly amount themselves-- there weren't any guards in the room.

       Finally one had glanced over and noticed the bloodied, battered warrior.

      "Hey..! It's Spark!" She whispered. All eyes turned to her. They know who I am.. The only way they know my name is if they know I'm from the clans.

Sparkfur didn't know what to say. 'Sorry to intrude?' 'Please don't kill me?' 'I'm innocent?' There was a sudden hush in the room.

      "Please, get us out of here. Take us back to our owners." A patched she-cat spoke up, a bright orange collar around her neck. Spark looked up, green eyes huge. They didn't want her pelt as a paw-warmer after all.

"What.. Why?" Her voice was hoarse.

"..because we never chose to be here." The feathery form of a huge silver tabby leaping down from the highest perch caught the warrior's eye. Arden.

This time, Spark didn't have time to freak out about how small she felt compared to the long-furred she-cat.

"Aren't you.. You know, loyal to the Rouges?" Sparkfur offered, trying to find the right words. She already knew the answer, it was obvious now.

"You can't be loyal to cats who force you in and murder your kits." Arden growled, turning and leaping back up to her nest, standing tall. "We're all getting out of this trash pit. We're going back to our homes, or if you'd rather, I'm sure the clans would be open to queens." She cast an icy blue glance down to Sparkfur. Spark wasn't sure-- she knew the clans would never turn down a queen. More kits means more future warriors. While most leaders would deny it they were always selfish on that aspect.

     "I'm not sure... We'd have to get there without running into the rouges, and even then, the clans will be at war.

     "Then we leave now. Go to the clans after the battle." Arden said simply. "Both dens of queens. And if any clan cats perish in the fight, I'm sure most cats wouldn't mind being the replacement." Sparkfur narrowed her eyes.

      "You don't understand what it means to be a warrior, then!" At least, what it used to be a warrior. "Us clan cats... We're about honor. Protecting each other. Never giving up. Fighting to our last breath." To be honest, she was just describing Ryeheart. What he had told her about what he believed in. What she now believed in. She settled down to the ground so that she was laying down. The yelling had exhausted her even more.

      "Spark, you aren't looking too good...," she looked up to see the ginger tabby expecting queen from earlier.

      "Of course not, Flora, her pelt is nearly clawed off!" Grey meowed dramatically from her nest on a shelf under the shadows of a desk.

      "I'll be fine..!" Spark growled, getting back to her paws. The wound along her flank protested with sharp pains.

      "We need to get her out of here. When the rebels come home to see her alive, they'll kill her without a doubt." Arden announced. "We'll find our own ways into the forest or to our homes." she picked up a single gray tabby kit from her nest made of moth eaten blankets. The queens nodded in agreement. Of course, Spark realized, Arden is much better at rallying them.

      Gray padded up to Spark with a small smile. She had that dark colored kit in her mouth. That dark colored kit. Even though it was Sparkfur's ticket in, she never even named it. How cruel, she thought, a name is everything. Without it.. You're nobody.

      "Here, Spark." She purred through the scruff of the young kitten's fur.

      "Actually, my name is Sparkfur." The golden warrior said quietly, taking the kit and setting it down between her thin front legs.

      "Oh, of course!" Grey blushed, ducking her head. "I forgot you warriors have those names.... Speaking of names, what are you naming this little guy?"

      Spark looked down at the kit. Blood that had dropped down her leg was getting on his fur. She quickly licked it off. There was no way she was letting him learn of pain when he hadn't even opened his eyes.

      "I'm not sure... What have you been calling him?" She looked up to Grey, who's fur grew hot.

      "Well, Briar. But that's not really warrior-y, right? What about something fierce, like Eagle? Or Bear?"

      "No, I think Briar will do just fine." She drew her tongue over a stinging wound on her shoulder blade shakily. The she-cats buzzed with activity, hopping out of their nests and helping each other carry kits. "Briarkit, that is, if he's joining DrizzleClan."

"Sure." Grey flicked her tortoiseshell tail. "I need to go get my own kits. I think I'll go where you go... You know, we never really got to co-mother Briarkit, so I have to." Sparkfur blinked in agreement, and the queen swiveled to go grab her own three kits.

The warrior looked down at the kit. She wasn't even sure she would be able to make it back to her clan. Her home.

And how was she even supposed to take care of a kit? She could barely take care of herself. She glanced over at the blood crusted wounds across her boney body.

"Real warriors have scars, Sparkpaw." Berrypaw growled out the last word sharply; the herb poultice being applied to his lower back had stung.

"Scars don't mean anything." The small golden tabby apprentice snapped quickly, her tail flicking. "That idiot Waspclaw should know better. Did you know they're considering him to be in the bramble den?"

"Now, now, Sparkpaw. Waspclaw is a very good warrior with traits that are honored among all cats!" Asterfoot chided, carefully spreading cobwebs on the tom's wound.

"I bet I can get into the bramble den right out of apprenticeship!" Berrypaw purred, grinning wide. He stood up when Asterfoot had finished.

"Probably not. You'll have to suck up to the other higher ups!" Sparkpaw laughed.

"Hey, it's happened before. Cloudstream got into it at his warrior ceremony!" Berrypaw stretched his hind legs in turn. Asterfoot nodded.

"It doesn't matter, just as long as you don't get hurt in training anymore." The blue-gray medicine cat meowed softly. Sparkpaw waved her thin tail.

"Wasn't planning on it." She purred. Asterfoot rolled his eyes, and she ran her tail against his shoulder as she passed him, glancing back over her shoulder. "I've gotta go! I'm going to see what the inside of that tree looks like by the river, I heard it got struck by lightning in this morning's storm!"

"Your crazy, Sparkpaw...," Berrypaw laughed gently, rubbing his head against her ear as he made way out of the medicine cat den. She shook her head and pushed past him, purring challengingly.

Sparkpaw opened her eyes, narrowing them. She was going to make it back to DrizzleClan. Help free these she-cats. Save this kit that she put in harm's way. See Berryfoot.

And if there was time... She'd hunt down Kole.

And then destroy him.

_____

Sorry for a while since the last update, I honestly have no excuse. I should have had this done last week.