Escaping rogues: Red Eyes and Winter Skies speak

Red Eyes: We were completely surrounded. There was no way for us to fight; we were ridiculously outnumbered. Running was our only option.

Thornpaw didn't move. He knew that he was stronger than the rogues. The rest of the clan cats rushed for safety, but they were not fast enough. Only Eagletail, the fastest of the cats, managed to escape. I guessed that he was going back to the island to call for help.

I bounded over to help Olivefur, who was battling a cat twice his size. In the midst of the battle, he had ended up giving Jaykit to Foxclaw.

I jumped in the rogue's back, digging my claws into his massive shoulders. He yowled in surprise, throwing himself to the ground so that I was crushed by his weight. I clawed at his fur, trying to escape, but he held me down. But Olivefur managed to throw him off me for a moment, and I scrambled to freedom.

Within moments, two more rogues were clawing at me. I swatted the smaller one away, reminding myself that they hadn't been battle trained; they were rogues and I was a warrior.
I noticed Foxclaw struggling to carry Jaykit away from a massive brown tabby. His sides were heaving with the effort, tufts of fur missing all along his shoulders.

I hurried towards the young father, but before I could reach him, I was pinned down by yet another cat. The massive black she-cat pinned me flat to the ground, ears pressed against her head. I kicked up with my back legs furiously, struggling with all my heart to get free.

I went limp. Her eyes gleamed triumphantly; then I threw her off with a swift kick to the stomach. Standing, I ran towards where Foxclaw was still struggling with the brown tabby. Leaping on the tom's back, I managed to claw some fur off his shoulders. "Run!" I gasped at Foxclaw.

But the young tom was stronger than me. He crushed me to the ground and pain stronger than any I had ever felt before seared through my bones. I caught a glimpse of Eagletail returning with more cats, then there was a flash, and my head started spinning.

Winter Skies: "Everything is going to be alright, Red, just lie still!" I tried to calm the albino tom desperately. After he saved Foxclaw and Jaykit, I had dragged him into a tangle of brambles where I sat with him, trying to ease his passing. Blood seeped from his neck, a cut too deep that even the strongest medicine cat couldn't stop.

Thornpaw, the moon cat apprentice, wouldn't be strong enough to heal wounds until he became full moon cat; when Moonlight died. He was battling Snakestar, who was nothing compared to the strength of StarClan.

"It's okay. You're going to join StarClan now." I murmured as Red's eyes slowly fell closed. Within seconds, he had become still, already on his journey to StarClan.

Trembling, I rose from the bushes. I'd already lost Baypaw, my apprentice; now I had lost Red Eyes too. Stormstar and Dragonstar were leading a band of warriors through the stream of rogues, helping out each clan cat, until everyone was safely on their way through twolegplace. Only Stormstar, Thornpaw, and I remained.

Everyone was staring at the dead body of Snakestar. Every cat knew that the former leader had several lives remaining; but as long as we watched, the golden cat did not wake.

"Hey, clan cats!" Called a voice, splitting the silence. "Hey, hi, hello." A small brown she-cat stood in front of Dragonstar. "Hi, my name is Pepper. Tiger... Er, Tigerstripe, is it? She joined your clan. I'm her sister... I have four kits, they're seven moons old, and I... Er... Wanted to give them to your clan to.. Respect.. Er, my sister. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." Dragonstar replied, knowing that MudClan needed apprentices. With Red Eyes dead, we only had a few warriors.

"Let me fetch them!" She grinned, bounding away. A moment later she returned, four young cats behind her.
"There are two clans, right?" She asked.

"Yes. I am the other leader." Stormstar said.

"Then the eldest, this one here," Pepper flicked her tail towards a large black tom, "Will join your clan."

Stormstar stared at the black cat. For a moment, I thought he would turn the offer down, but he just dipped his head gratefully and turned to me.

"Let's head back, then, Winter. You follow me," He turned to the black cat.

When we returned, every GreenClan cat was back in the safety of the camp. Frozenwater and her kits were laying outside the nursery while she licked at a wound on Foxclaw's shoulder.

"You're back!" Rainy gasped, turning towards me. "Redpool is very injured. Come quick!"

I spent the rest of that night tending to the cats that had returned from battle. The battle was over, Dragonstar was dead, but this was not a fight that would be forgotten.