The Mountain Lion

It was a dark, cloudy night, yet Wolfheart still found himself outside of camp. It was muddy everywhere, and even though it hadn't rained in two days, melted snow blanketed the entire place in so much slush it looked like RainClan territory. Wolfheart snarled, thinking about the despicable other clan.

His ears pricked, the sound of heavy breathing and the smell of rotten meat strong on the air. A tawny shape caught his view. His heart beat fast as he backed up, but the creature advanced, flicking its tail and yowling. There was pure hate in its eyes, the need to kill. Something had provoked it, and now it was out for blood.

Wolfheart began to climb a tree, struggling to get away. However, his old age got the best of him as he tried to reach the first branch and dangled by one paw, his bones creaking. The tawny, fierce mountain lion grabbed his tail, dragging him to the ground with a sickening thud as easily as if it were a kit playing with a toy.

Why is it so far away from the mountains, up in SnowClan territory? thought Wolfheart, shuddering as he braced for its final blow. It never came.

The mountain lion walked away, lured by the scent of fresh prey. Wolfheart tried to struggle to his feet, but his muscles were unresponsive. His vision began to blur as shock and panic sat in, and a wobbly black figure appeared over his head. In his delusional state, it looked like another cat. "Help me, please." he begged.

Vicious canine teeth showed and golden eyes flashed as the fox struck Wolfheart in the chest. He was brain dead in an instant, one final, terrified yowl before he lay dead, but that wasn't why the fox had come. Killing was not enough for it.

The fox's bloodstained teeth were bright in the moonlight as it devoured the barely pulsing heart.

Revenge was nearly as sweet as soul-fire.

*<>*<>*

"Everyone, get inside." hissed Moonstar.

"What? Why?" asked Flamepaw, who had recently been made Jayclaw's apprentice.

"Something's coming. Something big. Can you hear the branches rustling?" Moonstar hissed.

"It could just be a lot of RainClan cats, or even SnowClan." retorted Ivypaw, "I don't see why we're so worried."

"Well, you should be." snapped Moonstar, "because I haven't scented this since I crossed the mountains."

Lightningstrike's fur bristled as he realized what his mate was implying. "Oh my gosh, not the..."

Moonstar nodded vigorously, a lump forming in her throat.

Warriors struggled to round up everyone and everything. "But I'm so hungry!" complained Phoenixkit.

Starheart ran to the prey pile and gave the kit a piece of deer, the only one ever to be caught by DragonClan. It had taken half the warriors to take it down. "Come on, you can eat it in the den."

Nightsky and Silentpelt buried the other freshkill in the ground, so it wouldn't get stolen by who knows what.

"I think Moonstar has gone mad," Silentpelt whispered, but Nightsky shook her head. "You should have more faith in your leader, you incompetent kit." Her voice was cold and harsh.

Silentpelt smirked at her, and Nightsky went cold. Then, he rolled his eyes and walked off to get into the den with Longclaw, purring.

Nightsky stomped off to the other side of the den, muttering under her breath.

Within a few minutes, the whole camp was silent. Then, a feral yowl burst through the trees.

Starheart wrapped her tail over the mewling kits as they whimpered in panic. A lithe, tawny mountain lion stalked through the camp, sniffing at the air. Painful scars were visible up and down its back. It's ribs were showing to an almost painful extent.

It's grey eyes surveyed the camp, and it's nostrils twitched. It ran straight for the nursery, collapsing the ivy strewn in front within a minute. It slowly wriggled in, thrashing a claw around. The mountain lion thrust it's front half into the den, and finding the piece of venison, it ripped it out of the den, taking tiny Phoenixkit with it, who was still clinging on to the meat. Warriors watched in horror, but Moonstar sped out of the den and tackled it head on, ripping off Phoenixkit, a bit of venison, and a tooth. The mountain lion yowled in anguish, and with a powerful strike, knocked Moonstar against the rocky edge of the warrior's den. A loud, painful crack resounded throughout the camp and the cats were silent.

Raindrop and Swallowfern silently ran over to Moonstar, who moaned pitiably.

The huge cat turned to Phoenixkit, but before anyone could react, a flash of red barreled through the clearing, snarling. Fire ran right under the mountain lion, and without hesitation, plunged his claws into the mountain lion's belly. The mountain lion staggered, the fox still hanging on like a burr, and fell right on top of Fire with a heavy thud.

Phoenixkit said nothing, shivering there for a minute, terrified.

"Fire?" she mewed finally.

There was no reply. Slowly, cats flowed into the clearing, shocked. Together they pushed over the mountain lion to reveal a balled up shape, almost unrecognizable as living. Fire, flatter than roadkill.

Even the older warriors looked away from the disgusting blob, but Phoenixkit sat there with her eyes open, and something inside her broke. He had died for her.

He had done this for her.

He was gone.

*<>*<>*

"We bury him like a warrior." announced Moonstar, still hurting from the attack, which had cost her a life.

Jayclaw, Ivypaw, Stormmind and Growlpaw worked together to bury the dead fox while the others moved the dead body of the mountain lion out of camp.

Riverkit padded up behind Phoenixkit, holding a flower. "Herf," he said, "This ith for you."

He dropped a brilliant scarlet flower at her feet, a lily, but the shivering kit just turned to him and ripped the flower into pieces. "I don't want your flower, I want FIRE!" she hissed.

Riverkit walked away sadly.

Rainpaw wrapped her tail around Phoenixkit, who buried her face into Rainpaw's fluffy silver-blue pelt.

"I'm sorry." Rainpaw said.

"He was my only friend..." Phoenixkit whimpered.

"It's okay, we'll be friends again." Rainpaw purred, tears leaking out of her eyes.

"But I thought you didn't have any time."

"I'll make time for you."

The two cats sat there together, and Riverkit sat back by himself, alone.

Grass never grew on Fire's grave, but every three days another bright red lily would miraculously appear on the grave. No one knew who was putting the flowers there.

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