Warriors: The Dark Realm (Complete)

Prologue

 This is your last warning to turn back if you haven't read "A Light in the Mist" yet. This contains heavy spoilers for that book, especially that there are canon warrior cats characters in my story. This is kind of a fanfiction/AU, just like warrior cats maps all over YouTube. And also, this prologue is actually a real scene in the book called "A Light in the Mist", because I thought it would be very fitting. I hope nobody has a problem with this, but if anyone does, please let me know. But, you have all been warned.

 Bristlefrost ducked. The rogue's claws nicked her ear. Ignoring the sting, she darted forward and slid between the tabby's legs. As she thrust her head up hard into his belly, the rogue grunted and flicked his hind legs into the air. Twisting on his forepaws, he faced Bristlefrost once more. 

 Bristlefrost wanted to look over her shoulder. Had she given Shadowsight enough time to run clear? This rogue had been about to push him into the dark water. 

 The rogue lashed out with outstretched claws. Bristlefrost batted him away before he could reach her muzzle. Pushing hard with her hind paws, she flung herself at the tabby, hooked her claws into his pelt, and hauled him, wriggling, to the ground. She held tight, rolling the rogue onto his spine and holding him so close that he couldn't fold his hind legs into his belly. 

 Every wound stung; every muscle ached. She'd thought this battle was over when Firestar and Graystripe had surrounded Ashfur. But the fleeing rogues had returned, and the clearing was filled once more with the smells and sounds of battle. 

 The rogue pushed himself free of her grip. Bristlefrost scrambled to her paws. She walked backward, luring the rogue away from the dark water that was seeping even farther across the clearing. The rogue stalked after her, narrowing his eyes, ready for a fresh attack. Bristlefrost glanced past him. Shadowsight was near the long grass, safe from the water. But he was stumbling. As she watched, he collapsed. Her heart seemed to stop. Shadowsight was injured!

 The rogue leaped toward her. She reared to defend herself, but the rogue lunged for her hind paw and sank his teeth in, hard. Bristlefrost yowled as pain arced up her leg. She swung her paws down onto the rogue's shoulders and grabbed his pelt. Digging in her claws and tossing him to the side, she forced him to release her paw, then pressed him to the earth and leaped onto his back. Churning her hind paws against the rogue's spine, she glanced again at Shadowsight.

 Her pelt spiked in panic. Ashfur was beside him. The dark warrior had grabbed Shadowsight's scruff between his teeth and was hauling him toward the dark water.

 No! She had to save Shadowsight before Ashfur threw him in. 

 The rogue thrashed beneath her. She felt power in his muscles. As he pushed against the earth, she slid from his back. There wasn't time for this. She had to finish this fight now. She thrust her muzzle toward his neck and bit down. The rogue jerked beneath her, then fell limp.

 Spitting fur from her mouth, Bristlefrost leaped up and hared toward Shadowsight. Ashfur was dragging the medicine cat's unconscious body closer to the dark water. A small black-and-brown splotched tom loomed in front of her, hissing with his teeth bared. There was something familiar about him... Antfur! He was a ShadowClan warrior who had died in newleaf, but now he was under Ashfur's control. She hooked his forepaws from beneath him and, as he fell, shoved him away and kept running. Another tom crashed into her flank, unbalancing her, but she let herself fall, rolled, and, as the rogue leaped on top of her, gripped him and raked his belly with her hind claws. He yowled with pain and she threw him off, jumping up and pelting once more for Shadowsight.

 The medicine cat was only a tail-length from the water. Ashfur's ears were flat, his eyes slitted as he dragged the helpless tom closer.

 "Leave him alone!" Bristlefrost batted another rogue out of the way as he lunged at her, her focus never leaving Shadowsight. She had to get to him. Her muscles burned with the effort. She barged past Houndleap as he wrestled with Silverhawk, then pushed her way between Rushtooth and Silverstream. "I'm coming!"