Warriors: Darkness In The Clans 3: Melt

Chapter Eight

Holly sat with Ghost at the edge of the territory. Lightning crashed overhead, the darkness of the night lighting up for a brief moment. Their eyes darted across camp. Something was wrong. Snaketooth and Foxtuft seemed unaware of the possible danger, both of them curled up comfortably inside a log. The kit-den. Holly growled. They were cuddling in a dry den while the other cats had to suffer. They took all the prey, and only shared their prey with the nursing cats and kits. Holly's stomach growled.

With another crash of lightning, the bushes near the hollow lit on fire, the flames dancing and glowing in the night sky. It was a beautiful sight, yet Holly began to panic. "Fire!" They shrieked. Their friends began to run around camp, yowling in terror. There was no escape! Unless... Holly took Ghost behind the log, and they let out a sigh of relief. There was a small path between the flames for cats to escape. "This way!" They called. Cats began to rush over to the small path, with Ghost at the front. They pushed each other, and some cats almost stumbled into the flames. Holly stayed at the back, their black spiky fur blowing in the wind. They had to make sure everyone was safe.

Snaketooth, Foxtuft, and Shade were last. Holly followed them out of the hollow, and rushed over to touch noses with Ghost, who was coughing up blood. "Is everyone okay?" Shade asked. A patch of Achoo's fur was burnt off, and Rain was licking his paw, having a rock being wedged inside of it while running. Bag's fur was spiked up near his tail tip. But nobody said no. Holly's heart thudded violently in their chest. "Great stars and suns, what have we done to deserve this?" He wailed.

"It's because of those intruders!" Holly spoke up. "They take our prey, and never give anything in return. Surely our kin is angry with us for taking them in?" Cats murmured uneasily beside them. Shade's eyes blazed with anger.

"Holly's right!" Thundercloud called, "They expect us to be their personal assistants. Remember Hypnotize and his gang? We trusted them, and they drove us out." Shade looked confused.

"That was a one-time thing. These cats are different." He mewed quietly. Achoo pressed himself against his fur comfortingly.

"It should have been, if you didn't let these two push you around."

"Father..." Tiny looked up at Shade with wide eyes. Tiny was his firstborn son, whom he had with a kittypet on their way to the mountains before him and Achoo became mates. Tiny's fur bristled. "That cat hurt me!" He looked at Foxtuft.

Foxtuft's eyes hardened with anger. "I never-"

"Shut up! For Starclan's sake, you need to shut up! There's a time and place for everything." Snaketooth added more softly, his fur flattening. Foxtuft flinched before licking his chest. Holly rolled their eyes. "Nobody said anything. If someone told us to help, we would have gladly done something." His eyes rounded.

"You should have known!" Holly screeched, unable to contain their anger. He was going to pretend like he was so innocent. He should have known! They lashed their tail angrily. Ghost pressed his muzzle onto their shoulder. The crimson flowers danced and grew larger with the growing tension. Holly's fur spiked up in fear. A shadow was making its way towards the cats, followed by a large group of other cats. Berryfrost! Holly let out a sigh of relief. But the tom's eyes weren't full of the same friendliness from before. They were glowing with malice and hunger, the light from the flames making his eyes shine. He carried a small bundle of herbs in his jaws. All battle-herbs. Holly's eyes widened.

"Surprise!"