Warriors #1 - The Phantom Menace (currently editing!)

Epilogue

One moon later...

Frostshard placed a flower where his apprentice's ashes were buried and stood back, the autumn breeze ruffling his white fur. His yellow eyes, normally alive with cunning and wisdom now stared blankly in the distance.

Sagepelt had been one of his most accomplished Padawans; he truly knew what it was like to be a true Dawnclan knight. Helping those regardless of power or rank, and always risking his life for others and justice.

From what he saw, Sagepelt was one of the only few who understood the knight code.

Twisted pride coiled like brambles in his heart.

'He should have never died.'

'If only they listened, if only they...'

'No.'

'They would never change, not even after Sagepelt's death.'

'They have lowered their hackles once again after the Darkhavener was defeated.'

He then noticed Elderflower as she padded over, a sympathetic look in her hazel eyes.

"I used to come and see the sacred tree with Sagekit often." the words escaped his jaws before he could stop them.

"He was fascinated by it, having been born on tribe Dune, a sandy wasteland."

"He knew nothing like it."

"You've been mourning him for over a moon now, and the other knights are back to their duties already."

"Doing nothing won't bring him back." Elderflower mewed softly, reaching out to comfort him, but stopped when she felt him flinch and shudder at her touch.

Without another word, Frostshard stood up, skulking back into the cave with his tail dragging behind him.

"Sagepelt has become one with the Force," he muttered quietly before the shadows swallowed him up.

"It is time to let him go."

"And you can do this?" Frostshard felt Elderflower's piercing stare prick his fur like needles.

"What choice have I?" his mew came as a hollow sigh.

"You've gone too far!" Frostshard's angry yowl rang across the quiet space in the Meditation Caves.

"I don't know what you mean." a serpentine hiss answered in the gloom.

"Sagepelt." he choked out.

"You allowed Bloodburn to kill him!"

The owner of the voice stalked out of the shadows, revealing his true form.

White pelt the color of bone.

Orange eyes glittered like cold stars.

The jagged scar tore his right ear across the tip of his muzzle.

"You lost an apprentice, and so did I." Lightningstrike hissed as he stalked toward him.

"It is a sacrifice we must make for our greater goals."

Frostshard stared into the Dark lord's eyes, two chips of flame that hid the secrets and power beneath the vortex.

"The Galaxy cannot be remade without sacrifice."

"He could have been a powerful ally." Frostshard snarled at the small menace of a cat. He was at least five times his size, but that didn't make Lightningstrike any less frightening.