The Lonely Crocus (Rewritten)

Harsh Leafbare 7&8 rewritten

Note: This is from the story just before the Lonely Crocus, this needs rewriting to put other parts into context.

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The tall, slender molly stalked across the clearing, her sharp eyes watching Pebblestar calmly with a look of superiority slipping over her face. She flicked her tail slowly so that the snow coated ground was disturbed by the spiked fur. Her group that she attempted to call a 'Clan' stood behind her, witnessing the scene silently, their eyes unbroken from the leader.
"So, how are you after our little battle." Her voice was laced with an ice colder than the environment around them. The pale yellow tom's eyes followed each movement she made, each time her claws slid out into the snow, each perfectly calculated movement. Although, as the first leader of CrystalClan slowly made her way closer to his leader, Lemondust couldn't help but notice two cats about his age standing amongst the group.

They were no older than him, being around 14 moons of age and bore a striking resemblance to the leader. One, a tortoise shell tom, was watching the leader in pride as she strutted around the snow whilst the other, a pale grey molly with darker specks stared nervously at the ground. For a second her eyes flicked up and caught his and he couldn't help but be taken aback. Her eyes were a deep shade of lilac and he couldn't help but be drawn into her look. Without thinking, Lemondust took a step towards her, with the she-cat noticing, her fur stood sharply on end and she let out a low hiss. He stepped back in surprise before recalling who this group was- and who their leader was.

His attention was drawn back to Cherryshard who was going on a long, drawn out rang about why she deserved the forest territory and how, truly, it would be beneficial for both of them if Pebblestar just backed down for once in her life. His ears twitched at the scene unfolding and slowly he began to stalk closely behind his leader, ready to defend her honour as his mentor had once done.

The tall white and grey molly flicked her tail at Lemondust, warning him to stay back, he dipped his head in response with his gaze focused intently on Pebblestar.
"Seems your warriors don't know when to quit either." Cherryshard imputed, the red hue of her eyes fixating upon him. He stood up defiantly, ready to defend his honour when a white paw slammed into the snow in front of him, the cold flakes flying into the air and grating again his face, causing him to wince slightly.
"My warriors listen to my orders and won't hesitate to eradicate your so called Clan." Cherryshard chuckled in response, her eyes unblinking and watching the tom intently. Her eyes watched as his ribs ripped under his pelt and his sunked face grimaced at her.
"All weak though, aren't they?" She smirked, Pebblestar opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the molly "what was your deputy's name again? Dogdirt?"
"Wolfdust-" Lemondust snarled.
"Yeah, sure, Wolfdust, my apologies, the list of blood is so long the names begin to slip my mind." She flexed her claws in his direction.
"Just get on with it Cherryshard." Pebblestar snarled, her own claws gripping the snow.
"Wolfdust wasn't that strong was he? All it took was one itty bitty move and he was gone. Just. Like. that. If he was your deputy I can't imagine what the rest of the clan is like! It'd be so much more simple if you just joined me and shared your land with me." She chuckled lowly. "Anyone who doesn't is merely standing in my way, and will be easy for us to get through." She glanced back at her clan, beneath their pelts, muscles rippled and they grinned wildly at her at the promise of the tearing of flesh.

Pebblestar lunged forwards, her claws outstretched and slamming deep into Cherryshard's skin. She reared back before slamming Pebblestar to the floor, her claws digging deep into the skin around Pebblestar's eyes.
"Let's make a deal, if I win this I get your clan, if you win, I will leave and never ask this of you again." Her claws dug deeper into the white cat's fur as the blood dropped from her shoulder into the snow below.

Pebblestar gave a weak nod before her hind paws shoved into Cherryshard's underbelly, hauling the molly off of her. Pebblestar pinned the slender leader down as she snapped at the air, straining for the leader's neck. Pebblestar noticed this and slashed a claw across the grey leader's face, her claws tears across soft skin. Cherryshard hissed and slipped around and put from under the molly's grip, pressing deep frozen snow into the wound as blood seeped into her vision.

Pebblestar took the opportunity to rake her claws throughout the leader's shoulders, before suddenly being tossed into the air, thudding into the sharp ice.

Small, bloodied flakes dropped from Cherryshard's face as she stood atop the leader, she slammed her claws deep into the leader's shoulders before leaning towards her soft ears.
"I'm going to enjoy taking each one of your lives away as your clan watches." She snarled silently before dragging her claws down the molly's soft underbelly. She flailed wildly, trying to get her off of her, but the effort was in vain. Cherryshard placed her teeth gently around the leader's neck before using this to twist her around. She tossed the molly across the wooded area, her head slamming into the snow-coated rocks.

Pebblestar fell limp.

Lemondust watched in horror as the rouge group that claimed themselves as a clan yowled in pride as their leader stood over the bloodied mess, her teeth sinking into the limp body's throat and tearing back, the snow turning red beneath her.

Lemondust's heart rose in his chest. How many lives did Pebblestar have left? He shook his head, this clan was not Cherryshard's and as long as he was alive he'd make sure it wasn't.

He wasn't thinking, but he could feel the sharp snow pricking at his paw pads as he tore through the snow and lunges at CrystalClan's leader. He slammed her to the ground as she let out a hiss. Quickly she twisted him around and slammed his body into the ice beneath him.

He winced before noticing the body of his leader pushing herself to her paws. Cherryshard being dragged from on top of him, the tip of her claws just barely scraping his face. Cherryshard whipped around wildly, before pinning the leader back to the ground. She raised her paws in the air, about to launch another killing blow just as Lemondust launched through the air.

Blood. So much blood filled his mouth, taking over his senses as his teeth sunk deeper and deeper into his throat. He wouldn't let go. He couldn't let go until he was sure that she was dead.

Her body crumpled beneath him and her pulled away, fur and flesh and blood coating his mouth, running down his chest and dripping slowly into the snow.

The two cats from earlier rushed over, the tortoise shell tom forcing the leader's limp body to her paws as she blinked back into consciousness whilst the molly with the lilac eyes hissed at he and Pebblestar, although her eyes bore an expression he couldn't read.

Something more was happening here and Lemondust had to know what it was.