𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙎𝙊 𝙎𝙐𝙉𝙉𝙔, warriors

| prologue

a brown she-cat emerged from the nursery, a white she-cat with broad gray face hard on her paws. a brown tabby tom came from the opposite direction, nervously twitching his tail.

"any news?" the white queen asked the tabby anxiously.

"we know it is still roaming around, the dawn patrol found some fresh scent," the tabby sighed, lifting his head to the pale dusk sky with the first glittering stars of silverpelt.

"don't worry, puddleface, it won't get to our camp," he reassured her and rested his tail-tip on her shoulder.

"but what about our kits, falconsun?" the brown queen spoke protectively. "It could attack us anytime!"

falconsun sneezed and shook his head; "your kits are safe here," he mewed.
"of course we'll thicken the nursery entrance, yet it's the safest den in our camp, of course, it's made in a cave.
but i thought we can add thorn branches to the entrance, so the only way out is cat-sized hole. i know it's hard for you, when you have so young kits, otterwhisker."

"they're all asleep now," otterwhisker purred lovingly.

"we better go back," puddleface yawned. "y'know, i get lack of sleep and when i finally have time, a coyote is stalking around our territory. good night, falconsun." she dipped her head and padded to the nursery. otterwhisker nodded to falconsun, then followed the white she-cat.

the tabby tom sat in the clearing, remebering the patrol when they'd first found the killer animal.
he completely dived into the memory, forgetting he was still sitting in the middle of the camp and gazing at the sky.

he was walking on a flower field with a calico she-cat and a black and white tom.

"falconsun, i wanted to show you and rabbitleap this," the tomcat meowed, pointing with his tail at the bare ground. in the damp earth was a giant pawstep, not cat's—much bigger.

"what's that? i can smell something, but i'm not sure what it is," rabbitleap spoke in a low voice.
falconsun's belly twisted with fear. He looked at his companions.

"i know what it is. we must get out of here, magpiestrike."

he spinned just to face an animal twice—sized as fox.

"coyote," magpiestrike snarled. falconsun carefully stepped back. the coyote growled, showing his large yellow teeth. the tabby slowly glanced back, only to see rabbitleap trembling and magpiestrike hissing at the animal. the large canine stepped forward and falconsun yowled without thinking, "run!" and pelted down the slope.

the two warriors hurried after him, the coyote snapping at their tails, hopelessly close.
"to the water! it won't follow us there!" he called back at them. they obeyed and followed him on the sandy beach. falconsun leaped to the water, swimming to the wet rock farther in the water. he scraped his claws on the slippery stone, trying to scramble up. unfortunately, he slid down, not feeling the surface beneath his hind paws.

suddenly he felt some support under him, and managed to climb on the small cliff. he looked down and saw magpiestrike swimming rapidly next to the rock. falconstar bent down and grabbed the warrior by his scruff. he dragged him up and helped rabbitleap who was just behind him.
they stared on the land near the sea, and saw the coyote howling and disappearing in the bushes.
the two warriors were breathing heavily while sprawled on the rock. he was catching his breath too, so he lay panting next to them.

"are you okay?" falconsun breathed.

"he scratched me on my hind leg." magpiestrike panted. "rabbitleap is okay, she is faster than me."
the leader glanced at the young she-cat, his deputy. she was laying on her side, her eyes closed.
falconsun turned back at the sky. "this will be a dark time for our clan."