𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗦ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ 一 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔷𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔱 [𝟑]

❆☾𑁍𓆱ᥴhᥲρtᥱr 𝟺𝟽𓆱𑁍☽❆

Forgive me, StarClan. Please.

Without turning back even once, Larkwing ran back to the camp. She didn't think the rain had let up or the fog had lifted. Quite the opposite, in fact.

So she had no choice but to rely on her hearing to find her way. The howling was omnipresent and pierced her to the core.

Hang in there, she thought. I'll be there soon. Just a little longer...

Where was she anyway? She came to an abrupt halt. Her breath was shallow and rapid as she tried to make out something through the impenetrable grey of the fog.

Had she even gotten any closer to the camp? Or had she been running in circles the whole time? Panic rose involuntarily within her.

"Okay, okay, calm down. It'll be fine... somehow," she whispered to herself.

The most important thing was not to lose her nerve now. This forest wasn't infinitely large. Sooner or later, she had to come across the camp.

Out of nowhere, she heard a hissing sound nearby. She paused, turning her ears in all directions to determine its origin.

When another hiss cut through the air, she rushed off. There had to be other cats somewhere around here. If she was lucky, they would be her patrolmates or the ruins cats. Even if she encountered Shadowless, that would be fine with her, because it would mean she wasn't far from the battle.

Next to the stream, she finally came across Leafwind, who was busy fending off two shadowless cats. Their attack patterns were fast, relentless and admirably synchronised. A single cat would not be able to hold out against them for long. But even as a MoonClan warrior, Leafwind was tough enough to hold back the Shadowless.

Nevertheless, Larkwing rushed forward and sank her teeth into the hind leg of one of the Shadowless. Two against one was the most unfair and risky thing that could happen in a fight. Moreover, Leafwind was only half the size and weight of his opponents, and if his stamina and attention ever waned, the Shadowless would have an easy time of it.

With a delayed reaction, the shadowless tom noticed the she-cat hanging from his hind leg with her fangs. He turned away from Leafwind and spun around, trying to shake off Larkwing.

Her fangs released from his flesh. For a moment, the Shadowless paused. Confusion was visible in his glowing yellow eyes.

Other Shadowless will see you as one of them. Great StarClan, is there really any truth to this?

Larkwing pressed her ears to her head and leapt at the shadowless tom, letting out a yowl that made even her tremble.

Aren't the ruins cats all very small and thin? How is it that these Shadowless are as broad as trees? Larkwing quickly realised that the Shadowless wasn't wavering at all. She pulled herself onto his back and held on with her hind legs while she relentlessly mauled his body with her front claws.