Warrior Cats: Into the Unknown.(1/3)

Prologue

Leaves rustled among the trees, the slight breeze blowing gently among the undergrowth. It rippled the water that stood in the middle of the four territories. The height of greenleaf had brought prey and warmth to the clans that live around the lake. The sky was clear, and silverpelt blazed above, shining among the moon and stars, magnificent as always. Colorful lights danced across the sky, making them even more beautiful. Suddenly, a feline shape shot through the forest, its paws thumping against the ground. Ragged gasps came from it as it pelted through the green undergrowth. It crashed wildly through the prickly bushes, ingoring the thorns that scraped against its pelt. Its eyes widened when it heard paws closing in on it. It felt its limps becoming heavy and exhausted, and it kept stumbling into rabbit holes and tumbling over roots or getting tangled in some ivies. It gave out a loud yowl as its paws got caught in an ivy, and the feline landed with a thump. It scrambled quickly to its paws and tried to take off again, but its paw was still stuck. It gave out a terrified yowl when three other felines exploded from the undergrowth a few fox-lengths away. It crouched low, flattening the ears to the back of its head. It tried in vain to free its paw from the ivy, but it was stuck. Suddenly, one of the feline's pursuers, shot toward it and bowled it over. It grunted as it landed. One of them pinned the feline down, while the others circled them. The feline tried to writhe away from the other cat's grip, but it was too heavy and strong. "Please, I beg you. Let me go! I didn't tell anyone back home. They don't know!" It cried as it stopped wriggling. "Who did you tell?" The cat that pinned the other down snapped. "No one, I swear!" The other cat mewed, trying to keep its voice from shaking or cracking. "Liar." One of the cats that were circling them hissed. "Tell us, Ambermoon!" The pinner snarled again. "No!" Ambermoon snapped. She tried to build up courage inside her to stand up against the rogues. "I didn't tell anyone, and if I did I wouldn't tell you." Her growl ended with a painful whimper as the rogue unsheathed its claws so it sank into her throat. "Tell us, and we will give you a merciful death. Who did you tell? Did you tell her?" He growled into her ear. Ambermoon's eyes widened, and she gave out a loud, agonized shriek as one of the other rogues slashed open her flank. "Okay, but please don't hurt her. She doesn't mean you any harm, and she's still loyal to you. Just please don't make her do this." She cried, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to push her pain away. "Spit it out, kitty!" Ambermoon opened her mouth to speak, but before she did, she brought up her hindlegs and kicked out with her hindlegs. The tom that had pinned her down flew off her and crashed to the ground. He quickly scrambled to his paws before spinning around with an outraged yowl. Ambermoon could feel the ivy around her paw loosen and she shook it off before pelting away. "Get her!" The leader screeched. The other cats nodded and sprang after her. Ambermoon bolted through the forest, blood pulsing in her ear as her heart pounded in her chest. She skidded to halt as one of the rogues scrambled to stop in front of her. She spun around, but the other rogue was there too. "No." She whispered, backing away until her hindquarters bumped into someone's chest. "Tell us, Ambermoon." He growled as he lifted a hindpaw and swiped it at her head. He swatted her to the ground, and Ambermoon's head spun from the force of his blow. "I'll never tell you, Sparrow." She growled, staring at the ground. "Hawk, Percy." Sparrow mewed to his companions. They both looked up sharply. "Finish her off." He growled, flicking his tail. The two rogues nodded before edging closer to the Thunderclan warrior. She unsheathed her claws immedietaly. Hawk let out a loud screech before springing at her. Ambermoon rolled over and leaped to her paws, and Hawk missed her by a whisker. Percy let out a hiss before flinging himself at her. Ambermoon reared up and Percy bowled into her, and they crashed to the ground. Ambermoon nipped at his ear, tearing it open. Blood spattered onto her muzzle as Percy let out an agonized shriek. She clawed at his flank, but let out a yowl of pain as Hawk tore open her scruff. She landed on all four paws again as the pain screamed at her. Her legs buckled and she collapsed to the ground as Hawk leaped on top of her. He rolled her over and pinned her to the ground. Percy leaned over her, blood trickling out of his ear. His eyes blazed with fury. He flashed out a paw and clawed at her cheek and forehead. Sparrow padded over to them as she let out a low wail. "Do you want us to keep going until you tell us? Or do you want to make it easier for all of us and just tell us now?" He asked, bringing up a paw and unsheathing his claws and flexing them. Ambermoon bared her teeth at him, but yowled as Hawk began scrabbling his hind legs at her belly. She felt blood gush out of her wound. "Please, stop!" She yowled as she tried to bat at her attackers. Her wounds burned like fire. "Tell us!" Percy yowled before slashing at her eye. She let out a screech as he blinded her eye and blood gushed out. Blood pumped in her ears and her heart beat faster than a bumblebee's wings. "Fernpaw! I told Fernpaw!" She yowled. Regret immediately stabbed her like thorns. The gray she-cat was just an apprentice, and she was probably too young to understand the importance of what Ambermoon had told her. But she'd had to. Starclan had told her to. "Good cat." Sparrow purred. "Kill her." He then mewed, with a more serious tone. Fear blazed up inside of Ambermoon. I'm sorry, Fernpaw. I'm so, so sorry. She thought silently before letting out an agonized shriek as Sparrow slashed open her throat, and Percy tore open her belly and Hawk tugged at her tail until he heard a crack. Ambermoon collapsed to the ground, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Sparrow watched blood gush out of her wounds, turning the forest floor scarlet. "Percy." Sparrow murmured to the gray tom. Percy looked up from the body of Ambermoon. "Yes, Sparrow?" He replied, his tail lashing. "Send word to Renegade." The brown tabby tom mewed, tearing his gaze away from Ambermoon's bleeding body. "We need to find the grey she-cat before she can tell the others. No matter what."