The beginning

Chapter eighteen

"Rogues attack!" The battle cry screeched through the air.
Instantly lithe, large shapes begun running out of the bushes, heading towards the clan's dens.
A monstrous rogue yowled "fight! Fight! Fight! The leader is dead or dying! We have the upper paw!"
At that moment, Mistpaw shrunk back, shivering uncontrollably. Now it was clear who poisoned the leader. The rogues had! And now they were attacking the camp.
Soon the clan cats hurried from their dens, claws sharp and ready to spill blood.
But spruce star was nowhere to be seen. Mistpaw ventured desperately that he was still too weak to fight.
She turned frantically to quince claw, her eyes wide but unable to speak from sheer terror.
Thankfully, her mentor seemed to understand her worried gestures as he filled up his lungs and screeched "guard spruce star!"
He and Mistpaw watched as tinder heart and another warrior went to protect their still weakened leader.
And now the fight was really raging. Mistpaw crouched low to the ground, her heart beating fast as unanswered questions swept through her mind. Shapes were flying by, fighting, scratching, biting and yowling. Here and there, clan cats and rogues were leaping at each other, bowling each other down and claiming victory with satisfied hisses as they clamped paws down upon fragile necks.
Mistpaw watched in horrified fascination as an apprentice was thrown bodily by a murderous- looking rogue. The silver medicine cat apprentice let out a silent wail as her valiant clan mate hit a tree, his spine breaking from the force then sliding to the ground... Never to fight again.
All around was such chaos, confusion and cruelty. Mistpaw couldn't bear to watch anymore. She curled up into a ball, trembling fitfully as cats around her bit and yowled and killed without mercy.
Then, she suddenly felt grass tickle her belly fur as a cold breeze blew back her fur. But it was no longer silver tabby. Her pelt was now a blazing fire of orange. Inside, she was yowling 'what is this dream?' 
From her position, her now Amber eyes scanned the clan camp. Her rogues were attacking the Warriors and other able fighters. She knew that the kits and elders must be left unguarded then. Perfect! She felt a purr of satisfaction escape her. Now she could go and slay the more weaker cats. That should destroy the clan. Mistpaw could just feel that deep inside this rogue, there was a terrible hatred for all clan cats. But the rest was a prickly tangle of ineligible thoughts.
Then, the rogue mewed quietly "killing the medicine cats would also be a good bet"
Mistpaw jerked. She was back in the medicine cat den, the cold stone beneath her instead of grass. Before she even thought about what had just occurred, her eyes flew open.
"It's a distraction" she mewed hoarsely to her mentor. "One rogue is going to attack the kits and elders. Then she is moving onto us"
Quince claw turned to look at his apprentice, confusion and alarm widening his eyes.
Too late! A screech of agony from the elders den told all cats that the elders had been killed.
Mistpaw stiffened. "That must mean that they already killed the kits. Star clan have pity!"
Quince claw looked horrified, his brown fur standing on end. His claws slid out but he knew that medicine cats never join the fight, so he restrained himself.
Suddenly there was a movement outside the den. Paw steps grew louder and louder. Mentor and apprentice pricked their ears, listening in silence.
The steps grew louder: they were heavy, indicating that the stranger approaching was tough and skilled in battle.
Mistpaw felt her heart beat against her ribs. Surely it was that rogue that she had shared minds with.
She cast a terrified glance at her mentor.
The ivy curtain shifted with a soft rustle. But the face that poked inside was not soft, not in any way. The rogues muzzle was flecked with scars and one ear torn and ragged was hanging down like a dogs. Mistpaw recognised the rogues flame pelt.
The scarred rouge stalked towards them, sneering openly as quince claw stepped in front of his apprentice, protecting her with tooth and claw unsheathed.
The rogue spoke in a grating voice "I'm enmity, and this is your unlucky day healers!" Then she tensed her lithe muscles and leapt towards quince claw, snarling with rage.
The medicine cat was no skilled fighter but he side stepped, and the rogue landed like a hare next to Mistpaw. She winked at the horrified silver tabby. "Wish you had my skills eh?"
Without warning, she lashed at the apprentice, sending her flying.
"Star clan help me!" Yowled Mistpaw as she crashed into the wall and landed on the ground in a heap. Her eyes closed, breathing shallow and injured leg splayed at an odd angle, Mistpaw lay still.
Upon seeing his stricken clan mate, quince claw felt fury scorch his pelt as he sprang, hissing vehemently at the rogue cat.
Enmity looked shocked but hastily recovered herself with a smirk. Poised and ready, she rolled over and as the medicine cat landed, swung her paws at the clan cat, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
She lashed at the fallen cat, drawing blood as her claws scratched his nose.
Yelping in pain and anger, quince claw caught her a glancing blow about the ears, reducing one to shreds.
Enmity hissed and as quince claw got up, she spat furiously and streaked from the den.
Quince claw rushed to mist paws side, poking his nose into her flank.
"Thank starclan that my apprentice is ok" he prayed as he was rewarded by the rise and fall of the tabby cats breathing.
Rising, the older cat padded to the cave entrance. His eyes widened by the destruction left by the rogues. A low growl escaped his throat.