The starlit sky shed a frosty blue tint over the camp, seeping through the lichen-shielded entrance and illuminating the den with uneven, pale shafts of light. A gentle yet cold breeze swept through the vicinity, chilling the dark brown tabby tom.
Rising to his paws, Wolfsoul scuffled through the lichen and sat down at the front of the den. His golden gaze drew to the caliginous sky. Sparkling almost incandescently, the canopy of stars flickered brightly in the towering sea of darkness. Wolfsoul lowered his surveillance to the camp calmly as he grimly reflected that leaf-bare was nearing. It had been several sunrises since the rogues had confronted him. There wasn't enough time.
•???'s POV•
"Brookpaw? Where are you?" The amber pelted cat gazed around frantically as her white paw stepped forward. A flash of brown appeared before her and disappeared like smoke as she felt stabbing pain on her side. Stumbling as a startled yelp escaped her, the amber and white she-cat whirled around only to be met with blood flooding her vision, and all was black.
•Wolfsoul's POV•
Fresh snow crunched under Wolfsoul's paws as he strode through the light of dawn. Bare trees loomed overhead, their countless branches sharply patterning the sky. Traveling through the marsh effortlessly, he reached ShadowClan camp with a frog in his jaws. Wolfsoul was accompanied by Dovefrost and Coalmask as they dropped off their prey at the fresh kill pile, one by one. The leader, Bearstar, met them at the center of the camp. "Salutations." He mewed with a grateful gaze at the patrol. ShadowClan hadn't had a leader as steady and calm as Bearstar in so many moons. Everything was going well in ShadowClan. He just wished he could stay.
An earsplitting yowl erupted through the camp as a line of cats with rogue scent emerged from the undergrowth. Terrified yelps sparked across the vicinity before a tawny rogue tom with a pelt covered in scars sprang for Wolfsoul. Surging his paws upward, he met the rogue with a clash as he sank his claws into their shoulders. He fell backwards and brought the rogue down with him, feeling his claws scrape their collar bone. Toppling the rogue over, Wolfsoul hissed as he pinned the adversary. "You fools, you're outnumbered!"
The rogue snickered stealthily. "Look again."
Wolfsoul's eyes widened as he looked back at the entrance, only to see another wave of rogues appearing from almost every angle. He was so startled that he scarcely realized that the tawny brute had flipped him over and pinned him instead. "So, what was it that you said you'd give in exchange for your kit's life?" The rogue pronounced loudly, making sure the surrounding cats could hear.
"N-no..!" Wolfsoul breathed in protest.
The tom dauntingly pressed his silver claws against Wolfsoul's neck. He didn't wait for an answer. "Your life, was it?" The tawny rogue's eyes flashed with cruel amusement. "And your life is ShadowClan itself, is it not?" He snickered maliciously. He parted his jaws to speak again, but was cut off by a ramming force against his side. Wolfsoul shuffled to his paws. Bearstar glanced over at the dark tom. Wolfsoul felt a rush of gratefulness. "Bearstar!"
Wolfsoul felt a weight crush him to the ground as though he were a measly piece of fresh kill. Pinned against the cold, marshy floor, he felt Bearstar's burning glare lock with his own. "You caused this raid!" Wolfsoul could hear the contempt in the once-friendly leader's voice. "All for one kit." Bearstar growled through clenched teeth, all his fury clear in his voice and in the claws held at Wolfsoul's neck. Wolfsoul couldn't protest; he tried to speak, but he couldn't find the words. Yet he found strength pouring to his own claws as he raked them across Bearstar's stomach. The rogues had given him a chance whether to side with them or not. Now he had made up his mind.
