Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 17

Silvershy's POV:

There was a strange silence in the clearing as Tofu turned to look down at Java. "You descend from the Clans?" The huge white tom demanded quietly.

Java's reply was soft, his light brown fur bristling. "Yeah, but we were dropped off in twolegplace before we could even open our eyes." His voice was brittle, and Silvershy felt the sting of his words. Next to their brother, Ebony and Stump nodded their heads in agreement.

"So that makes seven of you." Tofu growled, stepping away from Java to face the crowd of rogues. "This is unacceptable! We cannot let this continue. The Clans are not welcome here." His followers let out cries of agreement, pacing around their trapped prisoners.

"What will you do then?" Ebony hissed above the yowls. "Kill us?"

"I'm thinking about it." Tofu replied. "But I'd rather stick to my original plan and take Silvershy. A warrior of her skill could be useful to us."

Silvershy pressed her kits closer to her, shaking her head. "I won't leave my kits. You'll have to kill me before I leave this place."

"Such foolish loyalty." Tofu sighed. "This is what makes the Clans so weak." The white furred rogue nodded his head to one of his followers. "Give me one of her little ones."

"Any?" The cat asked, her lips twisting into a wide grin.

"Any."

Silvershy immediately unsheathed her claws, ready to defend her kits with her life. "Don't go anywhere near them!" She snarled. "Not unless you value your life!" Her attempt to fight back was fruitless, as she was dragged away by another rogue, leaving her kits defenceless as the she cat approached them. "No!" The silver she cat yowled, kicking at the two rogues holding her back.

"If you just cooperated with me," Tofu meowed, "then your kits would still be safe from harm. This is your doing, Silvershy. It's your fault that this is happening."

"Don't touch them!" Silvershy screeched as the sly she cat reached out to poke Pearlkit with a single claw. Pearlkit scooted away, hiding behind Duskkit. The little tomkit glared at the rogue she cat with a fierce growl.

"Ooh, I like this one." The she cat purred, plucking Duskkit off his paws by his scruff. Silvershy gasped as her kit squealed in fright. Pearlkit and Citruskit cried for their brother, frozen on the rocky ground in terror.

"Enough of this, we're wasting time." Tofu growled, beckoning for the she cat to bring Duskkit to him. Silvershy struggled to break free, desperate to get to Duskkit. Someone stop this! Around her, Java's rogues did nothing to stop the she cat. They simply watched it happen in silence. Did they not care at all? Even Java himself seemed to sag with defeat as Duskkit was placed at Tofu's expecting paws.

Silvershy was released by the rogues, and she darted for Pearlkit and Citruskit, caressing them with her muzzle in an attempt to calm the crying kits. "It's okay." She whispered. "You're safe. You're safe." But Duskkit was far from safe. The silver she cat glanced up to where Tofu was standing. Duskkit cowered into the ground, his large round eyes glittering with fear.

"Now, what should we do with you, little kit?" Tofu wondered, deliberately glancing at Silvershy, challenging her to oppose him. Silvershy unsheathed her claws but resisted the urge to launch through the crowd and slice his neck open. She would never be able to get there in time, Tofu's cats would instantly stop her. And then she'd most likely lose all her kits as punishment. She had to think carefully before she acted.

"Mumma!" Duskkit's cry shattered Silvershy's heart as the little black tom attempted to run away, back to his mother, but Tofu's large white paw slammed down on his tail and held him firmly in place.

"You're not going anywhere." The white furred tom growled. "Not until I'm done with you."

"Don't kill him!" Silvershy cried. "Please don't kill him!" She felt so helpless watching her son flail under Tofu's grip. She was officially the worst mother ever, unable to protect her kits from harm.

"What's going to happen to Duskkit, Mumma?" Citruskit asked, her yellow eyes wide with distress. Beside her, Pearlkit also stared up at her mother, silently begging for an answer.

Silvershy murmured hopelessly. "I-I don't know.. Just stay quiet and stick with me."

Java suddenly spoke again, his voice dull. "Do you plan on letting us go after you kill this kit?"

Tofu snorted with laughter, pawing at Duskkit with unsheathed claws, playing with the terrified little tom. "Who said I was going to kill him?" His whiskers twitched with amusement as Silvershy let out a small gasp of relief. "Don't get your hopes up just yet, I'm still thinking."

"Think faster!" Yelled a cat from Tofu's ranks. Silvershy recognised him as the old half-blind tom from their past encounter. How rude. Silvershy observed. He would be scolded had he been speaking to a Clan leader like that.

Tofu didn't like the scrawny old tom's exclamation, but he seemed to obey the order silently. With a small grin, the snow white tom meowed. "Well, Java, it's your lucky day. You don't get to lose anyone, not in this fight. However, all I ask is a little souvenir for my troubles."

"And that would be..?" Java asked expectantly, his patience depleting.

"How about this?" Tofu smiled, rolling Duskkit onto his back and slapping his paw over the tom-kit's face. His huge white paw was quickly stained with blood as he dragged his claws over the black kit's eyes and muzzle, tearing deep into his flesh. It happened so quickly that no one had time to react, even Duskkit seemed to be stunned into silence as blood poured from his face.

Finally, his first cry of agony echoed through the camp. Silvershy was jolted out of her shocked stance and immediately launched herself through the crowd and to Duskkit's side. He let out another wail, his body shaking as blood began to pool around him.

Tofu let Silvershy crouch beside her kit, but he stayed uncomfortably close to her. "I think it'll be an improvement." The white furred rogue purred into Silvershy's ear, his grey eyes fixed on Duskkit's bleeding face. "But you'll need to get those wounds tended to, otherwise he'll bleed to death."

Silvershy let out a fierce growl, turning to face Tofu. "Leave this place before I make you!"

Almost instantly, one of Tofu's followers dove between Silvershy and their leader, shielding the white tom from the silver warrior's wrath.

"Let's go." Tofu called to his rogues. "We've done enough for today."

Silvershy let them leave, knowing she could do nothing to make them pay. All she could do now was make sure Duskkit survived. Thank StarClan Tofu didn't kill him...

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