Fading Echoes

This is too easy. Lionblaze strode forward, flipping Owlclaw from his path, knocking Redwillow backward as the warrior attempted to lunge. Lionblaze saw Rowanclaw’s gaze fix on him, heard the breath gasp from his mouth as he crouched for the attack, felt the rush of air as slowly the warrior flew at him, teeth bared. Lionblaze had only to rear up and raise a paw to bat him backward into his Clanmates.

A yowl, deep and slow, sounded at the edge of the clearing.

Spinning around, he saw Firestar with Russetfur at his throat. The ShadowClan deputy had sunk her teeth deep into the ThunderClan leader’s neck. Firestar was trying to shake her off, but she allowed her body to be thrashed back and forth, her jaws clamped shut while Firestar staggered, paws slithering in his own blood.

Lionblaze lunged for the ShadowClan deputy. He swiped at her, raking her flank with claws half-sheathed. He only wanted her to release her grip. But she writhed and lashed out, still holding Firestar’s throat.

Firestar sank slowly to his belly, rings of white showing around the rims of his wide-stretched eyes.

Desperate now, Lionblaze flung his paws around Russetfur’s neck and hauled her off. As she let go, he lurched backward, his paws still wrapped tightly around her scrawny body. He landed heavily, sprawling on his back, and Russetfur collapsed on him like a deadweight.

The noise of battle suddenly flooded his ears; the screeching mayhem crashed into his consciousness like a wave breaking.

“You killed Russetfur!” Owlclaw’s wail split the air.

Lionblaze scrambled to his paws. The she-cat flopped, unmoving, onto the ground, her eyes wide-open but clouded with death.

His breath came in panicked gasps. “I d-didn’t do anything!” He hadn’t even scratched her. Only pulled her loose. How could she be dead?

Blackstar barged past him and crouched over her limp body. “Russetfur!” He shook his deputy with his heavy black paws, but she didn’t stir. “Russetfur!”

“Enough!” Thornclaw shook Ratscar from his back and sat up. “The battle is won,” he growled. “The clearing is ours. Do you concede or shall we fight for it again?”

Blackstar flashed a look of burning hatred over his shoulder. “Take it,” he hissed. “It was never worth the blood that has been spilled here today.”

Around them the battle stuttered and stumbled. Confusion filled the air as Lionblaze stood, frozen, wrapped in horror until Sorreltail shrieked.

“Firestar!”

Turning in a daze, Lionblaze saw blood pool around Firestar’s neck. The ThunderClan leader twitched, his flanks falling still. His tail snaked behind him, dead as prey.

He’s losing a life!

The ground lurched beneath Lionblaze. This wasn’t supposed to happen!

ShadowClan warriors began to gather around Russetfur’s body. They pressed forward to lick her fast-cooling fur.

Lionblaze backed away.

Sorreltail leaned over Firestar, her eyes clouding as Sandstorm appeared at the edge of the trees.

“What’s wrong?” The orange she-cat raced to crouch at her mate’s side.

“He’s losing a life,” Sorreltail reported grimly.

Two deaths?

What kind of battle was this? StarClan would never have sent a dream to lead them into a battle this deadly. A thought flickered in Lionblaze’s mind. His fur, sticky with the blood of other warriors, grew cold. A black, sucking hollow opened like a pit in his belly.

What if this dream hadn’t come from StarClan? What if it had been sent from beyond StarClan’s hunting grounds? Had Dark Forest warriors sent them on this fatal battle against their rivals? Two senior cats dead—one who would never recover—and many more warriors and apprentices badly wounded? Both Clans would be weak for a long time, right at the beginning of leaf-bare. StarClan would never have wanted this, not over a strip of grass that was useless to either Clan.

Lionblaze stared at Russetfur’s and Firestar’s unmoving bodies.

Warriors filed silently past him, gathering, dazed, beside the dead.

This battle should never have happened!

Warriors Adventure Game

Visit www.warriorcats.com to download game rules, character sheets, a practice mission, and more!

Written by Stan! • Art by James L. Barry

The Plaintive Howls

Whichever previous adventure you played, consider that three moons have passed since then. Determine what age that makes all of the cat characters (including the one belonging to the person who will take the first turn as Narrator) and use the information found in the “Improving Your Cat” section of Chapter Four in the game rules to make the necessary changes.

Unless you are the first Narrator in this adventure, stop reading here. The information beginning in the next paragraph is for the Narrator only.

The Adventure Begins