Warriors: Reign Of Shadows ~Series 2 Book 6~

Chapter 21

Flamefur's POV:

Without a second of warning, Strike flew out from the mist straight for Flamefur, his claws extended and fangs glinting. She backed away and he landed on the spot she had been barely a heartbeat earlier.

The black and red tom lunged again, relentlessly trying to land a blow on her. Flamefur managed to dart out of the way at first, but started to grow tired as the blows kept coming at blinding speed. Strike was waiting for her to slip up. He won't have to wait long. Flamefur growled and ducked, slithering to the left as Strike charged again.

Finally, Flamefur lost her footing as a strip of NoName's shadows wrapped around her hind legs, pulling her onto the ground. She gasped and struggled to stand again but Strike was on her the millisecond she fell. His claws pricked her fur, his red wings stretched out behind him, beating the air to keep her pinned down.

Flamefur bared her teeth and sank them into Strike's foreleg. He hissed and reeled backwards as her fangs reached bone. She surged upwards and slammed her forepaws into Strike's chest. He stumbled backwards where her tail lay in wait. The tom tripped on her tail, falling onto his back with a yelp of surprise. Once he was down, Flamefur wasted no time in lunging straight for his neck.

Her teeth sank into dark fur, but it wasn't Strike's. She lifted her head to see Tyler standing over his brother, his eyes narrowed angrily at her. "You were going to kill him!" The black and blue tom hissed.

"Only because he was going to kill me!" Flamefur snarled, leaping onto Tyler's back. Her claws dug into the base of his wings, tearing through the scales until blood streaming from them.

Tyler hissed and reared onto his hind legs, making her fall backwards. She twisted as she fell, landing on her paws. With a snarl, she glared up at the tom as he turned to face her slowly. His blue eyes bore coldly into her's and he muttered. "Leave now before you are killed."

Flamefur bit back a hiss of surprise. He's sparing me? Silvershy really must've gotten to him.

There was a low snarl behind her and she spun around to face Strike again. He was standing, his face twisted into a look of rage as he glared at both Flamefur and Tyler. "She's going to die here! There will be no mercy for Lightclan scum like her!"

Tyler growled back. "There's no need to kill her."

Strike bared his teeth. "Don't get in my way, brother." He lunged for Flamefur, tearing his claws across her chest. "It's about time you died! You're one of our biggest threats."

Flamefur staggered backwards as blood welled up from her chest wound. She backed into Tyler, who pushed her aside and growled at his brother. "Stop it, killing her won't do anything."

"You've gone soft!" Strike snarled, whirling on his brother. "If I didn't care about you, you'd be dead on the ground this second!"

Flamefur looked up to see NoName appear from the darkness, her white eyes narrowed in anger. Ashleg's body had faded away- she had let him wake up, thank Starclan. Now she had to make sure Foxclaw was safe too and then escape herself.

The two brothers looked at their sister as she approached. Flamefur forced down a chuckle when she sensed fear rolling off both toms as they stared at the much smaller she cat.

"Strike, get her now." NoName hissed, her voice tight with frustration.

Strike turned back to Flamefur and pinned her down before she could compute what was going on. She tried to escape, but it was no use. She growled and turned to look back at NoName as she faced Tyler.

"Dearest brother." She sneered at the black and blue tom. "It appears you've gotten a bit soft again."

"No!" Tyler hissed, his ears flattening. "I'm not soft."

"Then kill Flamefur." She ordered smoothly. By the way Tyler stayed still, she knew he wouldn't. "Looks like you're going to need something to get you back on the right track. I was lenient with you before, but it's gone too far." She raised a paw, a wide smirk on her lips. "Now.. What was it you were afraid of again? Snow? Ice? Or more specifically.. freezing to death?"

Tyler flinched noticeably and Flamefur narrowed her eyes. What a strange fear.

"NoName, I promise I won't be weak again. I promise. Just.. please.. not that." Tyler whispered, his voice trembling with desperation as his sister advanced on him.

"If you don't want punishment then kill Flamefur, simple as that." The red she cat replied, grinning as Tyler backed into a bush, cornering himself.

After waiting a few more seconds, NoName shrugged. "Alright, here comes your nightmare." She flicked her paw and a flurry of shadows swirled towards Tyler. He let out a soft yowl as the shadows wrapped around his neck, slithering up and around his head. Within seconds, whimpers of fear left the tom's lips as he collapsed on the floor. "N-No stop!" He cried. His body convulsed and shuddered, his teeth gritted and eyes screwed shut.

NoName rolled her eyes, turning away to let her shadows to the work. She looked down at Flamefur. "You little troublemaker. Look what you made me do." She glanced again at Tyler, a sick grin rising on her lips as he trembled and shook, his wings jerking. She turned back to Flamefur. "Now you get to die.."

But Flamefur was already fading away. They had all been so focused on watching Tyler's suffering that they hadn't noticed Flamefur falling asleep.

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