Striking Embers [📝]

Prologue

Ivypool pounced on the WindClan warrior, biting down on his neck. The warriors went limp beneath her and Ivypool recognized Harespring as the cat she'd killed. A spike of adrenaline rushed through her and a sickening grin spread across her muzzle.

"Very good," came a voice behind her. Ivypool turned around and her grin turned into a smirk. She looked at the warrior Hawkfrost had just killed. It was Ashfoot.

"We're winning!" Breezepelt exclaimed, his yellow eyes flashing triumphantly.

"Why are you doing this?" Crowfeather snarled at the tom. Ivypool's eyes narrowed. She pounced on Crowfeather and held him down.

"He's all yours," she hissed to Breezepelt.

The yellow eyed tom nodded, the smile fading from his face. "Because," he snarled, "you never cared. Maybe if you'd raised me right, this wouldn't have happened."

Breezepelt didn't give his father a chance to respond before he lunged forward. Ivypool leapt out of the way and watched with satisfaction as Crowfeather stopped struggling and fell limp beneath Breezepelt.

"Good job, Breezepelt," Thistleclaw growled approvingly. Breezepelt's eyes shine with pride. "I want you two to move to ThunderClan, we're going to win."

Ivypool and Breezepelt nodded and took off towards the border. Breezepelt would have been faster than Ivypool, had she not trained in the Dark Forest.

The two reached the ThunderClan camp to be met with more fighting. They separated and took hold of any non-Dark Forest cat they could find.

After killing Millie, Ivypool turned and saw Firestar fighting with Birchfall.

Ivypool growled and lunged for the fiery tom. No one messes with my father, she thought.

Firestar was surprised when Ivypool landed on his back, and he managed to throw her off before turning to her and saying, "What are you doing? You're on our side!"

"Since when?" the silver-and-white she-cat asked, blue eyes flashing.

"You were spying for us," Firestar growled, new rage filling his eyes.

"False information," Ivypool purred, her fur lying flat. Firestar seemed confused.

Ivypool let out a low chuckle, her gaze turning dark. She circled Firestar slowly, not once taking her eyes off of him.

Distract him, she thought, keep his guard low.

"Did you actually think I was on your side? That I would switch that easily? No. Here, no one noticed me, they were to busy adoring Dovewing. I earned my respect here, but no one considered it. But in the Dark Forest? I earned my respect and the other cats knew it. They didn't dare mess with me, I was training cats to kill, showing up the bigger warriors. I belonged in the Dark Forest, and you know what?"

Ivypool new she was dragging on, but the longer she did, the more she could Firestar's guard drop.

"I still do."

Ivypool lunged at Firestar, and, just as she'd planned, he wasn't expecting it. She clamped her jaws down on his throat and ripped backwards. She spat out the chunk of flesh from his throat and watched with triumph as he choked and sputtered, a pool of blood surrounding him.

"Firestar is dead!" someone shouted. Ivypool thought it sounded like Thornclaw, but she wasn't sure at the moment.

The Dark Forest pushed forward, trapping the cats in the camp.

Tigerstar stepped forward and sniffed Firestar's dead body.

"Ivypool." His voice rang out clearly.

"Yes?" the striped she-cat asked.

"You killed Firestar, and for that," he began, his amber gaze burning into hers. It would have made any other cat tremble in fear, but Ivypool merely brushed it off. Tigerstar didn't scare her, not anymore. "I've decided to make you Hawkfrost's personal assistant."

Breezepelt's eyes burned with rage.

"She can't be his assistant! She's too young and inexperienced," he hissed. "Besides, you said-"

He was cut off by a body slamming into his, knocking him to the ground. Ivypool stood over him, leaving him pinned there.

"We may not live entirely by the warrior code, but you NEVER question your leader," she hissed, before leaping off of him.

She stood by Tigerstar's side, her ears reaching just over his shoulder. She looked small compared to the massive tom, but like she said earlier, no-one was brave enough to mess with her, except for the original Dark Forest cats, of course.

She could see Dovewing, the gray she-cats eyes wide with dismay. Ivypool ignored her.

"Ivypool, from this day forward, you will be Hawkfrost's personal assistant, and his other helper along with Breezepet."

Ivypool nodded. "I won't fail you."

Breezepelt's tail flicked with annoyance, but he seemed content. The tom had been promised that, if he did good in the battle, he would be moved to a higher rank. A leader's assistant, even if he had to share it with Ivypool, was better than nothing at all.

"Now," Tigerstar growled, "we'll need a place to keep all the cats, got any ideas?"

Ivypool and Breezepelt spoke at the same time. "I might have an idea."

The two shared a glance, and immediately Ivypool knew they were thinking the same thing.