Book 2: City of Ice and Fire (a warriors cats and shadowhunters crossover)

Chapter 8: Meanwhile In HunterClan...

"No!" Goldenclaw yowled.

He felt his speed rune sizzle into activation.With lightning speed, he pushed Violetpaw into the safety of a nearby bush. The prickly thorns would no doubt stab into the apprentice's soft pelt, but Goldenclaw knew a little discomfort was the preferred outcome over losing one's life.

Instead of striking Violetpaw, the hawk's talons tore at fur on his backside. His body sung with the pain, the scratches like hot fire. Goldenclaw hadn't been sure before, but now he was certain. The teachings that Dustcloud had given him rang in his mind, telling him what he was facing now.

I don't know how, but I'm facing a demonized hawk.

He had no time to waste. With Violetpaw still nearby, Goldenclaw didn't have time to ponder how this creature how found its way into their world. Instead, he focused on summoning the weapon inside his heart. A sword shimmered in front of him, Goldenclaw grasped the hilt in his mouth. The weapon was reassuring in his grip, making him feel confident in his chances for the upcoming battle.

He sprang into the air, swinging his sword with all his might. The hawk let out a cry of alarm as the sword swung its way. The creature had no way to escape the swinging weapon's sharp blade in time. The powerful weapon sliced through one of the creature's wings, sending it spiraling down to the earth.

It crashed into the ground with a sickening crunch. Goldenclaw met it on the ground, his blade slicing through the monster again. The hawk let out a gurgling cry before falling still. He steps back as black liquid spews around its still form, the inky black standing out against the fallen pine needles. The stuff smelled nasty, like a terrible piece of dung. If memory serves correctly, that yucky stuff is ichor.

A trembling Violetpaw approaches him now with caution. Goldenclaw felt sorry for the young apprentice, she hadn't been prepared for a hawk to attack her, let alone a demonized one. But how did it get here is the real question? And how is it out in broad daylight?

Demons in the forest were a rare sight. And demons in broad daylight were practically impossible, as sunlight often burnt them to a crisp. And plus as far as he knew there wasn't any demonic rifts in the area. Also, the Clave usually had groups dispatched to handle such threats from their home base of Alicante. Some had been sent for a yearly routine checkout back when Goldenclaw was still a kit. They hadn't reported anything out of the ordinary, so what had changed?

His thoughts were cut off when he saw Violetpaw leaning forward to sniff the ichor. As was the normal case with demons, the hawk had already evaporated after being struck down with an Angelic weapon. The puddle of awful ichor was all that was left of the monster.

"Stay back. Ichor can burn through skin and can be poisonous." He warned her.

"H-how did it get here? Dapplefur said demons hardly ever come to the forest. So how..." she trailed off, her body still trembling. Goldenclaw gave her a reassuring nudge, his golden eyes blinking.

"I honestly have no idea. We need to get back to camp right away to notify Blossomstar. Will you be up to traveling now, or do you need to wait?" He asked. The little she-cat was trembling less now, though he was unsure she was ready to make the trip home yet.

Violetpaw stifled a nod. "I'll be alright. I'll feel better once I'm back home."

"Let's get going then." Goldenclaw told her. He and Violetpaw retrieved the prey they'd caught earlier before heading back to camp.

******Nightrose's POV******

Nightrose has taken Smokepaw with her on a border patrol. Badgerstripe was traveling with them. Her father had been overwhelmed with grief for awhile, but now he was trying to return to warrior duties. She admires his courage, it couldn't be easy to come back to warrior duties after losing a part of your soul.