Hunger of the Shadows

HUNGER OF THE SHADOWS

ONESHOT BY STOATKIT

FOR LAU'S CONTEST ---

My name is Firewind. I am on a mission to save my Clan, RiverClan, from our leader, Wolfstar. She is giving all the prey to ShadowClan. They are hungry and desperate, and will even eat the fish Wolfstar is giving them. The rest goes to the medicine den, elders, and nursery, leaving little food for us warriors.

We cannot starve like this.

We cannot go on like this.

I have made it my duty to take Wolfstar's lives, bit by bit. And tonight, I plan to murder Longwhisker, the deputy. I will fake a sign by using the orange leaf-fall leaves and blowing them to look like flames. Fire. Wind. Firewind. Me.

~***The Night Comes***~

I feel my lips move, but I cannot hear words. I then hear bangs. Pawsteps. Always by my ear. I am a 1-season-old warrior, so I don't get nice nests yet. But that was my wake-up call.

It is time to carry out my plan. I will kill Longwhisker, and I will make myself deputy. I will blow so many leaves and kick up so much dust, it looks like flickering, flaming winds.

Step, by step. Padding closer, with each careful step, making no sound.

Here I am, in the reeds. Longwhisker is catching fish for those weaklings we affectionately call ShadowClan. I step behind him, letting my claws out.

"Hello, Firewind. I know about your plan." meowed Longwhisker.

"How could you?" I retorted.

"You sleeptalk. You sleeptalk about glory by killing me, Wolfstar, and starving ShadowClan." hissed Longwhisker. "I have foiled your plan, foolish vole."

"Yeah, and I can eat trees whole." I sarcastically snapped back.

"WARRIORS, ATTACK!", I heard Longwhisker cry. It was ShadowClan!

"Traitor." I hissed.

"RiverClan! Get him!" cried a familiar voice.

Wolfstar!

She had gathered some RiverClan cats. To stop me.

"Dawnstone, help me." I hissed.

"No! I thought you were caring! Until now!" hissed my mate.

"Marbles?" I called. I trained Marbles when she left her kittypet life.

"Traitor." hissed Marbles. "I support RiverClan, ShadowClan, and their leaders, Wolfstar and Loststar."

"Redmist. Please." I meowed.

"You have failed me, brother." snarled Redmist.

"Patiencepad? Littlesight?" I asked, calling for my siblings.

I could only watch as Littlesight shook his head, and Patiencepad snarled.

"Whiskerpaw." I meowed. "Help me. You're my last hope."

"I am not your last hope." she meowed. My daughter had betrayed me.

I felt the weight of a thousand cats as I was pounced on. My cause was right. Theirs was not. They would never understand. "Traitors! Fight for me! You'll be remembered until StarClan dies!" I called.

And then my plan backfired.

I wanted to kill Longwhisker.

He killed me.

I screamed, "YOU WILL NEVER KNOW GLORY, FAME, AND VICTORY!!!".

Then, he slit my throat.

I found myself in the Dark Forest that night.

Someday, Longwhisker will die at my paws, even if I have to haunt his dreams...