- Marrowstar growled softly in annoyance, lifting one of her once off-white paws and attempting to flick away the muck clinging to her fur. The action did little to remove the mud, only further irritating the older she-cat. It was well past moon high, and a full moon sat high above the treetops overhead, surrounded by a clear, star-studded sky. Normally, Marrowstar would have been in her warm moss nest by now, but on that particular night, she had been dragged out of her nest by one of her best warriors, Vipermoon. Marrowstar held the younger she-cat in high regard. She was a smart, strong warrior who had always fought tooth and claw for the benefit of the clan. Recently, they had had a bit of a falling out, though, when Marrowstar had named another Warrior as the new deputy, one who was far better suited for the position. Vipermoon was too ambitious and bloodthirsty at times to make it as deputy, and Marrowstar had been greatly saddened that the she-cat had been so furious with her decision. She had always viewed Vipermoon as her own daughter since the kit had been orphaned at a young age and Marrowstar had raised the kit alongside her own son. She had hoped when Vipermoon came to her, confided in her about scenting rogues on their Territory, that perhaps they could put this whole deputy business behind them and resume their normal camaraderie, but the sleek russet she-cat had barely spoken to her since the pair had set out to investigate.
"Is it much further?" Marrowstar called out, bounding through the rapidly deepening mud in order to pull level with her adopted daughter. She tried to ignore the way the mud was sucking at her belly fur now, trying to drag her deeper or the way the cold seeped deep into her very bones. Golden eyes flicked towards her, gleaming oddly in the silver light of the moon, and it was a moment before the smaller she-cat spoke.
"Not much further. Just over the next ridge," she promised, and there was definitely an odd lilt to her voice now, but Marrowstar couldn't place what was so odd about it. Sighing, Marrowstar followed Vipermoon to the base of the ridge and began to scramble up the rocky slope. She was more than happy to leave the mud behind for dryer ground, but the scent still clung to her fur and filled her nostril, so she didn't notice the overpowering scent of the rogues until she had crested the ridge and found herself face to face with several very large, very mean looking cats. Startled, the large off-white she-cat drew back, hackles rising and eyes narrowing contemptuously.
"You're trespassing on LakeClan Territory. Leave now, or else," she hissed, drawing up to her full height and glaring the cat's down. The largest of the group, a massive grizzled male with crisscrossing scars all over his body, cackled cruelly and bared his teeth at the LakeClan Leader, malice in his gaze.
"Oh no, Marrowstar. It is you who will be leaving. Permanently," he stated gruffly, earning a round of cruel laughter from his companions. Green eyes narrowing, the large she-cat eyed the group skeptically with a touch of nervousness.
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" The LakeClan leader hissed. The apparent leader of the group grinned and nodded past the she-cat.
"I think she can answer that better than we can," he said, prompting Marrowstar to glance to her left. Vipermoon padded forward, an icy expression on her face as she moved to stand beside the large male. Marrowstar's blood ran cold as she looked between the grinning tomcat and the coldly detached she-cat. That was what the odd lilt to her voice had been. An utter lack of emotion.
"V-Vipermoon? What is the meaning of this?" She asked, voice wavering slightly as she met the younger she-cat's golden gaze.
"You should have made me deputy," Vipermoon hissed, eyes flashing with anger as she met the other she-cat's gaze. Looking into her eyes, it was as if Marrowstar didn't even know her. This wasn't the loyal, ambitious kit that she had taken in as her own. This was a cold-hearted, bloodthirsty cat who would do anything to get what she wanted... even if that meant disposing of the cat who had raised her.
"Think about what you're doing," the older she-cat pleaded, but there wasn't even a hint of sorrow and remorse in the golden gaze that had once looked at her with such hope and warmth. Instead, all she saw was anger, resentment, maybe even hatred. As if deaf to her pleas, Vipermoon turned her back abruptly on the older she-cat and gave a decisive mod to the rogues surrounding her. Marrowstar didn't even have time to blink before they were on her, and despite her best efforts they quickly overpowered the old leader. When it was over, Vipermoon stood beside the lifeless body and stared coldly down at the cat she had once held great respect for. Lifeless green eyes stared up into hers, and a pool of blood spread outward, staining her russet paws a dark red. As Vipermoon turned away, a cold breeze ruffled her thin fur causing her to shiver, and she swore she heard Marrowstar's voice whispering in her ear, causing her to go stiff.
"The Snake's Bloody Reign Will Come To An End, when Six Unite To Save The Clan," the voice murmured. As abruptly as the breeze had started, it died back down leaving the forest eerily still. Vipermoon looked back down at the body, eyes narrowing with contempt before nodding sharply to her companions.
"Grab the body. We have a clan to take control of," she spat, turning sharply in the direction of camp. With her companions carrying the dead leader, Vipermoon led the way back to the LakeClan camp. She tried to focus on her next move, which was to take control of the clan, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake those eerie words from her mind.
