“We were slaughtered because of you!” an Eastern molly snarled. “Jade might not be the best commander, but at least she’s not bent on destroying us all. Come on, East. Let’s burn our dead and go home.”
Falcon made a noise somewhere between a chuff and a snort.
“You’re not one of us. Stay out of this, traitor.”
He sighed. “No, it’s not that. I just find it interesting how you think you still have a home to return to.”
Jade froze in place. Looks of horror appeared on the Easterners’ faces.
“The Rift was left all but unprotected. By now it’ll be very well-fortified. If any of you try to retake it, there will be a true slaughter.” Falcon looked down and pawed nervously at the ground. He lifted his head and looked directly at Cloud. “And there are cats moving along the cliffs to take the Glade.”
Cloud’s blood went cold. “Kivy,” he whispered. He looked around to address his colony. “Well, what are you all waiting for? We have to stop them. Come on!”
Jade snapped out of her daze. She moved to stand in front of him, eyes damp. “I know we’ve wronged your colony and killed your kin, but we can also help protect it. We cannot let your home be taken too. Do you trust us enough to let us fight by your side?”
‘Circumstance doesn’t appear to have left me much of a choice, has it?’ He nodded once. “Gather the strongest survivors and follow us. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
Jade nodded back.“I’ll try my best, Commander.”
‘Commander? I really am the commander now, aren’t I? I guess it’s time to find out just how good ’a one I am.’ He lifted his head and sucked in a deep breath.
Before he could say anything, Songbird appeared at his side. “Everyone who can still fight, get to the cliffs! Everyone else, help the injured,” she called out. She looked at him, intelligent eyes narrowed and fangs bared. “We can do this, Cloud. I know we can.”
He nodded once and gave her a brief smile.
“East!” Jade called out behind them. “We have nothing left to lose. Let us help our neighbors. It may be their only chance and ours. Save the Glade. Follow them!”
The colonies, East and West together, ran through the forest as one. At their head was Cloud, Songbird only a clawlength behind. ‘I hope you’d be proud of me, Aspen. Your vision for the future may be about to come true. If only the circumstances were better. Wait.’ He glanced over his shoulder, then turned his attention back to his mate. “Where’s Ember?”
Ember
Ember stared at Bracken. Her teeth chattered together. Everyone still strong enough to fight had left to stop the invasion. A few wounded and many dead remained on the battlefield, but in Bracken’s presence she was alone, outnumbered and unable to move. Tears rolled down her face.
‘They’re gone, they’re gone, they’re gone, they’re all gone. Every single one of them. Hyrees, Boreal, Shard, Sunshine, Crow, and everyone else. They’re all dead. And if they aren’t, what are they going to do?’
“You aren’t going to help them? I’m surprised,” Bracken said.
She closed her eyes and shivered harder. Her heart pounded in her ears, making her head hurt. Everything hurt. Her chest burned from hyperventilation.
“I’m not going to kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Oh. Speaking of which.” He looked over his shoulder to address the cats with him. “Vixen, take the rest of the council and do what you can to help the wounded. Those who can be saved, save, but if you must, end the suffering of the dying. Falcon, stay with me.”
Ember winced. “Y-you had them all k-k-killed. A-all of them,” she mewed.
“I’m telling you the truth, Ember. I’m an opportunist. I don’t waste life, and I don’t have cats killed, but sometimes the lives I’ve affected end up wasting themselves. It is sad, but it’s also reality.” He sat down. “I offered them peace three times, and even after they rejected it, they could have stopped this, had they used common sense. These things only work when willful ignorance is involved. Unfortunately for them, that’s the way they’ve been raised to function.”
“But why attack them?”
“First, you have to consider what the cats of the Lowlands have been through. They’ve been thrown out, burned alive, ripped apart, and nearly drowned by these colonies. Their lives were all but ruined. It’s enough to make a cat do anything for revenge. I myself am not a vengeful cat, but in their anger, I saw something useful. I had once made a promise that I would bring peace to Dark’s Valley. After meeting other rejects and finding out how much they’d also been hurt, I realized I finally had a way to do it.”
“Peace? Y-you call this peace?” Ember asked.
“It may seem counter-intuitive, but believe me, I’ve tried other ways. There are too many grudges and too many stubborn minds for kindness and reasoning to help. It’s almost funny, because all I did today was give everyone what they wanted. Even my own cats will find out revenge is more costly than it’s worth. That’s the thing about war, though. It brings out the worst in everything and everyone. It shows us our flaws and our strengths, drives us to fix our problems—problems we were too comfortable, or too lazy, or too scared to fix before.”
Wind cut through their fur and made Ember’s face sting. Grey choked out all other thoughts and numbed her mind.
Bracken’s tail twitched. “These cats needed humbling. Now, former enemies have united against a common foe. The East and the West are one. Had I sat back and done nothing, they would have started a similar war themselves, but this one would have ended with them killing themselves off, rather than joining together. You should be happy. After today, there will be peace; true peace. Grudges will no longer seem worth fighting over, and my colony and I now have a secure place to live. No matter how today ends, tomorrow will be better than yesterday ever was.”
Ember opened her eyes and glared up at him. She stopped shaking with fear and instead trembled with rage. “B-but it’s always today. Tomorrow never comes.”
Falcon grimaced. “You still don’t understand, do you, kitten?”
“Leave her be. No point in forcing her to see something when she doesn’t want to.”
“Yes, sir.”
The howling wind and moaning of the injured prevented the silence from being absolute. Ember’s mind drifted back to Hyrees and her Eastern friends. The fog cleared enough to think again. ‘What happened to you? Are you dead? Are you hurt and lost? Where are you?’ Her subconscious sent her an image of Hyrees, Boreal, and Shard, lying dead at Bracken’s paws. It made her shiver uncontrollably all over again.
“Falcon?” Bracken asked, sending her back to an equally painful reality. “Are you loyal to me?”
“I am. I’ve worked under you for four winters. I waited, and I saw your vision through. Isn’t that proof enough?”
Bracken shook his head. “You worked with Jade for almost as long. I’m worried your feelings for her may make you a risk.”
“What feelings?” Falcon said. “I worked under her because you told me to. I am loyal to you and to the Midbrook Colony. If she won’t come, that’s her problem, not mine. Besides, she probably hates me now.”
“Fair enough,” Bracken said, “but I’m not convinced. Kill Jade, and bring me a piece of her ear.”
Falcon recoiled. “What?
“You heard what I said. If you do have feelings for her, those feelings will inevitably get someone hurt. Most likely yourself. Besides, she’s too far gone at this point. The commander you knew when you left the East is already dead. Now go. When you’re done, call off the fight. They will answer to you.”
Falcon’s head and tail drooped. “Yes. Yes, sir.”
He shoved past Ember, then sprinted up the mountain.
Ember stumbled sideways. One of her hind paws landed on a dead cat’s side. Sickly green and yellow flared in her head. She recoiled and dry-heaved, then hacked out blood.
“Okay,” Bracken said. His voice was calm and almost conte
nt. “Now I’ve had someone killed. Or, at least, I will have had someone killed by the time the sun sets. A shame, really, but his death will be a necessary one.”
Ember glared back at him. “Y-you’re worse . . . th-th-than Commander Aspen,” she spat between coughs and pants. “You’re a wildcat.” She coughed once more, then ran after Falcon and the colonies.
“I’m sorry you see it that way,” Bracken called after her. “Maybe when you’re older, you’ll thank me. Oh, try not to die out there, Ember. You’re far too valuable to waste yourself in a skirmish.”
She bit her tongue and did her best to ignore him.
Cloud
Cloud kept running. Breathing, or even moving forward, became more difficult with every step. His chest ached; the excitement and adrenaline that came with fight or flight was waning, but the cliffs were getting close. Scents of unfamiliar cats filled the air. The wildcat hadn’t been joking.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the anxiety that stemmed from leaving Ember with possibly the most dangerous cats in the forest. ‘She can take care of herself,’ he thought. ‘Kivy can’t. The Glade is unprotected. We can’t turn around for the sake of one cat.’
“Look out!” Songbird shouted.
Movement caught the edge of his vision. A mange covered tom tackled him from the side. They rolled down the slope, toward the cliff edge. Cloud’s heart lurched as he scrambled to stop himself.
“Cloud!” she cried out.
He sank his claws into a root. They slipped. He slid to a stop a paw and a clawlength away from the drop-off, attacker on top of him. The scraggly tom sighed in relief. Cloud kicked him in the stomach and the cat tumbled over the edge, howling as he fell. All went silent. The forest around him came alive with growls, hisses and screams. A new battle had started, and he was already exhausted.
He moved up the slope, away from the cliff edge, and shoved an attacker off of Jade. The cat screeched as Cloud sank his fangs into its neck, severing an artery. Blood filled his mouth. He spat the cat out, then pushed it away.
Jade stood up, wavering slightly. “Thank you. On your right!”
He spun around and lashed out with his claws. They raked across a grey molly’s face. She squeaked and staggered back. Cloud pounced. She leaped out of the way. He landed and slid to a stop. They circled each other. Jade pounced on the molly from behind, her fangs digging into the cat’s neck.
“Help me!” the molly yowled.
Cloud crouched down to finish her but stopped short. ‘Oh tahg, she's young. Probably younger than Ember. With the enemy or not, she doesn't deserve this.’
A flash of black and grey pounced onto Jade’s back. The molly broke free and ran off as Jade fell to the ground. She rolled, knocking her attacker off, and jumped to her paws. She recoiled. “F-Falcon? Please don’t do this. You aren’t really on their side, are you?”
“Sorry, Love,” Falcon said, stalking closer. “Bracken has sent me to kill you. Only one of us is walking away from this. I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice.”
Jade shied away from his advance, backing herself to the edge of the rock. “Yes, you do. Don’t fight me, Falcon. Fight with me. I can’t kill you. You know I can’t.”
“Those pesky feelings getting in the way again?” he asked. “Don’t make this easy, please. I’d like to remember you as a warrior, not a coward.”
Another Midbrook tom jumped front of Cloud, preventing him from reaching her. Cloud lunged at the cat’s legs. The cat leaped away from his dive and brought his claws down on Cloud’s side. Cloud clenched his teeth to ward off the pain and swatted at his attacker. The tom snarled and bounced out of reach. Songbird flung herself against his side, sending him tumbling down the slope. He caught himself hanging halfway off the cliff side. The cat heaved himself back to stable ground and, with a look of terror, darted down the mountain slope.
Cloud chuffed as Songbird shook herself off. “Took you long enough.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I was busy trying not to die. I won’t always have time for that and saving your tail. Now come on, we’ve got a fight to win.” She nudged his side. Across the battlefield, Rowan struggled with a tortoiseshell. “You help Rowan. I’ll try to get to Jade.”
Cloud nodded, then ran to save his apprentice.
“Stop!” A flurry of pointed cream leaped between Falcon and Jade as he dashed past them. Echo snarled, head low and tail raised. “Don’t you dare lay a claw on her.”
“Move, Echo, or I’ll have to take you too,” Falcon said. “I don’t want to kill you.”
As he drew closer, the tortoiseshell got off of Rowan, then charged at Cloud. Cloud veered sideways a moment before they met. They both slid to a stop and turned to face each other. “Leave, now,” Cloud snarled.
A few leaps away, Echo bared her teeth. “This isn’t what we agreed to, Falcon. I’ve done my part. Cass is almost done, and you and Bracken have what you want. Your fight is over. Call everyone back and end it. Now.”
“You know it’s not that simple. Now move, or I will hurt you,” Falcon said.
“Agreed to?” Jade asked. “What are you . . . you knew about this?”
Echo looked back at her mother. “I’m sorry, Mum. I did what I had to do to keep you and Shard safe. Whole bloody lot of good that did, apparently.”
“Echo, look out!”
Falcon clamped his teeth onto her leg. Echo’s eyes went wide.
“No!” Echo screeched. “No, you didn’t.”
“We only take orders from Bracken and the council,” the tortoiseshell snarled, gaze locking onto Cloud’s. “And as long as Falcon is in the fight, we answer to him.”
Cloud and the tortoiseshell ran at each other again. This time, they collided. They sliced and bit, matching blow for blow and refusing to give in.
Out the corner of his eye, he noticed blood rolling down Echo’s leg. When Falcon released her, it pulsed with her heartbeat. She stumbled backward, pupils dilated and unfocused. Echo collapsed. Jade ran to her daughter’s side and placed her paws over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t working. “Echo! Echo, no, no, no.”
“Don’t just lie there—get a vine, or a rock, or something! I’m dying, Mum, make it stop!”
Jade sobbed into Echo’s side. “I can’t. I can’t help you, Echo. Come on, stay with me. Stay with me.”
Beneath them, Songbird struggled with another Midbrooker. Falcon reared back to spring on Jade. A flash of brown raced into the moss-covered rockscape and leaped at him, artificial limbs hissing. They collided and toppled over together. Falcon landed on top of her. “Stop making this harder,” he growled. His claws raked down her neck and chest. Ember mewled and struggled to break free. Songbird slammed her opponent against a tree, then ran to help. Falcon shoved Ember off of the rise, and her head struck a rock. She didn’t get up.
“Ember!” Songbird called out.
‘Oh no,’ Cloud thought. His jaw tensed. His lungs and wounds ached. He and the tortoiseshell broke free and circled each other.
“You have to do something,” Echo yowled behind them. “Do something! Shard needs me. He needs me; I can’t die yet, I have to protect him. I can’t . . .” Her breathing slowed. “I can’t go yet. He . . . needs me. Shard . . . Sh-Shard . . . Please, no.” Her eyes glazed over. Her breathing stopped. Echo went limp.
Jade reared back. “Echo! Echo, no!” She pressed an ear against her daughter’s rib cage. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and cried harder.
Falcon spun to face Songbird, who pounced at him. He dodged her attack and shoved her to the ground, pinning her in place with his claws.
“Get off me,” Songbird demanded.
“Song!” Cloud called out. ‘She needs me. She needs me now. They all need me now.’ He shoved his attacker aside and raced across the battleground. A fresh burst of adrenaline surged through his system as he rammed into Falcon’s side. They tumbled toward the cliff. His heartbeat thudded in his ears. He felt al
ive—more alive than he’d ever felt before. They slid to a stop on the cliff edge, and before he could right himself, Falcon sank his teeth into Cloud’s throat.
“NO!” Songbird screamed.
‘This is it, isn’t it? This is what leading is all about, right? I can still fix this. I have to.’ He craned his neck to look at his family. Ember lifted her head, still dazed.
Her eyes locked onto his. “Dad?” she mewed.
“Cloud, no!” Songbird cried out.
“I love you,” he said. His voice was hoarse but calm.
He dug his claws into Falcon’s sides and flung himself over the cliff edge, dragging Falcon down with him. He closed his eyes as he fell, and as the distance to the jagged stones below grew shorter, a sense of quiet peace entered his heart. He was a kitten again, begging father not to go to war; then a youth, falling in love with Songbird all over again. Ember was born and he risked everything to keep her. Kivyress was born and he gave everything to protect her. They were as safe as he could make them. They were free. He inhaled, exhaled, then collided with a rock. Everything went white.
Ember
“Dad!” Ember shrieked. She stumbled to the cliff edge. Songbird was already there. She could barely make out Falcon’s body: a speck laid out on a boulder just above the Wolf Trail. Cloud’s was gone.
“No,” Songbird mewled. “No, no, no, no, this can’t be happening. This can’t . . .”
“Falcon is dead!” The tortoiseshell Cloud had fought with shouted. “Fall back, everyone! Return to Bracken. The fight is over.”
The Midbrook cats wrestled free, then moved en masse down the Western Mountain. Ember rested her chin on the rocky edge. She covered her eyes and cried. ‘He’s gone. Dad is gone. He’s gone; he’s gone. Why is this happening? Why? This isn’t, this can’t be true. It’s not over, he’s not dead, he—’ She looked down again. A flash of grey fur caught her eyes—motionless grey fur, a smudge in the distant underbrush: Cloud. Her jaw trembled. ‘He really is . . . He’s gone. He’s dead, and there’s nothing I, or anyone else, can do about it. He’s gone, and Echo, and Hyrees, and Boreal, and Shard. They’re gone. They’re dead. They’re all dead.’
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