The sun had barely risen when in the forest the howls of fury were already resounding, in a clearing of the forest near a small rocky mountain a group of cats fought against others bathed in mud and a nauseating stench.

“Tribe of Shadows! Filthy sewer rats, give me back my kits! "Growled a thick cream-white fur, black speckles and white tail she-cat with a characteristic smell of milk.

"Clan cats are always so loud, with how easy you have made it for us, we are doing you a favour." In front of her was a bicolour cat with a grey ear and a lock of hair that hid one of her blue eyes, cold as ice itself. Holding two kits between her jaws, she turned her back on them, stopping for only a few seconds to threaten them with a hostile glare. "Finish them" she walked away herself with another cat carrying another kit.

"With pleasure boss" a reddish cat meowed, sticking out its claws and pouncing on the cream-coloured cat, she in turn took out her claws when another figure jumped on her and knocked down the enemy cat giving him multiple scratchs before she ran into the depth of forest.

"Blackcloud!"

"Lynxshine, are you okay?" Asked bicolour tom.

“I will be when I get my kits back from that muddy sewer scum.” The she-cat tried to move forward, but was pushed by another enemy. BlackCloud faced the cat with bristling fur that made him look twice his size.

"Don't worry, they won't get very far, but you should go back to nursery."

"Over my dead body! I'm not going to sit around the nursery doing nothing while my kits are in danger." She growled.

"What if you care about your own skin?" A black cat meowed. More muddy cats began to emerge from the shadows of the surrounding forest. "If you come out alive, of course." Lynxshine and Blackcloud turned back to back.

"Never underestimate EchoClan!" Lynxshine gave a loud meow, then many cats emerged from the trees.

Back in the forest, the tribe cats carrying the kits had separated. The she-kit was meowing desperately for help. When the shadow was about to leave the forest path, it was silent, it could smell the scent of fear filling that dirty fur from the tail to the restless ears that moved from side to side. Two silhouettes quickly came out of the bushes and attacked the shadow, then hid again, the attacks continued relentless and undetectable until the shadow forced itself to stop. The wind went silence. A fierce meow of pain came from the thief's mouth as multiple scratches began to cause a river of blood to flow down his entire back. The kit raised her ears to emerald green eyes that moved camouflaged among the dense flora. "The twin lightning bolts!" She meowed.

"The what pipsqueak?" Fury crossed the enemy's throat as he searched all sides for the presence of his attacker. "Let me go now!" The she-kit demanded. Silence was present again. In the blink of an eye, a smoke-black silhouette pounced on the enemy's side, sinking its claws into his flesh, threw him against the nearest tree and pressed his neck until the lack of air forced him to release the hostage from its jaws. The kit rolled to land under muscular, strong black legs.

"Are you okay, Lightkit? Has he hurt you?" Ask a bicolour tom with a black tail and ears asked with emerald eyes that gleamed in the low sunlight.

"Whiteblaze!" Lightkit meowed, "The other cat has taken Hope and Wish!" Whiteblaze gave her a lick on the ear. “They won't go far. Don’t worry."

"Well, sewer scum, you can start singing now!" Snarled a sleek black she-cat. Under her claws, the shadow spat out some blood. "Will be better if you kill me now." The cat brought a claw to her eye. "Answer! Who has taken Wishkit and Hopekit? "

The shadow smiled. “The demon that came out of the dark forest herself. Give up now that you can, you won't have as much luck with her as you have had with me. "

"What-what are you going to do to my siblings?" Lightkit stuttered with fear filling her golden gaze. The shadow chuckled. "I'll just say that the countdown to the destruction of the clans will start very soon." The shadow with a few last forces pushed the black she-cat away and started to run. The black she-cat started to chase him, but Whiteblaze stopped her. "Let him go, with those wounds he won't get very far."

"I-I want to go back with mom." Lightkit began to tremble, his beaming, watery eyes glued to the cat's gaze. "Don't cry. I'll take you home. Do you take care of Hope and Wish, Whiteblaze? I'll come with reinforcements as soon as I get to camp. "

“Don't worry, I'll take care of that. Be careful, who knows how many shadows there're still around” the cat gently took Lightkit and disappeared into the lush undergrowth of the forest.

Almost at the limits there was only a path of trees to reach the abandoned thunderpath, the she-cat stopped for a moment to take the air while looking back, hoping that no one had followed her "we almost arrived ..." however her progress was seen interrupted by something ..... or someone.

"Look where you're going, mouse brain!" she growled through her teeth.

"Hey! Sorry, it was my fault for not looking where she was going. But I have not insulted you! " In front of the bicoloured she-cat was a short-haired, slim and ginger-reddish tabby cat with brown eyes and an unusual very long tail hanging from her neck. She got up and offered her paw. “I haven't hurt you, have I?" When the tabby noticed the mud covering her fur and that sewer stench capable of knocking out a fox, she backed away. "A muddy" she murmured. Her gaze drifted to the kits she was holding, a white she-kit with beautiful scarlet eyes and a dark tabby tom with golden eyes. They were both shaking and hanging each other's tail

The bicoloured she-cat got up by herself with a snort between her teeth. "A loner, am I wrong?" The tabby nodded. "Well, in that case, just get out of my way and nothing happened here." The bicolour she-cat started running again. For a few moments, as she passed the tabby, the dark tabby tom muttered with a trembling voice. "H-help us ... please" but the kit was silenced when the bicolour cat, who let out a growl between her firm and closed jaws.

In the background, more voices began to approach at full speed. The bicolour raised her ears and quickened her step. But she was again interrupted, hitting the ground with a heavy blow that loosened those jaws for a moment and allowed the white she-kit to escape. The kit tried to free the other kit, but when those claws were about to pounce on her, she was forced to run to hide behind the tabby she-cat. Those ice eyes sharpened like the edge of a sword, she glanced at the reason that made her stumble and for a moment the expression of the bicolour she-cat and the kit was the same.

"What are you doing, mouse brain? Let me go right now! She ordered her. " It turned out that the hind legs of the bicolour she-cat were tied by a ringed tail that came from the tabby.

"Why?" The tabby asked.

"Let me go!" She ordered again.

"With pleasure. When you release the kit” the tabby meowed.

"With what right do you decide what I do with my kits?" She growled, showing his jaws. The bicolour cat raised her claws to give a good blow to her binding. Once the kit hid behind a nearby tree, the tabby began to shake her tail vigorously, dragging the cat along the ground." Will you release the kit now, or do I have to make you swallow more dirt? " The bicolour managed to free herself.

“He is my kit and I decide what I will do with him. I told you before, get out of my way and nothing has happened here. Little one, come here! Don't make me angry."

"Never, we are not your kits!" The white she-kit protested. "Please, loner lady, help my brother!"

"It's all I need to know" the loner stood in front of the muddy, unsheathing her claws. "Get away from here, little one." The she-kit began to run into the forest, where she would be safe, when the short-haired cat took a step forward.

"Take another step and I don't answer to what could happen to your brother!" those words stopped the she-kit in its tracks. "Good girl, now come back here."

"Hopekit! Don’t leave me alone! Help me! " The dark tabby tom begged. Hopekit started to back away, but the loner stepped forward. "Easy little one, you don't have to go."

"But then Wishkit" she protested. “Hopekit, right? You are very brave. Don't fear, I’ll free your brother. " The tabby she-cat gave her a lick on the ear. "Stay behind me" the she-kit hid again while the tabby faced the muddy. The kit heard a familiar sound approaching and gave a loud meow that was soon answered.

"Mommy!" Wishkit exclaimed.

"Are you kidding." The loner sharpened her gaze by waving her tail in the air. "Naive loner, do you know who you are challenging?"

"A kit kidnapper. I don't know what you or the rest of the muddies have against innocent kits, but if you want the little girl you'll have to go over me first!" both she-cats ruffled their fur and spread their claws kneading the ground.

The voices got closer and closer, the bicolour she-cat growled in frustration. “This time you win, loner. But I'm not going to leave with empty claws” the she-cat began to flee with the kit. "Wishkit!" Hopekit yelled with a fearful look at his brother. "Hopekit! Help me!" Asked Wishkit. The loner pounced on her, throwing her opponent into the nearest tree. Even despite that hit, she didn't let go of the kit.

"I'm sick of you!" The cat exclaimed, unsheathed her claws, and leapt on the loner’s head.

Instead of avoiding the imminent impact, the loner ducked and with a strong jump, hit her in the belly with a headbutt. In a moment of breathlessness, she opened her mouth, dropping the kit. The loner caught Wishkit with her tail. Again with her legs on the ground. Hopekit ran to her brother. "Now run!"

"Where’s mom?" Wishkit asked, running alongside his sister.

"Watch out!!" Hopekit alerted. The bicolour cat pounced on the loner. In a distracted moment, she sank her stinking jaws into the tapeworm's shoulder blade as she dug her claws into her side. The loner, in an attempt to shake her off, threw a handful of dirt into her face as she climbed a branch with her tail. The screams were getting louder, the bicolour she-cat went straight for the kits. The loner leaped into the branches until she got close to the kits, jump and pushed the bicolour away with a headbutt, none of them moved for a couple of minutes while that green grass had been covered with blood. Hope and Wish approached the loner.

"Lady loner! Are you alright? Please wake up! " The loner got up with difficulty, the blood from her wounds beginning to stain her fur, running through her front legs.

"Give them to me, loner!"

"Never!" The kits took refuge between the loner’s legs while she surrounded them with her long tail and bristle her fur as a threat, showing her fangs shout. "As long as these kits are under my protection, I will not allow you to put a single claw on them!"