The wind that blew across the plain was cold. It whistled through the air, rustling through the grass with a sound like the hissing of thousand snakes as it bent the blades of grass before its might. A full moon hung in the sky above, casting its pale, sickly light across the ground. Even the stars in the sky seemed less bright than usual, though not a cloud hung in the sky.

A lone figure loped across the field, fur blown asunder by the breeze. His pelt was ragged and torn, and there was the faintest hint of a limp in the cat's step. But the cat's haggard gaze held an unearthly fire in them, blazing with pure hatred as he moved through the night.

At long last, the dark shape came to a halt on the crest of a hill. It was then that it stood as still as stone amongst the waving stalks of grass, gazing down at the scene below him.

A valley was spread below him. In the valley lay a lush forest, filled with towering, healthy trees that rocked slightly in the wind. Even from here, he could see the river, twining its way across the landscape before disappearing beneath the shade of the woods.

So quiet. So peaceful. So blissfully unprepared for the hell about to be unleashed upon it.

The wind continued to whip the cat's fur, but he didn't seem to feel it. The fire burning in his eyes was blazing now as he gazed down into the valley. Finally. He'd waited so many moons for this day.

Slowly, a twisted smile wormed its way into his features. Finally, he would wait no longer. For tonight, there would be blood. Tonight, there would be justice.

Tonight…there would be vengeance.

Lightstreak leapt through the air, claws outstretched as he pinned the hare to the ground. It scrabbled frantically beneath his paws, but he ducked its sharp claws, leaning in to deliver the killing bite to the creature's neck. In mere moments, a fine kill hung from his jaws. Inwardly, the pale tom smirked. He could already picture the looks he would get from his Clanmates as he strode into the SwiftClan camp with this hare clutched in his teeth…

The crack of a twig suddenly broke the relative silence of the forest. The cream tabby's head snapped up, amber eyes widening in surprise. He pressed himself closer to the forest floor, sniffing the air through the rabbit. Had a fox wandered onto the territory? Or a badger? Maybe a rogue…

But it was a familiar scent that wafted through the air towards him, a scent that made Lightstreak growl in annoyance. He stuffed his catch out of sight beneath the roots of a pine tree, then crept across the ground in the direction of the offending scent.

Sure enough, not a tail-length away, a small, feline shape snuck through the bushes. Lightstreak silenced the irritated rumble in his throat. Crouching he sprang forward out of the bushes. "Cherrypaw!"

The russet-furred she-cat leapt into the air with a squeak of surprise, staring up at Lightstreak with wide eyes. "I'm sorry!" she yelped. "I was just—"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave the camp alone?" Lightstreak scolded. "Do you know what can happen to apprentices when they're not supervised?"

Cherrypaw lowered her gaze shamefully, staring at the ground as if she wanted it to swallow her up. "I'm sorry, Lightstreak," she mumbled. "I should have told you I was going hunting."

"You should have brought a warrior with you," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Go back to camp. I'll take you out hunting tomorrow."

The apprentice nodded. Lightstreak turned to retrieve his own catch, before turning back to Cherrypaw. "You did catch something, didn't you?" he asked expectantly.

His apprentice nodded slowly. The tom sighed. "Go fetch it. Then I want you back in camp where somecat can keep an eye on you."

"Yes, Lightstreak."

He watched her disappear into the bushes. Then he snorted derisively and padded off to get his hare. Apprentices, he thought scathingly. Think they know everything.

Without warning, thoughts of his old mentor sprang into mind. The tom smiled as he thought of how patient Branchfall had always been with him, how he had always praised him for each successful catch, for each battle move performed correctly.

And then his thoughts soured as the memories returned.

The memories of Branchfall being dragged roughly into the camp by his own Clanmates, a look of terrified confusion on his face.

The memories of Branchfall, cowering beneath the HighTree as his Clanmates roared for his blood.

The memories of Lightstreak himself, standing up to say his piece as his mentor stared at him with a look of stunned betrayal. His head shaking from side to side as he mouthed the word "no" over and over again, as he begged for mercy, as he pleaded to the Clan as he was dragged out into the forest…

Lightstreak wrenched himself away from that trail of thought, shaking out his pelt. That was in the past. What was done was done. He'd been awarded his warrior name for what he'd done that day. Yet…

The cream tabby tom growled again. No. Thinking like that would just make him feel worse. He just needed to get the blasted rabbit and—

Lightstreak suddenly stopped dead, looking around confusedly. Hadn't his rabbit just been here? Yes, it had been right under that pine. But he was left blinking at an empty patch of dirt where the magnificent meal had been not minutes before.

It suddenly occurred to Lightstreak that the obnoxious bird that had been singing its little heart out had gone silent. Unease began to prick at his pelt, but he shook it off. Cherrypaw was so clumsy, she'd probably scared off every animal in the forest.

Something shifted in the woods behind him. Lightstreak's fur stood on end, and he whirled around with a snarl—to face empty air. His heart was thudding in his chest, and he glanced around feverishly. "Who's there?" he challenged. As he spoke, he lifted his head to sniff the air again. No trace of anything out of the ordinary. "Cherrypaw?" he snapped. "Is that you?" he called. Anger suddenly rose in his chest. The little brat had probably snuck back around when he was distracted and stolen his prize to claim the credit!

"Cherrypaw, get out here now!" he snarled, trying to force down the fear bubbling in his chest. "This isn't funny!" A twig snapped off to his left. He spun around as a faint cat-scent hit his nose.

It wasn't Cherrypaw's.

Lightstreak was trembling uncontrollably now, amber eyes stretched wide with pure terror. "Cherrypaw?" he whimpered feebly.

But the cat that prowled oh-so-slowly from the bushes wasn't Cherrypaw. The hollow eyes that bored into his own didn't belong to an apprentice.

But Lightstreak knew them all too well.

"No." The cream tom's head began to shake slowly as pure terror froze him to the bone. "No. No. You're dead."

The cat who stood before him didn't reply. He simply smiled slowly.

And then he leapt.

It was only then that Lightstreak was freed from his stupor. He whirled around with a wail of terror, streaking for the undergrowth. But it was far too late.

Sturdy paws brought him down, thorn-sharp claws crushing into his sides. Lightstreak let out a frightened, strangled cry, flailing around in a blind terror as the blows began to rain down on him mercilessly. He tried to get up, to run back to the safety of the camp, to freedom, but it was no use. Everywhere he tried to move, his attacker was there to meet him with a flurry of savage claws and teeth. White-hot pain blinded him. The world melted into a shapeless sea of red.

Finally he hit the ground, shuddering and jerking, and the claws came to rest pressed delicately against his throat.

He stared desperately up at his attacker, his jaws working as he struggled to form words. "P-p-please," he choked out. "P-please…n-no…"

The cat standing above him tilted his head slightly, as if considering it. Then another cold smile twisted his features.

He lifted his paw. And then he brought it down.