Prologue

   Shadows sprawled over barren sidewalks, stretching far from the entities that cast them. Diminutive scraps of grass, lodged in the cracks of the concrete, swayed slowly in a light, whispering breeze. Down a long, dark alley, a muffled clamor could be heard. A group of cats had congregated at the end of the alley, all wearing tooth-studded collars around their necks. They were circled around two young she-cats, who were crouched in defensive stances. A small black tom with one white paw stepped into the circle, looking the she-cats in the eye.
   "You realize what you've done," he said coldly, ice blue eyes flashing. He received no reply from either cat, so he went on. "You also realize that you must die."
   "Please, Scourge," one of them pleaded. "Just let us go. You'll never hear from us again." Despite the fact that they were bigger than the black tom, they seemed deathly afraid of him.
   "You can't just leave BloodClan!" he spat, whirling around to face the cat that had spoken. "You either give your undying loyalty, or you die."
   "But, we'd go far away," the other she-cat said. "We wouldn't be harming anything!"
   The tom hissed and raked his claws across the she-cats cheek, splattering dark crimson over his clean white  paw. The she-cat cried out and staggered backwards, flinching with pain. Scourge didn't say anything, just gave a quick flick of his tail. The other cats began to close in on the two she-cats, fur bristling. Screeches rang out, shattering the dawn. Though the battle was impossible, the she-cats fought hard for as long as they could. Then, one of them noticed a break in their attackers ranks. "Run!" she cried to her sister, then both cats ran into the streets, intent on the forest that lay beyond.

~~~

   
   Both she-cats had narrowly escaped the torment of Scourge and fled from their territory. Dawn sunlight dappled the ground, and the she-cats were making their way through the forest, which was another part of BloodClan's endless territory. The task was painful for both who were limping and covered in wounds. No bird song filled the air, like you would expect in a forest, but the land was unusually quiet, and it had been so ever since BloodClan set their paws on the mossy ground. Coming clear of the wood revealed a trail of blood in the sister's wake.
   "Where are we going?" one of them, a gray she-cat with tabby patches scattered over her fur, eventually spoke up.
   "Anywhere. It's better than here, that's for sure," the other one rasped, her voice no louder than a whisper. From the time it took them to leave the false safety of the woods and make their way across the open moor beyond, they walked in dead silence.
   When the edge of the moor came into sight, they seemed to pick up their pace, longing for the freedom that lay ahead. Finally, one of them collapsed to the ground, staining the grass scarlet.
   "Let's rest, we can't walk forever," the fallen cat pleaded.
   "We can't stay here, what if we get caught!" the other one hissed through gritted teeth. With some encouragement the tired she-cats forced themselves to stand and continue walking.
   A soft breeze blew the fleeing cat's scent back to the forest, however, they didn't seem to notice or care. All they wanted was to get away.
   "BloodClan can't be the only clan, can they?" one of them finally spoke up.
   "If there are more, I'd hate to see what their leader's are like," the other grunted. With a silent nod from the questioner, they continued in silence. After a few minuets their stomach's would growl with hunger, but they continued with the occasional whisper of, 'Just keep going,' or 'Just a little farther.'