Squirrelflight's early death

"Squirrelflight, I would like you to lead a hunting patrol." Firestar commanded.

"Who shall I take?" the dark ginger warrior looked up regretfully from her plump, juicy vole.

"Take Brambleclaw, Ashfur, Leafpool, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf." he decided after a moment of consideration. Squirrelflight looked nervously at Ashfur. His heart had been darkened by an unfufilled desire for her love and she dreaded having to hurt him any more than she could help. Squirrelflight knew it would be agony for him to watch her with her happy new family while he was alone and mateless. However, he could not reveal his loss of passion for Thunderclan to Firestar. The grey warrior nodded his head slightly, and- reluctantly- made his way over to Squirrelflight.

"Yes, Firestar." Squirrelflight dipped her head in acknowledgement of her leader, before padding away to find the other warriors. Leafpool and Brambleclaw were in the middle of a heated disscussion and Squirrelflight had to practically shove her sister over before she was noticed.

"Ow, Squirrelflight!" Leafpool grumbled.

"Stop complaining. We're going hunting. Have you seen Hollyleaf and Lionblaze?" she mewed.

"They should be in the warrior den." the brown she-cat replied, gesturing in the direction of the den. Squirrelflight nodded gratefully and scampered away. Bursting into the warriors den, she yowled

"Holly..." her mew was cut short. The warrior den was empty. The scents of her adopted kits were stale; they hadn't been there since last night. Squirrelflight frowned. Why had the siblings left in the middle of the night? Confused, she turned to leave, but was stopped by Hollyleaf, who was panting uncontrollably.

"What's the matter?" the ginger she-cat mewed, confused.

"You've got to help!" spluttered the younger warrior, who was quivering in shock. Her green eyes were pools of horror.

"What is it?" Squirrelflight asked, her heart frozen with shock. She studied the face of her adopted daughter, trying to work out what had happened.

"It's my brothers! Jayfeather was attacked by a rogue and Lionblaze tried to save him, but he couldn't. They're both in the cold. I think they're almost dead. They're so cold!" she wailed.

"Oh, Starclan help them both. Where are they?" Squirrelflight gasped.

"Follow me!" Hollyleaf began to run towards the forest, followed closely by Squirrelflight. The trees were mere blurs of green as they raced deeper and deeper into the depth of the woods. Squirrelflight felt a sudden need to catch her breath but fought it. Her fear for her kin overwhelmed any physical needs.

"Are we almost there?" she breathed.

"This way!"

After running a little longer, Squirrelflight scented the two Thunderclan toms. But there was no blood scent. Squirrelflight breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hollyleaf..." she was stopped by a sight that made her blood freeze. Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Ashfur were all standing before her, their eyes blazing with hate.

"What?" she whispered, cowering away from the pure anger that was radiating from each unloving stare.

"We know the truth now." Hollyleaf snarled.

"We want you to apologise." Lionblaze growled. Squirrelflight sighed. These cats were really like kits to her and it hurt her to see them in so much pain. If only Leafpool hadn't been a medicine cat and Crowfeather was in Thunderclan. These cats deserved straightforward, honest lives. But instead they had been forced to live a lie.

"I'm sorry. I love..."

"WE DON'T WANT YOUR APOLOGIES!" Hollyleaf screeched. Lionblaze stared at his sister in disbelief.

"Yes we do!" he reminded her. Hollyleaf shook her head.

"I didn't tell you becaue you're too weak to understand." she explained, before unsheathing her claws.

"No! You promised we wouldn't hurt her!" Jayfeather snapped. Ashfur stepped forward, his eyes cold and angry.

"We won't hurt her. Her death will be quick." he replied cooly. Squirrelflight stared at him. Her only response was a slash at her throat.

Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather tried to help.

Hollyleaf fought them off.

Squirrelflight turned to run.

Ashfur chased her...

''She raced through the trees, the tom hot on her pursuit. Her legs ached but she forced herself to keep running. He was so close she could hear his ragged yet even breathing''. She heard him muttering his hate for her. She felt his claws close around her ankle.

"Let go!" Squirrelflight screeched, attempting to keep running. But she could not move. The grey warrior kept her rooted to the spot. She could hear the sounds of Jayfeather and Lionblaze trying to fight Hollyleaf off, but they were strangely far away now.

"Never!" Ashfur leapt on top of her, his teeth bared. Squirrelflight rolled over and Ashfur fell to the ground with a thud. Taking the opportunity, she turned to flee, but Ashfur leapt on her back and tore his claws through her fur. Screeching in pain, Squirrelflight fell to the floor. The grey tom continued to strike at her defenceless pelt with his needle-sharp claws. Blood trickled from her body and the she-cat felt like she was on fire. Squirrelflight shrieked in pain, but Ashfur was relentless.

"You put me through pain so I'm putting you through pain!" he roared, slashing at her heart. He missed by half a centimeter.

"Brambleclaw!" Squirrelflight wailed, and closed her eyes as she waited for the end...

(A/N- I love Squirrelflight! She is AWESOME!!! I only chose her randomly. I was going to do Firestar but I thought everyone is killing him, why not some unexpected cat? I don't dislike her even a tiny bit, even though it appears that way. Sorry!)