Amberclaw glanced at Ebonywind and Echoflight, who were sitting together and whispering together. She sighed, feeling useless. Echoflight was perfect in every way. She was calm and wise. She was the White Dove, for StarClan's sake. Of course it was Echoflight that was able to solve Ebonywind's problems. Even now, Amberclaw's sister looked less shaky and nervous.

I didn't help at all.

"DARK'S COMING!" a cat screeched. Oak, Amberclaw recognized.

Amberclaw didn't have time to ponder why Oak had been sent from the Dynasty to warn them by himself, as Dark, Ruthless, Blue, Bloodmoon, Splash, Crowspirit and Nightfire strode into their camp.

Amberclaw noticed Acornstar stiffen as she caught sight of the two former Clan cats. She must have heard of them, or known them personally.

"Hello, Clan cats!" Dark boomed in a cheery voice, waving his tail.

Ruthless certainly didn't share Dark's strange kindness and she was scowling, tail lashing, ears flat and fur bristling.

All the other rogues, save for Nightfire and Crowspirit looked happy and complacent. What's happening?

Slowly, the leaders strode out to meet Dark.

"Dark," Luckystar hissed lowly. "Why are you here?"

"For the same reason you were in our camp awhile ago," Dark meowed smoothly and calmly. "To negotiate."

Amberclaw exchanged glances with Echoflight, who had moved from Ebonywind's side to sit with her. To negotiate? The Dark I know doesn't negotiate. He fights.

"There's a catch," Ruthless added, eyes twinkling evilly.

"Of course there's a catch," Froststar muttered.

"The catch is, I wanted to replicate what you did," Dark spoke.

Maplestar glared at him. "Just spit it out."

"Fine," Dark groaned. "You never let me have any fun."

"Just say it!" Luckystar snarled.

"The catch is, you guys didn't come peacefully. You attacked us. Which is why I'm here to say something." Dark paused for effect.

Amberclaw didn't want to believe it, but she could. Way too easily. The looming threat of Dark had kept them in suspense for a long time. Autumn had been too naïve; wanting peace. Peace wasn't an option anymore.

At least I know I can fight. I'm not useless at fighting.

"There will be war." Dark yowled.

Cats rushed in. Many many cats. At least thirty cats plus the cats that were already in the camp attacked at once. There were only thirty or so Clan cats.

Amberclaw found her first opponent; a dark brown tabby tom with a thick scar running down his left, odd green eye. Scar.

Amberclaw leapt on the offensive, clawing his back and scrambling under him, using her smaller size to her advantage.

He wasn't even fazed, although blood was running out of the scratches. He lumbered towards her and crushed her with one paw.

Amberclaw struggled, wriggling away, gasping for air.

What was that?

Scar followed her, not even bothering to run. He just lumbered. Amberclaw hissed in annoyance, backing away.

Suddenly, Scar leapt. He pinned her down and tore into her underbelly. Amberclaw howled in pain, shouting the names of random cats. They heard her call, and Scar was pulled off her by Echoflight, who nodded grimly at her, darting away to help some other cat.

Amberclaw felt shaky with relief, but also her freezing cold. It had shaken her more than she realized. This is the first time I've actually lost to a rogue. Properly lost.

Shaking away her doubts, Amberclaw jumped back into the battle, finding a white she-cat with one blue eye and one red eye.

She was new. Amberclaw had never seen her before. "Who are you?" she gasped for breath as the cat scratched her before jumping back, fur crusted in dried blood from an earlier target.

Amberclaw froze as she realized the cats' claws were also covered in blood. Way too much for a wound.

"Who did you kill?" Amberclaw snarled.

Panicking, images of Luckystar, Ebonywind, Ravenflight and Echoflight flashed through her mind. I can't save them all! I'm useless!

"I is Snowflake," the she-cat had a strange accent. It was heavy and very polished. "And I is not killing any cat. You is killing."

"Yeah right," Amberclaw rolled her eyes, resuming their fight.

But Snowflake was so fast and nimble. Amberclaw couldn't land a single hit. Grunting in frustration, Amberclaw's head spun as she turned around in circles, tripping over her paws.

One light blow pushed her over. It sent her crashing to the ground.

Snowflake grinned down at her, claws sharp and ready to cut through her neck. But before she could kill Amberclaw, Snowflake was picked up and thrown away.

"Luckystar!" Amberclaw choked out.

"Are you okay?" Luckystar helped her stand.

"I'm fine," Amberclaw replied curtly.

She wasn't sure why she was so mad. Amberclaw was grateful to Luckystar for saving her. She owed her.

She owed her...

I'm sick of owing cats. I owe Echoflight. I now owe Luckystar.

Luckystar was gone, back into the fray of the battle. Amberclaw stumbled around blindly until she tripped over a body. A dead body.

It wasn't a rogue. It was a Clan cat.

"Oh, Willowclaw," Amberclaw grieved the fallen ShadowClan warrior. The comical light brown she-cat with yellow eyes would be avenged.

You can't avenge any cat. You can't even save yourself.

Amberclaw looked for another cat and saw a smaller cat, this one a brown tabby with darker yellow eyes.

He could've been Willowclaw's littermate, if they were all in the same Clan. He was young. His eyes were fearful but he looked determined.

Oh, I must be able to beat an apprentice right?

The cat swung at her, almost taking her head off. Amberclaw blinked in surprise before she was forced to roll away. How was he so powerful?

The cat climbed onto her back, sharp claws digging into her fur. Amberclaw winced in pain and tried to shake him off. She didn't manage.

He dug in further, refusing to come off until Amberclaw squashed him. But it just made him cling on harder, because his claws were being pushed into her fur.

Amberclaw's vision was darkening as pain overwhelmed her. Just when she thought she was about to black out, she was pulled up and the tom dragged off her.

By Ebonywind.

Oh, StarClan. Why do I owe every cat in the forest now?

Amberclaw didn't even bother thanking her. She just ran. Like a coward. Running away from the battle. Blood dripped from her pelt as she thought about how she had gone wrong. The most powerful warrior reduced to a kit. Her fears swallowed her whole and she fell into a comforting black.

---

When Amberclaw woke, her wounds were all healed. It wasn't the first time she had woken. But she was too sullen to get out of her nest, and had feigned unconsciousness everytime the inexperienced medicine cats came to check on her.

But now she couldn't pretend any longer. She itched to leave her nest, so she did, padding around the clearing that was still stained in a red liquid. Amberclaw couldn't look at it, so stared at the sky.

"Are you okay?" A voice mewed to her.

Amberclaw jumped before seeing it was just Ravenflight. "Oh, hi, Ravenflight. I'm fine. But other cats aren't. Who died?" her voice was quiet.

"Willowclaw of ShadowClan, Minnowsky of RiverClan, and Froststar lost a life." Ravenflight mewed softly.

Amberclaw didn't feel any spite upon hearing about her enemy's death. Just sorrow and grief. I've put that in the past. There are more pressing matters.

And poor Froststar. A new leader and a life gone as well, and every cat knew about it.

Amberclaw refused to think about the dead cats and instead spoke dully, "What do I need to do?"

Ravenflight gave her directions to a training group that were already out in the forest. She padded towards them, pleased to find she was training some Dynasty cats along with Ebonywind and Echoflight.

"Oak, yes, good swipe," Echoflight's peaceful mew broke into her thoughts.

Amberclaw stepped out, causing a cat to lose her balance from surprise.

"Thorn!" Ebonywind reprimanded. "Focus!"

Thorn obediently leapt at Oak, claws sheathed as she batted his ears. Oak retaliated by using his strength to throw Thorn across the clearing, where she crashed into a tree. She stood up, rubbing her head.

"Oak, be more gentle," Amberclaw chided.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Oak hissed back.

"Amberclaw, he's right," Echoflight's voice wasn't mad. It was just disappointed. But she didn't even focus on Amberclaw. She turned to the third cat. "Moon, your turn. You can fight Oak while Thorn rests."

Amberclaw felt useless once again. I would give anything to be unconscious again. It feel good not thinking or feeling. Just lying in darkness.

A few minutes later, the three cats finished sparring and looked at Echoflight for more instructions.

Echoflight looked around before her gaze focused on Amberclaw. "Amberclaw, how about you show them the leap-claw-roll?"

The what?

"I-erm, can you repeat that?" Amberclaw's pelt burned with shame as she embarrassed herself.

Echoflight shook her head, clearly displeased with her. "The leap-claw-roll! The one we learnt on the journey!"

"Yeah, Amberclaw," Ebonywind muttered.

Amberclaw struggled to remember it but did her best, leaping into the air and clawing at an invisible cat before landing on her paws, rolling away from the invisible cat.

A sharp pain spread through her foot and she grimaced as she tried to hide it. I won't show weakness!

"That was terrible," Ebonywind commented.

Thorn and Oak started laughing at her, whispering to each other. Amberclaw felt even more embarrassed.

They're young, she told herself firmly. They don't understand.

But as Ebonywind joined them and Echoflight kept shooting her disappointed glances, Amberclaw felt even more useless than before.

She ran from her problems again.

A/N as promised, a longer chapter! 1550 words :D