"NO!" Eclipse howled in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks

FeatherCloud and Eclipse raced over to their mother, laying at her side.

"Get up, mother!" FeatherCloud wailed. "You have to get up! The battle's not over yet! You're going to get hurt worse if you keep laying here!"

Eclipse wrapped her wing around FeatherCloud. She was the youngest of the three sisters, her birth almost a day after Eclipse and Solar's.

Eclipse laid in her mother's bloody puddle in utter despair, rain and her mother's blood soaking her pelt.

"Mother..." Eclipse whispered, her voice choked with helplessness "we haven't won the battle yet... we still have to find the best prey in the forest! We're going to have a feast when we get home... just hold on! You can't leave yet! You can't..."

FierceTalon scoffed, and started to pad away. Rage filled Eclipse as she stared after the Drolgon who had heartlessly murdered her mother. Eclipse let out a cry of fury, her hackle-spikes glinting dangerously in the rain, and launched herself at FierceTalon.

She leapt onto the Drolgon's haunches, shredding her claws through skin. FierceTalon growled in annoyance, and tried to dislodge Eclipse. But Eclipse wouldn't let that happen. She climbed her way up FierceTalon's back, and batted at her ears, shredding the soft skin. FierceTalon snarled, and shook her head violently. Eclipse scrambled to FierceTalon's muzzle, and swiped at her eyes. Blood dripped to the ground.
FierceTalon caterwauled in pure outrage and agony, her hackle-spikes lifting in pain, and flung Eclipse to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. FierceTalon couldn't see anymore, but she swiped at Eclipse. Eclipse yelped as FierceTalon's claws raked her shoulders. Blood pooled a little around where Eclipse was laying. Before the next attack came, Eclipse scrambled to her paws. Seeing her new advantage over FierceTalon, she lunged for her neck.

A sudden howl erupted from the middle of the bloody clearing, through the stormy sky.

"Pacree Earth, retreat!"

Eclipse took no notice of Bracken's call, as she clung to FierceTalon's neck, sinking her teeth in.

"Eclipse!" A voice called. But it sounded a thousand miles away.

Eclipse kept her hold on FierceTalon, even as FierceTalon's blood stained Eclipse's muzzle, and FierceTalon scrambled and clawed, desperately trying to dislodge Eclipse.

"Eclipse! Let her go! We won the battle!" The voice came again, fear edging it. It was clearer, and closer this time. It rang around in Eclipse's head.

Eclipse recognized SpringShine's voice.

She let go of FierceTalon, and FierceTalon growled furiously at Eclipse before ramming into a tree in her attempt to follow her Pacree.

SpringShine hurried over to Eclipse, and started checking her for wounds. Eclipse padded wearily over to FeatherCloud and her mother's body. She laid with them, noticing that StarFlower's sweet scent was beginning to fade with the cold and relentless rain.

Why did this happen? Eclipse's mind howled. Why did StarFlower have to die?