I was so angry with myself.

My cats, my clan, the one Starclan had entrusted to me, was slowly dying out, and I could do nothing. Every time I thought of a plan, a patrol of foxes and badgers decided to intercept and kill off a cat or two, as if sending a message of unavoidable destruction. I was stuck in the same position my clan mates were, and I could do nothing about it. Stupid badgers. Stupid foxes. What made them think that they could suddenly band together and try to rule over us? Starclan only knows.

I couldn’t take my cats into battle with those bloodthirsty creatures. Call me a coward, I don’t care. But I’m no coward, I knew a battle with them would only end in more death, and I needed all my warriors. I even decided to ask for help from Aquaclan, the clan that was nearest to my clan’s boundaries. Aquastar laughed in my face, and said that we were on our own. He wouldn’t bother to help us because he said that all of his warriors would soon be needed to fight if the badgers came their way. I couldn’t believe it, after all Aquastar says about the clans helping one another in times of trouble. I guess those were just empty words, and I was too naïve to understand.

Heatherclan wouldn’t help either. I couldn’t believe my so called “friends” as they turned their backs on us. As if they hoped we would all die. I didn’t bother with Fireclan; I knew they wouldn’t help us either, so it was up to us to survive on our own. I got my best warriors together, and started making a plan to escape. Everyone would leave. I was hoping fiercely that the badgers and foxes wouldn’t come, and for a few days it was peaceful.

Then, they attacked the camp.

We had no warning. There was a terrible screech, and then it was as if a black cloud had descended upon the camp, snarling with fury. I witnessed my mate, Soulstep, dying in front of my eyes, torn apart my a badger's claws. I saw my best friend, Maskedheart, getting mauled by a band of foxes as I struggled over to him. He was dead before I could even touch him. Two apprentices met their end by a badger crushing them under his heavy body.

Struggling to my paws again, I knew it was time to put my plan into action, so I yowled for cats to leave. The badgers didn’t follow us, but we all kept running until we reached the outskirts of our old forest. We made our makeshift camp there, but my cats were half dead. And Leafbare was coming, I knew that prey would be scarce, even scarcer than normal.

I pleaded with Starclan to help us, but I only got stars twinkling merrily in the distant sky, as if Starclan were too busy to hear our cries. That's when I decided, that Starclan was just a myth, tales told to kits by their mothers, made up stories for apprentices told by elders. I would turn my back on them, and any other cat that dared to show himself to me.

It only took a week before my clan began to give up all hope of help. That's when I first met...him.

He said his name was Bloodspill, and he had a story to tell. He was driven out of his clan for trying to murder his leader, and by successfully murdering many other cats. He said that he was looking for cats to help him fight against his old clan, and promised that if I agreed, he would take care of my starving and dying clan, and that he would help me kill off Aquaclan and Heatherclan. I agreed, willing to do anything to make my clan strong again, and wanting so bad to claw out the lives of Heatherstar and Aquastar.

Bloodspill kept his promise; soon my cats were strong again, even stronger with Bloodspill’s guidance.

But he had another surprise for us: Fireclan. Bloodspill told us that we would become one clan, and that he would lead it. We traveled to a huge forest, and made our camp in a large, foggy, shadowy part. I was afraid he was going to kill me, as he had done with Fireclan’s leader, but Bloodspill made me deputy instead. So I changed my name to Hauntedstep in honor of my new leader's decision...and also for my lost mate, Soulstep. We were no longer Fireclan and Hauntedclan rallied by a rogue, we were Spiritclan, under the leadership of the most powerful cat in the world. And, under Bloodspill’s leadership, we would kill off Aquaclan and Heatherclan, and we would rule the forest.