Owlfeather's stomach dropped when she heard the yowling. In a panicked flurry of paws, she skidded as fast as she could into the clearing, taking in the horrifying sight. She was filled with fear, but that was quickly changed to ice-cold anger when things finally came together in her mind.
"I knew it! She yowled. The loners had warned her of this, and she had dismissed them. She couldn't belive that the Dusk Syndicate would return. It couldn't be possible. Yet here she was, in a clearing filled with yowling, stinking, unfamiliar cats. She turned to see her daughter, Citrusflower, under attack. What savages! Who would attack a helpless blind queen? She dove in to the fray and slashed her sharp claws down the pelt of her daughter's attacker, sending the enemy cat darting for cover. Her claws had nearly met Demontail's flesh before she recognized him.
Although her daughter's former mate still unsettled her, if he was here to help, he could use it as a chance to prove himself.
"If you're so inclined to help her, then get her out of here, now!" The old tortoiseshell she-cat growled fiercely. This was no place for the blind molly to be. She pushed aside her discontent with the tom and trusted him with her daughter's life. After all, Citrusflower hadn't rejected his help.
She then turned to see Leaftail and Redpaw caught in a tangle of cats. She had only just been on patrol with the two, and was quite fond of the young pair of cats. She knew they lacked experience, and they were outnumbered. With unsheathed claws scuffing the dirt as she ran, she made her way frantically to their side. She fluffed up her fur at the enemy cats, making eye contact with the one who looked to be most in-charge of the clique.
This time, she wasted no time with petty talking; she would not make that mistake again. It was time to
fight. Feeling the familiar adrenaline of her many moons of battle experience, she sprung into action. She leapt forward and nipped at the russet calico's leg, reaching one paw around to claw at his side while the bite had him distracted.
"You will not have my clan!" She hissed through clenched teeth. She would fight mercilessly to defend her home. She would do whatever it took, even if that meant her own life.