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Post by Turtleshell on Jun 27, 2018 15:53:33 GMT -5
The ClansTerritory Description
GoldClan Settled within The Golden Forest, a place named for the way in which sunlight is scattered through the trees, shining on the forest floor. It is a very bright forest, and the whole of GoldClan territory is situated within this forest, one that is not at all dense, though some spots of bramble and vines occur. KillerClan is the only clan that they have had to encounter within many, many lifetimes- all other clans have been forgotten, besides some words of FlowerClan here and there, the clan on the far side of KillerClan. Distant enough they are mostly on their own away from other clans. Locations The Old Riverbed: This empty, old dried up riverbed hardly ever contains any water now a-days, only when it really floods mostly in Newleaf and Greenleaf. While this is a haven for bugs and therefore voles, shrews, and birds, it also is one of the only direct links to KillerClan, as you can follow it out of The Golden Forest, and into The Dark Forest. Also a safe place to practice hunting and battle moves due to the soft, deep soil and sands. Thunderpath: This road the monsters and twolegs travel on cuts along GoldClan and KillerClan's territory. Dangerous and off-limits to anyone without extensive experience, but must be traveled sometimes to reach the far side of territory when prey is scarce. Moonlit Rock: This is a place that medicine-cats, leaders, and sometimes warriors come to get closer to the Spirits. Beautiful large rock that always shines bright in the moonlight, as the space above it is void of trees. Bramble Path: This stretch of the forest is dense, the forest floor littered with bramble patches, bushes, and vines. Great for hunting mice, or for getting burrs stuck in your fur! Fallen Tree: In the middle of the forest, this big overturned tree is a great place for hunting mice, chipmunks, and squirrels. High Trees: This bit patch of trees covers an average sized area, and contains the tallest of trees; being so much taller than the trees that surround it allows light to travel through, making it even brighter than the rest of the forest. Birds and squirrels are plentiful, as well as hawks and owls- dangerous for kits who fortunately don't come here, but sometimes an owl might want to hunt a small apprentice!
KillerClan Deep within The Dark Forest, their whole territory doesn't even encompass the total space of the forest, due to their small size; but this forest is rightfully named, the trees dense and thick with foliage, the forest floor deep and mucky with old, decaying leaves and mud. In addition to their forest territory, they cover some open fields, hills, and even a very small part of the meadow. KillerClan once had equal interacted equally with both GoldClan and FlowerClan, but have since ceased communication with both, no longer having the size to cross their whole territory without much effort. Locations The Old Riverbed: This empty, old dried up riverbed hardly ever contains any water now a-days, only when it really floods mostly in Newleaf and Greenleaf. While this is a haven for bugs and therefore voles, shrews, and birds, it also is one of the only direct links to GoldClan, as you can follow it out of The Dark Forest, and into The Golden Forest. Also a safe place to practice hunting and battle moves due to the soft, deep soil and sands. Thunderpath: This road the monsters and twolegs travel on cuts along KillerClan and GoldClan's territory. Dangerous and off-limits to anyone without extensive experience; hardly ever traveled anymore, too far away. Muddy Patch: This spot deep in the woods is nearly like quicksand, and acts as a deathtrap. While you may be brave enough to pick out the small animals caught here, it isn't worth it; you're likely to get caught as well. Three Fox Dens: As it's name implies, it is a group of three old abandoned fox dens buried in the ground in a group of hills. Great place to hunt rabbits that have made their own dens here, as well as a safe place to sleep if you're caught out of camp. Nighttime Meadow: Named because it is best viewed at night, particularly by couples- though it takes a long trek to get there. Also a good spot to hunt for snakes. Twoleg Stone Den: An old twoleg lives in this stone den out in the woods by himself- except, his kittypet lives there. Sometimes the kittypet tries to leave the area and explore the woods, but he is easily persuaded not to.
FlowerClan This clan lives amongst the flowers of the meadow, and does not travel outside of the safety of the meadow for...well, anything. It is beautiful here. KillerClan is their closest neighbor, though they have not really spoken much with them for over a dozen moons. Occasional words are relayed between individuals when KillerClan cats travel to their portion of the meadow (Nighttime Meadow) which borders with FlowerClan. On the other side of FlowerClan sits TimberClan, who is so far away, they have not seen or heard from them in many, many sunspins. Locations Firefly Spot: Bordering KillerClan territory, this area of the meadow is prime real estate for fireflies to flicker at night, particularly in Newleaf and Greenleaf. This is a beautiful spot to come to, particularly for couples, and is also good for hunting birds, who themselves are after the fireflies. Puddle: This large puddle is one which never goes away, and is shallow enough to freeze over in Bareleaf. Great place to wet moss, or to cool off in Greenleaf. Fairly dirty water though. Paw Print Place: This spot is strange because it contains old paw prints hardened into the ground, never able to erode away. It had to be here before the creation of FlowerClan, as the cats don't have any stories for its creation. Rabbit Holes: Many rabbit holes and young rabbits; best place to hunt for them. Prey
GoldClan Most of their prey includes mice and squirrel, with other common items including finch, sparrow, robin, shrew and vole, and less often cardinals, starlings, songbirds, and chipmunks.
KillerClan They most often hunt squirrels, mice, and chipmunks, but also eat vole, shrew, robins, sparrows, and rabbits, and very rarely snakes.
FlowerClan Rabbits are their most common prey, with mice very common as well. In addition, they may hunt kestrel, vole, partridge, starlings, and warblers. Threats
GoldClan Their most common threat are badgers, but they also face foxes. Rarely hawks and owls are dangerous to kits or small apprentices.
KillerClan The worst risk they face are badgers and foxes, but they also worry about sometimes being poisoned by snakes they hunt. Other rare threats are hawks and owls, to kits only.
FlowerClan The threats this clan faces primarily includes foxes and bees, but they may also have to deal with badgers on occasion. Much more rarely, they will face fires, most often in Greenleaf.
Camp Description
GoldClan This camp is large, settled in a clearing within The Golden Forest; treetops overhang around the edges, over-top the bramble walls that surround the camp. The walls have been further filled in with branches, sticks, and vines in order to secure it. Dens Leaders Den: This is a small hollow log that sits on its side near the back edge of camp, hidden in some taller grass. Medicine Den: Settled in a large, hollow tree at the center of camp that died long ago but still stands, the main den is situated at the bottom, lower level on the surface, but some dens and herb storage exists up higher in the tree, requiring climbing up carefully placed branches that previous cats hung inside. Warriors Den: Made by having dug out a space beneath a large bramble patch, the roots make up the ceiling and roof, and the space stays cooler in the warm moons and warmer in the cool moons, due to it being in the dirt. Large and roomy, but tends to be a bit crowded with so many warriors. Apprentices Den: Made by having dug out a space beneath a bramble patch, the roots make up the ceiling and roof, and the space stays cooler in the warm moons and warmer in the cool moons, due to it being in the dirt. Nursery: Made by having dug out a small space beneath a small bramble patch, the roots make up the ceiling and roof, and the space stays cooler in the warm moons and warmer in the cool moons, due to it being in the dirt. Lined with moss and bird feathers. Elders Den: Large hollowed out log leaning against a rock.
KillerClan This camp is in a clearing settled in The Dark Forest; while not too large, it is of average size, and trees overhanging the bramble wall provide protection and shade on the edges of camp. The walls have been filled in with branches, sticks, vines and mud in order to secure it. Dens Leaders Den: Up at the top of the tree in the center of camp, in an old, abandoned owl's nest. Close overhanging branch keeps the nest dry. Medicine Den: Situated in a hollowed out space beneath a boulder, large and cavernous with many nooks for storing herbs. Warriors Den: Below the tree in the center of camp, in a hollowed space beneath the tree roots. Large and roomy, but cats must sleep close. Apprentices Den: Situated beneath a small tree near the entrance to camp, a spot carved out below the roots. Nursery: Hollowed out space beneath a small bramble patch, lined with moss, mud, and a few bird feathers for comfort. Elders Den: Within an old, hollow stump near to the center of camp, shaded by the larger tree.
FlowerClan Camp is situated within a hollow in the meadow, near the center of their territory. Various rabbit holes and tunnels have been carved out and enlarged to make up the dens. Being in a hollow, these cats can see anyone coming from up above, and can cover their den entrances to hide. Dens Leaders Den: The smallest rabbit hole on the far edge of camp closest to the slope of the hollow; it has been dug out to make a round den, but is not deep beneath the surface. Medicine Den: This is not only a large rabbit hole, but a set of four tunnels, one which connects to the surface, and three others that act as storage for herbs, and sleeping spots for sick or injured cats. Warriors Den: The largest rabbit hole of all, it also has two short tunnels that have been excavated to make two other round holes off the main hole; while it all connects together, it does offer a more private spot meant for senior warriors or couples. Apprentices Den: This is not a single rabbit hole, but a set of five or six small tunnels underneath a large boulder that sits on the surface. One exit. Nursery: This is the safest place in camp, with two tunnels leading out of it; one to enter, and one emergency back-up tunnel that is blocked off pretty well. Rounded, deep beneath ground, it is lined with dried grasses and bird feathers, as well as some moss. Because it is deep, it stays cool in the warm moons and warm in the cool moons. Elders Den: This old, hollowed out log makes up home for the elders; it is easier to crawl in and out of than a rabbit hole or tunnel.
coding by 𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔟𝔦𝔱𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔱 AllegiancesThis list is of allegiances that exist at the very beginning of the book; it is not updated over time as the story goes on, to protect against spoilers. Age and position changes will not be marked here, nor will deaths or births of new cats. This list is only accurate at the very beginning of Book One.
GoldClan
Treestar | Tom | Leader This tom is 55 moons old, and has four lives remaining. He is a ginger stripped tabby tom, with leaf green eyes, and is only just beginning to show his age. His mate is Tigereye, and they have one daughter, Graystream. Hawksong | She-Cat | Deputy A she-cat that is 49 moons old, she is still young and vibrant, though wise. A white spotted tabby with pale blue eyes, she is mother to Songbird, and her grandkits are Starlingpaw, Oakpaw, Lionkit, Robinkit, and Owlkit. Her mate passed many sunspins ago, long before the birth of her grandkits. Leaflight | She-Cat | Medicine-Cat A very pretty solid white she-cat that is 38 moons old, she had heterochromia, meaning her left eye is leaf green while her right eye is golden. Her brother is Cardinalfeather. Oakpaw | She-Cat | Medicine-Cat Apprentice She is a nearly solid white fluffy cat, only her right leg being pale brown, along with her eyes. She is 9 moons old, and her littermate is Starlingpaw. Her parents are Songbird and Cardinalfeather, and her younger siblings are Lionkit, Robinkit, and Owlkit. Her grandmother is Hawksong. Birchbird | She-Cat | Senior Warrior A lithe black and brown patched cat with deep brown eyes, she is 62 moons old, but still fierce and fiery. Tigereye | She-Cat | Senior Warrior Mate to Treestar and mother to Graystream, she is 58 moons old and is a calico stripped tabby with shadowy golden eyes. Blackraven | Tom | Senior Warrior This long-furred black tom has piercing blue eyes. His mate is Mapledrop, and his niece and nephew are Leaflight and Cardinalfeather, his sister having passed when giving birth to them. He is 51 moons old. Mapledrop | Tom | Senior Warrior This russet colored cat with golden eyes is mate to Blackraven, and they have been together for many, many sunspins. He is 47 moons. Father is Bearfur. Cardinalfeather | Tom | Senior Warrior Despite being the youngest senior warrior at only 38 moons old, he acts as a second in command behind Hawksong to assist Treestar, who he is very loyal to. He has red-brown fur and piercing blue eyes. His sister is Leaflight, and his mate is Songbird, with his kits being Starlingpaw, Oakpaw, Lionkit, Robinkit, and Owlkit. Squirrelleap | She-Cat | Warrior She is a ginger spotted tabby with eyes that are the color of robin eggs. 42 moons old. Mother to Rowanoak and Mosspaw, adopted mother to Shrewpaw. Graystream | She-Cat | Warrior She is a pretty gray stripped tabby with silvery-blue eyes, and is 32 moons old. Her mother is Tigereye, and her father is Treestar. Palewhisper | She-Cat | Warrior This she-cat is albino, meaning she lacks pigmentation; her fur is white, her skin is pink, and her eyes are pinkish-red in color too. She is 30 moons old. Darkwoods | Tom | Warrior At 28 moons old, he still acts fairly young and immature, though he looks stunning with his sleek, dark brown fur that is nearly black, and his forest green eyes. Mouseear | Tom | Warrior Mouse-tan fur with pale brown eyes and small ears, this tom is 25 moons old. His mate is Honeydew, and his kits are Thistlekit and Foxkit. Hollowheart | She-Cat | Warrior She is almost all black, with parts being blue-gray stripped tabby, and she has dark midnight-blue eyes. She is 25 moons old, and her mate is Rowanoak. Rowanoak | Tom | Warrior A white and ginger patched cat with deep green eyes and large paws, he is 24 moons old. His mate is Hollowheart, and he is an older brother to Mosspaw. Mother is Squirrelleap. Patcheye | Tom | Warrior The newest appointed warrior at 15 moons old, he is brown in color, with a single black patch covering his right eye. His eyes are blue. Mosspaw | Tom | Apprentice This white and ginger patched tom is the younger brother to Rowanoak, and he has mossy green eyes. 11 Moons old, his mother is Squirrelleap. Mentor is Birchbird. Shrewpaw | Tom | Apprentice His mother died shortly after he was born from greencough, and he has practically been raised by Squirrelleap since; he is nearly brothers with Mosspaw. He is a mouse-brown in color, has aqua blue eyes, and is small for his age at 10 moons old. Mentor is Palewhisper. Starlingpaw | She-Cat | Apprentice She is a brown and white patched she-cat with pale brown eyes that she shares with her mother, Songbird, and her littermate, Oakpaw. Her father is Cardinalfeather, her younger siblings are Lionkit, Robinkit, and Owlkit, and her grandmother is Hawksong. She is 9 moons old. Mentor is Mouseear. Songbird | She-Cat | Queen Her coat is patched white and brown, and she has pale brown eyes, the same as her daughters, Starlingpaw, Oakpaw, and Owlkit, and her son, Robinkit. Only one of her kits does not share her eye color, and that is Lionkit. Her mate is Cardinalfeather, and her mother is Hawksong. She is 27 moons old. Honeydew | She-Cat | Queen This fragile, young she-cat is 17 moons old, and had kits young. She is calico with pale yellow-green eyes, and is very petite. Her mate is Mouseear, and their kits are Thistlekit and Foxkit. Lionkit | Tom | Kit The so called 'leader' of the kits, he is solid black with piercing blue eyes, like his father Cardinalfeather's. He is 3 moons old, and his mother is Songbird, while his siblings are Starlingpaw, Oakpaw, Owlkit and Robinkit. His grandmother is Hawksong. Owlkit | She-Cat | Kit This cute little she-cat is Songbird and Cardinalfeather's youngest daughter, at 3 moons old, and has white fur with brown spots, four black paws and pale brown eyes. Her littermates are Lionkit and Robinkit, and her older sisters are Starlingpaw and Oakpaw. Her grandmother is Hawksong. Robinkit | Tom | Kit A brown-red colored tom with a black chest, he has pale brown eyes like his mother, Songbird, though his coat somewhat resembles that of his father, Cardinalfeather. His grandmother is Hawksong, his brother is Lionkit, and his sisters are Owlkit, Starlingpaw, and Oakpaw. Foxkit | Tom | Kit The strongest of Mouseear and Honeydew's two kits, his brother is the smaller runt, Thistlekit. He is red-brown in color, with dark green eyes, and is only 1 moon old. Thistlekit | Tom | Kit At 1 moon old, he is the runt of Honeydew and Mouseear's first litter, and is a very small cat. His brother, Foxkit, far outweighs him. He is a lilac lynx point, just barely starting to come into his gorgeous coloring, and his blue eyes are becoming brighter. Greenleaf | She-Cat | Elder This sweet old cat is the oldest in the clan, at 101 moons! She is a stripped gray tabby with very black stripes, and a dorsal stripe along her back. Her tail is black as well, and she has leaf green eyes. Bearfur | Tom | Elder This gruff older cat is now 89 moons old, and while he likes to act grumpy, he loves to tell the kits old stories. He has rough brown fur with bald spots, and half of his tail is gone. His eyes are very dark brown. Father to Mapledrop.
KillerClan
Bloodstar | Tom | Leader This solid black tom has a permanent red right eyes, due to an injury at birth. He has sleek fur, and half a tail from battling the previous leader to take over KillerClan. He is 35 moons old, his mate is Jaystorm, and his daughter is Darkkit. His older brother is Bonedust. Spiritwisp | She-Cat | Deputy This calico has blue-gray eyes with various muscles, and big paws. She is 46 moons old, and her daughter is Moonshine. Shyheart | Tom | Medicine-Cat This solid white, long-furred and fluffy tom has light blue eyes. He is 29 moons old. Mother is Thornwillow, father is Deathclaw, though he tries not to acknowledge his father because he knows he took advantage of his mother when she was young. Sharpear | Tom | Senior Warrior A dark brown stripped tabby with rugged fur and a broken tail, torn ears, and brown eyes, he is 69 moons old.
Deathclaw | Tom | Senior Warrior He is a big black tom, his front right paw being silver. His eyes are dark brown, nearly black, and he is 64 moons old. His only son is Shyheart.
Strongstep | Tom | Senior Warrior He is a large white tom with yellow eyes. 64 moons. Father to Redfox.
Peregrineswoop | She-Cat | Senior Warrior A large dark blue-gray she-cat with a cream underbelly, muzzle, chest, and paws, she has striking violet eyes. She is 42 moons old, and her kits are Talonpaw, Stormpaw, and Fallingpaw.
Redfox | Tom | Senior Warrior This deep russet red tom has all black legs, muzzle, and tail, and deep green eyes. He is 40 moons old. Father is Strongstep.
Bonedust | Tom | Warrior At 45 moons old, he has sleek white fur with gray tabby spots along his body, and pale gray eyes. Older brother to Bloodstar, he is still wondering why he has not been made a senior warrior.
Thornwillow | She-Cat | Warrior Mother to Shyheart, she got pregnant with her kit by her mentor Deathclaw immediately upon finishing her apprenticeship. Ever since, she always claimed it was a mistake, though she loves her son. Her and Deathclaw act as though it never really happened. She is a sleek black cat with one blue eye and one green eye, and is 43 moons old. Badgertooth | Tom | Warrior Dark brown marbled tabby tom with dark brown, nearly black eyes, all four of his paws are black, and he is 34 moons old. His brother is Jaggedtooth. Jaggedtooth | Tom | Warrior Brother to Badgertooth, he is a 34 moon old brown and black tom with gray-green eyes. Stonecold | Tom | Warrior This tom is a gray stripped tabby with pale blue eyes, he is 31 moons old.
Mintmist | She-Cat | Warrior Pale gray she-cat, her left eye is misty blue and her right eye is mint green. She is 29 moons old, and her brother is Snakeskin.
Snakeskin | Tom | Warrior His sister is Mintmist. This colorpoint tom has deep green eyes, his front left paw is white, and he is 29 moons old. He has liked Moonlight since he was a five moon old kit and she was born. Moonshine | She-Cat | Warrior A calico cat with bright gray-violet eyes that shine the most in moonlight, she looks nearly identical to her mother, Spiritwisp, in coat color and pattern. She is 24 moons old.
Souldust | She-Cat | Warrior She is a black and white tuxedo cat with smoky gray eyes, and is 22 moons old. Her brother is Whiskerbranch. Whiskerbranch | Tom | Warrior At 22 moons old, he is a pale brown tom with black legs, and has amber eyes. His littermate is Souldust. Stripedpelt | Tom | Warrior The newest addition to the warriors of KillerClan, this ginger stripped tabby also has a dorsal stripe running down his back, and dark brown eyes. He is 15 moons old, and his sister is Jaystorm.
Talonpaw | Tom | Apprentice This dark brown marbled tabby has two front white paws, and crystal blue eyes. He is 7 moons old, his mother is Peregrineswoop, and his littermates are Fallingpaw and Stormpaw. Mentor is Deathclaw.
Stormpaw | Tom | Apprentice A stormy gray spotted tabby tom with white legs, underbelly, chest, muzzle, and tail tip, his eyes are electric blue. He is 7 moons old, and his littermates are Talonpaw and Fallingpaw, with his mother being Peregrineswoop. Mentor is Stonecold.
Fallingpaw | She-Cat | Apprentice The dark brown, black mixture on her coat lends her the ability to blend in with the shadows, if her bright blue eyes are closed. She is 7 moons old, and her littermates are Stormpaw and Talonpaw. Her mother is Peregrineswoop. Mentor is Thornwillow.
Jaystorm | She-Cat | Queen Mate to Bloodstar and only 15 moons old, she was pregnant with Darkkit before she finished her apprenticeship. She is a pretty, blue spotted tabby with a long, fluffy tail, and cloudy gray eyes. Her brother is Stripedpelt.
Darkkit | She-Cat | Kit Daughter to Bloodstar, this solid black she-cat has spiky fur and green eyes. She is 2 moons old, and her mother is Jaystorm.
FlowerClan
Petalstar | She-Cat | Leader Fluffy, long-furred and white, she has pale pink-toned eyes and brown paws. She is 49 moons old, and her younger sibling is Blossommoon. Bobtail | Tom | Deputy At 65 moons old, he is an experienced deputy that knows what he is doing and how to help Petalstar. He is a brown stripped tabby with brown eyes and a bobbed tail. His daughter is Shrikesmoke.
Blossommoon | She-Cat | Medicine-Cat 30 moon old, she is a calico with silver eyes, and has a bright future ahead of her. Her older sister is Petalstar. Harehill | Tom | Senior Warrior Light brown with grass green eyes, he is 60 moons old. His sister is Grassfoot. Grassfoot | She-Cat | Senior Warrior Sister to Harehill, and mother to Opensky and Birdwing, she has light brown fur and grass green eyes; her hind right leg is white. 60 moons old, her mate is Foxface. Foxface | Tom | Senior Warrior He is 55 moons old, is mated to Grassfoot, and his daughters are Opensky and Birdwing. A russet tom with a black tail, his eyes are dark green. Tallgrass | Tom | Warrior A pale tan tom, he has four white legs with grass green eyes, he is Harehill's only son, and Grassfoot's nephew. 40 moons old.
Opensky | She-Cat | Warrior This pretty she-cat is fluffy and white, with sky blue eyes. She is wise for her age, very thoughtful and smart, and is daughter to Grassfoot and Foxface. Her sister is Birdwing, and her uncle is Harehill. 38 moons old. Daughter is Rabbitpaw, son is Volepaw. Mated with Lightningbolt, but does not consider him her mate.
Birdwing | She-Cat | Warrior Sister to Opensky, daughter to Grassfoot and Foxface, and niece to Harehill, she is 38 moons old, light brown in color with darker brown sides, and sky blue eyes. Mother to Morningpaw and Sunpaw, her mate died in a recent fire.
Lightningbolt | Tom | Warrior 34 moons old, he is a golden stripped tabby with a black dorsal stripe along his back, and amber eyes. His adopted sister is Finchsong, and his parents have both passed. Daughter is Rabbitpaw, son is Volepaw. Mated with Opensky, and likes her a lot, but she does not consider him her mate.
Finchsong | She-Cat | Warrior She is 30 moons old, a chocolate calico with pale green eyes that contain bright yellow flecks. She nearly died at birth, and her mother did die. Her father had already died before she was born, so Lightningbolt's mother and father took her in, who have now passed over the moons. Mother to Pollencloud.
Firefly | She-Cat | Warrior This fiery red-orange she-cat has four black legs, underbelly, chest, muzzle, dorsal stripe, and tail, along with the most crystal clear blue eyes. She is 25 moons old, and is recently grieving the loss of both her mother and father to a fire.
Shrikesmoke | She-Cat | Warrior Her father is the deputy, Bobtail, though her mother passed not long after she became an apprentice. She is 18 moons old, is a small cat with sooty gray fur, a black mask and tail, and a white muzzle. Her eyes are bold green.
Pollencloud | Tom | Warrior Just made a warrior, he is only 13 moons, and is still young, inexperienced, and very clumsy. He's also calico, which he has been told means he may not ever have kits. He has a happy-go-lucky attitude though, and a wait-and-see mentality. His mother is Finchsong, and his eyes are yellow. Morningpaw | She-Cat | Apprentice 8 moons old, she and her sister Sunpaw are nearly identical; she has pale tan and white mixed fur. The only difference is their eye color, Morningpaw having violet eyes whereas Sunpaw has yellow. Her mother is Birdwing, and her father passed in a fire recently. Her cousins are Rabbitpaw and Volepaw. Mentor is Lightningbolt.
Sunpaw | She-Cat | Apprentice 8 moons old, she and her sister Morningpaw are nearly identical; she has pale tan and white mixed fur. The only difference is their eye color, Sunpaw having yellow eyes whereas Morningpaw has violet. Her mother is Birdwing, and her father passed in a fire recently. Her cousins are Rabbitpaw and Volepaw. Mentor is Finchsong.
Rabbitpaw | She-Cat | Apprentice
Her father is Lightningbolt, and her mother is Opensky. Sister to Volepaw, and cousin to Sunpaw and Morningpaw, this light brown she-cat has a white tail and legs, and amber eyes. She is 6 moons old. Mentor is Firefly.
Volepaw | Tom | Apprentice His father is Lightningbolt, and his mother is Opensky. Brother to Rabbitpaw, and cousin to Sunpaw and Morningpaw, this deep, dark brown tom has a black tail and muzzle, and amber eyes. He is 6 moons old. Mentor is Tallgrass. Breezeflight | She-Cat | Queen A black and brown mixed she-cat with gray eyes, no one can quite figure out who the father of her kits are. She is 23 moons old, and wouldn't even tell her best friend, Firefly. Her kits are Blackkit, Waspkit, and Beekit. Blackkit | She-Cat | Kit The 'leader' of her siblings, this young gal takes charge. She is ambitious and rambunctious, always seeming to cause trouble accidentally. She is solid black, as her name suggests, with soft gray eyes. 1 moon old. Mother is Breezeflight, and littermates are Beekit and Waspkit.
Beekit | She-Cat | Kit This yellow-toned she-cat is a stripped tabby, her stripes being black in color, as well as a dorsal stripe along her back. She has bright yellow eyes. 1 moon old. Mother is Breezeflight, and littermates are Blackkit and Waspkit.
Waspkit | Tom | Kit This russet red ticked tabby tom has fiery red-toned eyes, and a dorsal stripe along his back. 1 moon old, his mother is Breezeflight, and littermates are Blackkit and Beekit.
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Post by Turtleshell on Jun 27, 2018 15:57:35 GMT -5
Part 1: GoldClan Prologue: Starlingpaw I remember a time when the clan was safe, when GoldClan was...well, golden. With bright futures ahead of us, the only dangers were badgers or a fox, maybe an owl or hawk trying to take a kit. But things? They were relatively normal. Easy.
Now? Not so much.
I remember a time when I could just be an apprentice, play with Shrewpaw and Mosspaw, even my sister, Oakpaw, when she wasn't too busy with her herbs. Or I could let my mother, Songbird, groom my brown and white patched coat.
But now there was no time for play, and the only training I got from my father, Cardinalfeather, or my mentor, Mouseear, was real-life experience as I had to survive through thick and thin during this trying time. I didn't even know if I could protect my younger siblings in Songbird's new litter, Lionkit, Robinkit, and Owlkit. But I was going to try my best.
My grandmother, Hawksong, she always used to say, "You'll never know your deepest strength until you're faced your greatest threat." Well, if that was true, then...then I guess now would be the time I learned.
I was ready. I would fight back, and I wouldn't fail. I had everything in the world pushing me to succeed; my very life depended on it, and my clan. If only we could stick together, to be prepared to win, rather than give in...we would be unstoppable against the, against the evil.
Now, I just needed to convince the others, and Hawksong, our deputy and my mother's own mother, once told me I was very persuasive.
What could possibly go wrong? Chapter One: Lionkit "But mother said we could go out into The Golden Forest with you!" I coolly lied. "She said, 'With Starlingpaw? Oh? She'll protect you, sure, have fun.'" Yeah, surely my older sister would believe that!
But Starlingpaw only chuckled, shaking her head at myself and my brother and sister, Robinkit and Owlkit. "Don't be silly," she responded. "I know mother would never say that!" she insisted, and I huffed out a sigh.
"Come on!" Owlkit squeaked. "Pretty please Starlingpaw? It will be fun!" she begged. Didn't she know that wouldn't work?
Just as Starlingpaw opened her mouth to argue, mother's voice rang out from inside the nursery. "Lionkit! Are you bothering your sister when she is supposed to be training?" Songbird called as she stepped outside and into our view. She had her frustrated, tired look on as she scolded us. With a frown, I quickly led the way back to her with Owlkit and Robinkit following quickly behind, our mix of pelts shining in the sun. Honeydew was exiting the den as well; the fellow queen to our mother had her kits spilling out behind her. "Why don't you play with Thistlekit and Foxkit instead?" mother prompted.
I wanted to tell her that they were too young, too little to play with them anymore, and no fun. We were much older, three moons now, and almost apprentices! We didn't want to take part in stupid games with the babies any longer! Yet, I didn't say anything, because mother had that look on her face. I didn't want her to get mad, or Honeydew to get her feelings hurt. The other queen in the nursery was a lot more sensitive than mother, and seemed anxious all the time, for whatever odd reason. "Okay!" I simply chimed in along with my brother, and turned to the one moon old kits.
Foxkit was already starting up a game of pretending to be a fox and eat us- an obvious favorite for him. He didn't even ask us if we wanted to play that! Young kits, right? So obnoxious. What were you to do?
I settled into my battle stance; paws apart so I could hold my ground, stretching my claws out for practice, only to sheath them once more so no one would get hurt. "Get away you dirty, stinky fox!" I ordered, bringing my tiny teeth out behind my lips, reminding myself that one day soon they would be as big and sharp as my father's.
Thistlekit giggled, pouncing on Foxkit with a sloppy hunter's leap, hardly fit to be a jump that a GoldClan cat had taken. "No no no!" I yelled, frustrated already. Certainly these kits didn't think playtime was all fun and games? There was a purpose to it, to get better and become prepared to be an apprentice. To serve the clan! "You need to try that again, and this time control your haunches!" Starlingpaw had taught me a thing or two for sure.
Owlkit grumbled. "Lionkit!" she prodded with her squeaky voice. "You're ruining the game! It's not fun playing when you act like this, it's only pretend!"
I rolled my eyes at her. "One day," I began, "it won't be a game! Don't you just want to become apprentices already?!" I demanded as I stomped my paw into the dirt and grass beneath my feet.
Robinkit interjected, "Mother says we won't be apprentices for another three moons, and that's a long time. I just want to play Foxkit and Thistlekit's game."
I hissed; there was no point in arguing with them. I was outnumbered. "Why don't we play a better game?" I remarked. This peeked Foxkit and Thistlekit's interest, though my siblings seemed slightly suspicious. "Mossball!" I suggested, quick to search for where our last mossball went from a couple of days ago when we had played. I began to look around, with the help of the others, only to discover that the moss had become old and flat, and the ball had fallen apart.
"Oh no!" Owlkit moaned. "Now we're going to have to wait until one of the apprentices bring more moss!" my sister let out.
"Or," I immediately pointed out, "we could just get some moss ourselves." We had already been wanting to leave camp and go explore The Golden Forest; what better opportunity than now? Sure we didn't have an apprentice at our side, like we had planned to before, but we might as well be apprentices at this point! We could handle this. In fact, we would probably do better than simply handle the forest, we would rule the forest!
Thistlekit and Foxkit shrank down at the idea, though, but I noticed my siblings were most obviously interested, just a bit apprehensive. They had been willing to leave without permission before, when we tried to get Starlingpaw to take us. Surely they would still be? Owlkit and Robinkit looked at one another, making it clear they needed more convincing. "Come on guys, it will be fun! There's so many cool places we need to see before we become apprentices, so we don't have to waste time getting acquainted to the territory."
Owlkit finally shrugged. "Okay!" she let out, bouncing on her paws.
"Yeah! Let's do it!" Robinkit echoed in excitement. Thistlekit and Foxkit didn't way anything at all, but they both nodded nervously, feeling the pressure since the rest of us were going.
"Great! Now we just have to wait for nap time, and sneak out after Songbird and Honeydew fall asleep." It would be hard to slip out of the nursery, the brambles and vines thick in the patch that covered the top of our den. We would have to sneak out the entrance and follow alongside it, carefully making our way behind the warriors den until we could skip out the bramble tunnel that led outside of camp. Yeah...we could do that. I explained my plan to the others, and we trudged back to our mothers, who were chatting outside the nursery in the grass, along the shade of an overhanging tree that reached above our bramble walls. Slipping back into the den for our nap, our mothers were quick to follow us; apparently we always wore them out, as if that were true!
After our mothers fell asleep, I had to prod Thistlekit and Foxkit awake, as they had already nodded off. Why were we bringing them along anyway? They would probably ruin it! I kept guard at the entrance, making sure no one was watching as the others began to sneak out and crossed the gap between our den and the warriors den, and went behind it to remain out of sight. Finally I followed, honestly a bit surprised we all made it. Out of camp, our eyes were wide! From camp, we could only see a few overhanging trees beyond our safe, bramble wall. But this was amazing! Trees were everywhere, apparently all around the camp we lived in! Small trees, big trees, short trees, tall trees! Most had green leaves, but others had brown leaves, or red leaves. It was all just so huge too!
"Woah!" Robinkit exclaimed, and his brown-red fur and black chest was shining in a ray of sun poking out from the trees. I dug my claws into the ground beneath us; it was a mix of dirt, leaf litter, and grass. It felt cool to the touch, unlike at camp where the ground was warm. I could only guess it was because the sun didn't hit here as much. But when it did, it left a golden ray of bright sunshine lingering on the trees and the forest floor.
Owlkit was still nearly prancing in place she was so giddy at the sight. "I want to see the Old Riverbed that Oakpaw told us about!" she said, speaking of our older sister.
"Me too!" Foxkit chimed in, though it was obvious he was just trying to feel included.
"But...Bearfur and Greenleaf told us that the Old Riverbed floods sometimes!" Thistlekit interjected, talking about the elders. "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
I stomped my foot and stuck out my tongue. "Don't be a mouse-brain, Thistlekit. It only floods when it rains. Do you see any rain?"
"Yeah, there's no rain, mouse-brain!" Robinkit mocked the younger tom. I nodded in approval.
Thistlekit, shrinking down, responded very quietly, "Okay."
With that, we began waling in a direction we assumed the Old Riverbed was located. We really had no sense of direction in this big new world, nor did we have a clue where this landmark supposedly was, but surely we could find it, right? How hard could it be?
Voices sounded nearby, and I jumped into some bushes to hide, hissing to the others, "Get down!" Surely it just had to be our clanmates? Either way, we had to make sure they didn't see us, or we would be in so much trouble! IF we were caught outside of camp, well...
"But I know I smelled something." That was Hollowheart's voice, and I opened my eyes, looking up and through the holes in the bush as her and Mouseear walked by, his mouse-tan coat and her almost completely black fur shining in the rays of light as they went by.
"Don't be silly, you're paranoid," Mouseear said to her.
I listened as Thistlekit and Foxkit began to stir, about to step out and greet their father. I lashed my tail quietly, glaring at the both of them until they sat still. The two warriors eventually got out of sight and earshot, and the five of us clambered out of the bush. "That was close!" Owlkit exclaimed, shaking her spotted white fur out, licking her black paws a few times.
I shrugged, shaking my own solid black fur out. "Don't be silly," I repeated Mouseear's words with a chuckle. "You're being paranoid; we can't get caught. We're one step ahead of the rest!" I promised. With that, we were off again, this time in the opposite direction of where Hollowheart and Mouseear went, despite that having been our original path. Surely they were coming from the Old Riverbed, right? So we needed to go the direction they came from.
As we went, though, it wasn't long before the sky began getting darker than it was supposed to be; it wasn't nighttime yet. We ignored it, continuing on our way. Soon, the beautiful view of the Old Riverbed appeared in front of us; at least, we assumed that's what it was, from the look of its banks and dried, cracked, sandy-dirt bottom, nearly void of most vegetation, at least the big stuff. The others let out a mixed array of hoots, awes, and exclaimed expressions, then we quickly proceeded to climb down the bank-walls in order to play.
Meanwhile, it started to rain.
We didn't hardly notice it at first, it was just a drizzle. It was currently late newleaf, on the cusp of greenleaf, and it was normal for it to rain like this. At first, it was light, and once we did finally notice it, we just played in it more. But then, we started feeling water rushing at our paws. "Oh no!" Owlkit let out. "The Old Riverbed is flooding!"
Robinkit's eyes went huge as we took off racing for the banks so we could escape. For any adult cat, this level of water wouldn't be a bother, but we were small, and Thistlekit and Foxkit were even tinier, unable to combat the rising water and powerful flow. To make matters worse, the soil and sand of the banks was now wet and slippery, and we could barely get a grip in order to climb up. Robinkit and I made it up first, the larger and stronger of the group. We helped Owlkit up, grabbing her scruff to pull as she worked to climb and dig into the soft ground. That left Thistlekit and Foxkit; we all three worked to grab Foxkit, but he wasn't helping, not able to grip into the soil and drag himself up at all, leaving us to do all the work. While we were twice his size, that didn't make it easy! After quite a bit of finagling, we managed to heft the kit up, turning our attention to Thistlekit, who was crying now as he struggled to swim.
"Grab my paw!" I instructed, but it was too late; the strength of the current was jut enough to begin pushing him downstream. I groaned, and we all ran down along the bank, following. "You have to swim to the bank!" I ordered him, but the tom was too panicked to even listen to my words. I cursed under my breath, "Mouse-brain!" Did he not want to save himself?
As we ran, it became obvious he would be no help. At the last minute I leapt into what was now nearly a creek; Owlkit and Robinkit screamed at me to stop, but I didn't. Though I had no clue how to actually do it, I managed to swim towards him, thrashing all four of my paws and legs wildly in my attempt to reach him. I was pushed under the water a couple of times, chocking as I did. But I kept my eyes on him as I raced, the current carrying the both of us.
And then, very suddenly, I was being lifted out of the water, as though the spirits were taking me. Was I dead? Were they taking me to the spirit realm?
But I saw a large, adult cat walking through the water just in front of Thistlekit, waiting for him to float to him so he could catch him as he went by. It was easy for that cat, the current not strong enough to force him to move, only reaching his belly. Were we...saved?
As we were both dragged back out of the Old Riverbed and I was dropped onto the forest floor, I wasted no time in looking up at the rescuers. The she-cat that had carried me dropped me very carefully, cooing, "Are you kits okay?" While her sleep, black fur was slightly wet, her eyes shined bright. I only shrugged, not wanting to talk until I knew more about these cats. "Deathclaw, let him down!" she called to the dark tom that had a hold of Thistlekit. "You must be exhausted. I'm Thornwillow, and that's Deathclaw," she introduced.
Owlkit, the ditz, was quick to squeak, "I'm Owlkit!" I sent her a glare. Thistlekit and Foxkit, despite better judgement, shared their names as well.
Thornwillow purred. "You all need to get dry and get warm. Even though it's practically greenleaf, you can get sick when your fur is drenched." It didn't seem like we had much choice, as she immediately picked me up, carrying me. I struggled to be put back down, but she ignored my motions. Deathclaw proceeded to pick up Thistlekit. "Follow us, kits! We're close to home," Thornwillow let out, voice muffled.
*****
Thornwillow and Deathclaw both seemed like decent enough cats, though Deathclaw was quiet. We reached a spot in the forest that seemed to be their camp; in fact, it looked a lot like our own camp! A clearing in the forest with bramble, bushes, and dead logs. The only real difference, it seemed, as the cats took us in, was that the forest here was darker and muddier, and the camp was somewhat smaller. This was another clan for sure! We had heard stories of a couple on occasion; near our territory, there was only KillerClan. FlowerClan was another name I had heard. But...those were just stories! We hadn't actually heard about a clan in a long time. There was even ancient stories of other clans. Those were all just tall tales the elders used to entertain kits and apprentices, right?
But if they weren't, was this KillerClan? They didn't seem to be a group of rogues, that was for sure. They had warrior names, had multiple dens like in GoldClan, and a fresh-kill pile.
A purr sounded behind us as Thornwillow set me down gently. "Who are these precious kits?" a black and white tuxedo she-cat spoke, her smoky gray eyes glistening as she came closer to check us out. She seemed nice.
"This is Owlkit, Foxkit, and Thistlekit. I'm afraid I didn't catch the names of the others. They seem to be lost from GoldClan, I think, Souldust," Thornwillow mentioned to her. Then she and Souldust looked in my direction.
It was clear they wanted my name. "I'm Lionkit," I eventually told them. They seemed harmless enough, anyways. Robinkit shared following me.
"Well, let me go get them a plump rabbit to share. They must be famished! I can't believe their mothers let them leave their camp, or the rest of their clan for that matter!" Souldust exclaimed. She didn't even let us explain! After all, it wasn't like our mothers let us leave camp. We just kind of...slipped out. Which, at this moment, didn't seem to have been our best decision we ever made.
"Rabbit?" Robinkit mewed, making a face. "What is that?"
Thornwillow answered, "It's yummy prey. We find it here in our territory. I guess you don't have any in your clan." I shrugged; I liked trying to things, so why not? Souldust dragged the furry, four legged creature over to us, the back legs much larger on the dead animal. It's tail was unlike that of a squirrel, though, as it was small and round, white in color. Strange...As I glanced over their prey pile, I also noticed squirrels, mice, and sparrows, all of which I was familiar with. I was the first to take a bite of this new kind of kill, though. It was a darker meat, a bit more chewy and rick than squirrel was. The fur was easy to draw away from the edible portion. The others followed my lead, as they always did.
Settling in, my siblings and Thistlekit and Foxkit began to drift off to sleep. That wasn't good; we needed to get back home! These cats weren't going to keep us, were they? If they truly were KillerClan, well...we had heard quite a few stories of them being bad cats! But they didn't seem mean, that was for sure.
A kit appeared out of what appeared to be a nursery. In fact, it appeared nearly identical to our own den, a hollow space dug out beneath a bramble patch, lined with various vines and branches for protection; this one also had mud. The kit appeared as though she was sneaking out, her solid black fur sleep and hiding her in the shadows of the camp, but her bright green eyes gave her away, shining in opposition to my own piercing blue eyes.
"You're different," she ended up saying as she eyed me, having wasted no time in coming over. It was clear she wasn't shy.
"Maybe you're the one that is different," I proposed to her.
She raised a questioning eyebrow, but did not respond to that. After a moment of looking us over, the others awaking now at the sound of her, she announced, "My name is Darkkit."
Owlkit squeaked. "I love that name!" she claimed, giggling as she sat up. "One of our warriors is named Darkwoods! Oh, and I'm Owlkit!" The others then proceeded to tell this new kit their own names.
Darkkit nodded, then turned back to me, as though prowling for more information. I didn't give her the satisfaction; she seemed really smart, which I didn't like, but she couldn't outsmart me, and I knew that these could be enemy cats that held us. I called to Thornwillow. "We need to go home," I told her. "Our parents have to be worried."
With a blank stare, Thornwillow nodded. "Of course. Who are your parents? We may know them."
I opened my mouth to object, to simply say we were from GoldClan, but Robinkit jumped in. "Our mother is Songbird, and Cardinalfeather is our father! Oh, and Thistlekit and Foxkit's parents are Mouseear and Honeydew."
"Yes, I think I've heard of Cardinalfeather," Thornwillow noted. "Let's get you kits home then, shall we?"
*****
We were nearly home. Being so tired, Owlkit and Robinkit rode on Deathclaw's back, while Thornwillow carried Foxkit and Thistlekit sat on Souldust's back. I walked; I didn't need to be carried. While the cats seemed to know how to get us in the general area of our camp, they were sniffing the ground when we got close, following scent trails left by our warriors. Would the clan be mad that we had led these cats that were likely from KillerClan back into our territory and to our home? Or simply be glad they had brought us back?
We could only wait to find out.
Finally the bramble wall appeared in the distance between the trees, and we all hooted and hollered, out of joy to be home. Souldust giggled at our excitement. "So cute. I'm going to have kits some day soon. Don't you think I would be a good mother, Thornwillow?" she questioned the other she-cat, and I tried to drown out the thought of she-cats becoming mothers. Ew! It just seemed weird.
Thornwillow did not answer her, intent on the camp in front of us. She took a deep breath before leading the way through our bramble tunnel into GoldClan's camp. Alerts immediately happened, warriors calling out to make sure everyone realized there were trespassers around. "The kits are back!" Graystream yelped, quickly rushing to us. Before the gray stripped tabby could say anything more, Mapledrop growled at the strangers. "What are you doing with our kits?!" he demanded of Thornwillow.
She hissed back, "We saved two of them from drowning in the Old Riverbed in our territory. The others would have gotten lost and chewed up by hawks before the day was done. So, you're welcome," she threw back at the tom.
Hawksong appeared behind our two warriors, huffing as though she had been running. "Kits! What were you all thinking?! You had your mothers scared half to death!" she cried out, eyes dead on us. On me, in particular.
"Sorry," we all mumbled at the same time. As her eyes settled on the other cats, though, her voice grew calmer. "If what you say is true, then...thank you." With a single nod in Thornwillow's direction, she then added, "We can help lead you back out of our territory," she offered.
Deathclaw interjected now. "We would like to speak to Treestar about this matter." He carefully helped my siblings slide off his back. Why would they want to speak to our leader? And how did they know his name?
Our grandmother's eyes narrowed just a bit. "As much as I would like that, unfortunately he is out of camp right now. No telling when he will be back."
"No worries," Thornwillow mewed coolly. "We can wait for him. Mind if we sit in the sunlight there?" she questioned, already walking that way, having sat Foxkit down. She didn't wait for permission, acting as though she had a right. Hawksong seemed somewhat surprised, but obliged her, motioning in that direction as though that was fine.
When the cats were out of earshot, she questioned me, "Is she telling the truth? Did they take care of you?" I nodded, looking towards the ground. Hawksong always had a way of making us feel disappointed in ourselves, perhaps because she was deputy, or maybe that's just how she was. Either way, I knew what was likely coming later.
"They were good to us," I told her truthfully, though I had a bad feeling about these cats in the pit of my stomach. Oh the surface, they were great. But what were they hiding?
"Thank the spirits. If they had hurt you, or you had gotten hurt out there...well, myself and your mother wouldn't know what to do! Not to mention Starlingpaw and Oakpaw."
I nodded once more, knowing she was right, as Songbird got back to camp with our father, and Mouseear and Honeydew. They had all been out looking for us, worried. Mother's initial response was to hold us close, licking our faces and rubbing our backs with her tail. But it didn't take long before she told us we would all be punished.
Of course.
Chapter Two: Mouseear Of course it was Songbird's kits faults. Lionkit especially. He was an instigator, a troublemaker, and too much of a leader. "Of course Thistlekit and Foxkit could be enticed by him. They're both followers," I moaned to Honeydew, as we sat directly outside of the nursery, keeping the kits inside, watching the entrance carefully.
"Nothing like their father, who liked to lead the other kits into trouble when he was young, if what Songbird told me was correct," Honeydew mewed with a chuckle.
"What?" I demanded. "She's crazy; I don't remember any of that." Well...there was that one time...ugh, no, I wasn't getting into that!
"Admit it, Lionkit is you. So you can't possibly be too mad," she declared, sticking her tongue out at me playfully. "In fact...I'm proud of Thistlekit especially, for facing such a scary event head-on. He'll be better for it in the end," she decided.
And I decided she was insane. "That's ridiculous. They could have died."
Honeydew nodded. "Yeah..." she let out. "At least it's over now and their safe."
"Not over yet. Those KillerClan cats are still here. And, well, spirits, I didn't think we would ever have to see them in our lifetime, you know? Only the older warriors even remember them. They haven't bothered us in so long, and with that decent strip of land sitting between our usual territories..." I shrugged, just surprised at the whole thing. How exactly did the kits end up in their territory? It was quite a long distance away. Or were the KillerClan cats lying?
Honeydew seemed worried now. I bit my tongue; that was exactly what I wanted to avoid. To calm her, I added, "I'm sure Treestar will handle it, of course. He always does. He had to deal with KillerClan as a warrior, back when he was younger. He knows what to do. Besides, they're probably just curious, especially that younger she-cat, the black and white one. She's surely never seen anyone from GoldClan, it's been so long..." I hoped that would soothe her mood.
Fortunately, my mate now seemed disinterested, grooming her calico pelt. "I tried to get the kits to eat," she spoke, her pale yellow-green eyes glowing. "but they said they already ate. A rabbit! I've heard of it, but we don't have any here. Hawksong said it is a very heavy, rich prey. That it will sit on their bellies for days. What if they get sick?" she questioned.
"They haven't complained about it yet. They've had a bit of meat before, they can handle it. I'm sure it's not that much different than the squirrel they've had."
She grew quiet, and I watched the nursery entrance like a hawk, my pale brown eyes surely shining at it as it grew darker, dusk drawing near.
Voices sounded outside of camp and cats came through the tunnel. Treestar, with the medicine-cat, Leaflight, and her apprentice, Oakpaw. They were back from the time they were spending at Moonlit Rock, to bring themselves closer to the Spirits. The healers had herbs in their mouths, too, which was a good blessing. Seemed as though the Spirits aided them. Maybe they had also aided our kits, as well?
"What is going on?" Treestar demanded as he noticed the tone of camp, and then the trespasser's scents. He glanced over, finally catching sight of them, and Deathclaw was the first to stand.
Honeydew drew my attention away. "We should go in and sit with the kits," she remarked, wasting no time to step inside to get away from the drama. With a sigh, I followed.
*****
I was hunting with Darkwoods and Rowanoak the next morning, out on the Bramble Path, for mice and small birds. Darkwoods, the boastful, loud, talkative and young tom was going on about what happened the night before, in my opinion gossiping like a queen. But...I couldn't lie, I was intrigued and wanted to know. I didn't get any information previous about what had occurred; when I left the nursery to go to the warriors den, the KillerClan cats were gone, and Treestar was already in his den. I was able to hear yelling from the nursery, but I hadn't been able to make out what was being said. Rowanoak was barely listening now, trying to stay out of the drama, as he always did.
"And then, they argued with Treestar that the kits weren't safe with us, that we didn't know how to take care of them. If we wanted them to live and have a good home, that we should give the kits to them!" Darkwoods exclaimed. "Can you believe that? It's preposterous!" That was strange..."But then, Treestar asked if Loststar had put them up to it, and Souldust retorted, 'Of course not! He is dead. Bloodstar is our leader. But we only do this for the kits.' It was so weird! That Thornwillow cat gave her a look, but Treestar dropped it, sending Tigereye, Blackraven, Birchbird and Palewhisper to escort them off our territory immediately."
"I would never let those cats have my kits, not for anything in the world. I would kill them all before they could touch them again!" I growled.
Rowanoak quickly noted, "I think they were just worried about the kits. They did see them in danger, after all."
It was as if he was trying to calm the situation, but all it did was anger me more. Technically, he was right...and yet, all I could think about was my kits being taken from me. "You and Hollowheart are trying to have kits, right? What would you do if your kits were hurt, or stolen?" I demanded of him.
The tom flinched, but didn't answer. Instead, he only said, "Chill out. I was just saying that your kits are safe. They took good care of them, even fed them. The way I see it, they very well could have left them to die. We've always been led to believe that KillerClan cats would do that, after all. Saving kits doesn't seem so evil to me."
"I'm sure they had some other motive!" Darkwoods butted in. "I mean, why else would they try to convince Treestar to give them the kits after they knew they were safe? Huh?"
Rowanoak murmured quietly, "They didn't have to bring them back." Then he shrugged, not responding. I felt a rumble in my chest; hunger. It was time to find prey to take back to the clan. I crouched, hearing a group of mice ahead of us. Keeping my haunches low as I hid among the bramble and leaf litter, I allowed the other two toms to begin to flank me, so we could catch as many mice as possible as they would scatter. Once in position, I lurched forward, swiping my paw at the nearest two, claws extended, hooking the first one and holding it under my foot, while I grabbed the other in my mouth, crunching its neck. When all was said and done, we had four mice, and Darkwoods managed to catch a robin on the way back that was searching for worms below a tree, the brush too dense for it to fly away easily. A lucky catch, for sure. I carried two mice in my mouth by their tails as we walked in silence, Rowanoak doing the same as Darkwoods held the bird carefully. Each of us was entangled in our own thoughts.
I could see Rowanoak's point; yes, the cats didn't hurt my kits, and yes, they brought my kits. As he had said, they certainly could have left them to die, hurt them, or taken them. They didn't. But, after all of the stories we had heard about KillerClan...well, it was hard to trust them. We heard disturbing tales. The only reason that KillerClan got better was because of Loststar, the previous leader. Well, he wasn't leader anymore, and now there was this Bloodstar. who knew how long that had been the case? Was he newly appointed, and looking to make changes? Or had it been like that for awhile, and he was going to continue to leave us alone?
Even more importantly, was it really possible that the kits had strayed into KillerClan land? Or were Thornwillow and Deathclaw on our territory when they found them? If so, why?
We got back into camp, and dropped off the prey at the pile. I carried a mouse and the robin back to where the kits were playing with Honeydew and Songbird. The kits immediately jumped up, even Thistlekit and Foxkit, hurrying to devour the prey. "Looks like their journey made them famished!" Songbird mewed. "Even your kits are eating more meat now," she said to Honeydew.
I didn't mind; I had been telling the reluctant kits to try more prey for the last quarter moon. While they were too hesitant before, they seemed ready now. "I'll grab you two something nice," I told them, going back to the prey pile to search. Squirrelleap had brought back a large shrew earlier, and Cardinalfeather dropped a decent sized starling. Songbird would tease me if I gave them that, though, so I chose the shrew and carried it to the chatting queens before making my way out of camp to grab some moss. While there wasn't usually a stream in our territory, most moss stayed damp enough to provide some drinking water, or there was often puddles to dip it in. But since we had the rain yesterday, there was a very shallow flow of water that was quickly dwindling in the Old Riverbed. And it was my intention to try and check out where the kits had run across the KillerClan cats, if I could find the spot.
"Starlingpaw," I called as I walked over to my apprentice. "Grab your sister. We need to collect some moss."
The young she-cat stomped her foot. "Aw, come on!" she retorted, not liking the sound of that. I sent her a sharp look to convince her it wasn't something she needed to share her opinion on. "Fine," she huffed, sitting up from her spot in the sunshine to go find Oakpaw in the medicine den. Very shortly the two cats were back, and Oakpaw seemed annoyed that she was being asked to do a normal apprentice duty, which she was hardly ever tasked with.
We exited camp despite their attitudes, and I lead the way in the direction of the Old Riverbed. "It's better to find moss around the Fallen Tree, or deeper in the woods than this way," Oakpaw retorted.
"Yeah, but we're going to search around the Old Riverbed," I shot back.
Starlingpaw was quiet for a few more minutes before she determined, "We're not really going to get moss, are we? You want to look and see what happened yesterday." The apprentice seemed intrigued.
I didn't answer directly. "You two will bring back moss, if that's what you're asking," I told her. Starlingpaw acted as though she knew what my true purpose was, giving me just a single nod, but she remained silent as we made our way to the banks, following the rapidly waning waters downstream.
Oakpaw mewed excitedly as she found all sorts of herbs along the way, as though making note to come back for them. "Horsetail!" she would murmur, or "Dock! Yes!" I ignored it, and Starlingpaw didn't seem to thrilled about it either.
Eventually, we ran across something interesting. Starlingpaw was the one to see it, and point it out. "Looks like the kits tried to crawl up the bank here!" she let out, noticing scratch marks along the dirt, and a few small paw prints.
I walked over to where she found the clue, and gazed at it. "Good observation, Starlingpaw. Paying attention like that is the key to everything, including hunting and fighting, should that time ever come."
"What, you think KillerClan is going to start battling with us?" she asked, curiosity strong in her voice. No worry, though...much unlike Honeydew, if I had said something like that to her. I simply shrugged, not sure...Certainly not, right? We had been left alone for so long. But, I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just wasn't sure whether to trust my logic, or my gut.
Who knew what KillerClan would do, or what- if anything- they were planning? Yet, wasn't it smarter to prepare than to wait around and see? Chapter Three: Starlingpaw Five days later and no sign of KillerClan, thankfully. It seemed to be a one-off experience, and my younger siblings were safe. The clan was safe.
Well, so it had seemed.
I was out hunting with Mosspaw, Shrewpaw, Birchbird, Palewhisper and Mouseear, my own mentor. We were on the outer edge of our territory, sure, but still well within the bounds of our own hunting grounds! I was in the middle of being couched on how to climb a tree to chase after prey, something we didn't do often. A quarter way up, clinging to the side of the tree with my claws dug into the bark, and we heard unfamiliar voices off in the distance. Despite not being right by us, they were close enough that we recognized the bodies those voices came from definitely resided in our territory! "Get down!" Mouseear hissed at me, and I quickly scurried back down the tree, faster than any squirrel I was sure, landing firmly on the ground as I dropped the last three tail lengths.
Birchbird motioned Mosspaw to follow her as she took point, the most experienced of our group. Palewhisper and Shrewpaw followed suit and that left Mouseear and I in the back as we tracked the source of the sound. As we got close enough and heard laughter, the noise now much louder, Birchbird called out, "Announce yourself!"
The voices quickly stopped, the chuckles being cut off. Growling took the place of the giggles. A group of four adult cats and a younger tom- probably the age of an apprentice, but certainly younger than myself- appeared in a matter of seconds, arriving behind the trees, bushes, and bramble. "What are you doing on KillerClan territory?!" a warrior demanded, a gray stripped tabby tom, his pale blue eyes watching us.
"KillerClan territory?!" I immediately snapped, despite second-guessing it after I spoke out. It probably wasn't my place, but..."You're crazy!" I spat at the cats. "This is our territory! It belongs to GoldClan."
Birchbird grumbled at me, but before she could reprimand me, an even younger warrior yelled back, "It is not! This is KillerClan land! Didn't notice our scent markers?!" the pale brown, black-legged tom demanded.
Mouseear was the one to flare up now. "Hardly. There isn't a single scent marker. What, did you all forget to place them?" my mentor rumbled.
It was too late to calm things between our groups now; we were too riled up. While their group of five was slightly outnumbered to our six, they had four warriors, where as we only had three. That left two of us apprentices to fight a warrior, while another apprentice would take on the younger looking apprentice, I calculated. I was younger than Mosspaw and Shrewpaw, and knew I would likely end up fighting the other apprentice, and wasn't thrilled about the thought. While we practiced fighting in order to fend off badgers, foxes, and the occasional hawk or owl, it was different attacking other cats.
Birchbird hissed, obvious upset of the spat erupting. But it wasn't our fault! Well, not exactly...the young brown and black-legged tom attacked first, after all. Going immediately for Mouseear's throat, as though he couldn't wait to rip into him, I just jumped in as it was practically my duty to do so at that point. Regardless, Palewhisper seemed rearing to go too, not liking the thought of these strangers trying to hurt one of us, charging at a dark brown marbled tabby tom with all black paws. Then Shrewpaw was jumping in, him and Mosspaw taking the other warrior, a pale gray she-cat, while Birchbird shook her head, finally taking on the first tom to speak, the gray stripped tabby.
That just left me with the apprentice...great. The stormy gray spotted tabby cat had a lot of white on him; from his muzzle, his chest, his legs and underbelly, to his tail tip. His electric blue eyes dazzled me temporarily before I shook it off momentarily. "Hey, wait! I love my clan just as much as you do," the apprentice fumbled out as I faced him, "but I don't think we should-"
I cut him off as I reared up, throwing myself at him with claws extended, swooping in his direction, attacking in the same manner I would against a squirrel. His electric blue eyes showed shock at my attack; why? All of his clanmates were fighting around us, as were mine. It shouldn't have come as such a surprised.
After I managed to rip his ear, he gathered himself, unsheathing his own claws as he burst forward to battle me head on. I was older than him, but not a whole lot bigger than him. Maybe it would be enough, though, and I certainly had a bit more experience than he did...well, unless KillerClan had been preparing to pick a fight with us, and had been specifically training for that purpose. In which case...I needed to fight harder.
While he was able to knock me down, I fought back by kicking hard against his belly, my back claws extended too. I saw Birchbird jump on top of the KillerClan warrior, clawing at their back right beside us. But I held my ground against this apprentice, even though he didn't seem as interested in fighting as his clanmates did. He was trying to back away. I didn't let him, though; I had to be on offense if I wanted to win. Striking out hard to try and slash his face, he jerked back and out of my grasp just as quickly as I struck out, now lurching forward to ram into my chest, knocking me down once more. He didn't expose his stomach this time, but I slashed his front legs, the target easy to see with his white.
Yet, this fight was over as quickly as it began. "Retreat!" Birchbird ordered us. I batted my eyes as they widened, astonished she had said so.
"Wait, what?!" Mosspaw spat, just as surprised as I was. Weren't we winning? Or...at least doing really well?
"Fall back!" Birchbird demanded once more, and the KillerClan apprentice was stepping back now, away from me, obviously knowing this fight was over. I listened to the senior warrior, and followed her and my clanmates as we took off running back through our territory, heading for home.
As we slowed when we were far enough away, Mouseear hissed at Birchbird, "What was that?! Why the heck did we retreat? We could have won that!" My mentor was fuming; it was clear he had wanted to stay in the fight.
"And start a war with KillerClan? That we don't know we could win? That was just a few cats, we don't know how many they have back at their camp. How their numbers may have grown. If we started something that would bring about more conflict...Treestar would be very disappointed. It is our job to protect our clan, not to finish battles," she said to him coolly, which seemed to work in calming him down, and myself as well. As much as t hurt to back away from that fight after they intruded on our territory, I could not refute the wisdom of her words. I could see why she was a senior warrior, growing ever smarter with age.
We trudged back into camp, and the others could immediately tell something was up. We had a few minor cuts and scratches, probably some bruises forming, but nothing bad at all. Oakpaw would enjoy the opportunity to work on healing someone, her favorite thing. She would tease me that I was always looking for trouble, too, but wouldn't actually mean it.
Hawksong was quickly alerted, and rushed over to check on us, and find out what happened. "Rancid KillerClan cats on our territory! Claiming it was theirs," Palewhisper rushed to point out to all the cats around us. "And we could have taught them a lesson, but Birchbird wanted us to fall back!" she remarked grumpily, with a bit of anger. Her opinion obviously still differed from the senior warrior...The older she-cat growled ever so slightly at Palewhisper, but said nothing.
Hawksong stayed quiet for a short moment, before looking at us three apprentices. "To the medicine den, immediately. Go on, Leaflight and Oakpaw will need to take a look at you." She motioned to the warriors now, adding, "We need to speak with Treestar. He just got back from hunting with Tigereye and Graystream," she spoke of the leader's mate and kit.
I began to head for the medicine den as they walked towards Treestar's den, a hollow log on the far side of camp, hidden in the taller grasses. I made my way towards the hollowed tree that comprised the medicine den, situated in the center of camp. Shrewpaw took the lead, with Mosspaw racing him not far behind. I took things a little slower, beginning to feel the effects of the battle. No, not physically, but...emotionally. We had attacked other cats. Sure, they were on our territory, like Palewhisper had said, and sure, they attacked us first. But what if it was all an honest mistake? It was obvious they were no longer marking their borders, and we honestly hardly ever went out there to mark ours either. It could be confusion on both our parts. And what if the apprentice I fought was hurt? Surely he wasn't, all I did was tear his ear.
But it still felt wrong. I hadn't grown up thinking we would ever have to fight another clan again. Occasionally a rogue or two would wander into our territory and we would send them on their way with a lesson to not return, but fighting other clan cats? I wasn't sure about that...
Mapledrop looked at us from where he sat with his mate, Blackraven. Both toms seemed concerned. "What happened?" Blackraven demanded, harshly as usual. He was a senior warrior- both were- and well regarded in the clan, and while I wasn't entirely sure it was my place, I found myself telling them, "KillerClan cats were on our territory, and they attacked us."
Snorting, Mapledrop interjected, "Good. Hope you taught those dark souls not to mess with us before they even tried. Well done, Starlingpaw." For once, the tom smiled.
I nodded and continued on, not sure what to say. Was he right? Palewhisper certainly had the same thoughts, but Birchbird didn't. What did Mouseear think now? He was upset initially, but after Birchbird explained, he chilled out.
Was that because he believed she was right?
*****
Oakpaw chuckled. "There you go again, Starlingpaw, always getting into trouble. When do you not get hurt?" she wondered aloud after having finished 'healing' me. I honestly didn't feel any better, not that I felt too bad in the first place.
"Are you sure you did it right? I don't think it's doing anything," I told her, looking down at the chewed up comfrey poultice applied to my scratches, and wrapped with some leaves and cobwebs. "All this gunk feels gross," I added.
"Of course I did it right!" she huffed, lashing her white tail and stomping her only foot that held any color; she was almost all white, an very fluffy, with only her front right leg being pale brown in color, a shade lighter than the brown patches on my fur. You could still tell we were sisters, especially since we both had our mother's pale brown eyes. Her thick fur and too white color was probably yet another reason she made a better medicine-cat than warrior, though. While I couldn't imagine wanting to sort herbs all day and take care of wounds, it was easy to see that she loved it.
"Am I good to go?" I questioned, wanting to find out more about what was going on. Mosspaw and Shrewpaw had been seen first, since they raced here, and I had to wait for either Leaflight or Oakpaw to be finished. I could tell the two were up to something, as they were whispering with one another. The two toms were practically brothers, Shrewpaw's mother having died shortly after his birth from greencough, and Mosspaw's mother Squirrelleap raised him. So they were both troublemakers together, and I could just tell when they were planning something.
"Okay. Be safer next time," she started to warn me, but I was already gone, taking off out of the hole in the tree. I glanced around as I adjusted to the slightly brighter light; while plenty of sun reached into the medicine den from the pawful of holes in the hollowed tree, nothing could be as light as the outdoors.
Shrewpaw and Mosspaw were by the leaders den, crouching down and hiding behind it and in the tall grass. Their ears were pressed against the log as though they were listening. It seemed I was the only cat that could tell they were there, since I was looking for them; most warriors were out of camp, as well, or resting during the heat of the day. It was practically greenleaf now, after all. We were reminded of it basically every day, by our elder, Greenleaf; despite sharing her name with the season, she absolutely dreaded the hottest time of the sunspin.
"What are you two doing?!" I hissed quietly as I lurked up behind them. They were so intent on eavesdropping that they didn't even notice me, but after a small jump of surprise, they didn't let me distract them, hushing me and getting right back into what they were doing.
"We're trying to listen!" Mosspaw explained, but that really wasn't much of an explanation. I guess I had been looking for more of a why rather than a what. But, against my better judgement, I placed an ear to the wood as well, to hear inside.
"Birchbird was right," Treestar was saying. "We don't need to start a war. GoldClan has always been strong, and we don't need to change that now. Everyone is happy, healthy; we have very few deaths, and many kits born often. We're in a good place."
It was Palewhisper who interjected. "That's ridiculous! We can't just let them steal our territory!"
Hawksong added, "And if we let them think they got away with the fight, they'll take our territory for sure."
Birchbird snapped now, "We don't need it all. We hardly ever go out that far. Maybe they're desperate for it."
I thought Mouseear was probably shaking his head as he said, "But there may come a time when we do need it. Hollowheart and Rowanoak are trying to have kits, I just had kits, and who knows who else may decide to have kits."
Treestar's final remark was, "We don't retaliate, and we wait to see what comes. That's final." It was almost as though he didn't take anyone else's words into consideration...Quickly, as noises sounded inside the den that indicated the cats were exiting, Mosspaw, Shrewpaw and I scrambled away, rushing to get to a spot that it didn't appear like we were listening in. We dropped down on the grass and dirt to sit, and I stretched out, laying down.
The others walked by, but didn't say a thing.
Would we really let KillerClan slide? Chapter Four: Lionkit Time went on, almost a whole moon practically. I was eager to be made an apprentice, and my patience was wearing thin. Come on already! While Robinkit and Owlkit seemed content to merely stay in this state of doing nothing, I had goals and wanted to get things done. Like hunting, and fighting...especially since our clan kept having a couple of minor run-ins with KillerClan.
Those no good, rotten cats! They tried to act nice to us, to put on a good show, but they were just liars, fakers, crooks and betrayers. They really thought that Treestar- or our mothers, for that matter!- would just give us up to a clan that was long known for more than their fair share of evil cats? As if!
It was a quiet day now, and most of the warriors were either out of camp, hunting or marking borders- yeah, we had to do that regularly now!- or resting. Marking the borders was a waste of time, anyhow. It didn't seem to stop KillerClan. While it didn't appear that KillerClan was trying to take over any of our territory, it didn't seem like they cared about walking all over it either. Either they didn't care, or they were doing it for a reason.
But I was still just a kit, so what did I know?
Treestar and Hawksong both interrogated us about the KillerClan cats and their camp a few days after the second fight, to get more information on how many clan members there were, how their camp was situated, and what they were like. Did we meet their leader?
We told them everything we knew, but there was nothing to tell; at the time, they had seemed just like us, but as it turned out, they weren't.
Starlingpaw was laying in the shade, looking hot and tired. Robinkit and Owlkit were sleeping in the grass too, in a cooler shaded spot by the nursery, where a tree hung over the bramble wall. Mother was out with father on a hunt, so she could stretch her legs, something I wished I could do. Honeydew and her kits were resting inside the nursery, and I was bored. I made my way over the the prey pile to examine the goods; greenleaf was always good in terms of food, I had learned from all the stories we had heard, and the general observations I was making now. Plenty of mice sat, and some small birds like sparrows, robins, and finch, plus a shrew or two. I caught sight of a squirrel, which I loved, but I couldn't eat it all and there was no one to share it with. I grumbled, and left the prey pile, going to find something else to do.
I made my way to the medicine den, where my older sister, Oakpaw, would be settled in- surely working, as she always was. Finding herbs, sorting herbs, practicing healing, counting herbs...ugh, it sounded incredibly boring. All I wanted was to become a warrior, so I could be leader one day. Mother and grandmother already told me i would be the best. Even father couldn't admit I wouldn't be, though he was too loyal to Treestar to even talk about someone else becoming leader in the future.
But maybe Treestar wanted his daughter, Graystream to take over when he retired or died. Then again, he didn't act like it; didn't give her special training, didn't make her deputy, and on top of that, she didn't seem to want to be a leader. Just a good warrior for her clan.
"Lionkit," Oakpaw spoke as I walked into the hollow tree. "What are you up to?" she questioned.
"I'm bored," I readily admitted. "Can't I leave camp with you if I'm helping to look for herbs?" I prompted.
"What?!" she shrieked. "Of course not! Kits can't leave camp."
"We already did once," I reminded.
As she frowned, she remarked, "Yeah, and look what happened then. You almost got hurt or worse, and now KillerClan won't leave us alone. A lot of good that did."
Rolling my eyes at her, I finally pulled out all my stops. "I know you're also bored and want work to do, herbs are your favorite and you love searching for them, that you know a good place that has some horsetail, and we need herbs now more than ever with KillerClan causing trouble."
Oakpaw briefly narrowed her eyes at me before they softened. "Ugh, fine!" she let out. "You can come along if it will keep you out of trouble; I swear, sometimes I think we have to worry more about you than we do KillerClan!"
Shrugging nonchalantly, I couldn't agree or disagree with her. Hey, I was getting out of this place finally; I felt like I couldn't even breathe here! I followed her out of the bramble tunnel and into the forest surrounding our camp. No one saw us or stopped us; most were out, and those that weren't were resting before they needed to go out. And what would they say if they did see us? Would they try and stop me? What a ridiculous idea. I was practically an apprentice already; it was time they just went ahead and made me one! No point in holding back the inevitable.
"We're going to the Old Riverbed for the horsetail I saw before. If it does happen to have some water, don't go jumping in again," she teased, looking back at me over her shoulder.
"I only leapt in to save Thistlekit. Not my fault he can't do anything for himself. Perhaps you should give up your medicine-cat apprenticeship so he can do that instead, and you can train to be a warrior. Oakpaw just shook her head with a chuckle. "Besides, I should have been praised for what I did. The mousebrain would have drowned if not for me."
"You did good, Lionkit," was her only response. Oakpaw wasn't like Starlingpaw; she never said more than what needed to be said. "But next time," she did add, "don't sneak out of camp."
With a huff, I said, "Fine."
We trudged along, and I tried to get a good feel for the land around us as we reached the Old Riverbed, following along it until we reached her precious horsetail. What a silly thing to search for, I thought. As we were gathering and collecting it, though, I felt the fur on the back of my neck stand up. Was someone there? Father always said to me, 'trust your gut' and I couldn't help but feel like this was one of those times to take his advice. "Psst," I whispered to Oakpaw. "There's a cat nearby. I just know it."
Now it was Oakpaw's turn to roll her eyes. "Quit being silly," she spoke a little too loudly for my liking. "You're just a kit trying to make up an adventure. This is just a normal, boring trip to gather herbs."
I wasn't listening though. I slipped into my hunter's crouch like my mother, father, and even the elders had taught me, following along in the direction I thought someone was coming from. I suddenly heard a twig crack, and that was more than enough evidence, even for Oakpaw, whose ears went alert. She wasn't a fighter, she wouldn't know what to do, but I knew she would have the crazy thought in her head that I was just a kit, and would try to protect me...and she would get hurt doing so.
She probably still thought it was one of our clanmates anyway, from her quickly relaxing attitude, but I knew better. The figure didn't seem to know that we were aware of their presence, and was still walking. In fact...in the direction of our camp! I saw a tail as they slipped through the bushes, and I took off at full speed, intent on capturing them.
"Lionkit!" Oakpaw yelled, but I didn't stop.
As the cat in front of me began running, I could see them more clearly, and they were definitely not a GoldClan cat, but they were a KillerClan cat! While I didn't recognize them, I did remember the scent! KillerClan one hundred percent.
I chased after the deep russet red tom, thinking he looked more like a fox than even Foxkit did; his muzzle, tail and legs were black just like one. He clearly noticed me now, but I wasn't concerned, I knew I would get him. What was his plan anyway? He was going toward our camp, but I couldn't be sure he was going there on purpose. How would he even know the way? He hadn't been there before; the elders claimed it had been many, many moons since KillerClan and GoldClan had interacted, and he only appeared to be around 40 moons old or so.
"Stop!" I tried to order. It was no use; he certainly wasn't halting and my legs weren't anywhere near full grown yet, leaving me covering less ground. While he would get to camp before me, I could follow his scent trail and hopefully arrive in time. That was all if, of course, he was actually going to our camp. If he wasn't, well...I would be lost in The Golden Forest.
While it wasn't like I had formal training on following a scent trail or anything, I did learn a thing or two from my father; Cardinalfeather had played a game with us once where he took a mouse and dragged it around camp. It was our job not only to find the mouse, but to follow it's scent trail to a tee. Owlkit and Robinkit failed pretty quickly, but needless to say I didn't get to eat the mouse either; not because I didn't find it- I did- but I didn't stay on its path exactly. At the time I thought I was using ingenuity and should have been praised for it, but I could now see what my father was going for.
I was fortunate that the trail did lead right back into camp. I was unfortunate, however, in that it did not lead to the trespasser. He was long gone when I arrived, as was another cat. Mother was crying, and Robinkit was cowering and shaking. My eyes went wide when I realized Owlkit was missing.
"What is going on?" I immediately demanded, padding up to her and my brother.
"A KillerClan cat just barged in and grabbed Owlkit and ran off with her!" Robinkit let out in a breathless sob, tears streaming down his face while he was still trembling.
Mother glanced at me. It was obvious she knew I had been out of camp, and if it weren't for the current situation I would likely be in big trouble. Instead of saying anything about my absence, though, she whimpered, "Your father and Mouseear went after him. We just have to pray to the spirits that they can catch him and stop him before he makes off with her too far."
I growled. "That no good rotten piece of crow food!" I cursed. "I almost had him, mother! Oakpaw and I were chasing after him, but she fell behind and I lost him too!" I exclaimed.
Songbird gasped. "Oakpaw was out there too?! Where is she now?" she questioned.
"Um...I'm not sure, she didn't make it far from the Old Riverbed before I didn't see her anymore," I explained. Had she really not made it back yet? She knew the territory far better than me, and was taller, so unless something happened to her or she was following someone else, she should have made it home.
Songbird cried out even more, this seeming to upset her further. "My kits!" she let out in a gasping gurgle. After a short moment she attempted to calm herself, though it was obviously only a front. "Lionkit, I need you to take me to where you last saw her."
"Of course, mother."
"Honeydew!" she screeched out, to draw the other queen from the nursery. When the calico she-cat rapidly appeared, mother told her, "Take Robinkit into the den and do not let any of the kits leave. Don't put it past KillerClan to come back to grab the others while we're weak, either," she warned.
Greenleaf and Bearfur were already coming over, able to hear from the elders den right next door. "Don't worry," the older she-cat spoke. "We will defend the nursery until our deaths. And the spirits sure aren't taking me yet!"
Songbird nodded fiercely before we took off. While I certainly wasn't that fast- especially after all the running I had already done- I could keep up with my mother as she merely jogged.
We made it to the Old Riverbed and followed downstream (well, down something. There wasn't water now, fortunately.) Eventually, I let her know we were there; while I wasn't yet familiar with the territory, and it was nearly impossible for me to not get lost, I did make some observations about my surroundings before and I could recognize them.
"Oh dear," she let out, noticing something on the ground not far ahead. Rushing over there, we saw scratch and scuff marks in the dirt; signs of a struggle.
"This is where I first saw the tom we chased," I noted as I motioned her over to the bushes where I heard the twig break. As we inspected that area, we discovered something even more disturbing; two different sets of pawprints, each differing sizes.
Great.
*****
It was sickening...just plain revolting how they weren't taking action and actually doing anything to save Owlkit and Oakpaw.
Once we had gotten back, it was still a while before Cardinalfeather and Mouseear showed up. When they did, we explained what we found and that it appeared Oakpaw was kitnapped (could you even call it that if she wasn't a kit?) but they had not seen her. They did, however, follow the KillerClan warrior straight back to his camp. From there, they couldn't simply enter the camp, so they used their poor climbing skills to get up a tree to take a better look at the camp. There were too many cats there for the two of them to take on, so they came back here to get more fighters. Only now, Treestar wasn't playing ball.
"We can't simply start a battle," he spoke in the clan meeting, perched up on a branch from the medicine den tree. "We will go and talk to them, try to reason. We will get them back in the end, with a little time," he attempted to convince us.
"I don't care what we have to do, we're getting my kits back!" Cardinalfeather hissed. "If it means war, then war it is. Those no good, evil fox-dung cats will pay."
Treestar sighed; in the end, he took Tigereye and Birchbird with him, leaving our deputy behind in case something should happen- the clan would still need leadership. I shook in anger he really thought that KillerClan would just give our cats back, after all the effort they put into stealing them? If they were willing to do that, they wouldn't have taken them in the first place.
Rest assured, they came back empty-pawed, just as I knew they would. Treestar looked angry, but I'm sure I was far angrier than he could ever be. It wasn't his family captured, after all. My mother was crying. My father was yelling. I didn't get to hear exactly what happened, though, as Honeydew ushered us back into the nursery as they arrived. "Let the older cats talk," she requested of us when I complained. Yet even Honeydew couldn't resist the urge to hear what was going on, and she ended up sneaking back out to listen.
I took my chance to turn to the others. "We have to go get them."
Thistlekit's ears went high, eyes went wide, and mouth agape. "What?! We can't do that!" he whined.
Snorting, I replied, "Of course we can. Who better than kits? We're small and less likely to be seen. We've been in their camp before. And if we were to get caught, not only are they unlikely to hurt us whereas they would hurt or kill a warrior. Oh, and maybe if we did get caught, Treestar would finally do something other than beg them to let Owlkit and Oakpaw go." But, of course, I knew we wouldn't get caught.
Foxkit looked uncertain, as though he was either considering what an interesting adventure it might be, or thinking of how disastrous the plan could turn. But he would be easy enough to convince. The crybaby Thistlekit, on the other paw? Well, in fact, he would be easy too, using one manipulative tactic...
Guilt.
"Besides," I went on, passing around behind Thistlekit as I spoke. "It's your fault this even happened in the first place. If you hadn't gotten stuck in the current of the water, then KillerClan wouldn't be attacking us now; they only got this crazy plan in their minds after they saw us." The younger kit's head dipped down as my trick worked, and Thistlekit let my words sink in.
"Okay! I'm sorry!" he cried. You're right, we have to save them!" he mewed in his tiny, panicked voice. Foxkit nodded, already on board, since his brother was. Robinkit puffed out his chest, clearly ready to get his sisters back, same as I was.
"Then let's do this, there's no more time to waste!" With that, I explained my plan to escape; literally the same as before. Everyone was too busy grouped around the tree that housed the medicine den, listening to Treestar as he spoke with the clan and worked to come up with their own, certainly ill-fated plan.
We escaped camp with ease, just as we had the first time; no one was paying attention. Thistlekit and Foxkit were bigger this time, as were Robinkit and I, so it would make it a bit harder, but we were one short, so that would make us less likely to be noticed.
And we weren't. This time, we followed the Old Riverbed until we finally reached what appeared to be KillerClan territory; the forest was no longer the welcoming Golden Forest we lived in, but a dark, dreary, muddy forest that I recognized from once before. Definitely KillerClan land. Now was the hard part...finding the way to their camp in a largely unfamiliar place. "We need to smell everything. I remember their scent. But...if you smell anything that is cat, it's probably them- unless it's us, of course. But don't smell us!" I prodded. "We have to find a trail back to their camp!" I told them, starting to feel a bit worried. It was very dark now, much more so here than back home. No light escaped from the moon to the forest floor.
"I don't know how," Thistlekit said at the same time that Robinkit said, "Okay!"
I rolled my eyes. "Just start smelling and find something that's similar to our smell and let us know if you find it," I ordered him and Foxkit. "We each need to spread out. Be no less than ten tail lengths from one another, so we can have a better chance of catching a trail." Thistlekit and Foxkit both seemed scared about that prospect, being far away from one another. But in reality, it wasn't far at all. We would still be able to hear and even see one another. As Robinkit began to drift away, the younger kits followed his lead though and did the same.
It was awhile before anything came up. There were a couple of false alarms- Foxkit, both times, pointing out the scent of a squirrel. I told him, 'you eat this prey regularly! How can you not recognize the scent?!' to which he scurried back off. Thistlekit screamed once, seeing a live rabbit racing out in front of him. I reminded him of what it was, and he calmed. But any predator in the area could have been attracted by that sound, so I told them all to hurry along.
"Cat scent!" Robinkit mewed, and I raced over to test the scent. Yes, definitely cat, and even better, I remembered it as KillerClan. "Great! Let's follow it! Do you think it leads back to their camp?" he questioned.
Shrugging, I said, "I hope." It may not; it could go a million different places. We could even be following it in the wrong direction. But there was only one way to tell.
*****
Success! We were hiding behind a tree, staring at the entrance to the camp in the darkness. It was dark, but we could hear movement inside. Just...not a lot. Which would probably benefit us, certainly! Less cats awake to catch us.
I didn't even tell the others what I was doing as I wandered around the bramble wall of the camp. "What are you doing?" Robinkit whispered, but I ignored him; there was no time to waste. The longer we stood outside, out of cover, the more likelihood we would be discovered.
Searching the wall for some sort of hole, gap, or opening we could peek through, I finally found one about halfway around the bramble. I braved the scratching of the thorns as I stuck my face in to get a glimpse. I opened my eyes on the other side. The camp was the same as before- similar to ours- just darker and more empty. A pawful of cats were sleeping in the dirt and grass, to make use of the night breeze. I saw two guards standing watch by the entrance, and I was grateful we didn't try to sneak in there.
More importantly, not far from the hole I crammed my face through, a tiny figure- smaller than myself, and probably about the same size as Thistlekit and Foxkit- was crouched, eyes on a bug as she was stalking it.
Darkkit.
After she leapt, her eyes immediately fell on me. Mouse-dung! The she-cat raised an eyebrow as she watched me, eventually trotting over.
I had a choice to make; either run and lose any chance at helping my sisters, or...
Trust her. So that's what I did. "Darkkit," I let out, giving a brief nod. "Nice to see you again."
She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Sure. Let me guess- you're here for the two GoldClan cats?" she questioned.
With a sigh, I jumped right to the point. "Look, I need your help," I started, not mentioning I had other friends right behind me..."Those cats are my sisters. We want them to come home. Surely you've got too many kits and apprentices here, and don't want anymore, right? Perhaps you could go tell them I'm here, and help them get to me so I can get them out?"
"They're in the medicine den," she told me. "Shyheart is treating them."
My blood ran cold. "Treating them? What happened? Are they hurt?" I demanded from her.
Darkkit giggled. "Of course not, silly. He's just making sure they're okay. They had a long trip."
Great. "Okay, good. So, um, maybe you could...you know, go get them?" I pushed.
Rolling her eyes, the young kit walked off. I eyed her closely. It didn't take long before I realized that she wasn't heading for a medicine den to find my sisters, but instead to the entrance, to speak with the guards.
Crud! I yanked my head out of the bramble fiercely, and looked to my fellow kits. "Time to run!" I yelped, and we all took off back the way we came. It didn't matter though. The warriors were racing out, strides huge as they followed after us, managing to catch up within seconds.
The older warrior, a white cat with gray tabby spots, he took hold of Thistlekit in his mouth, holding the younger kit by his scruff. Thistlekit let out a cry, which made Foxkit look back, offering the warrior just enough time to step a paw on his tail to stop him. Foxkit let out his most mighty growl, and the warrior growled right back, not moving an inch.
The other warrior, the one with brown and black fur, he was chasing after myself and Robinkit, as we parted from the younger kits in an attempt to actually get away. And yet, being too fast for us, he slammed his paw down on Robinkit's tail, who in turn let out a screech as he was forcefully stopped in pain. I had yet another decision to make split-second; continue to run, and possibly make it. Or turn back, and stay with my brother, with the other kits. To get the chance to find my sisters.
I paused myself, and faced the warriors that held my companions.
The younger warrior nodded to me to join them, able to tell that I was not leaving without my friends. "These are toms, though," he said to the older warrior. "Bloodstar told us we were just taking she-cats," he noted.
The white and gray tabby shrugged. "Yeah, but he meant when we're taking cats. These four just happened upon our camp, Jaggedtooth. We can't just let them go now."
Jaggedtooth looked down at Robinkit, as though considering. "But they're not she-kits. What are we going to do with them?" he wondered.
I rolled my eyes, stepping up. "Maybe, I don't know...let us go? My clan will be here soon to attack you all anyways!" I spat at him.
Now, Jaggedtooth looked to the other warrior. "Yeah, what if GoldClan does attack us, Bonedust? Bloodstar doesn't want that. He just wants as many she-cats as we can get before it gets to that point. Taking these toms doesn't do us any good, right?"
Bonedust seemed to consider that. Finally, he let out, "Maybe we should just take them in and ask Bloodstar."
A voice sounded from behind us, coming from the entrance to the camp. "Yes, maybe you should just ask Bloodstar," a big black tom spoke as he walked up to us. I actually trembled as I looked at him; one of his eyes was a normal dark brown color, but the other, the right one? It was blood red, and along with his scars and half a tail, this cat looked terrifying.
Bonedust lurched a little at the sound as he whipped around to face him. "Bloodstar! That's right, we were going to bring them to you to decide, brother," he quickly interjected.
The cat paid him no mind. The so called 'Bloodstar' which appeared to be their leader, he just eyed us, but that blood red eye landed on me last, and he smiled. He seemed most interested. "Very smart boy," he said to me. "You could have run, and saved yourself. But you stuck by your clanmates."
"Of course," I retorted back. "I'm no coward." I wouldn't show him that I was even a bit scared, despite being so.
"Excellent. Then you will walk back with us?" he questioned me. I nodded, though I didn't want to. He padded over to scoop up Foxkit, and carried him surprisingly gently by his scruff, while Jaggedtooth carried Robinkit, who was fighting back, striking out to try and hit the tom. Funny enough, he managed to kick the warrior in the face with his hind paws, and I had to hold back a laugh. Bloodstar didn't stop my brother, and let Jaggedtooth face the full brunt of the kit.
As we entered the camp, I held my breath and gulped.
What had I gotten us into now?
Chapter Five: Mouseear What was happening?
It all went by in such a blur. Songbird screaming. Honeydew running. Then, the fight broke out.
I didn't know why, but Songbird was attacking my mate. Cursing at her. It was hard to even catch what she was saying. I just rushed in to protect Honeydew, not even realizing that I shouldn't be clawing her as I did so. But I had to, or she would hurt Honeydew.
Very quickly, Starlingpaw and Hawksong was rushing in to pull Songbird back. I didn't really hurt her...right?
Yet she didn't stop her raging. "They're gone because of you! You didn't watch them!" she screeched at my mate, chest heaving wildly as she broke into sobs.
My eyes went wide. Gone? Who was gone?
I learned soon enough, as Honeydew began insanely crying, that they were all gone. Songbird's other two kits.
And ours.
*****
As it turned out, Songbird blamed Honeydew for the loss of her other two kits, and our own kits. Honeydew was supposed to be watching them in the nursery, which she didn't. I could somewhat understand the other queen's anger...I was upset myself, of course. But she needed to remember that Honeydew was a new mother, that this was her first time, and she certainly wasn't raising kits under the ideal circumstances, what with KillerClan causing us trouble now.
I didn't blame Honeydew. I expected her to make mistakes, just as I did as a father, and I'm sure Songbird had made plenty of mistakes as well. Even Cardinalfeather, probably.
Now, he and myself were outside of camp, trying to understand what had happened to the kits. There was no sign of the KillerClan cats in or out of our campsite. Were they that good, able to sneak in and out without anyone taking notice? Or were we just too preoccupied as we had our clan meeting that it allowed them to get in and out with our four kits? There had to be at least two, probably three or four cats to accomplish it. But...
We looked over everything, but there were no clues to be seen. Nothing to indicate what had occurred. Somber, the two of us headed back into camp just as the sun began to rise, only to stop upon seeing a group of cats at the entrance.
As we squeezed inside through the bramble tunnel, my eyes widened. Palewhisper, Rowanoak, Hollowheart, Graystream and Leaflight were standing in front of Songbird and Honeydew, blocking their path. "Please, be patient!" Palewhisper pleaded with the queens. "We will come up with another way, I know it."
"Yes, the spirits will guide us!" Leaflight added.
Hollowheart seemed unsure, as though she didn't believe her own words, but she spoke, "We'll figure out something without Treestar."
Graystream snapped, "No, Treestar will find a way to get the kits back. He just needs time," she said to them all about her father, clearly not liking how uncertain they all were about his decision to not intervene.
Songbird hissed at them as she tried to push through once more. "Treestar has yet to do anything. I won't stand back and wait while my kits are so far from me. It is a mother's job to protect her kits, and if it means going to KillerClan to do so, that is what I will do!" My mouth dropped as I suddenly understood what was going on, but Cardinalfeather kept calm, face seeming unfazed.
"Honeydew! No!" I let out. "You can't go to KillerClan! They may hurt you!" I insisted.
My mate shook her head. "Maybe, but if so I will die with my kits..." Surprised by her words- Honeydew was typically far from brave, and timid in every way- I stepped back, needing a moment to think. I didn't get the chance.
Cardinalfeather bowed his head. "I understand. You both need to be with the kits. I do not fault you for that. It is...your choice," he mewed, tone the most emotional I had seen him since the birth of his first litter. "Mouseear and I will lead you to the camp."
Songbird stared gently into his eyes, and rushed forward to press her face into his chest, burying her muzzle into his fur. Honeydew looked away from the pair, for whatever reason, but I did not. Perhaps she felt...guilt?
"It's not your fault," I whispered to her, but it was obvious my words were a waste. She walked right past me, heading for the entrance. With a sigh, I followed.
As the four of us walked, we were quiet. Cardinalfeather held his tail close to Songbird's, but Honeydew didn't seem to want to spend time with me. My mind raced to uncover why. Was she mad at me, did she blame me? We had rushed to have kits early, when maybe we shouldn't have...I would understand if she faulted me for it. Perhaps if she had been older, had been more prepared, more at the ready, then...well, maybe our kits would still be with us. Maybe all of the kits would be. And Oakpaw...
I could only imagine what Starlingpaw would say and do when she found out. It would be my job to keep her from wrecking havoc in the fallout. None of us had presented this idea of Songbird and Honeydew leaving to Treestar before we left, either. Would he punish us all? He was leader, and perhaps he thought he had a right to this decision, but seeing how dead-set both Songbird and my mate were on this journey...well, I knew that it was only ever a mother's decision to make; I could see that by looking into their eyes.
"You're quiet," I finally said to Honeydew as we traveled through the forest.
"Of course. I'm nervous," she spatted back at me with somewhat of an eyeroll- very uncharacteristic of her.
"You don't have to do this, you know," I mentioned to her. "Songbird will watch over them while she's there."
With a growl, she remarked, "They're my kits. No one else will watch over them but me. I'm their mother."
I nodded, shrinking deep into my body as I tried to make myself smaller, to avoid the blow of her words. "You're right. Sorry," was all I could think to say, though I knew it wasn't the right thing to say.
Songbird was speaking to all of us now, looking over her shoulder with a narrowed eye. "We'll need another insider who can come, that the KillerClan cats will end up trusting and allowing in and out of the camp, so they can communicate with you. It can't be us- we need to protect our kits. I don't think they would trust a warrior coming into their camp, though. It would need to be someone with a reason, a good one."
I immediately erupted to say, "I can. I have a reason- to be with my mate and kits."
Cardinalfeather shook his head. "They won't trust a tom. It needs to be someone who seems very...innocent. Someone they need. It's obvious they don't need more warriors, so they must be searching for young cats?" he considered. "They've wanted our kits, and even our medicine-cat apprentice." With a shrug, he added, "Maybe just apprentices in general."
I wasn't sure what they were getting at for a brief moment, but Songbird was quick to say to her mate, "Just don't let it be Starlingpaw. No matter what, don't let her come. She needs to be home. It's what the spirits would want."
"Don't worry," I interjected, wanting to help in some way. "I won't let her. She's my apprentice; it's my job to protect her, just as it is your duty to protect the kits. And...I won't let you down," I promised.
Both cats nodded. As we neared the KillerClan camp that Cardinalfeather and myself had found before when chasing the fox-colored tom, we split ways. I kissed Honeydew gently, though she seemed uninterested, only offering me a small peck in exchange as she took off after Songbird to the camp's own bramble tunnel. Cardinalfeather and myself chose a spot up in a tree- struggling to ascend it- to watch the interaction. In the bright daylight, we had a good view of the clearing below us.
Two toms guarding the camp were quick to surround the queens. They didn't seem to know what to do, surprised by the intruders. Surely as shocked as we were when their warrior came in to steal our kits...
A large solid black tom began to stride over to them as the warriors kept them motionless just inside the entrance. This tom, we watched him eye our mates cautiously, but with intrigue, and I felt like ripping my teeth into his neck. "What are you doing here?" he questioned them as more cats gathered around.
Songbird was glaring at him, holding her jaws tight as though trying to hold herself back from saying or doing something she would regret. Meanwhile, Honeydew was shaking. After a brief moment, Cardinalfeather's mate answered, "To be with our kits."
The KillerClan cat raised an eyebrow, curious. "You've given up on getting them back to GoldClan?" he wondered.
Shrugging, Songbird didn't answer that directly. "We want to be with our kits." A pause as she watched him, just as he watched her. "Wherever that requires us to be."
The moments dragged on as the cat circled them, seeming to consider something. "Welcome, then," he finally said once he stopped back in front of them once again. "I'm Bloodstar. Leader of KillerClan."
*****
Back in camp, Treestar was furious. "How could any of you just let them go?!" he demanded. "Do you have any idea what could happen? Those cats could hurt them, even kill them. Have you given any thought to how much more difficult it will be now with them gone?" he questioned of us as we all gathered around outside the medicine den, looking up at him.
Cardinalfeather shook his head. "We have a plan to get them all back. We just need...someone on the inside. One of us needs to be at KillerClan, too, someone who will have a chance to communicate back with us."
"Ridiculous!" our leader spat. "Who, exactly, do you propose to volunteer for that? How could we possibly know they wouldn't be killed on the spot, or that they would ever have the chance to leave if they were kept there?" The tom was barely clinging to the branch in his fit of anger.
I certainly had never seen him like this. Like he was losing control in this state of panic, chaos, and danger. Perhaps, all this time, the clan had seen him as one of our greatest leaders only because we had such good times...there was nothing to really test him.
Well, until now.
"They want young cats, right?" I spoke. "It's obvious- they took our kits. Well, we send an apprentice." Preferably Mosspaw or Shrewpaw...or heck, we could even send Patcheye, make him out to be a really old apprentice...right?
Mosspaw and Shrewpaw both jumped up, very willing to volunteer for this adventure, but so did Starlingpaw, who was the first to speak. "Yes! They'll think I just want to be with my mother and siblings! I would be perfect!" she offered, and I sighed. Of course.
Treestar shook his head. "No one is going!" he yelled to us all.
Cardinalfeather stepped forward. "With all due respect, sir, I think it's time the clan take a vote. As the spirits have said, when the clan is divided with their leader, it is the right of the clan to make a decision for themselves. Let's vote on whether or not we should send a cat to act as our spy. We will see where the clan stands."
Treestar narrowed his eyes at Cardinalfeather. His once most loyal warrior and possibly future deputy was now at odds with him. With a sigh, the leader gave a single, short nod. "Apprentices. Gather stones," he ordered them, to prepare us for our vote.
I had never experienced a clan vote before. It was practically unheard of, in fact. Sure, stories existed, and I had heard of those. But...well, I was excited to actually be moving forward with this. I needed my family back, and whatever it took to get them home was worth it.
Within an hour, the three apprentices had gathered enough stones from inside and outside of camp, placing them underneath the tree. Treestar hauled himself back to his perch and glanced down at us as we gathered around him once more. "Votes for all cats to stay go in front of the fresh-kill pile there," he pointed. "And votes to send an apprentice to KillerClan go in front of the warrior's den there," he pointed once more. "Have at it."
The apprentices were the first cats to place their vote, since they were right by the stones. All three took a small rock in front of the warrior's den. Cardinalfeather and myself were next, anxious to set a good example. Five votes in our favor. Tigereye and Graystream rushed to make their own vote, in support of Treestar, of course. Meanwhile, it was clear Hawksong was facing her own conundrum; would she support her leader, whom she was deputy to? Or in favor of her own kit, Songbird, and her grandkits?
After a brief moment, the deputy dropped a stone at the warriors den, and with that cast of a stone, a snowball effect took start.
One after another, cats placed rocks at the den; Palewhisper, Rowanoak, Hollowheart, the elders and even Leaflight (surely she missed her apprentice?) Blackraven, Mapledrop, and Squirrelleap followed. Birchbird placed a stone in front of the prey pile, but no matter, because Darkwoods and Patcheye both placed their votes to send an apprentice.
The decision was clear; nearly the whole of the clan wanted to fight for our clanmates, and to win them back.
Treestar, sighing, gave a nod. "Sending an apprentice it is, then..." He gazed around. "Mosspaw, you're the oldest apprentice. You have the most training. You will go to KillerClan."
"What?! No!" Starlingpaw interjected. "It's my family! I'm going!" she yelled, lashing her tail.
I quickly padded over to my apprentice. "No, Starlingpaw. You haven't enough training yet. Let Mosspaw go; he will be the safest."
Our leader went to second my opinion. "Mosspaw is the most likely to know what to do there, on his own. He's a single moon from his warrior ceremony, having already passed his pre-assessment," he reasoned.
That didn't seem to matter to Starlingpaw. "I don't care. The cat most likely to get the job done is the cat with the most to lose! And I have nearly my whole family there! I won't let them down," she tried to argue. I then placed myself in front of her to stop her from moving forward.
"That's enough, Starlingpaw. Go to the apprentices den. We've heard what you have to say, but Mosspaw is going."
Tears streaming down her face, I knew she felt the emotions coursing through her, but she had to push that aside and see the bigger picture...Mosspaw was the best choice to send, right? He had to be. Starlingpaw lunged, pushing me out of the way as she raced to her den, crying the whole way.
"Starlingpaw, wait!" Mosspaw hollered, rushing after her, obviously upset for her, though he had seemed brimming to go just moments before.
"He will leave tonight," is all Treestar said before jumping back down to the ground.
Would Starlingpaw be alright?
Chapter Six: Starlingpaw How dare they!
They were going to get Mosspaw hurt, and ruin our chance at getting my mother and siblings back.
My thoughts were swirling. Who would I be without them? How would I live with myself? Would the spirits turn on GoldClan for our failure? Was Treestar fit to be leader? Why would my own mentor deny my right to protect my family?
It all seemed like too much. The pain of it stabbed deep in my heart as I closed my eyes in the darkness of the apprentice den, the bramble roof above me holding me in like a prison.
"I'm sorry, Starlingpaw. I didn't know Treestar would do that. I'm so sorry! I would give up my spot to let you go if I could!" Mosspaw rushed in saying, breaking my short moment of silence.
While he genuinely did seem sorry, I turned on him, growling. "You could have refused! You and Shrewpaw, then I could go! I'm the only one with a reason to be there! KillerClan will probably just kill you!" I snapped. Even as I said it, I knew it was wrong; I wasn't actually angry at him, only taking my anger out on him. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair, but I couldn't help myself.
Mosspaw shrank down, as though I had stolen his ego from him. Normally, if someone had spoke to him in the manner that I had, he would have a smart remark, a good comeback. Even with the warriors. But with me? He was never that way. I wondered why, briefly, but didn't have the mindset to consider it. My thoughts were elsewhere. "I'm sorry," he simply said again, but now reached forward to press his muzzle against my side gently. "I never wanted to hurt you, Starlingpaw."
My heart skipped, strangely enough. But I jerked away quickly. It was quiet for a moment before I responded, "I know." And I did, from the beginning. This was all on Treestar, not Mouseear, not Mosspaw, not anyone else. Well, Treestar and KillerClan.
He laid his tail along my back, and I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. This moment of soft tenderness was unexpected, especially in this moment of great chaos. "I'm going to miss you when I'm at KillerClan."
I opened my mouth to respond, but we were cut off when a cat entered the den. "Hawksong!" I let out as my grandmother padded over to us, Mosspaw quickly removing his tail and stepping aside; I could swear I saw him blush...
"Shh," Hawksong murmured. "We haven't much time. I need to get you out of GoldClan territory," she spoke.
My eyes went wide. "What?" I remarked, bouncing on my paws. Mosspaw's words echoed my own.
Hawksong was fast to say, "You're the only cat they will accept into their camp without much suspicion, Starlingpaw. And as much as I hate to see you go, to see you in danger...you're the only cat that has a chance at safety there, and a chance to actually communicate with us. The spirits would only want this task in your paws..." Looking over at Mosspaw, she mewed, "Sorry, Mosspaw."
Mosspaw shrugged. "That's okay. I think you all are right. This is a job for Starlingpaw...as much as I wish I could be there, and help my clan."
"You will one day. You'll be a great warrior that will always be there for the clan," our deputy told him with a nod, which was more than enough for him to give a big burst of a smile. "Now let's go!" she ordered, motioning me out. "Mosspaw, you need to distract them. Go ask some questions about the journey or something."
"Yes ma'am!" the older apprentice spoke, rushing out of the den.
"Keep low to the ground to avoid eyes," grandmother said to me. I did as she instructed, and we crept out of the den, towards the bramble wall. "We need to sneak you out of here. You should be small enough to squeeze through this hole. It hasn't been patched yet...I'll go through the tunnel and meet you outside," she whispered as she shoved me through. The thorns on the brambles scratched my face, and my legs got caught in vines. I had to bite them to break free and get to the other side.
As I inched towards the tunnel, making sure to stay out of sight, I listened carefully. Hawksong was speaking with someone, as though she had been found out! "I need to clear my head, Graystream. Surely you can understand that. I just lost my daughter."
"We will get her back...all of them. Treestar knows what he is doing," the younger warrior mewed quietly, almost so much so that I couldn't make out the words.
Hawksong sighed. "I know. But I need space."
"Yeah, but Treestar asked to speak to you right away!" Graystream pleaded.
Hawksong remarked, "Nothing Treestar has to say can't wait for an hour. I'll be back," she told her. I think she pushed the leader's daughter out of the way, but I couldn't be certain. And what was Graystream supposed to do? Despite being Treestar's kit, Hawksong held far more authority than her. She had to obey. "Close one," she whispered as she reached me, and we quickly raced through the forest.
*****
It was strange. Hawksong almost seemed to know where she was going. She had a clear destination, that much was certain.
"You've been to KillerClan before?" I asked. I could just tell...
With a sigh, grandmother nodded. "Back before your mother was born, I was very close with a tom there. I loved him," she admitted.
My eyes went wide. "What?! Spirits!" I let out, shocked.
Hawksong glanced at me, but mostly ignored my outburst. "I got pregnant. Only a moon in, before anyone could even tell, I gave birth early. The kit died."
As my heart beat had intensified as she told her story, it suddenly stopped. It broke. "I'm so sorry, grandmother," I whispered with tears.
She shrugged. "It's okay. It was for the best. I know that my sweet Brightkit is in the spirit realm, happy."
"Who was it?" I asked curiously. "Will I meet them?"
Shaking her head, she answered me, "No."
"Why not?"
A thin line fell upon her face. "Because he is dead."
I felt even more surprised. "How do you know?"
"The first cats to come to camp told us. It was Loststar," she retorted quietly.
"Oh...I'm sorry," I said again.
Placing her tail over my back, she murmured, "It's alright. It is the way of the world. It would not have worked out, the two of us, raising our kit...I was very young, and had only been a warrior for a few moons. Just a few moons after that, your grandfather and I, Lionmoon, we became mates and had Songbird. Then she had you, and your siblings...I could not be happier," she told me honestly.
"Did you not love Loststar anymore?" I wondered.
"Of course I did...never forget that you can love more than one cat at a time. It hurts, when you do...but that doesn't mean you love one cat less than the other."
I stayed quiet, curious why she even told me that story, and what exactly she meant by it. I knew how much she and my mother cared for Lionmoon. Songbird even named Lionkit after him. So of course she loved him...but did she really love Loststar, if she could leave him like that? And hide how hurt she was when she learned that he died?
We continued on, and she claimed we were near the camp. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and worry crept up through my throat. "You need to listen very carefully now, Starlingpaw. Everything I tell you must be remembered later."
Nodding, I uttered, "Yes ma'am."
"We will continue to mark our borders. The spot we will communicate with you at is along the border, by the Thunderpath. Most cats will not go there- even KillerClan. I will send someone there everyday at sunhigh. Once you are able to, go there." With a very curt nod, I gave her my promise, and recited it in my head, so I could not possibly forget. "Go then. Tell them why you are there- to be with your mother and siblings. And...please, stay safe. Your mother would want you to turn back, to give up if anything goes wrong. If you think you cannot get them to trust you, do not continue to attempt. Come back to us, Starlingpaw. No matter what." She placed her chin on the top of my head, and I felt a tear fall onto my fur. With a push, she sent me on my way, towards the camp. "Go now."
I began running, in the direction she sent me.
As I gazed at the dark camp in front of me- it was nearly night, now- I felt my breath slip away from me. It was almost an exact replica of our own home! The dens, the bramble wall, the clearing...the only difference was the mud that surrounded it, and I gagged at the thought of having to lap it out of my fur. Gross!
My feet stopped. Almost as if they didn't want to move forward anymore. I had to force them to travel on, though my brain was telling me to run in the opposite direction. Yet, I couldn't let my fear control me. I had to do this, for my mother and siblings, and Honeydew and her kits.
"INTRUDER!" a cat yelled from inside as I began to begrudgingly make my way through their bramble tunnel. I still pushed myself in, despite my instinct telling me to do otherwise. Then I was tackled to the ground, hard, my head hitting the forest floor. My head hit so hard, in fact, that I was knocked unconscious.
*****
When I awoke, I was surrounded only by two cats, and the ceiling above me was pure stone. The space I- uh, we- were situated in was large, dug out under a stone, apparently. It felt nice here, much cooler than the outside temperature was, perhaps because we were underground. How far, I didn't know.
The first face was a somewhat hesitant one, but not unwelcoming. Certainly not intimidating. He was white, with long fur and light blue eyes, and immediately stepped back and away from me as I opened my eyes. The other face was much more intimidating, but still completely welcoming, a strange, dark smile on his black face, though his eyes seemed tight- one was dark brown, but the other, the right one, it was an unnatural blood red color. I felt my body backing up, trying to inch away from this terrifying cat.
"Well, good morning, sunshine. Or, I guess I should say night, since you haven't been out long. You're strong to awaken so quickly." I didn't want to, but I couldn't control myself, and hissed at him. He sure didn't make this easy. Especially because he chuckled. "Ooh, feisty. I like it." He turned, and shooed the medicine-cat away by saying, "Shyheart. Give us some space." The cat agreed, heading for a large gap to a tunnel that appeared to be the entrance to the den.
The cat circled where I sat upright in the nest, eyeing me over, which left me extremely uncomfortable, my muscles trembling. "You came for something. You're a GoldClan cat, so you came for the others that have joined us. What is your name?" he asked me.
You mean the cats that you stole! I thought, but answered him, "I'm Starlingpaw..." I was quick to add, "I came here to join KillerClan, so that I can be with my mother and siblings."
With a raised eyebrow, he spoke, "Ah. One of the queens is your mother. Excellent. Which one?" he wondered. "Oh, wait, let me guess. Songbird...Honeydew certainly couldn't have raised you; she's too young, and too...timid. Only a beautiful, strong-willed she-cat like Songbird could have raised such a determined, brave apprentice like yourself." I simply nodded. "You seek to join us? Why?"
Because I want my family back! "Because I wish to be with my family, wherever they are. If I have to be a warrior of KillerClan to accomplish that, then the spirits have willed it," I lied coolly. Could he see my fear through my calm, controlled demeanor?
The cat was quiet. I had already guessed that this had to be Bloodstar, the leader of the clan. Surely he was the only one that would speak to me now, eh? It was a few tense moments as I listened to the sound of our breathing, and my heart beating almost out of my chest. "Very well, then. You will have to prove your loyalty to us. There are two steps to that. The first is now, and easy."
Nodding, I questioned, "And the second?"
Bloodstar chuckled once more. "That will come in time. When you're older, and we trust you enough. For now...In order for me to give you a chance at becoming a KillerClan cat, I want to know how far you are willing to go. How much struggle and pain you will endure. I want to know that no matter what I ask of you, that you will do it. Is that clear?"
"Of course," I responded, but feeling terrified and in doubt beneath my emotionless mask.
"Very well." The black tom pushed me down into the nest, and my fur fell slick against my back as I closed my eyes. He pressed his claw against my shoulder, until it dug into my skin, and I let out a scream. He didn't stop, though, dragging his sharp talon through my flesh, carving it. What was his purpose? Did he think I would cower away, to tell him to stop? No. I wasn't giving up on my family because of a flesh wound. He didn't stop until a long line was engraved into my side, from my shoulder to my hindquarters. It bled; the warm liquid oozed through my fur, and I had to hold back yet another cry.
"Good." He looked away from me, and called out, "Shyheart! Oakpaw!" My heart flipped at the sound of my sister's name. The two cats rushed in, clearing having been waiting immediately outside. "Heal our newest apprentice," he ordered them, before stepping out of the den.
For some odd reason, I certainly didn't feel welcomed.
Chapter Seven: Lionkit Things had gone from bad to worse. Not only had our mothers followed us, but so did my sister, Starlingpaw. Now the only members of my family that were not held captive by KillerClan was my father and Hawksong.
I had since learned a few things about the place I unfortunately had to call home for the time being. First, Darkkit was the only KillerClan kit. Second, she was the daughter of the leader, Bloodstar. All of this meant it made a lot more sense that she had turned me in. One: she was loyal to her father, and two: she was probably bored out of her mind and wanted more kits around. I guess she seemed nice enough, if only a little strange. I likened that to the fact that her mother seemed really, really young- even younger than Honeydew!- and because her father was an awful, evil cat.
Yet, not all the cats in KillerClan were so bad. Thornwillow was kind to us, though distance. She brought mother and Honeydew plenty of good prey. Souldust was nice too, though overly eager to hear stories of GoldClan. Then there was the deputy, Spiritwisp, who seemed nothing like the leader she worked for, and her daughter, Moonshine. But it wasn't just the pawful of she-cats that were nice to us, but also Snakeskin, Stripedpelt, and Stonecold- though he tried to hide it from his so called 'friends' that I could tell were simply bullies; Badgertooth, Bonedust, and Redfox.
All in all, I could tell which cats were good, and which cats weren't, but it was obvious the lines were becoming more and more blurred by the day.
Oakpaw was trying to get closer to her 'new mentor;' as Bloodstar called it, Shyheart, in order to gain his trust. Starlingpaw was still healing in the medicine den with our sister and the medicine cat. She had been injured, somehow, and that was all I knew. Bloodstar had allowed mother to go and see Starlingpaw a few hours after she arrived, and mother had come back panicked, only assuring us that Starlingpaw "would be alright." I knew deep down, though, that things weren't so fine and dandy. I tried to talk to Oakpaw and ask her how her littermate was, but she wouldn't answer. Were they not allowed to say?
Today was the day I would finally see Starlingpaw, three days after she arrived in the KillerClan camp.
Bloodstar gathered us kits near the center of camp, with the three apprentices of KillerClan. As Talonpaw arrived, the black cat motioned him over to the medicine den. "Go get Starlingpaw," he ordered him, and the apprentice quickly scurried off to gather her. As both cats got back, I could tell my sister was in pain, though she was covering it well, wearing a mask upon her face. She had a long, rugged wound across her side, from her flank to her shoulder. It appeared red and irritated, and I thought that I could tell Starlingpaw was frustrated.
"Join us for this training session?" Bloodstar said to my eldest sister. My ears perked up, surprised, my demeanor changing. A training session? Back in GoldClan kits were not allowed to really train. I couldn't be more ready for it!
Bloodstar's gaze first drifted to Owlkit. My youngest sister had told me that he had been watching her closely since she arrived, before we got to camp. He had asked to see her hunter's crouch, her stalking, her tracking, things like that. From what I could tell, she hadn't disappointed him. She was still alive, after all. "Show me your hunter's crouch," he demanded from her, and my littermate immediately dropped down into the stance, having been used to this before. Her haunches were low, and her front legs bent as she pressed her belly against the dirt and sparse grass beneath her. Bloodstar eyed her, saying, "Better than before. Continue to improve," before moving on.
"Robinkit," he turned to my brother now, and I wondered how my brother would perform under this pressure. He had a fairly good hunter's crouch, usually, much like Owlkit's. But...this was very stressful. Could he put that behind him and focus on the task at hand? I watched him crouch down, keeping his haunches tight as he lowered himself almost on his belly. "Decent," was all Bloodstar said.
But he didn't turn to me next like I had suspected, instead brushing over my presence had prompting Foxkit. The younger kit had obviously been practicing, as it was much better than the day we first met the KillerClan cats. While Bloodstar did not praise him, he gave him an approving nod, then glanced over to Thistlekit.
Thistlekit seemed to be a mess. From the stress of being held captive, to the fact that he hadn't really ever practiced anything, on top of being a runt, well...his hunter's crouch was a disaster, that much was clear. The leader's lips curled, and he very suddenly struck out at the kit, claws sheathed, but the strength of the blow was hard as his paw slammed into Thistlekit's side, knocking him to the ground. He began to cry, but as Bloodstar spoke, he was forced to shut up. At least he had some common sense in him..."Failure!" he spat, the leader towering over the young kit. "You are to learn from your denmates immediately. I don't allow failure in this clan." As the tom looked down upon Thistlekit, who was shaking, he didn't back down or apologize for his actions. "I'll give you an ultimatum; learn how to properly perform a hunter's crouch by the end of the quarter moon."
I wondered, or else what? He hadn't really said. But I didn't dare ask aloud.
Finally, his eyes settled on me. "Show me," he remarked. I didn't feel nervous, or afraid. I just felt excitement at this possibility of training, of showing off what I was good at. At finally being treated like an apprentice. My body did its thing naturally. My legs pulled me down. My belly swept the ground. My tail held low. My chin leaned lower. My crouch was nearly perfect, that I already knew, and if he said otherwise, he was mistaken.
He said nothing at all. He just turned to the apprentices.
What?! Why?! I felt anger bubble up in me. I was ignored, despite my perfection. My technique, my skill, my ability. All thrown to the side like a piece of bad meat. For whatever reason, I felt ridiculed. He had put me on display in front of my peers, and given me no praise, advice, or so much as a 'very well.' I didn't even get an acknowledgement in the form of a nod, or passing glance.
I was so engulfed in my own emotions that I barely noticed when Bloodstar called Starlingpaw forward, to show him her hunter's crouch. The KillerClan apprentices' demonstrations must have gone fine, probably no different than usual. They were obviously held to a different standard in terms of training than GoldClan cats were.
Starlingpaw was in pain. She was hiding it- pretty well, too, probably- but I could tell. She ever so slightly gritted her teeth, narrowed her eyes a bit, and her muscles were tensed. As I looked over at Bloodstar, I didn't think that he could notice.
As she crouched down, eyes focused on some invisible prey in front of her, she swept her tail just above the ground with no noise, belly fur hardly brushing the dirt and grass as she let her haunches spring, as though ready for a leap. A strong hunter's stance to say the least.
But, once again, Bloodstar didn't say anything specific about performance, only nodding at Starlingpaw. "You will be assigned a mentor by the end of the day," he told her, motioning us with his tail to break up the group as he walked off.
I couldn't lie; I was curious. I had started to get to know these cats, and my thoughts swirled on who he may choose to be my sister's mentor. I could only hope it would be an easy-going cat that seemed to care about us GoldClan cats, someone who would take care of her. I wondered if I could be able to help her if I found out for her, who it would be? Give her a heads up, of sorts, or a warning so she could try to learn more about them.
Along those lines, I watched the leader head for his den, but not before catching the attention of his brother, Bonedust, and giving a shake of his head in the direction of his den, as though to draw the warrior there. In the little time I had spent here, I had already thought their relationship to be strange. It was clear to everyone that Bonedust was always trying to prove something or other to Bloodstar, always trying to gain his approval. Perhaps it was because, despite being of age and being the leader's brother, Bonedust still wasn't a senior warrior, even though his peers- some younger than himself- had already been appointed as such.
Whatever was going on, for some reason it didn't seem harmless, and if it wasn't, then I wanted to find out what it was.
Looking around to assure myself I wasn't going to be spotted- especially not by that brat Darkkit- I crept over to the den, sneaking to the back of the tree that held the warriors den, after the two had already climbed and disappeared over the edge of the owl's nest that made up the leaders den. I dug my claws deep into the soft wood, drawing myself up the tree just enough so that I could hear whispers of the two, though it was tough to make out some words. I didn't want to be seen by anyone on the ground, and certainly didn't want to get caught by Bonedust or Bloodstar if they were to come down.
As I clung to the tree, I listened to the two cats, their words muffled and hard to make out. "Of course I don't trust her," I deciphered from Bloodstar. "But we need young she-cats. The more we take from GoldClan the better. We can break her, make her one of us. If you disagree, then don't train her."
"No, of course I will Bloodstar. In fact, I'm honored you would consider me to be her mentor, brother. As you, of course, already knew, if anyone can break her, other than you, obviously...well, that would be me." Bonedust just went on and on, bragging and trying to act like the best little Bloodstar follower he could be. Ugh, made me sick.
Bloodstar was quiet, almost as though he was shrugging or rolling his eyes as a response. Something of that nature, I could guess. I had watched him long enough now..."You'll mentor Starlingpaw then. She needs to truly become a KillerClan cat. Watch her closely, but make certain she feels comfortable and accepted here, or we will never really gain her as a clanmate. That is our goal, don't forget. To get as many she-cats to join us. Even if it means taking in a few tom-kits along the way." A pause. "Speaking of which...Thistlekit," he began, and my heart stopped.
"The runt?" Bonedust questioned, sounding curious.
"Yes, Honeydew's kit. It does not appear he will make a strong warrior. While I doubt there is any hope for him, it could be an excellent way to get much out of Honeydew. She seems to deeply care for both of her kits, and would likely do anything to keep him alive and safe. We keep Thistlekit for as long as it suits us on the Honeydew front."
Oh, spirits! What did that even mean? He couldn't possibly be suggesting they...get rid of Thistlekit, could he? I wouldn't let him! That no good fleabag!
Bonedust replied, "Of course, Bloodstar. I'll make sure the point gets across to Honeydew. And see what I can do in terms of training Thistlekit, to make it appear to her like we actually want him to get better. Who knows? Maybe he will learn a few things while I'm at it."
"Spirits knows."
As I heard shuffling, as though Bonedust was leaving the nest, I was quick to drop down a couple of tail-lengths, nearly not grabbing hold of the bark in my decent and missing a step. I think I managed to shamble down fat enough, holding cover behind the warriors' den, watching around the edge as Bonedust crawled down and let himself fall the last bit, landing carefully on the ground. He didn't see me, nor did anyone else, thank the spirits. What if they had? They clearly seemed willing to kill kits...not that I would give them the chance!
The white stripped tabby was heading for the nursery. Owlkit, Robinkit and Foxkit were playing just outside, with mother watching them from one of the few patches of sun in this camp. It seemed obvious where Thistlekit and Honeydew were, as Bonedust brushed past the kits and inside. I growled almost silently to myself, and tried to act as if I was hunting an invisible creature in order to make my way over to the others just outside so I could attempt to listen in, just in case someone was watching me.
"What is going on?" Owlkit whispered to me as I arrived.
"I need you all to distract and cover me," I ordered them quietly. "I have to hear Bonedust. He's up to something," was all I said. All three were quick to nod, even Foxkit, which surprised me. I guess he had toughened up since all of our adventures, and realized that it was make it or break it. If we didn't act strong and brave now...well, there was no going back to try again. Now was the time to do whatever was necessary. Plus, he probably suspected it had something to do with his mother and brother, since Bonedust was in there with them, alone...
As I crept ever so slightly into the den, just far enough in that I could hear, but not too far as to be seen, my ears perked to gather sound.
"I just need you to understand that in KillerClan, we don't give handouts. Not for nothing. And Thistlekit is not providing the clan with anything," Bonedust was saying. It made me wonder how much of the conversation I had missed.
"Of course he can't!" Honeydew was hissing at Bonedust. "He's a kit! I didn't realize you KillerClan cats were so stupid that you didn't understand the meaning of kit," she spat at him. I wanted to chuckle, but held it in. Usually, Honeydew was not so...blunt. Or feisty, for that matter. Guess it was true what they say; a mother's love conquers all. At least, that's what Hawksong told us.
"Watch your tone," Bonedust snapped back. You obviously don't understand the predicament that you and Thistlekit- and Foxkit, for that matter- are in. I'm offering you a way out. If you want Thistlekit to survive, to be here, in KillerClan, and safe...well, there aren't a lot of options. It's time to make nice."
"I've been making nice. And yet you threaten my son."
"Things could be worse. Either way this ends up, with you doing as we ask, or...well, not. Either way it means we have no more reason to threaten Thistlekit."
I could assume the other way- with her not playing nice- meant they would no longer need to threaten Thistlekit was because they would get rid of him. Which I wouldn't let happen.
"But," Bonedust continued. "If you were to...do something for me, then...well, I could protect Thistlekit. I could train him to be a strong warrior."
Honeydew was silent for a moment. "Please, I'll do whatever. Just keep my sons safe."
Bonedust was quick to say, "Thistlekit, go on outside and play with the other kits."
While I didn't know exactly what was going on, I didn't like the sound of it. I had to think fast on my paws as I rushed into the den, switching the expression on my face to one of excitement, acting like I had heard nothing. "Hey Thistlekit!" I let out, as though I had been looking for him. Bonedust jerked, looking in my direction. I spoke loud enough so all three could hear me. "Guess what? After today's training session, I've decided that I'm going to mentor you. I want to make sure you're the best warrior you can be! And I know I'll do it!" I alleged. If I could truly train Thistlekit to be stronger, better, and faster...well, Honeydew would have nothing to worry about, right? And Bonedust couldn't do anything to hurt her or Thistlekit. I wanted them both to recognize that.
Honeydew's lungs seemed to let out a deep breath. "Oh, Lionkit! That's a wonderful idea!" she spurted; it was obvious she was nervous. "You'll be the best mentor for Thistlekit he could ask for!" she decided.
Uh, of course I would. "Let's go tell Songbird!" I exclaimed, allowing them the opportunity to leave the den, and get away from Bonedust, who we quickly left behind as we stumbled out of the nursery.
Lionkit: one. KillerClan: zero.
Of course, now...well, now I had to somehow manage to turn Thistlekit into something he certainly was not.
Great. Chapter Eight: Mouseear Great. Just great.
Now, not only were my mate and kits taken captive by KillerClan, but my apprentice was gone too! I was just doing an excellent job as a role model and protector. Certainly the spirits would love to have me among their ranks one day, as the absolute loser I was turning out to be.
Ugh.
Everyone knew it was Hawksong's doing that Starlingpaw had vanished, having most likely slipped away to KillerClan. It seemed so obvious no one even questioned it. The only one that actually seemed mad was Treestar, as he ordered the deputy into his den as soon as he figured out what had happened. I still didn't know exactly why Hawksong had wanted Starlingpaw to act as the spy in KillerClan. She clearly thought that her granddaughter had the best opportunity to make this operation work. I wasn't sure what to think. While the logic behind it made more sense than sending Mosspaw, I didn't like it. Especially since I had made a promise to Songbird that I wouldn't let Starlingpaw go.
But what could I really do? Go to KillerClan's camp and demand they give her back? Oh, and while they were at it, all of our kits, queens, and medicine-cat apprentice too? Sure. What a wonderful idea. I might as well try that right away, since at the moment I felt like I had nothing to live for.
My whole life was in that camp, after all. Everything, everyone I loved...and it hurt more than anything to feel like I couldn't do anything about it.
Treestar was exiting the den now with Hawksong in tow. It seemed strange, because Hawksong came out even more strong and determined than she went in, but Treestar did, as well. We were all waiting, having naturally gathered around his den, not really giving him a chance to even travel to the High Branch to speak to us. We wanted to know the plan now. At least, I certainly did.
"Our initial plan remains the same. Starlingpaw will gain their trust," Treestar began, "and act as a spy. We will go with the flow and determine the best course of action from there."
"I want to get my family back soon!" I yelled out. "I don't want to wait a whole sunspin," I reminded, though that should have been obvious. "I still don't understand why we can't just initiate war."
"Because," Hawksong was the one to hiss, "they have five kits in their possession! Kits they could easily and are probably willing to kill in order to get us to back off! Do you want one of Honeydew or Songbird's kits killed?" she demanded of me.
I stumbled back a bit, feeling defeated and even ashamed. "Of course not," I spoke.
"Then we take a step back and wait to get a feel for the situation. That way everyone can be safe."
*****
A few nights had passed, and I had barely eaten. I still didn't feel like I could. Tonight, my stomach churned as I nibbled on a squirrel with Leaflight, who also seemed depressed at the loss of her niece and apprentice, Oakpaw, as well as the others. Neither of us spoke, but it was at least nice to have someone nearby.
I tossed and turned in my nest, the moss feeling prickly underneath me. When I finally did manage to drift into sleep, I was drawn into terrifying dreams.
I was in KillerClan.
In fact, as the dream went on, I realized I wasn't just in KillerClan, I was KillerClan! I was a warrior of the enemy clan. Cats spoke to me, cheered with me, laughed with me. But the question was...well, what were we happy about?
GoldClan cats. Dead in our camp. Squirrelleap, Darkwoods, Hollowheart. I fell backwards as the shock hit me. Rowanoak, Palewhisper, Patcheye. Everyone just...dead. As I looked down, I saw blood on my claws.
Was this my fault? Had I done this?
I jerked awake, letting out a yelp. Blackraven growled, telling me to shut up as he went back to sleep. I quickly rushed out of the warriors den, feeling like the walls were crushing me. Too many cats around, I had to get out...I nearly stepped on Graystream on my way, but luckily she didn't seem to mind, only muttering something I couldn't understand.
The air at night was warm, warmer than in the den, but the breeze had a slight coolness to it, waving through my fur. Glancing around as I caught my breath, I was surprised to see Hollowheart and Rowanoak in the shadow of a tree, whispering to one another. Curious what was going on, I padded over. "Hey, guys," I called just before I reached them, so I wouldn't scare them.
Yet, Hollowheart jumped. "Oh. Hey, Mouseear. Uh...how are you doing?" she asked, looking over to Rowanoak with a narrowed-eye look that told him to shut up. I wondered exactly what that was about, but kept quiet. It was none of my business...I had enough going on to not worry about them.
"Just...can't sleep. I was going to get out of camp, go hunt. If you all aren't tired, interested in joining me?" I loved hunting at night, and it would be a great opportunity to grab some prey that didn't often have to run or hide from us. The clan needed food to get us through this tough time, anyways.
"Sure," Hollowheart let out. "A hunt sounds exactly like what we need."
Rowanoak shrugged. "Okay," he responded.
"Great. Past the Thunderpath alright? No one's been there in awhile, we're sure to find some prey." Honestly, I just wanted to be the first to mark there so Starlingpaw would know I was waiting, ready. That I would do whatever it took to keep her and my family safe...
"I don't know-" Hollowheart began to let out, not seeming to keen on the idea.
She was cut off by Rowanoak. "Perfect. Let's go," he mewed, taking off at a brisk walk towards the entrance. I was the one to shrug now, and followed, with Hollowheart muttering something as she towed along behind us.
As we arrive, I made certain to first mark a spot near to what we thought was the border with KillerClan. "Just in case Starlingpaw get a chance to come," I mentioned. "We ought to all start getting used to this place, since we'll be here everyday at sunhigh."
"That's right," Rowanoak remembered, almost as though he had forgotten. I think we all had, since Starlingpaw took off and Mosspaw was left in camp. Things had certainly...well, changed.
"Do you think she's alright?" Hollowheart mewed, her face dropping into sadness. "What if they didn't trust her? What if they hurt her?" she worried. Which, of course, made me worry.
"Positive thoughts, dear. I'm sure it will be alright," Rowanoak meowed.
Right. Positive thoughts...
"I smell chipmunk." Looking around, I realized, "it must be hiding. Caught our scent. Split up and find it."
Nearby sat a few dead logs and rocks, so I shifted in that direction. Rowanoak and Hollowheart drifted in the opposite way, muzzles to the ground, same as mine. Taking in deep breaths, I tried to sniff for it, and closed my eyes, letting my ears lead me to it.
As I dug around the logs, knowing I was near to finding the prey, suddenly I was alerted to a sound not far in the distance. Hollowheart yelped, and Rowanoak screeched, "Get off her!" My head flung up as I gazed over at them, and felt my heart stop.
Four cats surrounded them, two with their claws on Hollowheart's side, pinning her down on the ground. They were all four toms, one I recognized as the red fox-like cat that stole Owlkit initially. Another two I recognized from our first battle with the KillerClan cats. What were they thinking?! Hollowheart was growling, teeth bared as she aimed to get up and out of their grasp. Rowanoak was fighting the other two cats off, while they swiped their claws at him hard, hitting their mark every time. Even from here I could see blood pouring off of him at a rapid pace. This fight had just begun, and yet we were already losing.
I immediately lurched forward in an attempt to race their way. I didn't get very far. Instead, I was knocked off my paws and slammed into the ground. The last thing I remembered was hitting my head. Everything went black.
*****
Ringing sounded in my ears. Blackness began to fade, replaced with dizzying sight. The scent of blood wafted through my nose. I place a paw to my head, feeling the warm stickiness. Fortunately, it wasn't too fresh; no more came from the wound in the back of my head.
As I came to, I glanced around. What had happened? Hollowheart and Rowanoak had been attacked...Attacked by KillerClan cats. I struggled to pull my memories. It was pitch black night, the moon hardly showing through the trees. But, where the moon did shine, I could see more blood in the distance, where I recalled Rowanoak fighting the enemy cats.
Great! Why did things always have to go so bad? It was almost like the spirits had simply vanished, and left us behind to suffer. We couldn't ever get a break!
"Rowanoak!" I called out, trying to listen for signs of my fellow warrior. Nothing. "Hollowheart!" I yelled louder. Still, nothing. For spirits sake...I stumbled over in the direction I had last seen the two, and examined the stain on the grass and dirt a little more closely. The redness seemed to call to me, drawing me towards signs of a trail. "Did you go this way, Rowanoak?" Had he bled as he chased after them?
My stomach was in knots, and I prayed to the spirits that they were safe. Quickly walking forward as I gained my composure, beginning to feel far more stable than when I first awoke. Adrenaline? "Rowanoak!" I continued to let out, trying to track him down.
Another couple hundred fox-lengths or so into the forest, the trail of blood ended at the warrior. "Rowanoak!" I screamed, running faster forward. "Are you alright?" I demanded, but quickly knew how absolutely stupid the question was; Rowanoak was gasping for breath, lying in a pool of blood, eyes wide and in pain. I immediately felt shocked, terrified for my friend.
Rowanoak could hardly speak straight. How long had he been here, so near to death? "Mo-mo-mouse-Mouseear," he chocked. "Th-they have her. Have her," he cried out, closing his eyes as he squinted his face in agony. "Ge-get her ba-back."
"We will, Rowanoak. Don't worry. Let's get back to camp-"
Rowanoak chuckled, though it was broken up by gurgling bubbles of blood popping from his mouth. I flinched, realizing how very bad this was as he turned over some, exposing his mangled mess of a belly. He...smiled. "We're..we're having kits," he spoke. "She's pregnant. Keep her...her and kits...safe," he whispered now, voice weaker.
I was stunned. Why hadn't they told anyone? Did they just not feel like it was the time, with everything going on? They had been trying for so many moons to have kits, and now...well, now they were finally going to have them, and KillerClan had murdered Rowanoak and stolen Hollowheart. How could the spirits even allow that?
"Let me get you to Leaflight, Rowanoak. Hollowheart will need you when she gives birth to your kits. You're going to want to be there and see them."
The warrior shook his head. "Too late, Mouseear..." he whimpered back. "Promise to take care of my kits..."
Shaking in sadness, fear, and guilt, I swore to him through my tears, it being obvious he wasn't going to survive this, "I will, Rowanoak. You know that..." He nodded, with what looked like the last bit of effort he could put forth. "Go to the spirits, my friend. I'll see you again one day. Rest in the realm of the stars and greener leaves..." I began to sob, trying to hold it back so he could leave this world peacefully. But when he took his last breath, his face became calmer, no longer showing his deep pain. That...that was when I let it all loose. That was when I lost it.
I was now truly, really alone. Chapter Nine: Starlingpaw It had been a few days since my arrival in KillerClan, and I had yet to leave the camp. I felt anxious, and restless. I wanted the chance to relay back to my clan, of course, but I also really wanted to stretch my legs, run a bit, hunt. I had been appointed my 'mentor' yesterday, Bonedust, so what was the hold up? I had assumed he would have taken me on a tour of the territory at the time, but he hadn't. Instead, it seemed like the only thing he cared about was telling me to move into the apprentices den...
Now, I watched Hollowheart from where she sat in front of the medicine den, glaring at the KillerClan cats around her. She had been brought in last night, kicking and screaming enough to wake me from the apprentice den, where I had just moved to...
Staring at the tree before me, the roots making up the apprentices den, I felt a tad bit weak in my knees. Bonedust told me to move, and while I didn't want to- the medicine den felt calmer, safer- it didn't exactly seem like a request, but rather an order. I was about to spend my first night in this new den, and with the KillerClan apprentices.
While most of the KillerClan cats honestly didn't seem evil to me- after all, Shyheart was nice, and Oakpaw liked him well enough- I had little interaction with the apprentices thus far. Well, save for our original fight over the border confusion, when I fought with the spotted gray tabby, whom I now knew as Stormpaw. The other two apprentices I had barely even learned their names, Talonpaw and Fallingpaw. They were all littermates, if I could recall to Peregrineswoop. She wasn't all that kind.
Chapter Ten: Lionkit
Coming soon!
Chapter Eleven: Mouseear
Coming soon!
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