Blurburb: In the heart of the territories, a sinister threat looms as the Twolegs encroach on the lands of the wildcats. The Clans must band together to defend their homes against this merciless enemy. But as the Twolegs target the cats one by one, StarClan deserts them, in their greatest moment of need. Will the Clans find a way to survive this dark time, or will they be lost to the shadows forever?
P.S. Credits to Oakpaw for SkyClan Allegiances
Allegiances
ShadowClan
Leader: Nettlestar - A pale gray tom with darker gray splotches, emerald green eyes, and a fluffy tail.
Deputy: Snakepelt - A black tom with tortoiseshell-and- cream markings.
~ Warriors ~
Squirreltooth - A russet she-cat with a pale reddish tail and belly, and brown eyes.
Sapleaf - A cream tom with a thick flowing tail and blue eyes. APPRENTICE, GRASSPAW
Bramblestorm - A deep gray tom with an odd marking which looks like a bramble leaf on his shoulder.
Jaysnap - A blue-gray tom with ice-blue eyes.
Rowanleap - A brown tabby tom with a scar on his nose. APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW
Splotchfur - A white she-cat with brown and black splotches all over. APPRENTICE, BEEPAW
Sparrowclaw - A pure black she-cat with cloudy brown eyes.
Nightfang - A black she-cat with a small white marking on chest, a white muzzle, paws, tail-tip and green eyes.
Amberdawn - An orange tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes.
Dapplepelt - A mottled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with a stub for a tail.
Russetfrost - A red tom with copper-brown eyes and a white belly, muzzle, and paws.
Greycloud - A small white tom with dark gray markings and splotches on body. APPRENTICE, FOXPAW
Rainflight - A blue-gray tom with green eyes and white paws.
~ Queens ~
Morningpine - A pale brown she-cat with brown eyes.(Mother to Plumkit, a tiny brown tabby she-kit with purple eyes, and Snowkit, a fluffy white tom-kit)
Willowsong - A pretty cream tabby with green eyes. (Mother to Lionkit, a cream she-kit with brown eyes and thick neck fur resembling a lion’s mane.)
~ Medicine Cat(s) ~
Birdsong - A lithe blue-gray she-cat with deep blue eyes.
APPRENTICE, SOFTPAW
Softpaw - A cream tom with oddly soft fur and striking green eyes.
~ Apprentices ~
Swiftpaw - A wiry brown tabby she-cat with sparky blue eyes.
Beepaw - A yellow tom with black markings on body and face.
Grasspaw - A pale gray she-cat with darker gray markings and minty green eyes.
Foxpaw - A fiery orange tom with orange eyes and a white-tipped tail, like a fox’s.
~ Elders ~
Cinderleaf - An ashy gray she-cat with orange eyes.
Mousewillow - A half-blind tom with patchy brown fur.
RiverClan
Leader: Silverstar - A gray tabby she-cat with river-blue eyes and a stub for a tail.
Deputy: Willowstripe - A blue, thick-furred tom with pale stripes and green eyes
~ Warriors ~
Moonwhisker - A jet-black she-cat with a white moon-shaped patch on her chest. APPRENTICE, FLOWERPAW
Tallflight - A mottled she-cat with pretty green eyes.
Hollowstream - A cloudy white tom with deep brown eyes, and one missing toe.
Sparklefur - A sleek she-cat with seemingly sparkling fur and pale orange eyes.
Pondflower - A pale yellow tom with white paws and glaring blue eyes.
Snapbush - A light brown tom with brown eyes and a short, stubby tail.
Scratchstorm - A russet tom covered in battle scars.
Pebblecloud - A stony gray tom with a fluffy, cloudlike tail.
Dawnflurry - A white she-cat with cream splotches and beautiful green eyes.
Roseheart - A pale tan she-cat with a white, heart shaped splotch on her chest.
Poolnose - A gray tabby she-cat with a very wet nose.
Fawnpelt - A dappled brown she-cat with brown eyes.
Suntail - A yellow tom with a white-tipped tail and underbelly. APPRENTICE, OAKPAW
~ Queens ~
Mackerelheart - An orange tabby she-cat with orange eyes and nicked ears.(Mother to Troutkit, an orange tom-kit with green eyes and one white paw.)
Berrytail - A white she-cat with gray paws and a gray-tipped tail. (Mother to Yellowkit, a yellow tabby she-kit, Littlekit, a small, pure white tom-kit, and Mousekit, a lithe brown tabby she-kit with blue eyes.)
~ Medicine Cats ~
Larkwhisper - A pale brown tom with dusky blue eyes.
~ Apprentices ~
Oakpaw - A brown tabby she-cat with brilliant green eyes.
Flowerpaw - A white she cat with pale gray splotches, with bright flowers covering the missing half of her face.
~ Elders ~
Mossyrock - An old gray tom with green eyes.
WindClan
Leader: Rabbitstar - A dusty pale brown tabby tom with a limp.
Deputy: Sparkfoot - An orange she-cat with messy fur and blazing orange eyes.
~ Warriors ~
Spiritstone - A gray tom with mossy green eyes.
Maskface - A very pale cream she-cat with a brown "mask" marking on face, dark brown ears, paws, and tail-tip.
Antleaf - A tortoiseshell tom with one brown paw. APPRENTICE, DAPPLEPAW
Cavejaw - A white, brown, and black splotched tom with a wide mouth.
Badgerpelt - A black she-cat with a single white stripe running down her back and white paws.
Adderfur - A tan-and-brown she-cat with adder-like markings.
Briarthorn - A brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW
Owlfeather - A pale brown tom with a feather-like tail.
Swifthare - A lithe white tom with brown splotches and sky blue eyes.
Summerleap - A white she-cat with orange and brown splotches and ice-blue eyes.
Cinderfrost - A blue-gray she-cat with pale green eyes.
Moorsnap - A wiry gray tom with brown eyes.
Ivyheart - A white she-cat with pale gray tabby patches.
Birdflight - A gray tom with a nicked ear and scarred paws. APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW
~ Queens ~
Honeytongue - A pretty golden she-cat with darker spots and a fluffy, sweeping tail. (Mother to Blossomkit, a pale gold she-kit with green eyes.)
Pricklepelt - A gray tabby she-cat with fur sticking out in all directions. (Mother to Stonekit, a small gray tom, Blackkit, a pure black she-kit with blue eyes, and Heartkit, a dark gray tom with a heart-shaped patch on his chest.)
~ Medicine Cats ~
Fernbush - A dust-colored tom with yellow eyes. APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEPAW
Bramblepaw - A black she-cat with white forepaws and tail-tip.
~ Apprentices ~
Willowpaw - A pretty pale gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes.
Pebblepaw - A fluffy dark gray tom with deep blue eyes.
Dapplepaw - A dappled black, white, and russet she-cat with sparkling green eyes.
~ Elders ~
Dewmist - A very pale blue she-cat with beautiful blue eyes, who is missing half of one of her forelegs.
ThunderClan
Leader: Rainbowstar - A fluffy she-cat with a rainbow gradient for her pelt and rainbow eyes.
Deputy: Striketail - A scar-covered tom who looks overly intimidating.
~ Warriors ~
Oakflight - A ginger tom with blue eyes.
Runningbush - A pale yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes.
Cloudfur - A fluffy, fat white tom with blue eyes. APPRENTICE, COWPAW
Stormstorm - A blue-gray tom with blue eyes.
Frostbite - A white she-cat with piercing green eyes. APPRENTICE, OWLPAW
Yelloweyes - A golden she-cat with lemon-yellow eyes.
Mudheart - A brown tabby she-cat with pale brown eyes.
Frecklefoot - A white tom with ginger spotted paws.
Sunshine - A yellow tom with a white underbelly.
Mothball - A pale russet she-cat with a missing ear and a stub-tail. APPRENTICE, FERNPAW
Hollyberry - A white she-cat with black ears, paws, and a little holly stem beside her ear.
~ Queens ~
Nightflower - A black she-cat with white paws. (Mother to Darkkit, a pure black tom with blue eyes, and Starkit, a black she-cat with small white spots.)
Wisteriafoot - A pale cream she-cat with purple eyes.
~ Medicine Cats ~
Cheeseball - A fluffy yellow tom with orange eyes. APPRENTICE, LOSTBRAIN
Lostbrain - A dappled white-and-brown tom with green eyes.
~ Apprentices ~
Cowpaw - A black and white splotched tom with brown eyes.
Owlpaw - A brown she-cat with a fluffy -almost feathery- coat.
Fernpaw - A dark gray tom with white paws.
~Elders~
Heatherflake - A very old blue-gray she-cat with a white underbelly and a scarred muzzle.
Bigears - A dusty brown tom with overly large ears.
SkyClan
Leader: Tinystar - A small white tom with brown paws and ears.
Deputy: Flakepatch - A muscular calico tom with black patch on right eye and icy blue eyes.
~ Warriors ~
Brightcloud - A mottled white-and-orange she-cat with sky blue eyes.
Quietlily - A white she-cat with soft green eyes. APPRENTICE, APPLEPAW
Emberclaw - An orange tabby tom with emerald green eyes. APPRENTICE, TALONPAW
Bearfluff - A fluffy brown she-cat with a darker face, ears, tail, paws, and eyes. APPRENTICE, KOIPAW
Goldenheart - A handsome young tom with pale yellow spots and dusky brown eyes.
Puddleleaf - A fluffy white-and-brown spotted tom with one ear folded down. APPRENTICE, PALEPAW
Dusklight - A grey she-cat with dark grey patches and deep blue eyes.
Mintbreeze - A blue-gray tabby she-cat with mint-green eyes.
Feathermist - A blind, pale gray tom with one white paw.F - A black she-cat with white paws and tail-tip.
~ Queens ~
Lightshine - A pale yellow she-cat with pretty blue eyes. (Mother to Rubykit, a white-and-ginger she-kit with big teal eyes.)
~ Medicine Cats ~
Willowleaf - A light gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes. APPRENTICE, DARKPAW
Darkpaw - A white-and-black tom with yellow eyes.
~ Apprentices ~
Palepaw - A pale yellow she-cat with dark green eyes.
Talonpaw - A dark brown tabby tom with brown eyes.
Koipaw - shining white she-cat with amber eyes and red-and-white splashes on her fur.
Applepaw - A light tan tabby tom with green eyes.
~ Elders ~
Stonygaze - A dark gray tom with gray colorless eyes.
Chapter 1 - Lionkit
“Willowsong, stop!” mewed Lionkit indignantly.
“I am not allowing a kit of mine to go to her apprentice ceremony looking like she was dragged through a bramble bush backwards!” Willowsong retorted in between her fervent licking over Lionkit’s thick pelt. A few tail-lengths away, Sapleaf and Softpaw were trying not to laugh. Sapleaf’s eyes glowed with pride as he stared at his kit.
“Let all those cats old enough to hunt for the Clan gather beneath the Pinebranch for a Clan meeting!” yowled Nettlestar. As the ShadowClan cats assembled in the clearing, the four older warrior apprentices -Swiftpaw, Beepaw, Grasspaw, and Foxpaw- were chattering excitedly. Softpaw was standing with them, though he seemed a bit distracted.
“Lionkit, come forward.” meowed Nettlestar, flicking his tail.
Lionkit padded to the base of the Highledge. She stared up at her leader, wide-eyed.
“This kit has reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw. Your mentor will be Rainflight. I hope he will pass down all he knows onto you.”
Lionpaw looked over to Rainflight as he stepped up next to his new apprentice, blinking at Lionpaw with pleasure.
“Rainflight, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You have received excellent training from Mousewillow and you have proven yourself quick-witted and patient. I expect you to teach all you know to Lionpaw.” Nettlestar’s words rang clearly across the camp. Lionpaw nervously touched noses with Rainflight as the assembled cats shouted her name.
“Lionpaw!”
“Lionpaw!”
“Lionpaw!”
I’ll be the bravest warrior in the forest ever! Thought Lionpaw excitedly.
“Clan dismissed!” mewed Nettlestar as he pounced off the Highledge, landing neatly on the ground. Lionpaw saw Snakepelt, the deputy, organizing patrols. Lionpaw watched Snakepelt call Sapleaf, Beepaw, and Splotchfur over for a hunting patrol.
“Rainflight! Let’s go on patrol! I wanna mark our borders! When I am on patrol, stinky ThunderClan won’t dare steal our prey! Those mange-pelts will be scared of me!” She puffed out her chest importantly. Rainflight chuckled as he told her, “We can go on patrol some other time. Today I will be showing you the edges of our territory.”
Lionpaw’s eyes widened.
“That’s even better than patrolling!” She exclaimed.
Lionpaw looked behind her as the camp grew smaller and smaller the farther they walked. Eventually, they approached the RiverClan border. She wrinkled her nose.
“Great StarClan, that stinks!” Lionpaw meowed.
“That, Lionpaw, is RiverClan scent. Imagine having to live in a camp with that stench and eat fish all day long!” Rainflight joked.
"And getting your fur wet on purpose!" Lionpaw shuddered.
"Come on, Lionpaw, I'll show you the lake and the ThunderClan border now," mewed Rainflight. "Actually, wait, Lionpaw, can you scent anything?" he asked.
"Is that a thrush?" Lionpaw asked.
Lionpaw stiffened. Another scent hit the roof of her mouth. Something familiar from the nursery, and the scent of blood.
“Sapleaf!” she gasped.
"What?" Rainflight looked confused, and then opened his mouth and looked alarmed.
Chapter 2 - Lionpaw
She took off running in the scent’s direction, Rainflight following close behind.
Rainflight forced her into a hiding place between two rocks and she peeked out of the small gap. Twolegs! They were holding oddly shaped, brown-and-black, shiny objects which appeared to harm have harmed Sapleaf! There he lay, unconscious on the marshy ground. He had a deep, but small hole in his side, and blood leaked out. Each breath grew weaker and weaker. Splotchfur and Beepaw snuck from between a clump of grass and hissed to Rainflight,
“Sapleaf said he scented a frog, and promised he’d be back soon, the mouse-brained furball! Now, what are we waiting for, Rainflight?! Go get Birdsong and Softpaw!”
“I’m coming, Sapleaf!” Rainflight mewed, and took off for the camp. The Twolegs guffawed and made loud sounds, kicking dust on poor Sapleaf, as if burying dirt, and walked away. Each wheezing, labored breath made Lionpaw wince. She exploded from her hiding place and lay beside Sapleaf, licking his wound. The iron tang of blood filled her mouth instantly.
Birdsong, Softpaw, and Rainflight ran into the clearing, carrying leaf-wrapped herb bundles.
“Softpaw, press cobwebs on his wound to stop the bleeding.” Birdsong ordered, and as they applied the cobwebs, each quickly turned bright red, and slowly, the bleeding ebbed away, but just barely. Birdsong and Softpaw desparately pressed each poultice and cobweb, but there was nothing the medicine cats could do. Sapleaf stirred, barely clinging to life. “L-Lionpaw? Softpaw? I’m so sorry…” his head lolled and his final breath exited his body, and he lay still. “He hunts with StarClan now.” mewed Birdsong sadly.
“We need to get his body back to camp.” said Splotchfur, her voice choked with grief.
The six cats solemnly padded back to camp, Lionpaw and Softpaw holding Sapleaf by the scruff. When they entered the camp, shock and surprise rose from the ShadowClan cats, followed by a wave of sadness and grief. Willowsong shoved her way to the front, her eyes brimming with tears*.
*Fun fact: All mammals can cry, but only humans- er, Twolegs, can produce tears. I just added that for drama*
“Sapleaf! No!” her mew cracked, grief-stricken as she saw her dead mate, still, as if time froze.
Plumkit and Snowkit walked up to Sapleaf’s body as Plumkit prodded at his body with a tiny foreclaw.
“Morningpine, why won’t Sapleaf wake up? Is he that tired?” mewed Snowkit.
“Kits! Step away!” Morningpine hissed. “He’s not asleep, he’s... dead.”
The fact that a queen had just told that to her kits made the reality set in to Lionpaw. Her father was dead.
“Psst! Lionpaw!” whispered Softpaw. “Get over here!”
Lionpaw brushed against Softpaw’s pelt and they sat down.
“I know I’m breaking the medicine cat code by telling you this, but I just had a vision,” mewed Softpaw gravely. “Yellowstar spoke to me. Sapleaf is the first death of many. It won’t stop till we’re all dead.”
Up Next: Lost Connections Chapters 3 - 4