Post by leopardheart on Jan 1, 2013 19:05:55 GMT -6
Summary: [AU of the Dawn of the Clans books!] Enter a time where the founding leaders entered the forest. It was a time when Shadow complained constantly and River skipped Gatherings if he could but, together, the five cats founded the Clans we know today.
Notes: This is an AU of the first book, The Sun Trail. Ripplestar’s attack at a Gathering was not the first and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Prologue:
The four giant oaks cast thick shadows across the moon-washed clearing as Thunderstar crouched at the top of the slope. Behind him, his Clanmates waited, the humid air stifling their breathing. Several cats dotted the hollow already, as they exchanged cautious greetings with warriors from rival Clans.
“Come on, ThunderClan!” Thunderstar called. He stood up and began to run down the slope, stretching his tail up so his Clanmates would follow.
“Finally,” muttered Owleyes, his dark grey deputy with unblinking amber eyes, as he bounded beside him. “The seasons would’ve passed and I’d have frozen to death if I’d stayed still much longer.”
The grass felt springy under Thunderstar’s paws as he jumped onto a flat stretch of greenery. Two WindClan elders nodded to him and a RiverClan warrior called a greeting as he wove his way through the cats to the Great Rock.
“How’s the prey running, Thunderstar?” SkyClan’s leader, Skystar, asked as she leaped onto the top of the smooth silver boulder.
“Fast,” he replied. “It loves being out in this weather more than we do!”
“Our rabbits run so quickly, they’re nothing but muscle and bone when we catch them,” Windstar, the WindClan leader, put in. “So tough to chew!”
The RiverClan leader, Riverstar, said nothing. He was sitting on the far side of the rock, as far from Skystar as he could get without falling off. Their Clans had been at war over a strip of shoreline for three seasons; one battle had led to the death of Skystar’s former deputy, Pebblepool, and her Clanmates were far from forgiving their rivals across the water.
Thunderstar glanced down at the clearing. “ShadowClan not here yet? It’s not like Shadowstar to be late.”
Windstar lifted her haunches off the stone and settled down again with her tail curled up. “I’ll stick to this rock if we don’t start soon.”
Riverstar shifted, sending his shadow flickering over the edge of the boulder, crisp in the moonlight. “Maybe Shadowstar’s flirting with her Clan’s toms again?”
The tip of Skystar’s tail twitched. “Something’s wrong,” she murmured. “My pelt’s been itching all day.”
“Fleas,” muttered Riverstar.
Thunderstar glared at him. It was the full moon, the one night they were supposed to put their rivalry aside and share news for the good of all of the Clans.
There was a hiss like wind at the edge of the clearing. Thunderstar pricked his ears and stared into the moon shadows. Was that a branch waving in the breeze or something more? Why does Fourtrees suddenly feel unsafe?
“ShadowClan! Attack!”
The shadows exploded, spitting and yowling. The cats in the clearing whirled to face them but, before they could brace themselves, ShadowClan warriors fell on them, claws and fangs bared. Within a heartbeat, the hollow thrashed and rippled like a river full of salmon. The leaders of the Clans stood on the edge of the Great Rock, staring down in horror. Then Riverstar leaped down, quickly followed by Skystar and Windstar. Thunderstar heard them screech orders to their senior warriors, splitting them into battle groups to defend the elders and apprentices who had come to the Gathering.
His deputy’s face flashed up at him from the turmoil at the foot of the rock. “Help us, Thunderstar!” Owleyes yowled, before he whipped around to claw a ShadowClan warrior over his ears.
Thunderstar bunched his haunches, ready to jump down, when a shadow fell across him. He looked up. Shadowstar stood beside him on the Great Rock, her green eyes glittering coldly as they watched the battle.
“I bet you never thought I’d do it,” she meowed, so quietly Thunderstar could barely hear her over the screeches and yowls from below.
“Do what? Attack the Clans when they came in peace to a Gathering, with elders among them?” Thunderstar hissed. “No, Shadowstar. I never thought you’d be as cowardly as that.”
The thick-furred black she-cat lashed her tail. “Hardly the actions of a coward, to take on four Clans at once!”
Slipping his claws free, Thunderstar sprang at Shadowstar, bringing her down on top of the rock with a muffled thud. The ShadowClan leader squirmed around until she was lying on her back and then raked Thunderstar’s belly with her hind paws. Thunderstar sank his claws deeper into the loose fur around Shadowstar’s neck, feeling the slender bones underneath. “Call off your cats!” he spat. “This attack is wrong!”
Shadowstar scrambled to her feet and glared at Thunderstar. “I wouldn’t call an easy victory wrong,” she gloated. “Look at your precious cats now.”
Thunderstar risked a sideways glance. The battle was slowing; many cats were slumped on the silver grass, bleeding and motionless. ShadowClan warriors paced among them, ready to lash out if any cat stirred.
“No!” Thunderstar yowled. “You can’t do this!”
He jumped at Shadowstar, but his hind paws skidded on the smooth rock and the ShadowClan leader stepped easily out of the way. “So you keep telling me,” Shadowstar observed. “But I seem to have done it anyway! Looks like I don’t have to listen to you, Thunderstar.”
Windstar surged to her paws, snapping her teeth and slashing the faces of any ShadowClan warrior who dared try to stop her, and lunged at Shadowstar. Quick as a bird, her paw flew out and slashed deep into Shadowstar’s chest. Blood gushed from the wound, pulsing onto the forest floor. Shadowstar stared in astonishment and then glanced down at the gash. Legs buckling, she collapsed. As her head thumped onto the grass, her eyes rolled and turned dull.
A dark brown tom with unusual reflexes darted forward. “Shadowstar! No!” Windstar bowed her head. The ShadowClan leader must have been on her ninth life; she was young to die as a leader, but perhaps her battle-hungry career had used up the rest of her lives too quickly. “Murderer!” The brown warrior — Snakestrike, the ShadowClan deputy, Windstar suddenly realized — was glaring at her. “Come here and let me avenge our leader’s death!” Snakestrike snarled.
“Don’t threaten my mate like that!” The thin grey tabby form of Gorsefur streaked out and sliced open Snakestrike’s throat.
Blood welled at his neck, spraying onto Gorsefur’s paws and face. “Snakestrike! Please don’t go!” A queen wailed. “What about our kits?”
Snakestrike shook his head slightly. “I can not stay with you anymore, Nightflower.”
Nightflower padded up to him as quickly as she could and pawed at him. “I need you!”
“Let him go.” A black tom shimmered into view.
“Blackwhisker?” Nightflower looked at him, her eyes pleading. “Don’t take him. Please.”
“It is his time.” Blackwhisker touched his muzzle to his daughter’s head.
Nightflower’s mew caught in her throat.
Snakestrike knew his time was running out. “I-I say these words before the body of Shadowstar, so that her spirit may hear and approve my choice. Hollyberry will be the new deputy of ShadowClan,” he rasped, staring straight into the black she-cat’s eyes. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, but a small gasp escaped him and he fell limp.
Notes: This is an AU of the first book, The Sun Trail. Ripplestar’s attack at a Gathering was not the first and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Prologue:
The four giant oaks cast thick shadows across the moon-washed clearing as Thunderstar crouched at the top of the slope. Behind him, his Clanmates waited, the humid air stifling their breathing. Several cats dotted the hollow already, as they exchanged cautious greetings with warriors from rival Clans.
“Come on, ThunderClan!” Thunderstar called. He stood up and began to run down the slope, stretching his tail up so his Clanmates would follow.
“Finally,” muttered Owleyes, his dark grey deputy with unblinking amber eyes, as he bounded beside him. “The seasons would’ve passed and I’d have frozen to death if I’d stayed still much longer.”
The grass felt springy under Thunderstar’s paws as he jumped onto a flat stretch of greenery. Two WindClan elders nodded to him and a RiverClan warrior called a greeting as he wove his way through the cats to the Great Rock.
“How’s the prey running, Thunderstar?” SkyClan’s leader, Skystar, asked as she leaped onto the top of the smooth silver boulder.
“Fast,” he replied. “It loves being out in this weather more than we do!”
“Our rabbits run so quickly, they’re nothing but muscle and bone when we catch them,” Windstar, the WindClan leader, put in. “So tough to chew!”
The RiverClan leader, Riverstar, said nothing. He was sitting on the far side of the rock, as far from Skystar as he could get without falling off. Their Clans had been at war over a strip of shoreline for three seasons; one battle had led to the death of Skystar’s former deputy, Pebblepool, and her Clanmates were far from forgiving their rivals across the water.
Thunderstar glanced down at the clearing. “ShadowClan not here yet? It’s not like Shadowstar to be late.”
Windstar lifted her haunches off the stone and settled down again with her tail curled up. “I’ll stick to this rock if we don’t start soon.”
Riverstar shifted, sending his shadow flickering over the edge of the boulder, crisp in the moonlight. “Maybe Shadowstar’s flirting with her Clan’s toms again?”
The tip of Skystar’s tail twitched. “Something’s wrong,” she murmured. “My pelt’s been itching all day.”
“Fleas,” muttered Riverstar.
Thunderstar glared at him. It was the full moon, the one night they were supposed to put their rivalry aside and share news for the good of all of the Clans.
There was a hiss like wind at the edge of the clearing. Thunderstar pricked his ears and stared into the moon shadows. Was that a branch waving in the breeze or something more? Why does Fourtrees suddenly feel unsafe?
“ShadowClan! Attack!”
The shadows exploded, spitting and yowling. The cats in the clearing whirled to face them but, before they could brace themselves, ShadowClan warriors fell on them, claws and fangs bared. Within a heartbeat, the hollow thrashed and rippled like a river full of salmon. The leaders of the Clans stood on the edge of the Great Rock, staring down in horror. Then Riverstar leaped down, quickly followed by Skystar and Windstar. Thunderstar heard them screech orders to their senior warriors, splitting them into battle groups to defend the elders and apprentices who had come to the Gathering.
His deputy’s face flashed up at him from the turmoil at the foot of the rock. “Help us, Thunderstar!” Owleyes yowled, before he whipped around to claw a ShadowClan warrior over his ears.
Thunderstar bunched his haunches, ready to jump down, when a shadow fell across him. He looked up. Shadowstar stood beside him on the Great Rock, her green eyes glittering coldly as they watched the battle.
“I bet you never thought I’d do it,” she meowed, so quietly Thunderstar could barely hear her over the screeches and yowls from below.
“Do what? Attack the Clans when they came in peace to a Gathering, with elders among them?” Thunderstar hissed. “No, Shadowstar. I never thought you’d be as cowardly as that.”
The thick-furred black she-cat lashed her tail. “Hardly the actions of a coward, to take on four Clans at once!”
Slipping his claws free, Thunderstar sprang at Shadowstar, bringing her down on top of the rock with a muffled thud. The ShadowClan leader squirmed around until she was lying on her back and then raked Thunderstar’s belly with her hind paws. Thunderstar sank his claws deeper into the loose fur around Shadowstar’s neck, feeling the slender bones underneath. “Call off your cats!” he spat. “This attack is wrong!”
Shadowstar scrambled to her feet and glared at Thunderstar. “I wouldn’t call an easy victory wrong,” she gloated. “Look at your precious cats now.”
Thunderstar risked a sideways glance. The battle was slowing; many cats were slumped on the silver grass, bleeding and motionless. ShadowClan warriors paced among them, ready to lash out if any cat stirred.
“No!” Thunderstar yowled. “You can’t do this!”
He jumped at Shadowstar, but his hind paws skidded on the smooth rock and the ShadowClan leader stepped easily out of the way. “So you keep telling me,” Shadowstar observed. “But I seem to have done it anyway! Looks like I don’t have to listen to you, Thunderstar.”
Windstar surged to her paws, snapping her teeth and slashing the faces of any ShadowClan warrior who dared try to stop her, and lunged at Shadowstar. Quick as a bird, her paw flew out and slashed deep into Shadowstar’s chest. Blood gushed from the wound, pulsing onto the forest floor. Shadowstar stared in astonishment and then glanced down at the gash. Legs buckling, she collapsed. As her head thumped onto the grass, her eyes rolled and turned dull.
A dark brown tom with unusual reflexes darted forward. “Shadowstar! No!” Windstar bowed her head. The ShadowClan leader must have been on her ninth life; she was young to die as a leader, but perhaps her battle-hungry career had used up the rest of her lives too quickly. “Murderer!” The brown warrior — Snakestrike, the ShadowClan deputy, Windstar suddenly realized — was glaring at her. “Come here and let me avenge our leader’s death!” Snakestrike snarled.
“Don’t threaten my mate like that!” The thin grey tabby form of Gorsefur streaked out and sliced open Snakestrike’s throat.
Blood welled at his neck, spraying onto Gorsefur’s paws and face. “Snakestrike! Please don’t go!” A queen wailed. “What about our kits?”
Snakestrike shook his head slightly. “I can not stay with you anymore, Nightflower.”
Nightflower padded up to him as quickly as she could and pawed at him. “I need you!”
“Let him go.” A black tom shimmered into view.
“Blackwhisker?” Nightflower looked at him, her eyes pleading. “Don’t take him. Please.”
“It is his time.” Blackwhisker touched his muzzle to his daughter’s head.
Nightflower’s mew caught in her throat.
Snakestrike knew his time was running out. “I-I say these words before the body of Shadowstar, so that her spirit may hear and approve my choice. Hollyberry will be the new deputy of ShadowClan,” he rasped, staring straight into the black she-cat’s eyes. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, but a small gasp escaped him and he fell limp.
