Shadow of the Moon
(SparkClan challenge.
Set in a universe where the Tribe and Clans that we know don't exist. Instead there is BloodClan, FleshClan, DeathClan and BoneClan. They are more brutal than the Clans we know. It is approved of to kill in battle, only toms can become leader and Clan leaders get the best food etc etc… Also, there is a thing called arranged matings; a queen from one clan is given to the other, to mate with a prominent figure in that Clan, deputy or leader. It's used as a peace offering.
My story takes place in DeathClan.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, k?)
Robinstar! Crowmoon thought disgustedly, That fat mouse-brain doesn't know anything. He never fights, never hunts, at least Tornstar did something before eating half of the fresh-kill pile. Tornstar should never have given me to him! She hissed loudly in frustration. She missed FleshClan. She missed the fights that never seemed to happen in DeathClan, she missed the glory of constant conflict and the feeling of fur between her claws.
"Hey!" A voice called behind her. "Crowmoon! Wait up!" Crowmoon spun around. It was Poppyshadow. When Crowmoon had first met Poppyshadow she had thought that her name showed promise, but Poppyshadow was a sweet and gentle she-cat. Ha! DeathClan my ear! This bunch of nicey-niceys couldn't kill if they tried! How many deaths does Poppyshadow have on her record? None. Crowmoon thought derisively. She wished that she could just go back to FleshClan, rather than stay here in this arranged mating. Stupid Tornstar. Stupid Robinstar.
"Are you okay?" Poppyshadow sounded concerned. Weakness. Crowmoon thought.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was hunting until you scared all the prey away." That would have been enough to start a fight in FleshClan, but Poppyshadow actually apologised. Weakness. Crowmoon hissed in her head. Weakness, weakness and more weakness. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
…
Crowmoon was scared. More scared than she had ever been before. There were kits growing in her belly. Robinstar's kits. No. She thought, No, no, no, no, no. Robinstar wanted kits, she knew that much, but his last mate had disappeared after giving him a litter of females. Robinstar wanted sons. Crowmoon had asked Scorchear, the medicine cat, whether he could tell if her kits were male or female and he had replied with;
"Can you tell if it will rain or snow at the beginning of leaf-bare? No. Now go away, I've got more important things to deal with than fretting FleshClan queens." Crowmoon bristled at the implied insult.
Now Crowmoon was walking through the grass wondering whether she would feel the age-old pain of losing kits before the moon was over.
…
The time had come. Crowmoon was writhing on the floor of her den. Robinstar was outside waiting and Scorchear was trying to calm her down.
"Eat the poppy seeds, Crowmoon. Eat them you silly she-cat! Just eat them!" Crowmoon lapped the seeds reluctantly; she wanted to stay awake to protect her kits. Before long she had relaxed and the kitting was over.
Crowmoon stared down at the two female kits in dismay. The third male kit burrowed against her stomach with them, but she only had eyes for her daughters. She guessed that they would be gone by dawn. The first female was black like her mother, the other two kits were brown like Robinstar.
"Ravenkit, Thrushkit and Owlkit." She whispered. "My beautiful kits…"
…
Crowmoon was furious. She had been expecting this, but it still felt like her heart was being torn apart. Ravenkit and Thrushkit were gone. Crowmoon had followed their scent for as long as possible, but whoever had them was an expert at losing a tracker. She knew they were dead anyway. A snarl ripped its way out of her throat, startling several birds from the trees. Robinstar would regret this. He would regret the day he had even heard the name "Crowmoon". He would regret crossing the most vicious, deadly FleshClan warrior that there was.
She would make him regret it.
…
A low growl rumbled from Crowmoon's chest. Who should she kill first? The medicine cat who had forced her to take poppy seeds? The deputy? Robinstar? The kits in the nursery? Apart from Owlkit obviously. No. First she would kill Poppyshadow. Yes, perfect. She'd start with the least likely, then kill Scorchear, then the deputy, Grayheart, and finally she would kill Robinstar! Her eyes narrowed at the thought of extracting her revenge on him.
This is for you! She told Thrushkit and Ravenkit in her head, For my beautiful dead kits…
…
Crowmoon surveyed the camp quickly. Most of the warriors were out hunting and Robinstar was in his den. She approached Poppyshadow.
"Poppyshadow! Come hunting with me?" Crowmoon mewed, trying to keep the bitter edge to her voice under control. The DeathClan cats all thought that she had made a remarkable recovery after the "disappearance" of her kits. They were all being very supportive. Huh! Sneered Crowmoon in her head, More weakness. If they knew what I had planned for their Clan…
…
Poppyshadow was a good hunter. Her crouch was perfect and she stalked as silently as snowfall in leaf bare. Crowmmon thought that it was almost a shame that she would have to kill her before they caught very much.
Poppyshadow stopped suddenly and signalled for Crowmoon to stop too. As they dropped in to hunting crouches, Crowmoon decided to let Poppyshadow creep ahead, thinking that an ambush from behind would be the easiest way to get rid of her. A quick bite to the throat. That's all it will take, she thought. Crowmoon prepared herself to spring.
Poppyshadow spun around and leapt at Crowmoon, growling from deep in her belly. Her jaws snapped around Crowmoon's neck and she tried to yowl in pain and shock, but Poppyshadow's fangs were constricting her breathing. Tighter and tighter, harder and harder until the pressure exploded into whiteness and a sensation of falling overcame Crowmoon. Falling into that white void until there was nothing left but ice white. Cold, hard ice white.
...
Poppyshadow stood over Crowmoon's body, an exhilarated glint in her eye. Crowmoon was dead! Cold and dead. Robinstar was finally hers! Stupid Crowmoon! Just because they didn't fight like rogues all the time, didn't mean that DeathClan were soft, DeathClan simply employed more politics and cunning to their schemes. They were the clever Clan. The assassins. The true murderers. When they wanted something as much as Poppymoon wanted Robinstar they didn't merely grasp at it with both paws, they crept up on it, like a cat would stalk a mouse.
Poor, poor Crowmoon! Killed by a rogue tom just after the tragic deaths of her kits… Poppyshadow snickered and headed back to the camp.
A Note of Importance
A sequel has been published! It's about Owlstrike and a new character, Sparrowfrost. All your favourite characters will be in it! Poppyshadow, Robinstar etc etc.
Summary: Owlstrike wants to escape his father and his past. Sparrowfrost has blood on her paws that won't come off. In dangerous times, with dangerous enemies, how will the cycle of life, death and revenge affect them?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ! I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER.