Hello everyone! Roaring Lionees and I (Snowcrystal of Thunderclan) are doing a collab together! Yay! This is my first one so please be mindful. I am doing the odd chapters and Lion will do the even chapters. Please remember that this is an AU and we are both still learning. Thank you!
Chapter One
The half-moon glowed high above stretch of land between tall, oak trees and sparkling water in the river.
Muscular and slender creatures stood beside each other, one from the river and one from the trees. Their wary eyes sparked like ambers and unsheathed claws glistened in the moonlight.
A small tortoiseshell pinned down a wet, sleek-furred Riverclan warrior. He struggled to keep the warrior pinned down. Redtail bared his teeth and bit his shoulder.
The warrior went limp with his injury and his breathing lightened.
"Oakheart!" A tabby near Redtail growled. "How dare you hunt on our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to Thunderclan!"
"After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will just be another Riverclan territory!" The bracken-colored tom spat back.
"Look out! More Riverclan warriors are coming!" A warning yowl sounded from the shore, anxious and fearful.
Redtail casted a gaze at the shore. Riverclan warriors made their way onto shore, not bothering to shake the water from their fur. We won't be able to win this battle. We are outnumbered.
The tom with a tail as red as a fox's tail locked his gaze on the tabby. "Tigerclaw! This is useless! There are too many Riverclan warriors!"
The proud tabby leaped to his side. "No, Redtail. Thunderclan will never be beaten!" His broad black muzzle was covered with blood. Tigerclaw shook his head impatiently, scarlet drops sprinkling on the rocks. "This is our territory!"
He met Tigerclaw's amber gaze, standing firmly. "Thunderclan will honor your courage, Tigerstar, but we can't afford to lose anymore warriors!" Redtail urged. "Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds!"
Tigerclaw opened his mouth to protest.
Redtail flicked his tail to silence him. "We will have another chance to to avenge this defeat." He turned to the rear and bounded away. He sprang onto a boulder beside the line of trees. "Retreat Thunderclan! Retreat!"
The Thunderclan warriors struggled away from their opponents, squirming to the shelter of the trees. They spit and spat the the other clan as the backed up past Redtail.
The battle couldn't possibly be won so easily. Could it?
A jubilant yowl sounded from Oakheart. Other warriors of the river, upon hearing the deputy, raised their voices to celebrate the victory.
Redtail looked over his warriors, noticing their wounds and exhausted breathing. They need to get to camp. With a flick of his tail, he singled the ThunderClan warriors. They darted down the far side and disappeared completely.
He waited for all his warriors to leave before starting to follow them just like the Riverclan deputy did.
Tigerclaw glared after Redtail, eyes blazing with fury. With the deputy's back turned, he launched himself at Oakheart.
The bracken tom let out a yelp and turned, unsheathing his claws again. "Could you not get enough of this 'Riverclan scum'?"
His amber gaze locked with Oakheart's, his sharp claws digging into his shoulder. "Sunningrocks will be ours!" Tigerclaw growled, thumping Oakheart's head down.
The Riverclan deputy let out a groan before going limp.
The scene had been called to the small, dark tortoiseshell's attention. "Tigerclaw! What are you doing? I ordered you to retreat!"
"You're weak! You could make Thunderclan feared!" The tabby turned around him, his eyes blazing challengingly.
"It isn't weak to care for clanmates and not want unnecessary battles." Redtail remained calm, his own reddish orange eyes locked with the tabby's. "You're a great warrior, Tigerclaw, but you need to learn to follow orders and make wise decisions."
"The only 'wise decisions' being made is me taking you out of the picture and Bluestar replacing you with me for deputy." The muscular tom pushed off with his hind legs and aimed straight on top of the bushy tailed warrior.
The dappled tortoiseshell tried to dodge the attack but Tigerclaw had pushed his weight down on the small tom's back.
"Argh!" Redtail yowled as he was forced onto the ground. He struggled under the massive tabby's weight, trying to push him up so he could roll out.
Tigerclaw pinned him down, chuckling. "Looks like the great Redtail has finally reached his last breath." The tom lunged for his neck.
A flash of bracken colored fur flashed past the deputy's eyes as Tigerclaw was shoved off of him.
Oakheart!
The Riverclan deputy faced the tabby, teeth baring. "Leave Tigerclaw!"
Redtail staggered up next to Oakheart, eyes narrow. Before he could say anything, the tabby turned around swiftly.
"This isn't over!"
Once he was gone, the two deputies turned to each other.
"Thanks." Redtail dipped his head respectfully.
"Just don't bring my clan into this." Oakheart flicked his ear. "Riverclan has no desire in this conflict."
The dappled tortoiseshell just dipped his head.
The bracken colored tom trotted off past a pile of large rocks.
A yowl rose in Redtail's throat. He sprang off toward him, his back legs pushing him off. Redtail knocked Oakheart out of the way.
Crack! A boulder fell right on top of his left hind leg.
The small deputy let out another yowl, feeling lightheaded due to blood loss from the wounds he gained in battle. His right, feather-like ear flicked before he passed out.
A Thunderclan patrol bursted into the clearing. This patrol contained big, white tom, a swift tabby tom, and a very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes.
Oakheart slyly slipped into the river. They'll find him….
Tigerclaw's POV
The massive tabby bursted into camp, eyes wide. "Help! Redtail has been crushed by a rock!" He had been watching the warrior of the river with his deputy talk so he knew what happened.
A beautiful, dark tortoiseshell she-cat was applying herbs to a small, dusky brown she-cat of by the Medicine Cat Den.
A young, pale ginger she-cat was sitting next to a dark brown tabby tom when he bursted into camp. She perked her ears, her green eyes lighting up with fear. "Redtail?" She asked, as the deputy was her father.
The clan was gathered around a bright ginger around the age of a new apprentice but Tigerclaw paid no notice.
Two queens, a beautiful white she-cat and a tabby she-cat, got all the kits into the nursery.
The oldest queen with a pale tabby coat followed Frostfur and Brindleface into the nursery. The queens were taking shelter just in case something was happening that could danger the kits, born or unborn.
"Spottedleaf!" A pale ginger cried, eyes locked on the massive tabby. "He's hurt! Help him!"
"What happened, Tigerclaw?" A voice sounded from a blue-gray she-cat and the camp went silent.
"A rock fell on Redtail, Bluestar!" He answered.
"Whitestorm, take Willowpelt and Runningwind with you to Sunningrocks." Bluestar turned to her nephew. "You three aren't badly injured."
"Yes, Bluestar." The white tom dipped his head. He turned to leave camp, signaling Willowpelt and Runningwind to follow him.
"Spottedleaf, finish up with Mousefur and come get Tigerclaw to your den." The she-cat with a silver tinge around her muzzle ordered. "He looks faint."
"Yes, Bluestar." The beautiful medicene cat dipped her head.
The ginger tom stared at Tigerclaw curiously.
A dark gleam flashed in the tabby's eyes when he met the new cat's eyes before looking away.