CHAPTER ONE

The milky moonlight spilt over the forests, covering the treetops with its pale reflection. The night was calm, peaceful, serene, with no foreshadow of what laid in store. Groups of cats began to trickle onto a log connecting the island to the forests surrounding it.

Tabbypaw settled down beside her mentor, glancing around nervously. This was her first Gathering, and she had never seen- or smelled these other cats. Oakpelt shifted gently beside her and meowed,

"I'm going off to talk to the RiverClan deputy. Do you want to come with me?"

Tabbypaw nodded and swallowed dryly. The squirrel she'd had earlier now felt like a dry lump in her throat. She had a bad feeling about tonight. Oakpelt laughed softly and guided her toward a group of cats chatting quietly.

"Greetings Breezepelt" he purred. Breezepelt smiled and flicked her blue-grey tail.

"Who's this?" she replied.

"This is my apprentice, Tabbypaw. Tabbypaw, this is Breezepelt."

Tabbypaw shifted her paws and uttered a barely audible,

"Hi." Breezepelt laughed lightly and turned her attention towards the clan leaders who had just begun to speak.

Wavestar, the Windclan leader, stepped forward and opened her mouth.

Cat's poured out of the trees, out of the bushes, out of the water, and into the clearing.

"ATTACK!" screeched a cat.

The leaders jumped down and joined the clans in fighting. Oakpelt flung himself at one of two cats attacking Breezepelt. He batted at his stomach and hissed. The calico screeched and flipped him over. He growled and pushed it off with his hind legs, landing on his feet and raking the cat's shoulder with his claws. It hissed and jumped onto his back, pushing his face down into the dirt. He struggled, not able to breathe, when all of a sudden the weight was lifted off of his back. He gasped for air and saw Tabbypaw rolling in the dirt with his attacker. Oakpelt paused to take a breath, when Riverleaf flew at the calico warrior, knocking him off Tabbypaw. He rushed over to the apprentice.

"Tabbypaw, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Blood was gushing from a wound in her shoulder, but she nodded and looked around. "We should probably get that to a medicine cat" he pointed out. But Tabbypaw's attention was focused on something else. "They're leaving" she whispered hoarsely. Oakpelt looked up, and true enough, the attackers were melting back into the shadows.

His first instinct was to check on the leader. He knew that Shockstar was low on lives, and the battle had been bloody. Cats lay strewn on the battlefield, wounded or dead. The Thunderclan medicine cat Tenderfoot walked up to Tabbypaw with concern in her eyes.

"Do you need me to patch that up?" she meowed. Tabbypaw sat down and winced.

"I'll be fine. Tend to the more injured cats first." Tabbypaw tried to wave her off. Oakpelt purred despite himself. His apprentice was a tough one.

"You are one of the most injured cats" Tenderfoot laughed, "You fought well." Tabbypaw glowed with pride.

"Thanks. How's Shockstar?" Tabbypaw asked while Tenderfoot dressed her wounds. Tenderfoot paled and sighed.

"He's dead Tabbypaw. He's dead, and I couldn't do anything to save him." Tenderfoot choked out. Her blind eyes welled up with tears and Oakpelt's heart sank.

"I'm sorry Tenderfoot," he continued, "but there was nothing you could do. It was his time."

Wavestar limped to the front of the clearing. "What are the fatalities? Who is still alive?" she yowled. Silverstar yowled back, "No deaths in ShadowClan tonight. You?"

"No Windclan cat has been killed. Thunderclan?" she called out again.

Silence. No cat dared to speak up. To reveal to all the clans that their leader was dead, that they were weak. Tenderfoot shifted uncomfortably on her paws.

"Shockstar" she finally spoke up. "Shockstar has lost his last life." A murmur rose up from all the clans. Wavestar bowed her head.

"I am sorry for your loss cats of Thunderclan." She finally replied. "Windclan offers you free passage to the Moonstone." Then she turned to Forestpelt. "I must go. My clan needs to leave."

Forestpelt just nodded and gathered up his clan with a flick of his tail. Tabbypaw stood up shakily. Oakpelt rushed over to support her.

"Lean on me." He meowed, "You shouldn't be on your feet yet." Tabbypaw only nodded and stared numbly at Shockstar's body. As she watched, two warriors heaved his body onto their backs and began dragging it home.

"I'm sorry" Oakpelt sympathized, following her gaze. "There was nothing we could do." Tabbypaw nodded and squeezed her eyes shut, willing not to let the tears slip past her eyelids.

"It was his time" she whispered softly, echoing Oakpelt's words. "He had to go." Oakpelt nodded and began following Forestpelt, just barely keeping up with the clan, dragging his feet and supporting his apprentice. The walk through the forest was long and tiring. The trees looked dark and menacing, the forest no longer a comfort. Oakpelt tried his best to support his apprentice, but it was late and he was wounded. Tabbypaw yawned and leaned her head on Oakpelt's shoulder. He shifted his weight and dismissed the thoughts.

Instead he asked himself about the cats. Why had they attacked so suddenly, and disappeared so quickly? How could any rogue or cat who had grudges against the clans muster that big of a force? Oakpelt could tell by the way Sweettail shifted uncomfortably amidst the trees that she was thinking the same thing.

"Sweettail?" he whispered, careful not to disturb his tired apprentice. She looked at him and nodded slowly. "The cats... did you notice anything unusual about them?" he asked hesitantly.

Sweettail pondered this for a moment.

"Well…" she wondered slowly. "The one if ought was pretty normal as far as cats go. Big, and vicious, but pretty normal. Another one had a spiked collar made out of cat's teeth." She shuddered visibly. Then she stopped.

"We have to tell Forestpelt." She whispered hoarsely. Oakpelt stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

Sweettail shook and she stared at Oakpelt as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Bloodclan has come back."

Authors Note

Tada! First chapter is finally done! I know it's not super long, but it's kinda difficult writing for these cats since it's in the future (technically) and I haven't read the Warrior books in a long time. Remind me to read some of those again later. I never really knew what the plot line was going to be until I wrote the attack on the Gathering. Bloodclan seemed like an interesting idea, and I felt they didn't get enough time in the books, so I decided to throw them in here. Yes, there may be a prophecy, however since I'm terrible at rhyming, I might not put it in here. Anyway, thanks for reading, Ciao! (Did I spell that right?)

Up Next: "a clan only heard about in nursery stories?"..."a collar made out of teeth"

Ooh, sounds scary.

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Oh! Almost forgot, Author Of The Chapter is... (drumroll please)

SharKohen ! They have some really great stories, you should check them out. You can comment below who you think should be the next Author Of The Chapter, cause I don't really know a bunch of authors on here. Heh heh.

NOW you can Comment, Critique, Ask Questions.