"Please, we need your help," the grey and white she-cat begged, taking a step towards a fluffy white tom, the frozen grass crinkling under her paws like glass.
The white tom blinked his green eyes, tilting his head.
"Why?" he asked with a yawn, his breath leaving a foggy trail through the air.
"'Why?'" the grey-and-white she-cat repeated incredulously, widening her blue eyes. "We're starving!"
The she-cat's normally fluffy white coat was ragged, and even her beautiful grey point coloration on her face, tail, and paws appeared dull and dirty. Her ribs jutted out from under her coat and her deep blue eyes were sunken into her skull.
"That's not my problem, May," the white tom meowed, twitching his whiskers.
"What do you mean, not your problem?" May hissed through her fangs.
"This has been one of the hardest leaf-bares in memory," the white tom meowed. "We're all hungry. Rumor is that ThunderClan has barely any prey left at all."
"I don't care about ThunderClan," May said.
"Well neither do I," the white tom said with a snort. "Mangy mice-munchers, all of them."
"Don't change the subject!" May hissed.
"Look, May," the white tom sighed. "There's nothing I can do for you."
"If you do nothing, then I will die," May growled, lashing her tail. "You do realized that, don't you?"
The white tom was silent, glaring at her with his sharp green eyes.
"I will die and so will Frost. Your own kit, Paledusk! She's the only one left!" May said, her voice breaking over the last few words.
Paledusk was silent. He did not even give a tail twitch to betray his thoughts. The silence stretched on between them.
"I can't believe you," May whispered, clenching her jaw.
She flattened her bristling fur. It wasn't like she could fight him anyways. He was much stronger than her.
"I'm sorry May. I really am," Paledusk meowed, getting to his paws to walk over to her. "Things are just really hard in camp right now. Prey is scarce. The deputy is ill... SkyClan can't spare food for two more mouths to feed."
"And, you can't let your precious clan-mates know that you fathered kits with a rogue!" May spat.
Paledusk blinked.
"The Clan must come first, May," he rumbled.
"Mousedung!" May hissed.
"Come on, don't be like that," Paledusk meowed, coming over to May to press his pelt to her's.
"I thought you loved me!" May cried, pulling herself away from him, and digging her claws into the frozen ground.
Paledusk was silent again, his green eyes as cold as the ice around them.
"I thought I did once too," he said.
"The blood of your children is on your paws," May said, her voice low.
"So be it," Paledusk meowed, turning away. "I won't lose sleep over the death of some kits I've never met."
"Go eat deathberries, Paledusk," May said, her paws trembling with anger, and her chest aching as she felt her heart breaking under her ribs.
Paledusk's tufted ears pricked, and he stopped walking.
"You better run, May," Paledusk growled quietly. "A patrol is coming."
May froze. She could hear the sounds of cats pushing their way through the bushes, then some yowls as they picked up an unfamiliar scent.
Her scent.
"A trespasser!" the faint cry drifted over to her.
Paledusk whipped around, facing May again.
"She's over here!" Paledusk shouted, baring his teeth at May. "It's a rogue."
"What are you doing?!" May spat, her fur bristling as panic surged through her.
She could hear the SkyClan patrol approaching, crashing through the undergrowth as they sprinted over.
"Where are you Paledusk?" someone on the patrol cried.
Paledusk sprung at May with a battle-cry, flashing a paw out to score his claws down May's shoulder.
May cried out in pain, then turned tail and sprinted off. Her legs shook as she ran, panting and bleeding. But, she couldn't slow. She could hear Paledusk and the rest of the SkyClan patrol behind her, only a few tail lengths away. Finally, she reached the scent markers, shooting over them and into the unclaimed territory beyond.
"Yeah, stay out, you prey-stealer!" a SkyClan cat shouted from behind her.
"Mangy rogue!" another jeered.
"If I see your face around here again, I'll rip your throat out," Paledusk snarled.
May ran, her head down and blood streaming down her side.
XXXX
May padded through the unfamiliar forest, towering pine trees all around her, and a tiny, fluffy white kit at her paws.
"I'm tired, Mama," the tiny kit squeaked, teetering on unsteady legs.
"I know, baby. Just a bit further," May meowed.
She was exhausted herself. Her shoulder wound was still dripping blood, and every step she took felt like a mile. Her legs trembled and her breath was laborious like she had been running for days.
"Are we going to see Daddy?" the tiny kit said, stumbling along behind her.
"No we aren't," May said, closing her eyes briefly as burning anger and pain washed over her. "Your dad is..."
May glanced down at her kit and felt the words get stuck in her throat. Her kit blinked up at her with huge pale blue eyes. May could see the faintest hint of grey on her kit's nose. She knew it would darken in these coming moons, along with the fur on her tail and paws to the same grey on May's face, tail, and feet.
If she made it through these moons.
Her kit looked skeletal, with ribs that poked out under her downy, soft kit-fur and eyes that seemed much too big for her sharp, bony face, and teetering stick-thin legs.
"Don't talk," May murmured, bending her head to nudge her kit forward with her nose. "Save your strength for walking."
"But, I don't want to walk," the kit cried. "I'm so hungry Mama. And, cold. I want to sleep."
"You can't sleep!" May said, whirling on her kit.
Her kit blinked hard, stumbling backwards and onto her haunches in surprise. Her kit let out a faint whimpering cry.
"I'm sorry, Frost. I'm sorry," May cried, wrapping herself around her kit.
She pressed her thin coat to Frost, trying to offer her as much protection from the cold wind as she could. Frost nuzzled into her fur, and May pressed her muzzle to Frost's head. Underneath the sharp bite of ice and snow, she could still scent Frost's sweet kit-smell, and May took a trembling breath of it and held it in her lungs. She didn't want to breath out, in fear that this could be the last time she ever smelt that sweetness.
"You can't sleep, baby. If you sleep you might not wake up," May whispered, feeling her shoulders shake as she said the words.
"Like Rain and Snow?" Frost whispered into May's pelt.
May trembled in grief. She screwed her eyes shut, thinking of Frost's brothers, her dead sons.
"Yes, Frost," May whispered.
"Don't worry, Mama," Frost mewed, peering up at her mother. "I'll never leave you."
"Sometimes you don't have a choice, baby," May whispered, her voice choked up as she stroked Frost's fur with her tail.
"I smell trespassers!" a voice cried from the bushes, causing May's head to jerk up.
May looked over and saw a patrol of cats stride out of the shadows of the pine trees. A light brown tabby tom with long legs was at its head. A dappled grey tom was at his side. Behind him was a ginger she-cat and a smaller black tom. May didn't even rise from the ground to meet them. She didn't have the strength left in her body. Instead, she just wrapped her tail tighter around Frost, hiding her from sight.
"Get out of here, rogue!" the dappled grey tom snarled, looming over May.
May cowered down, tucking her tail more tightly around her kit.
"Put your claws away, Swoopstrike. Can't you see she's not a threat?" the light brown tabby tom said to the dappled grey tom, his voice mild. "She's all bones and fur."
"She's trespassing!" Swoopstrike protested, but he obeyed, taking a step back and sheathing his claws.
"...I know I'm on ShadowClan territory," May broke in, her voice hoarse.
"You do?" the light brown tabby said in surprise, turning away from Swoopstrike.
"I came here because I need your help. Please," May begged.
"You don't seem to be in too good of shape," the light brown tabby commented, gaze flickering over her ragged pelt. "But, why have you come to ShadowClan for help?"
"I—I thought ShadowClan might take me in," May stammered.
"We don't take in strays," Swoopstrike said, his tail tip twitching.
"Please. I have a kit," May begged, moving her tail to reveal Frost by her side.
During the few moments that the ShadowClan patrol had appeared, Frost had fallen asleep on her flank. She twitched fainted as May touched her nose to her head to make sure she was still breathing.
"She won't make it much longer. Her litter-mates are already dead," May meowed, her voice pleading. "I can't lose her too."
The ginger she-cat on the patrol padded up to May and Frost. May tensed as she approached, but she didn't move away. The ginger she-cat gently touched her nose to Frost's side.
"The poor thing," the ginger she-cat whispered.
"We have to help them, Sedgestar," the ginger she-cat meowed, turning to the light brown tabby tom. "They won't last two more sunrises on their own."
"Sedgestar?" May meowed to the tabby tom, her eyes widening. "You're ShadowClan's leader?"
"...You seem to know an awful lot about our customs for a rogue," Sedgestar meowed, his voice slightly wary.
"Her father is a clan cat," May explained, nodding towards Frost. "He taught me some things, like how all the leader's names end in 'star.'"
"A clan cat? A ShadowClan cat?" Sedgestar asked, tensing as his amber eyes flashed.
"No," May meowed quietly. "SkyClan."
"Ah," Sedgestar said, relaxing slightly. "Who?"
May was silent, her jaw clenching.
"Why haven't you gone to him in SkyClan?" Sedgestar asked, dropping the question for the moment.
"They won't have us. Her father is who did this to me," May muttered darkly, nodding towards the wound on her shoulder.
Sedgestar took a few steps towards her to get a better look at the wound. May flinched away as he approached, but he didn't lay a paw on her.
"Don't worry," Sedgestar growled, locking his gaze with May's after glancing at her wound. "ShadowClan is not so dishonorable. You and your kit are welcome to stay with us for now. We will take you to our camp."
"Thank you, Sedgestar," May gasped, stumbling to her feet.
Frost's eyes flickered open and she mewed weakly as her mother's warm side against her vanished. May swayed on her paws and almost fell over before Sedgestar stepped in, allowing her to steady herself on his side.
"It is our pleasure...?" Sedgestar meowed, blinking at her questioningly.
"May," May said.
"May," Sedgestar repeated with a nod. "Emberflower, will you carry the kit?"
The ginger she-cat scooped up the kit, gently securing her scruff in her jaws.
"She's so light," Emberflower gasped.
Sedgestar glanced over at the tiny kit in Emberflower's mouth.
"And she is?" he asked.
"Frost," May said. "Her name is Frost."
The Ancient Clans
Allegiances:
Cats outside of Clans:
May— a thin, fluffy grey-point she-cat with blue eyes (Mate: Paledusk, Mother of Frostkit)
ShadowClan:
Leader: Sedgestar— a light brown, long legged, tabby tom with amber eyes (mate: Emberflower)
Deputy: Grovepelt— a pale brown tom with a greying muzzle and green eyes
Medicine cat: Clearstream— a fluffy light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice: Elmclaw— a dark tabby tom with green eyes
Warriors: Emberflower— a ginger she-cat with green eyes (mate: Sedgestar)
Apprentice: Beepaw— a black tom
Darkpelt— a black tom (Mate: Larkfoot)
Apprentice: Hootpaw— a grey tom
Weaseltail— a brown tabby and white tom with amber eyes and a long tail (Mate: Redclaw)
Kestrelmoon— a pale cream tom (Mate: Amberberry)
Dustleap—a light ginger tom
Apprentice: Thornpaw— a brown tabby tom
Dawntail— a fluffy grey and white she-cat
Marshnose— a brown tabby tom with a white muzzle
Fogfur— a fluffy grey tom with green eyes
Snakeeyes— a sleek white she-cat with a blue eye and a green eye (Mate: Rowanheart)
Apprentice: Leafpaw— a grey tabby she-cat
Swoopstrike— a dappled grey tabby tom with green eyes
Dappledpelt— a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
Rowanheart— a ginger tom (Mate: Snakeeyes)
Queens: Larkfoot— a pale tabby she-cat (Mate: Darkpelt. Dampkit— a fluffy black tom, Dewkit— a grey she-cat)
Redclaw— a tortoiseshell she-cat with dark ginger patches and green eyes (Mate: Weaseltail Kits: Pinekit— a black she-cat with amber eyes, Poolkit— a black and white tom with amber eyes Autumnkit— dark ginger and white tom with amber eyes. Foster kit: Frostkit— a fluffy tabby grey-point she-cat with tufted ears, pale blue eyes, and white paws)
Amberberry— a golden she-cat (Mate: Krestrelmoon. Mosskit— a golden she-cat, Murmurkit— a pale cream she-cat)
Elders: Treefur— a dark brown tom with poor eyesight
Greytail— a grey she-cat
Flymask— a black and white tom
SkyClan:
Leader: Fennelstar— a pale brown tom with bushy fur
Deputy: Robinsong— a tortoiseshell she-cat with a ginger belly.
Medicine cat: Swallowfur— a blue-grey she-cat
Warriors: Paledusk— a fluffy white tom with tufted ears and green eyes
Sparrowheart— a dappled brown tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Yewpaw— a dark brown tabby tom
Cloudleap— a long legged grey and white tom
Brokenbranch— a ginger tom with a bend in his tail
Oakflight— a dark ginger tom
Stormfang— a grey tom
Poppyfur— a tortoiseshell she-cat
Suneyes— a grey she-cat with bright amber eyes
Queens: Doepelt— a light brown tabby she-cat
Elders: Birdstrike— a heavily scarred, pale grey she-cat (Mother of Paledusk)
RiverClan:
Leader: Willowstar— a grey tabby, sleek furred she-cat
Deputy: Perchpelt— a brown tabby tom
Medicine cat: Pebblestripe— a dark grey tabby tom
Warriors: Violetfur— a black she-cat
Stoneripple— a grey tabby tom
Apprentice: Turtlepaw— a brown and white tom
Waterwhisker— a fluffy ginger and white she-cat
Heronfur— a brown tabby tom
Ospreyscar— a brown and white tom with a long scar down his side
Wavepelt— a grey she-cat with long, wavy fur
Rainspot— a dappled black and white she-cat
Apprentice: Murkpaw— a black tom
Queens: Sandpelt— a pale ginger she-cat
Reedheart— a tortoiseshell she-cat
Elders: Fishtail— a white and grey tom with a long tail
Sleekclaw— a nearly blind, once beautiful tabby she-cat
ThunderClan:
Leader: Morningstar— a pale grey tom
Deputy: Leafstorm— a ginger she-cat with green eyes
Medicine cat: Pearnose— a dark brown tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Fallowpaw— a pale brown and white tom
Warriors: Pineclaw— a dark brown tom with a big rip in one ear
Beechfur— a brown tabby tom
Apprentice: Rockpaw— a grey tom
Fernclaw— a tortoiseshell she-cat
Acornear— a brown tom
Nettlepelt— a dark grey she-cat with spiky fur
Apprentice: Foxpaw— a ginger she-cat
Birchtail— a grey and white tom
Brambledapple— a tabby and white she-cat
Queens: None
Elders: Mothwhisker— a brown tom with a lot of patchy, greying fur
WindClan:
Leader: Rabbitstar— a light ginger tom
Deputy: Wheatfur— a golden tabby she-cat
Medicine cat: Falconpelt— a brown tabby tom
Warriors: Tumblefox— a ginger tom
Apprentice: Eaglepaw— a golden-brown tom
Slatepelt— a grey she-cat
Runningfoot— a dark tabby tom
Oatbreeze— a tortoiseshell and white she-cat
Volefur— a pale grey tom
Pounceclaw— a black tom
Nighteyes— a black and white she-cat with blue eyes
Stormcloud— a grey tabby and white tom
Queens: Thrushleap— a tan tabby she-cat (mate to Rabbitstar)
Elders: Harepelt— a brown tom with a grey muzzle
Deerdash— a long-legged tabby she-cat
Author's Note: To give a little bit of context for this story, it takes place following the events of one of the stories from the field guide, "Battles of The Clans" (which I headcanon to take place approximately 15 years before Cloudstar's born in SkyClan.) Just to give a quick re-cap, in that story the clans are going through a horrible winter, and Morningstar, ThunderClan's leader begs the other clan-leaders for food, and they refuse him. Then rather than let ThunderClan starve, Morningstar goes to battle with WindClan. So, the leaders of the Clans in this story, as well as some ThunderClan characters like Leafstorm, Pearnose, and Mothwhisker are canon characters, but practically everyone else are my OC's. I hope you enjoy!