Warriors: A Majestic

Beginning

By:

Marie Barone

There are legends among us. Some good, some bad. But only if you can tell them apart. These legends have been retold countless times, passed down for generation to generation. Each time the truth has been stretched dramatically. There's one legend that's greater than them all. That is the legend of the Warriors!

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Prologue

Long ago, in a forest not yet tame, there lived several groups of cats. They were bound by no laws, and fought constantly for fear that the prey would be no more. The fights grew more ruthless, and many cats were killed, many families scattered. One night, on a full moon, the cats agreed to meet in peace on a little island in the center of the forest. Fighting eventually broke out, and more than half the cats died in the battle. The survivors slept where they were. When they woke, they saw the spirits of their fallen comrades. The survivors huddled together as a large gray she-cat stepped forward.

"Unite or die."

A ragged black tom appeared on her side. "There will be four, strong and powerful groups of cats. You will be divided into clans. Find others like you and divide the forest into four parts, where it meets your needs. On the third moon, you will return here for eight extra lives."

The cats in the center of the island yowled their disapproval. A light brown tom stood and yowled for silence. "This is nonsense! Earth will rule the forest! I can dig deeper holes than all of you!"

"Never!" A pale orange tom hissed. "Sun will rule! My pelt can glow like the sun's reflection off a stream!"

The cats yowled and hissed at each other. A dark tabby she-cat reared up on her hind legs. "Moon will rule! I can adjust my pelt color to blend in, and I can enter dreams of other cats!"

There was a loud snarl, and every cat fell silent. A large black and white she-cat was standing, her long claws unsheathed. When she spoke, her voice was raspy, like rocks washing away down stream. "I have complete control over all wolves around here! Wolf will rule the forest!"

Every cat stood and yowled in defiance, their neck fur standing on end. Fighting was once again about to break out.

"SILENCE!"

The cats huddled together again, and stared at the large gray she-cat with stars in her pelt. "There is enough prey in the forest to support your families and many more. We will lay down a warrior code that every cat must follow. Go now, and find your cats. On the third full moon, return here and we will reward you with eight more lives."

One by one the cats stood and left. They gathered their Warriors, created a camp, and by the time of the third full moon, Wolf, Earth, Moon and Sun were given their nine live and took the name "star". The age of the Warriors has begun.

Chapter 1

"We have much to do around here before it becomes a true camp Tidalclaw." A large gray she-cat walked around a large hollow.

Her loyal deputy, Tidalclaw, sat in the clearing with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. The blue tom nodded and looked around the hollow. He let his gaze drift around the top, where he saw all of Wolfclan's warriors quietly waiting for orders. The stood, shook himself, and walked over to where Wolfstar was sniffing at a small cavern with overhanging lichen.

"That would make a good den for clan leader," Tidalclaw meowed.

"Yes, that's what I thought, too," Wolfstar replied, half to herself.

She straightened and walked off, leaving Tidalclaw to follow. All around the hollow lay branched of thorns. As Tidalclaw pulled the nearest branch away, Wolfstar spotted a crack in the hollow wall. Scenting the air, she took a step in. In the dim light, she could make out several dips in the floor. She walked out a called to Tidalclaw.

"This would make a good nursery don't you think?" Wolfstar asked as Tidalclaw peeked inside.

"That's a good idea! The queens and kits would be perfectly sheltered. Should we see if Berryfur thinks it's suitable?" Tidalclaw meowed.

Wolfstar nodded. "Good idea. Fetch Berryfur, and wait, Crowfoot too. We need to find and elders den and Crowfoot could give his opinion."

Tidalclaw nodded and bounded off.

'If the nursery will be on the left of my den,' Wolfstar thought, 'what would be on the right?'

She walked off to the right of her den. Sure enough, after pulling away the bramble screen, she saw another crack in the hollow wall. She took a step in. the cavern wasn't as big as the previous one. The dips in the floor were just as deep, but not as wide.

"Elders den," Wolfstar murmured to herself. "Perfect."

Wolfstar backed out of the cavern, and nearly jumped out of her fur when she heard a voice cracked with age. "You called for me Wolfstar?"

Turning, Wolfstar saw the dark gray tabby elder, Crowfoot. "See in here. Would this be a suitable for an elders den.?"

Crowfoot nodded and walked in the cavern. Looking around, Wolfstar spotted Tidalclaw showing Berryfur the other den. She walked over to them. Berryfur walked out of the den with delight in her eyes.

"It's perfect, Wolfstar! This would make a great den for any queen.! Though, sleeping on bare stone would surely hurt," Berryfur exclaimed.

"I agree."

Crowfoot walked up and sat next to Berryfur. Tidalclaw nodded in agreement.

"True." Wolfstar nodded thoughtfully. "Tidalclaw, take some of the warriors and move the thorn brambles to the middle of the clearing. I'll take a patrol and scout the territory."

"Yes, Wolfstar."

Wolfstar called on Icefang, Thunderfur, and Sandstorm for a scouting patrol. Walking out of the camp entrance, the patrol veered left, toward the Earthclan border.

"Luckily for us Wolfclan's territory is encased by running streams," Thunderfur meowed.

"True, but if ever we were to take a raid on a clan for more territory, it would be hard to get across and claim it," Icefang responded.

Before he could reply, Wolfstar silenced them with a flick of her tail. They had arrived at the stream and waited. Wolfstar looked left and right, then turned and headed uphill, the patrol following. They kept going until they saw the mountain on which the stream ran off. Spotting a fairly huge tree, Wolfstar walked up to it and placed a scent marker. She nodded to her cats and continued down hill, glancing back to see Sandstorm brushing every tree and rock they came across. Wolfstar stopped once in a while to place a scent marker on a tree or big rock.

Sensing her patrols weariness, she stopped. "Let's hunt. I'll teach you the basic crouch. You start like this. Keep your weight on your haunches, and move your paws lightly. A mouse can feel your pawsteps before he hears or smells you."

Icefang and Thunderfur perfected the crouch in one try, while Thunderfur remained a bit lopsided.

"You two, try for something in those bushes," Wolfstar meowed after scenting the air. "Thunderfur, try again. Keep your weight perfectly equal. Good."

Each cat had caught their own piece. Once they had finished eating, they continued until the patrol reached the island where gatherings would be held. Skirting the edge, Wolfstar led her patrol toward the Sunclan border. Wolfstar waited as her cats placed markers every so often, up the hill. As they neared the top, placing the last scent marker, Wolfstar suggested they rest.

"Well at least we know where the markers are, now we just have to tell everyone else," Icefang meowed.

Wolfstar nodded. "We should get back to camp. But first, see if you can't find any fresh-kill for the others."

The cats bounded away. Looking up, Wolfstar saw the moon slowly rising. She turned in time to see a mouse rummaging for food. Dropping into the hunters crouch, she pounced, killing the mouse with a swift blow.

"Wolfstar! Wolfstar!" Icefang ran up and dropped her fresh-kill. "Sandstorm found some moss on a giant tree. Would it make a good bedding?"

Wolfstar nodded. "Show me this tree."

Grabbing their fresh-kill, Wolfstar followed Icefang to where the others were waiting. Wolfstar noticed a fairly large pile of fresh-kill. She purred at the thought that the clan would eat well. Glancing up was a large oak covered in moss.

"Take off as much as you can carry and take it back. Tell the clan to save the feathers on the birds too. They could be useful as well."

******

Nearing the hollow entrance, the returning patrol heard the sound of exciting murmuring. As the cats walked into the hollow, Oceantail, Clan Medicine cat, ran up.

"Bramble screens have been moved to the center of the clearing, Wolfstar," the she-cat panted. "We found more than enough dens, I think too many."

Wolfstar nodded and narrowed her eyes in thought. She padded through the hollow entrance and flicked her tail, indicating for her warriors follow. She skirted the vast pile of vines in the clearing and neatly deposited her kill outside her den. Walking to Oceantail she meowed, " Show me these dens." Oceantail nodded and bounded off to a den next to the soon-to-be nursey.

"There's a running stream and a small pool in here, I think it would make a good Medicine den, Oceantail meowed matter-of-factly. Wolfstar nodded. They walked to another slit in the wall. Wolfstar stepped in.

"Apprentice den," she meowed walking out of the small den. Oceantail nodded. "Rosepaw!"

The pretty red she-cat bounded over. "Yes Wolfstar?"

"This is the apprentice den. See that you remember it." Rosepaw nodded and the leader continued. "Seeing as you're the only apprentice, Firepaw will keep you company, for now."

Rosepaw nodded and ran to fetch some moss for her den. Turning, Wolfstar noticed the medicine cat on the exact opposite of the clearing. She padded over to her.

"Warriors den?"

The leader stepped in. the cavern was larger than the others, and allowed more room to roam. She backed out and meowed agreement. "Now you said there were too many dens. Where."

Oceantail moved to the leaders den, where Wolfstar noticeda small rocky path leading to another ridge in the hollow. Looking around, she noticed two other gaping holes. 'Prisoners?' the she-cat thought to herself. She made her way carefully up the slope and noticed a small ride above her den, perfect for sitting when she wanted to address the Clan.

"Wolfstar!" Tidalclaw called from below. "What are we going to do with these bramble screens? We can't leave them in the middle of the clearing forever."

The Clan cats began murmuring ideas. One idea of them all caught the bewildered leaders' ears. 'Put the vines around the top of the hollow? Hmm. That just might work.' She walked to the small ridge.

"To all cats who can catch their own prey!" Wolfstar called to her cats, who dropped what they were doing, "Join me here beneath HighRidge for a Clan meeting!" Saying those words, and watching her cats gather below, gave Wolfstar more than a sense of power. No, she felt as if she would always have right of way.

Taking a deep breath she continued. "I have heard a suggestion to put those brambles around the top of the hollow. And that is exactly what we're going to do. And as you can see, near me up here are two other dens. We can either use them as expansions to those dens down there, or. . ."

"They can hold prisoners!"

"Yeah prisoners!"

"We'll be the strongest Clan in the forest in no time!"

Hearing her Clan, hearing what every cat said, it gave Wolfstar an evil vibe. Her eyes narrowed, fur stood on end, and her blood ran cold as ice. She welcomed it all.