Shadows of the Stars
A small, golden kit curled up to her muddy brown brother, her flanks gently rising and falling with each breath. Their mother, a pale she-cat, laid a few feet away, ears perked up, listening for danger even in her sleep. The abandoned badger set was dark and musty, but it was safe, and that's all that mattered to Rosepaw, the formerly exiled apprentice of ThunderClan.
She remembered all too well the attack she raged upon ThunderClan camp, striking down cats left and right, injuring not killing with a blood-thirsty, obedient tribe of loners, each angry and driven mad by the constant struggle of survival. Recalling her face-off with her grandfather and brother, it brought sadness and happiness to her eyes. No one loved her anymore, besides Amber and Murky. Sootfur would've given up by now, moved on to other she-cats in the Clan.
She meant nothing to the Clans anymore. Every cat in the forest knew of her betrayal, rumor was she had always been evil, cursed by StarClan because of Leafpool, but it was the triumph of causing fear in Firestar's life that really pleased her.
Seven moons since that triumph.
Besides her kits, there had been no other triumphs. StarClan, in her opinion, was a myth.
As for being cursed, she was cursed with a horrible family, mentor, and Clan.
She awoke from her thoughts with Amber prodding Rosepaw with a tiny paw, her jade green eyes gleaming with passion, neither bad nor good. Murky and Amber knew not of the triumphs and failures of their mother's life, nor did they know who their father was, or where he was. To be honest, Rosepaw didn't know where their father was either.
"Rosepaw? Mother?"
"Yes, Amber? What is it? You shouldn't be awake right now. Where is Murky?"
"That's the problem. I went to sleep, and Murky was right by me, but now he's gone…"
But Murky wasn't really gone. In fact, Amber knew exactly where her brother was, unknown to their mother, Rosepaw. His paws pounded against the muddy ground as he stormed through the rainy forest, curving his body around each bush, each tree. His yellow eyes blazed with freedom, happiness of the acutest kind. The misty air ran through his fur, fog blocking his vision. Suddenly, new scents swarmed into his nose.
New cats?
The trees suddenly faded away. Where was he? An open moor, fog thick and swirling about the outskirts of it, lay before him, a looming mystery of an adventure gone wrong.
"Hello?" he called out into the mist, only the sound of faint hisses in response. Murky was shivering from fear and cold, watching as two large cats approached him, one brown, one black.
"It's just a kit, Nightcloud!" mewed the brown cat; Murky could tell that he was a tom. The other, a she-cat, had a look of disdain upon her face as she turned her face down to look at the quaking, frightened Murky.
"We should still chase him off! The forest isn't even safe from apprentices anymore…"
"Kits are still safe, Nightcloud, however, so come with me, kit. What is your name?"
"M-murky, sir…"
"Don't be frightened," he reasoned gently, "you'll be fine in WindClan. Where is your mother?"
"The set still… unless Amber had…"
The tom interrupted him, "Amber?"
"My sister…"
"Who is your mother?"
"Rosepaw, sir…"
"StarClan forbid! He's a danger to us all, Barkface!" cried Nightcloud, a look of fury embelished onto her face.
"Come, Murky… Ashstar will want to hear of this immediately. Inform ThunderClan of Murky… mention not of Rosepaw and his sister. So far, they are no danger to us…"
"But, Barkface, surely…"
"NOW, Nightcloud!"
Murky ran to keep up with the graying tom beside him. His eyes were shining with horror, happiness, and sorrow.
"Tell me, Murky, has your mother ever told you of WindClan?"
"No, Barkface…"
He purred with laughter. The kit was catching on quickly of ranks.
"Ever of ThunderClan?"
"What?"
"Ah, you have much to learn of your past, Murky. But now is not the time."
"When is?"
"When we will finally be able to make sense of what happened to your mother seven moons ago."
"What's my mother got to do with anything?"
"Everything."