Warriors: The Dark Age

by kirani100

The Clans were eager to erase us from history—A generation from a time when the Warrior code was new and flawed, who found glory in killing and pride in cruelty. They still tell legends of how StarClan formed, but they don't remember how the Dark Forest awakened. It was buried along with us.

1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Lizardpaw came awake with a single lurid though; he was dying. His lungs burned, his throat closed. Pain seized him with a cruel grip and the taste of blood flooded his mouth. "Help," He tried, yet nothing but a strangled sob escaped his throat.

I can't breathe!

Panic filled him. Where was he? What was happening? He convulsed, legs flying out from underneath him as he fought to get up.

"Hold him down!" He heard a voice yell above him, and felt a weight come down on him.

He cried out in agony. Everything hurt all at once. He felt the sting of fresh cuts, the ache of deep bruises. But most of all he felt a white-hot flash of pain between the side of his ribs with every desperate attempt for air.

"Shh," The voice soothed, soft and feminine. "Slow down."

He coughed, feeling warm liquid trickle from his mouth and nostrils. His eyes bulged with fear but he could see nothing at all. Just a stifling darkness.

"He's choking on his own blood." Another voice hissed, this one young and shrill with fear.

"Raise his head."

His body went limp as his head was placed on something soft like a heap of heather. He felt the pressure in his chest ease slowly, and the thick liquid in his throat drain downward. A fresh wave of adrenaline gave him the strength to drag an agonizing inhale through his lungs and open his eyes.

"Don't move." Said the first voice, hard and commanding this time. The blackness in his dark green gaze cleared, and he was met by a pale gray tabby she cat with fur that curled at the ends, not unlike her ears, that curled back roundly unto themselves.

A stone of dread sank into Lizardpaw's stomach.

Sheepleap. WindClan's medicine cat, his mind instantly supplied.

Memories began flooding back in. Ear-splitting screeches and wails ripping through the air. Blood spraying on moorland grass. Fur flying like thistledown. Claws sinking into flesh.

He'd been trapped, his hind claws gripping the edge of a rocky overhang. Behind him, the moor ended with a cliff. In front, a WindClan stalked closer. There had been no one to help him. He remembered fighting with all he had, but it wasn't the same as it used to be when he could see properly. Her movements were a blur, and he struggled to react quickly enough.

But he could do nothing but take blow after blow. He knew when to go limp and roll with the force of the impact, how to twist and writhe away from the prickle of claws before they pierced must have been frustrated that a young apprentice was proving so challenging to subdue.

In the end he couldn't get back up. He lay gasping among the stained, trampled grass. He thought he heard her walk away, but the last thing he remembers is being pushed off the ledge.

Piece of crowfood rabbit-chasers.

He lay at the bottom thinking, sobbing with fear, pain and anger

At least have the decency to finish me off!

He snapped back to the present, lashing out with outstretched claws and a long, threatening hiss. "Get away from me!"

Sheepleap stepped out of reach. Her eyes became glittering slits of amber. "I'm trying to help you."

"And hedgehogs fly." He growled deeply, trying to ignore the throbbing the pain between his ribs.

"Why would we lie?" The other voice said. Lizardpaw's glare switched to a pale golden-brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes.

Must be Ryepaw, her apprentice.

The three cats were silent as they regarded each other with hostility, eyes narrowed with wariness, backs arched with hostility and tails twitching with anticipation. Finally Sheepleap broke the silence.

"You fell a long way down," She explained carefully. "You're bleeding from the inside out, you need my help."

Lizardpaw fell silent. She edged closer cautiously and Lizardpaw pulled his lips back in a snarl, revealing a pair of remarkably long, menacing fangs.

"You have no reason to help me." He said. "I'm an enemy, I hurt your Clanmates today."

Ryepaw scoffed. "Says the cat who got scraped off the floor."

Lizardpaw surged around to face Ryepaw, eyes dark with fury. Puny little tom. A breeze could knock him over, let alone one of Lizardpaw's wide-pawed blows. He was older, but Lizardpaw was easily twice his size, all shoulders and hard muscle against thin, stringy bones.

Ryepaw flinched, and Lizardpaw was satisfied to smell fear.

"Enough," Sheepleap said calmly. The medicine cat seemed to have smoothed down her pelt, her features softening. "We can do it the easy way, or there will be another option." She flicked her tail toward the shadowed end of the den, where a green pair of eyes were quietly surveying the situation.

"This is Harrierwing," Sheepleap beckoned and a brindled warrior stepped forward. She was thin, but hard muscle rippled beneath her wiry, scar-crossed pelt. Silver hairs speckled her muzzle, and her gaze was calculated. She padded up to Sheepleap, sitting upright with her tail neatly placed on her paws.

"I'll be in charge of guarding you." Harrierwing announced with a deep, hoarse mew. "And if you don't lay down, I'll lay you down."

Lizardpaw felt the fur on his shoulders rise, his jaw tightening with anger. He felt helpless. He couldn't put up another fight if he tried. He was near his limit with the pain on his side—broken ribs?—and with the adrenaline draining from his legs he was starting to feel dizzy, shadows clustering around his eyes. Wordlessly he lay back down, wary eyes never leaving the enemy.

Sheepleap breathed out with relief. "You'll need to eat these." She pushed a leaf toward him where four small black seeds lay. "They'll help you fall back asleep."

"What?" Lizardpaw spat. "How fish-brained do you think I am—"

Harrierwing growled beside Sheepleap, and Lizardpaw choked back whatever else he might have said. Anxiety rolled in his stomach like minnows chasing each other, but he lapped up the seeds.

Soon enough, darkness engulfed him once again, and the pain ebbed away along with his consciousness.

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Warrior Cats belongs to Erin Hunter

Inspired by The Forest Awakens, FH RP

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the reviews! Enjoy!

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ALLEGIANCES

RIVERCLAN

LEADER

CRANESTAR—light gray tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY

MISTCLAW—long-furred pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes and white underbelly

APPRENTICE, SWANPAW (handsome, pure white tom with blue eyes and long fur)

MEDICINE CAT

PlOVERLEAF—small grey-brown and white she-cat with amber eyes

WARRIORS

EELTAIL—sleek dark brown she-cat with white underbelly and blue eyes

APPRENTICE, FOGPAW (pretty silver and white tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes)

MUDSTREAM—sleek dark brown tom with yellow-green eyes

APPRENTICE, LIZARDPAW (dark brown tabby tom with white chest and dark green eyes)

REEDSHINE—golden-brown tom with amber eyes

DEWBROOK—silver tom with pale blue eyes

CURLEWPETAL—light brown tabby she-cat with black paws

APPRENTICE, SILVERPAW (dark silver she-cat with brown-speckled green eyes)

STORKPELT—long-furred white tom with gray stripes

WILLOWTOOTH—pale gray mottled she-cat

MINNOWSPLASH—brown she-cat with pale brown underbelly and a large patch of white fur

EGRETCLOUD—cream and pale reddish-brown she-cat with yellow-green eyes

FLAMEPOOL—pretty white she-cat with ginger tabby patches and mismatched blue and green eyes

QUEENS

BUZZARDFACE—battle-scarred dark brown tabby she-cat with dark green eyes and broad shoulders (nursing Rainkit)

MOSSCREEK—tortoiseshell she-cat (permanent queen)

ELDERS

TURTLEFOOT—tabby calico she-cat with green eyes

PALEWATER—white tom with light gray paws

SLUGCLAW—golden-brown she-cat with ginger chest

MALLOWMIST—blue-gray tom with milky white eyes

WINDCLAN

LEADER

SWIFTSTAR—small gray-brown tom with creamy brown underbelly

DEPUTY

GRASSBREEZE—light brown she-cat with long tabby stripes and pale green eyes

MEDICINE CAT

SHEEPLEAP—white she-cat with gray tabby patches and curly fur

APPRENTICE, RYEPAW (pale golden-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes)

WARRIORS

HARRIERWING—brindled she-cat with white speckles and gray muzzle

HEATHERTUFT—pale ginger tom with long tufts of fur

APPRENTICE, LINNETPAW (gray-brown she-cat with dark tawny patches)

WEASELPELT—creamy brown tom with white paws and belly

WOOLLYBIRD—soft-furred white she-cat with light gray freckles

SPOTTEDFLIGHT—white tom with black spots and yellow eyes

APPRENTICE, BRAMBLINGPAW (brown tabby tom with tawny chest)

BEESTORM—golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

CRICKETHOP—gray tom with green eyes

WARBLERSONG—very pale brown tom with light gray, almost white underbelly

TULIPCLOUD—red tabby she-cat with blue eyes and white paws

QUEENS

OATWHISKER—cream she-cat with dark amber eyes (expecting)

ELDERS

RUNNINGHARE—gray-brown tom with white speckles

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

SMOKESTAR—huge dark gray, almost black tom with dark amber eyes

DEPUTY

DUSKFROST—dark red-brown tom with icy blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT

CLOVERSTEP—pale calico she-cat with light green eyes

WARRIORS

ROOKSHADE—sleek black she-cat with green eyes

APPRENTICE, RATPAW (ticked brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes)

SCORCHJAW—gray tom with black muzzle

TALLCROW—black and white tom

BLACKFLOWER—long-furred black she-cat with amber eyes

BATSHADOW—very dark brown she-cat with long fur

TORNFOOT—dark ginger tom with horribly scarred forepaw

APPRENTICE, SPIDERPAW (dark brown she-cat with black patches)

SNAKETAIL—white tom with a long brown tabby tail

APPRENTICE, NIGHTPAW (black tabby she-cat with piercing green eyes)

MARTENSKIP—brown she-cat with creamy brown underbelly and white jaw

BADGERSTRIPE—black tom with white paws and odd white stripe on his muzzle

BEETLEBELLY—dark blue-gray she-cat with pale underbelly

QUEENS

JUNIPERNOSE—blue-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (nursing Pinekit, Sloekit and Elmkit)

ELDERS

ADDERFLASH—golden-brown tabby she-cat

PIGEONFEATHER—creamy gray-brown tom

SKYCLAN

LEADER

EAGLESTAR—dark brown tom with white muzzle and amber eyes

DEPUTY

TEASELBLAZE—large white she-cat with dark brown tabby patches

MEDICINE CAT

YEWTHORN—reddish-brown tom with black stripes

WARRIORS

JAYSTRIKE—gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, ROBINPAW (dark gray tortie she-cat with russet chest)

SHRIKE—gray tom with white underbelly and black patches

WHITEPOPPY—white tom with russet patches and green eyes

STONESKY—solid gray tom with blue eyes

HORNETFALL—dark ginger tabby tom

APPRENTICE, WRENPAW (tiny light brown she-cat)

SAPWHISKER—golden-brown she-cat with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, CYPRESSPAW (red-brown tabby tom)

YARROWFLAME—gold tom with pale muzzle

QUEENS

FINCHFERN—brown she-cat with red-brown stripes (expecting)

ELDERS

HICKORYLEG—dark brown tabby tom with a twisted leg

BRIGHTFIRE—bright ginger she-cat

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER

DOESTAR—cream she-cat with brown dapples and pale blue eyes

DEPUTY

THORNTALON—light brown tom with dark dapples and green eyes

MEDICINE CAT

THICKETBERRY—red-brown tom with dark dapples and pale blue eyes

APPRENTICE, DAISYPAW (white-and-grey tom with amber eyes)

WARRIORS

FOXFUR—dark ginger tom with with white muzzle

POPPYPELT—russet she-cat with yellow-green eyes

APPRENTICE, ANTPAW (red-brown tom with white tail tip)

SHREWSTRIDE—gray-brown ticked tom with copper eyes

APPRENTICE, ACORNPAW (brown she-cat with ginger patches)

APPLEBLOSSOM—bright ginger she-cat with reddish stripes

OAKEYE—brown tom with one green eye

DARKTHISTLE—dark gray tabby tom with spiky fur

APPRENTICE, TANSYPAW (yellow tabby she-cat)

MOLEDUSK—dark brown tom

APPRENTICE, MARIGOLDPAW (ginger she-cat with white paws)

QUEENS

SQUIRRELEAR—gray she-cat with black ears (Nursing Burrkit and Webkit)

ELDERS

FAWNSPECKLE—pale brown she-cat with white dapples