it has been. sO LONG SINCE I'VE WRITTEN A WARRIOR FANFIC LIKE WOW.

idk man i finally read Moth Flight's Vision yesterday and while my heart was hurting i thought to myself "you know what clan origin stories are cool and i wanna write one."

so now i have this.

hopefully i have the motivation and energy to finish this one this time-

In the cloudless sky, the claw-scratch of a moon glowed ominously among the stars like a cold eye observing the forest below. In between the trees stood a clearing, the wind-smoothed grass broken by a large rock jutting upward, shining silver in the half-light. Shadows flickered all around; through the trees, across the field, carried along the wind, with bright eyes and flashing claws.

But for the moment, there was only silence. Hidden in the silhouette of the jagged rock, a white-furred she-cat gazed up at it with wide, admiring eyes. She was almost like a spirit in the darkness, the brightness of her pelt muted and faded. She sensed nothing of the tension that was present in the air, the hostility rising like flames in the trees surrounding her.

All she felt was… a strange sense of peace. Like this was where she belonged. Where she needed to be.

I have to find this place.

But, as quickly as the thought had come, a sudden shriek tore it away from her, and dozens of other cats poured into the clearing like a flooded river. Anger burned in their eyes, claws tore away at fur and flesh, teeth sank into legs and necks as if their opponents were nothing but prey to be slaughtered. The white she-cat was horrified, everything within her screaming at her to run, but she couldn't move her legs. Panic surged through her veins, but it was like she was frozen, forced to watch every spray of blood and hear every cry of pain.

This was not just a warning fight, like the ones she was used to in the city. This was a full scale war, where every death was a victory to someone else.

"…White Rose…!"

The white she-cat's breath became a sharp gasp when she heard her name, a wail sticking in her throat as she was struck with a sickening realization. These cats were not strangers – her family was among these warring cats! She could smell their scents, laced with blood, hear their kind voices turned to agonized screeches. No… No!

"…White Rose!"

She suddenly caught sight of one cat's mouth moving, turned to face her, and her heart lurched. Whenever he looked at her, his green eyes were always so soft and loving.

Why did he now look at her with such hard, unforgiving eyes?

Streaking across the open clearing like lightning, he rushed toward her, teeth bared and claws ready to tear out her throat. A shadow crossed her vision, and she screwed her eyes shut.

"White Rose!"

Her eyes snapped back open when she felt the weight of a paw shoving into her side, her amber eyes wild with fear. "No, don't hurt me!"

But, after a moment's pause, everything started to become clear. There was no more battle. The moon was gone, its place taken by the rising sun, sending bright rays of light through the trees and dappling across her white fur. The only sounds that echoed around her were the calming sounds of bird song and rustling leaves.

Looming over her, green eyes gazed into her face once more, but there was once again love and familiarity in their depths. They belonged to a cat that she knew well, almost better than she knew herself. Upon seeing his long gray fur raised along his back in concern, White Rose let out a deep, relieved sigh. She had only been dreaming.

"Forest… Thank the stars." She calmly got to her paws and shook the moss from her fur, giving the worried tom a reassuring nuzzle. "Everything's alright – it was just…"

"The same dream again?" Forest tilted his head at her, still looking a bit uneased. "This is the fifth night in a row since we left the city!"

It certainly was odd, White Rose had to admit. Never before had she experienced such a horrible dream, and so often as well. Her waking up like this always left Forest concerned, and that was without telling him how the dream ended… "I know, I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you like this." She sighed again, flicking the last bit of bedding from their messy nest from her pelt.

Forest gave her an exasperated, but fond, look, brushing his tail against her side. "You don't have to apologize for anything. You don't always have to say sorry when someone else is upset, Rose." He purred at her old bad habit, which White Rose knew he was used to by now. "There's other things we should be worrying ourselves with right now."

"You're right. Sorry." White Rose chuckled at herself when the word left her mouth without second thought. "Has Rain Fall's paw stopped hurting yet?"

Together, White Rose and Forest padded out from the shelter of their makeshift den under a patch of bracken, walking out into a small clearing as they conversed. A few cats milled about the open area, most continuing what they were doing as the pair passed by. "She says that it has, but Blue Jay's keeping an eye on her anyway." Forest explained, glancing around to see who was close by. "You know how Rain Fall is, especially when she feels like others are depending on her. So stubborn."

White Rose nodded in understanding. "Even if it was just a thorn, it could get infected if anything gets into the wound. I'll check on it once we get to the place Flame and Shadow told us about." For a moment, White Rose stood still, feeling the soft breeze blow through her fur as it brushed through the trees. "Forest… Do you think we've finally found a place we can call home?"

Her voice was hopeful, but wistful. Before now, she and the rest of their traveling group had lived in the abandoned section of a Twoleg city. Although they had been close to the dangerous creatures and their monsters, it hadn't been a horrible place to live. For many, it was the only home they'd ever known. But, when the Twolegs started to tear the buildings down to clear the land and make room for new, strange structures, Forest decided to gather as many cats that wanted to leave as he could to find a place where they all could live peacefully. Just recently, two of their cats had gone scouting and came back with news of a prey-filled, lush wooded area that in a way sounded too good to be true. They'd been traveling for moons; the thought of never having to spend another day walking hungry, thirsty, and exhausted still felt like dream.

But Forest gave White Rose that calming look, the one that always made White Rose feel like everything was going to be okay. "I can feel it, Rose. Something about this place… tells me that we've reached the end of our journey." There was an unwavering confidence in his voice. "I know we have."

ALLEGIANCES

Cats of the Wood

Dawn – golden tabby tom with a white patch on his chest and blue eyes

Dusk – dark brown tabby she-cat with dark markings around her face and yellow eyes

Branch – dark golden tabby tom with green eyes and a long tail, brother of Poppy

Poppy – dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes, one scarred, sister of Branch

Claw – large white tom with amber eyes, father of Cream and Peach

Cream – creamy-white she-kit with pale amber eyes, sister of Peach

Peach – pale ginger-and-white she-kit with blue eyes, sister of Cream

Clover – black-and-white she-cat with green eyes and a scarred ear

Speck – small black tom with a white chest and yellow eyes

Falcon – silver tabby tom with sharp golden eyes

Ash – muscular black tom with silvery-blue eyes

Birdsong – pale brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes and white paws

Moss – calico she-cat with a white-tipped black tail and amber eyes

Ice – pure white tom with one blue eye, one amber eye, deaf in one ear

Cloud – long-furred white tom with green eyes, son of Ice

Midnight – dark gray tabby she-cat with white paws and a white belly, blue eyes, daughter of Ice

Fern – black-and-white tom with green eyes, son of Ice

Sun – pale ginger she-cat with darker fur on her ears, face, legs, and tail and pale blue eyes

Willow – long-furred pale gray tabby tom with a white belly and green eyes

The Travelers

White Rose – white she-cat with bright amber eyes and soft fur

Forest – long-furred dark gray tom with a pale underbelly and chest, green eyes

Blue Jay – blue-furred tom with blue eyes, mate of Rain Fall

Rain Fall – silver and white tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes, mate of Blue Jay

Flame – ginger tom with a white patch on his chest and golden eyes

Shadow – sleek black she-cat with amber eyes

Tabitha – brown-and-white she-cat with amber eyes, sister of Tobias

Tobias – brown tabby tom with blue eyes, brother of Tabitha

Snow Storm – speckled silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Moonlight – black-and-silver tom with yellow eyes