A Broken Shell
Chapter One
"Get away from me, you monster!" Tornstar growled, lashing out at a tiny kit. The kit ducked swiftly, Tornstar's claws sailing above his head. The kit then turned tail and ran to the nursery. He was met with more snarls and lashing claws, a claw catching his ear. Blood began to flow from the wound, and the kit turned and ran again, this time through the clan entrance. Why does everyone hate me so much? The kit wondered. As far as he knew, he'd done nothing wrong. All he wanted was for someone to treat him nicely; was that too much to ask?
A little way into the forest, the kit slammed into something and fell backwards. Looking up, his eyes widened in dismay as a light brown tabby she-cat stood in front of him. Closing his eyes, the kit braced himself for claws to rake down his pelt.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?" The she-cat spoke, her voice soft and smooth like honey. "What are you doing so far from camp?"
Hesitantly, the kit opened his eyes. The cat was sitting, washing her pelt. As the kit stepped backwards, she turned her icy blue gaze on him. She reached a white paw towards the kit, and he stepped back even farther.
"I won't hurt you." She mewed. Lightly she flicked the kit's ear with her paw, noticing the scratch on it. "What's your name?"
"I'm Stormkit." The tiny cat replied, confusion in his eyes. Wasn't this cat going to claw him?
"I'm Featherheart." The she-cat replied. "I see your ear was scratched. Let's take you to the medicine den."
Stormkit hesitated. The thought of going back into the camp sent fear through his body, and he shrank to the ground. He knew as soon as he crossed the entrance he'd be met with glinting claws and bared teeth.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Featherheart mewed, seeing the reluctance in his eyes. She knew the clan was treating him badly, but she was against it. The clan was just superstitious, they believed anything they were told. After all, what could this tiny bundle of fur do?
Featherheart took the lead, with Stormkit following cautiously behind her. As they entered the camp, they were met with furious hisses and menacing growls. A cat broke from the crowd and stalked malevolently toward Stormkit, his claws unsheathed and teeth bared.
"Lay one claw on that kit and I'll flay you!" Featherheart snarled, her tail lashing and pelt bristling.
The tom let out a furious hiss, but backed away with a flick of his tail. Featherheart continued heading for the medicine den, and Stormkit followed. Fierce growls followed them all the way there, and Stormkit didn't feel safe until the ivy vines to the medicine den engulfed them.
Featherheart sat with her tail wrapped around her paws, with Stormkit cowering behind her. The medicine den was warm, with cats lying on the grass bearing injuries of all kinds. A white tom was sitting a few fox-lengths from Stormkit, a huge gash in his shoulder. A ginger she-cat was asleep next to Featherheart with a slice in her ear.
"Go on, Stormkit," Featherheart insisted, "it'll be fine." The warm look she gave Stormkit reassured him, and he padded forward.
As Stormkit weaved around the injured bodies, he brushed against a silver she-cat. She turned, and the scowl she shot him carried so much hatred he shrank back.
"You're lucky I wrenched my claws, otherwise you'd be crowfood." She hissed silently, only loud enough for Stormkit to hear.
Stormkit hastily trotted away, ignoring the growls that followed him. Once through the knot of cats, he saw a she-cat with a silver pelt and long, thick black stripes crisscrossing her body. He prodded her in the side, and when she turned and saw him, her eyes burned with rage.
"What are you doing here?!" She snarled, unsheathing her claws. She dropped into a crouch, and Stormkit tensed, preparing to be attacked.
Suddenly a pelt flashed in front of Stormkit. Opening his eyes, he saw Featherheart blocking the path between him and the medicine cat. Her fur was bristling, and anger was coming off her in powerful waves.
"Featherheart, what are you doing?" The medicine cat hissed, clearly confused. She tried to get around Featherheart, but Featherheart moved with her.
"You're not hurting that kit, Cloudheart!" Featherheart snarled, lashing her tail. "For StarClan's sake, you're a medicine cat! Show some compassion, he's done nothing wrong. You need to help him."
"Help him?" Cloudheart's mew was outraged, and her eyes were brimming with disbelief. "Help that heap of fox dung?!" Her tail was lashing furiously side to side, and her words were dripping with hatred. "Spiders have spun webs in your head if you'll think I'll do that."
Featherheart sprung on top of Cloudheart, raking her hind claws along her spine. Cloudheart tried to fight back, but before long Featherheart had her pinned, her jaws gripped Cloudheart's scruff tightly, her paws pressing hard against her back, claws digging into her flesh.
"You will help that kit, or you'll be treating yourself for a broken leg!" Featherheart snarled, digging her claws deeper into Cloudheart's back, slowly tearing them through her flesh.
Cloudheart let out a yowl, and she began gasping in agony. "Fine, I'll do it!" She hissed, a trace of fear in her eyes. "I'll treat him, but then I want him out of here!"
Featherheart relaxed, and let Cloudheart up. Cloudheart disappeared behind a screen of brambles, and came back a few heartbeats later with a poultice in her jaws. She began applying the mush to Stormkit's ear, but the ointment made his ear sting. Stormkit struggled, but Cloudheart pinned him down, paws pressing hard on his spine. Once she was finished, she pushed a couple of seeds near him.
"Eat these," she mewed grudgingly, "they'll help with the pain."
Stormkit lapped up the seeds, and after a few moments he curled into a ball and sank into sleep.
Stormkit woke drowsily, jaws gaping in an enormous yawn. Something soft grazed his fur, and he looked up. He was lying in the curve of Featherheart's stomach, her chest rising and falling in slow, deep breaths. Looking around, Stormkit gazed in astonishment. Instead of the nursery, they were in the midst of the forest, leaves trailing down from the tops of trees. A cold breeze swept over Stormkit, and he shivered, nuzzling closer to Featherheart. Featherheart stirred and woke, her warm blue gaze falling upon Stormkit.
"I see you're up." She mewed, licking him affectionately between the ears. Her eyes fell upon his torn ear, and they blazed with a blue fire. "I'm sorry about the Clan. They just need to realize... I mean, it's not your fault..." Her voice trailed off, and she wouldn't meet Stormkit's eyes.
"Why does the clan hate me?" Stormkit squeaked. The question had crossed his mind many times, but he couldn't bring himself to figure out what he'd done. As far as he was concerned, he was innocent. Why did everyone hate him?
"It's complicated." Featherheart muttered, grooming Stormkit with slow, gentle rasps of her tongue. "I'll tell you when you're older."
Stormkit lashed his tail, annoyance pricking his pelt. He thought he deserved to know now. He'd put up with nothing but hostility his whole life. The self-hatred, the desperation to be loved, the fear that each day he woke would be his last. Suddenly another crossed his mind: why were they out here?
"Featherheart..." Stormkit mewed, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Why are we out here, and not in the nursery?"
Featherheart let out a long sigh before answering. "Tornstar said that if I was to care for you, I could sleep out here with you." Her eyes flashed with anger again, and Stormkit shuffled backwards. He didn't like Featherheart suffering because of him. Having someone care for him felt nice, but he couldn't let another cat struggle because of him.
"I'm sorry, Featherheart." Stormkit mewed, deep regret in his voice. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't want you getting hurt trying to care for me."
Featherheart's eyes turned cold, and as she spoke her voice was stern. "Stormkit, listen. I don't want you trying to convincing me out of this. I made my choice, and I'm sticking to it, understand?"
Stormkit nodded, feeling warmed by Featherheart's devotion to him. He nuzzled even closer to her, enjoying the softness of her pelt. He'd never felt anything like this, to have someone actually care for him... The thought of it almost sent tears streaming down his cheeks. He was so used to hatred and ridicule, Featherheart was like a cat that had descended from StarClan.
"Alright, time to go back to camp. Stay behind me, okay?" Although her mew seemed calm, Stormkit could see the fear in her eyes. They were going blindly into camp, completely unguarded. Featherheart could take a couple of warriors, but she'd be no match for the whole Clan.
Stormkit and Featherheart padded swiftly through the forest, skirting around bushes and trees. The sky was a beautiful pink, with a light blue tinge. Stormkit wondered if this was a good sign; that today would be a good day. I small hope rose inside Stormkit, and he prayed to StarClan; please let this be a good day.
As the two cats entered the camp, all hope was shattered as countless cats leaped on top of them. A smoky gray she-cat raked her claws down Stormkit's flank, and he howled in pain. A white tom took her place, and Stormkit was flung across the clearing, landing against a rock with a dreadful thud. Casting a glance at Featherheart, Stormkit gasped in horror. Featherheart was no more than a lump of fur beneath a mass of cats. She fought furiously, but she was no match against her clanmates. A dark brown tom pinned Featherheart, his claws glinting close to her face and teeth tearing into her chest.
"I'll teach you to favor that piece of filth!" He snarled, slashing his claws across Featherheart's face.
"Stop it! Please!" Stormkit yowled, unable to see his friend in such pain. "You're hurting her!" He hardly had time to move before another cat was upon him. Whimpering in fear, Stormkit tried to back away, but only felt the rock he slammed into come up behind him. A dismayed look on his face, Stormkit closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.
The cat's teeth tore into Stormkit's scruff, and he was hauled off the ground, helplessly flailing his paws. The attacker, a black she-cat with white paws, then slammed him to the ground. Pain shot through Stormkit's ribs on the impact, and he let out a wail. He was lifted again, and this time the she-cat dropped him, letting him fall. But before he could hit the ground, claws ripped into his stomach, and he was sent skidding in the dirt.
Agony was throbbing along Stormkit's belly, and his whole body felt as if it were on fire. Stormkit squinted his eyes, it seemed to him that the clearing was warping and swaying beneath him. All hope drained from his paws as Stormkit saw yet another cat advancing on him. He didn't protest, or try to move, he simply let out a weak, feeble groan. Goodbye, Featherheart, Stormkit thought, I'll miss you... Suddenly the thought of death didn't seem too bad to him. At least I won't have to deal with this torture anymore...
Suddenly Featherheart came crashing into the cat, knocking her over. She then sprang next to Stormkit, defiance in her eyes. Her pelt was horribly scratched, blood staining her beautiful fur, and there were bite marks all over her legs and paws, but still her eyes blazed. Multiple cats were approaching, and Featherheart crouched protectively over Stormkit, snarling.
"Enough." Came a voice, and Stormkit slowly looked up. Tornstar was approaching, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. "Let them live." He mewed, swiping his tongue across his jaws as if Stormkit and Featherheart were juicy pieces of prey. "I want them to suffer a little longer."
A few cats let out hisses of frustration, but backed away, leaving a gap for Stormkit and Featherheart to pass. Stormkit was too weak to move, let alone stand, and Featherheart picked him up gently and they headed towards the medicine den, Tornstar following them.
The place was empty, no injured cats lying around. Cloudheart was sitting near the entrance, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws.
"Cloudheart, give these two something for their wounds, would you please?" Tornstar mewed, his voice dripping with mock worry.
"Of course, Tornstar," Cloudheart meowed. Her voice held such sweetness it made Stormkit sick. The Clan must have arranged this whole thing, Stormkit thought in horror.
Once the medicine cat had treated them, Stormkit and Featherheart settled down in two nests, fresh-kill waiting for them. Stormkit was confused; why was Tornstar being so friendly all of a sudden? He glanced at Featherheart, and saw his astonishment in her eyes as well."Do eat up now," Tornstar purred, his voice like silk, "we have special plans for you tomorrow."
Hope you guys liked the first chapter! The next update will be in the next few days or so.