The Age of Chaos (Warrior Fanfiction)

by WarriorsGeek

A W.I.P. The story of two clans that are in a war. It has the perspectives of some apprentices from each clan. There is a lot more to go, but just hang in there, because I do like to write more of this one often. There is really 10 chapters so far.

CHAPTER 1

Chaos spread through the once-flourishing land. Fields that had before been green were destroyed and stained crimson by the blood of fallen warriors. The Age of Chaos was upon this remote place, hidden deep within the mountains.
Gruesome battles between the warriors of ValleyClan and ThistleClan raged on throughout this war. Too great was the carnage between these incredibly large groups that many of the deceased were doomed to lay limp where they had perished, scattered across the forest, valley, and fields.

The land that these cats lived in consisted of merely three main features to be noted. ThistleClan lived in the forests, north of ValleyClan, that lived, obviously, in a valley southwards. The two territories were separated by a great field, the field that as this time was known as the Carnage plains.

War had broken out during a sacred time; the Gathering, nearly twelve moons ago. Leafbare was the time that had carried the most dead to StarClan. So far.

The real beginning of the Age of Chaos was far worse than what had happened during Leafbare, which had taken ¼ of each clan.

CHAPTER 2

"Jadepaw!" called a strong, stone-grey she-cat from inside of the apprentices den. Her kit, Jadepaw, had left her den again. It was early morning and the dew still clung to the ground, along with a quiet mist that lurked in the deeper parts of ThistleClan's forest. Quietleap, the mother of Jadepaw, gave a long sigh. Often would the apprentice disappear with her friends, Treepaw and Ravenpaw, early in the morning and scramble off into the forest before training.

Far off into the forest and away from ThistleClan's camp the three apprentices were having a contest. Treepaw was climbing on a large oak, his claws unsheathed and digging into its bark.

"Treepaw, you're such a mousebrain!" called Jadepaw from the base of the tree, laughing hysterically along with Ravenpaw. Both were on their backs, looking up at the young tom with amused expressions.

"Shut it!" called Treepaw from one of the branches that he clung to. His fur was prickling with anger at the two she-cats below. "I can climb this tree way better than both of you!" he said before leaping onto a higher branch, nearly slipping.

Ravenpaw began to snort with amusement, "Careful, kittypet! Don't fall!" Treepaw gave her an annoyed look from the branch he sat on, his tail shooting straight up. He purposely kicked down some sticks and pine straw onto both of them, then laughing as it fell near their faces.

"Hey!" Jadepaw hissed, rising to her paws quickly, "You almost hit me in the face!" Treepaw laughed, but said nothing. He stopped once he had reached a branch that stuck out a little more than halfway up the tree.

"Okay, I'm done. Beat that!" Treepaw mewed triumphantly.

"Pfft, you think that's good? Look how far I can get up!" Ravenpaw snorted at him, leaping up onto the branch closest to the ground and then beginning to climb upwards while Treepaw climbed down, his head drooping slightly.

Jadepaw rolled her eyes at him. "C'mon, she's only kidding!" the apprentice mewed, then playfully tackled him. He shoved her off, still pouting. Jadepaw gave a huff of disappointment and then sat to watch Ravenpaw.

"Ha! I'm way higher than you got, Treepaw!" she bragged, puffing out her chest. Jadepaw laughed while Treepaw gave a slight glance, seeing that Ravenpaw was nearly to the top of the tall tree.

"My turn!" Jadepaw mewed happily, climbing up the trunk of the tree and onto the first branch. Ravenpaw made her way down with ease. Treepaw looked away from her, childish anger still in his eyes. He directed his attention towards Jadepaw as she climbed.

She stopped when she was less than half way up, deciding she would do this just so Treepaw didn't feel like the worst one, and so he would stop being so grumpy. Jadepaw peered down at her friends. Treepaw gave a slight smile, sitting up straighter.

"C'mon! Is that all you got?!" Ravenpaw called from the bottom of the tree. "Even a kittypet could do that!"

Jadepaw snorted. She decided she would challenge her friend. "Nope!" Jadepaw called. Besides, she couldn't let Ravenpaw win this one. Treepaw should just be happy that Ravenpaw's bragging wasn't going to be true.

The apprentice climbed the tree swiftly, clearly having more skill than the other two. Within a few minutes she had got to where Ravenpaw had stopped. Ravenpaw's jaw dropped.

"I win!" said Jadepaw as she climbed to the next branch.

"I get to do it again! That's not fair!" Ravenpaw complained loudly. Treepaw snorted.

"Nope!" called Jadepaw as she made her way down the tree. Suddenly, she stopped, flicking her ears as she heard something. She peered in the direction of the sound, widening her eyes as she saw the Carnage Plains through the trees.

"Go! Find them before it is too late!" called a distant voice that seemed to be at the field. The apprentice's eyes widened even more as she realized that they might be ValleyClan cats.

"Guys, you have to run!" Jadepaw said to her friends that sat at the base of the tree below her.

"Why?" they both said in synch.

"Just trust me. You have to run, I hear something. I'll meet you guys back at the camp!"

"But-" Ravenpaw was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes beside her. Jadepaw snapped at them to run, and then climbed to the top of the tree for safety. Her friends had no choice but to scamper away as a large, overgrown warrior appeared at the base of the tree.

"Don't follow them, that's not what we are here for, Boulderheart!" snarled the overgrown tom as he watched Treepaw and Ravenpaw sprint back to the ThistleClan camp.

A dark grey tom snarled, and then dipped his head towards the tom, which must be the deputy of ValleyClan. "Yes, Nightwatcher," he hissed.

A patrol of seven or eight cats leapt through the bushes and into her forest one by one.

The apprentice's eyes narrowed, anger flaring inside her unexpectedly, mingled along with the fear, and she hissed, "Get out!" Jadepaw gulped once she realized what she had said. She hoped desperately that they wouldn't find her.

"Search the ground, TangledWish!" ordered Nightwatcher, his eyes searching for the cat who had threatened them. At the time he wasn't aware that this cat was merely an apprentice.

"Sir," sighed a scrawny she-cat to Nightwatcher, "They aren't here. Someone must have removed them from the ThistleClan territory."

"We'll just have to check the Carnage Plains, then. We have to return these cats to their families," Nightwatcher hissed, his voice a solemn tone. He called for the rest of his patrol and then, one by one, they left.

"AND STAY OUT!" yowled Jadepaw bravely from her spot in the tree, peering through its leaves and watching them flee into the Carnage Plains. She noticed Nightwatcher halting, twitching his ears, and then continuing to run towards the plains.

Once the apprentice reached the ground again, she wondered what the ValleyClan cats were looking for, but shrugged off the thoughts. She pranced triumphantly back to her camp, puffing out her chest in a sense of accomplishment. It was clear that she got it in her head that she made them run away.

CHAPTER 3

In the valley southwards, another apprentice was meeting with his friend, a young sandy-colored tom named Bravepaw.

"Hi, Onepaw!" Bravepaw mewed optimistically to his friend.

"Hi!" Onepaw said, prancing towards Bravepaw with his tail held high. "What do yah wanna do today?"

"My mother said that we can play down by the river," Bravepaw beamed. Onepaw seemed very excited about this as he followed the young tom in front of him down to where the bank was. He longed for some cool water to play in during this hot morning.

When they reached the river bank, they found the path that sloped cleanly down to the rushing waters. The two had enough time to play here until noon, seeing as both of their teachers were off hunting and would be for a while.

"I bet I'll catch a fish before you!" Onepaw challenged, leaping into the water playfully and splashing Bravepaw.

"I doubt it!" Bravepaw mewed, pouncing at the shadow of something in the water. He missed by a few inches as it sped away. The two friends splashed each other playfully, then began to swim about. They weren't all that careful about the river's current. Though it was slightly weak, it was more than capable of sending an unsuspecting cat downstream and never to be seen again.

"I see the fish," whispered Onepaw when he was standing next to his friend. He motioned towards the many shadows that swam with the current. Bravepaw gave a smile, squinting to see them.

"Very quiet," he mewed, his voice barely a whisper. Bravepaw began to paddle towards the fish, splashing the water without noticing. He carelessly swam out towards the fish in a dangerously deep part of the water.

"Bravepaw!" Onepaw shouted, his eyes giving a tint of concern. His friend began to float downstream in the middle of the river where it was too deep for him to stand. He tried to paddle desperately but was being carried away.

"Help!" Bravepaw yowled as he tried to swim towards the bank with no use. Onepaw leapt in after him. Although his forepaws were stronger, Onepaw found himself being carried away as well!

He ducked under the cool water, trying to paddle towards Bravepaw faster. The apprentice snatched hold of Bravepaw's ear and tugged, attempting to swim sideways and to the bank. Bravepaw began to paddle with Onepaw, but it wasn't any use. They were being pulling downstream by the current.

"HELP!" both cried. They were too far for anyone in their clan camp to hear. The only way they would be saved was if someone who was entering the camp heard them.

"Onepaw!" Bravepaw yowled as the other apprentice began to sink down. He tried to help him back to the surface by grabbing his scruff and pulling upwards.

The river had carried them into the Carnage Plains, and would soon lead into ThistleClan territory, a place where they might be killed.

"HELP!" Bravepaw yowled, his hope slowly draining away as he tried to save Onepaw from drowning. Onepaw suddenly snapped up, splashing the surface with his paws and coughing up river water. "Onepaw!"

"We have to get out of this river!" Onepaw hissed, suddenly getting a burst of energy as he realized they might never see their clan again.

As he was swimming and franticly thrashing about, Onepaw slammed his paw into a rock that stuck out from the bottom of the river. He gave a yowl as his leg was scraped. He thrashed more, falling into the river on his back. The apprentice's head was pushed underwater by his own clumsiness and his forehead bashed into another rock, knocking him out cold.

"GAH!" Bravepaw exclaimed as Onepaw's back leg hit him in the stomach and he, too, was shoved under the water. He raised his head quickly, trying to shake the water off of himself without much luck. He looked ahead to see the rapids approaching, many rocks and small waterfalls in his vision.

He tried as hard as he could to keep hold of Onepaw while they floated down towards the danger-filled zone of the river that he was warned to stay away from by his mother. The rapids were where most cats drowned because of the quickly moving water and many pointy rocks that stuck up.

Bravepaw clung onto his friend as they fell down a small waterfall. At the bottom he was shoved underwater. He lost grip of Onepaw and was carried straight into a ragged rock at the riverbed. He smashed into it and then everything went black.

CHAPTER 4

Jadepaw trotted alongside the river that eventually ran past her camp. It hadn't been but a few minutes after she had climbed down from the tall oak she had been in, and she was heading back to the ThistleClan apprentice den to meet up with her friends, Treepaw and Ravenpaw.

Suddenly, the young she-cat stopped in her tracks, seeing a large tree root in her path that she could have tripped over. Shrugging, she then stepped over it more carefully, but did not continue walking.

In the river, she spotted two figures that were floating down the gentle current. Jadepaw tilted her head. "What is that?" she asked herself before trotting down to the river to investigate.

"Hello?" Jadepaw called when she had wadded into the river. This part was very shallow and barely even had a current, better for playing in then the part of the river in ValleyClan. The apprentice walked up to Bravepaw and prodded him gently with her paw. He began to stir, kicking Onepaw who floated next to them.

"W-Where am I?" Bravepaw hissed, shaking his head and then standing up in the river. He grabbed Onepaw by his ear after a few seconds, then dropped him and stared at Jadepaw. Onepaw woke quickly when the cool water splashed in his face, leaping back as he too saw the unknown apprentice.

"I'm Jadepaw. Where do you guys come from?" she asked.

"ValleyClan. You?" Onepaw responded.

"ThistleClan," Jadepaw mewed slowly, her eyes narrowing. "How did you get here?"

"We fell into the river. It carried us downstream…" Bravepaw said, his voice slightly defensive. "How do we leave?"

"Follow the river. I don't know if either of you should be here. Stay low, be careful in the Carnage Plains," she told them. "Next time be more careful about coming into ThistleClan territory. Most warriors around here wouldn't let you go this easy. Good luck."

After a few seconds Onepaw dipped his head. He felt uneasy in this territory, not used to the forests that much. "Thanks," Onepaw said, turning and then motioning for Bravepaw to follow.

"Hmph. Bye, Jadepaw," Bravepaw gave a slight hiss. He was told that ThistleClan cats were mean and dangerous, so he decided not to trust her. Jadepaw's eyes narrowed.

"Don't come back, foxheart!" she hissed after the rude apprentice. Bravepaw flicked his tail at her in dismissal, and then continued walked. Jadepaw denied the urge to lunge at him and rake her claws down his flank.

She continued on towards her clan camp, though making sure the two had left beforehand.

CHAPTER 5

"Jadepaw!" called Quietleap as the apprentice entered the camp. "I was so worried about you! Where have you been?!"

"Mom, I saw strangers come into our territory. They were from ValleyClan," Jadepaw told her. Quietleap's eyes widened.

"What..? When?"

"This morning. I hid in a tree so they didn't see me," she said. The apprentice stepped closer to her mother and then nuzzled her. Quietleap gave a purr, then licking her forehead.

"Alright. I will see to it that Twelfthstar knows at once. Skyeyes is waiting for you. She said to meet you at the training grounds," said her mother before padding off towards their leader's den.

"Bye," she called before sprinting off. "I hope Skyeyes isn't mad," Jadepaw mewed to herself as she ran.

"Ah, Jadepaw. Finally, you've arrived. It feels like I've been waiting a moon," Skyeyes sighed as her apprentice ran into the training grounds. Jadepaw apologized briefly before being interrupted by Skyeyes. "Now, today's lesson will be on hunting."

"Great!" Jadepaw mewed enthusiastically.

"Now, this mossball is a mouse. Show me what you know."
"Okay," Jadepaw said. She crouched down low, her claws unsheathed. Very slowly and silently she prowled through the grass, her rump rather higher up than it should be. She pounced, misplacing her paws and accidently kicking the mossball away. Skyeyes went to retrieve it and then placed it in the same spot.

"Try lowering your backside. Really focus on the 'mouse'. Unsheathe your claws and then pounce directly onto it."

"Hmph, alright," Jadepaw sighed and then crouched down again, this time her stance was much better. She prowled silently towards the mossball, eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, she pounced, unsheathing her claws. One paw landed on the ground and the other on the mossball.

"Better, but you need to try harder. Work on your pounce a little more." Jadepaw sighed.

"Skyeyes, I need to see Jade-," a stern voice suddenly called towards the two, then cutting off at the sight of their training. "What are you doing, Skyeyes?" he asked, anger flaring in his voice.

"What is the problem, Twelfthstar?" Skyeyes asked, motioning for Jadepaw to stand.

"You're teaching her to hunt?" Twelfthstar hissed, at Skyeyes. She walked up to him and the two began to hiss words at each other that Jadepaw could barely make out.

"I just think that hunting could be more basic. She needs to learn that just in case something happens, you know she can't just learn to fi-," she picked up a little of what Skyeyes was saying.

"No. It is in this time that we need warriors, not hunters. You will do as I ask and train her the proper-," Twelfthstar was interrupted again.

Jadepaw sat straight, pretending she couldn't hear their argument. After a couple minutes Skyeyes finally walked over to Jadepaw.

"Our leader wishes to see you, Jadepaw. When you return I will require no more training for today," Skyeyes said, then added in a whisper, "I suggest you keep practicing with your pouncing skills."

Jadepaw nodded, padding over to Twelfthstar and then following him to his den.

"Tell me what you saw this morning, Jadepaw, with ValleyClan," her leader demanded.

"I-I was just climbing this tree when these warriors burst into our forest. There was this big tom who was called… Nightwatcher, I think. He had a patrol with him and they were searching for some cats… One cat said they weren't there and so they all went back into the forest," she told her leader, slightly shaky and nervous sitting in front of him since he seemed so angry.

"Thank you for telling me this. You are dismissed, Jadepaw," he said, dipping his head. She dipped hers as well, then scampered out of her leaders den and into the apprentices den.

It was nearly dusk when her two friends joined her in the den, looking pretty worn out from their training, where as Jadepaw had only trained for a little while.

"Look, it's Jadepaw!" called Ravenpaw, dashing up to her friend. "So, what happened?" she asked. Jadepaw explained to her and Treepaw about the warriors and how 'she kind of scared them off'.

"Awesome!" Treepaw exclaimed. "Much more fun than what we did all day. We had to go over our battle moves for the third time!" he groaned, rolling his eyes. Ravenpaw sighed.

"You guys will have your chance for more adventure tomorrow! Don't worry. I know what we can do…" Jadepaw said, her voice mischievous. Then Ravenpaw giggled, and then all three of them settled down in their nests.

"Night, guys," Treepaw yawned, shutting his eyes.

"G'night," Ravenpaw and Jadepaw mewed in synch. While Ravenpaw shut her eyes and drifted off into sleep, Jadepaw lay awake, thinking of tomorrow.

CHAPTER 6

"Hey, Bravepaw."

"What?"

"Do you think that this war will be over when we grow up to be warriors?"

Bravepaw sighed, "I don't know. I doubt it, though."

"Which means one of us might have to kill Jadepaw?"

"Maybe. Why do you care?"

"She let us go back there when she could have just let us be killed."

"I guess she did. But, Onepaw, we gotta be loyal to our clan. If that means killing some she-cat that we barely know, fine."

"But that's wrong… C'mon, Bravepaw, you can't actually believe that. What if someone else just killed you and didn't care?"

Bravepaw was silent. The two ValleyClan apprentices trudged on, the burning light of day beginning to disappear under the horizon. They continued to follow the river back to ThistleClan, but feared how much trouble they would be in.

"What are we going to say?" Onepaw asked his friend.

"We were just playing in the river and fell asleep?"

"I guess that'll work," Onepaw said. For the rest of the journey both were silent.

Finally, the two arrived at the spot where they had played in the water. Neither said a word, just continued to drag their paws towards their clan camp. Once they had arrived, two warriors were waiting at the entrance.

"Bravepaw!" one tan she-cat called.

"Onepaw!" called a black-furred she-cat. Both ran towards them and then nuzzled their mothers. "I was worried sick about you! Where have you both been?"

"We were playing by the river and I guess we lost track of time and fell asleep at the bank. No big deal," Onepaw said.

"The two of you should get to the apprentice den, now. You should find yourselves lucky that Nightwatcher and Eaglesight were out hunting for most of the day. Now, go get your dinner and scurry along," Bravepaw's mother, Honeyfur, told them.

"Yes maim," both said, dipping their heads and then scrambling off towards the disturbingly small freshkill pile.

"Alright, we should get some rest as well, Honeyfur," Onepaw's mother, Embercoal, mewed. Honeyfur nodded and the two warriors padded off towards their den.

"This mouse is great!" Onepaw mewed loudly to Bravepaw.

"Birds aren't really my taste but it was the only other thing left," Bravepaw mewed, his voice a little less optimistic. Onepaw sighed, handing him the rest of his mouse.

"Thanks," Bravepaw mewed, passing his bird to Onepaw. Onepaw liked birds a little more than his friend, so ate the rest without complaining. After the two had finished, they stood and then headed to the apprentice den.

"We dodged a lot of trouble, didn't we?" Bravepaw laughed.

"Heh, yeah," Onepaw said, giving a chuckle, his face lit up with amusement.

"Hey, Whitepaw!" Bravepaw mewed as the young she-cat walked by.

"Hey," she replied, continuing to walk past.

"She loves you," Onepaw mewed sarcastically as his friend drooled over Whitepaw.

"I know," he replied in a dreamy voice, his attention still on the she-cat. Onepaw rolled his eyes, smiling slightly at his goofy friend.

"Let's go, mousebrain," he said, dragging his friend off towards the apprentice den. Bravepaw gave a slight mewl of protest, but then shook his head and snapped out of his dreaminess.

"Fine," Bravepaw said before trotting into the apprentice's den and curling up on his moss bed. Suddenly, a larger tom stalked up to the two.

"Hey, kittypets," he hissed, his eyes full of amusement.

"Go away, Thickpaw," Onepaw growled.

"Make me-," he was cut off by another apprentice.

"Leave them alone," Bearpaw sighed. Thickpaw looked at him, annoyed, and then stalked off.

"Thanks," Bravepaw told Bearpaw. He dipped his head and then walked to his nest, curling up and beginning to fall asleep. Onepaw lay down in his nest too, closing his eyes and drifting off into slumber.

CHAPTER 7

"Wake up, Treepaw!" Ravenpaw and Jadepaw yowled excitedly. The young tom leapt out of his nest and looked around, alarmed.

"What?!"

"It's time to go adventuring!" Jadepaw mewed happily.

"Oh yeah…" Treepaw replied slowly, obviously tired.

"C'mon!" Ravenpaw mewed, dashing out of the apprentice den with Jadepaw on her tail. Treepaw ran off more slowly, slightly dragging his paws. The three ran out of camp and into the forest.

"Let's go into the grass," Ravenpaw whispered, crouching down at the edge of ThistleClan's territory and peering into the Carnage Plains.

"Okay!" Jadepaw mewed, darting into the tall grass. Ravenpaw followed, Treepaw dragging behind. Once they had ran into the dangerous lands unknowingly, the three began to hear noises not too far off.

"Stay low, they don't know we're here," a voice that of ThistleClan was saying. Out of the forest a patrol of warriors was prowling. Treepaw leapt up, his eyes searching the plains.

"What's going on?" Ravenpaw whispered.

"I don't know…" he said.

"It's just our clan, guys," Jadepaw mewed, rolling her eyes. The other two weren't so sure, especially Treepaw.

"Let's go see what they're doing," Ravenpaw hissed slightly, crawling through the tall grass. She saw the warriors and noticed there were about five of them.

"I see Ridgedflank… Dewflower… Nightwish…" she whispered slowly. "Darksky and Rippedear."

"That's weird… I wonder what they are-," Jadepaw was cut off by other sounds coming from the opposite direction.

"ValleyClan!" Treepaw hissed, catching a glimpse of unfamiliar cats in the distance. Jadepaw recognized Nightwatcher, Tangledwish, and Boulderheart. There were two other cats she didn't recognize.

"Leave NO survivors!" Ridgedflank yowled a battle cry, and then charged forward, latching his claws onto the nearest ValleyClan cat. All of the warriors began to attack each other. Blood spattered the ground as soon as the battle had started.

Soon, there were at least three dead cats. One on ValleyClan was a tan-furred she-cat, as the three apprentices could tell. Nightwish and Darksky lay limp on the ground. Finally, after what felt like a moon, the battle had stopped. ValleyClan had retreated, carrying their dead warrior back to their home.

"NO!" Ridgedflank mewed, standing up weakly, covered in bite and claw marks. He limped over to Nightwish and buried his head in her fur. She was gone. Darksky too had fallen, and with much sorrow, the remaining three warriors carried them back to camp.

The three apprentices were shocked, eyes widened in terror. They weren't supposed to be there. They weren't supposed to see what had just happened. By the time any of them dared to speak it was mid-day. During the battle they were unable to leave for fear of being caught.

"Why?" Treepaw mewed suddenly. The other two had their heads hanging down and seemed to carry too much sadness to raise them.

"I-I wish we weren't here…" Ravenpaw sniffled, a slight tear leaking out of her eye. Jadepaw was silent, staring at the ground without moving a muscle. "They're dead…"

"We have to go…" Jadepaw whispered solemnly. Treepaw nodded, standing. Ravenpaw did the same, and then nudged her friend to get up. Jadepaw reluctantly rose to her paws. All three dragged their paws as they trudged back to camp, their heads hanging low.

"Treepaw!" shouted Mapleheart when the three had entered the camp. Quietleap dashed over to her kit, Riversong following and scooping Ravenpaw into her paws. They all shared a few moments together, glad that their kits weren't gone.

"Come, now. We must go. There is a clan meeting," Quietleap said, rising to her paws and then curling her tail around Jadepaw, who walked by her side. There would be time later for questions.

"Nightwish and Darksky have perished in a battle between ValleyClan," Twelfthstar hissed from atop the highrock. All the cats in their clan had seated themselves below, their eyes locked on Twelfthstar.

"Sit, and say nothing," Quietleap whispered gently to Jadepaw and she slumped down. Jadepaw nodded.

"This war has caused too great a number of dead cats. Our cats. We know that this cannot continue. It has been a while since a battle, but now, the fighting will continue again. This time, ThistleClan will win. We will outnumber ValleyClan and destroy them. They will NOT go without punishment for the deaths of beloved Nightwish and brave Darksky."

The clan yowled in approval, furious with ValleyClan and wanting nothing but revenge. Ridgedflank, mate of Nightwish, yowled the loudest, his heart full of rage. Darksky's mate, Stormsong, merely sat in despair, tears flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't go on without him, it seemed.

"Mother, what does this mean?" Jadepaw asked, concern in her eyes.

"This means danger and war," Quietleap sighed, sadness piercing her strong heart. Jadepaw's head hung low. Would she have to fight, too?

CHAPTER 8

"No… NO!" Bravepaw yowled in sorrow. Nightwatcher stared straight into his eyes, his flank covered in scars from the battle earlier in the day. It was now dusk and the warriors of ValleyClan had returned with many wounded, and one dead she-cat.

"I am deeply sorry, Bravepaw, but it is true. Honeyfur did not survive the battle…"

"Where is my MOTHER?!"

"If you truly wish to see her, follow me," Nightwatcher sighed, rising to his paws and padding towards the medicine den.

"M-Mother…" Bravepaw mewled, his cheeks flooded with tears as he curled up next to Honeyfur's body. Spiritwind, the medicine cat, was tending to a few other cats before she gently walked up and placed a paw onto Bravepaw's shoulder.

Her voice was soft and calm, but filled with sadness, "I am sorry, Bravepaw. There was nothing that I could do."

"I don't CARE!" he yowled, hatred flaring in his young heart. He stood, darting out of the medicine den and into the darkness beyond. Nightwatcher attempted to run after him but Spiritwind halted him.

"He needs time alone, Nightwatcher. Let him be."

"Yes, Spiritwind," he sighed.

As dusk turned into night, rain began to fall. First it was very gentle, and then it began to pour down heavily. Lightning struck, thunder following it harshly. Bravepaw sat alone, far away from his camp, in the Carnage Plains. His fur was drenched and he shook with the cold, yet he rose to his paws.

"I will kill every single cat in ThistleClan if it is the last thing I do…" he muttered to himself. The young tom began to pad forward, the wind slamming into him. He didn't care, and continued walking.

The rain stung his pelt as it poured down strongly onto the earth, slightly being pushed sideways by the powerful wind. With surprising strength he kept himself upright. He was heading towards the ThistleClan territory.

Once he had crossed the river that divided their territory, he peered up at the great forest that loomed over him. No fear appeared on the outside, though his heart was black with it.

The rain still made its way through the trees and caused him great hardships, but it was still less than in the plains he had once walked through. Finally, he caught the sight of ThistleClan's camp.

All cats were in their dens, huddled up against the storm. Bravepaw knew exactly where to go. He picked out the den which he most believed to be the nursery.

He prowled into it to reveal a nursing queen with around six kits. His eyes narrowed, hatred pulsing in his veins. He was dripping wet, causing a trail of water in the den, but merely approached the resting family as quietly as he could. He locked his cold eyes onto the kit that was farthest away from the rest, and approached it.

"You're mine, little runt," he whispered harshly, snatching it up, his jaws clamping around its stomach, the way a kit should not be carried.

"W-What…?" the queen said, being woken up by a sudden drop of water on her head. Her eyes widened as she saw a dark figure stalking towards the den exit. Frantically, her eyes searched her kits to make sure they were all there.

When she discovered one was missing, she yowled, "FLAMEKIT!" She attempted to stand without hurting her kits, but most were curled up very close to her legs, and she couldn't.

Bravepaw darted out of the den and into the cold, wet night. The winds gusted even worse. Bravepaw yowled to ThistleClan and then darted off towards the Carnage Plains. He stopped when he was in ThistleClan's half of the plains and crouched down in the grass to shelter himself from the storm.

"Mew!" the kit gave a frantic call for its mother as it was dropped onto the ground by the young apprentice. Bravepaw hissed, smashing his claws into Flamekit's side. It gave another distress call towards its mother, but Bravepaw knew she wouldn't hear.

He stood over the kit, then pinned it to the ground. It was only a few days old and hadn't even opened its eyes yet. Bravepaw was merciless, and didn't care at all about its life.

"Have fun in StarClan, you runt!" he hissed before sinking his fangs into its throat and thrashing about. Flamekit didn't have a chance. Crimson liquid leaked from its wounds as it hung limp in Bravepaw's jaws. He stood for a moment in the harsh rain before deciding to return it to its clan so they could see.

Bravepaw darted into the forest, his eyes on ThistleClan's camp. Right before he entered he turned, throwing the kit down on the ground just outside of the camp. Its fur was drenched by the rain and stained red. And that is how Bravepaw left it.

The winds howled and the lightning flashed in the dark sky. The ValleyClan apprentice battled with the weather to return back to his territory, the dead kit far behind him. He was nearly out of the Carnage Plains.

Tears began to flow down his cheeks. He missed his mother so much he felt like his heart was going to crack in two. He didn't care if she would want him to kill or not, his heart carried too much sorrow and anger and not enough love or happiness.

The young tom didn't dare return to his camp. He would not look at his dead mother again. Instead he slept, curled beneath a tree in his clan's valley, the storm raging on in the night.

CHAPTER 9

When Jadepaw woke it was fairly early in the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, though its dim glow was faint upon the horizon. Her ears flicked at voices coming from outside.

"What…" she whispered to herself, wondering what this could be about. She peered around the apprentice den to see that everyone was still sound asleep. Slowly, the apprentice rose to her paws, attempting not to make any noise.

Once she had stepped outside, the first thing she noticed was the damp air and the wet ground. The trees that towered above her were wet with the droplets of rainwater. She stepped through the mud and padded towards the voices.

"Was it a rogue?" she heard some cat say. There was a pause and then a different cat said something she didn't hear. Jadepaw realized that they were all in Twelfthstar's den. She recognized Suntail speaking to Twelfthstar and Ridgedflank. All of their faces were grave.

"I don't know. All I know is that this cat stole my kit," Suntail hissed. "I don't even know if he is still alive," she added, her eyes watering up.

"We'll try to find Flamekit as soon as we can," Ridgedflank said.

"If that cat killed my son, mark my words, Ridgedflank…"

"Calm down, I'm sure Flamekit is fine. I will send Ridgedflank to look for him," Twelfthstar hissed.

"Fine. I have to return to my kits, now. We need someone to watch the nursery from now on, too."

"I will see to that, Suntail. Now, go get some rest."

Suntail dipped her head, her expression that of concern for young Flamekit. She padded off towards the nursery to tend to her young kits. Jadepaw flicked her tail.

"I wonder what happened," she whispered to herself. Ridgedflank stalked out of camp in search for Suntail's lost kit, his eyes peeled for anything unusual.

"I doubt anyone was even out here in the storm. She was just dreaming, I bet, and Flamekit ran off," Ridgedflank grumbled to himself as he walked out of camp. Jadepaw decided to follow him. He was turned to the side of the camp when he halted.

"Oh no…" the tom said, his voice frantic. Hidden in the wet leaves was a little orange ball of fur. "Flamekit?" the ThistleClan deputy said as he approached it. When he stood next to it he nudged it with his nose. It smelled strongly of Suntail.

The tom nudged it again and rolled it over to reveal the lifeless body of Flamekit. "NO!" the tom hissed, then grabbed him gently by his scruff. He ran back into camp calling, "SUNTAIL!"

"I hope to StarClan he isn't dead!" Jadepaw hissed to herself. She watched as the queen came running out of the nursery and stared at Flamekit. All of Jadepaw's hope suddenly faded when she saw the expression on Suntail's face.

"Oh StarClan, why?" she muttered, taking Flamekit into her jaws and then dashing into the medicine den. Jadepaw herself ran back into the apprentice den and leapt into her nest. She just wanted to go back to sleep and forget everything she saw.

Later that morning when the sun had risen, Jadepaw was woken again by noises. She turned in her sleep, grunting. At the moment she had forgotten about Suntail's misfortune. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes to see Treepaw and Thickpaw face to face.

"Don't EVER touch me again, THICKSKULL!" Treepaw hissed, his eyes narrowed and claws unsheathed.

"Make me, Treeface," the tom growled. Treepaw lost his patience (what little he had left), and lunged at Thickpaw, aiming his claws at his face. Thickpaw was tackled by him just in time for Twelfthstar to walk into the apprentice den.

"What are you doing, Treepaw? Stop immediately. Now is not the time for battling your own clan! I will expect to see you in my den later, young apprentice. Thickpaw, run along, Rippedear is waiting for you."

"Yes sir," Thickpaw mewed, squirming out from under the much smaller Treepaw and heading for Rippedear.

"Yes, Twelfthstar," Treepaw said, his voice angry. Of course he was getting blamed. He ran off.

"I need to speak with you, Jadepaw," Twelfthstar said sternly.

"Yes sir," she replied, standing up and then following her leader to his den.

"Skyeyes isn't going to be able to train you, anymore. She and a few other warriors have been sent to patrol our borders and hunt. She'll have to spend most of her time on that task, which means you'll have extra time for yourself. I will be able to train you from now on, but I will be busy today. You will stand guard outside of the nursery," Twelfthstar said once they had sat down in his den.

"Really sir? I would be honored," she said, dipping her head. She couldn't believe that her leader was going to train her.

"Yes. But for now you will have to go to the nursery."

"Yes sir," she said, then running out of his den. The apprentice darted up to the nursery, and then peered in. She saw Suntail laying down with her now five kits.

"Hello, Suntail," she said, trying to be polite.

"Hello, Jadepaw. What brings you here?" Suntail mewed. Jadepaw could tell that she had been crying, and could hear that Suntail was trying to be brave.

"Twelfthstar sent me to guard the den… Is something wrong?" she asked, though knowing the answer. She remembered what she had saw earlier this morning. The apprentice was quite sure that Flamekit had died.

"I don't believe so," Suntail lied.

"Alright. Well if you need anything I will be just outside."

"Thank you, Jadepaw."

She dipped her head, and then walked out of the den. When she sat outside, she took a moment to appreciate the sudden light of the sun that beamed down on their camp. Last night's rain had definitely cleared up.

"Jadepaw!" said a familiar voice. The apprentice looked back down to see her friend walking out of camp with her mentor, Rusthiss.

"Hey!" Jadepaw smiled. Ravenpaw then was made to act more like a warrior by Rusthiss, and gave a sort of 'goodbye look' before trotting off, tail raised high.

Jadepaw sighed. The day dragged on without anything really happening except for breakfast. The sun soon rose to the top of the sky, and before long began to fall back onto the horizon. She saw Treepaw and Ravenpaw return to the apprentice den, and wondered when she would get to sleep.

"Jadepaw," Twelfthstar said as he suddenly approached her.

"Yes?"

"I must ask if you can stay for a while and guard the nursery. I will have Stagheart guard it, though, once he returns from his patrol. Though I must warn you, it will be quite a while."

"I suppose I will. I wouldn't want anything getting to Suntail and her kits," she said slowly, giving a sigh.

"You will be a great warrior, Jadepaw. Making sacrifices for your clan is deeply appreciated. I must attend to other things, for now. I will see you in the morning."

"Thank you sir," Jadepaw said. She returned back to her original position, sitting in front of the den's entrance. She peered in to see Suntail settling down with her kits.

"Good night!" Jadepaw said. To her surprise it wasn't Suntail to answer first, but her kit, Lakekit.

"Night!" Lakekit mewed. Suntail placed her tail over her kit as to calm her down.

"Hush, little one. Good night, Jadepaw."

Jadepaw pulled her head out of the den and then peered at the dark sky. She wondered if Treepaw and Ravenpaw missed her. She missed them. A yawn escaped her jaws as she stared at the moon.

"Stagheart will be here soon," she told herself

CHAPTER 10

The night dragged on. Clouds began to cover the stars and moon, giving Jadepaw a rather dreary feeling. She blinked continuously, feeling rather drowsy. The cool night wind rushed through her fur, giving her a comfortable feeling. She began to slump to the ground, shutting her eyes.

Crunch. Crunch crunch. The apprentice shut her eyes tighter when she began to hear the annoying sound. Crunch. Crunch crunch. She kept hearing it. Jadepaw squirmed around, trying to keep her eyes shut and ignore it. Crunch.

"UGH!" she hissed, her eyes snapping open. She rose to her paws quickly and then shook the leaves out of her fur. "Hmph, good thing I didn't fall asleep," she muttered to herself, glancing at the nursery that she stood guard at.

"Hello?" she mewed, remembering why she woke up. An odd feeling began to creep down her spine, making the fur on her back stand up. Her eyes darted around, gleaming in the night.

The crunching noise continued. It sounded like someone walking in the leaves. Jadepaw began to feel uneasy and then unsheathed her claws, digging them into the ground. She narrowed her eyes as the crunching noise began again.

"Who's there?" she hissed under her breath. The she-cat turned and looked at the side of the den for a split second when she heard the bushes rustle. When she turned back around she saw a young tom about her age.

"Get out-," she was about to yowl before his scent hit her nose. It was slightly familiar. She had also smelled it in the nursery, but hadn't really noticed. "You…"

"Get out of my way, you foxhearted ThistleClan scum!" threatened a familiar voice. Jadepaw took in his scent one last time before realized where she knew him from.

"I know you… You were at the river with your friend. The two of you got carried into our territory," Jadepaw said slowly. "You're the one that stole the kit!" she snarled in realization. The young tom seemed incapable of doing something so vile.

"Shut up. I said LET ME THROUGH!" the tom said, charging at her with unsheathed claws. Jadepaw was stunned. She didn't know how to fight, but had to react quickly.

"NO!" she yowled, leaping upwards just in time for the tom to miss. She landed on his back, digging her claws into his fur, and then leapt onto the ground behind him and he turned.

"You'll regret that!" he snarled, leaping at her and aiming for her skull. She stepped backwards and his paws slammed onto the ground. In a split second she had leapt forward as well, raking her claws down his cheek and then running into the nursery.

"Run, Suntail!" she yowled at the top of her lungs before being pinned to ground by Bravepaw. Suntail woke, alarmed at the sight of the two apprentices fighting. She had no choice but to scoop up her kits and run for the exit.

Bravepaw dragged his claws down the young she-cat's chest, causing her to wince with the pain. Jadepaw squirmed out from under him and ran to the back of the den.

"You afraid, kittypet?" he taunted, padding threateningly towards her.

"Are you, foxheart?" Jadepaw snarled. She stood up straighter, digging her claws into the ground. Without a warning she lunged forward, digging her fangs into the cat's neck and shoving him onto the ground. He took hold of her ear and then pulled back.

"GAH!" she yowled and released him. The tip of her right ear was torn by his fangs. The ValleyClan apprentice ran towards her, jaws wide. Just in time Jadepaw moved to the side, slashing his cheek in the same spot as before and then leaping onto his back.

Bravepaw thrashed around, flinging her onto the den wall. She slid down the wall and lay on the ground, panting. The tom walked up to Jadepaw, towering over her.

"I'm gonna turn you into crowfood, cat!" he spat. Just then there was a noise outside. Twelfthstar and Stagheart ran into the nursery. Stagheart lunged forward, tackling Bravepaw and pinning him to the ground.

"Don't kill him," Twelfthstar commanded. "Take him to the holding place."

"Yes," Stagheart grunted as he lifted the apprentice up, "sir."

"T-Thank you…" Jadepaw said, standing shakily to her paws. Twelfthstar stared coldly after Bravepaw, and then looked to the apprentice.

"You have done well. Suntail and her kits all escaped fine. I suggest you head to the medicine den. You may rest until sunhigh," Twelfthstar said before turning and walking in the direction of the holding place.

Jadepaw trudged down to the medicine den, crimson liquid slowly leaking out of her wounds. Once she had entered the den, she nudged Goldenwhisper.

"Jadepaw! Oh StarClan what happened!?" she said, suddenly wide awake once she saw her wounds. Without waiting for an answer she immediately rushed to get marigold and cobwebs.

"A tom attacked me when I was guarding the nursery."

"That's odd. Where did he come from?"

"I think ValleyClan."

"Of course," Goldenwhisper stopped what she was doing for a moment. She then walked back over to the apprentice and applied marigold to her wounds before covering them with cobwebs. She hurried to the back of the den and gathered some moss. The she-cat used it then to make a nest for Jadepaw.

"Thank you, Goldenwhisper," she said, grateful.

"You are welcome, Jadepaw. Now sleep, you need your rest," she demanded. Jadepaw sighed, glad that she could finally get some sleep. It was nearly Sunup, which meant she had stayed awake for practically the whole night.

The apprentice curled up, giving a long yawn before drifting off into slumber.