Hey hey!
So I've been writing a lot of random Warriors startings, and then one day I decided to make another Fanfiction account (to add on to my current Naruto one) to publish my stories. I'm managing two accounts (3 ongoing stories!), plus school and extracurricular, so I apologize in advance if I update really slowly.
Tigerstar: *breaks in* Would you hurry up and get on with the story?
Me: Who invited you here?
Tigerstar: I invited myself MWAHAHAHA
Me: Um... okay. Well, if you could just let me finish with my Author's Note...
Tigerstar: HEY WHOEVER'S LISTENING COME JOIN THE DARK FOREST
Me: Anyways, I'll be updating once every 3 weeks or so.
Tigerstar: WE HAVE COOKIES
Me: I'm really sorry if you believe the updating situation is a problem. I'll try to update as quickly as possible...
Tigerstar: NO REALLY WE DO
Me: If anyone's even listening. *sigh* Moving on. Tigerstar, make yourself useful and say the disclaimer.
Tigerstar: Hmph. Fine. You people, Heathershade doesn't own Warriors.
Me: Good kitty. Now go away.
Tigerstar: I'M NOT A KITTY *pounces*
On with the story!
Deep in the forest, where no human would ever set foot, lived a band of cats who respected a single leader. The cats were spread throughout the forest, hunting whenever they pleased, but gathered together every midnight below the leader's den.
Very specific rules were set: No two cats could live together in the same den. Kits had to be released into the wild after 6 months with their mother. Family members occasionally crossed one another while hunting, or they caught up with news during the nightly gathering.
Killing could only be authorized by the leader. Normally, a group of devoted cats close to the leader would patrol every den at sunrise, noon, and sunset. The leader knew exactly where every cat lived and the names of every kit born.
However, one fateful night a leader finds out what is happening to his cats. Forced to seek help, one of his cats tells him about another mysterious group of cats living nearby, led by a she-cat that will change his world forever.
Lightning arched his back in a long stretch. The various squirrel and rabbit pelts under him made a warm nest, provided by his cats. He quickly groomed his striped fur and padded out of his den.
Being leader, Lightning had a group of elite cats that lived near him and obeyed his every command. They were waiting for him now, dark eyes lowering in respect as he leaped off the ledge connected to his den and landed lightly on the forest floor.
Waving his tail, Lightning addressed the group of cats. "Lion, Stone, Blaze, and Mud, patrol the northeast sector. Owl, Buzzard, and Clover will scout southeast. And Flame, Sparrow, and Whisper, you will patrol the entire western sector. Understand?"
All the cats dipped their heads, then streaked off to their various sectors. Lightning felt a spike of satisfaction. His borders were doing well and would not be attacked anytime soon.
Lightning decided to go visit his flank. It was customary of a leader to have a group of 6 or so she-cats, or a flank, not meant for fighting but as potential kit-mothers, to produce new young. When a mother felt her she-kit was not going to survive fending for herself, she normally sold the kit to the leader in exchange for a small supply of food and medicine, giving up the kit's life as a fighter and instead as a mating source for the leader.
Breaking into a sprint, Lightning finally arrived at his flank's den. Made from many branches woven into a sort of tent, it was fairly secure for the delicate she-cats that spent their lives producing kits for expansion of territory.
Lightning ducked his head and entered the den, many scents of she-cats mingling in the air. He spotted Blossom, her belly containing kits, nearby, and padded over to her. Normally, a leader had a mate that was typically the most desirable of the she-cats to live with him and start a family for future leaders. Lightning hadn't chosen his mate yet because he was still considered young by leader standards, but many cats automatically assumed his mate would be Blossom because he paid more attention to her than the other cats.
Blossom was also incredibly pretty, blessed with a sleek light brown pelt with faint highlights throughout her fur. She had startling golden eyes and was everything a mate should've been: kind, perfect, and delicate.
Once Lightning was by Blossom's side, she stretched up gingerly and rubbed her muzzle on his cheek, an act that would have driven typical toms crazy but only slightly annoyed Lightning. The dark-striped tabby didn't care for his flank very much, mainly because he thought they were too needy and had to be looked after. He only kept one because he was expected to as leader, and if there were no more strong fighters in the forest his cats would be weakened.
"Blossom," Lightning meowed. "How are you feeling?"
The pale brown tabby she-cat shifted slightly and wrapped her tail between her legs, an obvious sign she enjoyed his presence. "Well," she mewed, "It's been quite uncomfortable and I'm sort of having a difficult time sleeping. But, of course, visits from you always comfort me."
Lightning resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He could obviously tell Blossom wanted more attention from her leader and potential mate. "Right," he responded, then brushed his tail over her as goodbye and moved on to his next she-cat.
Suddenly, a thick gray tail winded itself around Lightning's, and he turned to see Storm plastering herself to him. "Lightning!" she gushed. "It's so nice to see you!"
Awkwardly, the tom unwinded himself from the clingy she-cat. "Why are you here?" he tried to ask, but it came out as a growl.
Storm pouted. "Come on, Lightning! Lighten up a little! By the way, could you get me a vole later when you're hunting? I'm sort of getting sick of the same mice every day."
"You don't get special treatment out of all the she-cats in the flank, Storm," Lightning pointed out, but the dark gray she-cat was already padding away, tail swishing behind her.
Lightning sighed and headed towards the entrance, trying his hardest to avoid any other adoring she-cats. Once he was out of the den, he ran back across the forest to the ledge and leaped up, landing squarely in front of his den. He looked down, seeing most of the patrols arriving through the undergrowth.
"Anything new?" Lightning asked his cats.
Whisper lashed his tail. "There were a couple rogues who decided to challenge our territory, but we gave them some wounds to make them think twice." Behind the pale gray tom, Sparrow and Flame sent smug glances to one another, their unsheathed claws and underbellies splattered with dry blood.
"That's not good enough," Lightning hissed. Turning back to all his cats, he added, "Tomorrow, whoever patrols the western sector will make sure the rogues are dead. I want their bodies brought to my paws as proof. Understand?"
All the cats nodded silently. Lightning flicked his tail. "You are all excused."
They dashed away in blurs of gray and brown as Lightning turned his back and headed towards his den, feeling pride in his cats.
Because the only way to survive here is to crush any threat to prevent it from getting bigger. And to prevent uprisings, what better way to stop them then to exterminate them?
Deep stuff, hm?
So Tigerstar, the lazy brute, went off to sleep somewhere and we're all alone. Actually, I'm all alone, but whatevs.
See you in 3 weeks!
~Heathershade
