Shadows on Shore

by Calogera

It has been a year since ShadowClan returned to the lake. Redstar and Blackshade's kits have grown up in an era of peace, where fighting other cats is even uncalled for. But outside of Clan borders, a new threat is rising with one target in mind: the Clans. Can the blossoming kits of our two favorite ShadowClan cats stop the Brotherhood in time? SEQUEL TO BLACK ON RED. On HIATUS.

1. 1 - Black Lily

A/N: Ahoy! Welcome to Shadows on Shore, the officially unofficial sequel to Black on Red. Shadows on Shore (or SoS, as I like to call it) is set up a tiny bit different, and we'll see multiple POVs throughout the story, which I hope will change things up and make it a little more interesting. Black on Red (BoR) has been revised and edited; the main plotline is the same but I made some changes to the grammar and tone. So if this is your first time visiting SoS, I highly recommend reading BoR first! ;) With no further ado, I give you Shadows on Shore!

CHAPTER ONE
BLACK LILY

Only fools do not fear Black Lily.

A shadowy feline shape crept silently along the edge of the roof, careful to make her pawsteps completely silent. She had heard all of the rumors, seen all of the horrific signs left behind by the deadliest assassin in the city – possibly the entire world. Once, she had not believed in such a fear. But now that she did, she knew full well that she was risking her neck traveling at night. But if everything played out in her favor tonight, the risk would all be worth it.

She moves like shadow, walks like the wind, speaks like the frozen sea, and strikes like a viper.

The she-cat leaped lightly across the roofs, her pawsteps barely making a sound. She froze when she heard a sudden sound in the quiet night; a leathery beat of flapping wings. Dismissing the sound as a lone bat, she continued on her way, keeping her ears pricked and her jaws parted for any sign of nearby cats. Anyone in this neck of the woods should be treated as an enemy unless they proved themselves to be otherwise.

Some say she'll nab anyone, strip their fur from their bones, and devour them before their body loses its warmth. Others say she only kills when she senses fear in them. Of course, no one really knows. No one who sees her lives to tell the tale.

She crouched, bunching her muscles beneath her in preparation to jump down from the roof she was on; she was close to her destination. Although the safest place to be a night was high on the roofs, the height was somewhat dizzying. Her senses, heightened by the night, sent adrenaline humming through her veins. She froze, fur on end, as she heard a garbage can tip over with a heavy crash, so different from the quiet comings and goings of the quiet growls of cars as their tires lapped at the road. Black Lily? No, just a coon, looking for a meal from half-eaten hamburger buns and moldy lettuce. She moved on two roofs farther; she'd pick a squabble with a simple raccoon over a cat like Black Lily any day, but that didn't mean she was looking for a fight. Not tonight. It was better to avoid it, save her strength for what was to come.

They say that despite a small, weak appearance, she can maul the fiercest fighter into a meek and helpless scrap of fur. She blinded rabid Dobermans, broke the legs of hungry foxes who came too close, stole the teeth of a trio of curious coyotes, and snapped the spines of cats who've stuck their noses into the wrong business. Even death is afraid to touch her. She's evaded it countless times before, like the time she crumpled onto the road, the bones in her body shattered as the monster fled from its actions. Time held its breath, and then she rose to her feet and walked away from the Thunderpath without so much as a limp.

A burn raced up and down her legs as she sprang from the rooftop to the ground. She threw subtle glances of wariness over either shoulder before moving on, tail swishing low to the ground. She knew the twisting maze of streets and alleyways like she knew the pattern of her mother's fur, but the city was different at night, somehow. The dark made it so much easier to step into its mouth and let it swallow her. Tonight, she was determined not to get lost.

The most terrifying thing, perhaps, is her way with words. She speaks like desert rain, a melodious song after long silence, a twisting pattern of light through an ink-black sky. She could convince a cat to kill himself, or his mother or his very own kits if she wanted to. Too much exposure could drive a cat to insanity. It has been done, more than once or twice before. Perhaps it is better not to walk away from her, perhaps death is more merciful.

Weariness tugged at her limbs but she forced herself on; this was a bad part of town to be caught in. Here is where the shadiest of cats lurked, where dubious dealings were made, where fear was common and death was a well-known friend. Here was the kind of place you'd expect Black Lily to be.

Despite all the rumors, not all cats who looked upon her face perished. In fact, some you could even call her allies. She herself allied herself to no one, but others allied themselves to her. You could call this fear, respect, or admiration, but whatever the case, it was not an easy task to be in league with such a cat.

The moonlight flashed off of the rainbow puddles as the she-cat picked up her pace, growing more and more uncomfortable with the thought of being in the same place for too long. She saw no more signs of night life, but could sense the eyes that watched her from dark corners, she could feel the vibrations of cars but also the smaller ones of tiny paws of alley rats skittering into their holes to avoid her. Lucky for them, she had no taste for rats. There was too much risk of disease; a cat with her kind of class preferred forest prey anyway.

Allies of said cat have formed a lethal band of fearsome figureheads called the Brotherhood. No one's really sure what they do or what purpose they mean to serve, which makes them all the more frightening. No one really even knows for sure who all is a part of it. It's not as if they're all marked a certain way that sets them apart from others; no one cat is publicly associated with them. They're covert, mysterious, and terrifying. And they always strike at night.

A pair of eyes gleamed from the dark as the she-cat halted. "Mirage." Her voice sailed over the words like a hunter gliding over the forest floor toward its prey. "It's good to see you."

"What are you doing here?" the she-cat named Mirage's voice was neutral, somewhat cautious.

"I need to speak with the Seer."

"What for?"

A look of pleasant surprise crossed the she-cat's face, as if Mirage had just told her she was an honored guest. "I suppose that's business kept between myself and the Seer."

Mirage's expression teetered on irritation, although she kept silent.

"As there are no shadows in the dark, there is no suspicion in deceit. I suggest you let me pass."

"I don't think that's a wise idea," Mirage countered. "The Seer does not wish to be bothered at this time of night."

The she-cat's eyes rounded as if with sympathy. "Is that the Seer's intention, or your own?"

. . .

It takes a special kind of cat to be initiated into the Brotherhood, one that's brave or reckless or evil – possibly even a mix of all three. How any cat who would do such horrible things and sleep peacefully at night escapes my sense of reason. There is a reason why this gang is so feared among the cats – and other creatures – of the city. They want you to know when they've struck. How?

They take your claws, one by one.

"You have one last chance before I tear your fur from your skin and your muscle from your bone, friend." The she-cat's voice was very near cheerful, despite the fur raised along Mirage's spine. A bone cold chill ran through the tortoiseshell she-cat, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Only for a few minutes, then." Her voice cracked halfway through, but she forced herself on. She stood up, hiding her nerves by twitching her tail, and heading in the direction the newcomer wanted to go.

The she-cat dipped her head, the chirp disappearing from her voice. Now she reacted as though she had been turned away. "Your kindness will not remain unpaid."

Mirage's eyes darted, and although the new she-cat could not see it, a look of grim satisfaction crossed her face. Without another word, Mirage led her on with a flick of her tail. They came to a stack of chipped cinder blocks, and the she-cat tipped an ear. "This is where the Seer lives?"

"The Seer does not like the vulnerability of open ground, or the brightness of the sun," Mirage explained curtly. "Do you still want to see him?"

A frown tugged at the she-cat's expression, but her words were humorous. "I do not fear the dark," she very near purred. "Lead the way."

No one in the Brotherhood marks the victims, save for Black Lily. How do we know? It's her scent that's left behind. And by her scent, that means nothing at all. Some believe her to smell like death, or blood, or fear. But she leaves behind no trace of ever being there, which perhaps makes her the most dangerous foe of all. Her mark consists of one simple action: stripping the right hind paw of its claws. No explanations, no reasoning. The right hind leg is left intact even if the rest of the body is mauled beyond recognition, except for the claws. It's always the claws.

The she-cat followed Mirage fearlessly into the dark; it grew stuffy and almost unpleasant as they headed deeper under the pile. The ink black tunnel was impossibly short and yawned open around them to a sort of clearing; the cinder blocks were stacked carelessly above their heads and streams of moonlight filtered in, forming silver-white pools of light.

The illumination was enough for the she-cat to see him, sitting still and silent in the center of one of the patches of light, his paws tucked beneath him and his eyes closed. Mirage stepped off to the side, meeting eyes with the shadow in the opposite corner. The she-cat's gaze flicked to the shadow to find him already watching her. Benny, the Seer's other guard.

Before the she-cat could part her jaws to speak, the Seer spoke, his voice low and deep like stones rolling over each other in water. "I have known your visit was approaching for a long time, sister, but the spirits have withheld from me your motive of coming here," he rumbled, his eyes still closed.

"I know not of the intentions of the spirits, O Wise Seer, but I've simply come to make one humble request," the she-cat replied.

"Enlighten me."

The she-cat cast a thoughtful glance at first Mirage, then Benny. "May I speak to you in private?"

Benny coughed suddenly, earning a surprised look from the newcomer.

"Easy, brother." The Seer's eyes remained closed, his voice calm. "That is why you came in the cover of night, yes? My guards do not speak of my business with others. Whatever you must say, they may hear."

The she-cat ignored the fur bristling on Mirage's shoulders, the look of contempt that crossed Benny's neutral green eyes and dipped her head to the Seer. "Very well," she agreed. She paused, then asked promptly, "Do you know who I am?"

The Seer's eyes opened slowly, a pair of burning amber suns. "Yes," he replied, "but I suppose you're going to tell me anyway."

"Indeed." The she-cat tipped her head to him. "My name is Black Lily, and I have a proposition for you."

. . .

ALLEGIANCES
SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: REDSTAR – dark russet she-cat with green eyes

DEPUTY: BLACKSHADE – snow-white tom with black paws
APPRENTICE, JAYPAW

MEDICINE CAT: MUDFOOT – brown-and-white tom with yellow eyes
APPRENTICE, PRICKLECLAW

WARRIORS: (toms and she-cats without kits)

RATSCAR – brown tom with a long scar across his back

OLIVENOSE – tortoiseshell she-cat
APPRENTICE, PLUMPAW

OWLCLAW – light brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, BLOSSOMPAW

SCORCHFUR – dark gray tom

SHREWFOOT – gray she-cat with black feet

IVYTAIL – black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat
APPRENTICE, TOADPAW

OAKWING – pale brown she-cat with a white chest

BARKTAIL – dark brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, DUSKPAW

PINECLAW – black-and-white tom

ADDERFLAME – brown tabby tom with dark brown stripes
APPRENTICE, STONEPAW

SPOTTEDFALL – mottled brown tom
APPRENTICE, FLAMEPAW

MORNINGSKIP – golden tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, SHREWPAW

APPRENTICES: (six moons or older, in training to become warriors)

PRICKLECLAW – pale brown tabby tom, in training to become the medicine cat

JAYPAW – gray she-cat with white feet

DUSKPAW – gray tabby tom

TOADPAW – brown-and-ginger tom

PLUMPAW – ginger tabby she-cat

SHREWPAW – dark ginger tom

BLOSSOMPAW – dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

FLAMEPAW – ginger tabby tom with white paws

STONEPAW – white tom with black spots

QUEENS: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

FALLOWCLAW – pale brown-and-white she-cat with a yellow eyes, mother of Pineclaw's kits, Mousekit, Flykit, Twigkit, and Sandykit

SKYHEART – black she-cat with a white chest, expecting Barktail's kits

ELDERS: (former warriors and queens, now retired)

TAWNYPELT – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: BRAMBLESTAR – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY: SQUIRRELFLIGHT – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: JAYFEATHER – gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

WINDCLAN

LEADER: GORSESTAR – gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

DEPUTY: LEAFTAIL – brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT: KESTRELFLIGHT – brown tabby tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: RUSHSTAR – light gray tabby she-cat

DEPUTY: PEBBLESTREAM – light brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT: WILLOWSHINE – gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS

TOADFOOT/TOAD – dark brown tom (rogue)

SMOKEFOOT/SMOKE – black tom (rogue)

APPLEFUR – mottled brown she-cat (rogue)

PINENOSE/PINE – black she-cat (loner)

STARLINGWING/STARLING – ginger tom (loner)

CROWFROST/CROW – black-and-white tom (loner)

DAWNPELT/BLONDIE – cream-furred she-cat (kittypet)

PUDDLEPAW/MOCHA – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (kittypet)

FROGPAW/BRUNO – light brown tabby tom

GREENPAW/MIST – pretty gray-and-white she-cat (kittypet)

MOTHPAW/ZEKE – mottled brown tom (kittypet)

OAKFUR – small brown tom

KINKFUR – tabby she-cat with fur that sticks out at all angles

*All cats above this line were former ShadowClan cats.

BLACK LILY – flint-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes

OWEN – gray-and-white tom with yellow eyes

CASH – black tom with scarred ears

FAWN – brown-and-white she-cat

PIXIE – brown-and-black tabby she-cat

CHANCE – gray tabby tom with black stripes

QUINTEN – black tom with green eyes

MANU – black-and-white tom

LIS – gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

CINDER – pale gray tom with amber eyes

SPARK – dark ginger she-cat with dark blue eyes

BENNY – pale ginger tom

MIRAGE – small tortoiseshell she-cat

THE SEER – dark gray tom with amber eyes

ENVY – black-and-white she-cat with a missing eye

ANGUISH/OLIVER – dark brown tabby tom

STITCH/SOOT – gray tabby tom

FLESH/ODIE – dark ginger tom

DARK – tortoiseshell she-cat with strange blue eyes

MARROW/ANNETTE – white she-cat with green eyes

BLADE – black-and-silver tom

SWORDPOINT – silver tabby tom

BAT – smoky gray tom with green eyes

SCYTHE/KIMBER – beautiful dark tortoiseshell she-cat

WHISPER – dark gray tabby she-cat with white paws

HURRICANE/MOOSE – dark brown-and-white tom

MAROON – gray-and-white tom

ABYSS – skinny black tom with amber eyes

SHATTER/JINX – blue-gray tabby tom

DUSK – dark ginger she-cat

SABER – dark gray she-cat with stormy blue eyes

LASH – dark brown tabby she-cat

OBSIDIAN – black tom with white paws

BRIGHT – silver-and-white tabby she-cat

CRUSHER/FLASH – dark brown tabby tom

TORN – skinny, old gray she-cat with green eyes

THE SHADES

LEADER: JOEY – skinny white tom with amber eyes

SECOND-IN-COMMAND: NYX – black she-cat with ice-blue eyes

CRASH – ginger-and-white spotted tom

GLIMMER – black she-cat

ICE – white tom with black spots

SCARLET – white-and-ginger she-cat

MISTLE – silver-and-white tabby she-cat

ASHER – long-haired dark gray tom

VICK – ginger tabby tom with a white chest

NETTLE – dark gray tom with green eyes

QUEEN – ginger-and-white she-cat

SEARCHLIGHT – black-and-white she-cat

LEO – ginger tabby tom with green eyes

GRAYSON – gray-and-white tom with green eyes

SCREE – spotted ginger tabby she-cat, mother of Vick's kits, Quill and Pistachio

MADDOX – dark brown tabby tom

YARROW – pale brown tom with nervous green eyes

TILLY – gray tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws

SPIRO – dark gray tabby tom

MARS – dark ginger tabby tom

SPENCE – brown tabby tom with a white chest

LULABELLE – gray-and-white she-cat

STARLIGHT – young ginger tabby tom

ATLAS – huge black tom with yellow eyes

STRAWBERRY – pale brown she-cat with a ripped ear

LOUIS – brown-and-white tom

TABITHA – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

A/N: So last time I used asterisks as line breaks, but asterisks are stupid and don't show up on FF, so that's something I'm still getting used to. I also didn't include all of the other Clans yet. They'll still be included, but I'm not going to put together allegiances full of young warriors and new apprentices that I'll barely use during the storyline; this'll be based mostly around ShadowClan, the Shades, and this new threat: the Brotherhood. Tell me what you think of this here gang and its scary leader in a review! Or... lurk. That's okay, too. ;)

I hope you enjoyed! There's more to come soon