The black tom stumbled, scrunching his eyes shut against the stinging, whipping wind with sharp needles of snowflakes. One paw after the other. Repeat.
He had to keep going.
For his family.
For his Clan.
He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the dirt as the wind grew in power, puffing out his icy fur. Droplets of water immediately froze on his whiskers, weighing them down.
StarClan, help me make it. The tom gritted his teeth as he continued on, only being guided by the faint scent of camp.
"Wolfheart! Wolfheart!" The quiet echo of a cat's voice was carried in the wind. New energy filled his veins and he gained speed, stretching his ears to their peak in order to hear. "Wolfheart!"
More speed.
Ignore the pain.
Ignore the sting.
Only your family matters.
With all the strength left in him he pushed through his paws and leaped into camp, surrounded by terrified, trembling cats. The snowflakes eased as he ducked under the refuge of a bush.
He nearly jumped when a white she-cat approached him, barely visible in the white snow. Only her piercing blue eyes were noticeable. They were shining.
Tears?
"Wolfheart…they're dead." She spluttered, nearly collapsing with exhaustion.
Not Mudstar? Please not Petaltail…or Hawkeye. Every warrior ran through his head. An elder, maybe?
She inhaled sharply, then in one quick breath, exclaimed, "Snowflower and seven kits. Only one is alive." She shook her head before he had the time to even comprehend. "The last kit is barely living. She is likely to die as well." Tears shimmered in her clear blue eyes. "Half our Clan still hasn't come back. This blizzard is the worst I've ever seen. Ever."
Wolfheart gaped. "M-my family is dead?" He just stared at the warrior, silently hoping it wasn't true, that this was all just an awful dream.
The she-cat sighed heavily, gazing deep into his amber eyes. "I'm so, so sorry. She refused to eat, and therefore her kits had no food. They're already frozen solid." Her voice was strained, balancing on a wavering, thin string.
He couldn't even understand.
Nor fathom it.
"They're not dead." He mewed firmly, shaking the snow from his pelt. "It's not funny, Blizzardpelt."
Blizzardpelt bit her lip, tears freezing onto her muzzle in small, cold droplets. "Wake up, Wolfheart! This is real." She wailed, shoving him away with her front paws. He skidded towards the center of camp, the dreaded scent of death reeking through the air.
No.
Eight bodies lined up together.
Completely stiff.
Glazed.
Frozen.
Gone.
He just stared like a deer in headlights.
"I don't know if we'll survive this, dear Wolfheart." The white she-cat rubbed against him sadly, tail drooped. The blizzard strengthened, the wind pushing the cats backwards.
This was just a dream.
A horrible bloody nightmare.
He would wake up soon.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
"This has to be a dream!" He laughed, ignoring the growing pain in his heart. "StarClan wouldn't take them from me."
Blizzardwing pushed him towards the nursery, revealing a small, shivering body of a kit.
Mountainkit?
Her flank barely rose and fell as each breath shook her body.
Taking every ounce of strength.
He quickly curled around her, rubbing against the frail kit so she would warm up.
Then she stopped.
Time stopped as Wolfheart gazed at his daughter, eyes drowning in pain. Mountainkit fell still, eyes not even opened yet.
No.
No no no no.
"Mountainkit!" He screeched and frantically licked the kit, not noticing a silver she-cat pad in.
She had a blank, emotionless expression on her face. "She is gone. Lay her out with the others, and then hurry back here." The medicine cat drew a deep breath. "I've ordered everyone else to come in here too. If we huddle together we might have a chance to survive."
As much as he wanted to die and join his family in StarClan, he gently grabbed the kit by it's scruff and laid it by her mother. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I know you would want me to continue to serve my Clan, and that is what I will do." Without looking back he stumbled into the nursery, following the medicine cat blindly.
Blizzardwing and three other cats joined them, eyes glazed with grief and exhaustion. They gathered together, pelts glued to each other as the snow came harder.
"We have to survive this, for the sake of our Clan." Petalfur meowed, digging her claws into the dirt to get a grip.
"What Clan?" Birchclaw spluttered, gesturing to the small group of cats around him. "This isn't a Clan. StarClan has abandoned us. What hope do we have?"
Petalfur gazed at him, her clear amber eyes firm. "They have not. This must happen in order for new flowers to bloom." She mewed.
Birchclaw pressed closer to Blizzardwing. "Flowers don't matter! Why would we care about plants?" He hissed.
The medicine cat shook her head. "Like most warriors, you only see the whiskers in front of your nose." She curled her tail around her feet, shivering in the harsh winds. Wolfheart gulped, his body completely stiff and numb. The tears that fell from his eyes immediately froze and left his muzzle trembling.
The medicine cat dug into the ground. "We will survive." She whispered, gradually growing louder. "We will survive."
Birchclaw hesitated, then bowed his head. "We will survive."
"We will survive." Wolfheart rasped, watching Snowflower's body getting buried in the snow. "We have to." Blizzardwing yowled in determination, jerking her gaze to StarClan.
They waited.
Growing colder by the moment.
Wolfheart scrunched his eyes shut, suddenly feeling weak, like he was outside of his body.
Hold on, dear Wolfheart. A gentle, beautiful voice shoved him awake, and he flinched, his body gaining feeling again.
"Snowflower?" He whispered, the question hanging in the forbidden winds.
No. I am Mountainstar, your great-great grandmother. Stay strong. The Clan needs you. He felt something rub against his pelt, the warmth a luxury in the horrible, deathly blizzard.
Mountainstar?
Mountainstar?
The one who saved all five Clans. The one who had to kill her own mother to rescue them. Without her, there would be no Clans left. She was a legend.
I'm…I'm her kin? He felt a new strength fill his veins, and he gritting his teeth, determined. The cats around him were stiffening.
"Petalfur? Birchclaw?" He yowled, stretching his neck to see the two cats. They made no reply, their eyes staring at nothing, fogged and glazed.
They were frozen.
The medicine cat beside him shifted. "I'm giving way…I have to give in." She wheezed, shivering. "My destiny is to guide you from the stars. Stay strong."
"No! Lightwing?" He wailed, the yell carried off into the depths of the snow. She stopped breathing.
She fell still.
Wolfheart grimaced, daring to hope. "Blizzardwing?" He mewed softly, heart flaring.
"I'm here." She whispered, barely holding on.
Automatically the gray tom curled around her, pressing against her as hard as possible to keep her alive.
"I…can't..it's t-t-too much." She coughed hoarsely.
"I won't lose you." Wolfheart snarled, rubbing against her for any heat that could be sparked. They huddled together, for several hours. The time seemed to last for eternity, each moment growing more difficult. It was near impossible to hold on.
I'm so sorry, Mountainstar. I can't do this. He prayed to StarClan, his heartbeat slowing.
Then something stopped.
The wind.
It calmed.
The snow began to seize, the tiny flakes growing lesser by the heartbeat. Patches of light began to peek through the dark grey clouds, and a tiny seed of hope was planted in his chest.
Then he remembered Mudstar's words.
If anything happens tonight, go to the island. The other Clan leaders have ordered their cats to do the same. He scrambled to his paws, nearly falling back down in exhaustion.
"Blizzardwing?" He licked her ear, relieved as the cold began to flee. She nodded, managing to gather the strength to lick away the snow from her white fur.
Then she saw Petalfur, Birchclaw, and Lightwing.
Her mouth gaped into a silent, heartbreaking wail. "They're all dead! We can't bury anyone, is this what StarClan has decreed?" She whimpered, touching her nose to Lightwing's body. Her body still trembled from the cold, her eyes weak and tired. Wolfheart limped over to her and nuzzled her flank, heart aching.
"We have to go to the gathering place." He pressed, curling his tail around her.
Her eyes lit up, shimmering with memories. "I know. For StarClan's sake, give me some time to recover. I could eat a fox." She glanced at the bodies. "Everyone is dead. Our entire Clan is dead."
Wolfheart attempted to reassure her. "They may have found shelter, like us." He mewed flatly, deep inside knowing the truth.
Blizzardwing shook her head. "They're all dead. I know it in my heart."
"Will you be—?"
"I'll be fine." She flicked her ear, biting her lip to stop herself from crying.
"It's okay. I'll protect you." The gray tom curled around her comfortingly, licking her soft ear. His sister sprang away, hardly stumbling on her numb paws.
"I don't need protection, you fox-brain! I'm not some kit who just came out of the nursery." Her eyes were shadowed. "Leave me alone."
Wolfheart shifted his paws. "S-sorry." He muttered, pelt bristling. Blizzardwing flattened her ears but said nothing else, staring blankly at Lightwing. Without another word she limped out, gently touching her nose to each kit, then pushed her muzzle into Snowflower's ice cold body. She mewed something but Wolfheart couldn't hear what she said.
Great StarClan…they were best friends. He felt numb with dread, but eventually the tired gray tom walked out too, gesturing to the direction of the island. The beautiful white she-cat narrowed her eyes but followed him, a guarded look covering her face. Side by side, they stepped delicately through the soft snow, sharing their grief.
"We'll see more bodies, you know." She whispered, staring at her paws as they walked. "We must keep going. We can't bury them until the ground thaws." Wolfheart nodded, his heart heavy. The thick ice made his paws numb, but they kept going.
They had to.
Then Blizzardwing stopped in her tracks. "M-mudstar?" She called, gently caressing the cat's hard, frozen ear.
For a heartbeat, she looked like she wanted to die.
A strange, translucent glaze entered her eyes, and with an unreadable expression, she hissed, "He's frozen. Fogcatcher too. And the deputy." She nodded towards the tree trunk where Fogcatcher was in his hunter's crouch, no longer breathing. His eyes were still intent on his prey, a mouse, who was frozen as well. Wolfheart forced himself not to cry.
They had to keep going. Or everything would be lost.
The sky was beginning to clear, but clouds still covered parts of the sky. Blizzardwing stopped next to the tree leading to the island. "The river…it's completely frozen." Wolfheart glanced over the edge. She was right. The shining ice completely embedded the water, dead fish trapped, with no way to escape.
"Great StarClan…" She cursed. The she-cat hesitantly walked across the tree, relieved it wasn't slippery from ice. One paw step after the other, Blizzardwing eventually made it to the island, her eyes flickering with relief and exhaustion.
Snowflower always used to love this log. He purred softly at the memory. One time she even pushed me in! I smelled like a RiverClan cat for the entire Gathering, that little furball. A lump formed in his throat, and he gulped, his vision blurring. She knew how to cheer me up, even after my brother died in the paws of a badger. Nothing could stop her. That'd why he admired her so much. Snowflower always helped a cat in need, no matter where he was from.
All cats share the same blood. Her favorite saying.
Now she's gone.
He desperately attempted to blink away the tears that began to drop, dissolving the older ones that had froze to his muddy, mangy fur. He winced as the salt taste entered his mouth, looking away so Blizzardwing wouldn't notice his grief.
It was too late.
She bounded across the log again without hesitation, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. "You're not alone. I'm here." The white she-cat, her pelt invisible in the snow, pressed against him, her legs trembling. "We have to keep going, like you said. Maybe some other cats survived. They're bound to be there." Wolfheart shook out his pelt and gave a small, stiff nod, carefully treading across the fragile wood. Blizzardwing followed him.
He tasted the air, noticing the obvious scent of fear. Hope soared in his hope, and he quickened his pace, glancing back to make sure Blizzardwing was still with him. She had noticed too, her blue eyes slightly brighter than before. They slipped through the frozen bushes, it's leaves rustling as they passed.
"Hello?" Blizzardwing called softly. A set of anxious pawsteps was her answer.
A small, cream tabby quickly came to greet them, his pelt ragged and torn, thorns sticking out of his fur. His haunted gaze fell onto the two ThunderClan cats. "You…survived." He rasped, in utter disbelief. "We weren't the only ones."
Wolfheart gasped as the tom's scent hit his nose. Waterstar! He dipped his head respectfully, nudging Blizzardwing to do the same. The RiverClan leader hung his head in defeat. "Only a few of us were strong enough." He wheezed, gesturing into the shadows with his tail. Five cats came out.
These were cats I battled just a moon ago. I hated them. And now…all I see are grief-stricken cats. He carefully met Waterstar's gaze. "We were the only survivors of ThunderClan. Mudstar is frozen, all of his lives gone. Our deputy is dead too. Everyone…" His voice faltered, and he gave an awkward cough. Another scent saved him from continuing. "I scent ShadowClan cats." Waterstar bristled with distrust, but shook it away quickly.
"Thornfoot, we're not alone!" A light voice squealed, hope entering for the first time.
"Don't get too excited. They could just be old scents from the last Gathering." A warrior grunted. But Wolfheart could hear a strained edge to her voice, as if she might dare to hope as well.
A small black tom rushed through the brush, eyes wide with delight. "Thornfoot, Thornfoot!" He yowled, bouncing back and forth.
"Give me a minute, for StarClan's sake! I'm not as young as I used to be, you furball." She hissed, shouldering her way through the plants firmly. Wolfheart pricked his ears as a shadow fell upon them, revealing a muscular, well-built gray she-cat with glowing green eyes. She unsheathed her claws and curled around her apprentice protectively.
"It's okay, we're not going to hurt him." Waterstar mewed quickly, still panting. Wolfheart nodded in agreement.
Thornfoot narrowed her eyes, but eventually sat back down, folding her elegant, long tail beneath her paws. The apprentice pressed against the senior warrior.
"Is your leader…?" Waterstar began hesitantly.
"Dead." Thornfoot huffed, trying to stop the emotion from entering her voice. "I'm glad other cats have survived this." She dipped her head formally to the other cats, and many did the same in return. Blizzardwing slowly sniffed the ShadowClan cat, then whispered something in her ear. The stiff warrior visibly relaxed, nodding to the white she-cat gratefully.
Wolfheart inhaled sharply. There would barely be enough of us to even make a Clan. Is that what StarClan wants? For us to come together? Looking around at the other cats, he realized they were already united.
In grief.
In pain.
In the determination to survive, for the sake of the loved ones they had all lost.
The black tom sighed, sitting in a heavy silence with the rest of the cats he had once considered ruthless enemies. Blizzardwing gazed up to the sky, scrunching her eyes shut, muttering under her breath.
Was she praying to StarClan?
Thornfoot broke the silence. "We have to eat. Now that it's slightly warmer, I'll go hunting." She sighed, eyes flickering with past memories. She glanced at Blizzardwing. "Care for my apprentice."
Wolfheart felt warmed by her compassion and instant trust in Blizzardwing, despite being a ShadowClan cat. "I'll go too." He offered. The warrior looked surprised, but nodded. Another cat from RiverClan followed them without comment, a once sleek brown she-cat with amber eyes.
"There has to be something out here." Thornfoot muttered, her tail twitching.
Everything's bound to be frozen, after such a storm! We won't be able to find anything. Despite his thoughts, he said nothing to the majestic ShadowClan warrior. He hopefully sniffed the cold air, eyes widening as the sharp smell of hawk touched his tongue. Thornfoot snapped her gaze to the sky, noticing it too. The hawk soared below the trees, it's caw echoing through the lonely and bitter trees. With one dive, it landed on the ground, scanning the roots for another meal.
"Stay here. I can get it." Thornfoot hissed through gritted teeth. She immediately crouched, her paws never making a sound in the snow. Her tail stayed low to the ground without touching the brittle grasses around her. Wolfheart couldn't help feeling a spark of admiration for the warrior. She seems decent for ShadowClan, and she knows what she's doing. He waited patiently as Thornfoot got closer, the hawk still unaware of her.
The prey hopped onto a large, uncovered root, cocking it's head. While the bird was distracted Thornfoot leaped with claws extended, digging into the hawk's neck before it could react. With a defeated caw, it fell limp beneath her paws.
"Good job!" He called, tail curling over his back. Thornfoot accepted his praise with a flick of her tail, a guarded expression falling over her face.
They trekked further uphill in search of more prey, but all they could find was a scrawny vole, somehow still alive after the blizzard. They made their way back to the island, their heavy pawstep's making it clear to the whole forest how tired they were. Blizzardwing greeted Wolfheart at the bush, letting out a purr when her eyes fell upon the hawk.
Together, the saddened cats ate. Too wound up in grief, none of them felt extremely hungry, even the enthusiastic ShadowClan apprentice.
Wolfheart licked Blizzardwing's ear. "We still haven't seen any cats from WindClan. What if the entire Clan has fallen?" He whispered, ignoring the curious eyes of the apprentice.
Blizzardwing was silent for a heartbeat. "I don't know." She answered dryly, picking at the vole in front of her with an extended claw. "I don't know anymore, Wolfheart."
Wolfheart yawned, his pelt warm against his sister's soft fur. He stretched out his stiff limbs and looked to see Thornfoot staring off into the distance, head jerked towards the sky. He leaned forward to hear her.
"All of ShadowClan was taken from me. I hope you find shelter in StarClan, dear Dragontooth." She buried her nose into her paws, shoulders heaving.
Wolfheart gaped. I always saw ShadowClan as heartless. I was so wrong. Before he could stop himself he mewed, "Who's Dragontooth?"
Thornfoot jumped at his voice, then quickly blinked away the tears from her green eyes, pelt bristling. "He was my mate." She choked out, forcing her voice to stay even. Even though they were from rival Clans, all Wolfheart saw was one cat who finally understood his pain.
"I lost my mate and her kits." He meowed eventually, ignoring the pang in his heart. The ShadowClan warrior gazed at him, eyes steady.
"We should sit vigil tonight for our Clans." She coughed, pelt twitching uneasily. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling sharply. "Rival Clans or not, we are united in grief. ThunderClan's loss is my loss." Wolfheart longed to comfort her, but something about the she-cat told him not to.
He softly nudged Blizzardwing awake. The white warrior moaned groggily and opened her blue eyes, still glazed with sleep.
Then it struck her.
ThunderClan was gone.
"I hoped it was a dream." She whimpered quietly, flinching at the harsh wind that grew stronger. "Snowflower is gone."
Heart breaking, the black tom helped Blizzardwing to her shaking paws, with nothing to say.
Because all of it was true.
Thornfoot was already conversing with Waterstar. She looked stiff and guarded, like she would never reveal her true, raw emotions to enemy cats, even with the drastic situation they were in. The other RiverClan cats muttered uneasily among themselves, pelts ruffled.
Waterstar raised his head. "We will sit vigil for our Clanmates. Even though we are unable to bury them, their spirits will travel to StarClan. We will keep them inside our hearts for the rest of our lives." He mewed, gaze solemn. The black apprentice, Woodpaw, buried his nose into Thornfoot's pelt.
Great StarClan. Such a young cat, and he's seen more death than the oldest elder. He must have lost his parents, his littermates, his entire Clan. The ThunderClan tom sighed, then sat next to Blizzardwing, curling his tail around her comfortingly.
"We'll get through this." He whispered into her velvety ear. The white she-cat gave a small nod, but said nothing else, looking completely and utterly defeated.
One thought entered Wolfheart's mind, and he desperately wished it hadn't.
What if StarClan sent the storm?
They've sent ones in the past, as a clear reminder to the Clans of the message they had decreed. What could we have possibly done so wrong that they killed us all? He shook out his pelt and fixed his gaze on the stars. We've all lost so much. Are we expected to unite in one Clan? Blizzardwing leaned against him, her pelt warm against his.
Brother and sister.
Linked together by blood and misery.
After a moments hesitation, a light brown she-cat with darker stripes padded towards them, ears flattened with embarrassment. She carefully sat next to Blizzardwing, and Wolfheart wrinkled his nose in disgust at the fishy scent. Blizzardwing gazed at her with warm blue eyes, and invited her closer with her white, soft tail. The RiverClan warrior pressed against her, relaxing as they all looked back at the twinkling, blazing stars. Waterstar tipped his head at his warrior, but said nothing, pelt beginning to bristle at the thought of one of his cats growing closer to an enemy Clan.
Wolfheart continued to study the galaxies, in awe at how many countless stars there were dotting the soulful, dark blue sky. Are you up there, my love? Mudstar? I hope you all find rest and good hunting. And please…watch over us if you can.
We'll need it.
"Wolfheart! Come look!" A voice yowled, edged with excitement. "It's Rabbitchaser and Blueeye from WindClan." Wolfheart turned his gaze to Blizzardwing, who had already left his side. The sun was beginning to peer over the dark horizon, it's bright orange rays flaming the sky.
The white she-cat had darted into the trees, and he scented two stinging heather scents that were coming closer. I'm so glad at least some cat survived on the moor. His heart overflowed with a new happiness as the taint smell of milk reached his tongue. K-kits?
How did they survive?
Why couldn't his kits live?
A growl rose in the gray tom's chest but he forced it away, choking in his tears. He couldn't let WindClan see him cry.
It was weak.
Blizzardwing burst out of the shadows, tail curled over her back with eyes sparkling with delight. "This is Blueeyes and Rabbitchaser of WindClan." She paused for a moment, giving Blueyes a serious nod.
The blue she-cat carefully lifted her tail to reveal three tiny kits, mewling for milk. A wave of affection flowed through Wolfheart, reminded of his own precious kits. "They're beautiful." He whispered, amber eyes filled with longing. Rabbitchaser's pelt bristled with hostility, curling his lip in disgust as the sight of enemy Clans.
"Great StarClan! Let's leave, Blueyes. They'll steal the kits." He began to pick up a mottled brown tomkit by the scruff, but without hesitation Blueyes cuffed him away with an unsheathed paw. Blood welled around a scratch on his nose, and the WIndClan tom recoiled in surprise. "Ow!" He yelped, ears flattened.
Blueyes growled deep in her throat, echoing through the island. "Don't touch them. They are the only memory of WindClan we have left. And Birdstar ordered us to come here if something happened to the Clan. I am loyal to her, even if you aren't." She hissed, pelt puffing with anger. She curled around the kits protectively, ready to lash out again.
Wolfheart's eyes widened with shock. She's right! The leaders knew! Why didn't we all leave together? Mudstar could have saved us. His gaze hardened, memories of Snowflower and his kits squirming in the nursery, begging for milk. But he didn't.
Mudstar destroyed ThunderClan. He killed Snowflower. Wolfheart didn't even try to stop himself from going on. He murdered my kits.
He ruined everything.
Everything.
The ThunderClan tom unsheathed his claws, enjoying the feeling of digging them into the muddy soil, pelt bristling with fury. Blueyes flinched and open her claws once more, staring at Wolfheart.
Blizzardwing gave him a hard nudge. "Stop! You're scaring them. What crawled into your fur?" She hissed into his ear, her breath hot against his cheek. Wolfheart immediately shook out his fur and dipped his head apologetically to the bristling she-cat. Blueyes said nothing, but still watched him through the corner of her eye. She nodded to Waterstar respectfully, who limped towards the kits.
"How did they survive?" He rasped, eyes glowing at the sign of new life. "Kits are a sign of hope."
Blueeyes softened and relaxed her protective position around the kits to reveal them once more. Waterstar let out a rough purr for the first time in days. "Their mother and father did not survive." She began. "I am Butterflyheart's sister, and I will care for them."
"You have milk?" Blizzardwing meowed, tipping her head.
She hesitated with an unreadable expression falling across her face. "I had kits around the same time as her…but they all died in the blizzard." Blueyes swallowed, trying to keep her body from trembling.
Wolfheart padded towards her, and she nearly jumped. "I lost my kits too. And my mate." He murmured, attempting to leave the anger out of his voice. And Mudstar killed them! He longed to yowl the proclamation to the skies, but he remained silent. Blueeyes sighed, settling so the kits could feed.
(Not sure what's wrong with the tab issue in the first half of the story, but I'll fix it later)