Screechs of pain echoed from the Riverclan camp as cats flooded in, stinking of Thunderclan. Battle raged as fur flew, and in the light of the setting sun the camp was painted crimson. A apprentice with mottled brown fur darted across camp, a kit wailing in her jaws as the kit was handed over to a white elder with black stripes.
"Last one?" The elder replied, wincing as wails pierced the air. Nodding the apprentice launched back into the fray. Peering behind her, the white elder gazed in the darkness of the elders den. Three pairs of eyes looked back.
Crescentmoon pushed them farther back, and they mewled in protest. Claws scrapped at the entrance, and she jerked back. Fur bristled along her spine, facing the warrior at the entrance. Thunderclan scent stunk in her nostrils, and even though she wasn't a warrior her claws unseathed in response.
"Clawscar," She snarled. "Of course. Berrystar sent you didn't he?" The kits suddenly quieted, shivering in fear. Clawscar sneered. His muscles rippled underneath his brown tabby pelt, his yellow eyes shone.
"I'm not here for you." He spat. Crescentmoon rose her head, and for a split second she seemed younger- regaler. "We're here to get rid of the Half-Clanners." Crescentmoon let out a growl, her ears flattening. Her face crumpled into a unknown emotion, but she frowned.
"I had heard the rumors of Berrystar's little mission." Her blue eyes met his, filled with fire. "But I hardly belived he was as foolish as this. This is an unprovoked attack." Clawscar took a step closer, trying to peer past her. Stepping in his line of sight, Crescentmoon tensed. "Considering that you have a son in Shadowclan, I would hardly be the one to pass judgement."
Clawscar let out a angry yowl. Launching forward, claws met her face. She recoiled shoving him out of the den before rearing for another attack. Suddenly the brown tom was swept off his paws by a silver blur, tussling with the cat with anger.
Crescentmoon turned back to the kits, who gazed back wide-eyed. "Hush, little ones." She murmured. Wails shrieked across the air, and she returned to her guard at the entrance of the elders den.
Silver fur appeared at the entrance , panting wildly. Echorunner's face was oddly excited as she faced the medicine cat, before turning back to the reeds. "Are they okay?" Echorunner asked, positively vibrating with energy. Blood dripped from a scratch on her muzzle, staining the sandy soil. Crescentmoon nodded and Echorunner plunged back into camp.
"Thunderclan retreat!" The rumble of Berrystar's voice sounded like the low rumble of approaching thunder as the plodding of his clanmates raced out of camp in the falling light. It's over, finally, Crescentmoon breathed. Roars of joy drifted through the reeds as the Thunderclan cats raced out of camp.
Relief flooded across Crescentmoon's heart as she heard the firm orders of Raystar to the rest of the warriors of Riverclan. His scent flooded her nostrils as he slid through the reeds. He was a bright gold-silver tom, and his grey eyes met hers as he tried to peer into the den. Raystar's face was so eerily similar to a tom she knew so long ago…. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she stepped to let the kits out.
"They're safe." She answered before he could ask. Tumblbling out of the den a plump dark grey tom with black stripes let out a wail. "Clawscar didn't get to them." Relief was evident in Raystar's face. His face glaced at the kits with envy as they raced back into camp.
"Remember when we were that little?" Raystar purred as Crescentmoon followed him back into camp. Guilt rumbled in her belly as she gazed up at the handsome smiling tom. Crimson bled from his pelt onto hers and she let out a gasp.
"Get to the medicine cat den." She commanded. Raystar dipped his head respectively. His smile was bright. "I'll be there in a second to heal you." Rolling his eyes fondly, he shook his head. "Even after retirement you still care for the clan like we're a bunch of helpless kittens." He chuckled. "I'm not surprised." Crescentmoon sighed as Raystar padded to the medicine cat den, sprawling in front with a throng of wounded warrior.
Every time you go into battle it kills me a little inside, but I know it's your duty to Riverclan. My sister couldn't have raised a better son. You, Fallingnight, and Stormcloud are so precious to me. I can't bare to see anything happen to you, but with Berrystar's mission to wipe out all the half-clanners in all the clans, I fear you're all in danger.
~~~~~~~~0~0~0~0~~~~~~~~
Silver stars sparkled in the sky, and a pair of cats peered up at them. Neither of them spoke for a few heartbeats, only sitting close enough to touch. One had a pelt as black as night with swirls of gold, and she had a distincive circle of gold on her cheek. Crescentmoon leaned up against her former apprentice, hearing the snores around camp.
"How is Krillstripe?" Crescentmoon wondered aloud. She glanced at Fallingnight, who gave an appretive purr. Two warriors had been injured badly enough to earn a stay in the medicine cat den, Krillstripe, Lostpaw and Echorunner. Stormcloud was waiting with her white furred daughter while Alderpaw watched over his injured sister.
"Fine. Alderpaw is watching over all of them." Fallingnight curtly replied. "Krillstripe was being fawned over by Silkysky so he's fine." Crescentmoon let out an appretive purr. Silkysky was back to her old self, and after a moon of mourning over her kittypet turned warrior father, Fluffypelt death. He had died in a battle with Thunderclan a moon ago.
"Alderpaw has chosen the right path." Crescentmoon affirmed. He had been a warrior apprentice for five moons, before turning to the path that Starclan had chosen for him. "But I'm worried. Berrystar is becoming bolder with his attacks."
Fallingnight sighed, her brow crumpling in frustration. "You were at the last gathering." She snorted. "He implored us and the rest of the clans to get rid of all of those with 'impure' blood." Fallingnight turned back to the stars, her golden eyes shining like twin suns.
"Well, what do you expect?" Raystar padded out of the medicine cat den, fur plastered with sticky herbs. His face was creased with worry, his grey eyes stormy. "He banished his own warriors with mixed blood from Thunderclan." He sighed, settling beside the two medicine cats. "At least the ones he knows about or the ones born under his reign." Fallingnight shuddered, they all knew the rumors about the black and white tom abandoning newborn kits with questionable parentage at the edge of the forest.
"No signs from Starclan?" Imploring, Raystar turned his head toward the border with Shadowclan. He winced. Is he thinking of Rowanstrike or someone else? Crescentmoon wondered. His sister had taken a mate from there and Rowanstrike had joined Riverclan to be with Stormcloud.
"None." Fallingnight confirmed. "But we need to be prepared to take the offenseive. Do you want to banish our loyal warriors because they were born with mixed blood?" Raystar shook his head, but his stormy eyes were still troubled.
We would be out of out of a leader and many warriors if Raystar did that. Guilt creeped up Crescentmoon's spine and hurt bubbled in her stomach. Now isn't the time for the truth though. Not yet. Her muzzle was streaked with silver with age. Fallingnight turned away, pulling away from the pair before disappearing into the darkness of the night to hide in the shadows of the medicine cat den.
"You're a noble cat, Raystar." Crescentmoon replied. "Even if Starclan doesn't speak on the matter now, they may in the future. They won't be silent forever." Hope flared in her heart as Raystar relaxed from his tense state. Unwillingly Raystar was tense, ears pricked for danger, eyes scanning the camp for intruders.
"Starclan chose you for a reason. I know whatever you choose, it will be a right decision." Crescentmoon watched as Raystar let out a heady sigh, his paw scratching the ground in frustration. She murmured comfortingly under her breath as he gazed up at the silver stars. When he was a kit, she had often compared his grey eyes to the twinkling stars. She was grateful that his eyes had stayed that way even after Stormcloud's eyes had changed to a familiar icy blue.
"I hope so." He said after a few heartbeats. "If only I believed in myself as much as you believed in me." Raystar leaned up against Crescentmoon, and a familiar scent flooded her nostrils as the larger cat leaned comforting into her fur. She hadn't scented that scent for moons, not since his death. If he's here, trouble is brewing on the wind. Will we be able to weather the storm?
Authors note- This a story that begins my entire series, and it will be anywhere between fifteen to twenty chapters. It will mainly focus on the problem of the half-clan cats at the lake and the uprising within. Its set about twenty years after Bramblestar's death. More Reviews= Quicker updates. I'm hoping to get at least five to ten reviews on this story before I update it again. What do you think is Crescentmoon's secret? What do you think will happen?