The War

by Burdeh

Following a series of bloody wars, the forest is left under the sole rule of Riverclan and Windclan. Starclan has long since abandoned them, and though there is peace, tensions are high. But when a shocking secret is revealed and families and lovers are torn apart, the two must meet in a final battle to determine or destroy all that their ancestors worked so hard to preserve.

1. Background Information

xxx HISTORY xxx

IMPORTANT FIGURES

Hollowstar, Leader of Windclan
Wolfstar, Leader of Thunderclan
Hawkstar, Leader of Shadowclan
Sootclaw, Deputy of Shadowclan
Frorestar, Leader of Riverclan
Tracingsteps, Deputy of Riverclan
Burningbreeze, Deputy of Skyclan, Fourth Commander of the High Council

THE TWOLEG WARS

Windclan were the first to notice the spouts of fire in the distance. Just great flashes of red lightning at first, they then grew into smoke plumes which scoured across the land. And for a while, that was all there was. The days and nights were gray and red, and then finally, it all stopped. Not a noise was heard.

Almost an entire season passed, and then they came— cats that called themselves 'Skyclan', who had been driven from their territory by what they proclaimed to be 'The Twoleg Wars'. They had come seeking the help of Thunderclan, who they said had assisted them in the past. It was only at thanks to the descendants of a once great, flame-furred leader that the clan was given refuge, and at the next Gathering, it was asked that the other three clans give up a portion of their land in order to resettle Skyclan.

When they refused, all Hell broke out.

THE ERA OF SHARPENED CLAWS

You must understand that the leaders in these days were not like the ones in decades past. A new religion and order was arising. Thunderclan and Skyclan teamed up to drive Shadowclan out, and Shadowclan, fearing the future, threatened Riverclan with an ultimatum: help them fight back against Thunderclan and Skyclan, or be invaded as well. Riverclan, fearing Shadowclan's superior numbers, sought aid from Windclan and the two formed an alliance. The real terror; however, broke out when Thunderclan— invading the Shadowclan camp— accidentally killed three Windclan messengers and crippled another. The Windclan warriors had been sent there to negotiate with Hawkstar and his clan, but were caught in the crossfire. Infuriated, Hollowstar of Windclan declared war on Thunderclan and Wolfstar, marking what would come to be known as the Era of Sharpened Claws.

THE RAINY DAY CONFLICTS

Seasons passed. By the end, the battling had virtually wiped out Shadowclan and Thunderclan. In a last ditch effort to get their neighbors off their backs, Riverclan began training apprentices young and sending them into battle, hoping to finish off Shadowclan once and for all. However, their allies, Windclan, disagreed with these methods. Hollowstar refused to lend Frorestar his own kits and apprentices, and in retaliation, Riverclan invaded Windclan. It was a desperate attempt to steal the swift-footed warriors' young, and in the skirmish, Riverclan's deputy, Tracingsteps, was killed, forcing them to retreat. Needless to say, Hollowstar broke off the alliance, sparking the beginning of a long series of vicious border fights and invasions between the two clans.

Meanwhile, Thunderclan, Skyclan, and Shadowclan continued to duke it out.

THE ERA OF ERADICATION

Thunderclan and Skyclan's final invasion of Shadowclan lead to the death of Hawkstar and his deputy Sootclaw. The clan dispersed, fleeing their pine forests and scattering across the land. Some took up lives as rogues. Others died alone of their wounds or starvation. But there were those, the wily and the proud, who searched for one another and banded into a rebellion of ex-Shadowclanners intent on reclaiming their home. Even so, with the destruction of Shadowclan, the sky went dark, and the Medicine Cats lost contact with their ancestors. Not even new leaders could obtain their nine lives from Starclan, and so Skyclan and Thunderclan, in an effort to preserve peace and stability, joined to form Stormclan. They gave up the traditional aspect of leaders and deputies and established a high council of commanders that would jointly make decisions for the group. The super-clan spread into the now vacant Shadowclan territory, their union setting Riverclan and Windclan on edge. Still, even after this merger, the following Leaf-bare was difficult, as prey ran scarce and the rogue rebellion launched guerilla warfare on Stormclan.

The battles between Riverclan and Windclan raged on, until the Shadowclan rogues began to set their sights on the waterfront territory as well. Stormclan, aware of this development, came to Hollowstar with a proposition: join them in wiping out Riverclan, and Windclan would be able to share in the spoils. But Hollowstar was now the longest-remaining leader in all the clans, and knew better than to trust in such imperialistic views. Fearing that with Riverclan and Shadowclan gone, Stormclan would have easy-pickings of Windclan, Hollowstar considered moving the clan up into the mountains to live like the tribe cats. Before he could come to a decision, the final battle came. An explosive confrontation that would mark the end of the Era of Eradication broke out on the island. Under an empty sky, Riverclan met Stormclan in a fearsome collision, when suddenly the Shadowclan rebels jumped in. In the ensuing chaos, the entire rebellion was exterminated, with not a soul left to tell their tale. Riverclan was left sorely weakened, and Stormclan, having lost almost half their numbers, crumbled in a subsequent cataclysm of political turmoil.

THE AGE OF TWO WORLDS [Present Day]

Throwing aside their differences, Windclan and Riverclan teamed up to get rid of Stormclan once and for all. Their forces pushed through the old-Shadowclan Territory and managed to corner the council members in the Thunderclan Quarry. Six commanders fell, and the remaining Stormclan cats fled into the hills, led by the last remaining council member, Burningbreeze. The clans by the lake never saw them again.

Following Shadowclan's extermination and the removal of Stormclan, Riverclan and Windclan agreed to both adhere to a certain degree of isolationism. Riverclan took over the empty Shadowclan territory, while Windclan expanded into Thunderclan's forests. A time of peace fell upon them, but their bloody history still stains the forest floor, and with the arrival of prey contaminated by the twoleg wars, tensions once again are on the rise.

xxx CURRENT ALLEGIANCES xxx

WINDCLAN

LEADER, Hollowstar – thin brown tom with gray eyes

DEPUTY, Snowhare – handsome white tom with ginger paws and sky-blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Morrowpaw – solid ginger tom with gray eyes

MEDICINE CAT, Sunfur – large golden and white tabby tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, Hazeleyes – light brown tabby tom with white paws, tail-tip, and gray eyes

WARRIORS

Blackwater – black tom with liquid blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Nightpaw – black tom with white chest and indigo eyes

Sandstripe – light brown tabby tom with green eyes

Dustflight – fluffy dark brown tabby tom with white speckles and green eyes
APPRENTICE, Songpaw – ginger she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Hailfire – tall white tom with silver and gray flecks and icy blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Heraldpaw – silver and white splashed tom with sky-blue eyes

Berrythorn – dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Whitepaw – spirited white tom with silver flecks and blue eyes

Crimsonfur - russet and white tom with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Muddypaw – ruddy brown tom with gray eyes

Sparrowstep – ginger and white tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

Heatherwhisp – gorgeous sandy tabby she-cat with green eyes

QUEENS

Risingcloud – dark brown and white tabby she-cat with fierce blue eyes

Skyfeather – beautiful silver and white tabby she-cat with green eyes

Flowerfur – pale ginger tabby she-cat with soft gray eyes
(Mother of Hazekit and Flarekit)

KITS

Hazekit – smokey gray tom with blue eyes

Flarekit – fire furred tabby tom with blue eyes

ELDERS

Featherfoot – fluffy silver tom with charming blue eyes

Daisystripe – yellow tabby she-cat with blind blue eyes

Halfstone – crippled tuxedo tom with hazel eyes (retired at a young age)

Roughtail – ragged brown tabby tom with green eyes and one ear

RIVERCLAN

LEADER, Frorestar – large gray and white tabby tom with cold blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Cedarpaw – dark brown tabby tom with sharp yellow eyes

DEPUTY, Swoopinghaze – gray and white tabby tom with pale green eyes
APPRENTICE, Redpaw – russet tom with white markings and blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT, Frecklesplash – pale speckled tabby tom with blue eyes

WARRIORS

Ravenheart – black tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, Mintpaw – silver and white tom with bright blue eyes

Lilacfern – dark gray tabby she-cat with white forepaws and amber eyes
APPRENTICE, Ghostpaw – small pale tabby tom with dark green eyes

Racingtide – brown and white tabby tom with soft green eyes

Shadowstep – tortoiseshell tom with brilliant green eyes

Simmerclaw – golden tabby she-cat with fierce green eyes

Ashwing – silver speckled she-cat with light blue eyes
APPRENTICE, Icepaw – dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Brightwhisker – ginger and white tabby tom with long legs and amber eyes

Larkstep – silver tabby she-cat with white tailtip and green eyes

Mountainclaw – muscular white tom with russet stripes and dark eyes

Tumblewhisker – mottled tuxedo tom with amber eyes

Juniperheart – russet she-cat with brown socks and blue eyes

Amberspeck – beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, Loonpaw – fluffy silver she-cat with one blue eye

QUEENS

Blueface – pale silver tabby she-cat with turquoise eyes

Silentfrost – mute yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes
(Mother of Graykit and Duskkit)

KITS

Graykit – dark gray tabby tom with black paws and blue eyes

Duskkit – mousy brown tom with white paws and blue eyes

ELDERS

Cherviltail – mottled white tom with torn ears and blind blue eyes