Hey people. So anyway this is FlameXcat (duh), and this, my fellow fanfictioners, is my first story! It took me awhile to convince myself to post it so enjoy...er if you like it that is. Feel free to comment, suggest changes, and criticize. If you don't like it, thats fine. I don't mind if you tell the truth. just don't freak out and flame because your bored and have no life. If you feel the need to do so I suggest you just go away because I have no need to deal with those people. I know I'm not the best, but I tried. And if your not one of those people...start reading! =]
Disclaimer- If its not already obvious, I do not own warriors. If I did I don't think I would be posting here, or even making a disclamier for that matter -_-. I do, however, own the characters in this story.
Prologue
Darkness covered everything, swallowing up the light without mercy while long shadows crept slowly across the ground. Bare tree branches rattled loudly, cracking and wiping with the howling wind. The tall forest trees swayed dangerously, groaning and creaking in protest against the bitter cold.
From below the gnarled roots of an old twisted oak starred a glowing pair of orbs, narrowed and pale gray as a long faded stone. Silently there owner gazed out at the world around her, blinking painfully against the screeching gust's of winter air.
Grunting, she shifted her weight feeling the dry leaves crunch beneath her. The cat's scruffy gray tabby fur was covered by the dark, hiding the withered and deformed skinny body from sight. Drawing in a weak shaky breath, the sickly feline turned and retreated farther into the makeshift den, long thin tail dragging behind her.
Taking her time, the she-cat managed to drag herself to a small nest in the corner made of dead moss and damp leaves, not having been changed in a while. Stretching out a fore paw, she prodded the bedding with twisted broken toes, the claws ripped and chipped at odd angles.
Slightly satisfied, the gray cat shuffled herself with effort into the old sleeping place and settled down on the poor nest.
Tucking her forepaws under her chest, the elderly she-cat sighed and closed her eyes, imaging it as soft feathers and fresh greens.
It was easy to tell the cat was old, moons old, her grizzled muzzle scattered with silver fur that also flecked areas around her bony frame. Her body was robbed of any nutrition, ribs showing clearly beneath a thinned pelt. The cat's grayish eyes were deprived of the light leaving her nearly blind and ghostly.
Tares ran down her tattered pelt like water, showing clearly where a large patch of the snarled fur was missing. One of her ears had been torn down the middle while the other was missing pieces, giving her the appearance of an already half dead cat.
The she-cat mumbled nothing in particular to herself and lay her ugly head down on the fungus scented sleeping area.
Not for the first time that day she thought, the cold numbing her bones seemingly sucking out her life.
For a while she lay still listening to the sound of the wind slashing outside the earth walled den, starring into the darkness in silence. Soon she found her eye lids fluttering sleepily and before she knew it her eyes were closed and she was drifting into a long sleep.
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"Hurry up; we don't have all day lazy paws!"
The old she-cat jumped at the sound of the voice and snapped open her eyes to see nothing but the emptiness of the den. Lifting her head, she looked around but saw nothing.
Suddenly there was the sound of paw steps outside and shapes fluttered momentarily at the entrance making the age weary cat prick her ears in curiosity.
As if on cue, two figures stumbled into the den, there fur ruffled and sticking up at odd angles as they looked around.
For the first time that day the gray tabby purred, she had been expecting there visit although she had hoped it would have been earlier.
Shivering slightly, the first cat approached her, a pretty young she-cat with long pale brown fur and warm green eyes that seemed to grow large in the darkness.
The other cat, her litter-mate, was a smaller black and white tom with a proud amber colored gaze and big paws that caused him to be a bit clumsy. Both cats where around the age of six moons.
Padding up to the older cat, the green eyed she-cat dropped a fresh rabbit at her paws and waved her tail with delight. "Hello Imelda" she mewed in greeting, "I'm sorry were late, Ash was being a nuisance!"
Almost immediately the tom's voice sounded behind her "Was not, you're the one who had to stop multiple times!" Her brother replied in protest.
"Oh shut up…" she growled back, glaring at Ash in annoyance. Ash glared back but said nothing.
Blinking gratefully at the two bickering siblings, Imelda shook her head. "It is okay young ones, you are here now and that's all that matters" she replied softly, watching as Ash sat down among the crumpling leaves.
His sister sighed in relief and let out a joyful purr, "thanks Imelda" she mewed, "you know we would never forget you!"
Ash nodded, "Yeah! Your stories are the greatest!"
"Oh don't thank me; I always look forward to your arrivals Ash and Stella…"
The two younger cats shinned at the praise until Stella suddenly remembered something. Quickly she nudged the fresh rabbit forward and stared at the elder, "mother told us to give this to you, and you must be hungry!"
"Thank you, tell your mother I appreciate it" Imelda purred in reply. Really, she wasn't hungry as she hadn't been for a long while now, but she took a few bites to be polite. Chewing slowly, she swallowed with a bit of effort and ran her tongue across her gray lips.
The two adolescent cats didn't notice, Ash was too busy watching a bug scamper across the earth floor while Stella tended to her ruffled fur.
Not wanting to be wasteful, Imelda took one last gulp and settled back, tail curling around her frail body.
"Now than…" she grunted, "I suspect you'll want to hear the story now isn't that right?"
Ash's head flashed up to stare expectantly at the tabby, "Oh yes please!" He purred. Stella nodded quickly in agreement.
Clearing her throat, Imelda narrowed her eyes in thought, "now what will it be? Hmm…"
"Tell a story about the clans!" Both siblings answered in unison, tails flicking with excitement.
"I should have known!" The gray she-cat laughed, "Let's see, how about-"
"The big battle, tell one about the battle!"
Stella shook her head at her brothers request, "You always say that!"
"Well that's the best one!"
"Ah uh, tell one about…a forbidden love…" his sister meowed dreamily. Ash made a face.
"Eww, no way!" He snorted, "That's boring!"
Imelda sighed loudly and flicked her tail tip before interrupting, "as I was going to say, how about a story you haven't heard before?"
Both sets of eyes stared at her in curiously when she spoke, waiting for her to go on. Quickly she tucked herself in closer to the bedding and let her nearly sightless eyes wander as she recalled the words.
"Anyway…this is a story about a she-cat by the name of Minx…" she muttered softly. Suddenly Ash and Stella exchanged confused glances before Ash spoke up.
"Minx? Isn't that cat a murder?" He questioned eyes wide. "Yeah…"Stella chimed in, "wasn't she the crazy one who tried to kill every cat in her path?"
When Imelda nodded, Stella flashed a look of disgust and Ash snorted, each remembering the times they had heard about the character in other stories. Letting out yet another long sigh, the graying story teller closed her eyes, "although what you speak is true…her past is interesting, a definite original from most others…now can I tell it without an interruption?" She murmured quietly.
Looking slightly embarrassed, Ash lowered his head, "Yeah, sorry…" the tom apologized, Stella voicing the same.
Pleased, Imelda sucked in air and parted her jaws to unravel the tale, "As I was saying, Minx lived long, long ago, in the times of the clans, but far from them her life started…."
Meanwhile outside, the wind had picked up and the heavy storm clouds above brightened with flashes of lightning, followed quickly after by crashing thunder. Steadily rain poured down on the forest, thrumming against the ground and splattering leaves as two young cats listened intently to the skinny elders words.
End of Prologue! Sorry if its not really that interesting, but trust me it will get better! Personally I thought I had to think of a different way to begin than usual, soooo thats what I did. I don't know how long it will take me to write the next chapter...but I will get to it. Depends on how many people want me to I suppose. =^.^=
~FlameXcat