1. INJURED
Leaf-fall. Mistpelt was beginning to stockpile herbs for leafbare. Lilytail, the newest queen to the nursery, was nervous. She didn't want to have to birth her and Mothwhisker's kits during the coldest season. Last leafbare, Mistpelt had announced to the clan that Blizzardstorm's kits had passed. Blizzardstorm herself had been sick, and the death of her kits had shocked her so hard she disappeared the next day. Since then Whitestar had lost his ninth life and Mousepelt had become Mousestar. She appointed Falconeyes as her deputy; he'd never saw it coming. He still wasn't quite used to being in charge.
He sat outside the medicine cat's den, watching Mistpelt shift through pile and pile of sour-smelling herbs. Her once solid-gray fur was beginning to show signs of old age, white furs stuck up here and there. The she-cat turned around, her ears angled backward. Her blue eyes met his different-colored ones, and a tingle went through his paws. It was a feeling only those close to StarClan could give him; Mistpelt's eyes seemed to portray an acute wiseness that held the secrets of the stars in them, even if she hadn't yet died.
Falconeyes padded into her den, knowing that the small nod of her head meant that he could. He was cloaked in thick herb-scent, and he screwed his face up when her back was turned. She wasn't going to look at him now. She was busy with her herbs.
"What's bothering you, Falconeyes?" The she-cat asked. From behind her, he bristled, watching as she placed a yellow flower next to others of its similarity. He opened his mouth, but choked on his words. Am I that easy to read?
He'd need to tell her, though. He couldn't be spooked off.
"It's StarClan," he meowed, and Mistpelt tautened, pausing what she had been doing. She turned around to him, her blue eyes narrowed. She let him continue, her muzzle clamped shut. "I think they sent me a dream."
"That's quite the rarity," Mistpelt mused, stepping closer, "a dream sent to the deputy by StarClan? Have you spoken to Mousestar yet?"
Falconeyes shook his head. "No, she's out on a border patrol."
"What is it?"
He held her gaze for a heartbeat longer before he could not bear it, and let his eyes drop to his paws. He was mildly surprised to see his claws unsheathed, scoring the soft, grassy ground of the den. From where she was sitting, Mistpelt folllowed his gaze.
"It was about ThunderClan, Mistpelt. I had a dream we were fighting them... and losing." There was something else, on the tip of his tongue, at the edge of his mind, nagging at him; there was more to the dream than that. But the thought of how he felt in the dream made him feel unnerved. It was something to do with him. And he wanted to tell Mistpelt, but he didn't know how to begin or even what he needed to say.
"Losing?" Mistpelt echoed. Falconeyes could feel her gaze back on him, watching his face carefully. Perhaps she could tell he wasn't saying everything.
He nodded. "Mousestar is angry at ThunderClan. She hates them. They won against us this greenleaf, and took our territory. Now she's adamant that we need it for leafbare, otherwise we'll be severely underfed. She wants to attack them at night, and soon."
"Is that so? I guess there is no convincing her." Mistpelt meowed, an undertone of sadness in her voice. Falconeyes thought for a moment he could sense her fear, but it dissipated quickly. "I'm assuming StarClan sent you this dream because something of significance is going to happen."
"As always," he mumbled, turning to exit the den. He might as well warn Mousestar, so she's not unprepared for what will come. He looked at Mistpelt over his shoulder, pupils widening against the den's dim light. "You might want to get more herbs than usual."
"Good luck."
Falconeyes nodded, letting his eyes linger on the older she-cat before exiting the den and stepping out into the filtered sunlight of ShadowClan's camp. He felt resentment boiling inside him; it still didn't make sense, that ShadowClan would lose a fight at ThunderClan's camp when they weren't expecting it. ThunderClan had way more cats than any of the other Clans, and they were far more prideful and thick-headed, but would they really beat ShadowClan back until they were broken and bloodied? After that, woul they take more of what was ShadowClan's?
He shook his head, swallowing hard, and drove the negative thoughts back. He needed to be clear-minded.
A pelt brushed against him, and he relaxed, turning his head to the side, seeing familiar green eyes meet his.
"You seem tense," Waspclaw meowed, licking him on his jaw. The deputy sat beside her, trying to not let his shoulders slump. He curled his tail around his paws and tried to look as presentable as he could; Waspclaw was his mate, and he respected her a lot. He didn't want her to worry about him. She had other things to concentrate on.
"I didn't sleep well."
She didn't say anything. Waspclaw knew not to press him. Probably because she knew he wouldn't tell her something if he didn't want to.
"How's Furzepaw's training coming along?" He asked, the silence growing unbearable. He didn't want to think about his dream any more than he should.
"Very well. He's a smart furball, that's for sure," she laughed, spotting her cream tabby apprentice across the camp. He was sharing tongues with his sister, Tansypaw. "I think he'll become a warrior pretty soon now. I'll miss him."
Furzepaw was Waspclaw's first apprentice. Falconeyes trained one apprentice before he became deputy; Wolfstep had proved to be a reputable warrior. Some days he still missed being able to train with her.
"I better leave." She gave Falconeyes one last lick on his forehead before padding off, headed for the nursery. Waspclaw was close friends with Lilytail, and Falconeyes was glad she was. Waspclaw was one of the few cats who could calm Lilytail, and Lilytail needed much calming if she was going to get through leaf-fall and leafbare without dropping dead from anxiety.
He glanced up at the sky, now starting to darken as dusk drew near. His eyes fell to the Clan entrance as it rustled, and Mousestar's light brown tabby head poked through the thicket. She led her border patrol into camp.
Good luck, that's for sure. Falconeyes thought, watching the patrol disperse. He caught Mousestar's brown gaze and nodded toward her den. She caught his drift. Even from where he was, he could see a sigh coursing out of her. The fights they've been having with ThunderClan was wearing on her. There had been way too many scuffles at the border for a proper peace of mind.
"What is it, Falconeyes?" She asked, once they were inside her den. She was curled up in her nest, licking her fur flat and not meeting her deputy's gaze. Her voice was laced with impatience and exhaustion. Falconeyes couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her.
"I had a dream from StarClan," he paused, watching to see if she'd react - but she continued grooming her fur, showing no interest. It was almost like she hadn't heard him. "We need to be cautious when we attack ThunderClan. Something..." He couldn't tell her they would inevitably lose. She'd claw him to shreds. Maybe even turn her back to StarClan. "Something of importance will happen."
Mousestar grunted, finally resting her chin on her paws. She looked up at her deputy, brown eyes narrowed.
"Is that all, Falconeyes?" She said dryly, ears flattened to her head.
There was nothing more he could say to her. He did his duty, and warned her. She didn't seem to think what he said mattered, or even what StarClan had told him mattered. Rage bloomed within him, and he bit his tongue, his eyes widening a tad. He resisted the strong urge to pounce on her and rake his claws along her pelt. She was losing her mind.
"Yes," he grunted, whipping around and padding out of her den. He could feel her eyes boring into him as he left, but he didn't turn to look at her. He didn't think he'd be able to control himself again if he did.
Falconeyes looked up to the sky, tiered in warm colors as the sun set. The wind gently blew past him. He breathed the scent of the pine forest deeply, trying desperately to calm himself. No deputy should feel this way about his leader. Mousestar had been good once. But the past year had hit her hard, and she'd changed. Drastically. It was a miracle if she even listened to Mistpelt. He watched the dusk sky a bit longer before hanging his head.
He lifted his head slightly at the sound of pawsteps, eyes trailing on a ginger tabby paw. He looked up, meeting a tom's eyes. Robinheart was staring into his eyes. He could tell Robinheart was wondering about him. Robinheart was his best friend, after all, and whenever Falconeyes seemed to drop deep into sadness, Robinheart would reach right in and drag him back to his senses. Robinheart lowered his chin, but kept his green eyes staring into Falconeyes's.
"Have you eaten recently?" The tom finally asked, the sky behind him now a dark blue. Falconeyes was suddenly aware of the churning in his stomach; he hadn't eaten since yesterday. If he told Robinheart that, his friend would lecture him to Silverpelt and back. Falconeyes just shook his head, and padded with his friend to the fresh-kill pile.
They sat in silence, eating as night fell upon them. When Robinheart was finished with his frog, Falconeyes buried his mouse. He had been lost in his thoughts, which had been on Mousestar's declination, when Robinheart spoke up. Most warriors were in their dens by now.
"You can tell me."
He looked over at the ginger tom, staring at him with bright green eyes. He tensed. He usually told Robinheart anything that was on his mind, but now the words were caught in his throat. Robinheart wasn't invincible. He would feel the fear and anxiety that Falconeyes did if he said anything; Robinheart cared for ShadowClan just as much as the deputy did. Slowly, Falconeyes shook his head, stretching and then standing up, not looking back to Robinheart.
"Nothing to tell."
Crestfallen, Falconeyes padded away from Robinheart, slinking into the warriors' den without looking back. He knew that it hurt Robinheart when he didn't share his troubles; Robinheart always trusted in Falconeyes with anything that was going on with him. He just wished his friend could understand this was something he couldn't tell him.
ShadowClan needed their warriors to be determined, not scared.
[+]
The waning moon shone down on the patrol of cats as they stalked across the territory, heads low and ears pricked for the slightest sound. Most had their faces scrunched up against the pungent, bitter smell of the ThunderClan cats, wafting about them. Mousestar had assigned a first patrol of cats, which consisted of him, Robinheart, Waspclaw, Flamestripe, Goldenblaze, Badgerfoot, Gorsenose, Volefur, and Furzepaw. The second wave of warriors would come after the ThunderClan cats were weakened.
But it was hard entering battle knowing it wouldn't be won.
His patrol still felt agonizingly weak compared to all of ThunderClan's cats, who were far more muscular than they were. Falconeyes glanced back at his patrol, their eyes wide and their bodies tense. He nodded to them, approaching ThunderClan's entrance. It was a bold approach, entering the camp from the front. The camp guard would be able to the warn the Clan before they attacked.
As they neared the entrance, it became clear there was no guard. Falconeyes felt an unease spreading through him; was ThunderClan really this irresponsible?
He led his warriors into the camp, glancing from side to side, expecting warriors to be on him in an instant. Looking back at his patrol, they appeared to feel the same.
"Well, well, well, look at who we have here," a voice chided from above. Falconeyes braced himself, glaring into the darkness. He could make out a pelt in the trees, unable to scent the tom amongst the entirety of ThunderClan's scent. It clogged his nose.
The tom jumped to the ground. Behind him, the patrol stepped forward. Falconeyes lashed his tail to the side, gesturing for them to stand their ground.
Snakestar stood before them, his brown eyes glinting menacingly in the moon's light. How could the leader have known they would be there? Falconeyes felt queasy, watching wordlessly as the long-haired tabby drew his gaze over the patrol. His eyes stopped on the cat beside him. Falconeyes glanced to the right, his heart stopping.
"You told the truth, Waspclaw," Snakestar meowed, a smug look on his face. No one could say anything. They were too shocked.
The black she-cat padded out from the patrol, not looking back, until she sat beside the brown tabby. With her head high, she met Falconeyes's gaze.
"Waspclaw?" He gasped, confusion blurring his judgment. On his other flank, Robinheart nudged him. Falconeyes shook his head and he turned to look at Robinheart, who froze when he met the deputy's eyes.
Robinheart looked away. "Forget her, Falconeyes. We need to fight for the honor of ShadowClan."
He was wordless. He couldn't think. Falconeyes nodded numbly, staring off as ThunderClan's warriors stepped out from their dens. They had been expecting ShadowClan's attack. It was Waspclaw's fault. She'd turned her back on her Clan.
Falconeyes flattened his ears against his head. She had turned her back on her mate.
"Rogues!" Badgerfoot hissed from the back of the patrol, "They've got rogues on their side, too!"
Slowly, Falconeyes turned around, watching as cat after cat poured into ShadowClan camp, standing behind them. A long-haired dark red tom stood at the lead, green eyes piercing into his.
When he turned around, Snakestar was glaring at him, muzzle drawn up in a malicious snarl. "ThunderClan, attack!"
Caterwauls filled the air, claws flew, jaws snapped. Snakestar pounced on him, claws slashing across his side. Howling, Falconeyes kicked at him with his hind legs, trying to sink his teeth into the ThunderClan leader's neck. They rolled across the clearing, finally breaking apart, pelts bristled and tails high in the air. They circled each other slowly, glaring. Snakestar had a mischievous grin on his jaws.
"How does it feel, Falconeyes?" The tom sneered, "Your own mate has betrayed you for a cat of another Clan! ShadowClan will fall. ThunderClan will take over the whole forest."
Falconeyes was still speechless, but the numbness began to ebb away, replaced by a white-hot wrath, coursing through him. His barred his fangs, circling with Snakestar, before pouncing, waving his claws wildly at the leader; he got his ear, sliced it, got the side of his face, sliced it. But Snakestar twisted. Snakestar was atop him, claws sinking into Falconeyes's belly, mouth snapping down onto his shoulder.
Blood seeped into his fur and Snakestar jumped off. He was lying on his side now. The pain was unbearable.
"Look around you, Falconeyes," Snakestar hissed, hot breath wafting over Falconeyes's head as the leader craned his neck down to watch the tom's facial expressions. Snakestar was already beginning to see his eyes dulling. He wasn't able to see anything going on around him.
But he could hear.
He could hear Mousestar's voice rise above the cacophony, a shrill cry of defeat.
Her scream was cut short.
And then the blackness took him.
[+]
it's been a while since i've written something, hasn't it? to tell the truth, i've been working on multiple stories but haven't gotten anywhere with them. thh was a huge failure, so i'm afraid all of my others will turn out the same. so here's prin pardus's 100 one-shot challenge. it's significantly easier to write this than a story OTL
review, please~ i would greatly appreciate that. c:
next up is "sinking".