Allegiances:
Lightningclan
Leader
Brackenstar- Golden tabby tom with wise, amber eyes
Deputy
Ivyheart- Black she-cat with yellow eyes
Medicine cat
Fogfur- Dark grey tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice, Birdpaw
Warriors
Reddust- Large calico tom with grey eyes
Flamescar- Ginger tom littered with scars with blue eyes
Apprentice, Applepaw
Lionpelt- big, golden tom with green eyes
Greynose- Dark grey she-cat with amber eyes
Featherpool- Pretty silver she-cat with blue eyes
Clawnose- Large tabby brown tom with a large scar on his face
Apprentice, Brownpaw
Gingerpool- Large ginger she-cat
Stonepelt- Thick furred, grey tom
Burnpelt- Burnt red coloured she-cat with brilliant, blue eyes
Flamefern- Dark grey she-cat with black ears
Apprentice, Sandpaw
Stormlight- Half blind, Silver grey she-cat with a darker stripe running along her spine and yellow eyes
Apprentice, Brightpaw
Apprentices
Brightpaw- Off-white she-cat with black markings
Brownpaw- Dark brown, tabby tom
Sandpaw- Cream coloured she-cat with blue eyes
Applepaw- Dark grey tom with thick fur and blue eyes
Birdpaw- Silver she-cat with darker grey markings and amber eyes
Queens
Burntpelt- Burnt red coloured she-cat with brilliant, blue eyes, mother of Redkit and Spiderkit
Kits
Redkit- Dark ginger tom with blue eyes
Spiderkit- Grey tom with grey eyes
Elders
Yellowfur- Dark grey she-cat
Pineclan
Leader
Violetstar- Black and white she-cat with blue eyes
Deputy
Scarletclaw- Dark russet furred she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Snakepaw
Medicine cat
Marshyeyes- Murky brown tom
Warriors
Owlheart: Light brown tom
Nightheart- Black tom with white paws
Snakeclaw: Big tom with dark gray fur
Fireeyes- White and ginger she-cat with almost red eyes
Dustfur- Dusty coloured tom with green eyes
Hawkswoop- Dark brown tabby tom with ice blue eyes
Greytail- White top with a grey tail and blue eyes
Apprentice, Flashpaw
Stingclaw- Cream coloured tom with blue eyes
Hazeleyes- Chestnut brown she-cat with blue eyes
Starlingwing- Black and ginger she-cat with amber, almost red, eyes
Apprentices
Flashpaw- Black tom with white streaks along his flank
Snakepaw- Black she-cat with green eyes
Queens
Brightwhisker- Light brown tabby she-cat, mother of Heatherkit, Snowkit and Frostkit
Kits
Heatherkit- Pale brown she-cat with deep blue eyes
Snowkit- Pure white tom with icy, blue eyes
Frostkit- White tom with light grey markings and pale green eyes
Heatherclan
Leader
Aspenstar- Brown and white tom with silver eyes
Deputy
Lilyfeather- Mousy brown she-cat with large claws
Medicine cat
Lightpool- Pale brown she-cat with yellow eyes
Rainclan
Leader
Snowstar- White tom with blue eyes
Deputy
Stonefoot- Big grey tom with blue eyes
Medicine cat
Gooseflight- grey tom with blue eyes and black flecks
Cats Outside Clan
Amber- Grey she-cat with amber coloured eyes
Shadowheart- Dark brown tom with several darker markings and magenta eyes (Previously of Lightingclan)
Ace- Nearly black tom with slightly lighter grey, tabby markings and odd, purple eyes (Previously of Lightingclan)
Darkspots- Dark grey tom with lighter grey dots down his back (Previously of Pineclan)
Antclaw- Dark brown tom with yellow eyes (Previously of Pineclan)
Swiftswipe- Black and white tom with blue eyes (Previously of Pineclan)
Russetpelt- Dark ginger she-cat with white markings (Previously of Pineclan)
Chapter 1:
Violetstar had never seen shadows so large. They seemed to creep across the Pineclan camp, covering every corner. The moon was blocked by large pine trees that seemed to curve inwards as they grew.
The Pineclan leader sighed, her tail drooping down from the High Branch.
From the corner of the camp emerged a russet furred she-cat with black markings and blue eyes. She'd exited the medicine cat den, nervously glancing over her shoulder. When she spotted Violetstar, she leapt up to High Branch to join her.
"How's Iceheart?" The black and white she-cat asked.
Scarletclaw glanced at her, "I don't know, Marshyeyes is struggling to deal with all these sick cats."
"When will this leaf-bare end?" Violetstar wailed softly, "how could Starclan do this to us?"
"Starclan cannot help us," Scarletclaw shook her head, "we disobeyed them too many times."
"Our cats are strong, I will not banish them because Starclan sees them as unworthy."
"You banished Duskpelt," the deputy pointed out, "and he was your son."
"Duskpelt deserved to be punished; he betrayed my clan and my trust. But he was punished, he suffered for his crimes and now he's dead."
"But-"
"The supposedly 'unworthy' cats in our clan have proven themselves to be loyal," Violetstar cut off her deputy before turning to her, "or are you suggesting that I throw out your own daughter?"
"No, never." Scarletclaw shook herself, "you're right. The other clans could never understand or be as strong as us because they cannot see the damage they are doing to themselves."
"A few moons ago two warriors in Lightningclan were killed," Violetstar whispered, "Brackenstar told me at a gathering."
"Brightpaw's mentor?" Scarletclaw asked.
"How do you know that?"
"Starlingwing is good friends with the apprentice," she told the leader, "she helped them escape from camp when they were kidnapped as kits."
"Oh, yes," Violetstar looked distant, "those kits…"
"You're thinking about Duskpelt's kits, the Lightningclan ones, aren't you?"
Violetstar sighed, closing her blue eyes for a moment as if she was reflecting on something. Scarletclaw peered at her, her blue eyes narrowed carefully as she assessed the leader. She had changed after Duskpelt had been banished but the deputy was trying to figure out what had changed.
"I am," the leader finally answered, "I know that they're Cursed too."
"There are a lot of Cursed cats," Scarletclaw frowned, "especially in this clan."
"They both seem… significant," Violetstar looked at the sky, "like they're needed for something."
"They're just Lightningclan cats, Violetstar."
"Something is brewing, Scarletclaw," the black and white she-cat's voice went low, "something that neither Starclan or any clan can prevent. And it starts with those kits and that rogue."
"I don't know what you mean." Scarletclaw looked at the leader, "Duskpelt is dead, do you think there's another threat to the forest?"
"The other clans are a threat to us," Violetstar said slowly.
"What? But the lake has been peaceful for moons now, especially since Duskpelt's death. Other than green cough, we haven't had any border skirmishes at all."
"It may have been peaceful for us, Scarletclaw," She looked at her, "but tell that to the two brothers who were killed in Lightningclan. The apprentice murdered in Heatherclan and the mother slain in Rainclan. Why were they killed? Because they were Cursed."
"It's not our responsibility."
"Well I'm tired of not doing anything because 'it's not our responsibility,'" Violetstar snapped, "we can do something about it."
Scarletclaw glanced up, her eyes widened in surprise. "What are you suggesting?"
"A way to help other cats and make our own clan stronger," she got to her paws, "we have lost too many cats this leaf-bare," her gaze fixed on her deputy, "I will not lose anymore."
Scarletclaw watched as Violetstar jumped off the branch and padded into her den, her ears flattened in shock at the conversation she'd just had.
Shaking herself slightly, she glanced at the warrior's den before realising that the restlessness in her body would not let her sleep. Getting to her paws, she climbed higher up the tree that hung over the camp, not stopping until she reached the top.
When she emerged from the leaves, she inhaled the fresh air in slowly. Closing her eyes she let the cooling breeze overcome her, the choking scent and humidity of the medicine cat camp were making her feel claustrophobic, especially with all the sick cats.
Sighing, she looked over the lakes, before noticing something odd in Lightningclan.
Straight across their territory, a strange, purple fire burnt through the forest. Scarletclaw watched in horror as the flames grew, giving off a poisonous acidic smell.
"That can't be natural," she said to herself before looking down on her camp, "Oh, Violetstar, I hope you know what you're doing."
A/N: Bang, bang, bang! We are back for an explosive finale to the Cursed trilogy. Also, told you these two would be important ;). If I'm quick with this, I might even be able to finish this before school starts. Three books wrote in one summer, that'd be impressive.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little prologue thingy and look out for Chapter 2!