Collapse of the Clans: ShadowClan

The swampland ShadowClan was well known for had spread over time, the thick slough smelled of rotten wood and muck so pungent that it made the reeds wither. The broad pine forest had thinned, giving way to dense marshland. Only sparse patches of evergreens remained. Sunlight was dimmed by thick cloud cover, more rain was coming. The few remaining trees in the area provided little shelter for the impending rainfall.

A shadowy figure slinked through the muddy terrain stealthily; his narrow eyes a vivid shade of yellow. He navigated expertly through the marsh, as if he had taken the route several times before. He was no stranger to this territory. The dark feline was followed by two others, moving just as well through the marshy landscape. Their pelts were slick with moisture and mud, they smelled of swamp gas. The trio of cats paused at a slight ascension in the ground, one may call it a hill of sorts, where an alder tree provided shade.

The black cat glared at the broad lake that swallowed much of the surrounding area in a torrent of water. "We are nearing the border with RiverClan," he meowed, his rough voice more urgent than usual. "Keep quiet and stay close to me."

His companion fidgeted impatiently, her wild green eyes glancing everywhere but the lake. "Ravenstar never explained to me why we are heading to enemy territory," she hissed, "why should I risk my life to go on a mission I don't even understand? Especially since RiverClan is more hos-"

Sootfang snarled and turned on the ginger she-cat; his lithe, wiry body snaked toward her in a movement so brisk and forceful she did not have the chance to scream. She squirmed in vain beneath his grasp. "Do not doubt our leader," he spat at her face, keeping her pinned to the muddy ground with unsheathed claws. "Her word is law."

Startled, the ginger she-cat could do nothing but nod stupidly as the mud soaked into her pretty auburn fur. "Y-yes, Sootfang… It must have escaped me."

Sootfang relented, a strange flicker in his yellow eyes. Was it regret? He sheathed his claws and reclined from his position with a frustrated grumble. "Rules are meant to be remembered, not forgotten," he recited the traditional saying of Ravenstar mechanically. "Keep that in mind, Amberblaze."

The young she-cat, still shocked by the turn of events, only nodded in reply. She padded quietly over to the third cat, a brown tabby, which managed to maintain silence the entire time. The brown tabby simply observed the exchange with pensive amber eyes, his tail twitch conveying mild amusement.

"Foolish Amberblaze," the brown tabby scorned mockingly, "perhaps you should return to the apprentices den if you're going to forget such things."

Amberblaze cuffed him roughly with her paw. "Oh, shut up will ya, Owlstrike?"

Owlstrike chuckled deviously. "If I pretend that hurt, will you take that pouty look off your beautiful face?"

Indignant, Amberblaze prepared another cuff to the head before Sootfang came between them, looking annoyed. "Knock it off, guys," he scorned, "we are on a mission, remember?"

The brown tabby nodded slowly, his voice saturated with sarcasm, "How could I forget?"

Sootfang glared at him, his yellow eyes bright as a flickering flame, before turning away and leading them onward. Why did Ravenstar have to give me these two inexperienced warriors as companions? He glanced back at the two young warriors, Amberblaze and Owlstrike, wondering what potential his leader saw in them. One thing is for sure, they would never qualify to be emissaries.

Sootfang stepped across the lush coltsfoot, still beaded with dew that twinkled dimly in the faded sunlight. He thought about his role as one of ShadowClan's privileged emissaries; it was a newer rank, enacted by Ravenstar, and unique to ShadowClan. An emissary was a part of an elite group of warriors trained in the art of espionage. Ravenstar claimed emissaries were needed to protect ShadowClan during these dark times by spying on its rivals. Sootfang's troth and fighting expertise made him a worthy member of the group, and a proud one at that.

As the coltsfoot gave way to grass and willow trees, Sootfang paused. He could smell the acrid odor of fear mingling with the scent of fresh water and his sleek black fur bristled. The old border between RiverClan and ShadowClan was redrawn recently because the original halfbridge did not serve its original purpose as a buffer zone. Now, the border was drawn between the patch of coltsfoot and willow trees.

"We have arrived," he announced in a harsh whisper. He could feel the younger cats tense behind him. "Just keep low and follow my lead, got it? Do not make one sound once we cross this border."

"Got it," they mewed in unison.

Sootfang nodded and led them across the border, into enemy territory. The willow trees crouched overhead, casting long tendrils of leaves over the cats. Sootfang was cautious but brisk in his movements; his quick footing coasted him through the thick cover of willow branches flawlessly. His companions, however, seemed reluctant to travel into the thick of RiverClan. Sootfang glanced back to see their awkward postures and timid gait, he sustained a growl of irritation. The grassy floor became increasingly damp, almost swampy; mud began to gush between Sootfang's toes as he snaked through the expanse of willows.

As he proceeded, Sootfang spotted a pool of mud, so moist and soupy that it almost looked like water. He gestured for Owlstrike and Amberblaze to come near with a flick of his tail. When they approached and spotted the pool their expressions were that of disgust.

"We need to disguise our scent," Sootfang instructed. He nodded toward the pool of mud, "roll around in that and the patrols will never notice us."

"You're kidding, right?" Amberblaze snorted. "You must have bees in your brain if you think I'm rolling around in that mess."

Owlstrike nudged her playfully. "You're already muddy, we're ShadowClan warriors, remember?" He proceeded to the mud and began to roll around, slicking his pelt with a generous amount of muck. Owlstrike sat up and stared at Amberblaze with a mischievous look in his amber eyes. "Besides, I think you've got in enough trouble today."

Sootfang nodded in agreement, glaring pointedly at Amberblaze. In defeat, the she-cat approached the mud pool and began to soak her reddish fur, her eyes filled with disgust and frustration. Sootfang followed the two and gave his own pelt a good soaking. The feeling of mud and water oozing into his inky pelt was something he was used to; he had been forced to disguise his pelt plenty of times before going on spy missions. After finishing up, the three ShadowClan cats continued deeper into enemy territory.

Sootfang reached a mass of wood which sat unsteadily in the lake. Before the Great Flood, the structure was apparently used by Twolegs during greenleaf for entertainment; they would sail off on strange wooden floats and spend the day on the lake's surface. The idea sounded so strange to Sootfang, he doubted it was true.

"Are we going to cross that?" Amberblaze gasped.

Sootfang nodded, feeling just as nervous as Amberblaze sounded. "Yes, we must. Ravenstar wanted us to see where RiverClan took shelter. They have been awfully quiet lately."

Owlstrike was gazing absently at the overcast sky. "Maybe they finally perished. Last I heard there were only a dozen of them left."

Sootfang found Owlstrike's suggestion unsettling. There were always four Clans, if one disappeared, it seemed likely the others would follow suit. Not wanting to dwell on the thought for long, Sootfang approached the mass of rotting wood. Water pooled at its surface, seeping between the crevices of each plank. If it rained again, the remnants of the halfbridge would be consumed. The wood beneath his paw felt tender and swollen, it would not support much weight for long.

"Step lightly, this structure is unstable, but it's better than swimming," Sootfang whispered.

He led the cats further across the wooden surface, stepping quickly across. Each step he took caused the wood to splinter and let water gush through. Sootfang's heart pounded painfully in his chest when the wood seemed to grow less and less sturdy and excessive amounts of water rose from beneath. He glanced back to see his Clanmates following faithfully behind him, looking fearful. Warriors don't' feel fear, warriors don't feel fear. He chanted repeatedly in his head.

Sootfang sprang onto the muddy surface of solid ground with relief. Owlstrike and Amberblaze plopped down beside him, panting heavily. "We made it." Amberblaze sighed in disbelief.

Sootfang rolled over to stare in the direction they had come. He frowned and shook his head, "there's no turning back now. Our pathway is submerged." The remnants of the Twoleg halfbridge were slowly being swallowed by water which bubbled up from the indent of the cats' pawprints.

Amberblaze glared at Sootfang. "Looks like we will be swimming after all."

The emissary ignored her, standing up to shake his pelt. The mud that caked his fur flaked off in thin chunks though it remained saturated. Owlstrike gaped at the territory before him while Sootfang simply observed, he had expected to see the horror before him. Most of the soil was submerged in surging streams of water. Fallen logs, hollowed and rotted, lay on the muddy, sopping surface of the once great RiverClan territory.

There was no trace of life.