This challenge was written by Echo, a wonderful writer that you all should check out.


The Clan of Frozen Mountains- The Song of Rain and Stars

The thin, mourning wail rose from the dark forest as it startled birds to take flight. The air was dense with emoti

on and intensity, as another low, wail rose above and beyond the pine trees.

The camp was silent and unmoving. Most cats that were there sat in their dens as the rain continued to fall. The soft pitter-patter continued to fall in rhythm from the dark sky. Not a word was spoken. Not a muscle was moved. The camp was eerie with tension, as the first cat moved.

All eyes looked up and focused on the movement. A black and neon green tom stepped out of the Nursery, his fur sleek. His eyes were blank, and transfixed on the ground in front of him. He didn't say a word, but walked into the centre on the camp and laid himself down.

All cats looked at him with sympathy. He had suffered greatly today, but no cat dared to mention what had caused his pain. The tom in the clearing laid something down in front of him, something small and motionless.

Some cats gasped at what they saw. It was a kit- a newly-born kit. The tom's name was Vixenstreak- and he was the father of this newborn kit.

Vixenstreak laid motionless, as he placed the tiny, unmoving kit on the ground in front of him. His heart broke at the sight of his daughter- his little girl that would have become a warrior of ShadowClan.

His blinked deeply, letting the tears fall from his cheek and onto the wet ground, as the sky continued to rain down on him. He didn't care. This was his last goodbye.

He leant his head down and curled his neck around the kits back. Then he murmured the two heart-breaking words.

"I'm sorry." He said it so faintly, that it almost sounded like the faint breeze. He pressed his muzzle into the kitten's silk fur and inhaled her sweet scent. The kit smelt like her mother, Darkfeather; whom usually smelt like roses, or the pine forest that surround the camp.

He clenched his teeth together to stop him from wailing his pain to the dark mourning sky. Another mourning wail rose from the Nursery. Vixenstreak knew it was Darkfeather, the kit's mother and also his mate. Darkfeather had given birth just this morning, only to deliver a single she-cat. The memories came crashing down on Vixenstreak like an invisible black wave.


Darkfeather was curled around the beautiful dark grey she-cat, as the kit weakly suckled for Darkfeather's milk. Vixenstreak had been curled up around Darkfeather and gazed lovingly down at their daughter.

"Rainkit." Darkfeather had suddenly whispered. Vixenstreak looked to Darkfeather. Darkfeather looked Vixenstreak in the eye. "I want her to be named Rainkit." Vixenstreak nodded instantly.

"It's beautiful, just like her." Vixenstreak whispered back. Darkfeather nodded and they both looked down on their beloved kit. Suddenly the tiny kit opened her eyes; revealing beautiful clear blue eyes.

Vixenstreak looked into Darkfeather's ocean-blue eyes.

"She had your eyes." Vixenstreak looked back on Rainkit. "She'll be as beautiful as you." He whispered. Darkfeather purred.

Rainkit blinked deeply, then met Vixenstreak's eyes. Vixenstreak smiled.

"Welcome to the world, Rainkit." He whispered gently to her. Rainkit blinked, not understanding and let out a loud squeak. Both Vixenstreak and Darkfeather chuckled.

Suddenly the tiny kit stopped looking at Vixenstreak and Darkfeather as Rainkit looked away. Her eyes were startling and pained- like she was in pain.

Suddenly Rainkit started coughing hideously and making low moaning sounds; like she was choking. Both Vixenstreak and Darkfeather froze. Darkfeather quickly started licking Rainkit's ears comfortingly. Vixenstreak watched helplessly as Rainkit's throat seemed to swell up.

Maybe it's just a fur ball. Maybe it'll pass! He thought panicky as he tried to convince himself this was just normal. But he couldn't help himself. He knew kits this young didn't cough up fur balls yet. Suddenly Rainkit coughed up a patch of blood.

Darkfeather bristled. She turned to Vixenstreak, her eyes wide and scared.

"Get Whispleaf!" she hissed in panic. Vixenstreak bolted out of the Nursery and into the clearing. It seemed like a normal ShadowClan day. Cats were walking all around camp in different directions.

"Help! Someone get Whispleaf!" he had yowled. One cat quickly ducked into the medicine den, then brought out the medicine cat; Whispleaf back out with them. Whispleaf approached Vixenstreak.

"What's the matter?" she asked. Vixenstreak replied quickly.

"It's Rainkit- she's choking on something but I don't know what." Whispleaf hesitated, then spun around and ran back to her den. She appeared a few moments later with a bunch of herbs in her mouth. She then followed Vixenstreak inside the Nursery and quickly approached the suffocating kit.

Whispleaf quickly placed down the herbs next tom Rainkit and asked Darkfeather to move. Darkfeather quickly obeyed and moved out of the way so that Whispleaf could inspect Rainkit.

As Whispleaf worked, Darkfeather asked anxiously.

"What's wrozng with her?" she wailed, her voice flailing with panic. Whispleaf looked up from the trembling Rainkit.

"I don't know. She choking on something-"

"Yes, we can see that!" Vixenstreak hissed anxiously. Whispleaf gave Rainkit a yarrow leaf, but the kits couldn't swallow it. Whispleaf worked harder to make sure the kit ate the yarrow.

Suddenly Rainkit's collapsed and all three cats froze. Time seemed to go in slow motion as Whispleaf worked furiously on Rainkit and Vixenstreak held Darkfeather back. Darkfeather almost leapt for the tiny kit, but Vixenstreak held her back.

"My kit! Save my kit!" she shrieked, grief taking control of her. Vixenstreak's heart almost stopped, as he saw Rainkit take her final breath and lay still. Whispleaf stopped feeding the tiny kit some yarrow, and faced the two cats.

Her eyes were wet with grief. Then Whispleaf delivered the three words that made Vixenstreak's heart shatter into tiny, precious fragments.

"I'm so sorry."


Rainkit's death was one that Whispleaf had never seen before. She had died a quick death, but that still didn't stop Vixenstreak's grief.

The rain continued to fall, not seeming to stop. Vixenstreak's neon green eyes flashed open. Rainkit's body lay in front of him, her silk-soft fur untouched by the rain. He looked up from her precious body and looked around camp.

A hunting patrol had just come back and walked through the entrance of camp. As they walked past Vixenstreak, no on even gave him a sympathetic look. Vixenstreak bristled. Didn't anyone care, that a tiny, innocent kit had died? Vixenstreak curled his lip in a snarl.

Of course they won't. His Clanmates never cared about anything; other than hunting and patrolling their borders. When a cat died, they never sympathised the family of that cat. Instead they would just carrying on with their boring life and act like nothing ever happened.

That's what happens in ShadowClan. Vixenstreak growled quietly and glared at every cat that dared to look at him.

Those fox-hearts. He snarled silently they'll pay for what they've done! He softened his gaze and looked back down at Rainkit, her innocent shape forever in his memory.

He touched noses with his beloved daughter for the last time. He closed his eyes.

I love you, Rainkit. I'll never forget you. He promised silently to her. Then he flashed his eyes open, his neon green eyes blazing with fury.

I'll make them pay. He vowed to the tiny kit. I'll make every single one of those fox-hearts pay for what they've done. He finished the last part, but this time, his voice was deadly quiet. For you, Rainkit. For you…


The tiny she-cat, her dark grey fur lined with bright stars gazed into the pool, reflecting what was currently happening in ShadowClan. The tiny she-cat had just joined the ranks of StarClan a few minutes ago.

The last vivid image of her life was of her beloved parents, gazing down at her lovingly and naming her.

"Welcome to the world, Rainkit." Those were the last words that she remembered of her father. Rainkit closed her eyes and silently vowed to her parents.

I love you, Mama, Papa. I'll never forget you. I'll be here; waiting for you. Rainkit opened her eyes, and this time; a cat was sitting at her side, gazing into the pool. Her white fur was also lined with shining stars, and her wise blue gaze drifted down on the tiny kit.

"You miss them." She meowed softly. Rainkit looked back into the pool, then replied quietly.

"Yes. I do." The white she-cat nodded and turned back to watching the pool. Images flashed of Vixenstreak, vowing to the dead body of Rainkit.

I'll make every single one of those fox-hearts pay. For you, Rainkit. For you. Rainkit heard these words in her head, as if Vixenstreak was vowing those words to her. The white she-cat beside Rainkit sighed.

"Do you understand what he's doing?" she asked. Rainkit shook her head. The white she-cat met her eyes directly.

"He's planning to kill. All the cats in ShadowClan, because they didn't mourn your death." The white she-cat meowed solemnly. Rainkit gaped at the image of her father in the pool; bloodlust and bitter. Rainkit knew he was a better cat; she didn't want him to do this because of her.

"But-but. I don't want him to do that!" Rainkit protested. The white she-cat looked back into the pool.

"I know you don't. But there are just some things; that we cannot change. His destiny; and yours were written in the stars a long time ago, just like every other cats'." The white she-cat met Rainkit's eyes.

"Even if you visit him; nothing you can say would change his fate." Rainkit jumped to her paws defiantly.

"But what about Darkfeather! She can talk him out of it!" Rainkit protested. The white she-cat twisted her tail around the kit comfortingly and meowed softly.

"I'm sorry Rainkit. There is nothing StarClan can do about it…" Rainkit met her eyes defiantly.

"How would you know, Iceblaze? He's just grieving; he'll snap out of it sooner or later!" Rainkit shook Iceblaze's tail off her and turned away from the pool and stormed off. Iceblaze watched the tiny kit go sadly.

When Rainkit was alone; she found herself sitting in a small clearing. Finally alone, she let herself find her senses.

Vixenstreak would never snap out of his murderous thoughts. He was going to take another cat's life to ease his pain. To make them see how much sadness and pain Rainkit's death caused him. Suddenly two simple yours started quietly chanting in Rainkit's head.

It started as a whisper, which then grew into a loud chant. The words were undeniable, and Rainkit could no longer hide from it.

Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.

My fault…


Hi all!

This is the first challenge for the Clan of Frozen Mountains.

~Echo