Disclaimer: I only own my own characters and am not making any money from this story
Warnings: violence, cursing, abuse
Cats met in this chapter:
Mudriver- dirty grey long-haired tom with yellow eyes. Mentor of Darkpaw and brother of Thundertail
Thundertail- black she-cat with a crooked yellow tail and yellow eyes. Sister of Mudriver
Tigerpaw- white and orange tabby tom. Mentored by and son of Gingerstripe and brother of Windpaw. Mothered by Thistlefeather (not mentioned in this chapter)
Windpaw- white she-cat with silver legs. Mentored by Blackstar and daughter of Gingerstripe and Thistlefeather (not mentioned in this chapter)
Thicketpaw- brown and white she-cat. Mentored by Boulder. Daughter of Ruckus and Snip (not mentioned in this chapter)
Speckledpaw- calico tom. Mentored by Darkflower. Son of Russetfur and Jaggedtooth (each from book but not mentioned in this chapter)
Darkkit carried the mouse back to the nursery from the fresh-kill pile. His small teeth dug into the flesh and the scent made his mouth water. It was all he could do to keep from eating it right now. It had been three moons since he had arrived here and Snaketail had been using him as a little servant the entire time. At first it had been difficult to drag the pieces of prey she demanded to the nursery. Sometimes she would change her mind of what she wanted and make him go back.
His stomach growled in protest of his lack of eating. He entered the nursery as though it were a dream. He was loosing touch with reality again and he knew it. He dropped the mouse at Snaketail's paws.
"That's it? You stupid kit I said 'a plump, juicy mouse' and what's this? You drooled on it? You're disgusting!" Snaketail hissed at him.
"Let every cat old enough to catch their own prey come here for a clan meeting," Blackstar's deep rehearsed voice called. Darkkit remained where he was, staggering slightly from a heavy blow Snaketail had delivered to the side of his head a moment ago. He didn't remember receiving the blow. It was more like she had lifted her paw and the pain just happened.
Snaketail heard Blackstar's voice and growled, "I'll be back for you later," into Darkkit's ear. He just remained there in a daze. Ratkit had died not long after his arrival and since then Snaketail had taken to tormenting him and blaming him for her son's death.
He looked around and realized he was alone. Or was he alone? Was he just hallucinating that he was alone? It had been nearly three days since Snaketail had allowed him to sleep. That coupled with the lack of food she gave him made his mind whirl and he was often loosing touch with reality.
The state of innocence in a kit's mind should be maintained until they are at least five moons old, which is why kits didn't become apprentices until six moons. In a loving and caring environment, this mentality is easy to maintain. Unfortunately, that is not where Darkkit was. Snaketail was tormenting him nonstop trying to see how far she could push him. His mental state was at a great risk. It was possible that his moods might become unpredictable or aggressive, but Snaketail didn't care.
Neither Blackstar nor Littlecloud bothered to check on him and simply allowed Snaketail to do whatever she wished. Runningnose was now an elder and seemed to figure that if the kit was exiting the nursery he must be at least close to alright.
Darkkit wasn't sure he was alone, but upon sniffing the air, he realized that Snaketail actually had left. He collapsed into an immediate sleep.
The abuse he had received from Snaketail prevented him from having the sweet dreams of rolling in the grass or chasing a bug that a normal kit would have. His dreams were nightmares. He was always waking in fear thinking that something terrible had happened or was happening. Never the less, Darkkit adored sleep. He wanted sleep because it released him from the hold of this world. Of course, his hallucinations also contributed to that.
Snaketail loved to watch him as he would run in terror from a non-existent dog or badger or fox that she told him exaggerated stories about. He would sometimes stagger back from a blow that she had never delivered or whimper in fear of her while she was asleep on the other side of the den.
His nightmare came, like he knew it would. He writhed and whimpered as it took him to a world of terror, but at least it was far from the real world his body inhabited.
_
"Come, come here Darkkit," Snaketail said gently. Darkkit inhaled. Something smelled different about her. He knew that scent.
"Momma!!!" he cried and ran to her. She nuzzled and spoke to him softly. There was no hurt to be inflicted, only sweet gentle comfort. But something was wrong. His mother scent was indeed there, but the smell of life was absent. Snaketail started to laugh then disappeared. Darkkit gasped and spun around.
"You stupid kit! No one loves you! You are an orphan and a bastard. Your mother abandoned you. Even she didn't want you!" she shouted at him and delivered a blow to the side of his head. He reeled back and when he regained his footing, Snaketail was gone. Fire started pouring into the den, licking at his fur and singeing it. It hurt. It hurt like a sharp blow to his body for that was the only pain he knew. The pain was immense. Worse than what Snaketail could deliver, yet horridly familiar.
He screamed for help, but he just heard laughing. He looked up and saw the rest of the clan. They were perfectly fine. They were shouting and scorning him and…laughing! How dare they laugh at him? He wanted to claw their throats out. He would make that stupid sound stop. Snaketail laughed at him. Snaketail laughed at him everyday and he hated it. He hated her. He hated them and they hated him but he didn't need them. He would get them, he would make them stop. They would stop forever.
"Darkstripe. Darkstripe! WAKE UP!!!" Snaketail shouted.
_
Darkkit felt his body being rolled back and forth between Snaketail's paws as she hissed at him to wake up. His dream dissolved and his eyes shot open. He hissed suddenly and swiped at Snaketail's nose, tearing it open.
She screeched and reeled back. Littlecloud ran in, eyes wide in alarm.
"What happened?!" he said looking around and seeing Snaketail bleeding.
"He scratched me! That little bastard scratched me!" she screeched as blood ran down her nose and a few drops splashed onto Darkkit's forehead before he spun away from her with lightening-quick speed that even the best warrior would have trouble matching.
Littlecloud looked over and saw Darkkit sitting not far from them. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were curled into a sneer that would have disturbed him if it was on the most bloodthirsty warrior. Darkkit's shoulders were hunched forward and his head was dipped forward slightly as he watched the result of his work.
"S-snaketail, what did you do to him?" Littlecloud stuttered, deeply disturbed by the kit that he saw. Blood trickled down his face, across his cheek and into his sneering mouth and he proceeded to lick it off his teeth.
"Whatever the hell I want. That's what Blackstar told me to do," she growled, but when she looked at Darkkit, her fur prickled.
High-pitched laughter suddenly rang thru the den. "What's the matter, Littlecloud? Scared?" Darkkit hissed in a voice that made the adult cats' blood run cold. It reminded them of Scourge, but younger with a deceiving hint of innocence. Darkkit rarely spoke, in fact, Littlecloud had never heard him speak and Snaketail only heard him when he whined in his sleep but nothing ever like this.
"Snaketail, go to my den…NOW!" Littlecloud ordered. Snaketail managed to tear her eyes away from the icy ones of the kit. His eyes were so cold. They seemed to have the power to freeze anything that looked into them. She quickly left the den. Darkkit watched her go, his sneer still decorating his face. "Wait here," Littlecloud ordered him and left the den as well.
Darkkit rolled his eyes. Where the hell would he go if he left anyway? He lay down in a small heap of dried moss and leaves that he had claimed as his nest and waited to see what would happen.
_
"Blackstar, I'm worried. I don't know what this kit has been going thru, but whatever it is has had a big effect on his mental state," Littlecloud told his leader.
Blackstar glared at Snaketail who was sitting near the entrance of the leader's den. "Come here," he ordered. Snaketail took a deep breath and walked further into the den. "What did you do to him?" Blackstar demanded.
"You told me to do with him what I would, and that's what I did," she said trying to maintain her attitude but Blackstar looked furious and it was making her unnerved.
"We have to do something, Blackstar. He can't stay like this. We need to make him interact with the other cats or something," the tabby said.
Blackstar put his paw on his head. This was getting very complicated and he had never done well with that. "What if we made him an apprentice?" he suggested.
"He's only four moons old, though," Littlecloud protested.
"Well do you have any other ideas, Littlecloud?!" Blackstar growled.
The small tabby thought for a moment then sighed, "None. But who will mentor him?"
Blackstar thought again. "What about Tawnypelt?" he asked.
"I'll bring her here," Littlecloud said and ran out.
"Do you still need me or not?" Snaketail asked in a flat tone.
"Go! Get out of my sight! You're back to your warrior duties now so go hunting!" Blackstar hissed with such force that Snaketail scrambled out immediately.
Littlecloud walked in with Tawnypelt. She looked confused as the senior warrior dashed past her but her attention was drawn to her leader.
"Tawnypelt, listen. I need a mentor for Darkkit. Would you-?" Blackstar was cut off.
"No way! I already have to deal with being a traitor's daughter. I'm not dealing with that little rat, too!" she hissed and the two toms were startled by her outburst. She realized what she had done and immediately dipped her head. "I-I'm sorry, Blackstar," she whispered.
"It's alright. I understand. Go back to what you were doing," Blackstar said gently. Tawnypelt nodded and left.
A young, grey, long-haired warrior watched her go. He poked his head into the den. "Heya, Blackstar. Littlecloud. Whatcha guys up to?" he asked, walking in without an invitation. His coat was messy and dirty, but he seemed unbothered by it.
"We're trying to find a mentor for Darkkit, Mudriver," Littlecloud explained. Blackstar's brow was furrowed as he tried to think of someone, anyone, to mentor Darkkit. Both the older cats were too preoccupied about Darkkit to notice the young tom break his code of silence.
"The little black and silver tabby? How hard could it be to find a mentor for him? He seems alright," Mudriver said.
"He's Darkstripe's son," Littlecloud reminded him. Mudriver looked unfazed.
"Maybe I should mentor him. No I already have Windpaw. What if someone else took her? Arg! This is too confusing," Blackstar muttered to himself.
"So what? He ain't done nothing wrong, has he?" the grey tom asked.
"He just attacked Snaketail, but that's it," Littlecloud confirmed.
"Is that what she was screeching about earlier? Hell, I thought badgers were attacking from the way she was carrying on, and besides I'd attack her too, mean old cat. Darkkit don't sound so bad. I'd mentor him," Mudriver said. Blackstar's head snapped up.
"Ok, he's yours. Littlecloud, get Darkkit out there. We're having a meeting" Blackstar said, getting up and walking out.
Mudriver stared. "But I just became a warrior a few minutes ago," he stammered.
"Then you'll be setting a record," Blackstar called back before jumping into the tree to start the meeting.
_
"Again?" Darkkit thought out loud as he heard Blackstar announce another meeting.
"Yes and this one's for you. Let's go," Littlecloud said, now standing at the entrance of the nursery.
"What're you guys gonna do? Banish me?" Darkkit scoffed.
"Nope," Littlecloud said, leading him to the meeting area. The other cats stared at him as he walked thru them to the front. Littlecloud had him sit just in front of a dirty grey warrior and stepped back.
"Mudriver, I realize that you and your sister just became warriors, but this is a special situation. You are going to mentor Darkstripekit, or Darkstripepaw as his name is now," the white leader said before leaping down. "Meeting adjourned," he mumbled. The cats stared at Darkpaw and Mudriver. Mudriver didn't move to touch noses with his apprentice. He doubted this kit would accept it.
Thundertail, Mudriver's sister, walked over to them. "Come on, let's go," she whispered to her brother. He nodded and led Darkpaw after him with his sister. The cats all continued to stare as they moved thru the crowed.
"Yech! It looks like we have to share a den with that damn rouge, Windpaw," a young orange and white tabby growled loud enough for everyone to hear. Darkpaw, growled, but Mudriver kept him moving forward.
"Don't be rude, Tigerpaw," the white and silver she-cat scolded her brother.
Tigerpaw snorted, "Well I'm not turning my back on him is all I'm saying."
Darkpaw's eyes remained narrowed as the other tom's voice faded behind him. Thundertail led them thru the underbrush and into the briars and thistles to a more secluded part of the territory where yellow-green grass grew. Darkpaw looked around. He hadn't been outside of the camp since he had been brought to the forest, a trip he couldn't remember. He hardly even saw the camp since Snaketail had kept him locked up in the nursery except to fetch her food, which he was required to do quickly.
Thundertail sighed and sat down. "Brother, do you know what you are doing? You barely even became a warrior and already they gave you this apprentice. He's only four moons old!" she exclaimed, looking at the small silver tabby kit.
"Well no one else would take him. And so what if he's young? He seems pretty advanced to me. He landed a good one on ol' Snaketongue earlier," Mudriver bragged.
Thundertail looked impressed but quickly changed it to a look of concern. "Her name is Snaketail and I don't know…" she doubtfully. Darkpaw snapped his head around to look at the two older cats.
"You can quit talking about me like I'm not here. I don't care what you think of me. I don't need any of you," he hissed. His voice had a youthful high pitch, but there was a dark undertone.
"You need me if you plan on being a warrior and having any hopes of getting any respect," Mudriver pointed out, "And me 'n my sis here might be the only friends you currently have a chance of getting."
Darkpaw scoffed. "I don't need friends and I don't need to be a warrior. If I want respect, I'll just take it."
"Sure, sure, you could do that. And show them all that they were right and that you really are just another rouge made worse by looking like Darkstripe," Mudriver said patiently.
"I am Darkstripe. You heard Blackstar. He said my name loud and clear for every one of you slobs to hear," Darkpaw retorted, secretly stung by the words.
"No you're not Darkstripe. You're Darkpaw and anyone who says otherwise is just as mouse-brained as you claim they are," Thundertail said.
Darkpaw stared at her. He hadn't expected this. They really seemed to want to help him. Or were they lying to him? Well, with no one else to trust and no one else even trying to come near him, he decided that perhaps he could grow use to this black she-cat and dirty, grey tom.
"Yeah. You're not their responsibility to judge anyway. You're my apprentice so me 'n Blackstar 'r the only ones who gotta be worrying with what you are, you got that?" Mudriver asked, approaching his apprentice.
Darkpaw didn't flinch at his approach. Whether this would bring him a blow or not was uncertain, but he feared nothing anymore. His claws flexed in their sheaths and his body braced, but no blow fell. Instead, Mudriver's nose gently touched his own for a quick moment before the tom pulled away again.
"You are my charge, do you understand?" Mudriver asked, sounding more serious. His yellow eyes pierced Darkpaw's ice ones.
Charge. Where had he heard that word before? And why did he get the feeling it hadn't brought anything good with it? These cats might be claiming to help him, but Snaketail had done that before too. Offering him a meal then scampering away from him with him too exhausted to follow suit. He did not trust these siblings, but, for now, they were all he had. He nodded his understanding to Mudriver who smiled.
"Good, now shall we go back to camp? It's getting late and your first day of training starts at dawn," Mudriver said.
"Yes we should go back. Blackstar will be wondering what happened to us, not to mention we aren't supposed to be talking," Thundertail agreed. She turned into the bracken, her black body soon becoming invisible in the darkness and her crooked yellow tail seeming to float along like a ghost. Darkpaw followed her with Mudriver right behind.
Every cat looked up when they entered camp. They followed Darkpaw with their eyes. He did not look at them, but Darkpaw could feel their eyes burning into him. It felt as if they were trying to see into his soul.
'I hope what you see frightens you to your very core,' Darkpaw thought to himself.
"I'll meet you at the camp entrance, Thundertail. I'm just going to take Darkpaw to the apprentice's den," Mudriver told his sister, stopping Darkpaw from traveling instinctually back to the nursery. Thundertail nodded and trotted away.
Mudriver led him to a hollow next to a small, dead stump. Tigerpaw was lying on his back at the top while Windpaw gently batted his contently twitching tail. Upon seeing Mudriver and Darkpaw approach she shook her brother's leg and he opened his eyes. He rolled over and leered down at the younger tom.
"Mudriver, why did you bring that here? You don't know where it's been," he sneered, his lips curling upward in disgust.
"Hush, Tigerpaw, no one knows where you've been either," Mudriver retorted.
Windpaw giggled but Tigerpaw just rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just don't expect me to get anywhere near it. Unlike some, I would prefer the other clans view us as the noble cats we are. Not a bunch of rouges like they mistake us as. Besides, aren't you supposed to shut up and guard the camp or something now?" he said before jumping down in front of Darkpaw. He gave him a glaring look before spinning around, lifting his tail and stocking off into the den. "Come, Windpaw, it's not befitting for you to be in such company as this," he snorted. Windpaw gave a quick glance to Darkpaw and Mudriver before trotting into the hollow after her brother.
Darkpaw growled and flexed his claws at the display the older tabby had shown. He could cut that tom's ego down to size.
Mudriver nudged his agitated apprentice. "Don't mind him. He just thinks he's above everyone else because he's one of the few cats not related to any rouges. And Thicketpaw and Speckledpaw are just as bad even though their parents are former rouges, dumber than a brain-dead badger though.
"Thicketpaw and…" Darkpaw began but was cut off by a shallow sneer.
"See I told you they let him out," a shrill voice said from behind them. Darkpaw turned around to see a brown and white she-cat, the source of the voice, and a calico tom walking up to them.
The calico snickered. "Wow. What's got into Blackstar's head now? Letting this thing run wild around camp. We shoulda drowned him in the river as soon as he got here, eh, Thicketpaw?" he said in a cracked voice.
"Absolutely. Yech, now the den's gonna stink of rouge," Thicketpaw snorted.
"Don't forget yourselves," Mudriver warned them, "Both your parents were rouges before they came here, remember?"
"Shut up, Mudriver. You're supposed to be silent now," Speckledpaw mumbled in an almost hurt voice as the apprentices dipped their heads and slunk past the two toms and into the den.
"Don't mind then, soon, you will be able to hold each of them down and have them squealing for mercy. They're all gonna respect you soon enough. Now just go find a place to build a nest and ignore then if they try to start trouble," Mudriver told Darkpaw. For such a young cat that clearly seemed to enjoy goofing around, Mudriver sounded very persuasive and almost wise.
Darkpaw nodded and bid his mentor goodnight and watched him meet Thundertail at the camp entrance. As soon as Mudriver was out of sight, Darkpaw quickly ducked behind the stump and lay down. Inside of the den might have been warmer, but he didn't want to deal with the other apprentices. He lulled himself to sleep with thoughts of what Mudriver had said. He would be the strongest and best warrior one day. And they would all be jealous. One day…
Tigerpaw watched silently from the den entrance. His green eyes glowed in the moonlight. "Sleeping outside. Just like a rouge. You sleep tight, Darkstripe, 'cause you'll never be what Mudriver said. You're just another rouge and that's what you'll always be," he whispered to himself. His ears perked up when he heard his sister stir from inside. With a final glare back at Darkpaw, he made his way back to his nest between his sister and Thicketpaw.
Ok I know I made Tawnypelt a little harsh so don't hate me. I am manipulating a few ShadowClan characters to fit the story like giving Jaggedtooth and Russetfur a son. Also, no apprentices actually from the book are in this story, only the ones I made up. So I hope you enjoy it so far. And yes the other clans will come in to play soon.
