DarkClan: Into the Light
Here is my first chapter.
I do not own blah blah blah the warriors series blah blah blah….
So, um, like, yeah.
Enjoy.
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Whispers From the Past
The fierce river roared as it churned its way through the tunnels, echoing in the confined space until the
sound began to make Floodpaws sensitive ears ache. He pressed his ears against his head, but it did
nothing to diminish the sound of the river. It also did nothing to Ratclaws high, nasal voice as he droned
on about the dangers of the river.
"Floodpaw!" snapped Ratclaw. "Are you listening?"
Floodpaw nodded wearily. " Yes, Ratclaw." Why did his sick mentor have to choose Ratclaw, of all cats, to teach him today? The older cat went on, apparently satisfied with Floodpaws answer. Even while calm, Ratclaw had a piercing, whiny voice that got on his nerves.
"…and so you should never go near the banks of the river when it sounds loud and fierce, like it does now. Instead, find a quiet pool to swim or fish in." Ratclaw finished his lecture. Floodpaw nodded like he had been listening, but Ratclaw knew better. " So tell me, Floodpaw, which fish are dangerous to cats?" he asked shrewdly.
"Ummmm, the ones that, uh, have big teeth?" guessed Floodpaw, knowing that he was caught.
"WRONG!" snarled Ratclaw. " Do you just not care whether or not you get poisoned by a fish? Or would you rather drown, is that it? If you don't listen , I'll report this to Fishbelly…."
Once again, Ratclaws voice faded out as the apprentice thought of other things. When will he shut up? Can't he see that I don't care? Knowing this isn't going to make me a warrior, so who cares? Thought Floodpaw.
"… and don't you dare think that you've gotten off easily, because you will be hunting for the clan for the rest of the day, and you won't be allowed to eat until tomorrow!" ranted Ratclaw.
"WHAT?!" screeched Floodpaw.
" Get hunting, Floodpaw," mewed the older cat icily.
Floodpaw unsheathed his claws and scraped them on the rocky floor angrily, but turned after a moment and headed into another tunnel to hunt.
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A chill in the wind that coursed through the tunnels announced the late time, so Floodpaw headed back toward DarkClan camp. The camp was nestled in a small network of tunnels at the top of a steep incline so that it wouldn't flood when it rained.
A good idea, but it made it difficult for the apprentice to drag his prey back. Floodpaw cursed his ancestors- and Ratclaw- inwardly.
Finally, he dropped his catches on the fresh-kill pile. He sniffed deeply, wishing for a taste but knowing that he wouldn't get one. Floodpaw sighed and padded to the apprentice den, his belly growling hungrily.
"Floodpaw? You're late, what happened?"
The apprentice turned at the soft, concerned voice. "Nothing, Pebblepaw, just came back from hunting, that's all." He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth, either. The younger apprentice had a tendency to nag, and Floodpaw really wasn't in the mood.
"Oh…okay," mewed Pebblepaw. "Well, you just seemed a little miserable, so, you know…." Her rocky scent moved closer to Floodpaw, and her breath tickled his ear when she spoke again. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay, but…"
"Pebblepaw, I just want to go to sleep, okay? I didn't have the best day, so just, stop prying, please?" Pebblepaw moved away quickly.
"Yeah, okay, Floodpaw….." the she-cat apprentice abruptly turned away and made a nest on the far side of the den, as far away from Floodpaw as possible.
Floodpaw stood, shocked, for a minute, then shrugged it off. Pebblepaw had been acting weird around him lately, less like a good friend and more like… he didn't even know.
Well, whatever is wrong with her, she'd better get over soon, thought the young tom. He missed the fun times that they used to share together.
After a few moments, Floodpaw curled up in his mossy nest. His belly growled again, and he felt cold without the usual comfort of Pebblepaw's fur against his, but he fell asleep relatively quickly, floating into a dream….
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…Floodpaw padded across a rocky cave floor. Beside him was a cat that he had never smelled before, a mixture of age, wind, and a fresh, new smell that he couldn't place. They walked in companionable silence through tunnels that Floodpaw didn't recognize. At one point, the apprentice almost thought that he heard the river, but it was gone before he could be sure.
Suddenly, the unknown cat beside him picked up his pace, until Floodpaw was racing wildly through the network of tunnels just to keep up.
Then, something strange happened…. Pain touched his eyes, and he flinched, closing them quickly. He'd never had any use for them- no one had- and now they were burning worse than the time he'd had dirt in them. Floodpaw slowed to a stop, his eyes tightly closed against the pain and the strange way his world had changed.
The unknown cats scent returned, and Floodpaw felt a soft brush of fur along his flank.
The Sight shall return underneath the paws of the ancestors,
And balance can only be restored by one.
Seek light to save the clans
Floodpaw jumped as a deep, powerful voice resounded in the tunnel, sounding more like many voices than one.
"Wait!" he cried out as the strangers scent and voice faded, leaving the apprentice alone and lost…
Seek light…
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Well, there you have it, folks, the first chapter of DarkClan. I know, I suck at prophecies. : )
Who was the mysterious stranger? Why is Ratclaw such a jerk ? What is this illness that kept Fishbelly from training his apprentice? And why has Pebblepaw been acting weird lately?
I guess you might find out if you read the next chapter…and come up with some DarkClan cats…and review… ; )
So, um, like, yeah,
VeridianRose