eaglenation : Hey guys! Welcome to the third chapter of Sliver of Light!
Rainstalker: Why are you so hyper, eagle? Stop bouncing off walls!
eaglenation: Sorry, Rainstalker. It's just…*fangirl scream*
Rainstalker: What?!
eaglenation: The teaser for the hobbit part 2 is supposed to come out this week, and Tsubasa came back in Beyblade Metal Fury!
Rainstalker: You are such a fangirl. Okay, so before eagle decides to lick the computer screen, I shall do the disclaimer. So, eaglenation does not own Warriors, only the plot and her own characters.
eaglenation: *licks computer screen with Tsubasa's image on it*
Rainstalker: Ew. Let's just get along with the story.
MurkClan
Leader:
Frozenstar: huge blood-red tom with brown eyes with a streak of green in them
Deputy:
Scarpelt: sandy she-cat covered in scars and missing her tail.
Apprentice: Shredpaw (large tabby tom with yellow eyes)
Medicine cat:
Tallpine: Small tom with green eyes.
Apprentice: Honeypaw (black she-cat with purple eyes)
Warriors:
Shadowclaw: pitch black tom with long black claws
Spidersong: long legged black-and-white she-cat with red eyes
Creeperheart: golden she-cat with huge paws and yellow eyes
Apprentice: Reflexionpaw (tiny blue-grey-and-white she cat with grey eyes)
Tigerleap: orange she-cat with black stripes
Poisontail: tabby tom with purple eyes
Pumadeath: light yellow tom with small ears
Apprentice: Crowpaw(grey she-cat with a deformed jaw)
Blackflower: pitch black she-cat with long claws and blue eyes
Crushjaw: white tom with a black tail and chipped tooth
Rainstalker: large blue-grey tom dappled white with grey eyes
Brokenwing: long-haired brown tom with amber eyes.
Apprentice: Dogpaw (big-eared, dark orange tom)
Darkfall: grey tabby she-cat with red eyes
Apprentice: Soaringpaw (tortoishell she-cat with red eyes)
Goldeneyes: jet black tom with a white slash mark on his chest and amber eyes.
Queens:
Moontail: light black she-cat with a crescent moon on her chest, pregnant with Goldeneyes kits
Tearpool: long-legged silver she-cat with pale amber eyes, mother to Frozenstar's kits: Deathkit (red-and-white tom with orange eyes with a streak of green in them) and Splinterkit (long-legged dark brown she-cat with tiger-like stripes and silver-blue eyes with a streak of green in them.)
Splinterkit watched, wide-eyed, as the black she-cat gave birth. Tallpine, the Clan medicine cat, stood over her, rubbing her flank and whispering soothingly. The she-cat's mate, Goldeneyes, watched anxiously from the entrance. As the first kit slipped out, Splinterkit gasped in awe.
"It's tiny!" She whispered to Deathkit, who nodded, and added "This is cool!"
Moontail gasped, and a second kit slid out, a tiny white thing.
"What will you name them?" Goldeneyes whispered to his mate.
Moontail thought for a moment. "The dark brown tom will be Fallenkit." She decided.
"It sounds fierce. It'll help his survive." Goldeneyes nodded.
"And the white she-cat will be…." Moontail seemed not to have any ideas. Why don't I give them one? Splinterkit thought. "Name her Vinekit!" she squeaked, before realising how stupid her idea was. Both cats turned their eyes on the tiny she-cat.
"Splinterkit! Deathkit!" Tearpool gasped in horror, seeing the kits she thought asleep peering at the scene from a dark corner of the nursery. She wrapped her tail around them and tugged them over to her side violently.
"Oops." Deathkit snickered.
Moontail winked at Goldeneyes. "Vinekit it is, then!" She confirmed, amused.
"Yes!" Splinterkit gloated, receiving a glare from her mother. "Sorry, sorry." She muttered.
"Quick, make them look presentable before Frozenstar comes for inspection!" Goldeneyes hissed, seeing their leader talking to the medicine-cat apprentice, Honeypaw. He turned and began to head over to the den.
"Quick, stand up, kits!" Moontail nosed her new-born kits to their feet. They mewled, and began to search for milk. "Shh, shh." She cautioned.
Frozenstar entered the den, and glanced around coldly. "Where are they?"
"Here, Frozenstar." Moontail said proudly. She was used to this, Splinterkit guessed. Used to the inspection of newborn kits.
Frozenstar glanced at Fallenkit. The kit squeaked. "Strong, thick build. Not a threat to the Clan's safety." He confirmed. "He is safe until the second-moon inspection. He will be a fine addition to the Clan." He then looked at Vinekit, and Splinterkit felt her heart beat faster. Frozenstar's gaze flickered coldly. Goldeyes' pelt slowly rose, and Moontail shivered.
"Look at this tiny piece of nothing." Frozenstar hissed. Splinterkit had never heard her father talk so cruelly. "She will take so much feeding, and what if she doesn't survive? White pelt is traitorous. She would scare away all prey." He picked the little she-cat up by her scruff and took her outside the den in three swift pawsteps. Moontail cried out in agony, and her mate stroked her flank with his tail.
Frozenstar raised his paw, and unsheathed his claws.
"Don't watch, kits!" Tearpool cautioned, wrapping her tail around her kits tighter.
No! He can't! Splinterkit thought. Not the kit I named! In a second, just as her father's claw was descending, she was on her long legs and bounding over her mother, speeding between her father's claw and the newborn kit. Frozenstar's eyes widened, but he had only enough time to soften his blow before he sliced his claws across the side of Splinterkit's face and down her side. Agony coursed through her veins. She had never felt anything like this before, and she could only squeak once. She fell to the ground, and lay still, waiting for the pain to pass.
"No! Tallpine!" Frozenstar meowed in panic. "Tallpine! Honeypaw!" Splinterkit watched the medicine cat through a haze, strangely numb. She felt his place cobwebs on the throbbing gash down her side, but could not say anything. She hoped Vinekit was safe.
"Why? Why would you do something so spider-brained?" Frozenstar was questioning his daughter. "Why?"
"I wanted to help Vinekit!" Splinterkit repeated for the millionth time. She could not understand Frozenstar's rage. Surely he hadn't meant to harm Vinekit? At least he'd decided to give her another chance.
Frozenstar lowered his massive head to hers, glaring at her with icy eyes. "Splinterkit, you should not have interfered! How am I supposed to make you understand the weak have no place in this Clan?!" He hissed, gesturing at her slowly healing wounds with his tail.
His claws had left a strait scar that ran across her back, from shoulder to tail. Splinterkit had never felt so unwanted in the time she healed. Even Honeypaw and Tallpine had treated her coldly! Finally, the day had come when she had come back to the nursery, expecting Tearpool's warm welcome. Instead, her mother chose to ignore her, and she would not allow her to play with the new kits. Only Deathkit treated her like before.
"I'm sorry, Frozenstar!" She cried, tears spilling down her face.
"And now, instead of punishing you as I should, I'm making you an apprentice! I should have killed you at inspection!"
"Don't you think she's been punished enough?" A voice sounded out behind Frozenstar, coming from the large grey form of Rainstalker. "She has been shunned since she received her injury." He said, his voice grave. "I believe you are overreacting, Frozenstar."
"From when can you tell me what to do?!" Frozenstar towered over the tom, spitting with fury. Rainstalker didn't blink. "You will see, you will regret not having listened to me."
"What do you know? You were only made a warrior two moons ago!"Frozenstar raised his paw, claws unsheathed, and brought it down, but Rainstalker blocked it swiftly.
"Leave alone the helpless kits, Frozenstar, and concentrate on more important matters." He said, turning back around, back to his leader, and walking away. Splinterkit's gaze trailed after him.
"You!"
Splinterkit flinched.
"Get yourself cleaned up. You're going to be an apprentice today. But don't think I'm happy about it. Your punishment isn't over!" Frozenstar stalked away, muttering under his breath.
"Apprentices! You hear that?" Deathkit cried, leaping around his sister, exited. Tearpool ran up and began to lick him proudly, then surprised Splinterkit by licking her too. Splinterkit actually felt exited then, and felt her heart begin to pound.
"Splinterkit, Deathkit, I am so proud of you." Tearpool whispered.
"We'll make you even prouder!" Splinterkit meowed.
"Let all cats old enough to fight gather beneath the Blood Rock!" Frozenstar called, and Splinterkit sensed the reluctance in his voice. He was standing on top of the blood red boulder that marked the middle of the camp clearing. All the cats began gathering together, their dark pelts blending with the trees. White kits were extremely rare in the Clan. As everyone gathered, Frozenstar continued. "I have gathered you here today for two reasons. One, the celebration of two new warriors. Please step forward, Crowpaw and Soaringpaw."
The two proud she-cats step forward, eyes glowing. Crowpaw had a deformed jaw, and was only allowed to live because she gained her injury while defending the Clan leader. Splinterkit knew the story from the older warriors. She guessed Crowpaw expected to receive a degrading warrior name.
"Soaringpaw and Crowpaw. You have learned to fight and proved yourself by bringing down a dog in your assessment. Darkfall and Pumadeath have been your mentors.
Have they proved worthy?" Frozenstar asked their mentors, who sat beneath the rock. Both dipped their heads in agreement. Frozenstar continued. "Soaringpaw, from now on you will be known as Soaringfall." The tortoishell she-cat purred. "Crowpaw, you were allowed to live as you saved my life. However, you are still weakened by your….face." Frozenstar coninuted. "Your name will be your punishment; you will be, from this day on, known as Crowfood." The grey warrior dropped her head sadly, and then both she-cats stepped down the stone. Splinterkit could hear the tortoiseshell whispering encouragement to her sister. She jumped as she felt Frozenstar's gaze on her.
"In replacement, two new kits have gained the right to become apprentices. My own heirs, Splinterkit and Deathkit." He beckoned them forward with a flick of his tail. Both kits bounded up the rock. "Deathkit, from this day on until you receive your full name, you will be known as Deathpaw. You will be mentored by Creeperheart. She is strong and resilient, may she pass these traits on to you." Splinterkit watched anxiously as the golden she-cat reached out and ran her claw lightly across Deathpaw's shoulder, marking him her apprentice, then resting her muzzle on the scratch. Splinterkit then felt her father's gaze become icy as he turned to her. "Splinterkit, from this day on until you receive your full name, you will be known as Splinterpaw. Your mentor will be Crushjaw; he has proved himself strong, tactful and powerful. May he pass these traits on to you." He finished in a hiss, and Splinterpaw heard Tearpool purr with amusement, though she did not know why. Crushjaw stepped up and reached a claw out, running it across Splinterpaw's flank. The new 'paw flinched.
Crushjaw then bent his head, touching his muzzle to Splinterpaw's cut. Then both mentors and apprentices stepped off the stone.
Splinterpaw licked her new wound thoughtfully. Was this what they did in other Clans? Did the mentor hurt the apprentice as a mark of hardships to come? She was ripped out of her reverie as Deathpaw swatted at her head. "Come on, Creeperheart says we can do battle training together!"
Splinterpaw purred excitedly and followed, forgetting her doubt.
