Here's a one-shot for QuietClan this time. My word was Blood.
"There's nothing you can do, Foxpaw."
"Yes, there is. Stop telling me that!"
"There's nothing you can do…"
Foxpaw's eyes flashed open and he scrambled to his paws, eyes wild. He almost fell back down at the burning pain in his shoulder and the throbbing in his head. Taking a deep breath, he slowly limped forward. Immediately, the scent of death washed over him, and he almost choked.
Pushing back a fern with a shaking paw, he dared to glance at the clearing. The sight that met him would be permanently edged into his mind until he died, and would haunt every moment of his life.
"You will never take over SilverClan territory, Finchstar," a very dark grey she-cat spat.
The speckled tom, Finchstar, growled. "DewClan needs more territory; we have many mouths to feed and not enough prey, Blossomstar."
"There have been two clans here for many seasons; you can't change what StarClan has decreed, even for your own selfish greed."
Finchstar's face broke into a smile and he laughed. "StarClan?" he echoed in disbelief. "You're precious StarClan can't help you now, even if you plead and cry to the stars above."
"Your lack of belief will be you're ultimate downfall, Finchstar," the grey she-cat growled, her green eyes glowing in the dark of the night.
"Then it's your choice: give us some of your territory, and we'll leave peacefully, or, you could refuse and be beaten by us; it's your choice, Blossomstar," the tom said airily, looking down at his warriors, their claws glinting in the moonlight.
The she-cat's eyes were full of rage. "You will never take any territory from us, as long as I and all of my warriors are still standing."
The speckled tom growled. "DewClan, attack!" he screeched. He leapt out of the tree and into the throng of cats, disappearing in the sea of colored pelts and moving bodies.
Blossomstar sighed and looked at the clouds drifting over the moon. Please, StarClan, give my warrior's strength.
Foxpaw's eyes widened at the sight that met him. All around the clearing, the bodies of the fallen were sewn about, some with their claws still outstretched and their eyes glinting with rage. Many were slumped against the trunks of the trees in the gathering area.
But what shocked Foxpaw the most was the blood. Blood. Blood. Everywhere around there was blood caked into the dusty ground, splattered against plants and trees, and still dripping down wounds of the dead. The sight made him forget about his shoulder as he ran, running away from the sight.
He ran, tears streaming down his face and his ears whipping away in the wind. He skidded to a stop and lay there, putting his paws over his ears. The voices, they wouldn't stop.
"STOP!" he screeched, digging his claws into his head. They moaned and spoke of bloodshed and discord, of a time where the sky turned black and the water ran cold and red, thick with regrets and broken promises. "StarClan, save me!" he desperately cried.
He closed his eyes, but all he could see was the blood-stained clearing and the spirits drifting around, wailing. Suddenly, it stopped. He slowly opened his eyes and found that he was back in the starry clearing before he saw the bloodied ravine.
He looked around for the cat he had talked with earlier, and finally saw her. He tried to run up to her, but his paws were frozen to the spot. She lightly padded up to him, the stars in her pelt shimmering as she walked. She stopped in front of him and touched her nose to his head, smiling. Immediately his injuries began to feel better. The warmth in the she-cat's face made him want to curl up and just stay there.
"What is wrong, little warrior?" she asked.
Foxpaw whimpered slightly. "All of my family, my friends, they're all gone."
Sympathy glinted in her clear blue eyes. "Yes, they have all gone, but they will be remembered for their bravery."
"But that doesn't make them come back," he grumbled.
"It is true that they died unjustly, but you must live the legacy of your clan."
He looked up, his green eyes full of confusion. "What do you mean?"
She smiled. "You need to keep the legacy of your clan."
"As in, me being the leader?" he asked.
The silver she-cat nodded. "You must gather more cats and recreate your clan, but without the hatred among one another."
He nodded determinedly. "Ok, I will try."
The she-cat's figure started to fade. "Recreate the clans through hope and love, and demolish the discord and prejudice among them. Remember, only the bravest can stop the bloodshed and show the way to light…"
