NOTE: I don't own anything warriors and only two of the characters. All credit given in the Allegiances section.

BoneMeal: Yes, I always know it's you because of the long review…or the fangirling. If you created an account then you could Private Message me and we could talk more often. Also, your reviews would appear within a few hours (depending on Internet connectivity) of you posting them. Took me a while to figure that out myself. I threats all know of each other but they don't necessarily "work together". However, they all want to attack Forestclan and see them fall apart so they work together in that sense.

Mistsleaf: Yes, I do take OCs but only when they fit with the story. Adder and Maple will make a future appearance. I will guarantee that.

Review and Enjoy!

Reviving Blood

Chapter 4: Warrior's Heart

The courtyard below was a whirlwind of activity. Servants were racing to prepare the horses and equipment for today's hunt. Lounging inside a room in the bottom floor of the castle were the knights. They would rise when everything was ready. Inside the temperature was perfect. Plush, comfortable chairs were set up around small tables. A few played dice or card games with others. No real stakes were placed in these games. Trenton hated gambling after all. Others were simply relaxing or reading a book from the large bookshelves. Sunlight streamed through large windows. Inside it was cool, despite the increasing heat outside. The knights were enjoying themselves. The servants could wear themselves out for all they cared.

Higher in the castle, watching from a thin window, was a lone figure. His blue eyes watched the servants race to finish preparations. A frown of worry touched his face as one tripped and hit the cobblestones hard. Two more came to his side and checked him over. With a shake of the head, he got up and continued his chores. Those sharp blue eyes caught his limp. The man made a mental note to pull him from working until he was healed. A soft whine made him turn away from the window. A smile touched his lips.

Trenton scratched Dominic's ears and touched the gem around his neck, "How are you today, my boy?"

Dominic wagged his tail as he replied, "Good. Good. We going hunting today?"

The Twoleg nodded, "Yes we are. You ready?"

The massive dog turned in a complete circle, "Yes! Ready to chase some rabbits."

That made Trenton laughed. He past the excited dog and entered the living room. His blue eyes fell onto the other member. Poppy was licking his left paw. Casually he drew it over it over his face and beyond his ear. Those deep blue eyes were closed. Both ears turned towards Trenton as the Twoleg approached. One eye opened to look at him. A soft purr rumbled from his throat. His master smiled at him. Gently he scratched the tom's ears. Poppy rose to his paws and rubbed against the Twoleg's right leg. Trenton waited until his long tail was out of the way before walking towards the door. Both animals followed him.

Lightningfur felt his heart leap with joy. He was finally leaving the castle walls. The open forest and fields awaited them. Dominic was also excited. So excited in fact that he couldn't maintain a calm pace. He had to prance and even hop from time to time. Trenton kept looking at them with a smile on his face. He knew how excited they were. The tom felt his paws itch as two servants opened the massive doors. Sunlight made his eyes narrow. Footsteps behind him told him that the knights were following their leader. A huge brown horse was brought closer to Trenton. The Twoleg quickly mounted. He leaned over and whispered instructions to the servant coordinator about the servant that had tripped. A nod told him that the orders would be done. Meanwhile, the knights had been mounting their horses. Three Twolegs with heavily muscled arms stepped forward. Both hands gripped three leashes. Lightningfur flattened his ears as the dogs began to bay loudly. Even Dominic stepped away.

Trenton turned his horse towards the entrance, "Let's get going." He turned to one of the dog-handlers, "David, silence them. We don't want our potential prey to hear us coming before we even leave the castle."

Several chuckles came from the knights. David, a heavy-set man with brown hair and eyes, spoke several sharp words to the dogs. Instantly they went silent. These dogs were bred for the hunt, like Dominic was bred for fighting. All of them had been trained to obey orders the moment the words were spoken. After all, hunting required silent stalking then a charge. These dogs could bay all they wanted once they had a target to chase. Trenton nodded approvingly. He always wanted to see that training was holding steady. His heels tapped his horse's flank. With a snort, the animal trotted forward. Lightningfur raced at his right. Dominic was on the left. The knights and dog-handlers followed in no particular order. Several fighting cats and dogs surrounded the group. They were coming as a guard in case something should attack before the hunting party realized it was there.

Hoofbeats drummed loudly on the cobblestone pathway that led into the courtyard. The sound was soon muffled as the group rode onto the grass. Unlike most castles, Trenton's was set on a hill, making it impossible to have a moat. That didn't bother Lightningfur. His only experience with a moat was when he had fallen in during a fight. His opponent knew how to fight in the water and tried to drown him. That's when Sophia had come to his rescue. That's when they had first met. Those blue eyes closed momentarily as he fought the guilt that stabbed his heart. He knew she was happy and safe in Starclan. There was no reason he needed to guilt over her death. His gut, however, told him that he was the one to blame. Nothing would ever change that. A snarl curled on his lips and he picked up his pace. Those were thoughts he had to ignore.

The hunting party slowed down as reached a nearby forest. Each horse snorted nervously. Like the cats and dogs, they were bred for certain purposes. These horses were bred for a hunt. A forest, however, was never a good place. Here their speed and room to move was greatly limited. Their riders spurred them onward. A couple of the knights readied small hunting bows. The dog guards spread further out. The cats leaped into the trees. Lightningfur stayed with Trenton. He knew the rules of hunting. Trenton would set up an area where he could hunt and be safe at the same time. Only then would Trenton leave his side and go off on his own hunt. Luckily, the Twoleg leader had already sent workers ahead. The area was set up and ready to go. Dominic's was on the left side of the path while his was on the right. Both animals looked up at their master, waiting for his permission.

A smile touched those lips, "Go. Have fun. If you sense trouble, call immediately."

With that, the knights left them to their own devices. Lightningfur shared a smile with Dominic before they split. The tom lifted his head and spread his jaws apart. He could smell mouse through the bushes ahead. His body went low. Slowly, silently, he pulled himself forward. His deep blue eyes narrowed as he focused on the small, gray body. Those powerful muscles in his back legs launched him forward. The mouse never had a chance to run. Lightningfur quickly buried it. Both ears pricked as he heard happily barking. Obviously Dominic found the rabbit he wanted to chase. A smile touched the tom's lips. Dogs didn't understand the idea of hunting. All of them just wanted to find something then chase it. Going low, Lightningfur continued his searching for prey.

Maybe this time he could eat a good meal.

Dominic and Lightningfur joined the hunting party for lunch. Both brought their catches along with them. The dog had actually managed to catch a rabbit. Lightningfur had found a squirrel, thrush, and a second mouse along with his first catch. The dog didn't care. He prefered chasing to actually catching and eating. Why did he need to catch prey? Food was always waiting for him back at the castle. Lightningfur curled his front paws around his first mouse and looked pleadingly up at Trenton. The Twoleg leader saw his gaze. Seeing the mouse, he shook his head. The tom's heart dropped to his stomach. A small dish was handed to the leader. He reached over, pulled the mouse away, and put the dish in front of the cat. Dominic received a larger dish of food. Both started eating. Lightningfur desperately tried to keep his fur flat, hiding his disgust at the taste. He knew the castle cook worked hard to prepare his meals. Every time he didn't like something, Trenton would have sharp words with the cook. It wasn't fair to him.

"Lightningfur…" a sweet voice whispered as a breeze blew past.

The tom's ears pricked as he listened. His blue eyes darted back and forth. No one was looking at him. Those that could see him had their mouths full of food. An uneasy sensation spread through his fur. Everyone was eating.

Who was watching for trouble?

"Lightningfur…" the voice whispered again, a tint of worry in it.

A soft crack came to his ears. It was so faint that he wouldn't have heard it unless he was paying attention. He stopped eating. The sound came from behind him. A breeze blew from that direction. His fur started to rise with panic. Fox! Another crack came from his right. Listening intently, he managed to hear the heavy footsteps coming from his left. Three foxes. Based on scent and sound, the tom knew that these foxes were fully grown. A snarl pulled at his lips. Here foxes were gray and red color. Their legs were long. Snouts were strong and carried razor-sharp teeth. A full grown fox was known to kill even the most trained fighting cats.

He had personally seen a full-grown kill five of Trenton's best.

He had seen a full-grown fox kill a fighting dog.

Trenton's voice cut into his ears, "Poppy, finish your meal. I don't want you tempted to eat a dirty rodent because you failed to eat here."

The tom looked at Trenton, his mouth opening to sound the warning, when a yip rang out. Three red bodies broke from the bushes. Gray patches had helped them blend with the shadows. Several of the cats let out yowls of shock. Lightningfur felt his heart leap into his throat. Many of these cats were younger. They hadn't been trained for very long. The knights let out shouts of anger. A couple hurdled sticks at the intruding foxes. The biggest fox snarled at a Twoleg. Then it darted forward. Its body twisted between the Twoleg's legs, tripping him. Powerful jaws opened as it reached for a silver she-cat. Light blue eyes stretched wide with terror.

But those jaws never touched her.

Dominic's voice cut through the confusion like thunder, "Poppy!"

With a growl, the fox hit the ground on its side. The tom went rolling a little further. His senses warned him of the incoming attack. True enough, a pair of jaws snapped shut where he had been as he rolled away. A cry escaped the fox's mouth as Lightningfur's claws ripped through its right eye. He darted under its stomach, leading the third fox to collide with its partner. The first fox was back on its feet. Teeth glistened in the sunlight. Saliva flew as it charged the tom. Lightningfur stood his ground. Something deep within him had taken over. As it neared, the tom reared on his hind legs. Sharp claws ripped into the soft flesh of the fox's muzzle. Easily he avoided those sharp teeth. Diving under the fox's head, he leaped upward, colliding his back with the jaw. Powerful muscles drove his hind feet into the fox's chest as he landed. The animal hit the ground with a thud.

Those deep blue eyes turned to the other foxes. The animals charged him together. A small smile touched his lips. They couldn't possibly outrun him. They couldn't possibly match him in a death match. That's when a bark rang out. Dominic landed between the foxes and the white cat. A hiss declared Lightningfur's anger. The dog's scarred muzzle sent the third fox flying. The one missing an eye found its neck seized by those powerful jaws. A snap told them that Dominic had broken its neck with a single shake of his head. Lightningfur glanced over at the third fox. It seemed to gain some common sense. It turned tail and raced away. That left only one more:

The biggest fox.

Dominic growled, low and threateningly, as it approached. Amber eyes glared at the dog keeping it away from its prey. A shadow fell over its path. Quickly jumping back, the fox barely managed to dodge Trenton's sword. The Twoleg was far from happy. Poppy was forbidden from fighting with anything. This fox had made him break that rule. This fox had dared to threaten the white cat Trenton had sworn to protect. Lightningfur rolled his eyes. He hated being treated like he could break at any second. He spotted the fighting cats and dogs out of the corner of his eye, cowering against the other Twolegs. A snarl pulled at his lips. They were useless. An old spark ignited in his heart. He was a warrior. He was a fighter. That's how he had been trained. That's how he had been raised. Any less wasn't him. His claws dug into the grass as his gaze fell on the fox, which was growling at Trenton.

That's a warm muzzle touched his cheek. He looked to his left. It was silver she-cat he had saved during the initial charge. Her blue eyes were shining with shock and awe. No cat had ever done that for her before. Lightningfur snorted and returned his gaze to the fox. Slowly he lowered his body into an attack position. The she-cat watched him. Her gaze flicked between the fox and the tom. Then she snarled. She lowered herself to a similar position beside him. The tom looked at her with shock. She was really young, probably fresh out of training. The she-cat winked a light blue eye at him. She may be young but she was willing to fight beside him.

Dominic never knew they had left his side. Trenton never even sensed them race past him. The fox never saw their combined attack coming until it was too late. Next thing they all knew was that the fox was stumbling under the onslaught. Lightningfur had his teeth biting the skull, claws ripping the ears to shreds. The silver she-cat was on the fox's back, raking her claws through its pelt. The fox let out cries of anguish. Neither cat let up. Lightningfur ignored Trenton's orders to fall back. Twisting its head, the fox threw him off. He hit the ground, rolled once, then charged forward with renewed energy. His left scratched the muzzle. Right claws scratched upward on the cheek. Paws becoming a white blur, he continued attacking the fox. It held its ground at first. Then it backed away slowly. Finally it turned and ran. The she-cat dropped off its back. Her fur was pulled by the buffeting wind created by the tom's passage. She watched with awe as Lightningfur gave the fox several warning scratches before he let it vanish into the bushes.

Then he turned to face them, breathing evenly, calm as ever.

That's when Chloe knew she was in love.

Lightningfur gets punished for this. He gets locked in a cage and Trenton makes a note to never let him leave the castle walls again. And Chloe ends up appearing later in the story at several points so get used to her.

Do you guys want me to create a list of all characters that appear on this end of life? Please let me know as more cats/dogs will be showing up.