Wow. I can't believe it's been such a long time since I've last updated. I'm so sorry! I hope none of you thought that I abandoned this story.
Here's Clawface!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warriors.
Chapter 10: Clawface
A path of shimmering stars cut through the night sky, winding and twisting until it disappeared in the distance. A lone dark brown tom stalked down the path, seething at the fact that he was now dead. How shameful! Great warriors like him didn't just die. Well, he mused, every single cat who walked the forest had to die someday. He just hadn't expected it to be so sudden – and because of one of the relatively newer warriors in that accursed ThunderClan.
The cat stopped walking, glancing around at his surroundings dully. Where would this path lead him, anyway? Suddenly, he realized something else. Walking on stars? That was just ridiculous.
"Clawface!" Suddenly, the sky around him seemed to split, and he heard many voices united in a thunderous chorus. "You have no right to be here!"
Clawface jumped back, startled. He found his voice then, raspy from not using it for a long time. "W – what do you mean? I'm dead, aren't I? Of course I can be here!"
He flattened his ears at what the strange voices said next. "You have betrayed the Clans, betrayed StarClan!"
"But -"
"You killed ThunderClan's medicine cat to create a diversion for Brokenstar in order to let him steal the kits. You willingly followed Brokenstar into exile when you were driven out of ShadowClan. You broke the warrior code many times, and now you will have to pay for what you have done."
"So just because I made a few mistakes in my life, I can't go to StarClan!" Clawface growled, wanting to kill something.
"You made more than just a few mistakes, Clawface. Now go, you are not allowed here." The stars gleamed brighter, more angrily around him.
The tom stood there, desperately trying to fight the urge to unsheathe his claws. Finally, he spoke again.
"Fine! I won't join your Look-At-Me-We're-Such-Good-Cats-Clan! But I'll be back, you can be sure of that!" And he broke into a fast run, ignoring the hisses and menacing growls that echoed around him, in the suddenly very empty sky.
() () () () () () () () ()
He remembered so many things from his life in ShadowClan.
"Come on, Littlepaw, hurry up and attack me. If you cower any longer under that tree, you're going to freeze to death."
"I – c – can't, Clawf – f – face! I – I'm too w – weak!"
"Well, then, at least unsheathe your claws, kit!"
"My – my paws are f – frozen!"
"Littlepaw! If you don't attack me right now, I will tell Brokenstar that your apprenticeship is over, you have to go back to being a kit, and then you can watch while all your friends become warriors while you sit in the nursery, wasting your days away!"
"I…"
"What do you want, flea-pelt? What do you want to do?"
"I – I actually like…"
"What? What? Tell me now, or I will kill you!"
"I – I like learn – learning about – about herbs, Clawface…The m – medicine cat is r – really nice to – to me."
"You ignorant piece of crow-food! I am spending all my time teaching you how to hunt, fight, and defend your Clan, and you tell me you want to know how to use leaves?"
Yes, training Littlepaw had been fun, and he enjoyed bullying his apprentice. It made him feel more powerful.
"Clawface, nice of you to be here."
"What is it, Brokenstar, what you called me here for?"
"I have a special…task for you to do. It involves distraction, deception, and death."
"Oh, th – that seems like a – a pretty big task, if you ask me."
"I'm not asking you, Clawface, I'm telling you. You must do this task for me."
"I – I must? I mean -"
"Put it this way, Clawface. You don't, you die. Understand?"
"Y – yes! Yes, Brokenstar. I will do whatever you want me to do."
"Good warrior."
He had enjoyed being in Brokenstar's elite group of warriors, the ones that he could trust to remain loyal to him through thick and thin.
He remembered how he had crept into the medicine den, smirking as the she-cat whirled around, horror in her eyes. He remembered the exhilarating feel of leaping onto her back, and holding her down, while the taste of blood flooded his mouth as he bit down on her neck. It had felt so good. Just like Brokenstar said it would. He was helping his leader make the Clan stronger, and better that it had been under that weakling, Raggedstar.
He remembered fighting against those meddlesome ThunderClan cats as they attacked his Clan, and feeling his claws rake across their pelts, reaching for their throats, towards victory. He remembered being suddenly knocked down by an apprentice, and glaring into his fiery green eyes. He remembered, for some weird reason, feeling afraid. He hated it. He hated being afraid.
He remembered dashing out of the camp, running after Brokenstar, who would now obviously not be a leader anymore. No matter, he would still remain loyal to the rightful leader of ShadowClan.
He remembered attacking ThunderClan alongside Brokenstar and his fellow rogues, and feeling the rage burning inside him as he sighted that apprentice that had overpowered him back in ShadowClan. He lunged at that cat just as he was about to injure Brokenstar.
He remembered looking down at his victim, and sneering as he saw terrified green eyes staring back up at him. But he would not be merciful.
He remembered the excitement, the power running through his veins until he could almost taste it. He loved being the one in control –
Wait. He could taste something in his mouth. His eyes widened. Blood…
Someone had grabbed him from behind, and for a brief instant, Clawface felt real fear spread over him, the feeling that he despised, and then he heard a loud crack.
He remembered feeling almost no pain at all…and then awoke to darkness.
Oh, Brokenstar…I failed…
() () () () () () () ()
Clawface ran along the never-ending path of stars, barely realizing that the stars seemed to be fading away. He sped up, panting for air, and then skidded to a sudden stop when he saw a fork in the road. The path ahead of him split too ways. Looking to his right, Clawface saw a dazzling landscape, glittering with stars and butterflies and all manner of happy things. A pond welled up in a clearing, and birds twittered in the tall trees. For a moment, longing clogged his throat, and he felt a desire to spend an eternity in this beautiful place.
Then, he looked to his left, and noticed a dark, desolate land. The dirt was black, and whiskery little trees with bare branches grew from the ground. A red mist hovered in the distance, making Clawface wonder. If that was StarClan, then this…
He blinked. He could distinctly see a figure walking towards him from the mist. Warily, he crouched down, ready to defend himself, but somewhere deep inside him, he felt that he could trust this cat. Lifting up one paw, he set it down on the path towards the dark place. Nothing happened. Clawface took this as a good sign (perhaps one of StarClan's approval; he scowled at this thought), and started walking along this new path.
As he got nearer to the figure, the red mist grew ever closer, until both of them were engulfed in it. The figure looked down at Clawface, and then growled, "You must have done something truly evil to have set your paws on this path. What is your name?"
Clawface glanced at the stranger's thick, tufted gray fur, and glowing eyes. He felt that he had heard of this cat before. "My name is Clawface."
The cat narrowed his eyes. "Clawface…what Clan?"
"Shadow -" Then Clawface realized that he was no longer a member of that Clan. He might have been once, but ShadowClan was no longer the Clan he knew, the Clan he wanted it to be. "I – I'm a rogue."
"Interesting," the cat murmured, whisking his tail from side to side. "Well, then, Clawface. Do you agree that your hatred for StarClan overwhelms your desire for a happy ending to your life, and that you are willing to spend your time here, with me and the other cats who have been wronged, in order to plan and carry out revenge against StarClan?"
"I…" He didn't know what to say. Perhaps he should refuse, but then there would be the minor problem of him having nowhere to spend the rest of his days. Besides, Clawface realized slowly, I have been wronged by StarClan as well. After all, he had only been trying to protect his Clan against attacks from ThunderClan, and he had remained loyal to his leader, like the warrior code asked. True, he had killed a few cats in order to help his Clan get more power, so what? StarClan couldn't tell him what he could and could not do. They would not control him!
A grin slowly spread across Clawface's face. "Yes, I do."
"Perfect," the cat growled, with a hint of satisfaction. Clawface could see the red from the mist reflected in his eyes.
"When will we get revenge on StarClan?" he asked the cat in a rush.
"Patience, Clawface. We need to increase our numbers first. Just wait. All in good time, we can defeat StarClan, and take over the forest." That sounded like a good plan.
The cat stepped forward, about to touch noses with Clawface. Clawface stood there, eagerly awaiting the ceremony that he was sure would make him an official member of this place, when the cat unexpectedly lashed out at his nose. Recoiling, Clawface winced at the burning pain, and blood that dripped onto the ground.
"Savor the pain," the cat hissed. "Every drop of blood will be worth it in the end, when we make StarClan pay the price for what they have done to us."
Clawface nodded, trying to ignore his nose.
The cat smiled, his eyes lighting up with red again. "Welcome to the Place of No Stars."
Eh…I was having some trouble writing the conversations between Clawface and StarClan/Thistleclaw, as the books never showed warriors being welcomed into StarClan or the Dark Forest. Oh well. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please remember to review, I really appreciate it.
-Pencil37