July 12th, 2021
Darksnow awoke in a sweat. She hissed in pain as she discovered her wounds had been torn back open by her writhing in the makeshift nest. The she-cat hissed, ears flicked backward as she saw the dried and fresh blood that covered her leg and nest.
The warrior sighed heavily as she glanced up to the stars. Clouds blocked most of them, leaving her in a field of darkness. She welcomed the occasional twinkle of a star or the beam of silver moonlight before it was covered again.
Tail lashing the she-cat laid her head back down. Usually, the stars being covered meant a bad sign, definitely during gatherings, but now she was alone, not even sure if her ancestors were able to see her so far away from RainClan territory.
Just as she was about to curl back up she heard a noise. Suddenly the silent night was full of screeches and loud, angry snarls. Instant worry dropped like a stone in her stomach. "Amber!" She yowled. Hearing the fights getting closer by the minute. Had someone gotten to the queen and her kitten?
"Amber!" Darksnow dug her claws into the dirt. She forced her strained legs to work, pulling herself up with a strangled breath and pained grunts. "Amber!"
The yowls suddenly stopped. She perked her ears as she tried to look into the darkness. The grasses swayed back and forth as if nothing had happened. Darksnow felt helpless. She was hardly able to stay on her feet, what would she be able to do if it was Amber being hurt?
Darksnow's vision started to grow blurry. The flares of pain were getting more intense as she dug her claws into the dirt to steady herself. "Dark?" A few smoothing licks alerted her to Amber's presence.
Leaning into the fluffy queen's side she gave a breath of relief. "You shouldn't be on your leg..." She whispered, amber eyes flashing to the shadows. "But..while you are we should move you. Whoever that was might've heard you-"
Someone burst through the grass. Darksnow growled as the cat rammed into her side, followed by another, larger, cat who halted at the sight of the two she-cats.
A golden tom was shivering, his eyes blown wide, fur matted in blood from long scratches along his side. Darksnow snarled. This was just a kitten, he couldn't be any older than six or seven moons.
The strange tom only chuckled. He was a large black tom, his pelt was crisscrossed with scars, and he glared them down with narrow yellow eyes. "Just hand him over, and I'll leave you two to see another day." The tom flattened his ears as he raised his hackles.
"You aren't getting the kit!" Darksnow spat. She lashed her tail over the cold soil, feeling the breeze run over her pelt. "It's three against one," she added, digging her claws into the dirt to force herself from swaying.
"Oh really? A kit, a fluffy pet, and some injured she-cat are going to fight me?" Barked the dark pelted tomcat. He laughed, his yellow eyes narrowing onto her as he added in a darker tone. "I have countless cats who will find you, so make this easy and give me the kit!"
A whimper escaped from the golden tomkit. He was half-hidden under Amber, his eyes wide as he stared at the black tom. Darksnow felt a new pulse of anger as the young tom looked up at her, a pleading look fronting alongside the terror.
Darksnow ignored the pain in her leg and stumbled forward. She bared her teeth, fur bristled out as she snarled. "Test your luck somewhere else, you ain't getting him!"
The tomcat lashed his tail. Hitting the ground and slinging up dirt and dust, his yellow eyes narrowed in almost disbelief as if he's never had someone talk back before! "Fine, but listen here. I'll hunt you down and tear your little family part, and Lion, be ready to face the consequences of leaving the gang."
Just as he had appeared, the tom vanished. He slipped off into the tall grasses, his pelt blending into the night. Darksnow felt her legs give out. Just as she was about he hit the ground Amber caught her, the fluffy she-cat getting help from the golden tom to nudge her onto the other cat's back.
*
Daylight flittered down from the top of the den. She shifted in some moss, feeling another warm body pressed against her flank. The air smelled of fish and the clear morning air, her ears were perked, listening to the gentle trickling of water.
The warrior extended out her front legs. Blinking as she squinted against the sun's rays. She washed her muzzle, feeling her throat dry as she turned to look around the den, flicking dew off her whiskers.
The den wasn't too big, it was half underground, with twigs and the weird grasses being interviewed into the dirt. It looked like an abandoned fox or badger den, one that was now being reused and smelling of herbs and the pretty she-cat.
There was one big nest, which she now occupied with Amber laying at her side. There were two other scents, although she couldn't exactly tell them apart with the strong-smelling herbs blocking her nose.
"Are-are you okay?" Swerving her head around to the entrance of the den she blinked. Almost forgetting the events that had taken place last night. The golden tom was shifting nervously on his feet, yellow eyes cast down to look at anything but her.
Darksnow gave a small flick of her tail tip. Why did the tom look so guilty? He had done nothing wrong. "I've been better." She mumbled, tilting her head to study the tom. Now that she could see without bright spots in her vision she saw numerous more little scratches on the tom. Poor kit.
The golden tom ducked his head, even more, his shoulders slumped as he flattened his ears. Realizing that might've not been the best thing to say, she cleared her throat. "I'll live, been through much worst than just arguing with someone."
"Oh...okay." The tom's ears perked as someone came running into the den. He purred, his eyes lighting up.
Another kit, possibly a moon or so younger than the tom himself, was carrying a moss ball into the den. She looked like a miniature copy of Amber, but with more white, and the patches were more of a russet than anything. She had wide green eyes, which blinked in surprise at the injured warrior.
Darksnow dipped her head to the kitten. She never met Snowy, but this had to be her, she looked so similar to Amber. "Hello," she greeted, her blue gaze flickering to the sleeping loner. Leaving me to talk. She was never that good with kits, but these two were closer to apprentice ages.
"Hi! I'm Snowy, this is Lion. He's just quiet right now," the fluffy she-cat purred as she talked. Bouncing on her toes as she spoke, forgetting about the moss ball she had brought. "Do you want to play? Mom said you can't, but she's always a bit overprotective." Snowy whispered the last part, giggling as Amber cracked open her eyes.
Darksnow purred, she gave the fluffy she-cat's nose a tap with her tail. "I'll be glad to play later, but I think I should rest." She paused. Looking down at her leg. It wouldn't get any better if she continued to walk on it, and now with the looming threat of the tom...
I need to get better. If he comes back I need to be able to fight. The warrior looked to the pretty loner. She had stuck by the injured cat's side, went out while there was fighting, and didn't run whilst a rogue tom threatened them, the least she could do is ensure protection.
Snowy waved her bushy tail before nodding. "Sorry! We'll leave you alone," she ducked her head shyly before nudging the golden tom outside with her. Lion paused only to grab the moss ball before leaving.
A sigh drew her attention to the fluffy queen beside her. She felt her ear tips grow red as she realized how close they were. Had she slept beside me? The warrior fluffed out her pelt.
Amber purred. "Snowy is an energetic kit, but she's happy to have a friend to finally play with."
"All kits are energetic, she'll grow out of being a hyper kit to a reasonable warrior." The white-and-brown she-cat meowed, giving the patch of white on her chest a few licks.
"Warrior? I don't intend on her being a fighter in some battle..." Amber gave her a worried look. Eyes wide like two moons as she gave her tail a nervous flick.
Darksnow instantly realized her mistake. She flattened her ears, feeling her stomach grow a pit. She understood that warrior sounded like she intended a fight to happen, that's what most Clan cats did, they fought for survival.
But another emotion overtook her. She felt sad at the thought of seeing another kit become a warrior, to help train one up into a calm, reasonable and honest cat. Shadowpaw. The thought made her throat tighten.
A tail wrapped around her shoulders. She shook her head, giving a small smile. "No, no battles or anything. A warrior is someone who fights for their Clan, I was raised as a warrior, and so is every kit born in my Clan. Although medicine cats don't, they heal the ill and injured."
Amber gave a small smile, but she did look a little confused as she tilted her head. "Oh. What's a Clan?" She asked.
"A Clan is a big, organized, group of cats. We have a leader, a deputy, and a medicine cat who help led the Clan. Warriors are anyone else, and they make up most of the Clan, elders are retired warriors, and queens are our nursing or expecting cats." Darksnow never had to explain a Clan before, but she knew to know anything about anything you should always learn the bare-bones first. "We are all like a big family we hunt and care for each other."
"So why are you out here?" Questioned the golden-faced queen.
Darksnow frowned. How was she supposed to explain that her Clan became messed up from the inside? That they killed an apprentice, was about to kill her before the river swept her away. "I-"
Before she could answer the fluffy loner gave an excited squeak. "Are you here to have cats join? I and Snowy need a safe place to live. She could be a warrior, and I know a thing or two about medicine."
The excitement in the queen's eyes didn't help. It wasn't too bad of an idea, to have a warrior go out and have new blood join. It gave her an idea. Yes, it would be lying to the sweet cat, but what else could she do? Darksnow was no loner, she couldn't survive on her own, well she could survive, but mentally it would be damaging.
"...Yes, but not exactly. They sent me to...make a Clan! Yes, make a Clan in this new place. There were too many cats in one Clan, but I got separated and hurt from the traveling group." That sounded believable, right?
Honestly, it sounded nothing like something a leader would do. No leader wanted their warriors to leave and make an entire new Clan that needed space and prey. It would make a new enemy, and there would be split loyalties. There has never been a season where there were too many warriors anyhow, that only happened during Rainstar's time when she split her group and they became the other three Clans.
Inwardly, she was battling with herself. This seemed like a betrayal to RainClan, but at the same time what could she do? They thought of her as nothing but a dead traitor now, and she could never survive on her own. It would tear her down to the core, make her go insane.
Darksnow knew she could never go back. Not while Ratstar and Blackfire were in control of the Clan. But maybe with the force of an entire Clan, she could go back, follow the river back to them, and save them from the horrid rule of the two toms.
"I have to try and hunt something. There's another mouth to feed tonight, but when I get back you can explain how a Clan works." Amber meowed. She stretched out her limbs before she hurried out of the den.
Darksnow sighed. This could be the worst thing to ever do, but right now she was too exhausted to even keep her head up. With one last wounded thought of RainClan, she rested her head down between her paws and curled her tail over her nose.