Author's Note: This is the sixth book in the Threat From Within Series! Go back and start at The Rouge's Child! Or don't and be confused! Up to you!
Allegiances
SunClan-
Leader: Brownstar- White tom with brown spots and brown feet
Deputy: Snakeheart- Tortoiseshell she-cat with a big heart
Medicine Cat:
Violetnose- Tortoiseshell she-cat
Apprentice; Fieldpaw
Warriors:
Mudpelt- Dark brown she-cat
Cavestorm- Solid gray tom
Whitefoot- Black she-cat with one white foot
Murderscar- Tortoiseshell she-cat with scars all over
Skystorm- White and gray she-cat
Mosstalon- Tortoiseshell she-cat
Brightspots- Calico she-cat
Kits:
Whisperkit- Silver tabby she-cat
Apprentices:
Fieldpaw- Dark brown tom
Elders:
Ivyfur- Blind calico she-cat
RainClan-
Leader: Maplestar- Black she-cat
Deputy: Duckfur- Striped ginger she-cat
Medicine Cat:
Treepelt- Light brown tom
Budleaf- Gentle calico she-cat
Warriors:
Falldrop- Dark gray tabby tom, a bit clumsy
Branchstep- Brown tom with white ears
Juniperfur- Black she-cat with brown tail-tip
Barkpelt- Brown tom
Pranceleap- Black she-cat
Gorgebrook- Black tom with brown ears
Willowfern- Light gray tabby she-cat
Beeflight- Striped ginger tom
Snailshell- Striped ginger she-cat
SnowClan-
Leader: Icestar- White tom
Deputy: Blizzardfang- Black and white she-cat
Medicine Cat:
Frostheart- Brown tom with white chest, little compassion
Smallbrook- Small tortoiseshell she-cat
Warriors:
Stormfang- Light grey and white she-cat
Quickfreeze- Speedy tan tabby tom
Stoneclaw- Pure grey tom
Stubtail- Golden she-cat with a short tail
Lilyshade- Tortoiseshell she-cat with white tail-tip
Thawclaw- Tan tabby tom
Moonblossom- Tortoiseshell she-cat
Frigidnight- Tan tabby tom
Mistylake- Tortoiseshell she-cat
Swiftsparrow- Dark brown tabby she-cat
Goldenwing- Golden tom
Queens:
Flamefur- Ginger she-cat
Kits; Dustkit, Firekit
Elders:
Graypelt- Gray she-cat
Glacierpelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat
NightClan-
Leader: Wingstar- White she-cat
Deputy: Flurrytail- White she-cat
Apprentice; Gravelpaw
Medicine Cat:
Tallblaze- Tall grey tom
Apprentice; Tigerpaw
Warriors:
Skyfang- Blue she-cat
Apprentice; Songpaw
Boulderfang- Grey tom
Silkshade- Blind white she-cat with three black feet
Silentstorm- Black she-cat with white spot over one eye
Darkflame- Solid gray she-cat
Meadowbrook- White she-cat
Apprentices:
Tigerpaw- Brown tabby tom
Songpaw- Brown tabby she-cat
Gravelpaw- Gray tom
Elders:
Pineclaw- Brown tom
Rouges-
Grasstail- Light tabby tom
Coldclaw- White tom with an icy attitude
Curse- Ginger she-cat
Prologue
"How could she?" I demanded. "My sister has done nothing except be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Blaming her for my death? Why can't I just go down there and remind Wingstar what a mouse-brain she is?"
Redmoon put her tail around me. "Getting angry won't help, Limppaw," she sighed. "StarClan is supposed to be a place where we're at peace, but that's not even true. You think I haven't wanted to help as I've watched her go through the Dark Forest, figuratively and literally? You think I didn't want to help you when you were still alive? You've been here a while, you need to eventually accept what goes on down there isn't anything we can fix. She's a strong cat, she can get through it."
"And there's plenty of cats that are going to call Wingstar out on being a mouse-brain," Songheart chimed in.
"Not going to make as much of a difference as a literal StarClan cat," I muttered.
I was outraged, especially at the fact everyone here was just willing to accept what had just happened. I had been watching my sister, per usual, accompanied by Redmoon, Duskpelt, Silk, Dawnfur, Songheart, Puddlekit, and Badgerkit. I was excited for her that she was finally able to return home and Wingstar just exiled her!
"Calm down," Dawnfur told me.
"Why should I?" I asked. "Grasstail and Coldclaw are out there waiting for her! Can we really just watch her go through that again?"
"You should because you can think more clearly if you're calm," she explained, a bit of mischief shining in her eyes. "Surely you've learned something as my apprentice."
She was right. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. There had to be something I could do.
"Dawnfur, you better not be encouraging my daughter to get into trouble," Duskpelt warned.
"It's not like the one isn't already and another isn't about to get into it," Silk sighed.
"I'm not saying break the rules, I'm saying bend them," Dawnfur explained. "Big difference."
"And can you really talk about breaking rules, Duskpelt?" Redmoon asked.
"Silkshade wouldn't exist if he was good at following them," Silk stated.
"Why am I always the one everyone is ganging up on?" Duskpelt sighed.
"It's what you get for being a bit of a fox-heart," Redmoon responded.
"I've apologized!" Duskpelt defended.
"Deathfire is going to be alright, isn't she?" Puddlekit inputted.
I winced, remembering how much she's seen for such a young cat. She'd mature and grow up with time, even though her body wouldn't, but she was the age of a young apprentice. I had been taken much too soon and was aware of it, but she was so much younger. Both murdered. Both blamed on the same cat who had to witness helplessly. I noticed how much I was trying to avoid her name. Sure, we could technically use her old name, but somehow it felt as wrong as using her new one. Curse. How cruel do you have to be to name a cat that?
Badgerkit was young too, although he hadn't been murdered. He had watched and learned how evil his mother was, however, and had seen things as well. Even if he was technically older than Puddlekit and in fact old enough to be a warrior, he still very much so acted like a kit. Then again, why wouldn't you take your time if you weren't forced to grow up? It's not like his entire life wasn't ripped from him before he got the chance to experience it, spending half his already short life in the medicine den. Silk, Redmoon, and then Songheart all grew somewhat attached to him as all died before getting to raise their kits. Puddlekit had died quite young, however, so Songheart at least got to raise her some, even if it was sad.
"Of course she will," Songheart murmured. "Just wait and see. Now how about you two run along for now and play?"
"Okay," Badgerkit agreed. "Come on, Puddlekit!" The two ran off.
"Lying to them won't help," I whispered, watching them leave.
"I don't want to scare them," Songheart responded.
"What they've seen going on back in the Clans is scary enough for them to learn a thing or two about how cruel fate is. As Limppaw said, lying won't help," Dawnfur responded. "Lying always comes back to bite you in some way. Lying about Silkshade's parentage came back to bite Duskpelt just like lying about Flurrytail has came back to bite more so than we realize now."
"If only some cat would believe Flurrytail is evil after all that lying," Silk stated. "If only someone would've said something sooner. After all, she's been trying to harm cats for forever."
"And succeeding too," I added. "Wait, maybe there is some cat that would believe Flurrytail is evil. A Clan even. A Clan that realizes Wingstar has a bias and would take in my sister."
"I told you calming down would help you think," Dawnfur stated.
"How do you plan to do that? You can't just go down and tell an entire Clan to take in an exiled cat," Duskpelt stated. "I want to help her too, but we're supposed to let the Clans handle things."
"We're allowed to say whatever as long as we're vague enough," I responded. "I can't do it alone though." I thought for a moment. "Does anyone know where Moleshine is?"
"Are we even allowed to do this?" Moleshine asked.
"Not technically, but I'm a medicine cat so I get a little more freedom," I answered.
"You were a medicine cat apprentice," he corrected.
"Just be vague enough and it should be fine," I continued. "You in?"
He sighed. "Of course I'm in. I'm not letting Grasstail cause more damage than he has already."
His expression turned vacant like he was lost in a memory. I winced, remembering what Grasstail had done to him. Duskpelt may have not been a good father, but compared to Grasstail he was the best dad ever. How could any cat brutally kill their own son because he wasn't what they wanted? Then again, my sister insulted him once as an apprentice while he was a full grown warrior and since then he has attempted to kill her several times, attempted to kidnap her several times, and successfully kidnapped and tortured her. Nothing Grasstail does should surprise anyone at this point.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he responded. He wasn't fine, being murdered isn't exactly a fond memory from my own personal experience, but he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to.
"Okay then, so here's what you should say," I began.
Author's Note: And book six has begun! Limppaw isn't putting up with StarClan's fox-dung. Also great news! I finished writing book seven! So to celebrate the start of a new book and finishing book seven, I'll be publishing chapter 1 today as well! It will be up soon! So see you then!
-Rowan W.