CLANLIFE
This is an account of all the stories (in correct order) that have happened to the cats of ThunderClan. These tales will begin just after a great flood that has destroyed most of ThunderClan and RiverClan. In these times the Clan leader Greystar was sick with greencough and sent his deputy, Lionheart, to the gathering instead. That day the Clan was struck with a massive flood and the cats could not return from the Gathering. When they finally were able to get back they found everyone who was left in the camp to be dead.
Our story begins one moon later.
SOMETHING WICKED... - ShadowClan camp - Sunrise
Darkpaw awoke again at sunrise. She'd had a dream about ThunderClan. They were struggling with BoneClan, learning more but losing more at the same time. She was worried about her Clan and knew they needed to get back, but how? Coming here had been so confusing she wasn't sure how to get back, but at least Silvernest wasn't as chaotic as she'd first thought it to be. Or ShadowClan camp wasn't, but that was all that mattered right now. It was just like a normal Clan, though with a lot less warriors. The Clan was a home to a grand total of fourteen cats, only three of whom Darkpaw had met.
Greyfoot and Softpelt, the cats who had found her and Mudpaw, had come to visit her last night after she had woken up due to one of her nightmares. They told her about the other cats, giving them a few details about the grand BoneClan verses ShadowClan siege. The battle seemed interesting enough, though very one-sided.
"They all had these claws; thin metal extensions or ones made of bone, but Metalstar's were the worst. They were so big she couldn't even sheath them." Darkpaw could remember Softpelt saying.
During the whole time, Mudpaw had not awoken, though he was looking worse and worse every time she awoke, and after a while her nightmares became less and less StarClan-given, but real dreams that her head made up. And as that happened they became more focused on Mudpaw's death, though she woke up every once in a while to check if he was still breathing. He was.
"Everything alright?" Asked Curledleaf, the Medicine Cat, as he padded back into the den.
"Yes sir." Repiled Darkpaw, though she knew it didn't sound like everything was alright. Curledleaf smiled weakly at her and padded over to check on Mudpaw.
"He looks ill." Said Curledleaf worriedly. Obviously Mudpaw wasn't just 'ill' as Curledleaf put it. He was sick. Very sick.
"Is there anything you can do for him?"
Curledleaf shook his head. "It's shock. All psychosomatic."
"Come again?"
"Psychosomatic. All in the poor cat's head." Sighed Curledleaf, looking sadly down at Mudpaw. "Let's just hope he recovers."
"And if he doesn't?" Darkpaw wasn't really sure if she wanted to know the answer, but the question just came out.
"The cats been though a lot," Said Curledleaf sadly, "and if he doesn't recover well... how can I put it? He'll die."
Darkpaw swallowed a sob and nodded weakly.
"Now, let me show you the rest of the camp."
-----
By the time the sun was at it's highest point, Darkpaw knew all four warriors, the deputy, the leader, the two queens and their three kits. The apprentices were both out on a hunting mission. They were both about ready to become warriors, Whitestar said. Then he launched into a story about how they came with him and the other cat-show runaways when they were only kits and how they had been very good apprentices, training under the care of very talented warriors and stuff like that. Darkpaw only half listened. She was thinking about BoneClan. Their Clan was huge, and ShadowClan had been only average when they attacked. So did ThunderClan really stand any chance against BoneClan, even if ShadowClan did come back?
So now Darkpaw was padding around the camp, for once at a loss for anything to do. She thought about exploring Silvernest, but the ShadowClan cats seemed too busy to be a tour guide.
"You!"
Darkpaw jumped, guessing that the young voice was addressing her. She turned to see a white she-cat with pale silver spots dotting her pelt. She looked scared, annoyed and angry all at the same time, but acted a lot more calm then the bleeding orange she-cat who came staggering into the camp behind her.
Darkpaw knew their names already thanks to Greyfoot and Smoothpelt. These were the two apprentices; Snowpaw, the calm one and Sunpaw, the injured one.
"Yes?"
"Go tell Whitestar the Anni's got a new recruit. Now!" Snapped Snowpaw, turning to help a whimpering Sunpaw stagger to Curledleaf's den.
Though she had no clue who Anni was, by the tone of Snowpaw's voice Darkpaw knew this was important, so she dashed off to Whitestar's den and told him immediately.
Upon hearing Snowpaw's news Whitestar looked very worried. Whoever Anni was, he must be pretty bad. "Er... I think he's coming now." Darkpaw told him. "Sunpaw was hurt when they got back."
"He? Annihilation is a she-cat, a very big one. You have to see her to understand." Said Whitestar, his voice on the edge of hysteria.
"Annihilation? Doesn't that mean death or something?" Asked Darkpaw, and to her dismay Whitestar nodded in reply.
Darkpaw followed Whitestar out of the den and into the warriors den, where Whitestar collected the four warriors and Leopardspot, the deputy. He then sent Darkpaw to get Snowpaw and meet them just outside of the forest.
"Hurry up!" Called Snowpaw, even though Darkpaw was only a few steps behind her.
"I'm hurring." Snarled Darkpaw under her breath. A moment later she found they were outside of the forest where ShadowClan had formed a semi-circle around three cats. One of them was a big, muscular tortishell tom, but most frightening was a white she-cat twice his size. Black stripes stretched across her muscular body, twisting around her legs and tail like snakes. And then there was the third one; a cowering young she-cat. She didn't look that great, but definitely capable of fighting. She reminded Darkpaw of someone and the thought tugged at her brain but she was unable to put her tongue on exactly what it was about this cat.
She fell into the semi-circle beside Snowpaw, who was looking grimly at the threesome.
"Back off, Whitestar, or I'll send you to your precious StarClan!" Snarled the white one, who Darkpaw guessed was the leader. Annihilation. Her name suited her.
"Never!" Snarled Whitestar. "We've been driven from our territory once, but never again!"
Anni chuckled, cold and calm. "You'll never beat us; we have a new cat who can tear you apart."
The quivering she-cat nodded, looking much more likely to faint then to tear anyone apart, but she looked strong enough; muscles ripped under her thin layer of flesh and pelt and her tail was twitching excitedly, her eyes measuring the best places to strike. She was definitely a cat made to fight.
"We'll tear you apart!" Roared Leopardspot, arching his back and hissing at the threesome.
With a mighty roar, the big tortishell tom threw himself at Leopardspot, who was easily pinned to the ground. Around them cats flung themselves into battle. Nightgaze, a black tom with yellow eyes and one of the original ShadowClan cats, leaped into the tortishell tom's back to defend his deputy. "Back off, Scar!" He yowled.
Darkpaw yelped as suddenly something flew into her side. It was Anni's new recruit, who was compleatly capable to tearing someone to shreds. And now Darkpaw realized that she hadn't been afraid of fighting ShadowClan, she could taste the she-cat's exhilaration as she felw towards her, ramming herself into Darkpaw's side. This cat was afraid of Annihilation.
Darkpaw swerved to the side, swiping at the she cat who retreated back a few steps.
"Darkpaw!" She piped gleefully, then looked around, making sure there was no one else nearby.
"ShadowClan need to come back. They can help us defeat BoneClan. It's a win-win situation; Anni gets rid of ShadowClan, we get rid of BoneClan and ShadowClan gets their territory back."
Darkpaw stared at the cat, stunned. "You followed us?"
The smile slipped from the she-cat's face. "I couldn't go back."
"But- We can't leave now. Mudpaw's sick!" Protested Darkpaw, panic creeping into her heart. She couldn't abandon Mudpaw and Patchpelt couldn't make her. "I won't go."
Patchpelt sighed but nodded. "I'll tell Whitestar and we'll leave as soon as Mudpaw gets better."
"That might be a problem."
The two cats looked across the field. The cats had moved aside to form a circle around Annihilation and Whitestar.
"I see why." Said Patchpelt quietly.