Chapter 5

FearClan / Lion


The storm was over and a blanket of white covered the landscape. Lion had to push her way out of her den, cats calling to one another as the air became still. Looking ahead, she saw the creamy brown rogue leader leap onto the highest gnarled root, it's bark slick with ice. Her honey-colored eyes calm and collected. Clearly, this was not her first time experiencing this strange storm.

"Cats of FearClan, gather beneath the willow tree!" Heather yowled, her voice making clumps of snow fall from the spindly branches high above them.

Lion pushed her way to the base of the tree with the others, her ears pricked as her amber eyes stared high above. Her heart was pounding, knowing it was time. They were going to head out now that the snow had come in a strange event. Honey-colored eyes raked over them, looking at them each in turn as though to assure them.

"What we have experienced is rare." Heather began, her meow ringing out across the snowy clearing. "This was a Wild Storm. They come in greenleaf and early leaf-fall. Due to this, the snow had covered the clearing so it is time. Moth, Berry, and Lion will head out to Twoleg Place in the morning. For now, everyone must clear out the clearing of snow and debris."

"Why can't they leave now?" Pounce asked.

"We need all the help we can get." she snarled.

Reed snorted. "Like Lion is helpful?"

She began to bristle, ready to make a hare-brained decision before locking eyes with Moth's warning gaze. She kept her jaws clamped shut. They were picking on her for her mother's actions of the past. She had to remind herself that with a hissing sigh. Lashing her tail, she looked back up to Heather's thoughtful expression.

"I will consult with Shadow and Willow..." Heather's voice trailed off before she spat bitterly, "And Hawk of course, to see what they think. Only then will I come back to give the verdict on when they should leave."

"We should have never gotten rid of The Council." Reed lashed his golden tabby tail.

"Silence." Heather snapped. "We never got rid of it, there was just no cat old enough to be considered for it."

"Pounce would be old enough." Timber pointed out, "And he was a River-Cat so we wouldn't want him on The Council all alone."

"Lion was one too, but she isn't old enough anyway." Berry pointed out gently.

Shadow clawed his way onto the root, keeping lower than Heather. "Enough, squabbling and chattering like chickadees. Heather made her decision and we will respect it."

"Thank you Shadow." Heather meowed smoothly, "Hawk, gather Willow. Shadow and I will be waiting on the other side of this root."

Hawk dipped her head, "Of course." She headed to the willow-den where Dusk was waiting with Willow.

Lion twitched her ears, unhappy about the situation, but decided against arguing about it. She made her way to Berry and Moth. "Pounce wouldn't be on the council alone." she pointed out to Berry. "I would be there, I'm not that far from being as old as he is."

"I know, but who would let you?" she asked, her pale yellow eyes dark with sympathy.

Anger pulsed beneath her fur. "Who was even asking you?" she snapped.

"Lion! Behave!" Moth scolded, "She was only making a point."

"What point is there to make? I know it and we all know it. No matter what I do I'll still get the worst end of this and they would send us out before tonight just because I'm part of the patrol to Twoleg Place!" Lion meowed, exasperated.

"That doesn't mean you have to bite her head off." Moth told her, his mew becoming more gentle as he added in, "We're your friends."

Lion flinched as his tail tip touched her shoulder. "Since when?" she whispered, not missing the hurt look in Moth's eyes. "Since when has Berry ever tried to be kind to me? Since when have you done anything other than tell me to let it go?"

"Are you saying that our time together meant nothing on those hard nights?" Moth asked.

Lion blinked, sorrow filling her from the inside. "I've been clawed, bitten, pushed, shoved, and nothing more than a mouse for the others to play with. You watch without a word, apologize that it had to happen. You both held me back from saving my mother..."

"You said you forgave us." Berry mewed softly, trying to not be heard.

"I say I did, but perhaps my heart has not." Lion admitted in a whisper. "I never forgave Pounce for ending Finch's life. Why should I forgive any cat here? My only friend is Hawk and that's because she killed the cat who had been punishing me. If only she could kill Heather for me too, than I could believe all is better."

"Then Heather is a fool to trust you on this mission." Pounce growled, padding through Moth's snow-passage.

Lion looked into those brown eyes, her amber eyes glittering with anger. "No, this is what she wants. The weakest cats to leave and never return. The ones she doesn't trust. She isn't a fool, she's wiser than you are. It's leafbare, we will starve and if we don't return than she won't have to worry about us anymore. Then newleaf comes and she will take the whole of FearClan to find the fragments."

"How would you know that's what she's planning?" the black and brown tom sneered.

She nodded her head to the gnarled root, where the high ranking members appeared. "Why not take a listen?"

"FearClan, Cedar's Kits; we have come to a conclusion. Moth's patrol will leave tonight. As soon as the sun sets, they will head out and find us allies." Heather announced.

Pounce flicked his ears up in surprise. He glanced to Lion, who stared back. His jaws parted to speak, but she beat him to it. "You are no River-Cat Pounce. You're FearClan now. Remember your place, your mange-pelt." she hissed, turning away with Moth and the others. "Let's get some rest. I have a feeling it will be a long and cold night."

"Right." Moth murmured, looking to Berry who only glanced away in shame.

The divide of FearClan was clearer now. Lion knew where she stood was in a place where they could not dream of being safe. They would have to succeed to survive, even if it meant antagonizing BushClan into another war. Flicking her tail, Lion gave in. Hawk was powerless to save them, just as Willow must have been forced to make the decision for Heather's plan to go through. For now, she had to hope it would be enough to spare them from the dangers of thunderpaths, dogs, and who knows what else crawled along the Twoleg Place.

Swiftly, Lion entered her den with a faint rustle. It was cold inside and lonesome. With a soft sigh, all the anger she had disappeared slowly. Melting away, trickling into her muscles and relaxing them. Wild Storm or not, she had a duty to FearClan even if she didn't belong. With graceful steps, she padded to her nest and curled up in it. Her ears twitching as a sense of calm descended upon her.

Instantly she felt like her mother was beside her just like she used to be in the den. She could almost imagine the rasping tongue of her mother. The gentle strokes soothing over her muscles as she purred softly. Her mother's voice, soft and airy, whispering to her about the river and it's beauty in sunlight and moonlight. Her paws flexed as she kneaded her bedding, ignoring the prickle of thorns from the brambles and gorse. Purring softly, content now that she had released her anger.

The river stretched before her mind's eye, glistening in greenleaf heat and babbling noisily. Sunlight danced upon it's current, bubbles swirling in tiny eddy's around the ancient, slick stepping-stones. The very same stones dotted dark gray with droplets and mists of water. Moss growing on the tallest of stones, slick and slimy. The pebbly riverbed rolling beneath her pads as she walked on the shifting terrain to soothe them from the long trek.

Looking ahead, she could see the dark ginger fur of her mother. Her paws darkened with water as she lead the way in the heat. Swiftly, she bounded forward, her paws moving expertly, wrists and ankles twisting effortlessly to keep balance. Her amber eyes bright as she caught up with her mother. The familiar shape of her warmed her heart. How long had it been since she had seen or scented her?

Much too long. Lion decided as she looked to her mother, yellow eyes glinting in the sunlight as she began to ask. "Where are we going, mother?"

Finch didn't look at her and instead lifted her chin, pointing with her nose to something ahead of them. Lion followed her line of sight, spotting a familiar shadowy cat. Their fur whipped in the wind, black as crow's feathers. Green eyes glowing vividly as she felt her pelt stand on end. It was the shadow-cat from many moons ago! She had thought it meant Shadow or was just a dream, but now it had returned.

"Mother, who is that?" she asked, her amber eyes locked with the green orbs that glowed before her.

"This is what anger does." Finch whispered, her breath tickling Lion's ear fur.

"I don't understand. Who is that? It can't be Shadow. It has no stripes." she looked to her mother, yellow eyes glittering in the sunlight as they searched her.

"Lion, please understand," her mother began to meow, "Shadow believes in his actions. This cat is a danger to the future. Beware him. Beware the cat who has become his own shadow."

"But who is he?" she begged, looking back to the shadow-cat who took one step towards her. The scenery shifted, flat gray-stones erupting beneath their paws. The trees crashing down and bitterly cold wind whipping up around them. Snow seemed to pile out of nowhere as her once burning paws were bathed in freezing snow. The heat of the sun vanished, yellow-bellied clouds rolled in as the sun's warmth faded.

"Finch!" Lion cried as the shadowy cat before her took another step. The glow died in their eyes, showing the emotion of a jaded and hostile creature. Almost like a fox, the cat snarled, baring sharp white fangs with a hideous hiss. They crouched, their tail bushed out and hindquarters rocking. Rage emitted from them in waves before it leaped into the air, sharp claws glinting as they fell towards her.

Lion tried to move, a yowl caught in her throat as her paws felt rooted to the spot. Almost like they were frozen. Panicking, she looked to where her mother was, but all she saw was Moth and Berry staring wide eyed behind them. With all of her strength, she whipped her head around as a strange new scent bathed over her. It smelled like crow-food or even thunderpath-prey. A blunted snout with a black nose flaring as sharp, yellowed teeth were bared. Saliva dripping onto the gray-stone.

Startled, her legs gave out, fear pulsing through her as a gutteral yelping snarl drummed into her ears and sharp fangs parted to reveal the pink tongue coiled in safety. It lunged at her, jolting her back into the waking world on her side. Her heart was pounding, her tail lashing as she glanced around. The air was colder, light outside was dimmer. Gasping for air, she sat up, trembling.

It was a nightmare. A bad dream. That's all. Lion tried to reason with herself, trying to calm her racing heart. Licking her chest fur, she tried to settle down. Her dream slowly fading, her fight or flight instincts becoming soothed as she groomed herself. Blinking, she pulled herself together, playing it off that it was just time to groom herself and smooth her sleep-rumpled fur.

Once she looked presentable and felt much better, she slipped out of her den. Heather was sitting on her root like always. Ears pricked for danger as her honey-colored eyes glanced over the clearing protectively. At once they honed in on her, obviously noticing she had exited her den. At last. the rogue leader yowled her summons. "Moth, Berry; it is time!"

The cream tabby she-cat lead the way through the snow-packed clearing, the bright ginger tom close behind her. Yellow and green eyes glinting in the light of the setting sun. Lion blinked, padding closer to the middle of the clearing, checking the sky. The clouds had broken up, leaving pink, orange and yellow high above her. The sun was setting, giving way to the twilight and night. Despite her strange dreams, she knew there was no choice but to push onward.

"You three are given the task to find the other fragments of BloodClan. You must be wily and tenacious. Find them before the end of leafbare or don't come back at all. Become spineless kittypets if you want, I don't care. If I see any of you as a BushClan cat, we will take great pleasure raking our claws through your mouse-hearted fur." Heather snarled.

Lion felt the fur rise on the back of her neck. She wasn't lying, that much she knew. "Like we would go to BushClan after all of this?" Lion snapped, taking Heather by surprise. "They pushed my mother and I out of the home your dumb group shoved us into. I was born and raised here! Like I will give it up to some spoiled-kit like you, Heather!"

The creamy brown she-cat's eyes blazed with rage, her muscles taut with the obvious urge to spring down and rip her apart. "If you feel that way, then you better come back with a BloodClan fragment." she hissed defiantly.

"With pleasure!" Lion spat, looking to Moth and Berry and ordered, "Let's go. The sooner we get into the Twoleg Place before nightfall the sooner we can find shelter from the cold and begin when we wake up."

Moth blinked sympathetically, nodding. "Very well."

"You don't have to be so hostile, Lion." Berry added in.

"What do you care for? This group is just a BloodClan fragment under a fake-name." Lion snapped, leading the way out of camp.

Silence met her, but she could hear the crunch of their paws behind her. Fuming, she stalked her way out of the camp, ready to be free from being a "FearClan" cat. IF anything she had learned from her dream, she had to stay true with herself. As angry as she was, she wasn't going to be pushed around. She was going to set herself on a path of revenge. If it was the last thing she would do, she was going to free herself from the punishments and get them on her own accord.

This may be what you aren't telling me to do Finch, Lion thought bitterly, But it is what I must do. I will get our home back and feel like I belong. Even if it's going to kill me to be the River-Cat I was always beneath this facade. No more turning my back, I'm standing up for what is right to me.

She raised her tail, signalling herself as leader of the patrol. She may not know the way like Berry and Moth, but she was going to push herself as leader. The sooner she took control, the sooner she could impress the group they will find and earn their trust. Only then could she gain a foothold in the mock-Clan she lived in. That was her plan and no cat was going to stand in her way for as long as she could keep it that way.


Author Note:

Lion is beginning her adventure into Twoleg Place and the shadow-cat had returned.

With this new vendetta and dream she only half-believes in, only time could tell what Finch was trying to tell her daughter and what the dream means.

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and have a wonderful day/night.

- Nightsky