A/N
Pix: So I didn't get enough any reviews on my previous chappie but here you go anyways! :)
PS, to the guest Silverbreeze… I will get into Thornsnag's past in the backstories when I finish with Hollowstar's (which I really should update) And if you become a fanfiction member, please go vote on my new poll :)
Brindleleaf sighed as she lay in the nursery. Her kits were a quarter-moon over due and it scared it her. She didn't want to be like Streamfur. Sedgekit, Stormkit, Falconkit and Mudkit were being cared for by Barkflower, who was being supplied extra borage, and now she had Emberkit, Roseclaw's son to care for now.
"Here!" Came a perky voice. "I caught this for you!" Upon looking up, Brindleleaf recognized the voice as Dustpaw's. A wiry rabbit lay at her paws.
"Is this your first catch?" Brindleleaf asked the light brown tom. He nodded enthusiastically. "It's brilliant," Brindleleaf complemented, taking a bite.
"I hope your kits and yourself are okay when you kit." Deerpaw whispered; she was standing behind her brother. Brindleleaf nodded.
She missed the company of Roseclaw, she would keep the den lively, but everything seemed so dull, even with Silverflight moving in with Mousetail's kits.
"I'm going for a walk." Brindleleaf meowed to Blueberry, and without awaiting a response, she nosed her way through the heather barrier and lumbered to the ThunderClan border.
"Well, well, look what StarClan dragged in." Came a joking voice. Brindleleaf purred as she nuzzled agaisnt Pinewhisker.
"You're overdue; aren't you?" Pinewhisker looked worried as his mate nodded meekly. "Lightfeather was overdue…" Pinewhisker mentioned his brother's mate and smiled at the thought of his nephew and niece.
"Was she okay?" Brindleleaf's voice shook. Pinewhisker shook his head. "Yep! Just very sleepy. You'll be fine." The tabby insisted.
"Oh, and when you kit, name after this handsome hunk right here." Pinewhisker pointed to himself and with a wink he dashed off. Brindleleaf purred after him.
(POV change; Scarface)
"Lightfeather, let me in!" He groaned. The cream she cat refused to let him see Dovekit and Rabbitkit ever since they opened their eyes. "Please, sweetie?"
"No!" With a pale grey paw, she pushed him out and he landed with a soft thud on his rump. "Geez, what's with her?" He muttered under his breath.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallrock!" Smokestar ordered. Scarface angled his ears towards the nursery but there was no shuffling indicating Lightfeather had gotten out.
"Huntkit, come up here." The leader watched as Nightbreeze gave his fur a couple licks and he eagerly met his leader. "Huntkit, you were a little behind your siblings but now you have reached your sixth moon and are ready to be apprenticed."
"From day forward until you gain your warrior name, you will be known as Huntpaw. Your mentor will be Shyleaf." The grey and white she cat was stunned but she quickly padded up to met Huntpaw.
"Shyleaf; you have gotten brilliant training from Scarface and though you are young you have showed cleverness and determination and I expect you to pass these skill to Huntpaw." Smokestar boomed, blinking in satisfaction as the two cats politely touched noses.
"But that is not all; Mousekit, Blizzardkit and Lionkit, come up here." Smokestar focused on Snowwing's little ones.
"Until you earn your warrior name, you will all be known as Mousepaw, Blizzardpaw and Lionpaw." Smokestar searched for a cat, until his eyes landed on Blackpelt.
"Blackpelt, you will be the mentor of Mousepaw. You trained Thornsnag well and now I expect you to do the same to Mousepaw."
Blackpelt dipped his head and carefully touched noses with the calm she cat. Blizzardpaw's mentor was Cloudclaw and Lionpaw's mentor became Mouseclaw.
Scarface was proud of his former apprentice, but he went back over to the nursery. "Lightfeather, come on… Please, baby?" A sigh was heard.
"Alright… But you can't neglect her!" Lightfeather growled as he entered.
Instantly, two bundles of fur tackled him. "Daddy!" They screeched. Chuckling, Scarface placed Dovekit and Rabbitkit down, seeing no reason as to why Lightfeather would not let him in. Until he saw Dovekit's eyes. Bright, heather red.
Scarface slumped to the ground the buried his face into his paws. And cried. Hawkpool, I miss you so much! "Hawkpool…" He whined so softly only Lightfeather could her him. "Why would I ever neglect her?"
(POV change; Runningkit)
"From this day forward you will be known as Runningpaw. Your mentor will be Briarfrost." Oakstar declared. As Briarfrost bumped noses with her new apprentice, the cheers began.
"Runningpaw! Snowpaw! Runningpaw! Snowpaw!"
When the cheers died down, Snowpaw dashed up to his brother. "Lucky! Briarfrost is so nice! I can't believe I got Weaselclaw…" Snowpaw cast a glance at the light brown warrior.
Runningpaw shrugged. "To be honest, Snowpaw, I really wanted Beechtail to be my mentor…" Runningpaw sighed. He knew this ambition to be leader was unhealthy, but he couldn't help it. He's clever, brave and nimble. Why wouldn't someone choose him as a deputy?
"Oh, I dunno, maybe because my mentor is a lame she cat!" Runningpaw blurted, unknowing that the words left his mind until he said them. Snowpaw shook his head as Briarfrost stalked over to him.
"I'm lame? You haven't even patrolled with me not to mention we've hardly spoken, and you choose to judge me because of my gender?" Briarfrost's dark blue eyes were tiny and narrowed, and so filled with fury it made Runningpaw want to shrink down, but he was smarter than that.
"I apologize; I'm positive you'll train me to be the best warrior, however, I was not purposefully judging. Are you to say that you never wished your mentor was a different cat?" Runningpaw tipped his head to the side innocently.
"I-I, uh, w-well, ugh!" Briarfrost growled and stomped away. Runningpaw shot a triumphant look at his brother and raised his chin high. Then he realized… Briarfrost was his mentor… That meant she was the only way he could see the territory!
Snowpaw held back a snicker as he watched his brother dart after Briarfrost. "Ready to explore?"
The voice made Snowpaw jump as he recognized his mentor, Weaselclaw's voice. "Y-yessir!" Snowpaw felt his body grow rigid under the warrior's stern gaze.
"Good, let's get a move on." Weaselclaw meowed gruffly. Briarfrost and Runningpaw appeared next to them and they set off, dry, orange and yellow leaves crunching under their paws. Leaf-fall was on its way.
A flash of dark silver fur caught Runningpaw's eye. He crouched low so the cat couldn't scent him and… "Nice hunting crouch, Runningpaw!" Came the sound of Briarfrost's cheery voice.
A dark silver tail tip disappeared through the undergrowth. "Oh? Did you see something, Runningpaw?" Weaselclaw asked, following where Runningpaw was looking.
The apprentice narrowed his eyes. "Not anymore; probably a rogue!" He growled. Snowpaw flashed him a warning look that told him to hush.
Briarfrost and Weaselclaw exchanged slightly worried glances. "Here's a challenge! Whoever locates the rogue and tells us, can get a freebie in the upcoming Gathering." Briarfrost mewed.
Runningpaw raised an eyebrow at Snowpaw. "Oh, you are so going down!" Runningpaw dashed off in the direction he saw the tail swish away and he began to follow its scent tail.
At last, he spotted a dark silver tabby tom, about the size of a young warrior. … Locates the rogue and tells us… Tells us… Runningpaw let out a shrill cackle in his mind. Since when have I followed the rules?
With a powerful screech, Runningpaw tackled the rogue they tussled for a while when the rogue pinned him and slashed a claw across his cheek.
Then, the fighting stopped.
"Runningkit?" The rogue asked in disbelief, when, Runningpaw realized it wasn't a rogue, but in fact Troutpaw!
"Troutpaw? What-what are you doing here? And why weren't you at my ceremony; I'm Runningpaw now!"
Troutpaw stood up, shaking the reeds from his fur. "I was having my assessment; which I've probably failed now!" Just as the words left Troutpaw's mouth, a silvery grey she cat stepped out from a hazel bush.
"Don't worry; you passed, however, Runningpaw here needs to speak with his mentor about tackling Troutpaw." She meowed sternly.
"Yes, Greywillow…" Runningpaw moaned, rolling his eyes dramatically as he trudged back to where Briarfrost and Weaselclaw were waiting.
Snowpaw was already sitting with Weaselclaw and Briarfrost. "I-" Runningpaw began, but his mentor hushed him with a fierce growl.
"Snowpaw was out looking for the rogue you spotted when he heard yowling. When he went to investigate he saw you fighting with Troutpaw, not a rogue." Briarfrost glared at him.
"You'll be talking to Oakstar about your punishment. Weaselclaw and Snowpaw are going to the Mossy Hollow to train; if you had not reacted so badly, you would be too." Briarfrost stood up and led him back to camp, but as he began walking away, his brother came up to him and whispered in his ear, "oh, you are so going down!"
(POV change; Nightbreeze)
She padded slowly on her hunting patrol, a horrible cramp in her stomach.
"Nightbreeze, do you need to go back to camp?" Blackpelt, her father meowed anxiously. Nightbreeze waved her tail dismissively.
"No, no. I'm fine, I just haven't eaten yet…" Nightbreeze groaned as another cramp tightened. Brackenfang looked at her curiously.
"Nightbreeze…" Brackenfang knelt down to her. "Are you, well, expecting?" The black she cat's face twisted up as she looked at Cloudclaw.
"Yes…" Nightbreeze met Brackenfang's eyes evenly. "I am."
(POV change; Clicker)
Melody trudged along with her loyal NightWalkers, groaned every now and then to her second in command.
"Ugh!" She whined, lifting paw in the air. "My pads hurt!" She cried, sitting down on her rump and wailed.
Rooster looked at Melody. "C'mon; we're all tired and hungry and hurting!" He looked at the cats behind him, who were all relieved to get a break.
A golden tabby she cat with a slightly crooked jaw approached Rooster. "We need to keep moving. We're already very much ahead because Hornet found a shortcut through the mountain peek. If we keep going we'll find the lake by moonhigh."
Rooster dipped his head. "I understand, Clicker. But Melody is in charge of us. She has been ever since Long Claw found her in clan territory, and we had to move."
Clicker- the gold tabby- was quiet for a moment, as if taking a moment of silence for their former leader. "I don't understand why Long Claw chose Melody to lead… She was only four moons when she became our leader!" Clicker pulled at her lime green collar uncomfortably.
Rooster dipped his head once more. "I understand that too, but I was only ten moons when Melody chose I as her co. I know, Clicker, I get that you miss your mate, but Long Claw is gone. I know you loved him" Clicker growled at Rooster as the words left his mouth.
"Don't speak to me about love! You know nothing! You follow Melody everywhere like an Upwalker kit, with your 'as you wishes'!" Clicker howled, her mismatched eyes pale in the sunlight. "Yet she knows not of what love is, nor how to care. She was abandoned! Left to die!"
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT HER!" Rooster screeched, slashing an unsheathed paw across the tabby's muzzle. "MELODY IS BEAUTIFUL!" Rooster stopped as Melody stared at him with her bright orange eyes, and for a moment, she looked like a real cat, with real feelings with the ability to love, but that was gone the moment she looked away.
Clicker gave a paw a brisk lick and washed away the blood that had began to trickle down her face. "I see why Melody chose you now; because you are just like her!" Clicker bore her teeth, one fang sticking out due to her lopsided jaw, and stalked away.
Clicker could hear Melody whining obnoxiously as she lay in the cave the rest of the group was, and as she closed her mismatched eyes, she couldn't help but dream of the past.
(Flashbacks from Clicker)
"Long Claw, what is that you're holding? Is-is that a kit?" Clicker asked, her jaw perfect and no fangs stuck out terribly.
The dark grey and black tabby nodded, setting the kitten down. "I found her along the river. She slipped and fell. I rescued her; Clicker, do you mind raising her?" He asked gruffly.
"Of course not, but, you know… I can't…" Clicker trailed off sadly. She and Long Claw had tried and tried, but no matter, Clicker had never had kits of her own, so they assumed she was sterile.
"Ask Pumice; her kits all were stillborn." Long Claw nosed the grey mottled she kit towards Clicker. The kit whined pitifully and shivered.
"Alright. Fine, what's the worst she can do?" Clicker joked. She looked at the kit once more. Two, clover like markings lay under her eyes, but Clicker wanted to name her something special, after they way she mewed, like a bird's' song.
"I'll call her Melody."
…
"Clicker, ready to go?" Long Claw asked, excitement clear in his voice. "Ready as ever." She replied, with loads of fresh-kill in her jaws.
The NightWalkers dashed around, looking in one alley to the next under the light of the full moon. Every full moon, the NightWalkers would not eat. They would catch all of their prey, and give it to starving rogues, and that was the way Clicker loved it.
It was also Melody's first time out too. "Clicker…" Melody whispered. "I don't like this. Giving our prey to skinny, smelly fleabags. It's a kill or be killed world out here; they should fend for themselves!"
Clicker flinched at the four-moon old kit's words. "Oh, Melody… Did Hornet tell you this?" The grey kit nodded.
"He's a web-spinner. He makes up tales to entertain. Don't take it to heart." Clicker gently placed a paw on Melody's chest, but the kit pushed her away.
"So… The tale he told me of Long Claw finding me in the 'Clans', abandoned, is just a fake story? How my Clan-mother left me out to die where I almost drowned?" Clicker flinched once more.
"Melody… The Clans are not us. We help cats, even of they don't deserve it, no matter what they say." Clicker paused as she saw blazing within Melody's orange eyes.
"I don't believe that, Clicker. Long Claw made me his co, not you!" Melody hissed.
Yes, he did. That was stupid of him, making a kit to be the co…
The sound of a monster's paws squealing didn't let Clicker say anything. The tabby followed the sound, and what she saw brought tears flowing down.
"Long Claw, you idiot… I told you last moon not to cross the road. I told you that you could die… Oh, curse you! I love you…" Long Claw's grey and black tabby body was twisted at an awkward angle, and his hind legs looked so mangled she couldn't tell which was right or left.
"May the Sky Spirits welcome you with open paws and bless you with the fattest prey… I will join you one day, Long Claw." Clicker vowed, tearing falling from her mismatched eyes.
Tiny pawsteps from behind Clicker told her that Melody was padding up to her, but what the she kit said made her blood run cold.
"I'm the leader now…"
…
Five moons into Melody's leadership and she's made the NightWalkers so corrupt, that Clicker and Pumice are the only ones who noticed, but Pumice was too busy mooning after Ropeburn, a new tomcat who joined them, and after her mate died, she wanted to try for more kits.
Then, one day, Melody didn't return from hunting. Her co, Rooster, had begun her leadership, and two moons later, Melody returned, but she was very different.
She was more unstable than before, her fur was tangled and sticking out in all directions, but what surprised everyone the most, were the wolf teeth in her collar.
She forced Clicker to wear wolf teeth in her collar, from when she was a kittypet. And then she did something that surprised everyone. She stopped the full moon givings. And instead, she began to send out cats, one by one, two by two, to look for the clans. To find them. So she could have revenge.
And the only thing Clicker could think was, if only Long Claw hadn't died, if only he hadn't made her co, if only Hornet didn't tell the story, if only Long Claw, had let her die.
…
"Melody!" Clicker pleaded. It was three moons after she had changed the NightWalkers. "I'm telling you, cats are dying because we're not feeding them! They need us!"
Melody drew her lips back. "I am telling you for the last time, Clicker; they deserve to die! It's kill or be killed, and I love to kill!"
Clicker lashed her tail and unsheathed her claws. "Melody, I demand you bring back the full moon givings!"
Silence met her words.
"... You, demand it of me?" Melody's tone was eerily soft and kind. Clicker nodded confidently.
"YOU DEMAND ME?!" Melody had lost it. "YOU CANNOT CONTROL ME! NO ONE CAN! I AM THE LEADER, AND I TAKE NO DEMANDS!"
Melody lunged at Clicker, screeching and yowling like a cat with rabies. Clicker began to scramble away, but Melody was too quick. The grey she cat threw Clicker against a large stone that jutted out from the side of their stone cave.
Pain raged through Clicker jaw as she smacked her face against the rock. It blazed like fire and Clicker felt tears sting her eyes, but not because of the flame like pain, but because she never imagined the one cat that was like a daughter to her, would ever hit her.
Blood poured from Clicker's jaw as she looked at Melody. The mottled she cat gave her a sick smile and meowed silkily, "I have the ice in my veins and the fire in my eyes, with blood on my claws. And I take orders from no one."
…
As Clicker came to, she saw Hornet standing over her. "You blacked soon as you came in here. I need you to swallow this juice; it'll taste foul and hurt to swallow, but you must." She heard Hornet say.
Pain still flickered all over her face, but she knew she had to. Opening her mouth partly, Hornet poured the juice in, and Clicker felt like she was swallowing dry mouse bones.
"That was willow bark, thyme and poppy extract." Hornet explained. Clicker opened her mouth to speak, but pain flashed through her lightning and Hornet whacked her head with a paw. "That was stupid! Keep your mouth shut!"
…
Clicker's jaw had healed fully, but it way it had healed was unpleasant to her. Her jaw was twisted partly from below her right ear, and her nose stuck up like a frozen snarl, and one fang stuck out embarrassingly. NightWalkers stared at her like she was a three legged Upwalker.
…
(End of Flashback)
"Clicker! Clicker, wake up!" Came the voice of Rooster. The tabby groaned in annoyed voice, feeling as if she'd lied down only a heartbeat ago, and upon glancing at the sun, which was high in the middle of the sky, she realized she'd only been sleeping for a few minutes.
Melody began bouncing off, comfy leaf wraps covered her paws while she let her loyal cats suffer with cut and swollen pads. Clicker looked at her own and winced. Though she had hard, black pads, the rough mountain stones had wore away her only defence and had cut into her skin.
Tiny stone shards stuck in one paw as she stepped on a splintered rock, causing her to limp most of the way. Clicker cursed under her breath at every step she took, wishing she had never left her sweet life of being a Daylight warrior of SkyClan…
(Flashback of Clicker; yay, again!)
"Clicker, your tail sticks out like a twig!" Lilypaw teased, batting at her apprentice friend. Clicker puffed her chest out.
"Oh yeah? Well, uh, you walk like a one legged fox!" Clicker pounced at the silver tabby in a mock battle.
"AHEM!" Came an awkward cough. Lilypaw and Clicker spun around, giving their chest embarrassed licks.
Haywhisker and Cliffclaw, their mentors, stood before them. The toms were nearly identical siblings, but with Haywhisker having stripes and Cliffclaw being spotted, it was easy to tell the difference.
"You are not kits. You are apprentices, and we expect you to act like it." Cliffclaw growled at Lilypaw. Haywhisker echoed his brother with a laid back growl at Clicker.
"Yes, Cliffclaw. Yes, Haywhisker." The friends said in unison, though they smirked at each other mischievously.
"You're very close to being warriors; today is your final assessment, and you don't want to goof it up like you two always do!" Cliffclaw meowed tiredly.
"Clicker, you go by the Two-leg place. Lilypaw, go towards the forest." Haywhisker ordered, and the apprentices dashed off nimbly. (Sorry if I'm inaccurate; I have never read FQ… If you have any tips, PM me)
Clicker stalked a mouse carefully, and the next thing she knew, Lizardstar was holding her warrior ceremony. "Clicker, though you have chosen to keep your birth name and live the life of a Daylight Warrior, StarClan honors your energy and forethought, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."
"Lilybreeze! Clicker! Lilybreeze! Clicker!" The clan repeated their names and the friends felt overjoyed at all the attention.
…
(About two moons later)
Clicker was hunting around the Two-leg place and just had located a plump woodpecker. It pecked at a cobnut and just as it flew into the air, Clicker leapt for it, but the outcome was not what she expected.
She crashed muzzle first with another cat, hissing at each other as they landed on their paws, but that only lasted for a minute.
Their snarls faded away as they stared at each other. The rogue was a broad-shouldered tom with a smokey grey pelt, black stripes and yellow eyes like the first light of the day.
"I-I'm called Long Claw… W-what's your name?" The rogue shuddered excitedly as she met his eyes with her mismatched ones.
"My name is Clicker."
…
"Clicker, are you sure you want to leave SkyClan?" Lizardstar asked; he seemed taken off guard by her sudden request. The tabby nodded. "More certain than Lilybreeze is mooning over Shadowfoot." Clicker said, laughing on the inside at the mention of the deputy, whom Lilybreeze was fawning over big time.
Lizardstar bowed his head. "Very well. May StarClan light your path." He murmured.
…
"So, you lead a group of cats, called the NightWalkers?" Clicker giggled at the funny name. "Yes, I do." Long Claw meowed in a fake defensive tone. "What's so funny?"
Clicker smiled and her odd eyes shimmered. "Why are you called the NightWalkers?"
"Because we prefer to walk upon the night; and every full moon we walk from alley to alley, giving prey to the starving." Long Claw responded.
(End of Flashback)
Oh, how she missed Long Claw… His thick striped fur and soft yellow eyes. How he rested his chin on her forehead every dawn before they slept.
A half squeal, half hiss of delight brought Clicker to reality, much to her dismay. She glanced up, and noticed they could see the giant lake, lapping at the ground, and a small rivers branched off of it, but one near thick oaks and tall pines was the one they needed to follow.
Melody let out a purring growl. "Perfect! Finally! And it's only been two quarter-moons!"
Some of the NightWalkers groaned in sleep and hunger. One in particular made Clicker freeze. A black she cat with beautiful lavender eyes stood near the edge of the steep cliff, and as her eyes fluttered closed, Clicker found herself leaping to save her. After all, the cat was Long claw's sister, and Clicker's best friend.
"Plum! Hold on!" Clicker cried, as she struggled to pull her up by the scruff.
"Clicker… Let me go… I can't hold on… Let me join Long Claw…" Plum's voice was barely a whisper above the howling wind. Clicker shook her head, rattling Plum.
"No!" Clicker yowled through her dark fur. Plum looked up at Clicker with sad and dull eyes. "Clicker… Don't worry, I'll join Long Claw with all the Sky Spirits…"
With all the strength she had, Clicker let Plum fall. As she fell, Clicker noticed that Plum was so skinny, her pelt had hung loosely from her bones and her ribs were so pressed agaisnt her skin that she began to look like a skeleton cat.
"May the Sky Spirits welcome you with open paws and bless you with the fattest prey." Clicker was one of the only of the NightWalkers that still said their goodbyes as so.
Melody hissed cruelly as she heard Clicker meow the prayer. "Don't ever repeat that again."
Clicker growled. "I will not bow to the likes of you."
Melody looked ready to lash out, but she remained clam. "Clicker, you are very lucky to be one of my best fighters; despite your ugly and horrible face that is."
Clicker flinched at the reminded of her broken jaw and how it never healed correctly. Oh, how toms must find her so unattractive, along with her mismatched eyes and her inability to have kits…
Melody seemed satisfied with Clicker's silence as she turned around to look over the clan's former territory and snarled, "oh, dear mother that left me for dead. Prepare to feel my poisonous claws."
A/N
Pix: Well… Um… Just wow, Melody… (Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed I just was excited to write from a NightWalker's POV)
Melody: I have issues, don't blame me *cries*
Pix: *rolls eyes* whatever… Anyways, my dear readers, I have a poll on my profile about the father of Nightbreeze's kits! Please go vote! :D I will also put up a poll for Clicker, on if you think she should join the clans, go vote on that too please!
~Pix and the whiny murderer
Melody: I am NOT whiny! *whines*
(Update: For some reason it won't show the Clicker one, so just vote on Nightbreeze and when I end it hopefully the Clicker poll with show up)