-O-
"Dawnshadow, can you fetch Biteswift and Siege-ear for me? I'll go find Gorseshiver," Ravenscorch asked his mate as they padded down one of the bridges. It was still dark in Camp, the sun just starting to rise, "Night hunting patrol just got back, and I want to snag a bite before we head out,"
"Sure thing," she replied, splitting off at the next bridge Y.
Ravenscorch hopped to the nearest tree trunk, and scrabbled his way down, eager to make it to the fresh kill pile. He loped over, greeting the night hunters, "Doeleap, it looks like your patrol did well," he said, motioning with his nose to the decent sized pile of rodents and birds.
The she-cat dipped her head bashfully, "Thank you, Ravenscorch, we hunted hard. I can't wait to crawl into my nest, I'm exhausted," she said.
"You deserve the rest, you guys keep us fed," Ravenscorch meowed, pawing a squirrel from the top. It rolled down onto his paws, and to his surprise, twitched, "Is this one dead?" he asked. It twitched again, and it's eye fluttered.
"Um it should be... I mean, they're usually dead when we bring them back... maybe it's just death twitching? They do that sometimes," Doeleap said, staring at the squirrel.
"Dead squirrels don't breath," Ravenscorch said, tilting his head. It's flank was indeed moving. He brought down a paw on it's head, smashing it thoroughly, "Now it's very much so dead," he said, glancing over to Doeleap, who was frozen in mortification.
"Oh my Ancestors! I am so sorry, Ravenscorch! It really was dead... well, no maybe not, but I thought it was... oh, mouse guts, I'm sorry!" she stuttered.
"It's okay, sometimes they come back from the dead. It happened to me once with a vole," Ravenscorch said, trying to calm her down.
"Oh, okay, I guess you're right..." she said, flattening her panicked black and blue mottled fur back down a little, "I think I'm just tired right now, maybe I need to go back to my nest," she sighed.
Ravenscorch twitched his whiskers in amusement, "I think it's for the best if you do. For you and the poor squirrels both,"
"Oh, okay, I think I'll go then,"
"Oh dear, she bring in something the opposite of dead again?"
Ravenscorch nodded at Biteswift as she approached with Dawnshadow and Siege-ear in tow, "It happens. I remember when Gorseshiver brought home that magpie, and it tried to peck his eyes out,"
Siege-ear skewered a mouse from the top of the pile with his long claws, and set to work gnawing on it, "Hey, speakin' oh Gorffivver, wur ish he?" the black and white speckled tom asked, speaking as best he could around the mouthful of mouse.
Biteswift smacked him on the back of his head with a paw, "Don't talk with your mouth full." she snapped at him.
Siege-ear swallowed, "Oops, my bad,"
Ravenscorch groaned, "Ancestors' rotting teeth, I forgot to go get him, could someone send for a messenger, please?"
And then, speak of the devil, Gorseshiver himself trotted up, his brown mane flopping, and golden fur dancing, "No need. My sources told when I needed to be here," his deep baritone rumbled.
"Ah, yes, the lion king himself is here," Dawnshadow mocked instantly.
It was obvious that Gorseshiver's ancestors were not of AssassinClan, from the tip of his pink nose, to the end of his golden tail. From what information gathered, it was most likely he descended from ThunderClan itself, his mother being an outcast. Other than his gold fur, her was... rather large, much bigger than his small, lithe counterparts.
"Shush up, sis, and leave the lion to his meal," Gorseshiver snapped.
"Make me," she shot back.
"Guys, please, not today. We have a mission to do, and I don't want you two leading blood trails from here to there and back," Ravenscorch groused, nudging the rest of his squirrel to Dawnshadow.
"Yes, dear," she sighed at him, and nibbled at the meat in front of her.
"That's the nice thing about her," Gorseshiver went on, crunching on his vole, "give her something to eat, and she always shuts up,"
Dawnshadow looked up, a smear of blood on her nose, "Yeah? And give you a tail weaving she-cat for the night, and you'll be quiet for the moon, though, I really don't see any difference, considering you-"
"Alright, you two! Be quiet, there's kits about!" Ravenscorch said, his eyes going wide at the thought of the sentence being finished.
"That's not funny," both Dawnshadow and Siege-ear said.
Siege-ear, being the youngest of the group, was often referred to as the kit. Dawnshadow had protested... well, in a way, there were kits about.
Biteswift grinned like she had eaten the canary, "Ah, yes, that's right. Details and snitches say you're to be mother dearest. That was fast, considering you've only been mated for half a moon,"
And that was the downside to living in a Clan of assassins and spies. Your business was everybody's business.
Gorseshiver choked on the last bit of his vole laughing. Siege-ear looked uncomfortable, Biteswift rather pleased with herself. Both the happy to be parents were less than pleased.
"Fox guts, does the whole Camp know by now?" Dawnshadow groaned, leaning her head on Ravenscorch's shoulder.
"It's the talk of the moon. You know the queens love good kit gossip, who the baby daddy is, and who the poor mother is to be, they love it,"
"Well, that's great and everything," Ravenscorch said finally, cutting the thought away from his mind, "But, we need to get going, or we'll just sit here and kit-chat all day,"
"Agreed!" Siege-ear said quickly, hoping the topic at paw was to be forever dropped and buried.
Biteswift bumped his hip with hers as they stalked out of Camp, "Ah, I just love making you uncomfortable!"
-O-
They made good time to the ShadowClan border, seeing as how the AssassinClan Camp was only so many tree lengths northwest from the so called twoleg nest, where those two ridiculous kittypets lived. Long ago had they been neutralized as a threat, and turned into babbling kits by a raid.
"Through the thorns, kill the guards and make way to the nursery," Ravenscorch ordered.
"Sir,"
Gorseshiver and Biteswift split off. For what the large golden tom lacked in speed, he made up for in stealth, and Biteswift made up for her stealth with speed.
The guards toppled down like twoleg trash bins, spilling their contents all over the ground. They rushed into the Camp, quick and quiet as mice, not stopping for a word. This mission was too important to foul up with talking. They waited outside the nursery until the one of the queens left, leaving the other inside. There were only four kits, leaving the queen for someone else.
Ravenscorch bumped Dawnshadow in the direction of the she-cat, knowing she wouldn't want to kill more kits. She nodded, and they struck without sound. The kits flumped onto the ground like felled birds, the queen joining them within seconds.
They all nodded to one another, and Ravenscorch weaved away from the carnage...
...only to bump into the living queen. He staggered back, an icicle of dread piercing his heart.
"Uh-oh," Siege-ear mumbled, "Busted,"
Ravenscorch barreled past the wide eyed queen, taking his companions along with him. They tor out of the Camp, the cries of the queen splitting the air behind them, "Help! They killed Oceanfur and the kits! Help!"
Ravenscorch hissed a curse under his breath and nudged Dawnshadow, who was lagging behind a little, "Hurry," he said.
She shook her head, and slowed even more. The sound of pawsteps reached their ears. The warriors were on the way, "I can't," she coughed.
"Dawnshadow, go! Now!" he hissed at her.
She only shook her head more, "I can't... breath! Go... go on without... me," she coughed again.
Biteswift appeared at his side, the faithful mother hen like cat looking worried, "Ravenscorch we need to move!"
He twitched his ears. The pawthumps were closer now, "She can't. Go without us, lead a trail to the WindClan border. Finish the mission without us,"
"No," Siege-ear rounded away from his rout, and trotted back to them, "We won't. Not with you to have kits. I've heard about these cats, they're savage,"
Gorseshiver sat down roughly in front of his surrogate sister, "I'm not leaving my little sis to be gnawed on by lake cats," he growled.
Dawnshadow look astonished, "I can't fight them, though," she said, her breathing calming down, though she still wheezed, "I can't run more, I can't do anything!" she coughed.
"Then we'll fight for you," Ravenscorch said, his breath tickling the fur of her ear.
"So let it be," Siege-ear honored the long time saying of the Assassins.
"So let it be," they repeated together.
Just then, the ShadowClan warriors burst out of the brush, and surrounded them, "You!" one of them hissed angrily, "Kit killer!"
Ravenscorch stood up, and flicked his bobbed tail, then sat back down, "Yes, what do you want?"
None of them seemed to concerned about his calm greeting, "You killed my sister's kits!" a she-cat near the back yowled.
"Little brats probably deserved it," Gorseshiver said quietly.
"Kill them all!" some other cat screamed.
They all shrieked in agreement, but before they could attack, a white and gold she-cat stepped before them, "No," she said softly.
They all fell back a little, "They killed kits!"
She sighed a low growl, "I know, but, they aren't lake cats," she turned her head, the fur on her neck standing up, "You, who sent you?"
Ravenscorch flicked his ears, "Old enemies of yours, they wanted to get back at you for an exile many generations ago, or so I was told. Can't remember the name of the cats..."
"WindClan," the she-cat ground out.
"Ah, yes, that's the one," Ravenscorch said.
"We need to attack their Camp! Kill their kits and see how they like it!"
The she-cat shook her head, "Not yet. We must plan, but first," she turned her eyes on the AssassinClan cats, and dread once again settled in Ravenscorch's stomach, "Kill them,"
"No!" Biteswift yowled, arching her back.
"Dawnshadow stay behind us," Ravenscorch ordered
"Why are they killing us?! They're supposed to capture us and hold us hostage!" Siege-ear wailed.
"They can try all they like, but they'll not kill us," Gorseshiver hissed.
The large group of ShadowClan cats vaulted over the ground, colliding with the AssassinClaners. Teeth met with teeth, and claw with claw. They were unfairly matched at one to three.
Ravenscorch stayed close to Dawnshadow, swatting away any cats that dared to come near. He closed his eyes when he heard poor little Siege-ear's scream of pain end in a gurgle. He was dead.
"Siege-ear!" Biteswift exclaimed, rolling away from the large tom that had pinned her. She pressed her nose into the fur of the youngster, who had been like the sun she'd never had, "You'll all pay for this!"
A large she-cat leaped, and ripped out her throat before the older cat could get any farther in her ranting. Two down, three to go.
"Gorseshiver! On your left!" Dawnshadow screeched from where she lay underneath the protective stance of Ravenscorch's legs.
The huge tom cat looked over, and yowled low when another cat, nearly as large as himself, barreled into him. He was too slow. Ravenscorch knew his lack of speed would be the end of him.
"No, Gorseshiver!" Dawnshadow wailed.
"Oh, yes," the two remaining cats looked up. The ShadowClan cats had surrounded them.
"I want one alive for questioning," the white and gold she-cat had stepped in again. Her fur was still pristine, she hadn't even gone after the AssassinClan cats, "I don't care who, but one of them!" she spat.
A pair of jaws clamped down on Ravenscorch's neck, and he silently thanked the Ancestors. His mate was going to live!
"Ravenscorch!" Dawnshadow meowed softly when another cat grasped her hind leg in his teeth, a wicked grin on his face.
Only then did he realize what was happening. The grip on his neck was just a scruff hold, "Dawnshadow, no!" he growled, thrashing as hard as he could, "Get your paws of of her!"
"Ooh, looks like these two are in looooove!" a she-cat in the crowd taunted.
A few others giggled, and the tom that had a hold of Dawnshadow's leg, grinned even larger.
"Oh, snap her leg, Festerclaw!" someone yowled, "Make her feel some real pain!"
The tom did just that.
Ravenscorch thrashed again, this time managing to reach around and claw at his captor's neck. The cat let him go in surprise, and Ravenscorch jumped away to Dawnshadow. A paw pushed him to the ground.
"Dawnshadow!" he yowled as she writhed in pain, "Dawnshadow, fight them!" he pleaded.
She met his blue eyes with her green ones, and he knew it was over for her, "I'm sorry, Scorch... I- I love you,"
"No! DAWNSHADOW!" he was roaring now, but he could not move, the claws holding him down tightened.
"Slit her throat and be done with this torture,"
"NO!" Ravenscorch struggled again, oblivious to the new set of claws raking his sides. His hind paws scored ragged lines in the dirt.
"Goodbye, Raven... I hope you find love again," Dawnshadow choked.
Ravenscorch stopped moving, this was the end, "Goodby, Dawn, you're the only one I've ever loved,"
"So let it be,"
"So let it be,"
Ravenscorch flattened his ears at the crunching sound when the tom crushed her windpipe. Dawnshadow thrashed in death throes, a horrible whistling sound coming from her throat. Then, she was still. The cats on top of him released their hold, and Ravenscorch ran to his love, sides bleeding heavily.
He collapsed on her dead body, and wailed softly, knowing she was gone, and the future they were to have was gone, slowly dieing inside her body. He looked up at the pained faces of the ShadowClan cats. Some of them looked regretful, like they didn't want this to happen, "Why?" he said quietly.
"A life for a life," the she cat that had yowled about her sister's kits said sharply.
"It wasn't just one life you took from us... it was four more than the four you took," he buried his nose into Dawnshadow's cooling fur, "I'm sorry, love, I'm sorry,"
Jaws settled roughly on his scruff, and he scrabbled at Dawnshadow's body, "No!" he screamed, "You can't take me!" He was jerked harder, and he let go, and curled into a ball. He was broken.
It turns out, the weapon can be blamed just as much as the handler.
-O-
Mwahahahaha! I'm SO mean to my charas. I finally found one of my warriors books laying around underneath my couch cushion, and got to work figuring out where AssassinClan is. Northwest of ShadowClan territory in a stand of cedars and white pine. How'd I figure that out? I had to look at the twoleg map, then the cat map. But, let me tell you, I suck with maps, and it took me a couple of minutes to figure it out completely.
If you spot any mistakes in here, please let me know, I hate mistakes. Recognize chara names, tell me. Have a random complaint? I'll see to it. Want to review? Fill in the review box. Want more story? Patience is a virtue, young grasshopper.