Chapter 30
The days seemed to go by like a blur. Willowcloud had been teaching the rogues about the Clan and what had happened to the forest. She knew that such a task as fatal to the forest. The rogues could easily turn against her and use the warrior code to their advantage. The leader, known as Stub, seemed interested in the warrior code. He had once asked what it was about, but she refused to go into detail. The rogues would soon learn what it meant to follow the warrior code.
Eventually the time for her to meet with Shadow had come. Stub stood beside her, his lips curled in defiance as he watched the sun slowly sink beneath the clouds.
"I won't let that mangepelt take over our territory," he swore.
"Loyalty is something that we will all need," she murmured with a dip of her head. "I hope you are loyal to our cause."
"If it means getting rid of cats like Ghoststar, we must remain loyal," he snarled.
He doesn't like sharing loyalties with those who are different, Willowcloud thought. Ivy and that dark brown tom known as Shank are more than willing to give their lives for the cause, even if it means leaving behind everything they knew.
She shook her head and tried not to think about it. "Let's get moving," she meowed.
Her pelt was quivering with anticipation as she padded along the path she had taken to get to the outskirts of Twolegplace. Already the rich scents of the forest loomed in the air. Her heart felt a sense of longing as she spotted birds flapping their wings from one tree to the other. She could sense that Stub wanted to hunt, but he kept surprisingly calm.
Good, at least he knows enough not to hunt now, she realized.
Willowcloud stopped short when she heard the sound of a twig snapping. Stub's fur stood on end with anger until she gave him a warning look. Sure enough, the cat to come was Shadow. Behind him was a small group of cats, but enough to appear menacing to the rogues gathered behind Willowcloud and Stub.
"I'm glad you came," Shadow murmured. "I was afraid you'd run."
"And miss out on killing Ghoststar?" A smirk fell upon Willowcloud's face. "I think not."
Her stomach churned at the thought of killing someone. She had never actually killed another cat in her lifetime. Rosefang had threatened to kill her, and even Brightfur had as well. Both times she had been lucky enough to escape.
"Hello Willowcloud." She flinched when she heard the voice of Mothfire speak. "I never thought I'd be siding with you."
"Why change your loyalty?" Willowcloud tilted her head to one side as the former DuskClan cat took a step forward, shoving Shadow aside.
"I changed my loyalty the moment Ghoststar stripped me of my name," she snarled. "I am no longer Mothfire, though I prefer to be called that. He and his followers call me Moth." The venom in her voice was obvious.
"Who all is here?" Willowcloud asked.
"Mothfire, Mudstripe, Oakfoot and Honeypool are among the warriors. Grubpaw and Frostkit wanted to join us." He nodded towards Honeypool, whose belly swayed as she stepped forward.
"Are you sure you can fight?" Willowcloud remembered the stillborn kit that she had, and shuddered at the thought of losing more.
"I want to avenge Thornstar's death," Honeypool hissed. "Oakfoot was the only one who managed to stay away from Ghoststar and his ways."
Approval surged through the group. Even the rogues seemed pleased with Honeypool's reply. Willowcloud glanced at Stub. The black and white rogue had been silent throughout their meeting. She wondered if he was trying to pick out any signs of weaknesses in the Clan cats.
"We have agreed to fight alongside you Clan cats," Stub finally announced. "This cat has promised us the freedom to hunt in the forest for five moons."
Murmurs of surprise rippled through the warriors as they stared at the rogues. Willowcloud's ears flattened in embarrassment. She knew they would have questioned her promise, but she had little choice.
"The rogues make a point that we cannot ignore," Shadow meowed calmly. "We will fight…but when will we?" He tilted his head to one side as he waited for Willowcloud to decide.
"Tomorrow." Willowcloud found herself realizing that the sooner Ghoststar was taken care of, the better. "We will strike at dawn."
. . .
She'd been traveling for what felt like moons now. Memories of her fight against the ginger and darker ginger tom had haunted her since that fateful day. The tiny kit's squeal of pain made her heart clench with pity. Those feelings had left her a wreck for days.
Only now was she recovering from the nightmares. She'd seen what she was capable of. Her father had taught her how to kill. He'd taken away the life that she had always longed for. She had nothing to look forward to. Living like a loner as a punishment she had created for herself. Yet even now she couldn't help but think of the tiny kit and his cry of pain. More kits would die if her father continued to live. More cats would continue to die if she followed his way. And she loved the feeling.
Fear makes me stronger, and helps build my hunger for revenge, she thought with a lash of her tail. Fear is who I am. No cat questions me or dares get close to me.
Her blue eyes glittered with frosty determination as she padded across the rocky slopes. Sooner or later she would find what she was searching for. Even if they were a small group of cats, she would easily overpower them. Striking fear into their hearts was the best way to live life.
The air was bitterly cold up on the mountains, but her fur remained fluffed up as she fought against the fierce winds. The tortoiseshell opened her jaws to taste the air. Surprise flared within her when she realized just how close she was to the group of cats she'd been stalking. Her heart was pounding with excitement as she crept forward to peer over the flat boulder she stood upon. She could hear voices speaking to one another. The group of rogues were oblivious to their onlooker.
A grin fell upon her face as she watched them. The leader of the group was a well-built blue-gray tom. His muscles indicated that he was a seasoned fighter, someone who would actually provide a good challenge for her. Beside him were two identical looking gray tabbies, and around them were cats with different looking pelts. Several ranged from brown to dark brown, blending in well with their surroundings.
"We've been traveling for days now, Granite," one of the brown tabbies hissed. "I'm tired of constantly moving. When can we get some rest?"
"Soon, Dragon," Granite replied with a wave of his tail. "The mountains are too hostile for any cat to live on. We will wait for Scout to return."
"We shouldn't have to rely on some mangepelt who believes the stars are guiding him," a ginger-brown she-cat grunted. "We've always survived without him, why start listening now?"
Granite's claws unsheathed against the cold rock. "Because so far Scout has led us from victory to victory," he snarled. "We've gotten this far because of his guidance!"
The tortoiseshell's lip curled in amusement. He was about to get a wake up call. This was her chance to strike. The rogues were too busy arguing amongst themselves to notice her arrival. The pair of gray tabbies were young enough to be swayed on her side, and if Granite was killed, the others would follow.
Survival of the fittest, she reminded herself. And most intelligent.
Her mouth opened as a furious screech erupted from her lungs. The rogues scattered in utter shock when they realized what was happening. He may have been taken by surprise, but Granite proved to become a decent opponent.
He kicked and writhed as she tried to deal a deadly bite around his neck. The rogues were calling out to their leader, but they made no move to help. This was a fight they were too afraid to join. The two wrestled for what felt like moons. Granite's claw managed to graze against her skin, causing fresh blood to ooze out. She winced at the sudden pain, but chose to ignore it. The smirk on Granite's face faded when he realized he was losing the battle.
Another scratch on her muzzle had opened up while his paw swatted at it, pushing away her fangs. Anger flashed within her blue eyes. Her icy gaze held him down like a startled rabbit.
Good, fear makes the opponent weaker, she recalled what Ghoststar had told her. Keep hold of the enemy's gaze.
Granite trembled with exhaustion while she was at full strength. "Who…. Who are you?" he stammered.
She let out a low hiss before leaning forward. "Just call me Lightning," she sneered. Without a second though she dealt the death blow to his neck.
Blood seeped between her fangs, bathing her tongue as she lavished the sensations. This was what it meant for her to survive. Killing and gaining the respect of others out of fear. She felt at home in the cold, cruel world of the mountains.
The rogues had stopped yowling in defiance when they realized what had happened. One of the gray tabby's eyes widened in terror. The second just murmured something under his breath, whispering urgently as he spoke.
"You are our new leader," Dragon announced. His head was bowed, and soon the others followed his movements.
"We would be honored to follow you," the ginger-brown she-cat murmured.
The slightest hint of fear followed her voice. The smile never faded as their new leader stood above Granite's slain body.
"And in my first act as your leader, I suggest we climb down this damned mountain," she cried. "It's time we've found a new home."
"Lightning! Lightning!" The rogues chanted her name several times. A smirk fell upon her face. The name of her father would live on, just not with the forest Clans. She would ensure that his history was never erased from the Clans.
A/N: Originally she was going to be named Fear, but I didn't want to steal Prin Pardus's name. So Fernpaw's name changed from that to Lightning, and she's now leader of a band of rogues...Wonder where they will turn up?
Also, the final battle will be coming up. Three more chapters after this! (Thanks ImXDragon for the name suggestions, you've earned a Fernpaw/Lightning plushie!)