A Season of Death

by junebugz21

Stripe is a rogue who lives near the lake territory. She knows of the Clans, and is horrified to have fallen in love with one of them, and soon she will find out how much of a mistake she made.

11. Chapter 11

Okay, so I love everyone who reviewed-you guys rock my socks off! Thank you all!

Oh, and I realized I haven't put in allegiances yet. They will be at the bottom of this chapter!

I also realize several characters are out of character. My bad.

Stripe-Outside of ShadowClan Territory

I watched as my kits skittered around the clearing on stubby legs after Zennia's kits, which were several moons older. I watched as Storm helped Puddle to her paws, and Eagle bumped into them, looking impatient. I stifled a purr as the older kits-Zennia's three-started a mock battle. Eagle, Storm, and Puddle attacked. Puddle was pinned down by a bigger ginger tom. Storm wrenched the other kit off his sister, and helped her to her paws as the pinned down the ginger kit. They made a good team. Ziggy brought them a mouse, and they began playing with it. I bit back a purr.

Bramble glanced at me. "They're cute kits, you know."

"Yeah," I purred.

"I always thought about having some," she admitted. "But I don't think I'd be a great mother. And then I wouldn't be allowed to hunt and fight. Besides, Ziggy doesn't want to have kits." She sounded exasperated.

"Hmm," I mewed, feeling sympathy towards the dark tabby she-cat. "Well, they're wonderful."

She shrugged. "Yeah."

I watched my kits play until it was time for them to come inside. The snow was making Storm sneeze, and Puddle started coughing. I was worried she had gotten Ruby's whitecough, but Izzy gave Puddle some herbs. They fell asleep instantly, sleeping next to me. I eventually fell asleep.

When I woke, Zennia offered to look after them. "You need to get out of the camp. You look like you're bored out of your mind."

I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. So I had to tell all my kits that I'd be back and went hunting with Dexter. We picked up squirrel scent and exchanged a glance. He angled his ears to the fluffy-tailed creature as it burrowed through the snow. I nodded and picked up my pace until I was chasing the squirrel. It took off, darting between trees. I brought a heavy paw on its head and sank my claws into it. My mouth watered, and I almost ate the squirrel then. Instead I picked it up in my mouth and turned around to see Dexter crouching in the shade of a tree. His green eyes were wide with alarm. He mouthed silently, Get out of there! I stared at him, puzzled, when three ThunderClan warriors emerged from the undergrowth. Dexter melted into the shadows, but I could barely see his eyes.

"A rogue," one growled. She was a silver and white tabby. She was very pretty, but her claws were out, and her teeth bared in a snarl.

"Yeah," one put in. "Stealing our prey?" That cat was a gray tabby tom.

"Bumblestripe, you're mouse-brained," the oldest cat snapped. He had reddish tabby fur, and his eyes were narrowed. "Of course she's stealing our prey. She's got a squirrel in her mouth and she crossed the border foxlengths back." I searched for Dexter, but his eyes were wide with fear.

"She smells like milk," the one called Bumblestripe put in. "She must have kits around here." I dug my claws into the earth.

The red tabby tom narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, she's got kits. Where are they? Where in the name of StarClan are they?" he snarled. I flinched.

"Easy, Foxleap," Bumblestripe hissed.

"Should we drive her out, or what?" Foxleap demanded. Now that my head was clearing from the panic, I recognized their names. The question was directed to the she-cat.

"We could teach her a lesson so that she never comes back," she snarled. Her eyes glinted with bloodlust. "I could kill her, easily. It would be as easy as killing Antpelt again, or that StarClan-forsaken she-cat from WindClan."

"Ivypool-"

"She started the fight!" Ivypool snarled. "It's not my fault that cats always try to kill me."

"Well, what do we do?" Bumblestripe demanded.

"I say we kill her here," Ivypool snarled, "so that her kits won't give us any trouble. They won't bother us then, Foxleap, will they?"

"But if she has kits," Bumblestripe ventured, "we could recruit them. Cinderheart still has milk, and after what happened with Rosepetal…" Foxleap flinched.

"I say we drive her out," Foxleap put in.

"You're being mouse-brained," Bumblestripe argued. "Just take her to Bramblestar. He'll decide."

"B-But my kits!" I gasped.

Foxleap curled his lip. "StarClan didn't take pity on my kits, did they? We won't take pity on yours."

I shot a last glance at Dexter. He looked at me helplessly before slipping away silently. Well, that was reassuring. Ivypool growled at me to go, and I could do nothing but follow Foxleap.

ALLEGIANCES

ThunderClan

Leader: Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Dustpelt-dark brown tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Apprentice, Quietpaw

Warriors: Brackenfur-golden-brown tabby tom

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Apprentice, Fogpaw

Millie-striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, former kittypet

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Hazeltail-small gray and white she-cat

Mousewhisker-gray and white tom

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap-reddish tabby tom

Icecloud-white she-cat

Apprentice, Thistlepaw

Briarlight-dark brown she-cat

Bumblestripe-very pale gray tabby tom with black stripes

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool-silver and white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Sprucefang-dark gray tom

Amberbreeze-pale ginger she-cat, amber eyes

Heronfrost-dark brown tabby she-cat, amber eyes

Apprentices: Fogpaw- very pale gray, almost white, tom with blue eyes

Quietpaw-small black and white tom, amber eyes

Thistlepaw-spiky-furred tortoiseshell and black she-cat

Queens: Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, expecting Bramblestar's kits

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat, expecting Lionblaze's kits, mother of Heronfrost and Fogpaw

Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat, mother of Foxleap's kits Beechkit (brown tabby tom with amber eyes) and Milkkit (creamy white she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders: Graystripe-long-haired gray tom

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Purdy-plump tabby former loner with a gray muzzle

ShadowClan

Leader: Blackstar-large, elderly, white tom with jet-black paws

Deputy: Rowanclaw-ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud-very small tabby tom

Apprentice, Cedarpaw

Warriors: Oakfur-small brown tom

Smokefoot-black tom

Apprentice, Sootpaw

Toadfoot-dark brown tom

Applefur-mottled dark brown she-cat

Apprentice, Stonepaw

Crowfrost-black and white tom

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar across his back

Apprentice, Tanglepaw

Snowbird-pure-white she-cat

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Olivenose-tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot-gray she-cat with black feet

Apprentice, Moonpaw

Scorchfur-dark gray tom

Tigerheart-dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat

Pinenose-black she-cat

Ferretclaw-cream and gray tom

Starlingwing-ginger tom

Apprentice, Robinpaw

Toadstep-black and white tom, formerly of ThunderClan

Apprentices: Tanglepaw-long-haired red-brown tabby tom

Robinpaw-small, energetic light brown and ginger she-cat

Cedarpaw-dark gray she-cat

Stonepaw-sleek gray tabby tom, blue eyes, formerly of ThunderClan

Sootpaw-small black tom, formerly of ThunderClan

Moonpaw-slender silver and white she-cat with black paws and blue eyes, formerly of ThunderClan

Queens: Kinkfur-tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles, expecting Scorchfur's kits

Ivytail-black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Crowfrost's kits Stoatkit (dark brown tabby tom) and Darkkit (slender black she-cat with green eyes)

Elders: Cedarheart-dark gray tom

Tallpoppy-long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

Snaketail-dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater-white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

WindClan

Leader: Onestar-brown tabby tom

Deputy: Emberfoot-gray tom with one black paw

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

Apprentice, Smokepaw

Warriors: Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Apprentice, Buzzardpaw

Gorsetail-very pale gray and white tom

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown and white tom

Apprentice, Bramblepaw

Leaftail-dark tabby tom, amber eyes

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Rubblepaw

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

Eagleflight-gray and white tom

Boulderclaw-large pale gray tom

Furzetail-gray and white she-cat

Whiskernose-light brown tom

Apprentice, Quillpaw

Apprentices: Rubblepaw-dark gray and brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Quillpaw-spiky-furred very dark gray she-cat

Smokepaw-slender, smoky black she-cat

Buzzardpaw-dark ginger tom

Bramblepaw-dark brown and cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Queens: Duskwind-brown tabby she-cat, mother of Harespring's kits Soundkit (large gray tom), Rabbitkit (pale gray tabby tom), and Mistkit (dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders: Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

Tornear-tabby tom

Ashfoot-gray she-cat

RiverClan

Leader: Mistystar-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Reedwhisker-black tom

Medicine Cat-Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat

Warriors: Graymist-pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Apprentice, Basspaw

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom

Apprentice, Rockpaw

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Sneezepaw

Robinwing-tortoiseshell and white tom

Petalfur-gray and white she-cat

Grasspelt-light brown tom

Lightningstorm-golden tabby tom with amber eyes and brown paws

Apprentice, Sweetpaw

Troutstream-pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossyfoot-brown and white she-cat

Rushtail-light brown tabby tom

Maplesmoke-ginger and white she-cat

Apprentice-Bouncepaw

Apprentices: Rockpaw-very large black tom with long claws, blue eyes

Sweetpaw-calico she-cat

Boucepaw-dark ginger tom, amber eyes

Basspaw-black and white tom

Sneezepaw-brown tabby she-cat

Queens: Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat, expecting Mallownose's kits

Mosstail-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Reedwhisker's kits

Elders: Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail-ginger and white tom