Annnd good morning everyone! I know I know, I just randomly decided to say good night and good morning. It's actually right before I need to get some sleep, but anyway. You have actually never seen Claw in action except for the Battle House and Soot's death. So, enjoy!
Claw
8 days from battle
"Soot, don't leave me!" The brown speckled tom crouched over his dying sister, begging for her to live. "I'm sorry C-claw." Soot stuttered, her chest heaving as she fought for air. "Promise, promise me..." Soot couldn't finish but Claw read her eyes. "I promise, sister. I promise." The black and white she-cat's flanks rose for the last time, and finally her usually bright emerald green eyes glazed over.
Claw shot to his paws, instinctively glancing over to the nest beside, looking for Soot, but he found no one. The speckled tom sighed, and padded outside of the den to watch the sunrise. Here in the city the sunrise was normally drowned out by city lights, and Claw sighed.
"I know you miss your sister." Claw jumped and snapped his head over to his right. There stood Quill, his blue eyes shimmering with sympathy. "Both of my sisters died when they were young, and my parents casted me out. I know how you feel." Quill meowed, sitting down next to the brown speckled tom.
"No you don't, no one will." Claw meowed mournfully, turning his gaze back to the dimmed sunrise. "I know you feel grief, revenge, sadness, and you wish you could've died instead of them." Claw glanced back at the young tom. He was young, younger then him, and yet he had the wisdom of a leader.
"If anyone asks where I am tell them I'm out hunting." Quill stood up, and padded out of camp.
"Enjoying the sunset?" Claw flicked his ears at the small black and white tom. "As much as I can." Claw replied. "I know what you mean, maybe one day I can take you to Windclan's hunting grounds, and we can watch the real sunrise and sunset." Flicker smiled at his idea. "That's be nice." Claw mused.
"Well, anyway, guess what!" Flicker waved his tail wildly. "What?" Claw replied, boosted by Flicker's good mood. "Shatter and I are mates now!" Claw flicked his ears. He hadn't realized that all of them were so close to becoming full warriors. "Shard heard from Scourge that we will become warriors all at the same time." The young tom clarified.
"Good for you Flicker." Claw purred. "Thank you," Flicker grinned and padded back inside the apprentice's den.
Claw stood up "I guess I need to go find Quill." He meowed to himself, and padded out of camp, following the young brown tabby tom's scent.
Claw pricked his ears when he heard voices, and he slipped into a stealthy crouch and padded towards the voices. "What? Luna's gone?" Quill's shocked voice sounded through the trees.
"Yes, she killed Stone, it turns out that Stone was carrying Goldenstone's kits, and Alphastar exiled her." A female's voice confirmed. "Luna killed Stone! That's horrible, and I suppose Alpha s the new leader?" He heard the she-cat meow "Yes." Quill asked her she-cat again "Who's Goldenstone?" "Lucky." Came the she-cats response. "Who's the deputy?" Quill asked. "Night." Finally Claw could see the two cats. He saw Quill and another dark ginger she-cat.
"Didn't Night go with his mate?" Quill asked. "No, he is a loyal Nightclan cat." The she-cat replied. "Also, we are all getting warrior names. Luna just decided to be a rogue clan but Alphastar doesn't want that. So I'm now Redfire, Ivory is Ivoryheart, and Robin is Robinfeather." Quill smiled, "So you all get your warrior names." Redfire nodded "You should get one soon."
"Quill, Alphastar wants you to come back." Quill's ears flattened in surprise. "What?" Redfire's tail lashed excitedly "I said, your coming back home!" Quill frowned "Is he sure? I mean, I have everyone's trust in Bloodclan and everything." Redfire frowned. "You sound like you don't want to go home." She meowed. "I do, but, just tell Alphastar to wait. I'll report back to him when I'm ready."
Redfire flicked her ears "If you say so Quill, but Ivoryheart is going to drive us all mad if you stay away any longer." Quill purred affectionately. "Of course, I'll stay safe Redfire." The ginger she-cat nodded and bounded away into the forest.
"Quill?" Claw padded out of his hiding place. "Claw!" Quill spun around, his eyes full of shock and guilt. "What were you doing with that cat?" Claw asked him, accusingly. "She-, I-," Quill looked around for signs of other cats. "It's just me." Claw flicked his ears.
"Promise me, promise me you will keep what I'm about to tell you a secret." Quill meowed suddenly, turning to looked pleadingly at Claw, his sky-blue eyes reminding him of Soot before she died. "I promise." Claw meowed.
"I was part of Nightclan, but then the leader at that time, Luna, sent me to spy on Bloodclan. Se, recently Bloodclan had killed Ember. Our deputy. That's when she declared war." Claw nodded, his head whirling.
"I never reported back to Luna, and what Redfire tells me is that she went haywire on Stone and killed her. Then she was exiled because Stone was carrying Lucky's kits." Claw's ears flicked, he had already heard this in the conversation earlier. "I heard you talking earlier." Claw meowed. "Oh, then you already know the details." Quill sighed and looked at his paws.
"Are you going to tell Bloodclan?" The light brown tabby tom asked, nervously. "No." Claw responded immediately. "What?" Quill's head instantly snapped back up. "I'm not going to tell the clan, because I believe, I think, I-" Claw frowned. Why had he disagreed to tell the clan? "Just, I won't." Claw finished lamely. "Thank you." Quill padded forward, purring gratefully and then headed back into the forest, towards camp.
At sunset at camp
"I believe I have a ceremony to preform. Shard, Thunder, Claw, Death, Lion, Shatter, Flicker, Cinder, and Quill step forward." Scourge yowled loudly. All of the nine cats stepped forward.
"Your mentor's and I have decided to make you all warriors at once, we need all the warriors we got when the big battle comes. And so I now welcome you as full warriors of Bloodclan." Scourge meowed.
"Wait!" All the cats gasped and Scourge and Bone narrowed his eyes. Claw looked around to see who had spoken. It was Quill. "I have something to confess to all of you." Claw's eyes widened.
As Quill explained his mission and how he was a Nightclanner, he saw the clan's reactions turn to fear, disgust, rage, hurt, betrayal, Claw looked at the sky.
"Grr, drive him out!" Bone snarled loudly, and his threat was carried up by all the clan. Most of the newly made warriors looked horrified, and Quill ducked his head. Scourge unsheathed his long, reinforced claws. "Quill, I always had a bad feeling about you." Scourge growled.
Quill's blue gaze was strong and defiant, and without a word he bounded out of camp, swift as a rabbit. "No! After him! Don't let that traitor get away!" Bone screeched.
Claw sped past all of the other cats, easily catching up with Quill. "Hey!" Claw shouted, his lungs burning as he caught up with the younger tom. "Why'd ya do it?" He asked him
"I can't stand, lying to everyone, I'm not a loyal warrior to Bloodclan." Quill whispered, his tail tucked sadly in between his hind legs.
Suddenly Bone burst into view. "Look! Claw's with the traitor!" Claw's head snapped over to the black and white deputy. "I'll flay you!" Bone yowled and launched himself at Claw. "Meowr!" the brown speckled tom leapt to the side, nimbly dodging and Quill yowled "Let's go!" And he bounded back into the forest, with Claw hot on his heels.
"I think we lost him," Claw panted, slowing to a stop. "Yes, I think so." Quill agreed, sitting. "We are a little ways away from the Moon Meadow." Quill reported, after surveying the area they were resting in. "Good, lead the way." Claw rose to his paws, following Quill.
"Woah," Claw was lost for words as he padded into the beautiful field, full of flowers and little songbirds. "Yeah, it's pretty isn't it?" Quill sighed, "I missed this place."
Suddenly full of energy and excitement Quill leapt across the field "Hurry Claw! We're almost in camp!" Claw grinned and started to cross the field then stopped. "Hey, what's wrong?" Quill paused and turned to look at the older cat. "What if, what if your clan doesn't like me? Or accept me? I mean, I used to be Bloodclan." Claw meowed, full of doubt.
"Don't worry, as long as you stay with me you'll be fine." Quill assured him. "If your sure," Claw flicked his tail nervously as they padded into a large cave.
"Quill! It's Quill everybody!" Redfire leapt to her paws, her ginger tail lashing with glee. "Quill?" A white she-cat poked her head out from a tunnel, her ears twitching. "Please don't let this be another prank, Redfire." She growled. "Ivory! I mean, Ivoryheart!" Quill screeched, and bounded to the white she-cat. "Oh my Starclan! Quill!"
Claw looked away from the couple. "Who's that, a Bloodclan spy?" Redfire growled aggressively at him. "Oh no, he's my friend." Quill padded back over to Claw. "He escaped with me." Quill told the younger red she-cat.
"Escaped?" A large silver spotted tom stepped towards them, his tail flicking from side to side.
"Yeah," Quill went on to tell the whole story, not leaving a single detail out. The brown speckled tom was impressed with his honesty. "Interesting," The large tom meowed. "I believe you only did what was best, and I respect that."
Quill dipped his head "Thank you Alphastar." Alphastar smiled, "I believe we have a warrior ceremony to preform." Quill grinned, but glanced over at Claw. "This is my friend, Claw. He wishes to join this clan." Quill meowed. "If it is okay," Claw added.
"Of course it is okay," Alphastar assured him. "We always need young cats." Claw smiled.
"Since I see we already have everyone gathered here I will preform a warrior ceremony for these two young cats. Quill, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, follow the ways of Starclan, and protect your clan even at the cost of your life?" Alphastar asked them.
"I do." Quill nearly screeched in excitement.
Alphastar purred in amusement, "Then from this moment on you will be known as Quillstorm. Nightclan welcomes you as a full warrior."
"Quillstorm! Quillstorm!" The clan cheered supportively.
"Now, Claw. Since you have not learned the warrior code or seen our ways you will be a apprentice in this clan. From this moment on, until this cat recieves his warrior name, he will be known as Clawpaw."
"Clawpaw! Clawpaw!" Quillstorm led the cheer and soon everyone joined in. Clawpaw dipped his head at the golden-eyed leader.
"Your mentor will be, Nightflash." Clawpaw went over to the black and white tom. "Touch noses." Quillstorm whispered, and Clawpaw did as he said and touched noses with Nightflash.
"Meeting dismissed."
Aww Quillstorm can never lie. He's so honest, I have great plans for him. Also, a spoiler alert! If you don't want to read this don't read, though read anyway because it is important.
I needed your favorite characters for a sacrifice during the final battle. But then I realized, if I destroyed your favorite characters there would be flames! So, just say the characters that you would be okay with them dying. And no, it cannot be an evil cat. Luna, Scourge, Bone, etc. is out of the sacrifice category.
ShatterXFlicker, they will be in a bonus scene at the end of the book. I think.
Everybody feels so sorry for Clawpaw, his history is really sad. That will also be a bonus scene hopefully.
But now, review!