ATHUR'S NOTE: Just for some clarification, the prologue took place six moons in the past, which, is why there were different leaders and stuff. It was just setting the wheels for some stuff, here's the first chapter, takes place in present time. c:
"Rook-kit! Rook-kit, help me please!"
Their cries echoed in his ears, filling up the dark forest with their screams and cries of terror. "Don't leave us to die, Rook-kit! Help us, help us!" They had him pinned, stuck between their mangles forms and the border. RubbleClan's old territory was like a rotting wound, let open to spoil and blister in the salt of the world. It's dense forest was like a blister, screaming for him to rush forward and escape these cats within it.
"Come to me," it seemed to scream, the branches of its trees pulling back, as if to say 'welcome'.
But yet, he did not flee.
No, even if these mangled cats were frightening, terribly frightening, the little kit had a feeling that whatever awaited him in RubbleClan was much worse.
Much, much worse.
"Help us! Save us, please!"
The cries grew worse and, in the darkness of the forest, all Rook-kit could see were their glowing eyes, screaming for release.
"Why didn't you save us Rook-kit..." "Help us!" "Rook-kit, Rook-kit!"
"Rook-kit!"
He awoke with a screech, short black fur standing on all ends as his sister screamed out his name. "Rook-kit, Rook-kit wake up!" The tiny little tom, Rook-kit, if his sister's screeching was any indication, gave a shake of his head, golden eyes blinking awake. It had only been a dream.
A dream.
He wasn't on the border of RubbleClan, there were no dead, mangled cats crying for him.
It was only Ashkit and he.
It only had been a dream.
"I'm awake." Stretching, the little tom sat up, his golden eyes scanning the nursery with a paranoid eye. "Good," he listened to his sister idly as he glanced over the queens and their kits, taking in each one with an indifferent look. "You were screaming and shaking again, you woke up Redfur and her kits." The tom's keen eyes shifted to the form of a tiny red tabby, who seemed to be trying to shuffle her two little kits back to her belly.
Rook-kit couldn't help but roll his eyes, Redfur woke up at any little noise, saying he woke her up was like saying that a bird flew. "Sorry but, I know that's not the only reason you woke me up."
No, Ashkit rarely woke her littermate up when he was sleeping, it was rare when he got any rest and, even if it was filled with nightmares, she wanted her brother to get some sleep.
A happy smile seemed to descend across Ashkit's face upon these words and, the little black she-cat bounced with happy excitement. "We're about to have our apprentice ceremony! If you slept anymroe, you would have slept right through it!"
For once, a smile shifted across Rookpaw's face, his golden eyes glistening with the prospect of becoming an apprentice. TimberClan was thriving this year, with many apprentices and kits. It was a good thing it was new-leaf, had this been leaf-bare, Rook-kit would have been certain many cats would end up starving. TimberClan didn't have as much territory as the other clans but, with their treaty with StreamClan, they couldn't take any more territory.
The only other option was RubbleClan and, well...
No one wanted that territory.
"Well, are you coming?" Rolling his eyes, Rook-kit stalked after his sister, tail swishing back and forth with well hid excitement. "Do you think I would miss it?" "No, haha!" The little she-cat gave a happy squeak, padding out of the nursery and into the camp. Cats were scattered about, chattering here and there, Rook-kit, though he would never admit it, couldn't help but wonder who he would receive as a mentor.
His eyes shifted through a group of gathered warriors, dismissing them with a shake of his head. Snowstream and Sunclaw were too young, Pinefang already had an apprentice... Hm, he guessed he'd just have to wait and see for himself who he received as a mentor.
"Hey Snowpaw!" "Hi Ashkit, ready to be an apprentice yet?" "Yeah!"
Glancing up, Rook-kit allowed his eyes to settle on the form of a white she-cat, happily talking to his sister. When they had first been found on TimberClan territory, Snowpaw's mother had suckled them. It was just until they were able to be weaned off milk but, Rook-kit supposed Ashkit had formed a bond with the other she-cat during that short time.
Snowpaw, in all her pretty white glory, had been made an apprentice half a moon ago, alongside Sunpaw and his siblings, Icepaw and Moonpaw. Most of the apprentices in the apprentice den were Rook-kit's age or, a little bit older in the case of Sedgepaw and Larchpaw.
And well then, then there was Willowpaw.
"Apprentice ceremony, today, hm?" Rook-kit's eyes shifted to the form of the tiny silver she-cat, her blue eyes holding an expression Rook-kit couldn't really place. Willowpaw was the oldest apprentice in the den, currently. She also, as Rook-kit had observed, had a bit of a curious nose, her sharp ears managing to overhear things she really shouldn't. She usually just butted into others business to help them talk about problems but, Rook-kit didn't see how that helped.
Talking wouldn't stop his nightmares.
Talking wouldn't stop the little black kit from showing up.
"Yes." Her eyes glanced him over for a moment, before she spoke once more. "I heard you had another nightmare, do you want to talk about it...?" "No."
Stalking off, Rook-kit made his way over to the fresh-kill pile, pulling out a bird before stalking off into a corner to tear apart at the bird.
"Maybe you should have talked to her." For a moment, an expression of pure terror crossed over Rook-kit's face, making him look like a mouse with a hawk approaching. His eyes moved, slowly, up from his bird to stare at the form of a tiny, black kit in front of him. It's golden eyes stared into his and, as a moment passed, the look of fear shifted off of Rook-kit's face. "Shoo," He spoke slowly, deliberately, as if he was picking each word carefully. "You're not real, so, go away." He turned back to his bird, chewing into it slowly.
"I'm too old to be imagining things so, go."
"How am I not real? I was alive once, just like you. I'm very real, I was loved too, just like you are."
The tiny black kit nosed forward and, Rook-kit jumped back, reeling.
"Go away! You're not real, I said leave!" "But, Rook-kit, I-" "Rook-kit!"
And like that, the kit was gone.
Snapping out of his daze, Rook-kit glanced up to see his sister waving him over. "It's starting, come on!"
Nodding, the tiny kit got up and dashed over, staring up at High Rock with a glazed over look of excitement.
Wildstar was already up there, talking and speaking with an excited air. "Cats of TimberClan, this year, we are thriving! Already our nurseries are full and, we have apprentices to spare." Casting a look down, she nodded to Rook-kit and Ashkit, who, let out a happy squeak. Rook-kit could only shake his head at his sister's happy exterior. "So, I am proud today, to add two more apprentices to our ranks. Rook-kit, Ashkit, would you please step forward?"
The two stepped forward, though, Ashkit was already bouncing all over the place. "From this day forward, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice shall be named Ashpaw." Wildstar's eyes drifted from the tiny black cat, searching out for a face amongst the crowd. "Hawkfeather, you have shown great loyalty and courage to TimberClan, I hope that you can pass this onto Ashpaw." The brown tabby stepped forward, dipping to touch noses with the newly named Ashpaw.
Ashpaw, in her excitement, nearly conked heads with her new mentor instead but, the two covered it up well.
"Ashpaw! Ashpaw!"
Ashpaw bounded over to the group of chanting apprentices, a happy air about her. Sunpaw was really chatting her up and, by the looks of it, Ashpaw really couldn't be any happier.
"Rook-kit," all at once, the chattering stopped. All eyes shifted to Wildstar and then, to Rook-kit himself. "it is your turn." Bounding forward, Rook-kit dipped in a bow towards Wildstar, ears pressed back against his head.
It was his turn now.
Who would be his mentor?
Would he be nice?
Would they go on a tour of the territory, first?
"Until this apprentice earns his warrior name, he shall be known as Rookpaw."
He couldn't wait, honestly.
It would be so good to get out of the nursery.
Perhaps now, the nightmares would stop.
"Falconclaw, you have been a wonderful warrior to TimberClan, you trained Pinefang and, have shown great strength and honor. I hope you can pass these traits onto Rookpaw."
Falconclaw?
Rookpaw's eyes shot forward, watching the black tom as he padded forward. Dipping down, he touched noses with him, before taking a step back.
"Rookpaw, Rookpaw!"
The chanting was less subdued then Ashpaw's but, Rookpaw still felt a pang of pride.
He was an apprentice now!
Smiling, the apprentice trailed after Falconclaw as he motioned for him with his tail. "The tour is the first thing you should have," He spoke, his eyes never straying from ahead. They padded out of camp together, enjoying the silence. The first thing he showed him was the StreamClan border and, then, they moved on, over to the RubbleClan border.
Their paws moved cautiously across the old two-leg bridge and, Rookpaw heeded his mentor's words, never once looking down into the rushing river below. "This bridge has been here for as long as TimberClan has been around." The older cat's tail lashed back and forth, his head motioning towards the old dirt twoleg path ahead.
"Legends say that, when the clans first arrived here, that cats and twolegs lived in harmony and, that's why there is this bridge and path." Falconclaw's eyes narrowed as they arrived upon the border, his voice going low. "But, they say the same thing that destroyed RubbleClan destroyed the twolegs as well, leaving only past remnants of them."
He stopped, stopping Rookpaw with his tail as he glanced over RubbleClan borders.
It was just as bad as Rookpaw had dreamed.
It was a thick, dense forest, green foliage so thick at the top of trees that it blocked out the sun, casting over a permanent shadow across the forest. Nothing moved on the other side of the border, it was as if life in there had died completely.
It truly was like a rotting wound, left open to be stained by the salt of this world.
"RubbleClan," Falconclaw breathed, eyes scanning the dead forest ahead. "Never cross over this border, Rookpaw. Nothing but death comes from RubbleClan." Rookpaw could only mutely nod, his eyes wide.
It was just like in his nightmares.
"Now, tell me, what do you smell?" "...Nothing." "Right, and you never will. All life from RubbleClan is gone, even the prey is dead, now, let's leave. Hanging around this place for too long brings nothing but trouble."
But, they should have waited.
They should have breathed in the air harder, for, had they done this, they would have smelled the metallic scent of blood and, the musky scent of death.