"Where is she?" A small she cat hissed as she glared at the other rīdā. The toms stared back at her harshly; they didn't know where her missing warrior was. They were already angry that she had accused them of killing her. The small silver she cat paced, her claws gleaming under the night sky. It was the full moon two days ago and they had finally made it to a place where they could settle down. The last forest they passed through didn't feel welcoming after all, and they had to fend off two whole clans of big cats.
"Maybe she got lost," the tall brown tom with black paws mewed lazily, his amber eyes nearly closed.
"Bloodclaw is too smart for that Rustlerīdā," the small she cat mewed quickly.
"Maybe she got eaten by a fox?" A black cat with fangs hanging over his lip suggested with haunting amusement.
"Saberrīdā, do we have to fight again?" The small one hissed.
Saberrīdā grinned. "So you want to, Starrīdā?" Starrīdā snarled and brought out her claws.
"Cats please be calm," a ginger tom with spots mewed calmly. "I'm sure she's fine."
"Brightrīdā!" A furry ginger tom mewed.
Brightrīdā looked over at his daughter, a light red she cat, with a blink. "Feathertail, what is it?"
"Brightfur and Leaffall are worried about Autumnspot. What if he goes back? He doesn't know that we left, he doesn't know where we are!" Said cats walks up behind her, Brightfur being ginger with spots and Leaffall being red orange with spots.
"What if they find Cherryblossom and she isn't alive?" Brightfur worried, his tail twitching at the thought. Just the thought of his sister gorged by badgers, foxes, dogs...
Three pairs of worried green eyes fixed themselves on the rīdā. It was something that made him guilty. The tom felt he should've never let Autumnspot go on that mission to retrieve Cherryblossom. 'But then again he would have went without my permission anyway,' he thought with a sigh.
Starrīdā snorted. "This is no time to be worrying about your brother and traitor sister!" She snapped.
Brightrīdā turned to her with a snarl that he had long since adopted from his deceased mate, Silverclaw. "You will watch how you talk to my kits and how you talk about them. Just because Cherryblossom is your warrior doesn't mean you can talk to about her like trash!"
"I can and I will," Starrīdā snarled back. Both glared at each other, muscles tensed. But with three cats backing him Starrīdā knew better. She didn't have that many lives after all. "Besides, she is to be clan marked after she returns."
"And her kits?" Brightrīdā pressed.
Starrīdā sniffed and looked away. "They will remain in Moonclan."
"No they will not! Cherryblossom will want her kits to live away from your rule, they will go to Sunclan!"
"Please, we really don't need to be talking about this," Saberrīdā mewed monotonously. "We still have to settle and we haven't even talked about borders yet."
"The cats sent on the patrols should be back soon," Brightrīdā mewed, turning his attention away from the Moonclan rīdā. "We should know where we camp soon enough."
No sooner had he said that four patrols returned. Each patrol had a warrior from each clan in it. "Report!" Starrīdā practically barked.
From one patrol a she cat who looked exactly like Starrīdā's deputy, only with blue eyes, spoke. "We have found a place suited for Moonclan. Plenty of trees and undergrowth. I also found a great place for our camp."
"Excellent Whiteshine," Starrīdā purred.
Brightrīdā nodded to the patrols and out stepped a dark brown tom with amber eyes. "I also found a place for Sunclan. Its open, there are a few trees and the prey smelled there so far is promising. There is also a few streams here and there."
"Thank you Ratwhisker," Brightrīdā murmured with a thoughtful look."
"I found the perfect place for Sandclan! It's mostly bushes and undergrowth, and there is a stream running right through it!" Mewed an enthusiastic white she cat, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Excellent," Rustlerīdā purred lazily, his eyes still nearly closed.
Saberrīdā turned to his dappled warrior. "Yarrowtail?"
"Pine trees and the sort," she replied with a blink. The black at nodded.
"Borders will be discussed in the morning," Starrīdā mewed, but she was cut off by Ratwhisker.
"We also found one of your dead warriors," he nearly purred.
Starrīdā snarled. "What?!"
"Yes, she was being carried away by a ginger cat and black cat."
"She must have upset somebody," Rustlerīdā mewed in amusement. "We tracked them down; it appears that another clan is leaving in this forest as well."
"Then we will hunt them down!" Starrīdā growled.
Saberrīdā shook his head. "If there is one clan there may be more. You want to charge in there blindly and get killed? Let's check them out first; they could be a danger to all of us."
"Whatever," Starrīdā huffed. "Whiteshine, take us to our place to camp. Moonclan is grateful for traveling with the other clans, but we are also tired. Good night, and may Skyclan watch over you."
"Goodnight," the clan rīdā chorused. Then they too departed.
Whiteshine led them to the area she found for the camp and the cats quickly decided which area would be fit for the proper ranking cats. Afterwards Starrīdā climbed onto an ivy covered stone and swiped aside the brambles in the way. She yowled. "Moonclan gather under the Ivyrock!"
The cats gathered, muttering tiredly and dragging their tails. Some hissed and spat at each other for no reason, or because one bumped into another. The small leader felt a small bit of sympathy for her clan; she knew that the journey as made them ill-tempered and tired, but he also knew they would pull through.
'That's not the situation at hand though,' Starrida thought as she glared at all of them, her blue eyes burning with a cold fire. "Bloodclaw has been murdered!" This shocked the clan of cats into a full awake state, the sea of blues, amber and just two pairs of green staring up at her in disbelief. They yowled in horror and began speaking over one another.
"That can't be true!" a yellow furred tom hissed. Bloodclaw was his friend, possibly his future mate. He adored her, the whole clan adored her.
Starrida sneered. "Yes, Ratwhisker from Sunclan has spotted cats dragging her away. We will find these cats and kill them, and if they have clans we will find and kill them as well! We will avenge our fallen clanmate!"
"This can't be," a tom black whimpered. "My kit…my sweet kit…" Beside him his grey tabby mate nuzzled him, her own face grief-stricken.
The Moonclan leader bowed her head. "It is… Bloodclaw was a well know cat by all the clans, loved and envied by many and feared none. She is in Skyclan now. May our ancestors welcome her with love and all the prey she could ever hunt." A silence engulfed the clan aside from the the muffled wailings of the parents of the dead she cat.
Starrida hissed loudly. "Rest up! We will make ourselves comfortable, for we are too weary for battle. After two moons we will plan an attack, an invasion! We will find these cats and teach them a lesson they will never forget!" The howls of grief and vengeance filled the night sky.
~ooo~
Jayfeather and Leafpool jumped awake, their eyes wide. The clan cats themselves jumped awake. "What was that?" Flamekit mewed sleepily, her eyes droopy. Her siblings simply changed positions before they went back to their rest.
"Nothing dear, go back to sleep," Squirreflight whispered, though her eyes looked troubled.
"No cat can yowl that loud," She heard Lionblaze hisses to Bramblestar, who had met him half way to the middle of the camp. The warriors went back to their sleep while those awake talked. Squirrelfight licked the heads of her kits before she joined her mate and son. Jayfeather, Leafpool, Cherry, Sakurablossom, Ravenwing and Sandstorm followed soon after.
"Do any of you know what that was?" Sandstorm asked. All of the cats shook their heads.
Bramblestar turned to Lionblaze and ravenwin. "Where did you go when took Bloodclaw's body away?"
"We went to the outskirts of the forest, far away from here," Ravenwing answered. "we covered our tracks and scent as well, we didn't want it coming back to the clans."
"Were you followed?"
"We made sure we weren't," Lionblaze mewed.
Bramblestar nodded and looked up to the sky. He felt very uncomfortable. Ever since Bloodclaw's death he has been getting chills and having nightmares. Cats fighting, dying, a ginger and light grey body writhing against each other with flashing claws and burning eyes.
"Bramblestar, are you alright?" Squirrelflfight asked.
The leader turned to her and smiled. "I'm fine. Everyone head back to their dens. We will just keep a lookout for whatever made that nose from now on." The cats nodded and went back to their dens.
Once they left Silverclaw, Flameblood and Killerfang appeared in the middle of the camp. Their burning eyes and bloodthirsty grins flashed at the dark, transparent figure that was padding towards them. "You think you are going to win?" Silverclaw purrs dangerously.
The tom's blue eyes sparkle. "Yes, and when I do the whole of the clans, of all eight clans, will be at my disposal. I can do to them as I please, especially since now your kind has been spotted in the Dark Forest."
"The Place of No Stars does not give us fear, we live with two paws in both the Under and the Overworld. Besides, our dark ancestors are bad, but they wouldn't want to join the likes of you. Merging both of our worlds will only spell catastrophe for you weak, evil mind." Flameblood growled, his grin still in place.
"And on top of that you don't have a living vessel, what will you do?" Killerfang taunted.
The grey tom grinned again. "Oh, but I do."
Another tom walked over to him. "Ashfur, are you ready?"
"Of course Thornclaw." The grey tom looked to the two Moonclan warriors. "See yah." Both toms ran and went into separate dens, one into the nursery and one into the warriors den. Ashfur and Thornclaw then stepped on and through the bodies of both Mousewhisker and Deathkit. Their evil grins were seen before they disappeared and the two cats squirmed.
Silverclaw sighed in amusement. "Well, I have done my best with Jayfeather, will you two see to him?"
"Of course grandmother," they chorused. Silverclaw dipped her head and trotted to the nursery. She then blew upon Flamekit and vanished. The kit squirmed.
The two Moonclan siblings wet to Jayfeather and lightly raked their claws down his back. As they disappeared the tom shudder.
Jayfeather and Flamekit woke up to be on a grassy plan that Jayfeather remembered thoroughly and Flamekit only seen once. "The time has come," Silverclaw announced. "You two will train here from now on. Your tests will be when you are awake in your world and you use your techniques."
Jayfeather groaned and Flamekit perked up. "What are we gonna do?" she squealed.
Flameblood grinned. "We are going to save the clans."
;
;
;
Mousewhisker and Deathkkit yowled in surprise as they woke to the Dark forest. The two toms were waiting for them. "Hello," they both purred silkily. Mousewhisker hissed and wrapped a protective tail around Deathkit, who was staring with large, unsure eyes.
"You will help us or die," Ashfur growls at them. Mousewhisker growls, his fur bristled.