Rising Troubles

By Nightfern. Part of the Moonlight Series.

Chapter 1~ Nightfern
Nightfern feet rarely skimmed the grassy ground as she pelted into the nursery. The darkness swallowed her as she looked franticly into the den. Four pairs of green, amber and blue eyes watched her were filled with terror as they wailed. The milky scent of the kits were stale.

“Where did you last see them?" demanded Nightfern as she stalked around the nursery, filled with horror. Spottedstripe answered her.

“We told the kits to sleep and be good while we took naps. After playing with them all day, we were exhausted. When we woke up, they were gone!” Spottedstipe’s gentle voice raised to a wail.

“It’s our fault!” shrieked Creamsplash. Willowfern trotted around the nursery, lashing her pale grey tail.

Warriors had already crowded around the tight entrance, and Hollystar’s voice vibrated through the den.

“Nightfern, take out a patrol of Oakblaze, Cloudclaw, Bluefrost and Dappleleaf. Stormfall, organize two other patrols.” Stormfall nodded and said, “Goldenflower, lead a patrol of Flamefoot, Darkfur, Mosspelt, and Whiteclaw. Cinderfur, a patrol of Sandpool, Firefur, and Dawnfrost, too, please.”

Goldenflower nodded to Flamefoot, a dark ginger tom, Darkfur, a dark brown tabby tom, a blue-grey she-cat Mosspelt, and Whiteclaw, a black tom with white claws and green eyes. Nightfern dipped her head, and Oakblaze, Cloudclaw, Bluefrost, and Dappleleaf followed her as she trotted out of the gorse bush tunnel. Soon they reached the edge of the forest, and caught a strong scent of badger as they entered the darkest part of the forest. The sun was coming down, and an owl’s eerie hoot had Nightfern shudder as the owl’s call was quickly absorbed in the silence.

Fear scent was rolling off Dappleleaf’s cream-and-brown coat in thick, intoxicating waves. The scent of badger became stronger until suddenly, the patrol stopped, and unsheathed their thorn sharp claws.

“I have a bad feeling about this pla-” Oakblaze’s voice was cut of as out of the shadows of a large log, a huge black and white badger flung Oakblaze to the side of a tree in the same manner Blackfoot had done to Snowpaw.

Letting out a fearsome screech, Nightfern leaped up over the badger and landed neatly on it’s back, posed as if ready to leap again. Another badger appeared, slightly smaller than the first but nevertheless large.

Nightfern let her claws tear mercilessly on the badger’s eyes as it roared in pain.

Cloudclaw and Bluefrost were battling the smaller badger; as she watched, the blue-grey she-cat bit down on the badger’s paws while Cloudclaw tore the badger’s fur with his dark grey paws, blue eyes wild.

Dappleleaf joined Nightfern; she scraped his long muzzle so hard he screeched and thudded to the colorful leaf-covered ground. Nightfern, seizing her chance, bit down hard on the badger’s thick neck. It roared in rage, but Nightfern sunk her teeth into it's neck until it's bellow turned into gurgling. Scarlet blood seeped from the wound.

It did not move any longer.

Nightfern had killed the badger.

The horrible, bloodthirsty rage for blood left Nightfern as she watched the other cats drive the smaller badger onto ShadowClan territory.

Now, she rushed to Oakblaze’s side and franticly licked his bracken head. He lifted his green eyes and groaned.

“That didn’t go well, did it?” Nightfern sighed with relief. If he still maintained his sense of humor when he had a brain injury, all was well. The carcass of the badger had begun to smell, so Nightfern heaved Oakblaze to his feet.

“I think the kits have gone onto a badger’s territory... or something much, much worse.” Oakblaze murmured, fear clouding his gaze.

Chapter 2~ Nightfern
After Nightfern had gathered up Oakblaze to his feet, the patrol of cats padded on deeper into unknown territory than ever before. The comforting forest turned darker and darker.

Night was coming. The stale scent of kits made Cloudclaw’s pure white pelt quiver with delight-or was it terror? Cloudclaw was Pantherkit’s father, but for all the cats knew, the kits could have been eaten by badgers.

Dappleleaf stopped, lashing her cream-and-brown tabby tail.

“We should get something to eat.” she announced.

Her soft voice was absorbed into the dead-silent forest.

Bluefrost nodded, shaking her elegant blue-grey head. Her matching eyes were intelligent.

“Dappleleaf’s right-we must eat to keep our energy up.”

The cats trotted to a clearing, then split up. Bluefrost went with Dappleleaf. Cloudclaw went by himself, while Nightfern stayed watching a still-dizzy Oakblaze.

Oakblaze yawned. “I hope those little kits haven’t gotten into big trouble.” he muttered.

Nightfern nodded, tipping her beautiful silver head to a side. “How are you feeling?” she asked, leaning against his handsome bracken pelt for warmth.

“Well, I supp-” his voice was cut short as a thin, terrified wail rang through Twolegplace territory.

(His voice always seemed cut off lol)

Nightfern hissed. “The kits!” Without waiting for an answer, she yowled back and pelted toward Twolegplace, Oakblaze keeping her swift, steady pace. Soon, the forest turned to hard, narrow, black ground, and it began to rain. Twoleg homes here were strange; they smelled of poorness and despair. Large grey objects were tipped over, spilling rotten foul-smelling food.

Nightfern had heard rouges call it “alley” when she caught them speaking to each other near ThunderClan territory before she chased them away.

Her silver-and-black coat bristled. Somehow, she knew this place was not safe. Oakblaze’s ears were pricked on high-alert, ready for any signs of trouble.

Suddenly, a sleek, cold voice rang across the silent alley.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A huge black tom emerged from a crack in a Twoleg house.

His green eyes were filled with hostility, and his claws were as sharp as an eagle’s.

A smaller, younger, light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes followed him.

The last cat, a dark brown tom, pressed his scraggly pelt against the pretty she-cat’s while she hissed with annoyance. He wisely moved away as she unsheathed her claws.

“I am Dagger, and this is Lily and Dusk. Who are you?” said the black tom.

“I am Nightfern, and this is Oakblaze...” said Nightfern slowly. She stopped as Dusk began to knead the ground impatiently. He was grumbling.

“Can’t we eat ‘em yet?” he whined softly.

Dagger turned his back to the Clan cats and spat something at Dusk.

“Soon!” snarled the black tom.

He turned back to Nightfern and Oakblaze. “I believe you are looking for these...” he said, and tipped over a small brown box lying at the in the shadows of the rotting filth with his claws.

Eight small, quiet, wet bundles of fur tumbled out.

“The kits!” growled Oakblaze and he charged forward. Lily, quick as a snake, pounced on him and threw him down.

Oakblaze heaved with breath as Lily put her claws against his throat. Nightfern let out a snarl.

“Let go of Oakblaze!” she spat. Nightfern must have looked terrifying because Lily looked surprised and scrambled behind Dagger, leaving Oakblaze laying on the ground.

“If you let us take your territory, we will give you the kits without harm. But if you refuse, the kits will no longer be alive.” Dagger sneered.

As he said that, a darker bundle stumbled into sitting position in the soggy pile of kits.

“Nightfern, help...” Moonkit gasped. Then she collapsed on top of a no-longer-stirring Duskkit.

“What have you done with them?!” cried Nightfern as she dashed forward and licked all the kits as fast as she could. The rouges did not stop her.

“Nothing.” said Lily simply. Her voice was gentle and sweet like honey. Lily was Nightfern’s age. They could have been friends. Lily was the quietest of the group, and she looked at the silent kits with anguish in her blue eyes. Nightfern realized that Dagger and Dusk had hurt the kits, but Lily had not. She felt pity for the kits.

Oakblaze lifted his head, but it was soon knocked down by Dusk’s huge paw. Nightfern spat at Dagger. “You will give us the kits, or suffer.” To prove the point, she snarled and crouched so the cats could see her smooth, lean muscles under her pretty pelt.

Lily looked uncomfortable.

“Why don’t we just give her the kit-” she began.

Dagger lashed his tail over her mouth. Dagger suddenly shrieked.

Lily has bitten down on his tail! She looked ticked-off.

Oakblaze shot up and grabbed Meadowkit, Pantherkit and Duskkit. Lily skidded out of the way as Dagger scratched her flank. She gently put Ivykit and Hawkkit in her mouth.

Nightfern sliced Dusk’s jaw open.

He wailed, and she, as quick as a snake, picked up Moonkit, Iriskit, and Violetkit.

The three cats, two Clan and one rouge, united together because of the horror of the bloodthirsty cats.

They pelted into the forest, passing trees and streams before they reached Fourtrees.

“It’s safest here.” she told Lily. Lily nodded her pale tabby head and put down Ivykit and Hawkkit, Oakblaze and Nightfern doing the same.

Lily began to speak. “The cats- Dusk and Dagger, are part of a “Clan” of cats. They call themselves DeathClan. They are not worse than BloodClan, the story my mother told me many moons ago. But they have more cats. They want territory, and they will kill to get it. The leader, Blood, is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great cousin second removed from Scrouge, the only BloodClan leader.”

Nightfern was horrified. "And they're attacking?" Lily nodded.

The cats sat in silence, licking the kits. “Moonkit, tell me what happened,” Nightfern murmured to her niece.

Moonkit began.

“We were playing in the nursery, and we heard a weird sound- like a cat’s scream before it dies. It was terrifying. We were afraid, and he huddled up with our mothers. Then the scream stopped. So Pantherkit said we should go out and investigate. We snuck out of the dirt-place tunnel, and we ran through the forest were the sound had come from. Near a Twolegplace. As soon as we put a paw on the hard black ground, it started to rain. Then some cats came. They cuffed us unconscious and threw us in a big box.”

Moonkit shuddered, her dark blue eyes wide.

Lily, who had been quiet all the while, spoke up.

“The screaming you heard...that was Blood. He killed Ron because he said that...he wanted to run away to the forest with his mate. It was too cruel here."

Lily’s eyes were filled with pain and suffering.

“He was my mate,” she cried.

Nightfern felt this she-cat’s pain and pressed her pelt to hers.

“I must go the new farm near WindClan territory-yes, I know about the Clans. I will be a loner. I don’t want to be a rouge, or a kittypet. And I don’t want to fight. There is too much death in this world.” Lily said.

“I must depart now,” she murmured.

“I will miss you,” Nightfern whispered softly. "Goodbye, and may StarClan light your path.

Oakblaze nodded. Lily stood up and looked at Silverpelt. Nightfern pushed Ivykit and Hawkkit to the comfort of her fur. Lily turned her beautiful head.

“One last thing- Blood will come back, and you will be in more trouble than ever.” With that last happy note, Lily galloped towards WindClan territory.

"Cheerful," muttered Oakblaze.

“Come on, Oakblaze, we have to go home. Nightfern picked up Ivykit, Hawkkit, Violetkit, and Iriskit. Oakblaze grabbed the remaining as they padded through the forest. As they finally made it to the gorse bush tunnel, Nightfern saw two cats in the clearing, laying on their side. It was Half-eye and Graytail. Warriors sat vigil.

“They are dead!” gasped Nightfern. Hollystar was padding toward Nightfern. “They died of old age-nothing else. But strange that they die at the same time. They were born in the same day, though.” Hollystar said softly.

She didn’t seem to notice the kits until Willowfern cried out. “My kits!” she yowled.

Excitement flashed in the queen’s green eyes. The other queens followed her. Nightfern and Oakblaze trotted through the nursery tunnel and dropped the kits in the moss. Nightfern told Hollystar everything.

"We are in dark times," mused Hollystar. Nightfern's earlier patrol had come back to camp after they couldn't find Oakblaze and Nightfern. Nightfern and Oakblaze sat vigil for the wise elders before they went to bed. There was a threat in the air-but always hope.