Dawn Of Blood (The Darkest Warrior Arc)

ALLEGIANCES
VINE CLAN

Leader - Oakstar - A dark brown tabby tom with green eyes that shine with wisdom and insight

Deputy - Hollowfur - A light brown tom with sandy-colored markings and green eyes

Medicine Cat - Willowfrost - a white she-cat with a glistening coat, and gray tabby stripes running down her head, back, and tail.

WARRIORS -

Fallenpetal - A light brown agile tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Goldendawn - A very pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Ashpelt - A dark gray tom with blue eyes and light gray down his back, head, and tail. He is blind in his right eye

Snowcinder - A light gray tabby tom with blazing orange eyes

Grassstep - A glossy furred light brown tabby tom with light green eyes

Leafheart - A grayish-brown tabby she-cat with one white paw and green eyes

Hollyfur - A dark brown she-cat with white tipped ears and green eyes like holly

Cinderflower A black she cat with white on her front right paw, muzzle, tip of her tail, and around her eyes, which are blue

Spruceclaw - A dark brown tabby Tom with green eyes and unusually sharp claws

Thrushstep - A pale yellow tom with darker yellow markings and unusual light blue eyes Apprentice - Ivypaw

Sunflower - A calico she-cat with brown eyes and a particular taste for flowers, which most of her clan consider strange. Apprentice - Mousepaw

Honeywing - An orange tabby she-cat with light green, yellowish eyes. &Apprentice - Shrewpaw

APPRENTICES -

Ivypaw - A white and gray tabby she-cat with brown eyes

Mousepaw - A plain gray tom with yellow eyes

Shrewpaw - A dusky brown tom with amber eyes

ELDERS -

Forestfur - A brown tabby tom with deep green eyes

Stonetail - A dark gray tom with a lighter gray tail and yellow eyes

QUEENS -

Flowertail - A pale ginger she-cat with blue eyes. Mates with Spruceclaw. Mother to Palekit, Tigerkit, and Cloverkit

Robinfeather - A grayish-brown she-cat with orange eyes. Mate is unknown. Mother to Graykit, Snowkit, and Whitekit.

KITS -

Palekit - A very pale ginger she-cat with brown eyes

Tigerkit - A brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Graykit - A dusky gray tom with yellow eyes

Snowkit - A light gray tabby tom with green eyes

Whitekit - A completely white she-cat with blue eyes

Cloverkit - A russet-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

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LILY CLAN

Leader - Sunstar - A fierce yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes

Deputy - Barkclaw- A grayish brown tom with brown eyes

Medicine Cat - Sorrelpelt - A gray tom with dark gray flecks and green eyes

WARRIORS -

Viperfang -  A powerful black tom with amber eyes

Tigerstrike - A dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes *mates with AmberFoot*

Hawktail - A dusky brown she-cat with blue eyes *sister to SparrowThroat*

Sparrowthroat- A light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Runningpetal - A pretty gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Iceleaf- A sparkling silver she-cat with amber eyes APPRENTICE - Foxpaw

Sharpclaw - A bluish-gray tom with yellow eyes and silver tinged around his muzzle, paws, ears, and tail APPRENTICE - Gorsepaw

Rabbitleap - A small and agile brown tom with green eyes APPRENTICE - Eaglepaw

APPRENTICES -

GorsePaw - A brown tabby tom with brown eyes

EaglePaw - A striking gray tom with a white face and paws, with yellow eyes

FoxPaw - An ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes and light yellowish-ginger neck fur and fox-like markings

ELDERS -

FallenWing - A lame dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes

LostHeart - A gray tom with yellow eyes who was given the cruel name after betraying the clan and mating with a Vine Clan Cat, who is now deceased.

AmberFoot - A fiery tempered golden she-cat with brown eyes

QUEENS -

LeapingMist - A light gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mate to ViperFang, expecting kits. Fostering JuniperKit

KITS -

JuniperKit - A light brown she-cat with yellow eyes. Mother and father is unknown, but she is being mothered for by LeapingMist. Sister to SleekKit

SleekKit - A dark gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes and glossy, fur. Mother and father is unknown, but she is being mothered for by LeapingMist. Sister to JuniperKit —————————————————————————————————

MEADOW CLAN

Leader - LionStar - A golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Deputy - BlazingFire - A handsome ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat - RabbitLeap - A light brown tom with dark brown flecks and green eyes

WARRIORS -

TawnySpecks - A tawny spotted tom with unusual light blue eyes

SandDrift - A very pale ginger tom with yellow eyes and a long tail

BrackenFrost - A light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

ForestClaw - A dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

GrayMoon - A light gray tom with yellow eyes

SharpSun - A golden tabby she-cat with green eyes *daughter to LionStar*

SwiftFoot - A white tom with black paws and yellow eyes

AdderThorn - A gray and brown tabby tom with orange eyes

AshEars - A light gray tom with dark gray ears and paws and yellow eyes

JuniperFoot - A light brown tabby she-cat Apprentice - KestrelPaw

APPRENTICES -

KestrelPaw - A light brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes

ELDERS -

GorseClaw - A dark and sleek tabby tom with blue eyes

SharpFur - A black tom with spiky fur and amber eyes

QUEENS -

MossFlower - A light brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes. Mates to SwiftFoot, expecting kits

( MeadowClan currently has no kits )

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MOSS CLAN

Leader - LeafStar - A brown tabby she-cat with green eyes and a long tail

Deputy - AcornTuft - A dark brown tabby tom with lighter colored fur on his ears, paws, and tail with blue eyes

Medicine Cat - BlueShadow - A grayish-blue she-cat with lilac colored eyes

WARRIORS -

RavenHeart - A black she-cat with a white chest and paws and orangish-yellow eyes

SwiftHollow - A light gray she-cat with brown splotches and darker brown tabby stripes with green eyes

AdderStrike - A black tom with orange eyes

BadgerClaw - A black tom with badger-like markings on his face and yellow eyes

AppleFeather - A light brown she-cat with dark brown paws and ears and green eyes

JuniperFoot - A reddish-brown she-cat with darker colored markings around her face and on her ears and yellowish-green eyes

RedSky - A russet colored tom with orange eyes

LeopardBerry - A light brown she-cat with leopard spots and blue eyes

WhiteFern - A white she-cat with pale green eyes with pale gray ear tips and paws Apprentice - HollyPaw

HeronWing - A pale ginger tom with darker tabby stripes and grayish-brown eyes Apprentice - SwanPaw

GrayFur - A dark gray tom with yellow eyes Apprentice - WolfPaw

APPRENTICES -

WolfPaw - A light grayish-brown tom with tabby stripes and amber eyes

SwanPaw - A white she-cat with light blue eyes

HollyPaw - A black she-cat with a white muzzle and tail tip with dark green eyes

ELDERS -

TawnyClaw - A tawny colored tom with black paws and ears with orange eyes

YellowFur - A yellowish colored she-cat with dark brown eyes

QUEENS -

PoppyStem - A gray tabby she-cat with green eyes. Mates with AdderStrike, expecting kits

( MossClan currently has no kits )

Prologue
Cats returned from patrols, and a sandy colored tom went to his leader’s den for the report. Kits were slipping in a last bit of play before the sun went down as warriors grabbed voles and squirrels from the fresh kill pile. The sandy tom exited the den after informing his leader about the patrol and joined the other warriors, chatting and joking about the other clans.

Very young kits that were still in the nursery gazed out of the entrance, staring excitedly at the warriors that they wanted to be when they were older. Their mothers scooted them with their paw back into the nursery when they wandered too far. The sun was sinking behind the trees, showing glints of the glowing light through the leaves. A rusty brown tom, a light brown she-cat, and a golden she-cat sat beneath a tree and shared prey. A gray tom and a dusky brown tom practiced fighting techniques, pouncing on each other and pawing their opponents faces. The scent of the clan smelled sweet. Leaves ruffled in the slight breeze. A young kit warily poked his head out of the elders den after countless stories as a gray tom nudged him on. His mother strode over and grabbed him by the scruff. “Mom!” He wailed. She payed no attention to his protests and sat him down in the nursery. A gray and white she-cat sniffed. The sun had fallen and the scents from the forest earlier in the noon had faded.

The spicy scent of squirrel and the sour smell of mouse filled the air, wafting from the fresh kill pile. The sky was darkening and the stars shone. A dark gray tom with lighter flecks and a scarred eye gazed at them longingly. His one blue eye shone with sorrow and longing as he trudged to the warriors den with his tail dragging and his ears low.

A dark brown tom poked his head out of his den. His tail twitched in impatience and annoyance. The clan must be asleep before he could confront his medicine cat. She had told him she had news that could affect the whole clan, and he was troubled. Dark thoughts stirred in his mind and clawed at his hope for his clan.

Cats going to different dens said their goodbyes until morning. The medicine cat stood on her hind legs and supported herself on a ridge in her crevice den. She always did a nightly check to make sure she had all her herbs in a fair supply. The den was barley visible because the entrance was so small. It was just big enough for a medium cat to squeeze through, but the inside was very spacious.

The last cats padded into their dens and their tails flicked. They quickly settled into their nests and slept, patrols had been more often than usual since the MeadowClan had been supposedly stealing prey. Their leader LionStar denied it, but the warriors of LilyClan, VineClan, and MossClan were not so sure of his denial. A dark brown tom warily stepped out of his den. He tasted the air and yawned, glancing back and forth. The clan was asleep, and all was quiet except for his soft paw steps. The medicine cat wasn’t in sight. “WillowFrost!” He mewed sharply. The moon casted a bluish white glow on everything, and made their fur look silver. A light gray shape stepped out of a den. “Calm yourself! You must wait for great things. And this, yes, the words I have here, are great things.” She meowed, a hint of teasing in her voice. “Fine. I’ve waited. Now may you tell me? What was the important thing we must discuss?” The dark tabby shifted uneasily. The light gray she-cat smiled and paused. “Starclan has sent me a prophecy.” “Of what?” Meowed the wary tom.

WillowFrost’s teasing demeanor shifted to a grave frown. “It’s not a good prophecy, OakStar. I’m worried for the clan.” She sat down and curled her tail around her paws, as if she was scared of something leaping out of her den and attacking her. OakStar sat as well, staring into her gloomy eyes.

WillowFrost continued. “‘A cat will rise and will see where her loyalties lie, yet darkness will consume her. Fox and Shadow will learn. Soon will be a dawn of blood.’”

Chapter One
Flowertail and her mate Spruceclaw stared at their three kits with longing. Their tiny bodies rose and fell with each small breath. Willowfrost, the medicine cat, had her eyes and ears alert for anything that could be wrong with Flowertail after the birth. When she realized everything was fine, she relaxed and her fur flattened.

“What will you name them?” She asked. “Well... I don’t know. Maybe,” Flowertail put one paw on a brown, dark striped tabby tom. “TigerKit for this one.” WillowFrost nodded. Spruceclaw seemed so full of joy he couldn’t utter a word, but he finally said something. He stared at a very light yellowish she-cat. “This one, maybe it can be Palekit?” “Of course, you’re the father.” Said Flowertail. “What about... Cloverkit, for this one.” She nudged a russet brown she-cat with darker, tabby stripes. “Perfect.” Spruceclaw mewed. “Well, that’s that I suppose.” Willowfrost meowed. She padded out the den and disappeared into her den. Flowertail flicked her ears and curled her tail around her kits. She still hurt, but was so happy she didn’t care.

The leaves rustled, and Flowertail rested her head against the soft moss. She was tired, and wanted sleep. Spruceclaw sat down and rested too, even though he wasn’t tired. Oakstar had made a rule toms could stay one day with their mate after kits, and Spruceclaw was grateful because of it. He just wanted to be with Flowertail and the three kits. Spruceclaw took a particular liking to Tigerkit, mainly because he looked most like Spruceclaw himself.

“Spruceclaw!” Meowed Hollowfur as he strolled towards the nursery. “Would you mind going on dawn patrol? Gotta keep you busy and working, you’re a useful warrior. You can’t be spending your time staring at kits on the nursery you know.” Even though his words were relatively friendly, it was strange for Hollowfur to act like this, and his eyes shimmered with something that wasn’t right.

‘Hollowfur isn’t particularly known for his kindness. Normally he’d be much more abrasive.’ Thought Flowertail. She glanced at Spruceclaw worriedly. She’d heard rumors from other clans at the gatherings that whenever a mean cat went nice, something was strange.

Spruceclaw rolled his eyes as his fur stood on end and quietly whispered to Flowertail, “I don’t like Hollowfur. Don’t you agree I would’ve been a better deputy? There’s always been something off about him..” Flowertail nodded as she shot a cold glare at Hollowfur. “Can’t he stay a little? Maybe he can go for dusk patrol? I just had his kits, and he wants to be with them for a while. Anyways, Oakstar said toms could stay with kits for one day at least.”

Hollowfur glared at her. “I’m the deputy, and Spruceclaw is going on patrol. We need the prey.” Flowertail hissed at him and used her bushy tail to cover her three kits. “Why does he have to go now?!” “Because” Hollowfur snapped. “I need to.. talk with him. It’s of importance. And why do you see the need to hide your kits from me?” He said referring to the way Flowertail had shielded her kits from the growling tom. The light ginger queen flinched under his cold and unforgiving gaze.

“Whatever. I’ll go on patrol if it’s just so important. Hissed Spruceclaw. “Just leave her and the kits alone, you mouse brain.” Hollowfur bared his glistening white teeth and swiped his unsheathed claws at Spruceclaw’s ear. Cats had been gathering quietly around the nursery to see what was going on. Oakstar’s head poked out of the den as Vines swished around his broad shoulders. He sat on the edge of the high rock. “Hollowfur!” He hissed. The tan cat payed no attention to his leader. Spruceclaw dodged the deputy’s attack’s and hisses of rage and ran off outside the camp from pure fear and anger. “Spruceclaw!!” FlowerTail yowled.

Hollowfur dashed after him in rage, but Cloverkit swore she could see him grinning maliciously as he ran out of camp. Oakstar, who had finally had enough it seemed, leaped off the high rock and commanded Hollowfur to stop. He didn’t, and kept running. Oakstar yelped again, but this time it wouldn’t do anything at all. HollowFur was out of earshot by now. “Cinderflower! Thrushstep!” He yelled. The two perked up their ears and stared at their leader, glancing at the camp entrance, or in this case, exit.

“Get them!” OakStar howled as if it was common sense. Even though the two really didn’t want to have to find someone like HollowFur, they immediately sprang to their feet and sprinted after the pair. After their paw-steps could no longer be heard, all was quiet. It was an unbearably long while before they returned, and the clan busied themselves. But, it was easily noticeable something was wrong. The cats shifted uneasily, always having their ears perked to hear paw-steps entering the clan. They cast glances back and forth from what they were doing to the clan entrance. No one spoke, and no one was sharing the usual cheerful laughter and joking about how bad the other clans were. No kits were playing, and no apprentices were telling each other what great leaders they’d make. All was silent except for the rustle of leaves and paw-steps of the clan cats. Oakstar had laid down on the edge of the highrock with his head on his paws. His tail hung over the edge of the rock and swished back and forth, casting a thin, wavering shadow across the camp.

Flowertail paced back and forth in the nursery. “Mom, whats Dad doing?” Asked Cloverkit. “Well... he, he is hunting with our deputy.” FlowerTail replied shakily. Cloverkit shook her head and fluffed her fur. “Everyone is acting so boring!” Tigerkit perked up. “Yeah!” Palekit stared at them coldly. “Oh be quiet! I for one want to sleep.”

Tigerkit And Cloverkit ignored her. Flowertail snapped at them. “Be quiet and settle down!” She hissed. Tigertail sat down and looked his paws. Cloverkit shrunk as small as she could be and covered herself with her now smoothed our tail. Flowertail stared at them with longing and admiration.

“No, no. It’s not like that, I love you. Come, you need milk to grow up as big and strong warriors.” Her tone was warm and soft. Tigerkit went up to his mother and got his milk. “I was hungry.” He said flatly. Cloverkit quickly followed, not wanting to be left out.

Thrushstep and Cinderflower finally returned. The clan surrounded them, but Oakstar pushed them back. “Where is Hollowfur?” He angrily questioned. FlowerTail cut in. “Where is Spruceclaw? Where is he?!” She yowled. Her eyes were clouded with unknowingness and anxiety, but at the same time they flashed with fear. Her kits didn’t know any better at the time, and could only wonder what was going on.

“I thought Dad was just hunting!” Said Cloverkit. “Hush you three! Your father wasn’t hunting.. Hollowfur hurt him and he ran away. We don’t know where your father is.” Mewed FlowerTail. Cloverkit stepped back and fear danced in her eyes. Tigerkit looked down and quit feeding. Palekit shifted even deeper in her mother’s warm, fluffy tail. She was surprised when her mother shakily brought herself to her paws and dashed out of the den, leaving Palekit resting on moss, which wasn’t as comfortable. The other queen, Robinfeather comforted the kits. She already knew what had happened, it was easy to tell. Spruceclaw was dead.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Mewed Palekit. “Well...” Began Robinfeather. Palekit’s attention suddenly shifted toward what was going on outside. Tigerkit nuzzled close to Robinfeather while Cloverkit stood at the entrance of the den, watching. Robinfeather’s kits, Snowkit, Graykit, and Whitekit, tried to play with them, but they were too anxious and distracted to notice.

Thrushstep cast a worried and sorrowful glance to Flowertail. “We followed the scent, and found Spruceclaw.. dead... There was blood and fur of both the cats everywhere, they must have fought. Spruceclaw died from his injuries as a loyal warrior too his clan.”

Flowertail stepped back in shock and denial. “No!” She wailed. “Tell me it isn’t true, ThrushStep! Tell me!” ThrushStep shook his head. Robinfeather shook her head too and looked up to the sky through the brambles and leaves of the nursery. Sunlight streamed in and filtered through the leaves but faded as clouds covered the warm, refreshing glow. “Oh Starclan...” She mewed sorrowfully. Her mate, Nightwhisker, had died not even a moon ago during a patrol battle with MeadowClan that had gotten out of hand.

Flowertail raced into the den and buried herself beneath her bushy tail and into the bed of moss. She didn't move, except for the occasional rise and fall of her pelt with each raspy breath.

“SpruceClaw... my son...” Oakstar didn’t say another word. Willowfrost took over. “Where is Hollowfur?” She asked calmly, but it was clear she felt as much sorrow as any cat. “We don’t know.” Mewed Cinderflower quietly. “He must have went into the small river and washed off his scent.” She cast a glance at Willowfrost, who stared knowingly into Cinderflower’s cloudy blue eyes. She flinched. “Who knows where he is now.”

Chapter Two
WIP, WILL BE COMPLETE SOON