Post by Fell on Jun 20, 2013 10:13:56 GMT -5
(( This fiction was brought over from the old Okoi'O site. The user had requested for this to be brought over, it rightfully belongs to the user Hollow Earth and copying it will not be tolerated. The user has also requested that others who enjoy her fiction comment. Thank you. ))
Cahos was dreaming.
This dream came to almost every night. It wasn't exactly a dream though, more of a nightmare. There was a huge battle before her eyes. There was more cats than she could count, but her vision went fuzzy and now she only focused on two. One cat had a brilliant orange pelt, that showed in the sun like a flame. Firestar, the name blazed in her mind. The other cat was small and black, with a single white paw. He wore a collar of dogs' teeth and dog teeth were also fastend to his claws. Scourge. It was impossible for the orange tom to win, and Caohs leaped over to help him, but only to relize that her claws went right through each cats pelt. Suddnley, Scourge's paw slashed out and caught Firestar's throught. The flame collerd tom fell to the ground in a sea of blood. Dead.
Caohs stared her eyes wide, as the orange cat lept to his paws again. But he just...
"Scourge!" Firestar caterwuald. "Turn and face me!"
The black cat turned and his eyes flew open with shock. "B-but I killed you-u!"
"Yes. You did." he said grimly. "But I have the nine lives of a true leader! Granted by StarClan." Firestar hissed.
Scourge's eyes narrowed into blue chips of ice. "So be it!" he yowled, flinging himself onto the orange rival. They fought for some time and then the black cat slumped to the ground, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Then she saw a wave of cats, fleeing because their leader, Scourge, was dead.
Caohs waited til all the cats had left and padded timidly over to the mangled corpse of the defeated tyrant. When she peered down at his face she gasped. She had never seen such a look of rage. And those eyes, just blankly staring into the depths of her soul.
A paw prodded her awake. "Caohs?" a voice sounded soflty in her ear. She looked up to see a dark brown tabby standing over her. His green eyes glinted in concern. "You were thrashing about in your sleep." he mewed quietly.
"Oh, hi Bear." Caohs yawned. "I'm fine, just a nightmare."
Bear narrowed his eyes. "You've had a lot of 'just nightmares' latley. Are you sure your okay."
Caohs nodded, she got up to wash her black pelt. Her backed ached from sleeping on concrete all night. "So, whats going on?" she flicked her ears to the entrance of the den. "It sounds noisy out there."
"Oh, Moon just called a meeting." Bear explained. "She wants you out soon. It was something about going to attack the Clans again."
"Tackle four clans at once?" she snorted. "We lost the first battle with the original Clans. Who's to say we can't beat the new clans that have settled?"
Bear let out a faint mroww of amusment. "She is your mother Caohs. She wants to avenge Scourge, your father." he mewed sypathetically, rasping his tounge over her ears. "And the Clans have just settled, they are weak and few." Bear pointed out.
Caohs backed away from the friendly guesture. "Well, let's go see what this meeting is about then." and pushed her way into the clearing.
The ally way was busy. A white cat splotted with black markings padded up, "Good morning." she mewed, giving her and Bear a curt nod.
Caohs dipped her head. "Geetings, Moon." she awnserd to her mother. "What is this Bear tells me about a meeting?"
Moon flexed her claws. "It's over already, and we have sorted all of the patrols- no thanks to you."
Caohs hung her head. "Sorry." she mutterd. "But-" Caohs opend her jaws in a wide yawn. "I was really tired..."
Moon nodded cooly. "I see." she flicked her tail twords the camp entrance. "You should get a hunting party together. All of the patrols have gone to check the borders with DarkClan and BreezeClan. We don't have to worry about StormClan or StreamClan right now, because they are on the far side of the forest."
"Yes, mother." Caohs mutterd. She turned to Bear, "Want to come?"
"Sure!" he awnserd, his eyes gleaming. "Where? Maybe we could hunt by the small brook!" he suggested.
"Don't cross the border- you'll get your ears clawed off by the clans, and your tails bitten off by me." she growled stalking away.
Caohs bounded out of the ally. Leading the way to the forest.
"Where are you going?" Bear asked. "You heard what Moon said! We can't cross!"
"I don't give a mousetail what Moon says. I'm going hunting!" she snapped racing for the border.
Bear heaved a sigh and pelted after her.
At the border, Caohs had already maneged to catch two mice and a squirrel. Bear emerged out of the ferns carriying a large rabbit that smelled strongly of BreezeClan. "Well, we should eat." Caohs suggested. "Then we can hunt some more over the border."
Bear shook his head in dismay. "Oh, no! We should'nt cross! It would be way to dangerous...what if a Clan cat catches us?"
Caohs bared her fangs in the begining of a snarl. "What is with you today? Your acting like a wimpy kittypet!" She arched her back. "We have grown close to our enemies, if my father was around, we would be hunting right outside the camp and no one would even dare to touch us!" she smacked her lips. "And StreamClan by far has some good prey!"
Bear flicked his tail over her ears. "You want to go swim with the fish-cats?" he teased. "Next you'll be growing scales- and Moon wouldn't have any use of you!"
Caohs laughed. "Moon would have the same use of me as always- scales or not! More use of you too, mousebrain!" she added, giving him a hefty shove. Then she got up to leave.
"Please don't go!" Bear pleaded. "What if something bad happens, and I never see you again? I-I couldn't live with myself knowing I could have stopped you!" his eyes stared despratley into Caoh's.
Her eyes widend in suprise. She knew Bear cared for her, he was pretty straight foreward about it. But she didn't want to have a mate just yet. "I'm sorry, Bear." she murmerd sympathetically. "But the forest is calling me..." she turned away when he leaned over to give her ear a lick. And she padded out into the forest.
Caohs heard a crackling noise behined her. She whipped around and scented the air. A StormClan cat was close by. "Come out!" she growled, flattening to the ground. Every fighting move itched under her paws as she waited for an awnser.
A reddish brown streak errupted from the bush. She felt claws peirce her flank and teeth digging into her shoulder. She lashed out blindly to let out a faint mroww of satisfaction as she heard a shreik of pain. Caohs turned to face her attacker.
It was a male cat. He was a red tabby and blood trickled from the cut in his ear that she had gave him. "BloodClan!" he hissed, picking up her scent. "I might of known!" he lunged again, but Caohs was ready.
She ducked underneath the stranger, and sharpley nipped his heels. She felt his weight shift and scrambled out of the way in order not to get trampled. He crashed to the ground and Caohs rushed upon him, scoring her claws down his side. The tom went limp.
Caohs purred. Moon would be proud, if she came back with prey and a dead warrior. She leanded down to deliver the killing bite when she was thrown upwards and slammed into a tree. She saw a flash of red and a paw stung her ear, and then the world went black.
aohs heaved herself to her paws. She was inside a den. The scent of StormClan wreathed around her and she gagged at the strong smell. Wait- StormClan?! She scrambled to her paws, only to sink back down into the nest with a wimper of pain.
"Relax." a voice murmerd. Caohs turned her head to see a black she-cat with blue eyes. A young brown tom appeard at her side, leaves crammed in his jaws. "That's fine, Birchpaw. Put them over there will you?"
Birchpaw obeyed and then heisantly padded up to Caohs. He reached out a paw to touch a rip on her shoulder. She let out a gasp of pain.
The young tom flinched. "I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked, his eyes full of anxiety.
Caohs opend her jaws for a stining retort but she felt a strange rush of affection for the livley Clan cat. "Not that much." she replied.
The black cat shooed Birchpaw away. "But you'll open the wound if you're not careful." she warned. "Watch." she reached her paw into a crack in the stone wall, and pulled out a yellow leaf. "This is marigold, Birchpaw- what is marigold used for?"
"To prevent infection from spreading?" Birchpaw guessed confidently.
"Yes!" the black cat responded. She gently placed the leaf onto Caohs' shoulder, at once she felt the juices trickle onto the wound. Calming the fire that came from it.
Birchpaw, his eyes wide with curiosity, asked. "Can I try, Ivyfur?"
Ivyfur nodded. "Come to me if something goes wrong. And hurry it up, wel'l be leaving for the moonstone soon. Remember, your naming ceromony is tonight."
Birchpaw puffed out his chest proudly. "I'll be a true medicine cat apprentice!" As soon as Ivyfur left Birchpaw began examining her wounds. "There's a nasty nick in your ear. Does it hurt?"
Caohs nodded. Shocked that these Clan cats were actually caring for her. And all these herbs. She'd never heard such a thing in BloodClan, you would just lick your wounds and hope for the best.
Birchpaw sat up. "Alright, I'm done. By the way, who are you?"
Caohs explained her story, and the many strange things in it. She hoped she wasn't boring the feiry young cat, but Birchpaw listend intently. The spent from morning till afternoon, talking about medicine and Clan cat stuff. Caohs found a lot of it very intresting. We could learn from these cats, she thought.
Ivyfur came in withan anoyed expression. "Birchpaw! I orderd you to heal this poor beast, not exasperate her with you chit- chatting like a sparrow. It's time to go to the moonstone!" and Birchpaw raced out of the den, his tail held high.
"And you." Ivyfur meowed, turning back. "Get some rest before he comes back and starts talking again."
I don't get it. Caohs thought to herself. Why is everyone so cheerful? Then she felt sleep drag at her, and she closed her eyes.
Caohs awoke to loud voices. She opend one eye to see the red tom that attacked her. She flattend her ears and growled, the tom showed no signs of aggression.
"Owlstar has called a meeting- and it's concerning you." he spoke quite cheerfully. "My name's Redfur, by the way. Sorry I attacked you so brutely, I hope your alright."
She heaved herself to her paws, her stiff limbs shreiked in protest, but she stood proudly; mustering all of her dignity. Redfur led her out of the den.
A crowd stood before her. Strong- muscled warriors stared with hostility and nervous mothers sheilded their kits' gave with their tails. Atop a pile of rocks stood a brown and white she- cat. She must be the leader. Her eyes were round and silver with flecks of gold.
"Greetings, your name?" she spoke coldly, her eyes giving no sign of mercy.
"Caohs." her legs trembled with the effort to stand, but her voice came out clear and strong.
"You tresspassed onto StormClan two sunrises ago and attacked a warrior. Do you accept these charges?"
Charges? Who did this cat think she was. "Yes, Owlstar." she nodded, and forced down the growl rising in her throught.
"What position are you in?" Owlstar asked. Her eyes shining in the sun.
"Um- we don't have any..." Caohs stammerd.
"No deputy? Medicine cat?" the brown cat sniffed with comptempt.
"Well, I guess I am the deputy... I am the daughter of Moon." her voice falterd. "What does all this matter to you anyway?"
A grey tom strode foreward. "Daughter of Moon?" his claws unsheathed. "BloodClan would pay a fine price for her." he growled.
Redfur flicked his tail. "Hey, let Caohs speak for herself." He turned to her and shyly winked.
Caohs narrowed her eyes. What was he up to? And anyways they were enimies! "It was an assighnment." she mumbled. It was not entirly a lie. "And I wanted to see what a Clan was like."
"Did you now..." Owlstar murmerd. "Did something happen?" she asked unexpectedly. "Like a sortage of prey, or sickness."
Caohs boldly faced her. "BloodClan is not weak!" she snarled. "I just left..." she trailed off.
"Very well." Owlstar closed her eyes. "We will give this cat what she wants. You will stay here for a full moon to see what Clan life is like." she sneered and padded foreward. "Redfur! You are ready for an apprentice. You will mentor Caohs."
Caohs widend her eyes. What will I do now?! she thought with dread.
"Ummm." Caohs turned to Redfur. "What just happend?"
Redfur smoothed his ruffled pelt. "You've been made my apprentice. You will train with the other apprentices to become warriors. Come."
"Where are we going?" Caohs asked, pricking her ears.
"The first day, you scout the territory. We shall explore the woods."
Caohs trailed unhappliy after him. Why did this happen to me?! she glared at the sky, the stars twinkled teasingly down at her. "What's up there?"
Redfur followed her gaze. "That is StarClan. Every noble warrior that dies goes to join them."
"So only the strongest survive?" Caohs wonderd.
Redfur's pelt roze in horror. "No! Everyone pure in their heart. Everyone who follows the WarriorCode. From the oldest elder to the smallest kit, every cat has a place there."
Every cat? "What about me?" she whisperd.
"My mother told me of a place." Redfur began. "Where cats who showed no mercy. Cats like..." his voice trailed off.
"Scourge?" Caohs guessed.
Redfur nodded mutley. "Yes I mean your father. This place, it's called the Dark Forest. There is no happiness, and no light. And you eventualy fade from the past forever. You just simply go like that." he mutterd, his claws ripped up the grass.
"And these cats fade, they just dissapear? From every mind, every soul?" She breathed in shock.
"Those cats in the Dark Forest deserve to be forgotten! They should be lost from everyone- listen, your father was Scourge, and he killed thousdands, maybe more. And I don't want to talk about it!" he padded out of camp. And Caohs had no choice but to follow him.
Coahs stomped back into camp. Her paws were nearly going to fall off, she was starving, and Redfur was a pain in the tail! Caohs went over to the fresh-kill pile. Her eyes widend in suprise, she had never seen so much prey! She plucked a sparrow from the top of the pile and crouched down to eat. It was delicious! She smacked her lips and headed over to the other apprentices.
"Hi." she mewed softly. A fluffy gray cat hissed softly. " You have no right to be here, tresspasser!" he snarled.
Caohs backed away. "I-I didn't mean..."
The grey tom was towering over her. "Oh, but you did. Let's have a training lesson, rouge, and I'll teach you how a real warrior fights!"
"Hey!" a voice yelled. It was Birchpaw! "Get away from her, Thunderpaw!" he skidded to a halt beside Caohs. "Leave it."
But Thunderpaw only laughed and continued stalking twoard her. Birchpaw thrust himself between them. "If you quarrel with me, Thunderpaw..." he growled. "You better take it up with StarClan!"
This made Thunderpaw squeal and fled to the apprentices. "Thanks." Caohs breathed. "I was crow-food for sure."
Birchpaw only nodded. "You should go get some rest."
Caohs rolled her eyes, yet obeyed. She had a long day tomorrow!
Another dream shook Caohs' mind that night. She was standing in a bright, gleaming forest. Sunshine darted on her from every direction and the flowers were in full bloom. Rustles of prey shook every leaf. This must be StarClan. she thought in awe. A grey and a tortishell female cats came up to her. The grey cat had peircing blue eyes that demanded questions. The eyes that belonged to the tortishell were light green that danced with happiness.
"Greetings." the grey cat dipped her head. "I am Bluestar, and this," she mewed, her tail ficked her companion. "Is Spottedleaf."
"Why am I hear? I thought only Medicine cats and Clan leaders shared dreams with StarClan." she wonderd aloud.
Spottedleaf spoke, Caohs was suprised by the strength of her voice that belonged to such a delicate looking cat. "That is true, you are not even a Clan cat. But you must become one. The survival of the Clans depends on you."
Caohs blinked. Did StarClan usually do this. Walk up to a cat and demmaned that they save the Clans? "Um. okay." she stammerd.
"This is a lot for you to cope with." Bluestar murmerd gently, Caohs flinched under her strong stare. "But it is quite simple." she argued. "You will break tradition, BloodClan tradition, that is."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"BloodClan cats are unjust, and they slaughter." Bluestar shudderd to emphasize her words. "They usually end up there." She pointed with her tail to another forest. It was dark and a strong emotion of hate rolled off of it in waves.
"The DarkForest." Caohs breathed. She had heard the elders talk of it before.
"Yes, stay away from it-" a loud and obnoxious hiss broke her voice.
A huge tabby tom stepped from behined the lines of trees. A samll black cat with a single white paw accompanied him. "Do not feed her those lies." the tabby spat ou the last words, his yellow eyes glitterd with hostility.
The black cat strode up to Caohs, his breath smelled rank. "Wel'l take it from here, Bluestar. Caohs, your coming with us!" his ice blue eyes shone in the light.
"H-how do you k-know m-my name?" Caohs wimperd, crumbling under their stares.
"Allow me to introduce myself." the black cat rushed the words. His black tail slinked over her shoulder and tightend around her neck. "I am your father..."
The last words sounded watery and very distant.
"I am Scourge."
Cahos was dreaming.
This dream came to almost every night. It wasn't exactly a dream though, more of a nightmare. There was a huge battle before her eyes. There was more cats than she could count, but her vision went fuzzy and now she only focused on two. One cat had a brilliant orange pelt, that showed in the sun like a flame. Firestar, the name blazed in her mind. The other cat was small and black, with a single white paw. He wore a collar of dogs' teeth and dog teeth were also fastend to his claws. Scourge. It was impossible for the orange tom to win, and Caohs leaped over to help him, but only to relize that her claws went right through each cats pelt. Suddnley, Scourge's paw slashed out and caught Firestar's throught. The flame collerd tom fell to the ground in a sea of blood. Dead.
Caohs stared her eyes wide, as the orange cat lept to his paws again. But he just...
"Scourge!" Firestar caterwuald. "Turn and face me!"
The black cat turned and his eyes flew open with shock. "B-but I killed you-u!"
"Yes. You did." he said grimly. "But I have the nine lives of a true leader! Granted by StarClan." Firestar hissed.
Scourge's eyes narrowed into blue chips of ice. "So be it!" he yowled, flinging himself onto the orange rival. They fought for some time and then the black cat slumped to the ground, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Then she saw a wave of cats, fleeing because their leader, Scourge, was dead.
Caohs waited til all the cats had left and padded timidly over to the mangled corpse of the defeated tyrant. When she peered down at his face she gasped. She had never seen such a look of rage. And those eyes, just blankly staring into the depths of her soul.
A paw prodded her awake. "Caohs?" a voice sounded soflty in her ear. She looked up to see a dark brown tabby standing over her. His green eyes glinted in concern. "You were thrashing about in your sleep." he mewed quietly.
"Oh, hi Bear." Caohs yawned. "I'm fine, just a nightmare."
Bear narrowed his eyes. "You've had a lot of 'just nightmares' latley. Are you sure your okay."
Caohs nodded, she got up to wash her black pelt. Her backed ached from sleeping on concrete all night. "So, whats going on?" she flicked her ears to the entrance of the den. "It sounds noisy out there."
"Oh, Moon just called a meeting." Bear explained. "She wants you out soon. It was something about going to attack the Clans again."
"Tackle four clans at once?" she snorted. "We lost the first battle with the original Clans. Who's to say we can't beat the new clans that have settled?"
Bear let out a faint mroww of amusment. "She is your mother Caohs. She wants to avenge Scourge, your father." he mewed sypathetically, rasping his tounge over her ears. "And the Clans have just settled, they are weak and few." Bear pointed out.
Caohs backed away from the friendly guesture. "Well, let's go see what this meeting is about then." and pushed her way into the clearing.
The ally way was busy. A white cat splotted with black markings padded up, "Good morning." she mewed, giving her and Bear a curt nod.
Caohs dipped her head. "Geetings, Moon." she awnserd to her mother. "What is this Bear tells me about a meeting?"
Moon flexed her claws. "It's over already, and we have sorted all of the patrols- no thanks to you."
Caohs hung her head. "Sorry." she mutterd. "But-" Caohs opend her jaws in a wide yawn. "I was really tired..."
Moon nodded cooly. "I see." she flicked her tail twords the camp entrance. "You should get a hunting party together. All of the patrols have gone to check the borders with DarkClan and BreezeClan. We don't have to worry about StormClan or StreamClan right now, because they are on the far side of the forest."
"Yes, mother." Caohs mutterd. She turned to Bear, "Want to come?"
"Sure!" he awnserd, his eyes gleaming. "Where? Maybe we could hunt by the small brook!" he suggested.
"Don't cross the border- you'll get your ears clawed off by the clans, and your tails bitten off by me." she growled stalking away.
Caohs bounded out of the ally. Leading the way to the forest.
"Where are you going?" Bear asked. "You heard what Moon said! We can't cross!"
"I don't give a mousetail what Moon says. I'm going hunting!" she snapped racing for the border.
Bear heaved a sigh and pelted after her.
At the border, Caohs had already maneged to catch two mice and a squirrel. Bear emerged out of the ferns carriying a large rabbit that smelled strongly of BreezeClan. "Well, we should eat." Caohs suggested. "Then we can hunt some more over the border."
Bear shook his head in dismay. "Oh, no! We should'nt cross! It would be way to dangerous...what if a Clan cat catches us?"
Caohs bared her fangs in the begining of a snarl. "What is with you today? Your acting like a wimpy kittypet!" She arched her back. "We have grown close to our enemies, if my father was around, we would be hunting right outside the camp and no one would even dare to touch us!" she smacked her lips. "And StreamClan by far has some good prey!"
Bear flicked his tail over her ears. "You want to go swim with the fish-cats?" he teased. "Next you'll be growing scales- and Moon wouldn't have any use of you!"
Caohs laughed. "Moon would have the same use of me as always- scales or not! More use of you too, mousebrain!" she added, giving him a hefty shove. Then she got up to leave.
"Please don't go!" Bear pleaded. "What if something bad happens, and I never see you again? I-I couldn't live with myself knowing I could have stopped you!" his eyes stared despratley into Caoh's.
Her eyes widend in suprise. She knew Bear cared for her, he was pretty straight foreward about it. But she didn't want to have a mate just yet. "I'm sorry, Bear." she murmerd sympathetically. "But the forest is calling me..." she turned away when he leaned over to give her ear a lick. And she padded out into the forest.
Caohs heard a crackling noise behined her. She whipped around and scented the air. A StormClan cat was close by. "Come out!" she growled, flattening to the ground. Every fighting move itched under her paws as she waited for an awnser.
A reddish brown streak errupted from the bush. She felt claws peirce her flank and teeth digging into her shoulder. She lashed out blindly to let out a faint mroww of satisfaction as she heard a shreik of pain. Caohs turned to face her attacker.
It was a male cat. He was a red tabby and blood trickled from the cut in his ear that she had gave him. "BloodClan!" he hissed, picking up her scent. "I might of known!" he lunged again, but Caohs was ready.
She ducked underneath the stranger, and sharpley nipped his heels. She felt his weight shift and scrambled out of the way in order not to get trampled. He crashed to the ground and Caohs rushed upon him, scoring her claws down his side. The tom went limp.
Caohs purred. Moon would be proud, if she came back with prey and a dead warrior. She leanded down to deliver the killing bite when she was thrown upwards and slammed into a tree. She saw a flash of red and a paw stung her ear, and then the world went black.
aohs heaved herself to her paws. She was inside a den. The scent of StormClan wreathed around her and she gagged at the strong smell. Wait- StormClan?! She scrambled to her paws, only to sink back down into the nest with a wimper of pain.
"Relax." a voice murmerd. Caohs turned her head to see a black she-cat with blue eyes. A young brown tom appeard at her side, leaves crammed in his jaws. "That's fine, Birchpaw. Put them over there will you?"
Birchpaw obeyed and then heisantly padded up to Caohs. He reached out a paw to touch a rip on her shoulder. She let out a gasp of pain.
The young tom flinched. "I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked, his eyes full of anxiety.
Caohs opend her jaws for a stining retort but she felt a strange rush of affection for the livley Clan cat. "Not that much." she replied.
The black cat shooed Birchpaw away. "But you'll open the wound if you're not careful." she warned. "Watch." she reached her paw into a crack in the stone wall, and pulled out a yellow leaf. "This is marigold, Birchpaw- what is marigold used for?"
"To prevent infection from spreading?" Birchpaw guessed confidently.
"Yes!" the black cat responded. She gently placed the leaf onto Caohs' shoulder, at once she felt the juices trickle onto the wound. Calming the fire that came from it.
Birchpaw, his eyes wide with curiosity, asked. "Can I try, Ivyfur?"
Ivyfur nodded. "Come to me if something goes wrong. And hurry it up, wel'l be leaving for the moonstone soon. Remember, your naming ceromony is tonight."
Birchpaw puffed out his chest proudly. "I'll be a true medicine cat apprentice!" As soon as Ivyfur left Birchpaw began examining her wounds. "There's a nasty nick in your ear. Does it hurt?"
Caohs nodded. Shocked that these Clan cats were actually caring for her. And all these herbs. She'd never heard such a thing in BloodClan, you would just lick your wounds and hope for the best.
Birchpaw sat up. "Alright, I'm done. By the way, who are you?"
Caohs explained her story, and the many strange things in it. She hoped she wasn't boring the feiry young cat, but Birchpaw listend intently. The spent from morning till afternoon, talking about medicine and Clan cat stuff. Caohs found a lot of it very intresting. We could learn from these cats, she thought.
Ivyfur came in withan anoyed expression. "Birchpaw! I orderd you to heal this poor beast, not exasperate her with you chit- chatting like a sparrow. It's time to go to the moonstone!" and Birchpaw raced out of the den, his tail held high.
"And you." Ivyfur meowed, turning back. "Get some rest before he comes back and starts talking again."
I don't get it. Caohs thought to herself. Why is everyone so cheerful? Then she felt sleep drag at her, and she closed her eyes.
Caohs awoke to loud voices. She opend one eye to see the red tom that attacked her. She flattend her ears and growled, the tom showed no signs of aggression.
"Owlstar has called a meeting- and it's concerning you." he spoke quite cheerfully. "My name's Redfur, by the way. Sorry I attacked you so brutely, I hope your alright."
She heaved herself to her paws, her stiff limbs shreiked in protest, but she stood proudly; mustering all of her dignity. Redfur led her out of the den.
A crowd stood before her. Strong- muscled warriors stared with hostility and nervous mothers sheilded their kits' gave with their tails. Atop a pile of rocks stood a brown and white she- cat. She must be the leader. Her eyes were round and silver with flecks of gold.
"Greetings, your name?" she spoke coldly, her eyes giving no sign of mercy.
"Caohs." her legs trembled with the effort to stand, but her voice came out clear and strong.
"You tresspassed onto StormClan two sunrises ago and attacked a warrior. Do you accept these charges?"
Charges? Who did this cat think she was. "Yes, Owlstar." she nodded, and forced down the growl rising in her throught.
"What position are you in?" Owlstar asked. Her eyes shining in the sun.
"Um- we don't have any..." Caohs stammerd.
"No deputy? Medicine cat?" the brown cat sniffed with comptempt.
"Well, I guess I am the deputy... I am the daughter of Moon." her voice falterd. "What does all this matter to you anyway?"
A grey tom strode foreward. "Daughter of Moon?" his claws unsheathed. "BloodClan would pay a fine price for her." he growled.
Redfur flicked his tail. "Hey, let Caohs speak for herself." He turned to her and shyly winked.
Caohs narrowed her eyes. What was he up to? And anyways they were enimies! "It was an assighnment." she mumbled. It was not entirly a lie. "And I wanted to see what a Clan was like."
"Did you now..." Owlstar murmerd. "Did something happen?" she asked unexpectedly. "Like a sortage of prey, or sickness."
Caohs boldly faced her. "BloodClan is not weak!" she snarled. "I just left..." she trailed off.
"Very well." Owlstar closed her eyes. "We will give this cat what she wants. You will stay here for a full moon to see what Clan life is like." she sneered and padded foreward. "Redfur! You are ready for an apprentice. You will mentor Caohs."
Caohs widend her eyes. What will I do now?! she thought with dread.
"Ummm." Caohs turned to Redfur. "What just happend?"
Redfur smoothed his ruffled pelt. "You've been made my apprentice. You will train with the other apprentices to become warriors. Come."
"Where are we going?" Caohs asked, pricking her ears.
"The first day, you scout the territory. We shall explore the woods."
Caohs trailed unhappliy after him. Why did this happen to me?! she glared at the sky, the stars twinkled teasingly down at her. "What's up there?"
Redfur followed her gaze. "That is StarClan. Every noble warrior that dies goes to join them."
"So only the strongest survive?" Caohs wonderd.
Redfur's pelt roze in horror. "No! Everyone pure in their heart. Everyone who follows the WarriorCode. From the oldest elder to the smallest kit, every cat has a place there."
Every cat? "What about me?" she whisperd.
"My mother told me of a place." Redfur began. "Where cats who showed no mercy. Cats like..." his voice trailed off.
"Scourge?" Caohs guessed.
Redfur nodded mutley. "Yes I mean your father. This place, it's called the Dark Forest. There is no happiness, and no light. And you eventualy fade from the past forever. You just simply go like that." he mutterd, his claws ripped up the grass.
"And these cats fade, they just dissapear? From every mind, every soul?" She breathed in shock.
"Those cats in the Dark Forest deserve to be forgotten! They should be lost from everyone- listen, your father was Scourge, and he killed thousdands, maybe more. And I don't want to talk about it!" he padded out of camp. And Caohs had no choice but to follow him.
Coahs stomped back into camp. Her paws were nearly going to fall off, she was starving, and Redfur was a pain in the tail! Caohs went over to the fresh-kill pile. Her eyes widend in suprise, she had never seen so much prey! She plucked a sparrow from the top of the pile and crouched down to eat. It was delicious! She smacked her lips and headed over to the other apprentices.
"Hi." she mewed softly. A fluffy gray cat hissed softly. " You have no right to be here, tresspasser!" he snarled.
Caohs backed away. "I-I didn't mean..."
The grey tom was towering over her. "Oh, but you did. Let's have a training lesson, rouge, and I'll teach you how a real warrior fights!"
"Hey!" a voice yelled. It was Birchpaw! "Get away from her, Thunderpaw!" he skidded to a halt beside Caohs. "Leave it."
But Thunderpaw only laughed and continued stalking twoard her. Birchpaw thrust himself between them. "If you quarrel with me, Thunderpaw..." he growled. "You better take it up with StarClan!"
This made Thunderpaw squeal and fled to the apprentices. "Thanks." Caohs breathed. "I was crow-food for sure."
Birchpaw only nodded. "You should go get some rest."
Caohs rolled her eyes, yet obeyed. She had a long day tomorrow!
Another dream shook Caohs' mind that night. She was standing in a bright, gleaming forest. Sunshine darted on her from every direction and the flowers were in full bloom. Rustles of prey shook every leaf. This must be StarClan. she thought in awe. A grey and a tortishell female cats came up to her. The grey cat had peircing blue eyes that demanded questions. The eyes that belonged to the tortishell were light green that danced with happiness.
"Greetings." the grey cat dipped her head. "I am Bluestar, and this," she mewed, her tail ficked her companion. "Is Spottedleaf."
"Why am I hear? I thought only Medicine cats and Clan leaders shared dreams with StarClan." she wonderd aloud.
Spottedleaf spoke, Caohs was suprised by the strength of her voice that belonged to such a delicate looking cat. "That is true, you are not even a Clan cat. But you must become one. The survival of the Clans depends on you."
Caohs blinked. Did StarClan usually do this. Walk up to a cat and demmaned that they save the Clans? "Um. okay." she stammerd.
"This is a lot for you to cope with." Bluestar murmerd gently, Caohs flinched under her strong stare. "But it is quite simple." she argued. "You will break tradition, BloodClan tradition, that is."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"BloodClan cats are unjust, and they slaughter." Bluestar shudderd to emphasize her words. "They usually end up there." She pointed with her tail to another forest. It was dark and a strong emotion of hate rolled off of it in waves.
"The DarkForest." Caohs breathed. She had heard the elders talk of it before.
"Yes, stay away from it-" a loud and obnoxious hiss broke her voice.
A huge tabby tom stepped from behined the lines of trees. A samll black cat with a single white paw accompanied him. "Do not feed her those lies." the tabby spat ou the last words, his yellow eyes glitterd with hostility.
The black cat strode up to Caohs, his breath smelled rank. "Wel'l take it from here, Bluestar. Caohs, your coming with us!" his ice blue eyes shone in the light.
"H-how do you k-know m-my name?" Caohs wimperd, crumbling under their stares.
"Allow me to introduce myself." the black cat rushed the words. His black tail slinked over her shoulder and tightend around her neck. "I am your father..."
The last words sounded watery and very distant.
"I am Scourge."