Post by Shadowstalker on Nov 8, 2011 18:35:48 GMT -5
CHAPTER 1#
THE SHADEDEATH
Four cats approached the dark forest. Crossing the frozen river, they approached the bank. Darkheart, the young tom, stuffed his tail tip in his mouth to keep himself from sniggering as the last cat slipped on the ice.
The black she-cat slid out from under the hawthorn bush, alone. He scars gleamed silver in the moonlight, and her eyes were like chips of ice. Not a word was said as she crossed over to them. Darkheart watched the exchange.
A dark brown tabby stepped forward towards her. "What is it that you want now, Shadeforest?" he growled.
"You know full well what I want, Hawkstar. You have been stealing our prey."
Hawkstar sneered, "What proof do you have? Why would we want you mangy prey? My warriors have plenty of food-"
"Hawkstar," Shadeforest said quietly, and Darkheart strained to catch it, "Do not start something you will not win."
But the leader was at full-flow "-I think it's your warriors stealing from us. Fallowfoot caught a scent of your warriors when he-"
But he never finished his sentence. Shadeforest sprang at him, and they tumbled over on the ground, a whirling mass of teeth and claws. One cat sprang onto her back, and she began fighting two at once. The other two were about to join in when Shadeforest's six clanmates came bounding in, throwing themselves at their enemies.
Darkheart found himself fighting with a light grey tabby she-cat. She lashed out with her claws, catching him under the chin. Ignoring the wound, Darkheart did what he had been training for all his life: fighting.
Whipping around, he gave her a crushing blow that stunned her for a few moments. That was all he needed. Dashing to her side, Darkheart dropped to his flank and rolled under her. Using his back legs, he raked his belly. Quick as a flash, he rolled out from under her as she dropped herself, hoping to crush him. But Darkheart, well-away from being crushed, launched himself onto her back and sank his fangs into her neck. She struggled briefly, then went limp due to her broken spine.
Darkheart looked around, blood oozing out of his wound. Not bad for a run in with Brambleclan's fiercest warriors, he thought to himself.
He looked up. Mosswood and Goldenstream were both managing one cat: another cat had already fled. The other cat that had been previously fighting against Shadeforest with Hawkstar lay not far away, still as a stone.
Shadeforest herself was battling with Hawkstar. He was a brave fighter, but he stood no match against the deadly warrior. She slashed, clawed, and sank her fangs into every spot possible, until the tabby was covered with wounds. Shadeforest had a deep nick in her ear and a damaged hindpaw, but she acted as if neither were there. Cunningly she led him out away from everyone until she forced onto the frozen river. He scrambled around, paws sliding under him.
Good one! Darkheart thought. Nobody could beat Hiddenclan on ice. They had special moves and training for it.
Suddenly, Shadeforest dashed away downriver, away from where Hawkstar lay, paws splayed out from under him. Hope flared in his eyes, and he unsteadily go to his feet, and started slowly for shore. Darkheart knew what was coming next. He sneaked towards the river, hiding in the reeds so he could watch. This also doubled so that if somehow Hawkstar got to the bank, he could stop him.
Shadeforest bolted from nowhere, not running, but sliding on her paws in a crouch, straight toward Hawkstar. Then, with a jerk of her spine, she flipped onto her back. Darkheart winced. That's gotta hurt!
Sliding toward Hakwstar at top speed, she slid right under him. As she did this, she raised her front claws, and she ripped through his belly before she slid out from underneath him. Hawkstar collapsed.
Shadeforest slowed to a stop and made her way back to him, a cold look in her eyes. As the sun began to rise, she bent down to his ear. Darkheart strained forward to hear the last words Hawkstar would ever hear.
"When you get to the Dark Forest, tell them the Shadedeath sent you!"
Unable to watch any longer, Darkheart fled from the frozen river, where Hawkstar's blood was slowly pooling onto the ice. Shadeforest also left, leaving Hawkstar to watch his last dawn as his eyes clouded over with death.
THE SHADEDEATH
The quarter moon shone down upon the open clearing, where a fast-flowing river made it's way across the stretch of grass. On either side, a forest loomed, one tranquil, the other dark and forbidding. The night was silent except for the chirping of crickets. The wind carried a faint scent of leaf loam. The darker forest looked devoid of life.
"Mosswood?"
at the faintest whisper, a black tom made his way to a hawthorn bush. Another black cat was waiting there; only this one was different. Truly jet-black like a moonless midnight, it had a lean body, well-muscled and battle-scarred. One particular scar wound up the right foreleg, and there was a deep cut above her nose.
"Is everything ready?" the she-cat asked her deputy.
Mosswood nodded. Behind him, five cats came forward. He flicked his tail at them. "There all ready. Where did you want Darkheart to go?"
The cat made no heard response, but flicked her tail up at a nearby beech tree. Mosswood nodded a led a dark brown tabby tom away to it. The other five cats suddenly vanished from view, melting back into the shadows. The she-cat watched the empty clearing. "Now we wait."
"Mosswood?"
at the faintest whisper, a black tom made his way to a hawthorn bush. Another black cat was waiting there; only this one was different. Truly jet-black like a moonless midnight, it had a lean body, well-muscled and battle-scarred. One particular scar wound up the right foreleg, and there was a deep cut above her nose.
"Is everything ready?" the she-cat asked her deputy.
Mosswood nodded. Behind him, five cats came forward. He flicked his tail at them. "There all ready. Where did you want Darkheart to go?"
The cat made no heard response, but flicked her tail up at a nearby beech tree. Mosswood nodded a led a dark brown tabby tom away to it. The other five cats suddenly vanished from view, melting back into the shadows. The she-cat watched the empty clearing. "Now we wait."
* * *
Four cats approached the dark forest. Crossing the frozen river, they approached the bank. Darkheart, the young tom, stuffed his tail tip in his mouth to keep himself from sniggering as the last cat slipped on the ice.
The black she-cat slid out from under the hawthorn bush, alone. He scars gleamed silver in the moonlight, and her eyes were like chips of ice. Not a word was said as she crossed over to them. Darkheart watched the exchange.
A dark brown tabby stepped forward towards her. "What is it that you want now, Shadeforest?" he growled.
"You know full well what I want, Hawkstar. You have been stealing our prey."
Hawkstar sneered, "What proof do you have? Why would we want you mangy prey? My warriors have plenty of food-"
"Hawkstar," Shadeforest said quietly, and Darkheart strained to catch it, "Do not start something you will not win."
But the leader was at full-flow "-I think it's your warriors stealing from us. Fallowfoot caught a scent of your warriors when he-"
But he never finished his sentence. Shadeforest sprang at him, and they tumbled over on the ground, a whirling mass of teeth and claws. One cat sprang onto her back, and she began fighting two at once. The other two were about to join in when Shadeforest's six clanmates came bounding in, throwing themselves at their enemies.
Darkheart found himself fighting with a light grey tabby she-cat. She lashed out with her claws, catching him under the chin. Ignoring the wound, Darkheart did what he had been training for all his life: fighting.
Whipping around, he gave her a crushing blow that stunned her for a few moments. That was all he needed. Dashing to her side, Darkheart dropped to his flank and rolled under her. Using his back legs, he raked his belly. Quick as a flash, he rolled out from under her as she dropped herself, hoping to crush him. But Darkheart, well-away from being crushed, launched himself onto her back and sank his fangs into her neck. She struggled briefly, then went limp due to her broken spine.
Darkheart looked around, blood oozing out of his wound. Not bad for a run in with Brambleclan's fiercest warriors, he thought to himself.
He looked up. Mosswood and Goldenstream were both managing one cat: another cat had already fled. The other cat that had been previously fighting against Shadeforest with Hawkstar lay not far away, still as a stone.
Shadeforest herself was battling with Hawkstar. He was a brave fighter, but he stood no match against the deadly warrior. She slashed, clawed, and sank her fangs into every spot possible, until the tabby was covered with wounds. Shadeforest had a deep nick in her ear and a damaged hindpaw, but she acted as if neither were there. Cunningly she led him out away from everyone until she forced onto the frozen river. He scrambled around, paws sliding under him.
Good one! Darkheart thought. Nobody could beat Hiddenclan on ice. They had special moves and training for it.
Suddenly, Shadeforest dashed away downriver, away from where Hawkstar lay, paws splayed out from under him. Hope flared in his eyes, and he unsteadily go to his feet, and started slowly for shore. Darkheart knew what was coming next. He sneaked towards the river, hiding in the reeds so he could watch. This also doubled so that if somehow Hawkstar got to the bank, he could stop him.
Shadeforest bolted from nowhere, not running, but sliding on her paws in a crouch, straight toward Hawkstar. Then, with a jerk of her spine, she flipped onto her back. Darkheart winced. That's gotta hurt!
Sliding toward Hakwstar at top speed, she slid right under him. As she did this, she raised her front claws, and she ripped through his belly before she slid out from underneath him. Hawkstar collapsed.
Shadeforest slowed to a stop and made her way back to him, a cold look in her eyes. As the sun began to rise, she bent down to his ear. Darkheart strained forward to hear the last words Hawkstar would ever hear.
"When you get to the Dark Forest, tell them the Shadedeath sent you!"
Unable to watch any longer, Darkheart fled from the frozen river, where Hawkstar's blood was slowly pooling onto the ice. Shadeforest also left, leaving Hawkstar to watch his last dawn as his eyes clouded over with death.
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