Talon's Revenge by jetblack
"Thunder crashed and lightning blazed across a sky streaked and torn with dark clouds. The moon was barely visible, lost under a haze of rain pounding the ground so hard, it was like twoleg pawsteps thudding the earth.
Two cats, their pelts dripping with rain, eyes stretched wide, sprinted through a moaning forest. Trees around them creaked and groaned as wind buffeted them, and the two cats struggled to stand in the raging storm. One, a tomcat as black as soot, turned to his companion and with a yowl that could only barely be heard against nature's fury, cried- "This is hopeless! We'll never get back to camp when it's like this. We must shelter!"
The other cat, a light-furred tabby she-cat, glared at him. "We must try. My kits are in the camp. I can't leave them!"
The black tom gazed at her hopelessly. "Please, Swiftstep, listen. Gentlebreeze will take care of your kits, but if we keep going, we will die. Shelter here until the storm passes, and we can return home in the morning."
But the tabby was firm, and insisted on returning. She and the tomcat kept running, sprinting through the forest as fast as they could go, but to no avail. Both cats died that night, through exhaustion and fatigue, and their Clanmates heard of their death the next morning.
Both Swiftstep's four-moon-old kits were broken-hearted at the news. Her daughter, Willowkit, became shy and quiet. She spoke rarely and did not like to make friends or bring attention to herself.
Her brother Talonkit, though, was the opposite. He threw himself into playing and, when he reached his sixth moon, training. He was always hunting, practising, tracking, training. He couldn't stop. It took over his mind, almost feverish. He took to fighting, because he was naturally strong and muscular, and started battling everything and everybody. He knew no limits and became almost bullying in his behaviour. Talonpaw was rude, loud-mouthed, and arrogant. He refused to obey orders, and when he eventually became a warrior, he was worse. Anybody who interrupted or disobeyed his orders he attacked ferociously.
All the while, Willowstep-as she had become at her warrior ceremony- was the only one who saw her what her brother had become, what he would do. She was afraid, and tried to talk to him, but she had been silent for so long, it was difficult. But she told him, "Please, brother, I can help you. You don't have to be like this. Swiftstep wouldn't have wanted-"
"Do not talk to me about our mother. She is dead now, gone."
"But, Talonslash... She is in StarClan!"
"No. There is no StarClan. There is only the world we live in. Get over it, Willowstep- our ancestors are dead, and they cannot hurt the living."
At this, poor Willowstep was so frightened that she tried to run. But Talonslash's mind had become so fevered, so angry, that he chased his sister and killed her.
He was never seen again. It's thought he vanished into the forest and left FlightClan's territory forever."
The white kitten gazed solemnly up at his mother with huge blue eyes. "Is that really true, Rowanleaf?" he asked.
"Yes, sweetheart, most of it is- but I may have made some of it up."
The dusty-grey queen tickled her son's chin with her tail and smiled at him affectionately. "So don't leave FlightClan's camp until you're six moons old and are big and scary enough to fight Talonslash."
A tabby kitten clambered onto his mother's back. He padded shakily along it. "But you said he'd never been seen?"
"Yes, dear, he hasn't- but that's because all the cats who leave the camp are over six moons old, and Talonslash is afraid of them. Now, go to sleep, dream good dreams- and let's hope that tomorrow, the elders will tell you another story."
The Tale of Two Medicine Cats by F o x f l i g h t -
In the darkness of the night, the shrill yowls of a single cat rang out through the air, startling several cats awake from their restless slumbers. Those who remained awake glanced towards the medicine cat den in agony, eyes widened in worry for the cat inside. A black tom paced back and forth outside the den, his tail lashing and his dark brown eyes widened wit fear as he listened to the yowl of his mate. Two other warriors stood outside the den, preventing the pacing warrior from entering the den.
Inside the den, the calico medicine cat was hunched over a silver tabby's body, muttering orders to her apprentice who was frantically racing back and forth around the den to fetch the herbs that were needed. The medicine cat looked down at the silver tabby she-cat with sympathy but forced a smile onto her muzzle, as if to provide hope for the slowly weakening she-cat.
"It's alright Frostleaf." She murmured, gently pressing her paw against the she-cat's stomach area. Only causing Frostleaf's face to scrunch up in pain as she let out a whimper.
"It's time." The medicine cat spoke, raising her voice so her apprentice was able to hear her. He only nodded his head, moving around the den to where he had been ordered to stand. The rest of the night involved a series of painful yowls, ushered words of encouragement and the snapping of orders. But in the end Frostleaf had managed to give birth to four kits. All pitifully small and mewling.
Outside the den the black tom was able to sense that whatever pain his mate had been suffering through now had finished. He tried to shove aside the two warriors who blocked his only way in, but they effectively cut him off from entering by harshly shoving him back. He growled loudly. "Let me see my mate!" He demanded, his short and aggressive temper getting the better of him as his claws unsheathed.
"Make sure he doesn't enter the den!" The medicine cat shouted out to the two warriors, who only acknowledged her command with a brief nod of their heads.
The medicine cat turned her attention back to Frostleaf.
"Well done." She murmured, beginning to feed the she-cat the herbs she needed. She inwardly shivered at the scent of the blood. Frostleaf had suffered through a painful labour and now, after having giving birth to four kits, needed to rest. Frostleaf was horribly weak and she couldn't help but worry that the new mother wouldn't make it through the next couple of days. She nudged the four small kits toward their weak mother, urging them to feed.
"Thank you Dapplecloud." Frostleaf murmured through her dazed state. She also mumbled something else underneath her breath. The medicine cat acknowledged this with a small nod of her head before turning away from Frostleaf.
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Dapplecloud had watched as Frostleaf's life slowly ebbed away and she knew, she could do nothing to help. The best thing for the dying queen was to let her spend her last moments with her mate and new born kits. She had sat outside the den, listening to Frostleaf mutter her last words to her mate before it went silent and all that could be heard was the cries of her mate. When she had peered into the den her stomach dropped. The black pelted warrior was hunched over his mates body, muzzle pressed deep into her fur as he mourned his mates death.
Dapplecloud had hesitantly entered the den. Gaining the attention of the mourning warrior.
"What are you naming the kits Crowstrike?" Dapplecloud had asked, looking down at the four mewling kits, who were snuggled up against once another and their mother's fur.
Crowstrike looked down at the kits, then at Dapplecloud before returning his gaze back to his deceased mate. "She named them as she died." He answered, his voice which she had always known to be stern and hard, now weak and quiet. "Badgerkit, Ashkit, Nightkit." He begun, naming the three toms, first the black and white pelted one, then the grey tabby and finally the black pelted kit. He then looks down at the smallest one, with fur identical to Frostleaf's fur, the only she-cat within the litter. "Dewkit." He finishes, looking back up at Dapplecloud. Who only nodded her head, leaving the medicine cat den to let Crowstrike to mourn.
_________
Dapplecloud watched as the kits slowly grew, under the care of another queen. Crowstrike had visited the nursery every spare second he had, watching over his kits with pride. But she noticed easily the pain deep within his eyes which he always managed to mask from his fellow warriors.
Only a couple of moons after Frostleaf's death, FlightClan had been struck with another death. Her own apprentice, Frozenpaw had died whilst searching for catmint, he had been attacked by a rogue within the area who had left him to bleed out. Frozenpaw had not been found until later that day when Dapplecloud herself had noticed her apprentice had been taking a while to fetch the catmint.
Now she watched from the sidelines of camp as the four kits played with each other, tumbling over their own paws. Crowstrike sat nearby, watching his kits closely. What Dapplecloud noticed was that Dewkit was constantly trying to separate herself from the game but was being dragged right back in when one of her three brothers would tackle her to the ground. Dapplecloud knew that in the end one of Dewkit's brothers would accidentally hurt her, seeing they had grown almost twice their original size whilst Dewkit had only grown slightly taller.
Dewkit then let out a loud yelp, alerting Crowstrike who was on his paws in an instant and scooping up Dewkit in his jaws and racing over to Dapplecloud to make sure she was alright. Dapplecloud had to force Crowstrike out of the den so she was able to look over Dewkit without the large black tom peering over her shoulder and breathing down her neck.
"Dapplecloud, what do you do as medicine cat?" Dewkit asked, fidgeting as Dapplecloud prodded the kits body with her muzzle to make sure there were no injuries. "I care for the sick and injured." Dapplecloud answered, leaning back so she was able to see the kits face. Dewkit's eyes were wide with curiosity as she looked around, obviously amazed by it. "Really?" She meowed, looking up at Dapplecloud with wide eyes. The calico pelted medicine cat nodded her head in response.
"Do you think I could be medicine cat?" She asked, surprising Dapplecloud. She sat back on her haunches and sighed softly. "I don't know, I'm going to have to discuss that with the leader." She answered honestly.
Dewkit only nodded, before rising to her paw and heading for the den entrance. "Dewkit, don't you want me to check for any wounds?" She meowed, concerned for the small kit. Dewkit shook her head, "I lied about being hurt, I wanted to see what the medicine cat den was like." She answered, exiting the den. Dapplecloud now sat there, a wide grin spread across her muzzle, amused by Dewkit's little trick.
______
The four kits were finally apprenticed and as Dewkit had hoped for, she was apprenticed to Dapplecloud. Who was glad to have such an enthusiastic and caring cat as her apprentice.
Within the first moon Dewpaw and already learnt so much, she took the information in and acknowledged everything with a bright smile. Dapplecloud remembered how ecstatic Dewpaw had been when she had applied her first mixture of herbs to one of her wounded clan-mates.
Dapplecloud knew Dewpaw would be a wonderful medicine cat after she retired and knew that FlightClan would be in good paws after she left to go join StarClan. The moons seemed to fly past and it wasn't long before Dewpaw has taken on her full medicine cat name. Dapplecloud had named her Dewfrost after her deceased mother Frostleaf.
Dewfrost was a splendid medicine cat, she was a quick thinker and very neat with her work. She was a gentle and wonderful cat to work with and Dapplecloud couldn't help but feel overly proud of her apprentice. Fur now greying with age Dapplecloud retired from her job as medicine cat, now moving into the elders den.
Dewfrost often came to visit Dapplecloud, bringing her prey, herbs and the daily gossip within camp. In return Dapplecloud gave her advice and told her stories, like most elders would do.
Dapplecloud watched as Dewfrost took up her own apprentice, a young she-cat named Sweetpaw who instantly reminded her of Frozenpaw who had been her own apprentice before Dewfrost. She was patient, intelligent, but quite shy. But Dapplecloud knew Dewfrost would do well with Sweetpaw and be able to get Sweetpaw to open up.
The moons past and with each passing moon Dapplecloud grew weaker and more frail, and she knew her time was almost up and that she was ready to join StarClan.
But something terrible happened, Dewfrost was struck with a horrible illness which left her vomiting up anything she ate. She became terribly weak and was unable to move properly without stumbling or collapsing all together. Dapplecloud could feel Dewfrost's pain, and one night the old she-cat had stumbled out of the elders den and across the camp to the medicine cat den where she had basically dragged Dewfrost out of her nest, into the clearing. The two spent their final night under the stars together. Both weak and sick.
Dewfrost had laid there, staring up at the stars. Eyes wide with wonder, the same eyes Dapplecloud has seen when Dewfrost had first come into her den as a young kit. Dapplecloud shivered inwardly, pressing her body against Dewfrost's. "Your mother would be so proud." She meowed softly. Dewfrost had looked over at Dapplecloud and gave a small nod of her head. "She'd be proud of you too." She responded.
Dapplecloud's eyes widened slightly, and her heart swelled at Dewfrost's next words. "You were a wonderful mentor, friend and aunt." She murmured, lowering her head onto her paws. Dapplecloud could feel the energy slowly leaving her body, but she still managed to force a smile onto her muzzle. Dapplecloud had kept her promise to her sister, she had promised her sister to care for her kits, and that she had done so. She had made a great friend within her own niece and was happy to call her family.
"We'll walk together amongst StarClan." Dapplecloud murmured, before her breathing stopped altogether. Dewfrost followed soon after, her organs one by one shutting down until she too fell limp.
In StarClan they had been greeted by their dearly loved family. Frostleaf, the sweet and compassionate mother and sister. Crowstrike, the stern father and Ashfall the playful brother and nephew.
They died together that night, under the watchful eyes of StarClan.
