literature

Clawclan's Return-Chapter 3

Deviation Actions

doeey's avatar
By
Published:
307 Views

Literature Text

"There are too many bodies to bury. By the time they're all buried, SerpentClan will strike again." Tigerstorm said, the thick-furred tabby tom gazed over the bodies with a horrified face. Rainheart flicked her ears, acknowledged the tomcat's observation. "What are we going to do with them all, then?" Sweetstorm said as she stood over the body of her limp mate. Her voice was higher, as if her neck had been tightened. Rainheart could smell tear-scent on her. Rainheart sighed.
Drizzle fell from the blackened clouds. The thunderstorm from the previous night had stopped the fires, but it didn't stop ClawClan's territory from being charred and it certainly didn't stop the deaths of her Clanmates. Rainheart's heart screamed in her chest. Am I really cut out to bring this mess back to life?
Eonpaw, Coalpaw, and Iceheart, led by Sparrowwing, entered the burnt-away camp. The hunted party looked crestfallen when Eonpaw padded forwards, the only one with prey in his jaws. The golden apprentice had managed to take down an old, skinny squirrel. "We checked the entire territory." Sparrowwing began through a quiet sob. "All we found was this squirrel. Thank StarClan Eonpaw took it down." He flicked his tail to the apprentice. Rainheart dipped her head to the mousy brown warrior. "Good efforts. But we'll be traveled at dusk, so starvation isn't a big worry." Sparrowwing nodded and sent Iceheart and Coalpaw to help their Clanmates search through the rubble. Eonpaw paced forwards to look Rainheart in her navy eyes. He dropped the squirrel at her paws.
"Rainheart, is it true?" He asked, his teary eyes filled with newborn curiosity. "Are you really the next Clawstar?" Rainheart's pelt prickled. She was hoped Eonpaw wouldn't ask about the truth about Faithstar's famous last words. Rainheart huffed. "I'm not even sure it's true." She said curtly, narrowed her blue eyes at the apprentice. Rainheart's tail flicked in annoyance as she bent down to pick up the in her jaws. "I'm taking this to Bouncefoot and the kits." Rainheart said sharply, her voice muffled by damp fur. She padded off towards the nursery to give it to Bouncefoot and the kits.
Swiftkit pawed a burnt ball of moss, hiccupped his sobs. "Daddy's dead…he's dead!" Heatherkit cried, pawed Bouncefoot's haunches, hoped Bouncefoot's humor would return and the tabby would tell the kit the news of her father's death was false. Bouncefoot just stared at her paws, a thin stream of tears crawled down her cheeks. Rainheart's heart froze when she saw Starrypaw's fluffy white pelt. She had wept alongside her remained Clanmates, but her white pelt was dashed with her blood. She cringed in pain and the gash on her neck was just barley covered. Rainheart wondered if she would make it if it got infected.   
She gathered Bouncefoot and the kits with a swipe from her tail. To Rainheart's relief, Starrypaw was only asleep. The white apprentice rose from her corner in the nursery and padded over, ready share to her next meal with her temporary denmates. She dragged her white paws, and Rainheart could practically hear her thoughts: I don't want this, I never did! I just want to be back in my old nest with my old denmates in my old den. Why has StarClan been so cruel to us? Rainheart's heart throbbed harder, for she knew all ClawClan cats were mourned the past. Are these wounds a cat like me can really heal?

Rainheart leaped to the Highrock, sudden nostalgia fluttered into her mind. The memories of being renamed and renamed again by Whitestar and Faithstar squeezed her heart with pain. She sighed and raised her head, and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath Highrock, for a Clan meeting." Her Clan gathered beneath her paws.
"Cats of ClawClan! StarClan have not yet sent me my nine lives yet, but I promise you, sometime soon, I will receive StarClan's blessed. The important thing now is to stick together." Cats let out murmurs of agreement and disagreement. Rainheart's pelt bristled with worry. How many of my Clanmates don't trust me without my blessing? A less-confident Rainheart called out again to her Clan. "Now, I understand that we are all hurt by the deaths of our Clanmates, and I share your pain. But SerpentClan is finally stronger than we are, and they have herbs and food. Their warriors will heal faster and grow stronger while we suffer and grow weak without feed or proper nests. At dusk, we leave for a new life!" Rainheart listened to her Clanmates' yowls of approval.

"Prey is definitely nearby." Eonpaw said eagerly, padded alongside his mentor. The large golden apprentice fluffed his pelt happily and stuck his big pink nose in the air, inhaled the obvious prey-scent. "Such a relief. The last stop barley had a skinny mouse for me to hunt." The tomcat flexed his claws. "I haven't felt the rush of hunted for so long." Rainheart smiled, glad Eonpaw didn't hang about the catastrophe. He only saw towards the future, a trait Rainheart wished every cat in her puny clan could have. Bouncefoot still sulked over Dustfur, and Sweetstorm was a shell of her calm, responsible former self after she had discovered the death of Stormheart. Tigerstorm was still relieved that Nettlesong was still alive, but the tabby gray she-cat and her usually comical brother were still emotionally involved with Dawnsong's bereavement. Even the kits of the clan didn't wildly stir like they used to. Rainheart's pelt prickled. It had been three moons since the SerpentClan ambush. How long was it going to take for the cats to learn that their clanmates are gone? Rainheart thought, flicked her tail with annoyance. Is a clan that has lost faith is one worth leading? Eonpaw halted Rainheart with his tail. "Let's stop." He suggested, flicked his tail towards an enormous, old, wrinkled oak. Its leaves were already auburn, burgundy, and carroty colors even though it was still mid new-leaf. No leaves had died and fallen off.
Rainheart pushed the tree's obscure description into the back of her mind, furious of how Eonpaw had controlled her. She forcefully let the fur on her shoulders rest as she realized the air was sensing cooler, and the sun was beginning to crawl behind the far-off hills. Rainheart nodded. "Okay." She said, leaded her clan towards the tree. As she headed towards the tree, she picked up not the scent of an oak, but the essence of cats. Her heart began to race and her pelt began to prickle. Are there already other cats here? The blue-gray she-cat rested her fur as she realized the scent was only a misty essence, as if this oak naturally smelled of felines. Despite the facts, she didn't let her guard down.
The cats settle themselves around the base of the old oak. Rainheart watched her clanmates rub themselves against it as if it were catmint. "Mm." Sweetstorm purred as she rubbed "It smells just like daddy, kitties, come a see." She told her kits, curling her tail in satisfaction. The kits tumbled down the hills towards the tree, and as Rainheart had suspected, led by Swiftkit. The tom placed his paws on the tree and took a whiff. He purred. "You're right—its does." He said as he curled up between the tree's roots. "No." Bouncefoot said with a moony sigh, "It's like Dustfur." She, too, curled up at the base of the tree. Rainheart inhaled and realized that she scented Nightshadow. "I smell Nightshadow." Rainheart put in, as a wave of her mother's scent wrapped around her, as if was still back in the nursery. "I think we all smell the tree differently." Tigerstorm's voice came from behind her, Rainheart suddenly alarmed. She jumped around and faced the tomcat, suddenly embarrassed. How could I have not scented him coming? Tigerstorm smirked at his leader's anxious expression. "And I think the scents all make us all extremely unaware." He said, and Rainheart realized all the cats that had sniffed the tree were slightly intoxicated by their deceased friends' scents. Nettlesong came up from behind Tigerstorm with a moony expression on her face. She muzzled his shoulder. "You're so smart, Tigerstorm." She whispered dreamily. Rainheart rolled her eyes at the cats. She turned to overlook her clanmates. "Tigerstorm, lead out a hunting party. Sweetstorm, Nettlesong, Iceheart, Eonpaw, and I will go." She told the clan. Coalpaw looked disappointed. "Can't I come?" He said, his big, blue gaze staring up helplessly into Rainheart's eyes. Rainheart smirked at the always-enthusiastic tomcat. "Oh, but Coalpaw, you, too, have an important duty. We need big, strong warriors to watch over your sister and the queens and kits." Coalpaw smiled widely. "I know. I won't let anything harm them. Dustfur told me I have his blessings." Mention of the apprentice's deceased mentor and Rainheart's friend made her pelt prickle with sadness. But Dustfur wouldn't want this. He wanted us to have his blessings, not sadness.

Eonpaw's prediction had been correct. The party had brought back two rabbits, four squirrels, and an unusually moony Nettlesong. Content with what she had done with her clan so far, she settled down next to Nettlesong to share tongues.
"What do you think of Tigerstorm?" Nettlesong asked before Rainheart had even sat down beside her gray friend.
"I think that he's a strong, smart warrior who is both strong physically and emotionally." Rainheart said nonchalantly.
"I want him and I to be mates." Nettlesong said mischievously. Rainheart knew she was poking at Rainheart's protective nature. "Now what do you think of him?"
"I think he's a no-good mouse-brain who has nothing but loads of fox-dung in his mind." Rainheart teased. "And no way is he good enough to be my friend's mate."
Nettlesong giggled.
"So when did you get all tangled up with that big tabby furball?" Rainheart asked as she watched Nettlesong glue her moony gaze on Tigerstorm as he groomed himself on the other side of the oak's clearing. "I thought he was the one all over you."
"Well, he was." Nettlesong replied quickly. "And he still is. I can't remember exactly how it happened. One minute he was just another cat…and then bang!" Nettlesong lashed her tail in excitement. "You're in love."
"Is love really worth it?" Rainheart asked as she let her head rest on her paws.
"Yes!" cried Nettlesong again. "It's like…like floating on a cloud…" Nettlesong said with a dreamy sigh.
"Do you think I should take a mate?" Rainheart asked with a glance at the cats around her.
"Yes, oh yes! But you can't just choose someone. You have to naturally fall."
"But that sounds painful." Rainheart sighed. Nettlesong laughed.
"No, you silly mouse-brain! You have to fall in love, not in a hole or off a gorge!"
"Oh." There was a pause. "But what if I end up never falling in love?"
"Well, that's okay, too. But Rainheart, I'm sure you'll find a cat, somewhere, someday. And I'll be here to listen to you drool over him." Nettlesong said, touching her tail to Rainheart's shoulder. Rainheart smiled. Under the layers of love and Tigerstorm, Nettlesong would still be Nettlesong.

Mist swirled around Rainheart's paws. The small blue-gray she-cat lashed her tail in annoyance as she gazed out towards the dim silhouettes of trees and the full moon. She hated dreams. Rainheart tried to move forwards, but her limbs wouldn't budge. She looked down at her paws to see if she was trapped in mud, but they supported her on top of the grasses without sinking in. Rainheart tried to yowl out, but as she opened her jaws to wail, a starry mist that filled the shape of a cat's tail flew over her mouth. The tail flew forwards, bit as it sprinted, the sleek body of a young, muscular golden warrior appeared. The cat was translucent somehow, with millions of stars lighting his pelt. With a flick of his tail, hundreds, maybe thousands of starry cats began to appear. She made out the faces of some of her old comrades. Crowheart and Dovestorm entered the clearing, side-by-side. A tiny white kit raced up from behind them. Rainheart's eyes lit up as she recognized Whisperkit, Whitestar's only daughter. The kitten had died when she had caught greencough only sunrises after her birth. Stormheart strode alone, his long pelt fluttering like a butterfly in the wind. Dawnsong appeared, the tortoiseshell she-cat standing beside her mate, Bluewing. The gray tom had died not long after Rainheart was apprenticed, the enormous tomcat hit by a Twoleg monster. The golden cat that had silenced her before shook his pelt in the wind, and Rainheart recognized the shape of her mentor. Her heart leaped with joy as she watched Cedarpelt lead Nightshadow and Sandpelt up the hill.
The cats' excited murmurs were silenced by a flick of Whitestar's tail. She must be the leader of StarClan now! Rainheart felt a pang of pride for the she-cat. Seasons of courage and bravery had finally paid off in the afterlife. The white she-cat leaped onto a rock, like she had done when she was still alive. She smiled down at Rainheart and said in her ever-so-mighty voice, "Rainheart. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" Rainheart nodded. Whitestar dipped her head, and flicked her tail towards a cat in the crowd. The mass of cats shifted apart, as Rainheart's live paced forwards first. Dawnsong paced forwards, her fluffy tortoiseshell pelt shining like moonlight. She stood in front of Rainheart, smiling. "Rainheart." She whispered with a warm smile.
Rainheart's heart felt a pang of excitement to see her deceased clanmate again. "Dawnsong! Nettlesong and Sparrowwing would be so happy to see y—" Rainheart was cut off by a flick of Dawnsong' tail. The beautiful she-cat yowled so all the cats of StarClan could hear. "Rainheart, I give you the life of decision. Use it to guide your clan through the roughest times, and always be sure of who you are and what you are doing." Dawnsong pressed her nose to Rainheart's. Rainheart tried to yowl out in pain, but she couldn't. He mind screeched inside her head, the blue-gray she-cat feeling as if a fearless river was washing her thoughts and her body away. Soon, the pain melted and Rainheart opened her eyes to see that Dawnsong had already left to join the crowd. The next cat to pace up was Cedarpelt; the auburn tomcat's pelt glistening like a universe of glory. Me smiled weakly and said, "I loved you. We could've been together." Rainheart held back her tongue when she was about to say that she was never interested in him. He's done so much for ClawClan…how could I break his heart now?  
Cedarpelt pressed his nose to her's, Rainheart feeling sudden passion running through her. "I give you the gift of love, for your clanmates, future mate, friends, and kin." Rainheart's heart throbbed so hard it hurt. It was a bittersweet life, however, as Rainheart felt the life let her mind and heart flutter. She wanted to cry out with pain, and laugh with Nettlesong about Tigerstorm again. She wanted to squeeze someone tight, and she wanted to slash her claws, defending her clan at the cost of her life. She wanted to love.
Rainheart opened her eyes, and Cedarpelt hadn't disappeared as quickly as Dawnsong had. He flashed her one last weak smile, and dragged his paws back to the crowd. Whisperkit suddenly bounced from the crowd, and up to Rainheart.  She smiled and said, "I give you the life of energy. You will bounce through the forest like an excited kit." When Whisperkit pressed her little pink nose up against Rainheart's, she expected a light, gentle life to come. But instead, it felt as if a lightning bolt had stricken her body. She cringed harder in pain and her legs suddenly grew weak, tired from running miles and miles, even though Rainheart had not moved her paws. Her pelt flew out wildly. The life's pain was long, and when it had finally melted away, Whisperkit joined her clanmates again.
Stormheart paced up from Sandpelt's side, fluffing his chest. He pressed his nose against Rainheart's and said, "I give you the life of mercy. StarClan hopes you will never kill a warrior in battle." Rainheart felt claws raking her underbelly, but the wound quickly dissolved. She suddenly felt her claws tearing into the throat of an enemy, but her claws were forcefully pulled inwards and the blood on her paws disappeared. Stormheart's life was quick. And when Rainheart opened her eyes, he had returned to their father.
The white she-cat lept from the boulder to the ground where Rainheart stood. Whitestar smiled her now young Persian face and leaned in to press her nose to Rainheart's. "I give you the life of loyalty." Rainheart suddenly felt as if she was in a cage. It tightened and tightened around her, till it caged her heart. Rainheart felt her heart suddenly slow, but then return to its original speed. Rainheart panted, as she watched Whitestar return to the boulder. Faithstar paced forwards, a wide smile appearing across his face.
"Rainheart. I always knew you would make it this far. I am glad to be your former mentor." The golden cat meowed. He pressed his nose against the she-cat's. "I give you the life of wisdom, to teach your clan and future apprentices. Use it to shape your future home and your clan's minds into good shape once more." Rainheart heart felt as if her mind grew larger and larger till she was given a severe headache. Her muscles flexed, and she felt as experienced as Whitestar.  Faithstar padded away, and the pain melted.
Sandpelt shook himself, stars flying off of his pelt instead of dandruff. He approached his daughter with a proud gaze. He pressed his nose to her, and yowled, "I give you the life of endurance. Use it in battles with enemies and fighting yours emotions and inner self." Rainheart felt as if her body could explode. She screeched in agony, her body barley able to stand. She felt burnt by flames and clawed and bitten by cats. She felt her paws being torn away from shore by a powerful wave; she felt thorns tearing her pelt. And suddenly, all at once, it stopped, and Sandpelt was gone.
The second-to-last cat was Dustfur. The handsome tabby tom skipped to his friend proudly. "Little Blue, tell Bouncefoot I said hi." He smiled and pressed his nose into her nose. "I give you the life of friendship, so that you can at least attempt to befriend the most cranky cats." Rainheart felt her heart squeeze, and her legs suddenly felt worn out, as if she had been running through a thousand forests, chasing Bouncefoot and Dustfur all day. Dustfur join his friends in the crowd, but Rainheart could see her old friend still smiling at her.
Nightshadow stepped forwards, the mother's eyes flowing with pride. She smiled and stood in front of her daughter, and pressed her nose against her kin. "I give you the life of protection. With this life, protect your clan like a mother protects her kits." Rainheart endured the sudden pain the rushed through her: the tearing of claws against her pelt, the burning sensation of a newborn fire. She felt her paws slipping from shore, the she-cat felt as if she was swept away by a fearless river. She felt the bite of a warrior's teeth in her scruff, the blood welling from her wound. She felt herself fighting the warrior, extinguishing the fire, and slashing at the warrior's underbelly. She tore her claws at a dark tomcat as he approached the nursery. She felt herself leap into battle first. She felt the blood quicken in her veins. Nightshadow licked her daughter's nose with a soft smile.
Suddenly, the ground under Rainheart's paws slipped from underpaw. She let out a howl as she realized she was falling back to the ground. "With this final life," Nightshadow yowled, the black she-cat out of sight, "I give you your leader name: Rainstar!" Rainstar could make out the yowls approval from the rest of StarClan. Despite the pride that welled in her chest, she couldn't forget that she was declining. She yowled her goodbye loudly, screaming for help. "Lead your clan like no one has before, daughter." Nightshadow whispered in her ear. "The blood dragon may rule with his mighty fire, but all fires can be quenched by rain." The prophecy echoed in her ears as Rainstar crashed to ground.
Rainstar's eyes flew open, realizing that she was still under the oak with her clanmates. Nettlesong prodded the aching she-cat with a tiny gray paw. "Rainheart, Rainheart! You were yowling in your sleep. And thrashing and clawing and everything…did you have a nightmare?" Rainstar tiredly shook her head, licking her aching shoulders. "Nettlesong, Rainheart is no long is my name. I was finally blessed by StarClan." Nettlesong let out a squeak. "Oh, I'm sorry…Rainstar." Rainstar felt proud by the way Nettlesong purred her name. The rest of the clan had gathered around them. "Seriously?" Tigerstorm meowed curiously. "Yes." Rainstar nodded her head. "Thank StarClan it's over…so painful…"
Eonpaw was the first cat to yowl out in approval. "Rainstar! Rainstar! Rainstar, yay!" Soon, a chorus of her clanmates joined Eonpaw. Rainstar's face flushed. "I…I am flattered by your approval, really." She managed a weak smile, and then shook her pelt. "But it's a new day, and a nice, sunny one, too. Let's find our new home!"
herpderpderp, nine lives, derpderpderp.
© 2010 - 2024 doeey
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In