literature

Father and Son - Chapter 1 - Blood and Roses

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"Pick up the pace. The last thing we want is to have a patrol catch wind of us, and alert Pebblestar. He's just itching to find a reason to get into a fight with Nightclan. Not that he has the numbers to do an assault, but I wouldn't put it past us that he would pull some dirty tricks."

A dark grey sleek tom trotted at a quick speed, leaping over a rotting trunk, infested with termites and ants. He was mostly a single color of grey, similar to the color a wet stone. The only change in color lead up to the ends of him, such as his ears, tail and paws. The grey had darkened there and become a borderline black shade. His amber eyes glistened in the darkness, constantly glancing all around to spot danger. Behind him, a she-cat followed at equal speed. Her long coat was a rusted red color, with just touches of brown. Her icy blue eyes were focused on the dark shape in front of her.

"An alliance between Nightclan and Rainclan had been around for years. I don't think he would break the truce. It would leave us as greater targets against the other two." The she-cat replied to her leader, moving around a puddle. They were entering swamp land, she could feel it before she could see the first changes in the tree types. The ground was softer, wet and squished under her paws.

"His arrogance has already cut the ties." The leader responded, annoyed as he leaped up a rock, and climbed to the top. His ears perked, and eyes scanned the clearing. "They should be here. They are late."

"You know it's hard to reach this point." The rusted cat said, licking her paw briefly to remove the dirt and filth between her claws. She sniffed and then added "Especially with the river's increase in size."

"Bah! They are the best swimmers I know. They shouldn't take this long-" He stopped in mid-sentence. Two shapes slipped out between a tangle of dead branches and leaves. The first shape he recognized was of a white she-cat, her fur curled up in several places, twisting to the form of her body. She was a beautiful snow white tabby, except for her ears that faded to black. Like the rusted she-cat, she too had icy eyes.

Next to her, a black male with short cropped fur moved forward. Like her, the fur twisted and turned to outline his body well. He was the polar opposite of the tabby. A stainless black pelt with ears fading to white. His eyes, an amber-yellow, lighter than the grey tom.

"Our apologizes; Darkstar, Bloodstep. Stormfeather was patrolling the camp boundaries due to some of the apprentices sneaking out a quarter moon ago, nearly traveled out of the border towards the setting sun." the black tom said.

"Understandable." Bloodstep, the red she-cat replied. Darkstar slid down the cool stone and dropped to the ground below. "Have you caught any trace of the other two?" he asked. Both the twins shook their head no.

"We found two slash marks on a maple," the she-cat started and the tom continued. "An acorn was left near, we almost missed it, but it was near the fields on the border between us and Sunclan." Darkstar nodded and stated "Then they are waiting for us there. Blackpelt, Whitefur, lead the way."

The twins nodded and took off leaping forward. Darkstar and Bloodstep followed, stating closely behind. The sun had fallen only hours ago, and the moon was beginning its climb into the sky. The four cats ran though the driest part of the marsh. They were all careful, to run in a single line to cover their tracks. They did not want to appear as patrol, especially with a clan at already high tension.

As they ran, Bloodstep decided to break the silence. "Has the rogue clan gotten word to you, Blackpelt?" Blackpelt shook his head no in reply and Whitefur followed with "We saw Metal-Jaw and a patrol heading towards Twoleg territory. I believe they are scouting for a new place to move the clan."

"That's just like Poisonstar, when it comes to fight or flight-" Darkstar stopped in sentence. There was a panting. Heavy panting.

"Coyote!" Bloodstep suddenly yelled, and the formation broke. The four cats split from a single line to a wave. No one dared to catch a glance, but none was needed. They could smell the horrible scent of rotting animal coming from its breath. The coyote yipped, bounding forward.

Whitefur looked forward, and managed to catch a glimpse of two cats sitting on a log. "Twisterfang! Firepaw!" The cats swerved around and prepared to fight.

"No! Run towards the broken thunder path!" Darkstar yelled, catching up to them quickly. They leaped in line with the wave and ran. Twisterfang found a place next to Darkstar as they ran. She was a mixed pelt grey cat, with shades of black and white. Her green eyes glimmered with annoyance. "Why? We can take this mongrel! It's nothing to us." Firepaw, the smallest of the group, a pelt of fire glowing in the darkness and his ocean blue eyes shining hissed in equal annoyance, always ready to fight.

"We will attract others if we fight. Let close patrols believe we are a warren of rabbits, we are close enough to Sunclan's territory." Darkstar answered, and swerved to the left, leading the group over a hill. The smell of smog and sound of wind whipping came to them before they saw the lights of the monsters. The thunder path lay before them.

"Another one! On the other side!" Firepaw shouted, spotting an equally dangerous coyote on the far side of the thunder path.

The group slipped through an opening in a fence that separated wildlife and road. "Go right!" Darkstar growled, and the group moved, running alongside the path. Twoleg monsters rode past, startling the group each time they passed. Lights blurred, sounds roared in their ears. Twisterfang hissed and Blackpelt was tensing up.

Darkstar called out to the group "A plated tunnel is up ahead, I can see it! Keep running!" he slowed, letting the group run past him. They changed back into single file, Twisterfang in the lead. She darted into a tunnel running under the thunderpath, the group following.

Darkstar turned, snarling. The coyote was running at him, its features now illuminated by the passing light. It was scrawny, ribs showing.

Darkstar leaped as it drew close enough, slashing his claws across its nose. It yelped, taking a step back. Turning on his heels, Darkstar darted out into thunderpath, and dashed out to the center. He curled up, tightly on the center white line. Monsters blasted by, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The coyote dashed across, spittle escaping it's jaw as it leaped, and then was blown back as a red monster drove right into it. A whine, followed by the crunch of bones is all Darkstar heard of the animal, now trampled. Darkstar took no chance in waiting to see if it was dead or not. He darted to the center grass, sliding in between a railing. He stayed low, aware that the other coyote could be on its way at any moment.

A small hole connecting into the tunnel was before him. And he could see his fellow Warriors and their gleaming eyes watching him. He slid in, carefully and turned, glaring out into the night. The coyote panted, looking at them from across the path, turned, and then walked away.

"That was risky." Bloodstep huffed, her fur still puffed up from watching. Darkstar sniffed, lifting his paw to lick. It was the quickest action I could do to solve the problem."

"But you could have died!" Bloodstep replied, a loud monster rolled by.

"I was careful."

"You were stupid."

"Guys."

Firepaw's voice broke the argument, and all eyes looked to him. He was standing by an opening in between the plates of the tunnel, sloping down.

"Probably a rabbit warren." Whitefur said, watching spider webs drift through by small winds. Blackpelt shook his head and said "The human made plates, they are too hard for rabbit claws to pull apart."

"I smell something." Twisterfang said, leaning into the hole. Her nose twitched, and she opened her mouth to take in a deeper sent.

"What is it?" Darkstar asked, pushing past the twins. Twisterfang breathed in, the edge of her lips curling into a sinister smile. "I smell blood. It's sour, smells old. But not too old. Something died there a few days ago… I also smell…" she paused, her smile fading. "Floral, of some sort."

Darkstar leaned in, also taking in the sent. The smell of blood was faint, the flower smell almost nonexistent. He took a step in, carefully stepping on the dirt path sloping down.

"Wait, we don't know what's down there." Bloodstep warned, but followed her leader anyways. Darkstar stepped slowly, carefully each time. "Single file, I want Firepaw in the back." He continued on, growling at the tangle of roots and webs that dragged at his fur.

They followed, quietly, each taking a moment to let their eyes adjust to the little light they had. Twisterfang slowed and pressed her nose to the wall. She carefully moved, taking a few steps. "There's something on the wall. Markings, claw scratches but they are in some pattern."

Darkstar murmured, letting her know he was not interested. The smell of blood was flowing through him, and the floral sent was now easy to pick out. Smelled like roses, to be exact. The ground stopped sloping and curled onto a flat surface, and then opened up to a large cave, and Darkstar stopped in his tracks. Behind him Bloodstep bumped into him, slightly, but the rest were not so graceful.

Darkstar's fur began to bristle. His back arched, and he became stiff. Before him lay bones on stains of blood, too old to make the smell themselves. The flowers they caught sent of were withered, dried and almost a crumple. Years ago this happened, but it's not what frightened him so much.

The bones that lay on flowers and blood, were all that was. Bones, so clean, bright white. Never bothered, not broken, and not marked. They were arranged in a manner that looked like a Twoleg laying down, but it was bigger and longer. Tail bones, lay in two long strands, going off in different directions. And where the head should be sat a gleaming white skull, elongated like a dog creature, but the cheek bones suggested cat. There were two features that stood out, above all else. The jaw was locked, gleaming teeth and all, in a grin. A twisted, manacle grin. And along with that, it had three eye sockets. Two were you would expect them to be, and one higher, in the center of the skull.

Darkstar was pushed forward by the others as they filled with the cave. All eyes where on the skeleton of the unknown creature.

"W-what is it?" Firepaw asked, pressing up against Twisterfang. She stayed put, and then almost whispered an answer to it "Twoleg. It has to be. Nothing has a look like that-"

"But it has tails, and an animal skull."

"But it's chest and legs,"

"Look at the face"

"It's dead." Darkstar said, distastefully as he walked around it, examining each part. He scowled and added "Probably some mistake of the Twoleg race-" The skull moved.

Ever so slightly, but enough to draw all the attention to it. Darkstar's eyes narrowed, and he ducked low. His ears perked. His fear was replaced with curiosity as he drew closer. He managed to see niches, scratches and other little imperfections in the skull as he drew closer. But his eyes were drawn to the empty ones.

The dark holes seemed to hold secrets, and draw him in. Almost like the darkness last forever. And in that darkness, a glimmer, something was there, in that darkness-

The hiss came too late to be a warning. A flash of light shot out of the center socket, and fangs sunk deep into Darkstar's neck, venom being shot into the pulsating vein.

Darkstar let out a crackled yowl, and fell back. He could feel the fangs holding him in place as the snake coiled around his neck. It was happening too fast, he could hear cries and battle yowls. But he was shaking, moving around, spitting and clawing at the ground and air. Anything to get the snake off of him.

But darkness of the eyes consumed him. And a hideous laughter filled his head. Everything. Was gone.
Comments1
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xXDreamQueenXx's avatar
SORRY I COMMENTED LATE ON THIS QAQ

BUT YAY FOR WARRIORS WORK :dummy:

BUT NUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!! DRACMA ;A;?!?!? MAKE MORE OF DIS SOON WOMAN OAO

WO
MAN
...............

This is epic ._. And I love hearing from the Forbidden Forest crew again~ :D FIREPAW IS BAE THO :heart: Alex misses him from time to time :I...............random side note :D

Awesome job on this! :dummy: