This is a Fanfiction about a former ThunderClan cat named Frostfeather who's on a quest to find out where she really comes from. This is not a collab, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy my story!
Also, a big thank you to the Blogclanner Frostfeather that didn't get mad at me for accidentally using his name for my main character! ;)
Allegiances[]
ThunderClan
Leader: Fernstar; yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes
Deputy: Ashcloud; dark gray tom with blue eyes and one white paw
Medicine Cat: Smallshadow; small black tom with sapphire-blue eyes. Apprentice, Cloudpaw.
Warriors:
Mousespring; gray-brown tom with deep blue eyes
Molefur; brown tom with white points and green eyes
Darktooth; dark gray tom with one white paw and a white ear and green eyes
Russetstem; ginger she-cat with white splotches and green eyes
Sparrowfern; silver she-cat with white paws and green eyes
Roserunner; orange tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Fennelnose; gray tabby tom with darker gray stripes and blue eyes
Duskheart; tortiseshell she-cat with orange eyes
(Open)
Apprentices:
Cloudpaw; fluffy white tom with green eyes
Flowerpaw; long-furred cream she-cat with ginger paws and green eyes
(Open)
Queens:
Honeytail; ginger she-cat with white paws and tail tip and amber eyes. Carrying Molefur's kits.
(Open)
Elders:
(Open)
WindClan
Leader: Ravenstar; tall black tom with blue eyes
Deputy: Snowcloud; short-furred white she-cat with blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Barleyleaf; black and white tom with green eyes
Warriors:
Mothpelt; golden brown tom with amber eyes
Streamshine; silver she-cat with amber eyes. Apprentice; Berrypaw.
(Open)
Apprentices:
Berrypaw; small ginger tom with amber eyes
Queens:
(Open)
Elders:
(Open)
ShadowClan
Leader: Moonstar; stark-white tom with brown eyes
Deputy: Thistletooth; gray she-cat with blue eyes
Medicine Cat; Shimmersong; silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Warriors:
Lichenfrost; grey tabby she-cat with green eyes
(Open)
Apprentices:
(Open)
Queens:
(Open)
Elders:
(Open)
RiverClan
Leader: Gorsestar; ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Deputy: Beetail; yellow tabby tom with brown eyes
Medicine Cat; Silverecho; silver she-cat with green eyes. Apprentice, Bushpaw
Warriors:
(Open)
Apprentices:
(Open)
Queens:
(Open)
Elders:
(Open)
SkyClan
Leader: Marigoldstar; ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Deputy: Crowflight; black she-cat with blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Lionpelt; golden tom with brown eyes
Warriors:
Flamedance; flame-orange she-cat with white paw-tips, a white tail tip, a white underbelly, and gleaming blue eyes
Emberheart; flame-orange tabby tom with darker paws and grey eyes
Hawktail; dark brown tom with a cream tail tip and green eyes
(Open)
Apprentices:
(Open)
Queens:
(Open)
Elders:
Applesky; russet-and-brown she-cat with blue eyes
Tribe of Rushing Water
Healer: Stoneteller; grey tabby she-cat with green eyes
Cave-Guards:
(Open)
Prey-Hunters:
(Open)
To-Be's:
(Open)
Queens:
(Open)
Cats Outside of Clans
Poppy; plump black loner she-cat with amber eyes
Sign-Up Forms[]
I'm mostly doing this because I'm too lazy to come up with this many OC's. You can also submit as many forms as you would like. Go wild!
Clan Cat Form
Name:
Fursona:
Clan (choices are ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and SkyClan:
Rank (any rank but leader, med. cat, or deputy):
Personality:
Relatives:
Other:
Tribe of Rushing Water Form
Name:
Fursona:
Position (cave-guard, prey-hunter, to-be):
Personality:
Relatives:
Other:
Outside of Clan Form
Name:
Rogue, Loner, or Kittypet?:
Fursona:
Personality:
Other:
Chapter 1[]
Frostfeather stalked out of camp, ignoring the calls her troubled Clanmates gave her. She didn’t need them. She didn’t need anyone anymore. She lashed her tail angrily, navigating the twisted undergrowth as a second nature. Never again would she see this forest. Good riddance.
“Frostfeather! Wait!” She heard someone call.
She wanted to run away, but she knew that he would catch up to her. She turned around to see her best friend, Mousespring. The gray-brown tom hurried up to her with a panicked look in his eyes. “You didn’t really mean what you said back there…. Did you?”
Frostfeather looked into Mousespring’s deep blue eyes, and actually considered staying. No. Frostfeather you can't let him convince you to stay. He’s the only reason she hadn’t left in the first place.
Frostfeather shook her head violently. “I can’t, Mousespring. You heard what they said back there. No one ever wanted me in ThunderClan, so I’m leaving.”
Mousespring sighed heavily. “Where will you go? WindClan? ShadowClan? You know that Ravenstar and Moonstar will never let you stay.”
“No, Mousespring. I’m leaving the Clans behind forever.” Frostfeather said, a determined gaze in her eye.
Mousespring gaped at her in horror. “What do you mean? You’re a warrior, and you always have been.”
Frostfeather held his gaze for a few moments before she began to speak. “You know that’s not true, Mousespring.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but Frostfeather bounded away before he had the chance. She picked up speed until the trees passed by in a hazy blur. Frostfeather skidded to a stop when she smelled the scent of the ThunderClan border. The trees behind it looked no different, but Frostfeather knew that an entirely new life awaited her beyond the border. But Frostfeather still might be able to go back. She could apologize, and everything could be back to normal.
Frostfeather shook her head to clear her thoughts. ThunderClan wouldn’t want her back, and normal wasn’t good for her. Frostfeather took a hesitant paw-step beyond the border. Then she took two paw steps. Then three. Then she was completely out of ThunderClan territory.
She felt better then she thought she would. She wasn’t filled with regret. She didn’t want to go back. She just felt like, well, a cat. Frostfeather decided she liked this feeling. No responsibility, no dedication. Is this what freedom feels like?
Frostfeather traveled a farther along the border until she felt the tang of WindClan scent on her tongue. She didn’t want to meet any patrols, so she picked up a brisker pace until she burst out of the trees and into the moorland. She was still a few paw-steps beyond the border from WindClan, but she was now in plain sight of any cat on the moor. Frostfeather could make out the hazy outline of a farmhouse in the distance. She decided maybe she should stay there for the night, especially since the sun was starting to dip into the horizon.
Oh no. WindClan patrol. Frostfeather spotted the small figures rapidly descending from a slope in WindClan territory. Frostfeather figured it was useless to run if they could see where she was going, so she calmly sat down, curling her fluffy white tail around her paws.
The figures turned into five cats as they ran towards her and stood, panting, a few mouse-lengths away from her, but still on their side of the border. “What are you doing here, ThunderClan cat?” a golden-brown tom Frostfeather recognized as Mothpelt asked. Frostfeather slid her gaze across from the patrol, hoping she had the calm, steely look in her eyes that most loners had as they addressed Clan cats. The effect must have worked, because the WindClan cats exchanged flighty glances with one another. Then one of the younger ones, a small ginger tom, cleared his throat. “Are you a ThunderClan cat?” he asked.
A silver she-cat Frostfeather knew from Gatherings as Streamshine cuffed the apprentice over the ears. “Of course that’s a ThunderClan cat, Berrypaw. Use your nose, she obviously just came from their territory. Besides, I know that cat. Her name’s Frostfeather.” she said.
All the WindClan cats turned their attention back to Frostfeather. “I’m not a ThunderClan cat anymore.”
Chapter 2[]
Frostfeather wearily approached the abandoned Twoleg den. The half moon hung in the sky with a faint glow. The wind whispered through the grass and tickled Frostfeather’s legs. She had heard that cats used to live in the abandoned den. She hoped that the stories were wrong. She was way too tired to fight off cats just for a place to sleep.
After the WindClan patrol had thoroughly questioned her, they had insisted on marching her into the heart of their camp so she could explain herself to Ravenstar. It had been mildly embarrassing to admit to an entire Clan that she was abandoning Clan life to become a loner. At first Ravenstar had laughed, claiming that the story she had “made up” was ridiculous.
Frostfeather had calmly asked if she could leave, and WindClan spared about five too many cats to escort her outside of their territory.
Now, Frostfeather was even more glad she was leaving the Clans. They were far too intent on battle and borders, and WindClan had overestimated one cat that was no threat to their Clan. Frostfeather stared at the long shadows covering the inside of the Twoleg den. She gingerly seeped inside, relishing the small burst of warmth that the shelter gave her.
Frostfeather searched the den to make sure their were no cats. She couldn’t see any, but the aroma of mice inside the den would have overpowered even the strongest cat scent. Frostfeather licked her lips hungrily. She hadn’t been around this much prey in moons. It was nearing the middle of leaf-bare, and prey had been scarce in the forest. Frostfeather knew she wasn’t permanently going to stay in a den so close to her old home, but she figured if she lived somewhere like this, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to her.
Frostfeather caught two mice and gorged herself on the tender meat. She sighed contently and placed her head on her paws. It wasn’t long before the gentle warm breeze and the small squeaks of mice lulled her to sleep.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“What are you doing in my barn?”
Frostfeather woke up with a start, hearing the sharp voice prodding into her sleep. She opened her eyes and quickly got to her paws, facing the plump black she-cat that was facing her with her lips drawn back in a snarl.
Frostfeather took a deep breath. She didn’t want to fight this cat. The cat looked like she hadn’t fought a day in her life, and Frostfeather didn’t want to waste her energy.
Frostfeather sat down and stared the she-cat in her amber eyes, unnerving her long enough for the she-cat to prick her ears in curiosity, but not enough for the she-cat to get out of her battle crouch. “I’m sorry. I’m just passing through, and I was only looking for a place to sleep.” Frostfeather said.
The cat’s black fur slowly started to lay flat on her back. “Well you can leave now. It’s already morning, and my denmates should be here soon enough to chase your mange-ridden pelt out of our barn.” The she-cat snarled.
Frostfeather didn’t even twitch. “I’m very good at detecting whether a cat is lying. I know you don’t have any denmates. You probably just want me to leave so you don’t have to share your overabundance of food with me, being the selfish loner you probably are.” Frostfeather said.
Frostfeather detected a glimmer of fear pass through the cat’s amber eyes. Frostfeather enjoyed making the cat scared. She was never able to do that as a ThunderClan cat. “Well you’re wrong.” The she-cat said shakily.
All Frostfeather did was lay down with a sharp thud. She wasn’t going anywhere, and she definitely wasn’t going to let this over-fed crowfood eater order her around. “I’ll just wait for them to get here then.” Frostfeather said defiantly.
The black cat just stood there, frozen, for a few heartbeats before she began to speak. “Fine. I live here alone. Just attack me already and get it over with.”
Frostfeather wasn’t sure if the she-cat was being brave or cowardly. Frostfeather twitched an ear, not making any movement to attack the barn cat. “I meant what I said. I’ll leave today, I just didn’t want any cat to force me to.” Frostfeather said.
The black cat tilted her head, as though expecting Frostfeather to attack her anyway. “Fine,” the she-cat said after a few heartbeats. “I believe you. I’m Poppy. What’s your name?"
Chapter 3[]
Frostfeather scarfed down her mouse. It tasted much better than the small, stringy ones that she usually ate in leaf-bare. Poppy, who was lying next to her, gave her a strange look. “You act as if you’ve never had a mouse before.” She said.
“Of course I’ve had mouse before. Just not one this fat.” Frostfeather snapped back.
Poppy shrugged and climbed over to a nest in the corner of the den, placing her head on her paws. “Have you been thinking about where you want to go?” She asked.
When Frostfeather had first told Poppy she was trying to find a home, Poppy had asked where Frostfeather would go. She had never really figured out where she would go after she left ThunderClan; she just knew that she had to leave. Now, after two sunrises of staying in the barn, Frostfeather still didn’t know.
“Do you have any suggestions?” Frostfeather asked. After being with Poppy for a little while, Frostfeather had begun to respect the fact that she stayed in the barn all alone. Frostfeather couldn’t imagine being alone all her life. Frostfeather had never heard of more cats that acted like the Clans, so she was probably going to end up all alone anyway.
Poppy held Frostfeather’s gaze for a few moments before speaking. “The nearest Twolegplace from here is a couple days journey away. I visit there sometimes because my brother lives there. But he’s a kittypet.” Poppy spat out the word kittypet as if it were crowfood. Frostfeather decided not to ask about Poppy’s brother.
Frostfeather also had no intention of becoming a kittypet. Wherever she went, she didn’t want to end up living with some twolegs. “I guess I’ll leave in the morning, then.” Frostfeather said, glancing at the night sky through the entrance of the den.
Poppy then had a strange look in her eye. Was that sadness? Frostfeather had begun to enjoy Poppy’s attitude, but she didn’t think she would have any trouble leaving Poppy behind.
For a moment, Frostfeather debated asking Poppy if she wanted to join her. Frostfeather shook the thought away. She needed to do this alone.
Frostfeather shifted in her make-shift nest made out of hay. It was comfortable, but she still found herself missing the nest she had back in the warrior’s den that she had filled with bird feathers. She wondered if they had already cleared out her nest. She wouldn’t be surprised, considering the only cats that had ever acted like they enjoyed her company back at ThunderClan had been Mousespring and her nursing queen, Honeytail.
Frostfeather felt a pang of sadness for the queen. Honeytail had been carrying kits when Frostfeather had left, and Frostfeather had been looking forward to meeting the newborns. She let out a sigh and screwed her eyes tightly shut, hoping for the release of sleep.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Frostpaw followed her mentor, Russetstem, through the winding territory of ThunderClan. She was bursting with excitement. Today she had been made an apprentice, along with her denmates, now Duskpaw, Fennelpaw, and Rosepaw. Russetstem’s ginger tail flicked back and forth in irritation. “Try to keep up, Frostpaw.” Russetstem said it a biting tone.
Frostpaw glanced quizzically at her mentor. She had barely fallen behind, her paws only a few mouse-lengths behind the ginger and white cat. Didn’t Russetstem like her? Frostpaw shook the though out of her head. Of course Russetstem liked her; she was her mentor. “Are we going to the WindClan border next?” Frostpaw asked.
Russetstem glared at Frostpaw. “I’m the mentor. I decide where we go next, and we’re going to the training hollow anyway.” Russetstem said.
Frostpaw’s paws twitched in excitement. She had thought they were only exploring the territory today. It was just getting better and better! “Are we going training?” Frostpaw asked, already preparing to show Russetstem the battle crouch Mousepaw had taught her as a kit.
“No.” Russetstem said, clearly annoyed at Frostpaw. Frostpaw’s tail drooped sadly. She bit back the question of why they were even going to the training hollow, since Russetstem would probably get mad at her anyway.
Frostpaw wished that Duskpaw, Rosepaw, and Fennelpaw had wanted to come with her. Apparently, it was a “littermate thing” and Frostpaw wasn’t allowed to join them. Frostpaw made sure she was as close behind Russetstem as she could possibly get as they made their way to the training hollow, Frostpaw occasionally asking questions about the ThunderClan territory. After every question, Russetstem just seemed to be getting more annoyed at Frostpaw. Now Frostpaw was sure Russetstem didn’t like her. Why did her mentor hate her?
Chapter 4[]
Frostfeather squinted at the small, black blob on squatting on a hilltop far away. She couldn’t believe Poppy was still there, watching her leave to make sure Frostfeather was okay. If it was Frostfeather living it that barn, she would have left and forgotten about the strange cat the moment she had left.
The rolling hills seemed like they would last forever as Frostfeather gazed at the rolling mass of land. She figured she would go to the Twolegplace and find a decent place to stay for a while. When she had first thought about leaving ThunderClan, she had a clear mission in mind. Now, Frostfeather wasn’t too sure. She didn’t know if it would work, if she could do it.
Frostfeather pushed the dark thoughts to the back of her mind. The only thing to do at the moment was to keep moving. Frostfeather trekked from hill to hill, searching for anything that would look like the strange shape of a twoleg den.
It was nearing sunset by the time Frostfeather saw the outline of twoleg dens on the horizon. Her paws were dragging up dust as she walked and her tail drooped on the ground. Still, the twoleg dens didn’t look any closer.
Frostfeather looked around for a place to take shelter, only seeing moorland going off in every direction. She took a deep breath, scuffing the ground with her paws to make a little hollow to sleep in. Lowering herself into the shallow dip, Frostfeather felt homesickness for the ThunderClan camp wash over her almost as much as her exhaustion. She never thought she would have missed the cats that had ridiculed her her entire life, but she wished just one of them were with her, even Molefur, who had treated her like crowfood.
Frostfeather willed herself to fall asleep, hoping she would wake up in the ThunderClan camp with a warm welcome.
Frostfeather did not expect that she would actually wake up in the ThunderClan camp. She opened her eyes to find herself in the middle of the clearing, watching cats mill out of the dens for the dawn patrol. She was so surprised, she nearly stumbled as she stepped into the sunlight. The deputy of ThunderClan, dark gray tom named Ashcloud, was organizing a hunting patrol as he normally would.
It’s great to know they haven’t let my absence change their routine, Frostfeather thought dryly.
Frostfeather opened her mouth to call out to the deputy, but before she could speak, she felt a strange shuddering sensation. Suddenly, Sparrowfern was inside of her. Frostfeather could see the silver tabby’s fur straight through Frostfeather’s white pelt, almost as if it was transparent.
Sparrowfern trotted toward the patrol forming, unfazed. They can’t see me, Frostfeather realized.
Was she dead? Frostfeather looked down at her almost-clear pelt, searching for glittering white stars that usually showed on StarClan cats. Frostfeather searched the camp for Mousespring, letting out a snort of content when she saw the gray-brown tom sleeping soundly.
Her heart pained at the thought of never speaking to him again. She still knew that she would never go back, and she was okay with that. But she would still miss the Clans, no matter how much they didn’t welcome her.
Maybe StarClan was sending her visions of the ThunderClan camp because they wanted her to go back. But Frostfeather knew they wouldn’t do that. She didn’t know why, but she just had a feeling that this was something StarClan wanted her to do. Maybe they wanted her to know what was going on in ThunderClan so she wouldn’t get homesick? No. That was stupid. Frostfeather didn’t know why they were sending her the visions, but she needed to figure it out.
Frostfeather took one more glance around the camp, making sure nothing was wrong, and closed her eyes, hoping what she was doing was right. She felt the tug of sleep pulling at her once more, and her world turned to darkness.
Frostfeather’s pads felt rock-hard after the day’s journey through the moorland. The Twolegplace was looming above her now, the muddy brown and red walls blearing Frostfeather’s vision and the acrid stench of the thunderpaths washing over her stenches, disorienting her for a few moments.
A large wall of wood stood in front of her, blocking her from the nests. She leapt on top, balancing precariously for a heartbeat, before jumping off the other side into the twolegplace.
Chapter 5[]
Frostfeather scrunched up her nose in disgust as she took in the twolegplace. Twoleg dens were lined up alongside each other, thunderpaths weaving around the dens. Luckily for Frostfeather, it was nighttime, so all the monsters were asleep.
Frostfeather slowly padded to the nearest den, contemplating if any cats that might help her lived there. The grass underpaw was a little too lush, a little too green. Frostfeather wondered if the Twolegs had done something to it.
Frostfeather tried to navigate the confusing twists and turns of the twolegplace and found herself at a dead end. It was almost too dark to see. She was surrounded by large stone walls. If she were attacked, she would be cornered. Then again, she hadn’t even seen any sign of any cats, so she probably wouldn’t be.
She had to think of that. Almost as if her thoughts brought it up, a large, scarred tom leapt in front of her, hissing menacingly. Three more shapes slid out of the shadows, and Frostfeather had to squint to see them in the dark.
“What are you doing in our alley?” The scarred tom asked.
Frostfeather fought down the urge to turn tail and run. She was a loner now. And loners were supposed to be tough. “Who decided it was your alley?” Frostfeather asked.
One of the other cats stepped up beside her companion, hissing softly. “You better watch your mouth, or you might find your tongue missing.”
Frostfeather let her hackles rise, preparing for a fight. She had received warrior training. These cats had not. Maybe that would count for something. But these cats outnumbered her, and they probably fought a lot. Frostfeather slid her claws out.
One of the other cats slunk forward, clucking her tongue. “There’s no need for that. We’ll take you to Seth ourselves, no fighting necessary.” She said.
Despite saying there wasn’t going to be a fight, all four rogues unsheathed their claws. The first tom rammed his shoulder into Frostfeather, making her stumble. The three other cats all took up sides around her and guided her away from what they called the alley.
They arrived at a large twoleg nest, and Frostfeather found herself backing away. “You live with twolegs?” Frostfeather asked.
Another tom glared at her with annoyance. “This den was abandoned long ago. And you better not mention twolegs around Seth.” He said.
Frostfeather kept herself from rolling her eyes. She didn’t know who Seth was, but it seemed like these cats worshipped him. But Frostfeather didn’t know if it was with love or fear.
One of the she-cats gave Frostfeather a large shove into the den, even darker than it was outside. Gleaming sets of eyes stared at Frostfeather from the shadows. There was no turning back now. Frostfeather stalked beside her escorts, her head and tail held high.
The cats leading her suddenly stopped, their structure rigid. A glowing pair of amber eyes greeted Frostfeather at a corner. “What do we have here?” A voice that must have come from the cat with the amber eyes asked.
Frostfeather looked at the cat coldly, not letting him intimidate her. “I’m Frostfeather.” She said. The cat let out a dry chuckle. “Of course, you’re a Clan cat.”
Frostfeather fluffed out her fur defensively. “How do you know about the Clans?”
The amber eyes narrowed. “I know everything that happens around us, no matter how far away.” He said.
Frostfeather wanted to ask more questions. That was what a Clan cat would do, and she wasn’t a Clan cat anymore. “Well I did live in the Clans, but I don’t anymore.”
“And why is that?” The voice said, sounding intrigued.
Frostfeather tried to think of a lie that would make the strange cat think about respecting her in the slightest. “They were too weak. Their stupid warrior code seems as if it was created by kits.” Frostfeather hissed.
“Interesting.” The tom said. “We might be able to use some cat like you…”
Frostfeather resisted the urge to claw the strange cats face off for even suggesting such a thing. But she knew that if she rejected him, she may not even be able to live another day. “Maybe I will join you.” Frostfeather said slyly.
The amber eyes suddenly had a glimmer of humor in them. “Oh, it’s not a choice.”
Chapter 6[]
Staring up at the small beam of sunlight that lit up the small portion of the abandoned twoleg nest, Frostfeather was comforted at the small amount of hope it had symbolized for her. That maybe she would be able to the the sky again. Maybe she could even see a forest again. Maybe she could escape with her life.
Frostfeather had been trapped in this filthy prison for at least a half-moon, and she was beginning to wonder if she would ever make it out. Every sunrise, a different rogue would bring her a piece of fresh-kill. They were the only other cats she was able to see. The fact that she had never seen the same rogue more than once was probably meant to intimidate her by the fact that this group had so many cats. Frostfeather didn’t let it.
She rolled onto her back, surveying the small space she had been occupying for so long. A small hole in the wall was constantly dripping out water in a small puddle on the floor for her to drink. The water tasted foul, but at least it kept her alive. Little patches of weeds had broken through the planks of wood on the floor, the only greenery the space had offered. Other than that, it was completely empty, save for the two cats keeping guard outside the small hole that was the entrance to the den.
Frostfeather rolled back onto her stomach, resting her head on her paws. The musty air had made Frostfeather constantly cough before, but she was beginning to get used to it. Frostfeather’s stomach churned, yearning for the small piece of food she was at least given to survive.
As if her stomach had summoned him, a small black rogue tom slithered out of the entrance, holding a small sparrow between his jaws. At least its actual fresh-kill this time.
Recently, the rogues had begun to feed Frostfeather twoleg rubbish they had scrounged from somewhere in the twolegplace. It tasted vile, but Frostfeather knew that she had to keep her strength up.
The black tom meekly placed the sparrow a good few tail-lengths away from Frostfeather, as if her starved state might actually beat the rogue. Sure, he was small, but Frostfeather could also see the toned muscles rippling along his fur. She inwardly shuddered to think of fighting against any of the rogues, especially with them fighting against her together.
Frostfeather did not show any weakness to the tom, though. Instead, she narrowed her eyes to slits, showing her teeth. “I assume you’re just gonna leave me here to rot like crow-food just like every other cat I’ve seen?” She hissed.
Frostfeather was not expecting an answer. Usually, the rogues would pretend she wasn’t even there. “Actually, I was going to take you to Seth.” He meowed calmly.
Frostfeather showed no hesitation as she got to her paws, which were cracked and dry. “Finally, a real audience with some cat.”
She had been hoping to talk to the cat that had locked her up in here, not caring about her well-being and ignoring her for half a moon. She had some choice words to share with him. She had figured out that the first cat that she had spoken to when she had first arrived at the nest must have been Seth. She had barely caught a glimpse of him through the dark, let alone had a full conversation with him, before she was bundled into the nearest trap like a prisoner, which she technically was.
Frostfeather followed the black tom out of the confined area, hoping he didn’t notice her wince as she walked on her dry, cracked paws. She followed him nose-to-tail-tip out of the space and gaped in shock at the amount of cats in the nest. They were everywhere, all practicing battle moves or bringing prey onto the obnoxiously huge fresh-kill pile, which was loaded with everything, from the juiciest mouse to the most disgusting-looking twoleg object.
No cat even cast her a glance as she followed the tom into a larger area, which was only occupied by three cats at the moment. The first was a russet-colored she-cat, who snarled at Frostfeather as she entered. The second was a dark brown tabby tom, who just gave Frostfeather an amused glance. Frostfeather’s breath caught as she recognized the third cat as Seth. He was a large, scarred dark-gray tom with a white tail-tip and white paws. His gleaming amber eyes narrowed in interest as the black rogue escorted her into the small den.
“Finally,” Seth meowed, “We can put this Clan cat to use.”
Chapter 7[]
“What do you mean?” Frostfeather asked nervously, but trying desperately not to show it.
Seth chuckled. “We have a system here.” He mewed, pausing for a moment to stare at Frostfeather with seriousness. “We are called the Allies. This is our city. If we see any cat on our territory, there will be consequences. You can either join us or die. It’s an easy choice.”
Frostfeather stared at Seth unflinchingly. “What stops me from leaving?” She asked.
Seth gave a pointed look at the small tom that had escorted her to his den. “You are kept under guard until you can be, well, trusted.” He said.
Seth had a soothing, melodic voice that made Frostfeather want to agree with every word that he said. She hated it. And she wouldn’t give in.
“When do you decide I can be trusted?” Frostfeather asked bitingly.
“You have mentors in the Clans, yes?” He asked. Seth didn’t answer Frostfeather’s question
Frostfeather didn’t answer. “I’ll repeat myself. When do you decide that I can be trusted?”
Before Frostfeather knew what was happening, a flash of pain was felt in her shoulder and she yowled in pain. She glanced at her long white fur to see a bloody scratch gouged deep into her skin. Frostfeather’s gaze swept over her companions, landing on the russet she-cat, who’s eyes were gleaming maliciously.
“That’s what happens when you don’t obey our leader, kitty.” The she-cat mewed slyly. “Don’t let it happen again.” She said with a lick at her bloody paw.
These cats don’t mess around. I didn’t even see her coming. Until I figure out a way to escape, I should probably comply.
Frostfeather turned back towards Seth, who looked indifferent. “Yes, we have mentors in the Clans.” She meowed.
Seth nodded. He probably already knew the answer. “We have a certain type of mentor here as well. They’re called Trainers. They train you to be one of us, and when I decide you can be a full Ally, then you lose your Trainer.” He meowed.
Frostfeather didn’t understand this situation at all, but she nodded curtly. “And when I do become one of you? Then what? I take even more cats hostage?” She asked.
Frostfeather couldn’t keep the disrespect from her tone. This time, she wasn’t surprised when the russet she-cat slashed at her again, this time near the eye. Before the she-cat’s claws could rake Frostfeather’s face, Frostfeather barreled into the other cat, causing her to lose balance. Frostfeather unsheathed her claws and held them very close to the she-cat’s eyes as she pinned her against the ground. “Try that again and it’ll be you who’s missing an eye.” Frostfeather growled.
Frostfeather was surprised that none of the russet cat’s companions had come to the she-cat’s aid. Maybe they didn’t care about protecting each other in the Allies.
“Get off of her.” The dark brown tabby tom said calmly. He looked as if he didn’t care whether or not the she-cat was injured, but decided to take an interest anyway.
Frostfeather glared at the tom. “Or what?” She asked. The tom didn’t look like a threat. She could probably take him down too.
Frostfeather decided not to underestimate any of the Allies. Before Frostfeather could react, the tom had pushed her off of the russet she-cat and pinned her to the ground as well. His long, hooked claws dug into Frostfeather’s fur. The russet she-cat pulled herself up, hardly winded, and snarled so close to Frostfeather’s face that she could smell crowfood on the other cat’s breath.
“Or every piece of fur on your pelt will be ripped off, one by one.” The she-cat snarled.
Frostfeather resisted the urge to roll her eyes. These cats were the definition of rogues. Rude, angry, and battle-hungry. “Fine. I get it. Now get your paws off of me.” Frostfeather mewed.
Once Frostfeather was back on her paws, she turned to Seth, who hadn’t moved a mouse-length. “Who will my Trainer be?” Frostfeather asked, hoping it was some cat weak enough for Frostfeather to escape from.
“Flash will be your Trainer.” Seth mewed.
“And that is?” Frostfeather mewed to Seth.
The dark brown tabby tom that had beaten her earlier stepped forward, amusement shining in his amber eyes. “That would be me.”
Chapter 8[]
Frostfeather trotted behind Flash as they exited the twolegplace, blinking at the harsh sunlight. She would have been happy to be outside again, but she was just as much trapped here as she was holed up in the den.
Flash didn’t even look back to see if Frostfeather was following him. Was he that confident in his abilities to catch her if she tried to escape?
“Where are we going?” Frostfeather asked.
Flash gave her a quick glance full of contempt. “We’re scavenging.” He meowed.
Frostfeather stopped in her tracks. “You want me to bury myself in rotting twoleg rubbish?”
Flash turned back to Frostfeather his amber eyes glinting. “If you want to be one of us, then you have to learn how to do it.” He meowed matter-of-factly.
Frostfeather shot him an icy glare. “I don’t want to be one of you. You’re holding me against my will, remember?”
“I thought you said you hated the warrior code?” He sneered.
Frostfeather narrowed her eyes. “I do.” That wasn’t a lie.
“But I don’t want to live here with you fox-hearted crowfood eaters either.” Also not a lie.
Flash glared at her, unsheathing his long claws. “Watch your mouth, little warrior.”
Frostfeather gulped, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she began to trot forward. Soon the stretch of grass that the two cats were standing on turned to hard stone, and the acrid stench of twolegs and monsters filled Frostfeather’s nose.
Flash led Frostfeather into a narrow alley, large, shiny twoleg bins overflowing with rubbish. “I am not eating from that.” Frostfeather meowed, recoiling in disgust.
Flash turned to Frostfeather, narrowing his eyes. “You don’t have a choice.”
Frostfeather stared back at Flash unflinchingly. “I could hunt like a regular cat.”
Flash shrugged, obviously too bored to finish the argument. Frostfeather’s fur bristling, she followed him up to the bins, the horrible smell growing even stronger. Flash leapt nimbly up to one of the bins, his broad head disappearing for a moment before reappearing with a pale, furless piece of what sort of looked like prey.
“What is that?” Frostfeather asked as Flash deposited the twoleg food at her paws.
Flash shrugged. “Food.” He answered. “Now eat.”
Frostfeather shot him a glare before leaning down in front of the food, tucking her paws under her belly. She hesitantly took a mouthful of the strange prey before chewing. It tasted kind of like bird, but with a more acrid stench that came from the twoleg bins. It wasn’t bad, but Frostfeather wouldn’t give Flash the satisfaction of seeing her enjoying what he gave her.
“Now go find something to bring back to the Allies.” Flash ordered.
Frostfeather got to her paws, giving a sharp glare to Flash before she leapt on top of one of the bins, balancing precariously on the side. Her gaze travelled around the bin until she noticed something with a smell similar to that of prey.
Frostfeather leaned down, grasping the meat between her jaws. She flinched at the smell of the rubbish around her before jumping down from the bin, dropping the meat at Flash’s paws.
Flash nodded stiffly. “What did you say your name was?”
Frostfeather bristled. “It’s Frostfeather.” She meowed.
Flash barked a laugh, and Frostfeather shot him a glare. “That is the stupidest name I’ve ever heard.” He meowed.
Frostfeather didn’t give him the satisfaction of answering. But his comment stung. She had worked hard to earn her warrior name, and she was quite proud of it.
Flash tilted his head, as though in thought. “I guess your name should be Frost then.”
Frostfeather whirled on the tom, hissing. “You will not change my name.” She growled.
Flash shrugged. “No one’s going to call you Frostfeather. In the Allies, you can only be called by a rogue name, to give us a sense of unity.”
Frostfeather padded off, not waiting for him to lead the way. She wouldn’t try to escape now, Flash would catch her or sure, and if he didn’t, Frostfeather would be caught by some other Ally. The city was crawling with them.
She wouldn’t let them change her name though. If she were to keep anything from her past life, it would be her name. After everything she had gone through as an apprentice, she had been overjoyed to receive the name Frostfeather. And the Allies weren’t going to take that away from her.
———————————————————————————————————————--------------------------------
Frostkit yawned, blearily opening her eyes. Rosekit was squealing in her ear.
“What?” Frostkit asked.
Rosekit bounced up and down on her paws. “Cloudkit and Mousekit agreed to play with us!” She squealed.
Frostkit immediately jumped to her paws. “What are we playing?”
Fennelkit scampered from the corner of the nursery, overhearing. “We’re gonna pretend ShadowClan is invading!” He squeaked.
Frostkit bounced up and down. “Can I be leader?” Rosekit curled her lip. “No way. I’m leader.”
Frostkit nodded. Frostkit was never leader when they played. “Then can I be deputy?”
Fennelkit shook his head. “I’m deputy, and Duskkit is a warrior. Cloudkit and Mousekit are the ShadowClan invaders.”
Frostkit tilted her head. “Then what am I?” Rosekit narrowed her eyes. “You're the medicine cat.” Frostkit stuck out her tongue. “Not again!” She complained.
Rosekit and Fennelkit didn’t answer, but scampered away from the nursery. Frostkit glared at Rosekit’s turned back, and padded after them.
Duskkit, Mousekit, and Cloudkit were waiting outside. Rosekit bounced up to them. “Okay, I’ll give you all warrior names.” She announced.
Frostkit puffed out her chest, hoping Rosekit would give her a good name. Rosekit started announcing the names. “Mousekit, you’re Mousefoot. Cloudkit, you can be Cloudpelt. Fennelkit is Fennelwhisker, and Duskkit is Dusktail. I’m Rosestar, obviously.” Rosekit turned to Frostkit, narrowing her eyes. “Frostkit, you can be Frostheart.” “What?” Frostkit exclaimed. “I don’t want to be called that! That’s about as good as calling me Foxheart!”
“Then it fits you well.” Rosekit snickered, Fennelkit and Duskkit breaking into laughter.
Frostkit glared at Rosekit. “Let’s just play, then.” She grumbled.
Cloudkit and Mousekit scampered away, Fennelkit, Duskkit, and Frostkit lining up in front of Rosekit. “ThunderClan!” Rosekit announced, standing as tall as she could. “ShadowClan is about to attack us. Fennelwhisker, you organize a battle stradegy. Dusktail, you scout out their invasion route. Frostheart, just stay out of the way.” Frostkit seethed. Then an idea popped into her mind. “I can fight too!” She anounced. “I trained as a warrior before I became medicine cat.”
Rosekit shot her a glare. “Your ruining the game, Frostheart.”
Frostkit couldn’t handle it anymore. She let out a yowl, flinging herself onto Rosekit. She unsheathed her claws, scratching her claws into Rosekit’s back.
Rosekit screeched in pain. “Mama!” She yowled into the nursery. “Frostkit’s attacking me!”
Frostkit scampered away, squeezing her eyes shut to hold back the tears.
Chapter 9[]
Frostfeather let out an angry hiss when Flash pushed her into a hole in the wall of the twoleg den. Is he going to let me rot in here?
Frostfeather squinted and let her eyes adjust to the dim light as she realized that she was trapped in a dimly lit smaller den. She reluctantly padded forward. She could make out the faint outlines of a few moving shapes around the den. Looks like I have denmates.
She walked forward, pelt prickling, and curled herself into a tiny ball in the corner of the den, squeezing her eyes shut to hope that none of the rogues would bother her. How did it come to this? I never thought this would be how I would be spending one of my first moons as a warrior. What did I do to deserve this? I just wanted to escape what they were doing to me. Why StarClan why?
“Hello?”
Frostfeather reluctantly opened one of her eyes, having had enough trouble for one day. She was usually prone to starting fights, but she wasn’t in the mood. She saw a small, short-furred gray-and-white she-cat standing in front of her, the she-cat’s whiskers twitching as though she were nervous.
“What do you want?” Frostfeather asked. “Are you here to force me to scavenge?” She asked, her tone biting on the last word.
The small she-cat shrunk under Frostfeather’s glare, her eyes widening. Frostfeather attempted to soften her gaze in order to seem more friendly. “Are you trapped here too?” Frostfeather meowed.
The she-cat nodded quickly. “I’ve been trapped here for more moons than I can count.” The she-cat’s voice cracked. “They usually let the new recruits go after they could be trusted and could provide for the group. But, I can’t really do that.”
Frostfeather rose her head and met the she-cat’s gaze. “How did you live alone without knowing how to hunt?”
The she-cat lowered her eyes, her right ear twitching. “I didn’t live alone.”
Frostfeather opened her mouth, but the she-cat silenced her with a flick of her tail. “Questions are dangerous.” The she-cat meowed. “If you want to stay alive, then you have to be compliant.”
Then I definetly won’t be able to survive.
“If you can’t help them, then why do they keep you here?” Frostfeather asked.
The she-cat shrugged. “It’s not important.” She said. The she-cat gave a quick glance behind her, as though asking permission from a cat that wasn’t there. “I’m Song.”
Frostfeather nodded, resting her head back on her paws. Song gave a quick wave of her tail as a goodbye and padded away. I don’t think the other cats will be as friendly as her.
Frostfeather let her thoughts wander to to the Clans, wondering if any cat missed her. Then she snorted. No one would miss me. I wasn’t exactly the most agreeable cat in the Clans.
Part of the reason Frostfeather had been mad at the Clan cats was that they were so closed-minded. She had heard that ThunderClan used to be welcoming to cats such as loners and kittypets. They were definetly not like that anymore.
No cat had ever welcomed Frostfeather. She had barely had any friends. And that wasn’t even the reason she had left. The Clans just didn’t believe in that anything was right besides the way that they lived. They thought that any cat that hadn’t followed Clan life was living their lives wrong. There had to be something better than living that way. Frostfeather had enjoyed so much of Clan life, like sharing tongues, and Gatherings. But she never had belonged. And what was wrong with leaving if she didn’t want to be there?
But all of that was worthless now. Frostfeather would likely die with the Allies. Until she would find a way to escape, which would likely never happen, she had to comply. Honeytail had once told Frostfeather that her tongue was as sharp as her mind. That may have been true, but Frostfeather had to bury that part of her so deeply down that the rogues would never think she was disloyal. Until she earns their trust, she would have to become a different cat entirely. She would have to be Frost.
Chapter 10[]
“Please let me go!” The tom begged, blood running down from the long scratch Frost had inflicted above his eyes.
Frost gave a short hiss, feeling a small bit of satisfaction as she heard the tom whimper in fear. “You’re not going anywhere until Seth makes you answer for your crimes.” She growled.
Frost dug her claws in harder into the toms chest. He was pinned to the ground, but she wouldn’t give him any room to squirm. He was a small, scrawny thing, but Seth didn’t underestimate any cat. Not even scraggly scavengers like this cat.
The tom winced as blood from the wounds Frost had just dug welled up in his short light gray fur. His eyes were interesting, though. One was green while the other was blue, making him appear more mysterious than a regular stray.
Flash appeared next to Frost, leaning in close enough to the injured tom for Frost to smell the crowfood on Flash’s breath. “You got that?” Flash hissed.
The tom let out a strangled breath. “What did I do?”
Gleam, a silver tabby she-cat that had arrived in the Allies just a moon before Frost had, gave the tom a sharp glare. “All you had to do was be in our city without Seth’s permission, and that’s enough to make him angry at you.” Gleam meowed, a hint of pride in her tone.
Frost didn’t much like the silver tabby. Gleam had been flirting with Seth almost every time she was around him, and it was enough to make Frost gag. Why would any cat want to be with that vile rogue? Frost pushed the thought away. She had a job to do.
Frost hauled the tom up, her claws, which had grown long and curled in her time with the Allies, still entangled in his matted fur. He found his footing, stumbling from the blood pouring from his chest and onto his paws. His blood pooled on the hard, black pavement of the Thunderpath. Frost had long since left her fear of Thunderpaths behind, considering that in this city, monsters rarely were awake at night.
The tom’s eyes weren’t filled with rage, but with fear as he stared up at Frost. She felt a small bit of pity for the cat.
You aren’t allowed to feel right now. Later, when you’re alone, you can feel sorry for him. But not now. Never around these cats.
Frost pushed the emotion down deep into her soul, along with the other emotions she had begun to store there in her time with the Allies. Frost gave a menacing hiss at the tom, as if to remind him—and herself—that she didn’t feel weakness.
Frost, Gleam, and Flash led the rogue through the twisted and winding alleys of the city, which Frost had almost fully learned to navigate, along with learning how to withstand the harsh fumes of the monsters of the city and the Thunderpaths.
What a twisted patrol we are. Except, instead of keeping cats away from our borders, we’re forcing them to stay within them.
Just like what Seth had told Frost when she had first arrived, no cat left the city without his permission. Every cat that wasn’t part of the Allies Frost had met thus far had either been a kittypet or had been dragged to the Allies and had become a part of them or died. Seth wasn’t wrong about that either. You either live as an Ally, or die by the claws of one.
“What’s your name?” Frost asked the tom.
She needed to keep a mental record of all the cats she had captured. Because when she escaped from the Allies, she would rescue them as well. She didn’t want to be the reason for any cats’ imprisonment.
“My name is Mask.” The tom meowed, his voice still shaking.
“Mask?” Gleam sneered. “That’s a stupid name.”
Frost gave a side-eyed glare at Gleam, one that Gleam wouldn’t notice. Gleam thought the name Frostfeather was stupid too. Calling herself Frost had shut Gleam up. But, the reason for Frost renaming herself wasn’t because she was being made fun of. If she wanted these cats to trust her, she had to fit in.
They finally arrived at the Allies’ den, the wood on the walls of the nest covered in twisted ivy. Shadows weaved around the den, and the night air was chilly through Frost’s thick pelt. All three cats surrounded Mask, guiding him into the den and to Seth’s corner of the den.
Most cats were asleep, but the ones that were awake only gave curious glances at Mask before going back to whatever they were doing. They knew what was going on. It was nothing new.
Flash, Gleam, and Frost pushed Mask into Seth’s den, which already had enough Allies guarding it, and began to pad away. Frost knew better than to stay. She didn’t like to see innocent cats die.
Gleam padded away to her nest, which was tucked just near the entrance to the den, where it was coldest. All the newest fully-trained Allies had to sleep in the worst places. That was just how it worked.
Flash guided Frost back to the small room she had been staying in with the other Trainees. Frost gave a small, unhidden glare at him. All Trainees had to have an escort everywhere they went, even if they had been with the Allies for six moons like Frost had.
Before Frost disappeared into the shadows of the Trainee Den, Flash began to speak. “Are you ready for your Ranking?”
Frost gave a small nod. “Of course. I’m ready to become a full Ally.”
Chapter 11[]
Frost woke up to a paw prodding into her side, claws slightly unsheathed. She gave a small yelp, her eyes shooting open. Fang, the russet-colored she-cat that Frost had first encountered when joining the Allies, was sitting in frost of Frost with a malicious gleam in her amber eyes.
Fang swiped her russet paw over one of her ears, a small drop of blood dripping from her unsheathed claws. Frost glanced down at her belly to see a scratch dripping with blood originating from where Fang had prodded her.
Frost hissed. “Is that how you wake every cat up?”
“No. Just you.” Fang meowed smugly.
Frost rolled her eyes before pushing herself to her paws. She gave a disapproving glance at the scratch running along her usually pristine white fur. “Can you give me a moment to clean myself off?” Frost asked bitingly.
Fang shot a glare at Frost before padding away from her nest. Frost gave a few swift licks to the scratch, the salty tang of blood piercing her tongue. She began to walk over to the entrance of the den, grateful this was the last time she would be confined to the dark shadows of this den.
“Good luck!”
Frost whipped her head around, letting out a small sigh of relief when she saw Song briskly making her way over to her. Frost wanted to meet the kind gray-and-white she-cat with friendliness before realizing she had to act cruel to Song like the other rogues did.
Frost let out a hiss, trying not the cringe when she saw Song shrink in fear. “What do you want?” Frost snapped.
Song’s eyes glistened with fear. “I thought we were friends…” Song murmured.
“Well you were wrong. I don’t know why every cat here treats you like crowfood, but there must be a reason. So I won’t be the only cat to show kindness when you obviously deserve to be scorned.”
Song’s eyes hardened. “Well then I guess you aren’t the cat I thought you were.” She meowed. Song padded away back into the darkness, her long tail swishing behind her.
Please forgive me Song… You were my one true friend in the StarClan-forsaken place. I just need to earn their trust so I can escape.
Frost allowed her long fur to lie flat on her back, calming herself down for the Trials. The Trials happened each moon, with all the fully-trained Trainees competing against higher ranking members for spots to be a full member of the Allies. If a cat was already a member, they can challenge others for their rank. From what Frost had seen, Fang and Flash were often challenged for being Seth’s Seconds, the second highest ranking cats in the Allies. They hadn’t been defeated yet.
She padded out of the shelter of the room, growing nervous when she saw the swarm of cats in the Main Chamber. She had never liked seeing as many cats as there were at Gatherings, but there were at least twice as many here. She shrunk in her pelt, cautiously making her way through the throng of cats.
She paused in the middle of the cats, careful not to draw too much attention to herself. Frost knew that she could win this battle easily. In the moons she had been training with Flash, Frost had held back her true knowledge of battle. Flash and the other Allies didn’t know what she was truly capable of. That would give her an advantage.
“Allies!” A voice rang out from the edge of the den.
Frost’s head swiveled to the small ledge that Seth usually addressed the Allies. “It’s time for the Trials to begin!” He announced.
An arousing, ear-splitting cheer rose up from the cats around Frost. She had to fight back the urge to flatten her ears to the back of her head so that she could drown out the noise. Soon every cat had moved back to leave enough room in the Main Chamber for the Trials to take place.
Frost searched the crowd for her Trainer. She had to be with Flash when the ceremonies began. She finally spotted the dark brown tabby near the other side of the den. Frost weaved her way throughout the other cats before she sat herself next to him.
“Remember, you have to choose a cat that you know you can beat.” Flash murmured to her.
You think?
Seth gave a yowl to silence the cats below. “Who are our Trainees ready to prove themselves?”
“I have Frost, Blitzen has Carol, and Snap has Twist.” Flash announced.
Seth narrowed his blazing amber eyes. “Excellent. Now who wants to go first?”
Chapter 12[]
“I’ll go first!”
Frost stretched her neck in an attempt to see who had spoken, her paws prickling in anticipation. On the other side of the Main Chamber, a pale yellow tabby tom appeared from the crowd. He didn’t look nervous in the least, which made Frost wonder if he was being brave or just plain mouse-brained.
The tom padded to the center of the room, his green eyes gleaming in excitement. A brown-and-white she-cat trotted from behind the tom, her tail held high. Frost watched as the traditional ceremony for the releasing took place.
“I, Snap, hereby release my Trainee, Twist, and leave him at the mercy of the Trials. If Twist is to fail, I will have no remorse about what must be done. If Twist is to succeed, he will be given his Ranking and be known as a full member of the Allies.” The she-cat announced.
Frost pushed herself to the front of the crowd in order to have a good view of what was about to take place. Flash followed her, cats parting for him as he walked forward. He stopped behind Frost, giving a small snicker at the yellow tom standing in the center of the Battle Ground.
“He won’t make it through, by the looks of him during training.” Flash whispered into her ear.
Frost narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Twist. He looked like he would have made a fine Clan warrior, if you had never seen him fight. During training, most cats had to hold back their laughter when watching him. The worst part was that he didn’t even know how bad he was.
Frost gave a quick nod to her Trainer, turning her gaze back to the Battle Ground. Snap and Twist faced each other, Twist bowing his head to his mentor. Snap gave a quick nod to Twist before disappearing into the crowd of cats. Twist raised his head, turning as he surveyed the crowd.
Seth sat down from atop his ledge, beginning to address Twist. “Who do you wish to challenge?” Seth asked.
Twist finally rested his gaze on a dark ginger tom near the edge of the crowd. “I challenge Growl for the Rank of Fighter.”
This tom is an idiot.
There were four ranks among the members of the Allies, excluding Seth’s Seconds. The order being Scavengers, Guarders, Hunters, and Fighters. A Fighter was the highest rank, and a Scavenger was the lowest. Twist had made a mouse-brained mistake in challenging a Fighter. He would be torn to pieces.
Growl stalked from the crowd, his tail lashing back and forth and his long, hooked claws unsheathing. The ginger tom was large and muscular, making Twist look like a mouse in comparison. Growl stopped in front of Twist, a grimace contorting his lips.
“You sure you want to do this?” Growl challenged the yellow tabby.
Twist slipped into a battle crouch. “Absolutely.”
Frost wanted to avert her gaze from the Battle Ground, which would surely become a blood-bath in a matter of moments. Instead, she lifted her head, keeping her gaze trained on the two cats in the Battle Ground.
“Begin.” Seth announced from his position above.
Twist wasted no time, leaping at Growl immediately. Twist missed by a tail-length, losing his footing for a moment before pushing himself to his paws and stalking Growl. Growl made no move to fight back, sitting on his haunches and curling his neatly groomed red-striped tail at his paws.
Twist leaped forward, attempting to slash at Growl with his unsheathed claws. Twist may have given Growl a scratch if Growl hadn’t attempted that move already. As Twist lunged for Growl, Growl lashed out a russet paw, hooking Twist’s paw in his grasp and digging his claws into Twist’s flesh. Growl pounced, bowling over the yellow tabby with ease and pinning him to the ground.
Twist made fruitless efforts to struggle, his movements weakening with every heartbeat. Growl didn’t move, keeping his sharp claws firmly embedded in Twist’s chest. Blood began to poor from a gash in Twist’s paw, pooling on the ground.
Frost barely controlled her cringe as Twist stared up at Growl with pitiful eyes. “I surrender.” He whispered.
That fight barely took three heartbeats.
Seth’s voice boomed from his place on the ledge. “Twist, you have failed the Allies.”
With one swipe of Growl’s claws, Twist was gone. Frost stared in horror at the pale yellow tom’s body laying broken and defeated on the Battle Ground. His neck was split open by Growl’s claws, quickly soaking his fur in blood.
Two Scavengers swiftly lifted Twist’s body from the ground, carrying him away from the Main Chamber. Frost dared a quick glance at Snap from the corner of the Main Chamber, not looking remorseful in the slightest at the death of her Trainee.
A brown tabby she-cat Frost recognized as Carol trotted from the crowd, stopping amidst the pool of blood in the center of the Battle Ground, not at all horrified by what had just taken place.
Carol had been a kittypet before becoming a Trainee. The Allies usually stayed away from the kitty pets amid the twolegplace, no harming them unless need be. The Allies didn’t like to anger the twolegs by hurting their pets. But Carol had actually come to the Allies herself, telling them she wished to train. She had proved to be skillful at hunting and battle, and Frost predicted she would earn her Ranking this Trials if she chose the right cat to battle.
The black-and-white tom known as Blitzen, who was Carol’s Trainer, joined her in the Battle Ground and began the ceremony.
“I, Blitzen, hereby release my Trainee, Carol, and leave her at the mercy of the Trials. If Carol is to fail, I will have no remorse about what must be done. If Carol is to succeed, she will be given her Ranking and be known as a full member of the Allies.” Blitzen declared.
Carol challenged a small tom known as Starling, a Guarder. She won the battle easily, ending it with her paw pressed firmly against Starling’s tawny throat. Starling glared up at her with rage, surely embarrassed he had been beaten by a former kittypet.
Carol released Starling, the tom getting to his paws. Seth gave a small nod at the she-cat, a glint of approval in his eyes. “Carol, you have beaten the Guarder Starling. As of now, you earn your Ranking as Guarder in Starling’s place, and we welcome you as a full member of the Allies.” Seth announced.
A cheer rose up from the cats around Frost, surely pleased that they were about to see Starling’s Demotion.
“Starling,” Seth began, “You have been beaten in battle by Carol, and have lost your Rank as Guarder. You have been Demoted to Scavenger.”
Starling gave a quick dip of his head to the leader and disappeared back into the crowd. Carol gave a swift lick to her brown paw and trotted away, her tail raised high,
Frost felt a jolt of nervousness pulsing through her as she realized that she was next. The feeling was quickly swept away and replaced with an eery calm. She had been training for battle her entire life, as a Clan cat and as a Trainee. She could easily win this.
Frost began to walk forward into the Battle Ground, her white paws getting slightly blood-stained as she padded towards the middle. She felt the entire crowd train their eyes on her, anticipating what she will do next. Flash followed, his dark brown tabby pelt freshly groomed and gleaming, even in the shadows.
“I, Flash, hereby release my Trainee, Frost, and leave her at the mercy of the Trials. If Frost is to fail, I will have no remorse about what must be done. If Frost is to succeed, she will be given her Ranking and be known as a full member of the Allies.” Flash meowed calmly, his voice projecting clearly in the den.
Frost sat down, curling her fluffy white tail around her paws.
“Who do you wish to challenge?” Seth asked.
Frost didn’t have to search the crowd for who she wanted to challenge. She had known who she had wanted to fight for quite a while now.
“I challenge Gleam for the Rank of Scavenger.”
Chapter 13[]
Frost’s eyes narrowed as Gleam padded from the throng of cats, her silver tabby pelt gleaming and her long, fluffy tail swishing lazily behind her. She padded up to Frost, her green eyes narrowing in amusement.
“You really think you can beat me?” Gleam drawled.
Frost hid her smirk. “I do.” She meowed simply.
Frost pushed herself to her paws, immediately sliding into a battle crouch. She could see from the corner of her vision Seth standing up from his pedestal in the corner of the room. “Begin.” Seth announced.
Frost flexed her claws in and out, noticing every movement Gleam made from across the Battle Ground. Gleam slowly slunk forward, eyes glittering in excitement. The silver tabby’s paw steps were light as she swiftly made her way to Frost.
Unsheathing her claws, Frost pounced mid-crouch and met Gleam midway across the Battle Ground, the two she-cats clashing together in a fury of claws and teeth.
Frost dug her claws into Gleam’s shoulders, holding the tabby against the ground so she couldn’t move. She raked her claws along Gleam’s back, hearing Gleam’s howls split the air. She paused for a moment, not wanting to injure Gleam that badly. That was her first mistake.
As soon as Frost hesitated, Gleam swiped her paw upwards, faster than an adder, and hooked her claws into Frost’s leg. Frost felt herself being thrust off of the silver tabby’s back and she hit the dusty ground with a hard thump.
Dust clouded around Frost until the only thing she could see in front of her was Gleam’s shape looming above Frost’s face. Blood dripped into Frost’s fur from the wounds she had inflicted on Gleam’s back, soaking the ground below her. Frost’s snowy-white fur was splayed out in all directions on the ground, sticking out in clumps by the wet blood running through it.
Frost tried to roll away from the silver tabby, but she was kept in place as Gleam pushed her unsheathed claws into Frost’s chest, making her howl in agony. Dust thinning so Frost could make out the cats clustered around the Training Ground, Frost could make out Flash’s disappointed look from the outskirts of the crowd.
Gleam’s claws still hooked into Frost’s fur, blood trickling from the wound, Frost could barely breathe. Her breaths came in short gasps, and her breathing was raspy. Gleam pushed harder, and Frost let out a yowl of pain. Gleam’s eyes gleamed maliciously, looking fairly pleased with her work.
Frost’s thoughts flitted back to one of her earliest training sessions as an apprentice, when she had just begun to learn how to fight. Her mentor, Russetstem, had never liked her, but had taught her the most fearsome battle techniques all the same. Russetstem had always said that an enemy that believed they were winning was the weakest opponent, because it meant they were underestimating their foe.
Frost squeezed her eyes shut, letting out an even louder screech to feint fear. She slid her eyes slightly open, delighted to see Gleam loosening her grip on her fur. As soon as Gleam glanced to the side, probably looking for Seth’s approval, Frost kicked her legs upward hard into Gleam’s belly.
Gleam’s claws ripped a wad of fluffy white fur away from Frost’s chest as she staggered backward, losing her grip on Frost. The tabby glared at Frost, sliding back into a battle crouch. Frost wasted no time in getting to her paws, holding back the wince of pain she felt in her chest where her wounds were.
Blood splattered on the ground, not giving Frost enough time to worry about it before Gleam shot herself onto her. Frost grappled with the other she-cat, digging her claws into Gleam’s shoulders. Frost gave Gleam one more shove so the silver tabby’s claws lost their hold on Frost and Gleam fell onto her back.
Frost slowly padded towards Gleam, watching Gleam’s chest rise and fall, shuddering. What a drama queen.
Frost leered over Gleam, watching Gleam’s face contort in a snarl. Frost looked over her shoulder, seeing Seth get to his paws, his blazing amber eyes narrowing in interest.
“Do you choose mercy, or death?” Seth asked.
Frost stared down at Gleam’s eyes, now glimmering in fear. Frost let all her doubt, her fear, everything, trickle down so deep into her heart that she was afraid she could never reach it again. But it didn’t matter. Because living with these heartless rogues, all that mattered was to survive survive survive.
So she slashed Gleam’s throat.