The days will have no sun and the nights will have no moon; only a sea of sin and demons will remain.
Baised on Erin Hunter's Warriors books, I bring to you Warriors: Scarclaw's Story. In this story we will discover the tragic past of Scarclaw and walk in her pawsteps through the journey that Starclan prophesized...
Warriors books (c) Erin Hunter
Warriors: Scarclaw's Story & All characters (c) Toumoku
“The Clan doesn’t like Wildheart’s stay here…” Cloudstar’s voice was low.
“I know… There’s more you want to say, though.” Sandtail answered after a slight pause.
“I’m fearing how close they are becoming …” The calico tom turned to look the cream and tan she-cat in the eyes. Cloudstar’s green eyes were clouded with pity and pain for his youngest warrior and it was all too obvious to Sandtail that she too was thinking the same thing as her leader. A shiver ran through her pelt, tabby stripes now fluffed out in worry.
“If she falls in love with Wildheart we could loose one of our strongest warriors to WindClan…”
“Cloudstar-“
“Scarclaw would never leave ThunderClan!” A new voice hissed and the two cats turned to see Rainfoot glaring at them; her blue eyes cold and hard as ice. “Appleblossom was my apprentice and Scarclaw’s mentor; she has learned that her first loyalty lies with her Clan!” Rainfoot’s voice was as cold as her eyes. She had to dig her claws into the stone on the cave floor as too keep from batting her leader and medicine cat over the ears. When neither of the two cats said anything, she continued to speak through grinding teeth.
“What do you think Appleblossom, Oakleaf, and Dappleflower are thinking right now? You, calling their kit and apprentice a traitor to the warrior code!!” Rainfoot’s voice was challenging as her fur stuck up on end. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and dashed from Cloudstar’s den.
The two cats stared after Rainfoot. ‘She was right,’ Sandtail realized with a sickening jolt in her stomach ‘We were challenging Scarclaw’s loyalty…’
The fur bristled on Cloudstar’s shoulders as Rainfoot’s words set in. His blood turned hot with fury and his muscles tensed, his eyes clouded with pain.
“Dismissed.” He growled, turning stiffly to his nest of moss.
Sandtail left at the sound of his aggravated command, her tail skimming just above the stone path to her den. ‘StarClan help her…’ She prayed silently as she slipped into the crack in the rock, curling into her bedding.
“Scarclaw!” Sandtail yowled after the newly appointed warrior as she bolted down the path to the floor or the ravine.
“I’m going to see my friends!” Scarclaw called over her shoulder, running as fast as her wounded body would let her.
Sandtail let out a sigh, her yellow eyes watching thoughtfully as Scarclaw dash towards the Clan. She turned, slipping into the shadows of her cave. As she ran through the crowd, the cats part to let her through, all of them wearing disgusted and sympathetic faces. A few kits squealed with pure terror, hiding behind their mother. Scarclaw took no notice.
“Scarclaw! Scarclaw!” Wildeyes, Spottedclaw, and Mudclaw were the first three cats to reach their friend, followed by Leopardpelt and Mosswhisker. They hovered around Scarclaw, smothering her with congratulations. A little ways behind them, a red-brown tom sat, his blue-green eyes watching them carefully. Minutes later and Cloudstar came over to the group of young she-cats.
”Scarclaw,” He said, his voice clear and strong, “I need to talk to you alone.” The orange tabby quickly looked up, along with the other warriors.
“Bye.” Spottedclaw and Wildeyes meowed, echoed by Leopardpelt and Mosswhisker.
“See you later, Scarclaw!” Mudclaw called over her shoulder as the group of them headed to the warrior’s den. Cloudstar waited until they were inside the warrior’s den before he spoke again.
“You sit vigil alone tonight. I’m keeping Rainfoot on watch at Highledge, incase you have any trouble.” He said, watching as a shiver ran through her pelt.
“Thank you, Cloudstar,” Scarclaw said, flicking her ears, “But I don’t think Rainfoot’s watch will be necessary.” Cloudstar studied Scarclaw carefully. His green eyes held her brown one, locked in a wordless debate. Finally he flicked his tail.
“Alright, Scarclaw, I trust you to watch over the Clan.” Scarclaw’s tail curled up into the air.
“Thank you, Cloudstar. You won’t regret it.” Her answer was strong and Cloudstar knew she was right. He stood, strong muscles making his calico pelt ripple in the twilight sun.
“May Starclan watch over you tonight,” He meowed softly, turning back to his newest warrior. “Grab yourself some fresh-kill while you can.” Scarclaw nodded to signal that she understood and limped towards the fresh-kill pile. The red-brown tom took his chance, slinking after her as soon as Cloudstar was gone.
Scarclaw choose a sparrow and a mouse out of the fresh-kill pile, her stomach growling angrily. She turned to take position in the middle of the clearing, bumping into warm fur. With a surprised squeak, she stepped backwards, looking up at the cat she walking in too. It was the red-brown tom. He was standing over her, looking down on her with piercing blue-green eyes.
“Sawreh” Scarclaw said around her fresh-kill, flattening her ears as the silence thickened.
“What happened to you back in the forest?” He asked, his voice making her jump. He had a kind voice, but she wasn’t expecting it from this cat she didn’t know. Scarclaw set down her fresh-kill, her pelt prickling, and looked at the warrior in front of her.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
“What happened to you back in the forest?” He repeated, his gaze burning into hers.
Scarclaw blinked her good eye; her bad eye tingled with faint pain.
“Who are you?” She asked, staring at him in wonder.
“Wildheart, from Wind Clan.” He answered quickly, repeating his question for a third time, “What happened to you in the forest?”
”You have a lot of patience…” Scarclaw sighed, sitting down, her legs were starting to hurt too “Why do you want to know?”
“The cat who saved you deserves an explanation, don’t you think?” He said coolly.
Scarclaw’s felt as if some cat had pushed her into the lake during leaf-bare. Her paws shook and she felt strangely empty. This was the cat that saved her? Wildheart, Wildheart from Wind Clan. She was swimming through her memory. There was blood, death, fighting, and then it went black… She shivered letting out a faint hiss.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!” Cloudstar’s caterwaul rang out over the camp. Sandtail’s fur fluffed out and she hissed angrily.
“Does he not understand tha-?” She started to say, biting back the rest of her sentence.
“Understand what?” A scratchy voice asked from her bedding of moss a little ways from Sandtail.
“Never mind that, Orangepaw, we have to get you to that clan meeting!” Sandtail’s yellow eyes softened as she looked at Orangepaw. The poor little apprentice was in the medicine cat’s den for a horrific reason, and as Sandtail watched the little orange tabby heave herself to her paws a pang of guilt swept through her.
Orangepaw managed to get on her paws, grinning determinedly at Sandtail. Carefully stepping one paw in front of the next, she padded to Sandtail’s side.
“Be easy on yourself,” Sandtail meowed, quickly examining the little cat’s left eye, “We don’t need you getting hurt anymore than you already are.” As Orangepaw nodded, walking out onto the path out of the den, Sandtail looked over her wounds. She had clumps of fur and flesh missing on her flanks, her left eye was a huge gash and she held it tightly shut, she limped heavily on her right hind-leg, and had plenty of bite marks on her left fore-leg; but despite all her injuries, her tabby pelt still glowed. With a sigh Sandtail padded after Orangepaw, getting there just in time to help her from falling off the ledge-side.
At the base of Highledge the whole of Thunderclan was assembled. All eyes were pulled from where Cloudstar stood to look at Orangepaw. Feeling the eyes of the clan on her, Orangepaw’s pelt tingled uneasily. She looked at the ground, as not to catch any of the wide-eyed and horrified gazes from her clanmates. Beside her, Sandtail felt all their stares burning into Orangepaw. Her tail fluffing out to ten times its normal size, she turned towards the clan and hissed. The group of cats nearest to the medicine cat flinched, taking a few pawsteps backs. Sandtail growled something under her breath.
Rainfoot, who stood perched on a ledge a little farther down than Cloudstar, flicked her tail to Sandtail and Orangepaw, beckoning them to come sit with her. Sandtail, putting herself between Orangepaw and the alarmed stares of the clan, lead the way to where Rainfoot sat.
Orangepaw looked to each side of where she sat through her good eye. To her left sat Sandtail, glaring out at the clan below them, and to her right Rainfoot, her white chest puffed out proudly. Cloudstar raised his voice, “I, Cloudstar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard and long to learn the ways of the warrior code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” He paused, looking down at Orangepaw with affection and sympathy glowing in his green eyes. “Orangepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan at the cost of your life?”
Orangepaw turned around, staring wide-eyed at Cloudstar. She glanced from Cloudstar to Rainfoot and then to Sandtail. She looked back at Cloudstar in time to see him jump to the lower ledge next to her. In the background were the shocked gasps from the clan and rumble of uneasy mumbles. “Well, Orangepaw?” He asked, smiling at her surprised face.
“I-I” She cleared her throat and, with an encouraging brush of Rainfoot’s tail-tip on her shoulder, boldly declared, “I do!”
Cloudstar, still smiling, continued the ceremony, “Then by the power of Starclan, I give you your warrior name: Orangepaw, from this day forward you will be known as Scarclaw. Starclan honors your courage, determination, and nobility, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan.”
As Cloudstar finished, a rain of cheering fell upon Scarclaw. Her closest friends were yelling her new name to Starclan: “Scarclaw! Scarclaw! Scarclaw!” But there was the low static of uneasiness that disturbed her friend’s exclamations. Scarclaw’s pelt tingled, her good eye filling with held-back tears.
THUNDERCLAN
Leader:
CloudStar- Calico tom with green eyes
Deputy:
Rainfoot- Grey she-cat with white paws
Medicine Cat:
Sandtail- Cream and tan she-cat with yellow eyes
Warriors:
Windrunner- White tom with grey eyes
Sparrowflight- Dark tom with yellow eyes
Nightcloud- Black and grey tom with amber eyes
Mosswhisker- Brown tabby she-cat with white belly and paws with green eyes
Mudclaw- Tan she-cat with brown paws and tail-tip, with white spot, with blue eyes
Wildeyes- Blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes
Spottedclaw- Calico she-cat with blue eyes
Leopardpelt- Tan she-cat with a brown paw and brown eyes
Scarclaw- Orange she-cat with scar on her left eye and kick in right ear with brown eyes
Aprentices:
Goldenpaw- Sandy tabby tom with white belly and yellow eyes
Spottedpaw- Grey she-cat with spots
Wildpaw- Light brown tom with grey eyes
WINDCLAN
Leader:
Silverstar- Light-grey she-cat with yellow eyes
Deputy:
Eagletalon- Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Warriors:
Wildheart- Red-brown tom with blue eyes
End
