The Stepping Stones part I

Shadowstar loathed waiting and patience was not her strong point.

But nevertheless she found herself waiting for an hour; perched on the Mainland side of the bank with owl cries ringing through her ears and the hostile scent of TangleClan cats drifting by on the
ice-cold breeze shrouded in dark, sinister mists.

Winter was coming soon, the black and white she-cat mused mentally.

Most of the birds had flown away to warmer places.

Prey has already begun hiding in their hollows.

Nights were longer, and morning skies redder.

Goldenbranch had even told her she had seen snow-clouds drifting by.

And of course there was that spine-chilling wind.

And that eerie sound like someone calling my name, Shadowstar thought to herself.

"Shadowflower.." The eerie sound whispered eerily.

A shape formed in the mist, sauntering towards her. Shadowstar held her breath.

But then had a sudden realization. She narrowed her eyes and said coldly,

"My name is Shadowstar, oh high Shadestar, as appointed to me by StarClan at StarGlen.
Speak to me, if you can, instead of all this skulking around in the fog trying fruitlessly to frighten me."

Shadestar's honey-and-poison laugh resounded from the fog and she strolled out into the moonlight towards the IslandClan leader. Her whisper was heard only by Shadowstar, despite the numberless hordes of TangleClan cats secretly hidden in the shadows.

"Ohh little sister, you don't have to prove anything to me. I'll always know you're weak until the day you die by my paw."

"If anyone dies today, it will be you, traitor." Shadowstar unsheathed her claws and took her stance.

A hawk cried overhead.

 

 

"You don't want to do that, Shadowflower." Shadestar smiled. At the flick of the TangleClan leader's tail, Shadowstar was surrounded by a horde of her sister's minions, all ready for battle.


"Forward. We're going back to the camp. Wouldn't you like that, Shadowflower? A visit to the TangleClan camp."

***

To be continued...

"Let All Cats Old Enough To Catch Their Own Prey Join Here For a Clan Meeting!"

 Yowled the black-and-white IslandClan leader. Four cats stood behind her with nervous looks on their faces.

"Today we shall be welcoming four new Clanmates into IslandClan; Flora, Eagle, Vixi, and Blaze - all rougues who want to join us.'

Shadowstar turned sharply to face a grey-and-orange tabby tom, 'Blaze, do you promise to uphold the Warrior code and protect your Clan even at the cost of your life?'

"I do." Blaze replied without wavering.

"Then from this day forward you shall be known as Firestorm for your pelt mottled with fire and storm. StarClan acknowledges your bravery for joining us.' Shadowstar whirled back the her Clanmates below.

'There are two young cats who are the right age for apprenticeship.'

The Leader's gaze rested on Lionheart.

'Lionheart, I know you shall be a strong mentor for Flora. Flora, from this day until your Warrior Ceremony you will be known as Flowerpaw.'

Mentor and Apprentice touched noses.

'Streamcloud, you have not yet had an apprentice. I hope you will pass everything you know to Eagle.'

Shadowstar briefly smiled at her daughter and then turned to Eagle.

'Young one, from this day until your Warrior Ceremony you will be known as Eaglepaw.'

Eaglepaw and Streamcloud did likewise as Flowerpaw and Lionheart, and Shadowstar continued, her gaze softening as she faced a small calico kit.

'Last but not least, Vixi also wishes to join. Vixi, from this day until your Apprentice Ceremony you will be known as Fox-kit. Fawnstream has her paws full at this time, but you are past the age of needing milk - so I will take care of you until you are apprenticed.

Meeting Dismissed.'

-Continue with Roleplay-

Unexpected Visitors Part II - Hollypaw's Betayal Part II

Here's a little Flashback of what happened last:
Lionheart narrowed his eyes. "It's Lionheart," he growled, just as a ray of light caught his golden pelt, proving he was indeed Lionheart, "and I'm afraid Shadowstar isn't here right now.
He was careful to give nothing more away. He lifted his head. "Come any further without a reason, and you'll find me as your opponent in battle," he warned.
 

 Shadestar smiled her poison-like smile and mewed dramatically, stepping one one small pawlength forward.

"Oh, I'm sure you hurt an innocent, defenceless she-cat like me would you..?'

Then she yawned and leaned to one side, and mewed, 'Anyway, about business; Since my dear sister isn't home right now I'll have you take a message."

 

Lionheart growled, but let her continue.

 

"Tell Shadowstar this is her last chance, and to tell her to meet me at the Stepping Stones. She'll know what I mean."

 

Before Lionheart could reply, Shadestar had disappeared.

 

^^

There was no moon this night, and a unsettling cloudy mist had arisen from some dark hovel to stir the minds of small kits, send a shiver down the bravest of Warrior's spine, and set an unwanted sense of  evil throughout the territory of the Island cats. Darkness engulfed the night like some beast come to swallow the whole Clan.

Hollypaw looked over her shoulder for the seventh time as she cantered through IslandClan Territory.

She cursed angrily at herself. No one could have followed you, dimwit. No one saw you exiting the Camp, not even the mouse-brained guards, she thought.
The Waterfall pool. That's Where I'm to meet up with-

An overhead-owl's eerie screech disrupted Hollypaw's chain of thought. She shivered.

  Her young mind was a dark, complicated one at the present, for Whispernight had filled it with corrupt thoughts and shadowy aspirations.

She was a spy. A traitor. A turnpelt. An apostate.

And it gave her such a sweet sample of power even her conscience failed to remedy the evil that had grown in her heart like a poisonous weed.
The Apprentice sprinted over underbrush and throughbushes and across creeks as swiftly as a deer.
Time was of the essence. There were too few hours before sunrise, and she had a message that must be delivered.

At last! The Waterfall Pool. And there's Streamcloud, waiting for me so she can carry on the message to Shadestar.

It was an unsettling night over IslandClan indeed.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here for a clan meeting!"

Called the black-and-white IslandClan Leader. She watched from Highledge as her Clanmates began to gather. Eight cats stood behind her, and one, a shaggy black tom with an evil glint in his yellow eyes, was guarded by Ravenswoop and Amberfrost.

'Today we will welcome seven new Clanmembers into IslandClan,' She yowled and waited as a cheer from IslandClan rose up and died down, 'AND, we will also condemn a Prisoner to our Hollow Tree.'

Everyones gaze whipped around to the black tom and some even started snarling.

"Storm and Sunny, please step forward."

The young tom and she-cat did.

'You are the right age to be Apprentices. Ravenswoop, you have not yet had an Apprentice, and I know you will pass on all you know to Storm.' Shadowstar paused, then mewed, 'Blizzardfang, you also have not yet had an Apprentice. You shall mentor Sunny. I trust you shall pass all your knowledge onto this young Apprentice. Storm, you shall be known as Stormpaw. Sunny, you shall be known as Sunpaw.'

"Snow, Red, Star and Spar also want to join our Clan as Warriors." Shadowstar mewed, gesturing with her tail to the she-cats behind her. "Snow, Star, Spar, Red, do you promise to uphold to Warrior code and protect your Clan, even, if StarClan wills it, to the point of death?" She mewed and looked them all in the eye.

"We do!" They mewed in union.

"Then by the power of StarClan,you shall be known as Snowblaze, Starwind, Sparwind and Scarletflower."

The IslandClan Leader smiled as the Clan chanted their new names. then she spoke again,

''Onto less joyful tidings. Last night, this TangleClan spy was caught sneaking up behind the Nursery. We are lucky at how noisily he was stalking along, or it might have been too late.'' Shadowstar looked straight at the tom with a fierce light in her eyes.

''Scratch, for attempted theft and kidnapping of kits, for sneaking into our Camp, for trespassing on on Territory, you are sentenced to the Prisoner's Den until Newleaf when we shall happily escort you off our Territory onto uninhabited parts of the Mainland. Ravenswoop, Amberfrost, take him away.'' And as she spoke, the two Warriors escorted Scratch unceremoniously to the Hollow Tree, and then placed themselves at each end as guards.

As if nothing had happened, Shadowstar regained her cheery voice and began to speak.

''Our dawn patrol also came across this abandoned kit who wants to join. Fawnstream, will you take Dusk-kit as your own?''

Continue with Roleplay

Territory Map

It's rather ugly but I hope this helps you get your bearings.

Click for larger size.

Unexpected Visitors: Part I

"Lionheart, look after the Clan for a while. I am going to seek an allegiance with SunClan. I will be taking only Mudflower and Poppyheart."

Lionheart dipped his head respectfully as his Clan leader, Shadowstar. Shadowstar was going to travel to SunClan's territory to gain an alliengance, with her trusted daughter and medicine cat as her companions. It was up to Lionheart to look after the Clan while she was away.

He watched Shadowstar call for a Clan meeting as Mudflower walked towards the medicine cat's den. He padded after her. Remembering the time when they were Lionpaw and Mudpaw, friends that went separate paths, he stopped outside the entrance.

"Hey, Mudflower. Preparing travelling herbs?" he asked. Lionheart breathed in the rich scent of the forest. Then a second later he breathed out, relaxing his broad shoulders, just as Mudflower came out of her den with three leaf bundles, all neatly tied together.

"Lionheart! It's good to see you again," Mudflower exclaimed, rushing to meet him. "I mean..." she stammered, "I see you everyday, but it's just not the same ever since you became deputy!"
Lionheart purred, clearly not offended by her comment. Just as he was about to ask her what she'd been up to, Shadowstar called from the distance. "Mudflower, it's time to leave," meowed Shadowstar.
Mudflower gave him a look of sadness, but soon changed to excitement as the young cat raced to meet Shadowstar. "I'm on my way!" she replied.



                                        ⊙ ◎ ⊙ ◎ ⊙ ◎ ⊙


Lionheart leaped on top of Highrock. IslandClan cats were already below him, so he didn't need to try and grab their attention.

"As you know, Shadowstar left our Clan at dawn, with Mudflower and Poppyheart to seek an allegiance with SunClan. Each task will carry on as usual. Borders will be carried out." He came down Highrock, and rasied his golden head so cats could hear.

"Smokeblossom, Icefur, Rainwhisker, and Brokenclaw will be on the dawn patrol. Ravenswoop will lead this patrol."

"Amberfrost lead the hunting patrol. Take Streamcloud, Flamebreeze, Cinderflight, and two other warriors with you," he continued. "Keep a look out for dogs." With a last glance, he went to hunt by the stream.

Lionheart pricked his ears and sharpened his senses. He could hear a distant rumbling in the distance. He peered in every direction, but couldn't find the source. Lionheart soon ignored it as he spotted a rabbit.


Crouching low and carefully, so the rabbit couldn't hear him, he crawled from behind the ferns, narrowing his eyes so his focus was only on the rabbit. He bunched his muscles and...

Suddenly, the rumbling in the distance was clearer, and the rabbit sprang away from Lionheart's gaze. Lionheart hissed and turned to see what might have caused this. Then he spotted something familiar; his eyes widened and his jaws opened to let out a yowl of alarm. He faced the intruders, ears hot and his fur bristling with fury. He growled, unsheathing his claws.


"What are you doing in our territory, Shadestar?"

Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here for a clan meeting!

Yowled IslandClan's Leader to her Clan as they quickly gathered at the foot of Highledge.

"As most of you know, there is a full-moon Gathering tonight. Listen carefully;

 The Cats accompanying me to The Great Rock shall be.....

Lionheart (Feather)

Goldenbranch (Jenna)

Mudflower (Feather)

Thunderstorm (Jenna)

Icefur (Pielover)

Poppyheart (Me)

Streamcloud (Me)

Ravenswoop (Me)

Hollystorm (Akire)

Cinderflight (Akire)

Amberfrost (WC)

Smokeblossom (WC)
Heatherpaw (Alina)

Enter this 'passageway'..

http://thewarriorgathering.blogspot.com/

to go to The Gathering.

You may roleplay if you want, but please don't tell other Clans more than they should know!