City of Polaris (Warriors, Book 1)

Chapter 8

Ravenshadow choked for a moment, then shoved her teeth forcefully into Nightclaw's wrist with such force she felt the fur split and her teeth scrape on bone. Nightclaw released her throat and jumped off, then charged away, limping.

The black warrior got to her paws, coughing, then charged into camp.

As Ravenshadow started sniffing around for any warriors to fight, she remembered something that would've made her bounce with excitement if she wasn't in a battle; Whitestar was on his last life. If he dies, then Boldyowl will be leader. Ravenshadow remembered. But I haven't mentored an apprentice yet...

As she charged over to where she smelled a lone cat, she heard a shriek from a male cat. Aha, maybe Whitestar. Ravenshadow thought, smirking.

She followed the scent of the lone cat, then bounded into it. Her claws connected with fur as she sank her teeth into the cat's scruff, then took a whiff of their scent, which told her a lot; It was a she-cat, a longhair judging by the thickness of fur, and she thought she recognized that hiss at the last Gathering when Whitestar had spoken to Goldenstar. Ravenshadow tried to remember the cat's name... Plumeytail!

Plumeytail immiedatly put their weight on their hind paws and must've kicked, but Ravenshadow dug on with her claws, raking them across the RiverClan cats back.

The RiverClan cat shrieked as blood sprayed like a storm from their fur.

Suddenly, they felt weight on their side. Ravenshadow felt the breath get knocked out of them as they collapsed onto the sandy ground with a startling thud. She felt teeth dig into her shoulder and a claw scrape the bridge of her nose as she heard a yowl from the attacking cat: "FOR MY SISTER!"

Ah, Thought Ravenshadow. This must be Corapaw's sister.

She twisted angrily as the cat rolled her onto her belly. Ravenshadow thought fast, kicking up with her hind legs. She heard a shriek from the enemy cat as her back claws came in contact with fur, and Ravenshadow felt the weight get pushed off her as the RiverClan cat was flung back.

As Ravenshadow was about to pounce again, she heard a yowl from a familiar voice:

"You killed two of our cats!" It was Goldenstar. She sounded angry, as usual. "You deserve to die! Your entire Clan deserves to die!"

Ravenshadow expected Whitestar to answer, but it was Boldyowl's voice instead: "I TOLD YOU! We follow the warrior code, fish-breaths! Did you even once CONSIDER that it could've been a rogue that killed your cats?! Ever heard of dying from shock?! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT CORAPAW, BUT ITS POSSIBLE LOUDSTEP COULD'VE DIED FROM SHOCK! EVER CONSIDER THAT WINDCLAN ISN'T AS AWFUL AS YOU THINK IT IS?!!"

Ooooh, Ravenshadow thought, interested.

Goldenstar seemed to let out a long, exagerated sigh. "Fine." She growled. "Come on. RiverClan retreat."

As the wounded cats shuffled away, a loud moan of grief came from near the leader's den. Ravenshadow felt pelts brushed her as the cats must've headed towards the moan, then she heard a few gasps of horror. As Ravenshadow pushed her way through the crowd, she smelled a stiff, cold scent.

It was Whitestar.

Well, then. Ravenshadow thought, trying to look sad. He's dead. Cool. I guess that's one cat taken off my Kill List. But now stupid Boldyowl is the leader... UGGGGGGGH.

A yowl came from near the Tallrock. "Let all cats old enough to run the moors gather beneath the Tallrock for a... a Clan meeting and... a few ceromonies and a vigil." Boldyowl's voice was sour and awfully sad.

Ravenshadow just shook the blood from her pelt and joined the Gathering cats as she listened closely.

"Cats of WindClan," Mewed Boldyowl sadly, "Whitestar has died. His spirit will remain peacefully in StarClan," Ravenshadow sensed the tention in the crowd and restrained herself from shouting 'We know that! Pick the deputy already!'

"However," Continued Boldyowl. Ravenshadow lifted a forepaw and began to groom herself. "Before I go to Moonstone to recieve my nine lives," Ravenshadow kept grooming, uninterested. Hah. As if StarClan is real anyways. "I must pick a deputy." Her ears pirked, suddenly intererested. Who would be the deputy?

Boldyowl spoke. Ravenshadow's ears immediatly drooped. "Cinderfoot," The deputy prompted. The ashy warrior's voice rang out clearly. "Yes, Boldyowl?" Ravenshadow rolled her sightless eyes. What do you think? "Do you promise to serve by my side as deputy?" Asked Boldyowl, his voice trustful.

Cinderfoot responded. "Yes, Boldyowl."

"Then join me on the Tallrock as the deputy of WindClan."

The Clan cats cheered, their voices still sour with grief but there was now a new excitement. Ravenshadow cheered, though she was bored and didn't really want her aunt to be the deputy. "Cinderfoot! Cinderfoot!"

A mew, familiar and creaky came from near the medicine den. The cat who spoke smelled of herbs. "Boldyowl," Treeface, the medicine cat said softly. "It is time to go to Moonstone to recive your nine lives. You must pick a warrior to go with you." Ravenshadow's ears pirked. She hadn't been to the moonstone yet. I guess Boldyowl forgot to take me as an apprentice, Her mind concluded.

"Ravenshadow," Her ears pirked at the sound of her name. She jumped to her paws, pirking with excitement. "Will you go to Moonstone with me?" Asked Boldyowl's voice.

"Yes!" Ravenshadow replied boldly.

Boldyowl purred in agreement, then with a thump he (probably) jumped off the rock. "Come on then, Ravenshadow, Treeface." He ordered.

Ravenshadow nodded swiftly, then skidded over to Treeface's and the new leader's scents. Treeface let out a small snort of disgust; the medicine cat had hated Ravenshadow, ever since a day when they had a slight arguement...

"Ravenkit, your blind. Maybe you should be a medicine cat?"

"So, I'm blind?"

"Well... you can't see where you're going, and I just can't imagine the disappointment when you learn you can't be a warrior... I can't imagine being blind... it seems-"

"WELL, IF YOU CANT 'IMAGINE IT' MAYBE YOU JUST NEED TO SEE IT!"

"Ravenkit, wh- AaaaAAAAaaaaahhhHHHhhh!"

And then Ravenkit had apparently jumped on the medicine's cat face, balanced for a moment on his muzzle, then clawed his ugly (at least she assumed ugly) face. She had already ripped out and bloodied one of his eyes, then Whitestar had bust in and with the help of Duskflower (and every cat in the Clan) they had pulled Ravenkit off the medicine cat's face.

As Ravenshadow bounded along with Treeface and Boldyowl at her side, she couldn't help but think that all this 'nine lives and StarClan stuff' was just a load of crowfood.

***

Ravenshadow's claws scraped on the flat rock as her hind legs searched for a crevace to hook onto. Eventually, she found one, and was able to haul herself up and flop down beside Boldyowl, with Treeface scrambling up a second later. Ravenshadow stretched out her legs as Boldyowl spoke. "Were here."

As Ravenshadow's ears pricked curiously, footsteps came from inside the cave. They were a little loud and heavy; Treeface's. Soon Boldyowl's followed; Ravenshadow could sense excitement and fierce grief from the new leader.

Doubtful that StarClan would really be in the cave, Ravenshadow followed them inside.