The Book of Warriors One-Shots

Perspective

Everything was peaceful and happy until the day of the battle.

I didn't know why RiverClan decided to attack. We hadn't been stealing their prey or their kits or attacking their patrols or taking their territory. We all thought we were on good terms.

I guess we were wrong.

//-//

I was in camp when it happened. I was with my mate, Hazelheart, and our kits, Stonekit and Smokekit. If I had known the danger, I would have been outside the nursery, bristling, claws out. Instead, I was inside it.

Hiding like a kit.

When I heard the yowls I thought perhaps some cat had fallen or something. Someone was hurt, sick.

Not that RiverClan was attacking.

When I went outside to check out the commotion I was shocked to the core. There was the patrol: Lightfeather, Grayfall, and little Grasspaw, only a moon into training, running into camp, fur brushed, claws out.

What seemed like the whole of RiverClan was chasing them.

Our deputy, Flamestripe, yowled a command to attack. We tried our best. A group of shocked warriors defending the camp. RiverClan sure had the element of surprise on their side.

I had no time to wonder what they wanted, why they attacked. I flung myself into battle. My only thoughts were to protect my mate and kits and Clan. I whirled, like the wind, if the wind could be embodied by a big, broad-shouldered tom, fighting, first for his Clan, then for his mate and kits, finally for his life.

Her name was Swanfeather.

I had seen her, at Gatherings. When we were apprentices she was one of the main topics of gossip, she and her sister Featherdawn, as the prettiest cats in all of the Clans. I hate to say it, but she still looked beautiful when she was trying to kill me for no reason.

She glared down at me, blood and scratches splotched across her fluffy white pelt, blue eyes that had once shone so prettily now burning with hatred and fury.

"You stole Grayflower's kit."

Her growl was so low, no other cat could have caught it. And yet I lay there limply in her grip, no way of getting free. "We stole no kit," I growled, nearly choking on my own blood as my wounds began to sting for real. Now that I could focus on them.

"Yes you did. We smelled your scent, and his. Leading into your territory." She shook me. "Give us back Nightkit!"

I coughed. "Nightkit isn't here, and never was!"

Swanfeather narrowed her eyes. "Refuse, eh? Then you shall pay the price."

And then I heard Hazelheart shriek.

No!

I wasn't sure if I really said those words or not. All I know is that I jerked free of Swanfeather, leaving her stunned, and shot for the nursery. I was scarcely aware of other cats beside me, of Duskstar's yowl of retreat, of the battle breaking up.

All that mattered was Hazelheart.

I shot into the nursery, and what I saw that night would scar me for life.

Hazelheart was unharmed, except for a small scratch on her shoulder. But her pain came from something else.

Smokekit lay bleeding at her paws. Stonekit was nowhere to be seen.

The medicine cat, Applewhisker, was already bending over Smokekit, but his expression said it all.

There was nothing he could do.

"They killed Smokekit and took Stonekit!" Hazelheart shrieked. "They attacked me, they attacked him, why, why?!"

I didn't know if she was talking to me, Applewhisker, or anyone else.

"They took Darkkit too," Dawnfall, the other queen hissed, curling her tail around her remaining kits, Mistkit and Cedarkit, who were unharmed but looked scared out of their minds.

I collapsed at Hazelheart's side.

~1/2 moons later, at the Gathering~

I wonder what Vinestar will say.

We're here, at the Gathering. RiverClan is here. So are ThunderClan and WindClan. But our cats will not speak to them.

I see Swanfeather, standing with Featherdawn. She catches my eye. I growl, a challenge. Yeah. You wouldn't dare attack me here, huh? Cause I'd be happy to rip you apart.

I see similar things happening with my Clanmates and the other RiverClan cats.

Even Applewhisker won't speak to the RiverClan medicine cats, Splashsong and Silvermist.

At last the Gathering begins.

Petalstar, the leader of ThunderClan steps forward. "ThunderClan had been thriving," she reported. "Our apprentices Snowpaw and Pinepaw have been made into-"

"Wait." Vinestar growled. "Petalstar, that's all fine and dandy, but RiverClan must explain why they attacked our camp, stole two kits and killed another, with no reasonable explanation!"

I hear cats from ThunderClan and WindClan gasp and start whispering furiously to each other.

Duskstar flicked an ear lazily. "Well than maybe you can explain why you stole Nightkit!"

The ThunderClan and WindClan cats gasp and whisper again. It's almost amusing at this point.

"We did no such thing. That's an outrageous excuse!" Vinestar roared.

Duskstar smirked. "Well, then, we didn't attack your camp and kill your kits."

I growled inwardly as I realized that he must have rehearsed this.

"You were in the nursery yourself, Duskstar. I saw you!" Sunberry yowled.

I can hear gasps and whispers again. It means nothing to me.

Because I'm done. I've had enough.

I hear cats whispering in my ears, but I ignore them. It's not like I could understand them anyway.

Somehow I find the strength to rush forward. Woe to any cat who was in my way. Friend or foe, Clanmate or not. I don't care. Nothing is keeping me from doing this.

I leap onto the Great Rock and pin Duskstar down. He growls at me, but it's like with Swanfeather, but worse.

Somehow I managed to fatally wound him, even though he had three lives left.

After that, it's over.

RiverClan warriors kill me, and I let them.

Hazelheart is horrified, and rightly so.

I don't care.

I've gotten my revenge.

I was condemned to the Dark Forest for it, but I don't care.

If I hadn't, you wouldn't know my name, who I am, even if you only know me for showing up in the Dark Forest a couple of times.

My name is Silverhawk.

//-//

Duskstar dies of his wounds. Voleflower, the deputy, becomes Volestar.

My son, Stonekit, becomes Stonetooth, the deputy.

Dawnfall's kit, Cedarkit, becomes Clan leader, Cedarstar.

You know them.

They never forgot me. I know they didn't.

I almost had to fight Stonetooth, during the Great Battle.

My only weakness.

But is love really a bad thing?