Chapter 10: The Rogues

5 0 0
                                    

  "StarClan must have fixed you up well. You have no wounds! You look good as new." Silverleaf purred after inspecting Nightstar. 

  "They have." Nightstar turned her head to take in the four bodies in the clearing. They belonged to Flowerstem, Rushtail, Lilycloud, and the bloody tom Darkpelt had carried into camp, Kyle. Silverleaf couldn't save him; he was sick before the fight, and the sickness along with the battle has taken his life.

  Nightstar padded into the nursery, where her own kits were bonding with the other six kits.

  "I'm Mistykit! This is Spottedkit and Daisykit!" Mistykit introduced. "We're going to apprentices soon!"

  "Not in three moons' time." Nightstar joined in, sitting down. The six new kits backed away shyly. "Aww, it's alright. I took care of you! I won't harm you." She meowed, trying to comfort them.

  "Hello." A gray and white kit squeaked. "I'm Calico. This is my littermate, Ash." A gray she-kit glanced up nervously. 

  "Welcome to NightClan, Calico, Ash. I'm Nightstar, the leader." Nightstar purred reassuringly. "And who are the other ones?" 

  "I'm Jumper." A pale golden tom told Nightstar. A ginger she-kit piped up next. "I'm Willow, and this is Viola and Fuzzy." She pointed at a dark brown she-kit and a fuzzy gray tom respectively. 

  "Welcome to you too." Nightstar mewed. "I have to go talk to your mothers. Mistykit, why don't you teach the new kits how to play moss-ball?" 

  "Yes!" Spottedkit squealed excitedly. "Here!" 

  Nightstar purred and headed to the warriors' den. There were seven rogue cats inside, three of them queens. Their wounds are being seen to by Silverleaf.

  "Hello, Nightstar." Queenie, a golden she-cat meowed. "Are my kits okay?" 

  "Yes. They are playing moss-ball with mine." Nightstar dipped her head. "We're going to have a Clan meeting right after Silverleaf finish with your wounds. Do come out and listen. You can learn about how a Clan works and consider joining perhaps. That way we can protect one another and no cat will get hungry." 

  "It's alright. Thank you for your offer, but we prefer traveling." Fred, a mottled tom, meowed slightly curtly. 

  "You need to stay here until your wounds fully heal." Silverleaf notified him. "So you have plenty of time to decide. Of course, I'm not a warrior, but StarClan will approve if more cats join NightClan." 

   "Consider it. Come to the meeting." Nightstar insisted, then padded out to join Darkpelt beside her den. 

  "I was so afraid when your throat was slit... Wait, why isn't there a scar?" Darkpelt asked, both surprised and puzzled. 

  "I.. died." Nightstar responded. "I lost a life. I have eight lives left. StarClan healed me." 

  Darkpelt stayed silent. Nightstar changed the subject. 

  "I want to invite the rogues to our Clan. I think it will be nice to have more warriors and kits." Darkpelt nodded in agreement. 

  "They're out. They're going to attend the meeting. I have to go." Nightstar padded up to the Nightrock. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Nightrock for a Clan meeting!" 

  “NightClan, we have triumphed in our battle against Casper and Claws." She took careful note not to say 'the battle against the rogues' in case she offended the rogues standing before her. NightClan cheered, as well as the rogues. 

  Nightstar continued as the yowls died down, "Casper and Claws are now NightClan prisoners, and we won't let them go unpunished. However, they didn't do the most damage to us. I think that our visitors should decide what to do with them, as they suffered the most under Casper and Claws. We have chased their supporters into Twolegplace, so they won't be threatening us anymore. Fred, you and your cats will decide on what will happen to Casper and Claws." 

  Fred and his cats nodded, looking pleased. "Next, I would like to invite our visitors to join NightClan, to make our Clan stronger." Before Fred could interrupt, Nightstar hurried on. "Warriors protect the kits, elders and queens. They hunt for them, who eat first, and will drive off predators and threatening cats. Of course, we won't turn down cats who'd like to join, but warriors will learn how to hunt, fight and patrol around our borders. We follow the warrior code, and we believe in StarClan, our warrior ancestors." 

  "Thank you for the offer, Nightstar. But as I've said before, we will leave after we heal." Fred called out. 

  "I understand. Since there is still time for you to change your mind, you can use your healing time to observe and understand the ways of a warrior and a Clan. It will be safe, but if you still insist on parting ways, then there is nothing I or StarClan can do to stop you. We are merely suggesting a better future for your kits." Nightstar observed the third queen whispering something in a tom's ear. She must have sounded quite persuasive.

  "Your kits will train as apprentices once they reach their sixth moon. And I will appoint a mentor for them to teach them the ways of a warrior. When they complete their training, they will become full time warriors for NightClan. Older warriors can retire and join the elders if they feel like they are not suitable for warrior life, and will earn the greatest respect of the Clan." Nightstar paused, letting the words sink in. 

  "There is enough prey for every cat, so we will resume our normal duties tomorrow. This meeting is over. We will mourn Lilycloud, Flowerstem, Rushtail and Kyle tonight, and bury them tomorrow at dawn. NightClan will leave Kyle to you, unless you want him buried the Clan way." Nightstar dipped her head to Fred and scampered down the Nightrock. 

  "I want to be a warrior!" Nightstar heard as she headed towards the nursery. "Mistykit and Spottedkit told me all about being an apprentice and I want to be one! I want to fight, hunt and patrol!" Jumper mewled. 

  "Now, now." Queenie chided. "It's Fred's decision. I think Clan life will be better for you, but if Fred decides to live like we do before Casper took over, we will follow him." 

  "Please? I want to be a warrior!" Calico, Viola and Fuzzy chimed in. Before long, a chorus of pleading kits filled the nursery. 

  "I think you'll all make great warriors." Nightstar meowed kindly, checking on her own kits. 

  "See? Nightstar thinks we'll make great warriors! We can all be warriors!" Viola chirped. 

  "It's Fred's decision." The other queen, Kiara, mewed sternly. 

  "Please, Queenie?" Fuzzy begged. The chorus soon resumed. 

  "Are you okay in sleeping in the nursery with your kits and mine? It not I can get my kits to sleep with me in my den." Nightstar asked Molly. 

  "No it's alright." Molly gazed longingly and affectionately at Daisykit, who was 'hunting' her tail. "They remind me of Tigger and Millie. They died. Because of Casper!" She spat, clawing at the soft nursery floor. "They were my only kits. I swore to protect all kits from Casper when they died. That's why I believed you, and your treatment to us is better than we've ever had." Ferocity and grimness in Molly's stormy blue eyes. 

  A mother's love. Daisy's voice echoed in Nightstar's mind. "If you decide to stay, no cat will ever try to harm your kits. Ever." Nightstar pledged. 

  "I know. I trust you. But Fred... he likes to move. He doesn't like to stay in one place. I want to stay here. I do. But if Fred decides to go, we'll follow him. He saved us from the barn." Molly stared into the distance. 

  "Well, I hope that you decide to stay." Nightstar meowed. Molly turned her head. "I hope so too." 

  Nightstar took a piece of prey from the pile and invited Darkpelt in. They ate in silence, then shared tongues. "Stay with me." Nightstar whispered, and Darkpelt obliged. 

  They curled up side by side, pelt pressing on pelt on the soft moss and ferns. For the first time after the battle, Nightstar finally felt peace. 

*A/N: this is sort of like a filler? Sorry for this boring chapter :( *

NightClan's ThreatWhere stories live. Discover now