Surviors Book 1: Dusk

Prologue

The stars glittered restlessly above the silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes. She stared up at them, waiting for some sort of sign. Oh, MistClan, what are you trying to tell me? The silver tabby thought to herself. She lay on the smooth rock, continuing to stare at the stars, waiting for a sign.
Nearby, a patrol of LightningClan cats caught a patrol of WaveClan cats trying to steal prey and mark new borders – inside LightningClan territory. A black tom with yellow eyes hissed at a brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
“Foxheart, what are you doing in our territory?” The black tom hissed. Foxheart narrowed his eyes.
“We have come to take what’s rightfully ours, Ravenflight. Our Clan needs your prey more than you do!” Foxheart snarled
“That’s a load of fox dung! Your Clan is doing far better then the other three!” Ravenflight cried in outrage.
“You may be deputy of your Clan, but that doesn’t make you leader. You can’t decide to take a patrol here and steal our territory! This has always been LightningClan’s territory, and it will remain that way.” A young silver she-cat spoke up. She was about the age of an apprentice. Foxheart craned his neck to silence the young she-cat before turning to face Ravenflight once more.
“Ravenflight, you need to control your apprentice. Her behavior is unacceptable.” Foxheart sneered. Ravenflight lifted his head boldly.
“Your apprentice could learn a thing or two from mine…like how to defend his Clan. Perhaps that could be the next thing you teach Acornpaw. Shinepaw is my apprentice, therefore my concern. She will listen to me and obey me. She is doing nothing wrong, so leave her be.” Acornpaw glanced at his paws, obviously ashamed at bringing his mentor such humiliation. He was a brown tabby tom with green eyes. Suddenly a handsome ginger tabby tom with golden eyes stepped forward.
“Calm down, everyone. Let’s not make this a battle that can be settled out with words.” He spoke calmly yet boldly.
“Where is Dapplemist? Is she so weak she has decided to send you, Lionflame? Her deputy?” Foxheart asked scornfully. Lionflame’s eyes narrowed.
“Dapplemist is no coward. I come to lead a patrol.” Lionflame hissed.
Foxheart snorted but said nothing. Behind him, a cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes murmured something in Acornpaw’s ear. Foxheart spun around and bared his teeth at the she-cat.
“Silence, Hopefeather!” He cried. Hopefeather shrank back in her spot, her blue eyes wide with fear. Acornpaw jumped and looked away, quivering at the angry tone his mentor’s voice had. A long-haired gray tom with amber eyes stepped forward to defend Hopefeather. He looked weary and tired, and much older than Foxheart.
“There is no point in coming here, Foxheart. This is LightningClan territory, and WaveClan does not need it.” The gray tom paused, eyes narrowing. “We do not know if it was necessarily LightningClan who killed Sandswipe.” Foxheart blinked at the older tom’s words and for the briefest of moments, a look of sorrow crossed his amber gaze. As soon as it came, though, it went.
“Be quiet, Cloudstorm. I am deputy, therefore, I am in charge of you!” Foxheart hissed. He stepped closer so his nose was almost touching Cloudstorm’s. “And don’t you dare speak of Sandswipe.” He hissed.
Cloudstorm bravely faced the brown tabby. “Rainmist is in charge of me, and so long as he’s leader, it will remain that way. I do not support this, Foxheart.” Foxheart’s eyes narrowed but he said nothing. Ravenflight and Lionflame exchanged a glance. Had the WaveClan cats forgotten they were there? Before the WaveClan cats could argue any further, an orange tabby tom with blue eyes stepped forward from behind Ravenflight, Shinepaw, and Lionflame.
“Foxheart, you might as well go. There is no battle to be fought here today.” He spoke. Foxheart held the orange tom’s gaze for a moment, then unsheathed his claws and leapt on top of Lionflame, instantly pinning him down. Lionflame was smaller and older then Foxheart, making him weaker then the youthful brown tabby. Lionflame grunted and desperately tried to free himself from the tom’s grip. Shinepaw took a bold step forward but Ravenflight stopped her. He gave his apprentice a warning look before turning to Foxheart and baring his teeth.
“Release him, and leave us alone.” He growled. Foxheart smiled smugly.
“I’ll leave your Clan be for now, but I’ll give them a warning. Prepare for battle, LightningClan. Your treacherous ways won’t continue for much longer, for someday, this territory will be WaveClan’s to claim!” Foxheart hissed. He leaned down and sank his teeth into Lionflame’s throat. The tom convulsed, coughed up blood, and then went limp. LightningClan’s deputy was dead. Satisfied, Foxheart leapt off of Lionflame’s body and flicked his tail, disappearing into the shadows with Acornpaw, Hopefeather, and Cloudstorm following. All three LightningClan cats were shocked and rendered speechless at the sight of their motionless deputy.
“Fireblaze! Is Lionflame alright?” Shinepaw asked nervously. The orange tom raced forward, his eyes filled with concern. He looked up, sadness glittering in his eyes.
“Foxheart’s deathblow killed him.” Fireblaze whispered.
“What? Lionflame is dead?! That…that can’t be! He has been Dapplemist’s deputy for moons now! She won’t be happy at all.” Ravenflight meowed, his eyes widening with sadness. “She’ll make WaveClan pay for sure.”
“It’s almost moonhigh. We should bring Lionflame back to camp so Dapplemist can name a new deputy and hold a proper vigil for him.” Fireblaze suggested, sadness coloring his voice. He bent down and picked up the body. Together, the three cats headed back to camp, none of them saying a word.

* * *

Back in camp, a light brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes was racing over to the silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
“Dapplemist! Dapplemist!” She cried. The silver tabby’s head snapped up.
“What is it, Leafsong?” She asked the brown tabby. Leafsong came to a stop and glanced up at Dapplemist
“I…I got a prophecy…from MistClan.” Leafsong murmured, desperately trying to catch her breath. Dapplemist perked up with interest.
“What did they say?” Dapplemist asked curiously. Leafsong glanced up at her leader.
“They…they said…a battle unwanted shall be fought, and the light shall break through the mist to reveal the kin of the kin of the roaring lion, the only saviors of the land many paw prints have marked.” Leafsong recited. Dapplemist blinked, then sighed.
“The last thing LightningClan needs is a battle. They didn’t try to explain it any further?” Leafsong shook her head. Dapplemist sighed and watched as the moonhigh patrol entered camp. The leader, Ravenflight, had a grave look on his face. He turned to his apprentice, Shinepaw, and ordered her to her den. Shinepaw blinked and entered the apprentices’ den without saying a word. It was then that Fireblaze entered camp. In his jaw he carried a body that was all too familiar to Dapplemist. Her breath caught as she wordlessly leapt off the rock. The body belonged to Lionflame, her deputy …and he was dead. Ravenflight slowly approached Dapplemist, his face somber and his eyes clouded with grief. Fireblaze placed the body in the center of the camp clearing before crouching down to mourn his deputy’s death. Many shocked and surprised murmurs rang through camp.
“How did this happen?” Dapplemist murmured, not lifting her gaze from the body that lay before her.
“We spotted a WaveClan patrol on the piece of territory where the stream is. They…they want to claim it as their own territory. We were able to get them off our territory, but Foxheart said it would be WaveClan’s to claim one day. He…he said that he’d give us a warning. Then he leapt on Lionflame and killed him.” Ravenflight reported. Dapplemist sighed. “I tried to stop him, but I was too late.” Ravenflight continued, lowering his head sadly. Dapplemist touched her tail tip to his shoulder and blinked at him to let him know everything was all right. Ravenflight was a fine warrior and Dapplemist knew he had done everything in his power to save Lionflame. It was Foxheart who seemed to be the problem.
WaveClan’s new ambitious deputy absolutely despised LightningClan and would do anything to have them out of the forest. She glanced across the clearing to find many cats gathered around Lionflame’s body to send him to MistClan. He was my deputy for so many moons…oh, MistClan…what will I do without him? She knew she had to name a new deputy before moonhigh, which was approaching fast. She scanned the clearing before leaping on the Great Rock. My decision has been made…I just hope it’s the right one.
“Let all the cats gather beneath the Great Rock for a Clan meeting!” Dapplemist yowled. All cats looked up at their leader; many of their eyes were filled with sadness and shock and pure hatred towards Lionflame’s murderer.
“The time has come for me to name a new deputy. We shall all mourn Lionflame’s death.” Dapplemist paused for a moment before speaking again. “I say these words before the spirit of Lionflame, so that he may hear and approve of my choice.” Dapplestar let her words hang in the air before continuing. “Hazelflower shall be the new deputy of LightningClan.”
“Hazelflower! Hazelflower!” Hazelflower, a cream-colored she-cat, looked shocked but stepped forward and lifted her chin confidently.
“Thank you. I never expected to be given such an honor, and I shall serve my leader and my Clan to the best of my ability.” She meowed solemnly. Lightwind, her sister, and Scorchflame, her mate, raced up to congratulate her. Lightwind was a golden tabby she-cat while Scorchflame was a tortoiseshell tom.
“She just chose Hazelflower because she is Lionflame’s daughter. Lightwind was just as capable. Not only that, they are young warriors. Dapplemist should have chosen someone more experienced…like Ravenflight or Fireblaze. After all, they brought Lionflame back.” She heard two of the elders gossiping. Dapplemist felt her pelt burn hot with guilt. She had chosen Hazelflower not just because of her loyalty, but because she was also the daughter of Lionflame. Dapplemist sighed. She knew now that Hazelflower was a young she-cat who had a mate. She had just deprived Hazelflower of her chance to mother kits. After all, the warrior code stated that she-cat deputies are not allowed to have kits because it would tie her loyalty between her kits and the responsibilities to her Clan.
I should have chosen Ravenflight or Fireblaze. Both would make outstanding deputies. Hazelflower would as well, but I should have waited until she had kits. Dapplemist thought. She gazed down at Lionflame’s body and sighed. WaveClan would keep causing trouble if LightningClan did not fight back, yet Dapplemist did not want to lose any of her warriors. Either way, death would come for her Clanmates.
I hope MistClan sends us help soon.