MAIN P L O T))

[Butterfly}]

THE PAST

"Come here, kitten. You wanted a story?" An old she-cat sat up, her claws scraping into the ground. The younger cat that sat before her had an eager face on, but it quickly melted into disappointment. "I'm no kitten! I'm an apprentice now!" The irritable she-cat flattened her ears and showed her teeth, her kindness had left rather quickly. "Calm down, Quillsteps. She's just an apprentice." An old tom padded over in jerky steps, placing his tail along her shoulder and her fur flattened. The old tabby tom was named Briarpelt. He had an amused look on his face as he sat beside his old mate. Both were elders and had retired some time ago, apprentices came in swarms to hear their stories of the past lands. The apprentice straightened up, meowing her apology. "Sorry Quillsteps..."

"Listen, dear." Her voice was croaky as she looked up around them. They were sitting under a two large bramble bushes that came together to form a nice place for a den. Sticks, leaves, and old vines were weaved in to keep the wind out and mud was plastered over that. "Long ago, far before your mother was born, and far before I was born... there were five Clans in the forest!" Quillsteps smiled slyly at the young she-cat who's jaw had dropped. She had not heard the story, most of her siblings already had though. Dear little Reedpaw was enthralled with old stories and had no idea of her past. Quillsteps was always happy to tell her stories. "ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, RiverClan and SkyClan." Her mate recited the words, her voice deep and slow as he had grown old.

Little Reedpaw was already deep in thought, her blank expression only made Quillsteps want to stop altogether but she knew that the apprentice was still listening. The gray she-cat went on. "We all lived very peacefully for a long time." Reedpaw snapped back, her little eyes sparkling with excitement. "How did you all get along? Were you all from the same Clan too, seperated?" Briarpelt inhaled deeply, looking upward for a moment before looking down at her again. "No, they were all descended from rogues and loners who came together." He meowed solemnly. Obviously, little Reedpaw was confused but they did not waste time explaining it to her. Quillsteps went on, sadness in her eyes. "Up-rights... two-legs... up-walkers..." She murmured as Briarpelt gave her a little lick on the shoulder as comfort.

"They started destroying our part of the forest. Our territory. They drove us out." She meowed quietly, Reedpaw looked horrified and her fur was bristling with terror. It was as if she was seeing it all before her eyes as Quillsteps recited it. "... My grandmother was there. She told me. She said that they went to the sacred gathering..." She mewed, ears flattening as she replayed the scene in her mind. She may not of been there but she was angered and horrified. Briarpelt went on, not waiting for Quillsteps to continue. "They went to the Gathering and... and asked for more territory. The other Clans refused it." His meow was gruff as he straightened his hunched back. "They were driven out. Whether or not on the Gathering, we are not sure. Her grandmother, Poppyfur, never said. By the time we had the bravery to ask she had passed on."

Reedpaw had laid down, obviously wanting the elders to go on. A black and white she-cat entered, another elder. Of course she had only returned a moon ago and still looked like she could be a warrior. As a matter of fact, she should have been. Blackface was in battle when another warrior went for her eyes. She nearly had them clawed out and suffered blindness. She had to retire, she was hopeless without her eye-sight. Quillsteps smiled weakly at the elder, brushing her tail against the black she-cat's glossy flank. Blackface was still angry over her injury, blaming herself for it. She could have defended herself better! Despite comforts from cats of the Clan, Blackface was depressed. She curled up in the back of the den and Briarpelt turned around to look at her. Her blind eyes stared downward but her ears were pricked. She was listening.

"Skyclan had to find a new home, so they lived in a new territory. None of us honestly know what it looked like b-" Quillsteps were interrupted by Blackface. As the new elder meowed, the older she-cat felt an annoyed expression cross her face. "Are you sure you do not know? I thought that Gingertail said it was like... a gorge or something?" Quillsteps sighed. The elder had died many moons ago, why had Blackface brought that up? Besides, Gingertail was always saying random things. As she aged she had become more and more confused. "Gingertail isn't always right, dear one. I suppose it may have been. But I think that was after Firestar helped them... but I'm not there yet." Reedpaw's whiskers twitched with excitement as she rolled over on her back, staring with a lopsided grin on her face.

Briarpelt went on, licking his lips. "Well the Clan... it broke up. Most of them left, some died." The tom watched as his mate settled down on her belly, obviously letting him speak for the moment. "Many seasons later... Firestar, leader of Thunderclan-" He stopped, puzzled at why Reedpaw was bristling so much. "But his Clan drove us out!" The apprentice protested, but Briarpelt only nudged her with an amused expression. "He was kind. He brought loners together, a few kittypets, and a descendant of Skyclan, and created the Clan again." Reedpaw looked pleased as she rolled back over onto her belly, purring. She was liking the story! So the story that he was talking about... this was their territory right? No... they didn't live anywhere near to a gorge! Which meant the Clan moved again!

Ready to go on, Quillsteps sat up and let her mate rest. "Many seasons later, the prey started disappearing. Two-legs had started trying to invade the terra as well. Badgers and lone cats were also causing many problems... the Clan left. Now that I think of it, we could have lived. But they were terrified of the badgers, as well as the two-legs. They wanted to find a better place." Blackface looked up, suddenly interested. An amused chuckle emitted Briarpelt's maw as he looked back. She scowled and lowered her head again, growling. Quillsteps went on, getting to the exciting part. "They found this home! It was better than the other territory and farther from two-legs than before!" Reedpaw was fidgeting with excitement, her eyes lifting to look at Quillsteps with admiration. She must have been alive during the move as she was very old.

"After a long time, the Clan started having arguments. SkyClan was huge as it was and well... Tawnystar decided it was best to split the Clans up. I don't know why in StarClan he decided to do that but I could have cared less. I was loyal to Skyclan and I stayed." Her meow was full of defiance as she raised her chin, her tail twitching back and forth as if she had done the most amazing thing. She looked proud. Briarpelt started just as Quillsteps started, but she allowed him to go on. "Mountainclan, Forestclan, and Lakeclan. I suppose it is good as now we can have proper gatherings as well as... well Mountainclan found us a place to meet with Starclan." His meow was interrupted with a yowl from far off. Reedpaw was being called to be trained. Blackface got up and nudged the little apprentice. "Go on, go train."

[Butterfly}]

CURRENTLY...

The scents of the forest wafted into the young warrior's nose as she stood perched on top a tall oak. Her tail lazily flicked from side to side against the branches of the oak. The warrior's den was rather unique, it was on two live oak's that grew along the ground and over each other. If she got to the warrior's den at the right time, she could usually find good places to sleep. Like between two branches with leaves over her back, or maybe on the ground underneath branches with leaves over her back and moss underneath her. It was funny how the she-cat loves to have something sheltering her over her back. Yet now she stood in the early morning light on the top branch, staring out at the camp. At the base of the tree trunks were only two dens. The nursery and the elder's dens. They could not climb. They were on the ground and for some reason... she pitied them.

Reedclaw stood very still, watching as her older brothers sat at the entrance of the elder's den. Blackface was their aunt, and Longwhisker was trying hard to coax her out into the open. Goldenfur was just standing very still, his brown eyes narrowed to slits in annoyance. Even thought she was far away, Reedclaw could hear him well. "Leave her along, Longwhisker! I want to go on the next patrol! This is hopeless!" Reluctantly, the brothers padded off and left the elder alone. Reedclaw felt her claws dig into the bark of the trunk, furious with their pitiful attempt. Was she the only cat who cared about the distressed she-cat? Leaping off of the branch, to a lower branch, and onto the ground, the she-cat padded over with a weak smile on her face. She had to appear as if nothing had happened.

Blackface was old enough to be an elder, but she had retired early due to her failed sight. Now all she wanted to do was snap at others and be alone. Reedclaw was a sweet she-cat and did not want that to happen, instead she approached cautiously. "Go away." A cracked meow told Reedclaw that Blackface was still upset over the death of Quillsteps. Of course the gray and white she-cat was upset too, she was nearly as upset as Blackface but... they all needed each other now. The she-cat padded in despite the snarl that came from her aunt. The smaller she-cat sat beside her, drawing her tail along the black and white cat's back in a way to calm her. "My good friend... oh she's gone!" Reedclaw let a slow purr come from her maw as her aunt buried her face into the gray and white she-cat's pelt.

"It's alright, I'm still here." She said softly, she was distressed that her aunt was so upset. "It's not just that! Sure, her mate died peacefully... but she was MURDERED. Oh Reedclaw! We're in danger! How could any cat kill her?" The mews were muffled as the gray she-cat stopped purring, as sympathetic look crossed her face. "I'll watch over us, I promise. Nothing is going to happen. I'll take care of you. C'mon, let's go get some fresh air. You need stream water." Reedclaw meowed happily, urging her to get up. The terrified elder pressed herself close to her niece, her ears flat with annoyance. She knew that her mother was too busy to deal with her aunt, but she was still flustered and frustrated that she was the only one who truly had time for her. Soft and comforting meows came from her maw as she coaxed her on.

They stopped near to the border, where the stream ran through. Blackface lowered her head to drink, soft sighs coming from her. Pleased, Reedclaw opened her maw to try and scent any prey. To her surprise, it was not prey that she scented! "Other cats." She meowed. Blackclaw instantly fluffed up, her fur standing on end and horror plastered to her face. "N-no! They're back! They're going to murder us! We have to go, Reedclaw!" She meowed, shoving her head against Reedclaw to make her run. The warrior let out an annoyed sigh. "Go back to camp, Blackface. I'll check it out. If there is any danger then I'll come running back... okay?" Blackface was too terrified to continue on, and ran straight for camp with surprising speed. Amused, Reedclaw turned to face the scent.

The scents of loners caught her attention and for a moment... she hesitated. Yet she continued on, walking along the border with her fur on end. "... Warriors are not afraid of anything." She meowed stubbornly, but suddenly... the smell was stronger and she was rather scared. Hearing a twig crack, she whipped around to come face to face with a large, burly tabby. He was dark in color and before she could react, he had leaped at her and pinned her with his sheer force. "Are you sure, kitty?" He taunted as she attempted to pummel his stomach but he had pinned her shoulders back, she could not move. "I've come to warn you, dear Reedclaw." He meowed, laughing at her confused expression. He knew her name? Had he been stalking them? "Your cats drove us out of our home... we're coming back for it. Beware of the cats beginning a Clan." He snarled and bounded off and out of the territory.

Fur still on end, she backed up. "Your cats drove us out of our home... we're coming back for it. Beware of the cats beginning a Clan. Why?"

[Butterfly}]

SUM IT UP...

Rogues have taken over a piece of land near to the Clans. They have no respect for any of the other territories and steal prey as well as herbs. Some Clans have started blaming it on each other instead of the loners and a lot of tension is in the air. The rogues have started recruiting loners, even as low as to take slaves. They take loners as well as attempt to steal kits and enslave them to some cat in the rogue clan as their personal assistant. Trading, selling, breeding, as well as pitting slaves against each other is a common thing in the rogue clan at the abandoned stable. Taken as a slave? Well I hope you end up alright. It's near impossible to escape especially since the Clan cats have no clue what is going on. Most of the Clans are blaming each other, even as going as far to attack each other. Pure Chaos.