cat

Uh, sorry for the length, its 2100 words, but here [spoiler title=”Lust For Vengeance”] Crowpaw whipped around, lashing out with a black paw at the enemy warrior behind him. The jet-black apprentice was as big as any warrior. If he did well in this battle, him and his sister, Robinpaw, would gain their warrior names that night. 
Crowpaw screeched as the tom behind him snapped his jaws down on the base of Crowpaw’s tail. Crowpaw spun around, ripping his tail free. His expression darkened as he saw a huge white tom trapping Robinpaw down with a paw, his other one raised for the death blow. With a yowl of fury, Crowpaw sped past the brown cat he was fighting, and threw himself at the white cat, slamming his paws down on the tom’s neck, unbalancing him and knocking him away from Robinpaw. A ways away, Icestar, the WindClan leader, got his head free from the RiverClan leader’s grasp. 
“WindClan, retreat!” Icestar yowled.
Crowpaw watched as the white cat leapt after his Clan, disappearing into the reeds.
“Mouse-brains.” he muttered under his breath. “Why would they want our territory anyway? They couldn’t catch a fish if it swam into their mouth.”
“Crowpaw?” the RiverClan leader, Redstar, approached him. “You did well today. An apprentice will become a warrior tonight.”
“An apprentice, sir? What about Robinpaw?” Crowpaw asked tentatively, though seeing his leader’s face, he feared what the answer would be.
“Crowpaw… Crowpaw, Robinpaw is dead.”

Crowpaw sat at the base of the Wetrock, awaiting Redstar’s signal. His ceremony had been delayed for a few days due to Redstar’s injuries, and in those days, Crowpaw’s heart had become hardened and bitter at the loss of his sister. He just didn’t understand. There had been no enemy warriors near Robinpaw, and he didn’t think her injuries were severe enough to kill her. Before he could ponder this anymore, the call for a meeting came, ringing out loud and clear, bouncing around the clearing.
“Let all cats old enough to swim the rapids gather beneath the Wetrock for a Clan meeting!” Redstar sat on the rock, wrapping his fox-red tail around his white paws.
Cats milled about, sitting in loosely generated groups around the base of the Wetrock.
Three kits bundled over, bouncing on tiny paws while their mother tried and failed to make them sit still. Crowpaw wondered why such young cats were coming to a meeting, when he realized they were Blackbird’s kits, six moons old and ready to be apprenticed.
“Smallkit, Berrykit, and Smokekit, come forward.” Redstar wasted no time in starting the meeting. “From this moment on, you will be known as Smallpaw, Berrypaw and Smokepaw. Smallpaw, your mentor will be Sanddune.” Crowpaw glanced at the pale tabby tom, a young warrior, barely past his own apprenticeship.
“Berrypaw, your mentor will be Stoatfoot.” Redstar waited for the black-and-white tom to touch noses with his new apprentice before continuing. “Smokepaw, your mentor will be Hollybush.”
Redstar motioned to the black she-cat, then looked at Crowpaw.
“We have another ceremony to perform tonight. I call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon this apprentice. He has worked hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Crowpaw,” Redstar turned to Crowpaw. “Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect your Clanmates, even at the cost of your life?” 
Crowpaw looked around at all the familiar faces of his Clanmates. He knew these cats, and yet… Crowpaw knew something none of them did, and he couldn’t completely trust any of them until he knew for sure. He suspected that one of his Clan killed his sister, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Crowpaw?” Redstar’s voice jerked him out of his thoughts. “Do you swear this oath?”
Crowpaw opened his mouth and closed it again. Being a warrior was all he’d ever wanted, him and Robinpaw, ever since their parents both drowned in the river, but to accept without Robinpaw, without justice? 
“I.. I” Crowpaw looked around once more, and the friendly expressions, some sympathetic, on his Clanmates’ faces, made him burn with rage. One of them killed his sister, and they just sat there and smiled like nothing had happened? “I.. I don’t.” he half whispered.
Redstar’s eyes widened in surprise. “Excuse me?” 
“I said, I don’t.” Crowpaw said louder. “How can I?” With every word, Crowpaw became more sure of himself. “It’s all Robinpaw ever wanted, ever worked for. How can I live her dream without her?”
Redstar’s eyes softened. “That’s very noble, Crowpaw, but I’m sure she’d-”
“I said no.” Crowpaw stood and stared his leader in the eyes as he defied him. “You can give me a name, and all the status of a warrior. But I do not make that promise. Not until I have avenged Robinpaw.”
Redstar stood, tail lashing. “You have too much anger in you, but I will not deny you the honour of a full warrior name, Crowpaw. You will be known as Crowfrost, because your heart was broken, and mended crooked. There is ice in your veins, Crowfrost. And you must let it melt before you do something you regret.” Redstar stared at Crowfrost, a mix of anger, sympathy and disgust in his eyes. “This ceremony is as good as dead. No one shall speak of it, except for the apprenticeships. He isn’t sheltered by the claws of StarClan. This cat,” he shot daggers at Crowfrost with his eyes. “This cat has a warrior name, but he is not a warrior in my eyes, nor in StarClan’s.”
Crowfrost fought the urge to flinch at his leader’s wounding words. But the black cat sat tall, and puffed out his chest. 
I am broken, but I’ll tell them I’m fine. But they wouldn’t believe me if they knew the things that cross my mind.

Crowfrost sprinted through the forest, his long strides eating up the earth underneath him. He was chasing Robinpaw’s voice. She was calling him, and he would find her.
Crowww-frostt. The voice rang out, echoing in the forest.
Crowww-frostt! The eerie voice bounced around Crowfrost’s mind.
Crowww-frostt! It became louder until he couldn’t stand it.
“Where are you?” the young tom cried. “Who killed you? Tell me so I can avenge you!”
You know. You know, Crowfrost.

Like the fox is red, so is blood.

My body lays in the mud.

You think you know who you can trust.

Find who did it, find you must.

The one you think you can trust the most.

They’re the one who sank the low’st.

You are right, they’re in the Clan.

You must stop them.

Before they kill again.

Crowfrost woke, feeling like a thousand thorns were pricking his pelt. His sister’s rhyme had disturbed him to the depths of his core, and he sat up. Crowfrost dug his claws into the ground as he remembered Redstar’s words. This cat isn’t a warrior, this ceremony is dead.
Crowfrost trotted out of camp, ignoring the burning glares his Clanmates shot him, as if by sending him fiery stares Crowfrost might melt like the frost in his name. 
He trudged along the riverbank, pondering Robinpaw’s words.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Like the fox is red, so is blood.
The one you think you can trust the most.
There was only one cat in the Clan no cat would suspect, not even Crowfrost. 
Redstar.
It made sense. The words at the ceremony weren’t what he really meant. And even if Redstar did mean what he said, they were code for something else.
This cat isn’t a warrior, this ceremony is dead. This cat has a warrior name, but he is not a warrior in my eyes, nor in StarClan’s. He isn’t sheltered by the claws of StarClan.
Crowfrost rearranged the words in his mind:
This cat is dead, isn’t a warrior. That must mean Robinpaw. But when Crowfrost deciphered the rest of the message, his suspicions were confirmed, and it sent an icy chill down his spine, like the cold claws of the wind gripping him, and it wouldn’t let go.

This cat is dead by my claws.

Crowfrost sat at the mouth of the warriors’ den, watching the moon climb high, and the stars flicker in the sky. As the moon reached its peak in the night, he padded into the darkness of the camp.
At the entrance to Redstar’s den, he hesitated. What if he was wrong?
The cat as red as foxfur…. Robinpaw’s voice breathed in his ear, ruffling his ear fur.
Crowfrost took a breath and padded into the den. He immediately noticed Redstar’s sleeping form, curled in his mossy nest. Crowfrost padded forward until his paws were less than a mousetail from Redstar’s snoring muzzle.
Robinpaw’s voice whispered to him. Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw. Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw.
The voice chanted his parents’ names over and over again.
Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw. Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw.
“He killed them, too, didn’t he?” Crowfrost whispered to no one.
Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw. Sandheart, Dawnflower, Robinpaw.
Crowfrost took that as his answer. This new knowledge that his leader had killed his parents infuriated the young warrior even more, and he hissed, loud enough to awaken Redstar, but not enough to wake the rest of the camp. The Clan leader lifted his head, fear flickering in his eyes as he saw Crowfrost.
“I knew you’d come eventually, Crowfrost.”
“You left me a message. Why?”
“I wanted you to know what I did, and why I did it.” Redstar cringed as Crowfrost stepped closer.
“I came here to kill you.”
“I know. And you have every right to do so. But will you allow me the privilege of a last explanation?”
Crowfrost hesitated, before nodding and sitting back on his hindquarters. “Explain.”
“I did kill your parent.”
“Parent? There were two.”
Redstar sighed. “No. Sandheart… Sandheart wasn’t your father. I was.”
“What?” Crowfrost’s eyes widened in shock, and he searched the old cat’s green gaze for any indication that he was lying.
“Moons ago, my kits were born to Dawnflower. I gave them to Sandheart in order to keep you safe. WindClan’s leader, Icestar, and I have always had a deep hatred for each other, as you know. If he found out I had a son and daughter, he’d waste no time in capturing you, just to hurt me.”
“So you gave us up.” Crowfrost murmured, before his gaze hardened. “Fine, you’re my father. That explains Robinpaw’s red fur. But why’d you kill my family?”
“Dawnflower died trying to save Sandheart. I mistook him for Gritclaw in a battle.” Redstar named a WindClan warrior who looked very similar to Sandheart. “I shoved him in the river, and by the time I realized, Dawnflower had leapt in. They both drowned.”
“Explain Robinpaw.” Crowfrost snarled.
“That was.. That was purposeful, I’m afraid. She found out I was your father. I killed her to keep her quiet, as it would lose my place as Clan leader.”
“Why?”
“Because Dawnflower was a WindClan cat when she had you and Robinpaw. I broke the code, even though she joined RiverClan after.”
Crowfrost sat still, taking in what he had just learned. Pawsteps sounded behind him, and Icestar entered the den.
Crowfrost turned, flattening his ears as he picked up the WindClan scent.
“Icestar.” Redstar meowed coolly. “What do you want?”
Crowfrost moved instinctively in front of his leader. “Take another step, mange pelt, and I’ll rip your fur off.” he snarled.
Icestar seemed to stop and circle them. “I do not intend to hurt a young warrior. I want your leader. Come, stand with me, Crowfrost. I know you want him dead after what you just heard.”
With a jolt, Crowfrost realized Icestar had heard Redstar’s entire confession. Crowfrost walked towards Icestar, and faced Redstar’s teeth bared.
“Smart decision.” Icestar smirked at Redstar, his blue eyes triumphant. “This warrior is mine now.”
Suddenly, Crowfrost turned sharply, leaping onto Icestar’s spine and sinking his fangs in. He heard bone hit bone, and the WindClan leader let out an ear-splitting screech, and flung Crowfrost against the stone wall, before fleeing the den. Crowfrost’s head slammed into the rock, and blackness crept into his vision, and he sunk into a black sleep.

Robin was avenged, avenged with the truth.

Sandheart wasn’t killed, he was mistaken.

Dawn died saving her Clanmate.

Crowfrost opened his eyes. A cat, red as foxfur, sat in front of him. 
“Redstar!” Crowfrost cried happily. 
The cat turned, eyes closed, and sat facing Crowfrost.
“You came back.” Crowfrost took a step forwards but something wasn’t right…

Red, yes, red as blood.

I stared at him, wary but excited.

Taking a step forward, I stopped abruptly.

A river appeared, swallowing the red cat.

I bounded forwards, and stared over the side of the bank.

The cat was there, but only the closed eyes.

I peered closer, and the eyes snapped open.

Instead of a bright green, they were icy blue.

And Filled With Lust For Vengeance….

[/spoiler]