Main Story: Into the Wild (Part 1)
A forest – an often-large expanse of area covered chiefly by trees and undergrowth. Its greenery was shadowed by the darkness of night, only alit by the half moon, which reflected but the sun’s sleeping gaze, yet none of its warmth. A forest like that was not unlike any other forest.
The forest – the place where four trees stood tall at its center, and a mouse may be victim to their claws. It was a place where not everyone roamed equal, a single leaf belonging to one group or another – four to be exact. Yes, the forest was divided, like the very trees at their center. And those who perhaps poked their noses too close might find harsh hisses and crass claws chasing them back, as no outsider was welcomed.
The forest – this forest – was their forest.
The forest was alive this night. What was once silence was broken by sleek dark bodies leaping from the cover of the undergrowth, colliding with not all too different figures who lurched from the river’s water.
They were cats, all of them.
One side from the undergrowth, and the other from the river, the warring felines collided, spitting and hissing as the clearing would soon be filled with the sounds of battle.
“Oakheart!” At the center of the frenzy, a massive dark brown tabby would pin a reddish-brown cat, who still dripped with water. The tabby snarled, claws digging into the wet cat’s shoulders. “How dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!”
A glint of amusement flashed in the red cat’s eyes. “After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will just be another RiverClan hunting ground.” His voice was smooth and calculating. He whisked his tail underneath the tabby, right as a warning yowl echoed from the shore.
“More RiverClan warriors are coming!”
Tigerclaw’s amber eyes looked up to see the sleek, wet bodies emerging from the black water, leaping into the fray without even pausing to shake themselves off. Distracted by the new arrivals, Tigerclaw would hiss as Oakheart’s back paw raked down his belly, forcing him off the tom. As the two enemy warriors stood across from one another, Tigerclaw curled back his lip and snarled.
“You may swim like otters, but you and your warriors don’t belong here!”
The desperate cry of a molly caused Tigerclaw’s ear to prick. A stone gray RiverClan tom had his clanmate pinned down underneath him, teeth dangerously close to her neck. With a small growl, Tigerclaw turned his back on Oakheart, rushing to the molly’s side. He knocked the enemy warrior away from her, eyes flashing as he yelled.
“Quick Mousefur, run!”
With a deep gash in her shoulder, the dusky brown molly winced as she pushed herself to her paws. Almost tripping over herself, she managed to hurry away, Tigerclaw relaxing as she disappeared back into the bushes.
But in the thick of battle, one could never relax. The RiverClan tom fought back, his large and muscular frame making him stand out amongst his RiverClan brethren. Challenging Tigerclaw’s own strength, he forced himself up, raking his claws across Tigerclaw’s face. Tigerclaw spat with rage as the bridge of his nose was sliced open. Blood blinded him for an instant, but that didn’t stop him from lunging forward. He sank his teeth into the hind leg of his enemy, and despite his size, pulled his weight out from under him, and dragged him over the forest floor. The gray tom hissed in pain, managing to struggle free before racing away. Tigerclaw stood up, raising his head triumphantly.
“Tigerclaw!” The yowl for his name made the dark tabby tense, the familiar voice causing his fur to lie flat, and his body to straighten. He was immediately at attention, as he looked up to see a tortoiseshell tom with a tail as red as a fox. “There are too many RiverClan warriors. We have to retreat!”
“No Redtail!” Tigerclaw yowled back. “ThunderClan will never be beaten! This is our territory!” Blood dribbled from his wounded muzzle, droplets scattering as he shook his massive head in defiance.
But alas, Redtail’s gaze didn’t waver. “ThunderClan will honor your courage Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more warriors.” His voice seemed to want to convince Tigerclaw, but his own look of frustration betrayed the warrior shame he felt in losing this battle. Still, the tortoiseshell raised his head high as he looked around at the warring frenzy. “Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds. We will have another chance to avenge this defeat.” He met Tigerclaw’s amber gaze steadily, before springing up onto a boulder at the edge of the trees.
“Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!” Redtail yowled. His words caused an immediate shift in the battle. At once his warriors squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. For a moment, the RiverClan cats looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Oakheart pushed his way forward, raising his head as he let out a cry of victory. The gray tom from before quickly joined him, followed by the rest of their clanmates. With a flick of his tail, Redtail led his warriors back into the thick of the forest. ThunderClan slowly disappeared into the trees, though not without disappointed glances and flicks of lashing tails.
Tigerclaw followed last. He stood at the edge of their forest, glancing back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, eyes furious slits. And as he looked back at their forest, he leaped after his clan, disappearing into its shadows.
The forest was theirs, and they held onto it tight. It was a place where not everyone roamed equal.
The forest was divided, never belonging to one.
The forest was dangerous, and those who came too close might find harsh hisses and crass claws chasing them back.
As no outsider was welcomed.
ThunderClan
ShadowClan
WindClan
RiverClan
