Darksword

“So… where are we going?” Darksword asked

“To my den. I already told you I was taking you to my den” Sorrowbringer stated matter-of-factly.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?”

“Yes. Why? Do you feel uncomfortable?”

He glared at her, “Shadowclan can adapt to any surrounding. Unlike some clans.” He glanced around at all of the cats looking at him. He sneered. They all looked away.

“Don’t scare them.” Said a muscled cat. He didn’t look exactly like Tigerpaw but, they had some similarities.

“Who are you to tell me that?”

“I’m her cousin. The clan leader’s son.” Said the cat. He walked over to Sorrowbringer and said, “isn’t that right.”

He had a strange look in his eye. Like he wanted something to go down between Shadowclan and Riverclan.

“Um… what’s going on?” Darksword asked. “You said that you would take me to your den.”

“Sorrow, why are you bringing another cat into your den? What clan is it? And why do you look like you have just left a hunt?” He was right. Sorrowbringer still had the wide eyes of the hunt and her ears still up, acting as a radar for any noise that would come out of it’s silence.

“It’s Shadowclan. They need to stay. Both of the clans are tired of war, so I wanted to try to make peace.” She stated bluntly.

“Yeah. The clans hate the fighting so we joined together. We just had the meeting.” Agreed Darksword.

“At half-past the start of the gloom?” His orange fur rustled in the night wind.

“Yes. That’s the only time Shadowclan will come.”

“And why couldn’t you have gone over there?” Sorrowbringer’s cousin asked.

“We didn’t trust them when we set up the meeting.”

She walked off and motioned with her tail for Darksword to follow. And he did.

Once they got to Sorrow’s den, Darksword gazed in awe.

“Wow.” He breathed.

“What? Have you never seen a clean den before?” Sorrow asked.

He shook his head, “We don’t have dens. We live in old trees and things like that. And we don’t have time for sentimentals.”

“Oh. Well, make yourself at home. Just be quiet. I still have to talk to my mom about having you stay.”

“Didn’t you tell her that you were going on the hunt and we would probably show up?”

“No. We aren’t even supposed to go hunting. We took a vow of nonviolence a little while ago.”

“Why? Hunting is the best part of the day.”

“I know. That’s why I went hunting during the gloom.”

“Hmm.” He said. He looked like he was thinking. “You disobeyed your parents to go hunting?”

“Yes. Why do you ask? You would do the same thing, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes. But you’re a Riverclan. They aren’t exactly known for going out of their way to go hunting.”

“Why are you judging me?”

“Nothing. No need to get defensive. Where do I sleep?”

“Shadowclan sleep?” She had an arrogant smile on her face.

Darksword glowered at her. “Yes, we sleep.”

“I know. I was kidding with you.”

“Now, where do I sleep?”

“In that corner over there.” She pointed to the darkest, dustiest corner.

“Wow. Really?”

“Yes. You can clean to if you want to.” She said walking to a corner of the room where two cats were sleeping.

Darksword walked over to the corner and went to sleep.

“Mom!” Sorrow whispered.

“Yes Sorrow?” Her mom said waking up.

“I have a Shadowclan. He came to the pack during a hunt that I was at and said that they would stay-”

“You were at a hunt?”

“Is that what you’re focused on right now?”

“Keep going with your story.” Mom said impatiently.

“Okay. Thank you. Anyway, so Shadowclan is going to stay here for two moons. Also the enhaireter is going to stay with us the entire time.”

“You say that as if he’s here already?”

“He is mom. He’s sleeping in the unused corner.”

“Oh? Okay.” She said and went back to sleep.

“Darksword! Wake up!”

“UGGGGHHHH!”

“Darksword! The packs are going on a hunt! Come on!”

He opened his eyes and immediately looked wide awake. His light green-gray eyes reflecting the light in the den, temporarily blinding her.

“When?” He asked, eyeing the dead mice on the rock in the middle of the den.

“You can have some. And the hunt starts in a couple moonshines.”

“Okay. Thank you for letting me sleep here Sorrowbringer.”

“Of course. And my friends call me Sorrow.”

“Are you implying that I can call you Sorrow?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“Okay then, Sorrow.” He said getting up.

He stretched for a while then walked over to the rock of mice. He ate one.

“Let’s go for a hunt.” Sorrow said walking out.

“HUNTER’S! ATTACK!” Darksword yelled. He was on top of his castle, yelling orders at his army.

“SIR!” Someone yelled. It was Sorrow.

“What are you doing here?” Darksword asked the blonde tabby. “You’re a Riverclan!”

“Sir, what are you talking about? I left fifteen moons ago.”

“Oh. Right. I forgot.” Sorrow looked solemn. Almost sad.

“Darksword!”

“UGGGGHHHH!”

“Darksword! The packs are going on a hunt! Come on!”

He opened his eyes and immediately looked wide awake. His light green-gray eyes reflecting the light in the den, temporarily blinding her.

“When?” He asked, eyeing the dead mice on the rock in the middle of the den.

“You can have some. And the hunt starts in a couple moonshines.”

“Okay. Thank you for letting me sleep here Sorrowbringer.”

“Of course. And my friends call me Sorrow.”

“Are you implying that I can call you Sorrow?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“Okay then Sorrow.” He said getting up.

He stretched for a while then walked over to the rock of mice. He ate one.

“Let’s go for a hunt.” Sorrow said walking out.

“So… who was that guy we talked to walking over to your den?” Darksword asked walking at a steady pace next to Sorrowbringer.

“He’s my cousin. His name is Toothripper.”

“Oh… does he like… rip teeth out?” Darksword asked cousicly.

“No. His family thought he would with how muscled he is but… he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s all talk.”

“Oh. Okay. I guess my little brother is like that. He acts all tough but he’s not.”

“Now I wouldn’t say he’s not tough. He can hurt you. He just won’t.”

“Oh. I’ll stay clear then.” He said, then walked on.

Once they reached the hunt, Darksword was starting to rethink coming to Riverclan.

The whole clan looked at him all of the time. He felt the heat of their eyes on the back of his ears.

One of them actually walked up to him and asked if he was really a Shadowclan.

“Yes. I’m a Shadowclan. I will hunt and kill you and your family if you don’t get away from me.”

The small cat scampered away.

“Really?”

“What?! I don’t like cats looking at me! I feel weird.”

“Aren’t you the enhaireter? You should be used to all this attention.”

“Shadowclan kinda looks down on not being a leader. So I really don’t get a lot of attention. When I do, it’s when I stop an army from killing the whole clan but, that’s something a child can do right?”

Sorrow gazed at Darksword on awe. “SOMETHING FOR A CHILD!?”

“Shhhhh! Keep your voice down!”

“Something for a child!? That’s something that Riverclan would worship!”

“And that’s why Shadowclan looks down on you.” Darksword said, walking toward the large group of felines in front of him.

Why did I say that?! She’ll kick me out for sure! If she doesn’t, I’ll stop saying things like that. No way she won’t though. So I can say that kind of stuff all of the time now. YES!

“Listen up everyone! Today we will go into the old Skyclan territory.”

“That’s against Skyclan’s rules!” Someone shouted. Probably that mother who wound up the pack last gloom.

“Stormswind, we do not believe in the old rules. You may, but we do not. You may leave if you wish.”

“I will.” She harrumphed. She started walking away with such pride it started to pass to Sorrow it seemed like. Not that she needed anymore.

“What was that about?” Darksword asked Sorrow once she got over there in a low whisper.

“That’s Stormswind. Ignore her. She’s to dramatic.”

“Oh. Okay. So… we don’t like her?”

“Not often. She could be useful sometimes but… not often. Like I said.”

“Okay then.” He said looking up at Tigerpaw and Toothripper.

“Riverclan! Shadowclan! We move in two moonshines!”

Loud conversation fell among the clans. Sorrow was looking sickly.

“Sorrow, are you okay?” Darksword asked.

“Yeah. I’m Enochlophobic.”

“Oh. We don’t have to go hunting you know. We can leave. You’re not even supposed to be here.”

“I’m fine. I come to every hunt. Why would I misssss-”

“Sorrow? Sorrow! SORROW WAKE UP!” Both clans looked at him and then looked down to Sorrow’s limp body. Some of the Riverclan had a horrified look on their face. Shadowclan looked impressed.

“HE KILLED SORROWBRINGER!” Riverclan rushed him, scratching and biting him in a furious anger.

“I DIDN'T KILL HER! SHE’S MY FRIEND! WHY WOULD I?!” They all stopped dead in their steps. Darksword got up and licked some of his wounds. Then he looked up.

There was a bright shining light that only meant one thing. Sorrow was dead.

“NO!” Darksword screamed. “YOU CAN’T TAKE HER! IF SHE GOES, I GO!”

The light picked him up as well. Like it was all part of a plan.

Then the world fell away and he was flying.

Sorrowbringer

“Why would I misssss-” It was black. She heard muffled cries of help and she wanted to get up, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t move. Then there was a bright light and she was flying. The rest she could not remember.

She woke up in a small, cramped room. Her claustrophobia kicked in big time. Then she felt something furry move next to her leg and it made her twitch out of reflex.

“Owww.” The thing goaned.

“Darksword!” She nuzzled him affectionately.

“Yes. That’s me. Will you get off my tail now?” He asked grumbly.

“Oh yeah. Sorry.” She said, moving from the place that she had been lying.

“Thank you. Now, where are we?” He said licking some wounds that he had.

“How am I supposed to know that?”

The cage they were in shook. They both stopped moving and fell to the ground.

“Hello cats. Where did you come from?” Said a voice with a Russian kind of accent.

They didn’t talk or move.

The cage opened and the two of them saw a scarred thing with one good eye. He was a strange pale, with two different eye colors.

One was almost completely white, the other was bright red. Like there was something inside of it that the thing couldn’t get out. Sorrow hated that.

“I SAID, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!” Said the thing grabbing Sorrow and throwing her across the room. She hit the wall and yelped.

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” Darksword yelled at the thing. “AND WHAT EVEN ARE YOU?!”

I can’t move. She thought to herself. What sorcery is this and what did it do to me?

“I asked you a question you stupid little cats.”

“Answer our question and we’ll answer yours.” Darksword said, hoping out of the cage and walking over to Sorrow. He muttered some sort of spell over her and she could move again.

“Fine.” Said the thing exasperated. “You are in the human world. Once you leave here, you will not be able to talk to humans. Only to your kind. And not all are friendly. It’s like your clans.”

“Oh okay.” Sorrow said. The thing got a look of amazement and horror.

“H-how a-a-are you moving? I put a spell on you!” The thing asked.

“My spell countered yours.” The Shadowclan said.

He walked over to the door and trotted out. Then popped his head back in and said, “Are you coming?” And walked out again.

Sorrow walked out into a city of people around her. They looked at her with kind eyes and happiness. Then they saw her with the wounded Shadowclan. His pattern of spots had darkened with age. They looked at him and looked away. No emotion whatsoever. She thought she saw one of the “humans” kick him in the stomach.

“Are you okay? I just saw that human kick you. Did you do something?”

“You just assumed that I did something?”

“Well… you are a Shadowclan. What am I supposed to think?”

“And here I thought you trusted me.” He said, flicking his tail.

“Whatever.” The Riverclan said, unhappy.

She moved away from the Shadowclan but, he followed. “I thought you were mad at me.” She said mockingly.

“I don’t want to! It’s just… I don’t know where we are.”

“Neither do I.”

“Fair enough. C’mon.” He rolled his eyes and walked toward “the human world”.

“Look, we have no idea where we are. We have to stay together, even if we’re mad at each other.”

“Uggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“I feel the same way Darksword. The same way.”

“NO YOU DON’T! IF YOU FELT THE SAME WAY-” He cut himself off, “Look, I’m sorry for yelling. I just don’t like it when other cats compare their ‘feelings’ to mine. ‘Cuz most of the time, there not the same as mine and the other cats just want attention from me. Lot of good the does. I couldn’t care less about them.” He said with a happy smile. He looked comfortable. He looked happy.

“Do you expect me to find that comforting? Do you expect me to laugh? Do you really think I’m that low?” She hissed. He didn’t look happy anymore.

The Shadowclan said, “I guess you and I don’t have the same sense of humor. That’s just fine.” He just flicked his tail and walked off with no emotion at all. She stomped over next to him and plopped down with a sigh.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted. It was my fault. I’m just really confused, at the moment.”

“It’s fine. Whatever…” Sorrow realized that Dorksword’s attention was pointed somewhere else. She looked in the direction his bright eyes were looking at, and gasped.

“Oh my god…” Sorrow inhaled sharply. “Is that my… dad?”

“WHAT?! IS THAT YOUR DAD!”

A light blonde cat, around the same size as Darksword, walked toward them.

“D-Darksword.”

“What!? What is it?!” Darksword said, “Is it your dad?!”

Sorrow sobbed. “Y-yes it is. He’s come back to kill me! I told mother that he was seeing another cat. He was driven out of the clan because of me. He said he would kill me if he ever saw me again!” In her eyes, there was worry. She was really scared. She had no idea what to do.

“I’m sure you look different. You are now a tabby pelt, no?” He looked so scared for her.

“Hello there fellow felines.” Sorrow’s father said, approaching them.

Sorrow heard Darksword let out a low growl. This new cat let in a sharp inhale.

“What are your names?” The cat asked, sitting on its haunches.

“So-” she stopped herself, “I’m Lightningfoot, and this is my mate, Moonbreath.” She nuzzled Darksword with a fake affection.

“Y-yeah.” He nodded. “Mate! Really?!” He quietly ‘yelled’ at her.

“Yes really!” She whispered back.

“Are you two sure your mates? You seem to fight a lot for being mates.” Sorrow’s father looked up and down Sorrow’s slik, muscled body.

“Why are you looking at my mate in such ways?” ‘Moonbreath’ asked the cat. He looked defencive.

“N-no! She just reminds me of my daughter. I already have a mate.”

“What happened to your daughter?”

“Well, she told my previous mate that I was seeing another cat in secret. Then my old clan drove me into the human realm.”

“Pffft!” Sorrow made a noise with her mouth.

“Is there something you want to say to me, Lightningfoot?” He looked suspicious of her. She thought that he was catching on.

“No sir! It’s just… I think one of my friends is your daughter. She told me a different story.”

“What’s your friends name?” Asked the cat scepticlay.

“Sorrowbringer, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir. Call me Arrowshooter.”

“Well, Arrowshooter? Is it your daughter or not?”

His dark tabby pattern lightened then darkened. He seemed to be confused.

“What was her name again?”

“Sorrowbringer.” Her blonde fur whisked in the morning wind.

“Y-yes. That’s my daughter. And what story did my daughter tell you?” He mewed, tilting his head back, as if waiting for a fatal blow in a battle.

“That she saw you with another cat. Doing things… she said. Then she said she ran to her mom and told her. Then they drove you out of the clan because cheating on your mate is strictly forbidden. And when you and her were alone, you threatened to kill her if you ever saw her again. Is that true Arrowshooter?”

“Yes. It is. And you certainly look like my daughter.”

Her eyes flashed worry. He caught on. “I am you daughter you stupid idiot. I can now defend myself to. So you can try to kill me but, I will win you. And you will die.”

Arrowshooter lunged at her with such force it knocked her off her feet.

Arrowshooter scratched and clawed at her face. He got to one of her eyes and hit her adnexa. (I had to look this up.) She could feel the blood falling toward her eye.

She scratched back until she could open her good eye. She saw Darksword stalking near them. Then he jumped on top of Arrowshooter and bit his ear.. He yowled in pain and anger.

The old cat backed away and ran. “Coward.” Sorrow spat.

“Are you okay?” Darksword panted, noticing the gash over her eye.

“Yeah. I’m fine. You can’t live without a little surviving, right?”

“Y-yeah.” Darksword clearly wasn’t expecting her to be okay. He must of thought she would start crying or something.

“Anyway, let’s get going.” Sorrow flattened her ears and relaxed.

“O-okay. L-let’s go…” His face said he hardly thought this was a good plan, but he said otherwise.

“Are you okay?” Sorrow asked him.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just surprised is all.” He clearly was more than just surprised, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to upset him more then he already was.

He flicked his tail and padded off.

As Sorrow was catching up to him, she heard a small yelp coming from an ally.

She was guessing that Darksword heard it to, because he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Um… Sorrow, did you hear that? Or am I going deaf?”

“No. I-” Something cut her off. A terrible hiss, and another yelp.

“I’m going in there. I have to check if that poor cat is okay."

"Okay, Sorrow. Whatever. I'm staying here though."

Sorrow started walking towards the yelping, only to see her father and his mate.