Young Writers Society

In the heart of the forest, once every full moon, the cats of four rival clans meet to put aside their differences for a night. The discussion topic of late: deforestation. Cats of all clans must co-ordinate their responses to the Twoleg massacre of the trees they call home.

In one clan, this is merely the surface of cats’ troubles. The leader, Opalstar, has been in place for most of most cats’ lives and has always stuck staunchly to the Warrior Code. Opalstar has got the clan through some of the coldest winters imaginable. But now, disillusionment is spreading. The deputy, Briarheart, believes they should be pushing into the territory of other clans, as this is the only way to survive in the face of drastic loss of prey as a result of deforestation. Some cats agree fervently with Briarheart, more strongly than they ever felt about the Warrior Code. Others see Briarheart as a necessary evil.

Support for Opalstar and for Briarheart is roughly 50:50 split, but these tensions are never formally acknowledged. There is no propaganda, there are no speeches made to convince you of the right side. It is up to you to decide who to support.

But choose wisely, for eventually there can surely be only one victor. If Opalstar quells this discontent, Briarheart’s supporters may end up in exile. If Briarheart succeeds in assassinating Opalstar, then Opalstar’s supporters may face a far more gruesome fate.
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SLOTS:


*tags people who said they were interested*
@GavintheLawyerCat (co-creator), @ChiravianSkies, @SnazzyPencil, @Meandbooks
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The apprentice Silverleaf was tending to, Nightpaw, squirmed. She'd been out on one of the riskier patrols skirting right up to the HillClan border. It was rumoured that occasionally this particular route even crossed the boundary. That was why Nightpaw, in what was expected to be her final few moons of apprenticeship, had been sent out to participate.

"So you're telling me you got all the way along the border with HillClan, all the way back to Lake Silver, then slipped on the rocks and did this?" Silverleaf raised one eyebrow. The wound in her leg was deep but wide, clearly the result of a tumble down the rocks that ringed the Lake's edge.

"It was really slippery, okay!" Nightpaw pouted and flicked her tail. "There was Twoleg waste everywhere. We could barely take a step without landing in one of their blasted food containers!"

Silverleaf frowned. Yet another report of Twoleg litter in or around the lake. The frequency with which she, LakeClan's medicine cat was hearing this was alarming in itself. What was more alarming was the relative hush with which it was treated. It would be okay, everyone assured her. The other clans were sure to extend a paw of allegiance in the face of Twoleg interference. Silverleaf frowned deeper as she worried what repercussions that might ultimately have for the Warrior Code.

The hanging fronds that acted as a door to her den whooshed open and a fluffy white apprentice barged in.

Nightpaw rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Cloudpaw?"

"Let him speak," Silverleaf urged. She was sure she could hear yowls and mews in the distance, towards the edge of the camp.

"Dogs!" he cried, "Dawnsky fell asleep on guard and dogs got in! Opalstar says everyone has to help!"

Nightpaw moved to leap towards him but Silverleaf held her down by her good paw.

"You'll be no use to anyone limping around getting in the way," she mewed, "Either be sensible for once and stay here or go raise the alarm with Cloudpaw. On no account are you to go anywhere near the edge of camp. Understand?"

Nightpaw rolled her eyes but nodded. A group of warriors and apprentices was pounding towards the camp's southern entrance, the one in the direction of OakClan. Silverleaf raced with the group towards the sound of the commotion. Surely their momentum at least would overpower the canine threat.

The entrance came into view just before the dog, who had poor Dawnsky in its jaws. When its eye caught the stream of cats rushing towards it, it tossed Dawnsky aside and snarled, its eyes drifting steadily from one cat to the next.

"Jump!"

Silverleaf had no idea where or who the call came from, but she sprang towards the dog as one with the rest of the group. The dog yelped and staggered back, but did not fall. There must have been five cats nipping and clawing at it, but still it stood. It grabbed an apprentice with its claws and pressed it down into the ground until it started wriggling and gasping for air.

Its mentor, Briarheart, who was also the clan deputy, howled with alarm and abandoned its attempt to hack the dog's back legs to pieces. He grabbed the dog's tail and bit down hard, his eyes steady and cold. The dog yowled and let go of the apprentice, but Briarheart refused to let go of its tail.

The dog growled and threw its weight backwards. Silverleaf gasped with relief as Briarheart scurried away just in time, before the dog landed on its hind and pounced back up. He'd have been crushed had he clung on a moment longer. The dog was covered in scratches, and its breathing was ragged, but it refused to retreat.

Then, with an almighty whoop, the rest of the clan's warriors arrived to flank the group. Briarheart hissed at the dog.

"Your move," he snarled.

Branchclaw held her nose high in the air, trying to detect where that scent was. Was it dog? Fox? If only the stench of twolegs wasn’t destroying her nose. She padded along the ground, finding ways to weave in and out of cattails and fronds.

The wind blew again, sending a whiff of twoleg and that same strange scent to her again. She leaped back, tripping over an exposed root.

She rolled back to her legs, fur bristling and ready to fight. Maybe it was that dog. When she looked up, though, there was nothing. But — she was convinced she got the smell of a dog. At least, she thought it was a dog.

The brown cat sighed quietly and continued walking down the swamp. She held her nose high in the air, still trying to see if she could smell anything. And still, it was just a conglomerate of useless twoleg stench.

Branchclaw stomped down on the mud in anger and immediately heard the scuffling of a newt escaping through the plants. She gave a guttural sigh, realizing the catch she’d missed.

She lifted her ears to the air, trying to rely on her ears for any food.

Amid the rustling of wind on trees, she finally located the sound of something in the reeds.

She crouched down, hoping it could be something large enough to feed the elders. She tensed her muscles, keeping her paws close and her tail lowered.

She leaped. Her claws were brought down on loam and mud. What the-? She lifted her head to see a furry white creature bolting away.

Branchclaw shook the amazement from her head and started running for it. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what it was. Mouse? No. Squirrel? She’d never seen a pure white squirrel. Rabbit?

Her paws slammed against the mud, splashing all over the lower parts of cattails.

Wind started to blow loudly, like a storm was about to start coming in. It beat against her ears and Branchclaw could only operate by sight and touch.

The scent of the dog once again sent a jolt down her spine, making her leap unintentionally. She shook her head, her beige-patched back bristling. The creature, where was it? She caught sight of the white animal hiding beneath an uprooted tree.

Once more, she crouched, keeping her only usable sense on that animal. She took a step forward, and instead of leaping, gave a spring of her legs out until her claws wrapped around it.

It screeched and tried kicking powerful hind legs out into the ground. Like it could actually get leverage from that.

Apparently, it could. It leaped out, running like a bat from the Dark Forest. She bolted after it one last time, her strength and stamina getting worn out over a single piece of prey. She gave one last burst of energy, and ignoring all sounds and smells, threw herself at the animal.

It screeched, and Branchclaw knew better than to let the large piece of prey struggle. She bit it on the neck and it was over.

She lay on the ground panting and looking the creature in its dimming eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured to her starry ancestors.

She blinked at it curiously, tapping her paws on dark grey stone. Should she eat it? Her stomach growled like a fox.

She shook her head. No. She knew what could happen if Opalstar found her breaking the code. Cleaning the elders’ ticks for three moons would probably be the least she would do.

Grinding her claws on stone, she took the catch and lifted it in her jaws. Back the the clan.

A thought dawned on her. Where was she? She whirled around, seeing a strip of stone. She’d never really been here before, and the last time she was here was when she was training under her mentor.

Something whirred in the air, nearly deafening Branchclaw. Instinctively, she leaped back with her fur bristled. She stood stark still, trying to triangulate from where the sound was coming from.

Wind, coming from a different direction than before, blew through her thin fur.

She finally found the sound. She whirled on her paws and fell to the ground.

When she looked up, she stared straight into the glowing yellow eyes of an oncoming monster.

Nightpaw sighed. It felt like moons since all the warriors had gone out if camp to get rid of the dog. 'You're so mouse brained Nightpaw!' She thought to herself, drawing a paw over the ground. 'You should be out there, making that dog wish it were never born!' Nightpaw smiled suddenly. It wouldn't be that bad if she went to go look, would it? She wouldn't get on the way, unless they needed her of course. Maybe she should...just in case... Nightpaw scrambled to her paws, and limped to the camp entrance. Wait, paw steps! Nightpaw scrambled behind a bush in an attempt to hide. Branchclaw padded in, carrying a piece of prey. Her fur was ruffled, and her eyes wide. Nightpaw limped out as fast as she could towards the borders.
Nightpaw could hear the rage of battle before even seeing the dog. Nightpaw struggled to the top of the small rise. Down below, Briarheart wrestled with the dog. Nightpaw had to bite her tongue before she could hiss out loud. The dog was huge! As big as three warriors combined! Dawnsky was limping, Nightpaw noticed, but nothing to bad- she thought as she saw Thornclaw hurl himself into battle. The dog, injured, had angrily batted Briarheart away, but the weight of Thornclaw was too much. The dog buckled under his weight. Dawnsky leapt onto the dog, biting onto its ear. Nightpaw silently cheered them on. They almost had the dog over powered!
Suddenly, something slammed into the back of Nightpaw. She grunted, losing her balance on the soft wet earth. She tumbled down a ways before stopping. She looked up into the eyes if Cloudpaw! "What is wrong with you?" She spat, trying to get back on her paws.
"I was coming back to help!" He spat back, out of breath. "Aren't you supposed to back in camp?"
Nightpaw stood. "That's none of your business. Listen, I have to go." She meows quickly, nervous of being caught. Her leg has started to hurt again-bit she didn't want anyone to know.
"Nightpaw!" Silverleaf hissed from a ways away.
Nightpaw winced, turning back. Briarheart was streaking after the dog, and the rest of the cats were lying down, licking at their wounds. "I just-"
"Back to camp. Now!" She growled, flicking a tail towards camp.
Nigtpaw spat, turning around. She shoved past Cloudpaw, back to camp. The rest of the warriors slowly got to their own feet, and walked back to camp. Only Dawnsky was limping, Silverleaf realized.
"Great Starclan..." She murmured as she walked back as well.

Cloudpaw sighed tiredly. He stared at Nightpaw, feeling the empty feeling he got in his chest when his clanmates disrespected him. He got the feeling that all but Opalstar and Silverleaf didn't appreciate his being here. Especially Briarheart. He padded over to Silverleaf, and meowed softly: 'Do you need help?'. Sighing, Silverleaf replied. 'Fine. You could be useful by fetching my some cobwebs for Dawnsky's leg.' 'Sure!' he replied eagerly.

As he went to fetch them, a yowl rang threw the camp. An Oakclan warrior burst int the camp, dragging the limb body of... Ripplepaw!

Cloudpaw rushed forwards, at the same time as Silverleaf. She sat next to Ripplepaw, felling along her spine, letting out a wail when she felt near the top of her neck. there was a pach of blood there, and Cloudpaw rushed up to her, cobwebs in his jaw. She took them, applying them to Ripplepaw's neck.

Many cats made a clearing around Cloudpaw and Silverleaf, watching intently. The Oakclan warrior exchanged a quick word with Opalstar, then left the camp. Briarheart stared after the tom, glowering.

Silverleaf dragged Ripplepaw into the medicine den, and Cloudpaw blocked the entrance, sending the cats off. 'Only time will tell what is wrong with her.' Silverleaf meowed solemnly. 'Um... Silverleaf?' Cloudpaw murmered. 'Yes?' she asked 'I have something to ask you.' Well... what is it Cloudpaw?' she replied 'If you will accept... I- I wish to become your apprentice.' Silverleaf paused, silent. 'Well... You seem eager enough, and have no mentor so... I will ask Opalstar.' Cloudpaw practically burst with pleasure, and as he walked out of the medicine den, he padded over to his nest, and lied down to sleep.Great! I really hope I can become her apprentice. Maybe then all the others will finally accept me in Lakeclan. he thought. But as he drifted off to sleep, another thought troubled him. I saw how Briarheart glared at the Oakclan warrior. He obviusly thinks we should use other clans terratory. But he wouldn't go against Opalstar... Would he?

“My leg’s really not that bad,” Dawnsky said to Silverleaf near sundown, ignoring the dull, constant pain. “I don’t have to stay the night. You’ve got your paws full with Ripplepaw as it is. I’d rather leave you in peace.” The medicine cat looked exhausted from caring for Ripplepaw and all the other injuries.

“Well, all right then,” Silverleaf said, and her acquiescence showed her weariness. “But let Cloudpaw help you to the warrior’s den.”

Cloudpaw and Dawnsky made their way across the clearing slowly, so as not to aggravate Dawnsky’s leg. They were nearing the warrior’s den when she heard the ferns at the entrance shaking furiously. She spun around in time to see Branchclaw burst in, covered in mud, clearly panicked, and carrying no prey.

“Where’s Opalstar?” Branchclaw demanded, looking wildly around the clearing. Opalstar, who happened to be dining by a bush with some of the senior warriors, rose, looking alarmed. She hurried over to the distressed warrior.

“What happened?” she asked.

Dawnsky had no more thought of heading to the warriors den. All around, heads peeped out of dens and cats looked up from their meals, fear in their eyes. She and every other cat in the Clan were frozen, waiting to hear more. What bad fortune had befallen them now?

“I-I was out hunting in the swamp near the lake. It’s more monsters! Huge yellow ones! And they aren’t sticking to a Thunderpath like they normally do. The were all over, crushing the plants and scaring away the prey. One almost ran into me, but I don’t think it saw me. I ran back as fast as I could.”

Opalstar sighed. Dawnsky had never thought of her leader as old, but suddenly the grey cat looked ancient and tired, back bowed with the weight of the clan’s troubles.

“Thank you for bringing me this news,” she said to Branchclaw. “Why don’t you go to the medicine cat den and have Silverleaf give you something for shock?”

“O-okay. But what are we going to do, Opalstar?”
“I will have to think carefully on this. I may need to consult Starclan before I can give an answer.”

Branchclaw nodded and padded over to the medicine cat den, where Silverleaf ushered her inside. The rest of the clan still stared at Opalstar. With a jolt, Dawnsky realized that some of the stares held anger. Opalstar seemed to realize this too.

“What would you have me say?” she demanded. “We cannot make decisions hastily. Each day it becomes clearer to me that we are treading on the edge of a cliff. I would not have this clan fall because of undue haste! I must have time to consider all the options, and we must know what Starclan wishes.”

She met each of the doubtful faces in turn, challenging them to defy her. No one spoke for a long moment. The sun, which had been sinking ever lower in the sky, finally fell behind the top of the trees and plunged the camp into shadow. The spell broke. Opalstar stalked into her den, bidding the deputy to come with her.

The atmosphere deflated and the evening returned to normal as the cats prepared for nightfall. But Dawnsky could still detect an undercurrent of tension running through the camp. The respite was only temporary, and still she did not know which group to side with. She suspected she was not the only one lying awake that night.

Ripplepaw had awoken. Silverleaf had been preparing some herbs for Branchclaw's shock when the young apprentice had spluttered and jerked upright. Silverleaf had hasted to ensure she lay back down, pressing gently on her weak shoulders.

"Monsters - everywhere!" Ripplepaw had gasped. "They're taking over the lake!"

She'd then given into Silverleaf and laid back. She shivered and stared at the roof of the medicine den.

"I'll see if Opalstar will send a patrol," Silverleaf murmured.

Ripplepaw's eyes widened. "No, you must go! I was playing with Hazelpaw ... I think she might still be out there somewhere. She might ... need your help."

Silverleaf shook her head. "I am needed here."

"Please," Ripplepaw whimpered. Her eyes stared into the distance and Silverleaf imagined she could see Hazelpaw's bright, happy smile reflected there.

Silverleaf nodded. "Might as well get Cloudpaw started on his apprenticeship... I'll set out as soon as I can round up some reinforcements."

After a brief pad round the camp, Silverleaf found Nightpaw and Thornclaw willing to help. She was glad to have an apprentice with her, who would know Hazelpaw's scent as well as her own mother's. Thornclaw seemed reluctant, but Nightpaw convinced him that Hazelpaw could be in trouble. Nobody in LakeClan could resist Nightpaw.

They thundered out of the camp towards Lake Silver, pounding through the ferns. Silverleaf had worried that Nightpaw would struggle to keep up, but she seemed to be doing fine. It was Thornclaw who hung back, as if he was waiting for an opportunity to slip away. Silverleaf shook these thoughts away. She'd known Thornclaw for many moons; he would always help a cat in trouble.

"Nightpaw!" the cry came from somewhere off the path.

"Hazelpaw!" Nightpaw replied, "Is that you?"

Before Silverleaf could stop her, Nightpaw had veered off the track and was trying to tunnel through the undergrowth. Hazelpaw emerged a few moments later a couple of yards down the path.

"Over here, Nightpaw," she whispered.

Nightpaw sprang back onto the path and darted over to her friend, covering her auburn pelt with licks.

Thornclaw approached Silverleaf. "She seems unhurt."

Silverleaf nodded. "Just shaken."

They walked over to Nightpaw and Hazelpaw. Silverleaf quickly examined Hazelpaw to confirm Thornclaw's supposition. Hazelpaw had a slight scratch over the eye, but seemed okay other than that.

"What's happened?" Thornclaw asked.

"It's the monsters!" Hazelpaw hissed. "The Twolegs are all round the lake. They're chopping up trees and arranging their branches like dens. Their bright eyes scan the forest for wolves and bears - they don't think about us, but an old one saw me and chased me away. I'm ... I'm scared."

Nightpaw licked Hazelpaw again and brushed up against her. Thornclaw gave Hazelpaw a quick lick on the top of her head.

"Don't worry," he said, "Briarheart will make sure Opalstar sorts this out."

Silverleaf ignored her irritation at this remark, and nudged them all onwards.

"Hazelpaw, we've come here to investigate just how close the Twolegs are. Can you take us to them?" Silverleaf asked.

"Nu-uh." Hazelpaw shook her head. "No way. Go ahead into that death trap all you want. Nightpaw and I are staying here."

She cast a firm look at Nightpaw, who shrugged at Silverleaf. Silverleaf sighed and looked at Thornclaw, who said nothing.

"Thornclaw," she said, "Could you stay here with the apprentices? I will be back soon."

Thornclaw nodded and moved the two apprentices off the path and into the moss and bracken.

"We'll call out when you pass us," he said.

Silverleaf nodded and set off.

***

They were everywhere.

There were monsters stretching as far as the eye could see and groups of twolegs stretching yet further. They swung axes, they dragged timber, some of them even cast long strings attached to sticks into the lake and brought them back out with fish on the end.

Silverleaf remembered the first time she'd seen the lake. It had been her first day as an apprentice. Her mentor, then Opalsoul had taken her out to show her LakeClan's territory. The sunlight had glittered on it, the air had been clear. Now the air was polluted by the monsters' breath, and the twolegs clamouring to be heard over each other.

A monster growled behind her. She spun round and jumped back. Its angry mouth was barely a foot from her face, and getting closer. She yelped and sprinted off into the trees. She knew the forest well enough to track her progress and was soon back on the track, but was contemplating how she should treat herself for shock when she got back to the camp.

"Silverleaf!" Thornclaw's call was welcome to her and she skidded to a stop.

Thornclaw and the two apprentices emerged from the undergrowth and crowded around her.

"Let's just keep going," Silverleaf said.

Nightpaw nodded, then said, "Opalstar had better do something about this."

Before Silverleaf could reprimand her, she sprinted off back to the camp, Hazelpaw and Thornclaw close behind. Silverleaf looked behind her, then dashed off in the direction of home, away from the beloved lake.

Nightpaw used her anger to drive her towards camp faster. 'Stupid twolegs, always taking what's not their's' she thought as they neared camp. She leaped over a fallen branch, and wrinkled her nose. 'Hopefully Opalstar has enough sense to do something', she thought. Nightpaw respected her leader, but she respected her own ideas more.
As the cats burst into the clearing, Nightpaw looked around. 'Camp is crowded, and,' she thought with worry, 'the medicine den probably is too'. Nightpaw looked at Thornclaw. "Are we going to ask Opalstar now or not?" She asked, noticing Thornclaw's hesitation.
"Of course," he hissed, padding off towards Opalstar's den. He wasn't about to be shown up by another cat, especially not an apprentice. Nightpaw, looked back at Hazelpaw.
"You coming," she asked, pointing her tail towards Thornclaw. Hazelpaw shook her head.
"I'll wait out here." She said, feeling a little tired.
Nightpaw bounded after Thornclaw into Opalstar's den. They were already talking.
"-And you're sure that they were invading?" Opalstar asked weakly, stretching.
Thornclaw's tail lashed back and forth impatiently. "Yes! Silverleaf saw it herself. We're lucky Hazelpaw didn't get hurt any more than she did! We have to do something Opalstar!"
The leader walked over to Thornclaw. "And what do you expect me to do? We can't fight the twolegs, let alone monsters!"
Nightpaw butted in. "Of course not, but," she sighed thinking of another possibility. "We can fight other warriors."
Opalstar turned her attention to Nightpaw. "Take another clans territory? No. There can be another way."
"Like befriend twolegs and live with monsters?" Nightpaw's tail lashed. "You can do that if you want, but I'm not!"
Thornclaw glared at Nightpaw. "Don't talk to your leader like that," he growled, sheathing and unsheathing his claws.
"Oh yeah?" She hissed back, digging her claws into the ground.
"Enough," Opalstar yowled. "Enough. We will find a way to survive without hurting other clans. Both of you, leave. Now." She spat, and walked off deeper into her den.
Thornclaw bowed his head respectively, and left. Nightpaw glared at Opalstar for a moment, then turned. "Fine," she muttered. "But if you won't do something, then I will." With that, she flicked her tail, and padded out. She had to find Briarheart. He had to hear about this.