[X] Blood-Lust

[Lightningstar]

Title: Blood-Lust
Chapters: Undecided.
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: RowanxBramble, DewxTwig, SnakexFire
Summary: Rowanbranch of ForestClan deals with the thought that Snakefang is a killer out to destroy the forest.
Editor: None
Cover:

Author's Notes: I do not own Warriors. And I just want to tell you that this will be the abridged version of Blood-Lust. You can check out the version that will be carried out fully on the WW Archives.

Allegiances

ForestClan

Leader
Cinderstar: A dark gray she-cat with glowing orange eyes (Apprentice; Twigpaw)

Deputy
Burntclaw: A ginger tom with black claws

Medicine Cat
Swanfire: A white she-cat with a ginger ear, muzzle, and front paw

Warriors
Whitewhisker: A dark gray tom with extremely white whiskers

Quickstep: A black tom with white paws, tail tip, muzzle, and chest (Apprentice; Dewpaw)

Leafstorm: A brown tabby she-cat

Mousetooth: A pale gray tom (Apprentice; Tanglepaw)

Stonefoot: A white tom with gray patches

Snakefang: A black tom with yellow eyes

Bramblejay: A brown tabby with blue eyes

Rowanbranch: A tabby tortoiseshell she-cat with soft green eyes

Wildfur: A tortoiseshell she-cat; Rowanbranch's sister

Firestream: A ginger she-cat

Apprentices
Tanglepaw: A long furred brown tom with thick and matted fur

Twigpaw: A brown tabby tom

Dewpaw: A white she-cat with patches of silver

Queens
Roseheart: A white she-cat with a pale ginger stripe down her back (Mother of Mousetooth's kits)

Raintears: A pale silver she-cat (Mother of Burntclaw's kits)

StreamClan

Leader
Gingerstar: A dark ginger she-cat with dazzling amber eyes

Deputy
Weaselstripe: A pale golden tom with brown tabby stripes

Medicine Cat
Tallstep: A dark gray tom with long legs

Warriors
Shellfur: An off-white she-cat

Rapidfoot: A blue-gray tomcat; fast runner

Volepelt: A light brown tom

Mistyheart: A blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes; Rapidfoot's sister

Threeclaw: A white tom with only three claws on each paw (Apprentice; Splashpaw)

Riverflight: A brown tabby with silver tinged around his muzzle

Mosseyes: A silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Kestrelwing: A brown tabby tom with a birth scar on his face

Apprentices
Fishpaw: A ginger tom; Gingerstar's brother

Queens
Clearsky: A pale gray she-cat with watery blue eyes (Mother of Volepelt's kits)

MarshClan

Leader
Wolfstar: A dark brown tom with amber eyes

Deputy
Dawnfur: A pale she-cat

Medicine Cat
Barkfur: A pale brown tom; Wolfstar's brother

Warriors
Shadefur: A pale black tom with odd milky eyes

Hawkear: A brown and ginger she-cat

Lightningscar: A golden she-cat with a lightning shaped scar on her cheek (Apprentice; Frogpaw)

Brackenstripe: A ginger tabby tom

Bogstep: A burly white tom with brown tabby patches

Darkfur: A smoky gray tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice; Gorsepaw)

Tigerpelt: A brown tabby she-cat

Jaggedclaw: A black tom with amber eyes

Apprentices
Frogpaw: A gray tom

Gorsepaw: A dark ginger tom

Queens
Yellowtooth: A pale gray she-cat with yellow fangs (Mother of Bogstep's kits)

Flowerpelt: A pale violet she-cat (Mother of Wolfstar's kits)

PebbleClan

Leader
Swiftstar: A lithe white tom

Deputy
Longwhisker: A pale tom

Medicine Cat
Honeypelt: A pale ginger she-cat

Warriors
Harewind: A black and white tom; Swiftstar's cousin

Falconflight: A reddish-brown tom

Poppyfur: A tortoiseshell and white she-cat (Apprentice; Grasspaw)

Sheepcloud: A long furred white she-cat; Snowdash's sister

Snowdash: A gray tom with white paws and a white dash between his two green eyes

Featherpelt: A pretty silver tabby she-cat

Apprentices
Grasspaw: A brown tom

Queens
Fawnheart: A brown tabby she-cat with white patches (Mother of Harewind's kits)

[Lightningstar]

Prologue

It was an unusually still greenleaf night in the forest, the warm breeze billowing through the treetops.

In the middle of a large clearing sat a boulder covered in moss, with an opening in the side. The opening led to a den, where the leader of ForestClan slept. And two soft green eyes were watching the rock with curiosity.

Rowanbranch peered out of the warrior's den and strained her eyes to see into the shadows surrounding the GreenRock. There, in the shadows- the dark shape of a cat.

And Rowanbranch knew exactly what cat that was. That was Snakefang, the black tom that had always despised her. The tabby-tortoiseshell narrowed her eyes suspiciously and watched Snakefang carefully.

The black tom had his head bowed, his yellow eyes flashing in the darkness. He flicked his tail and twitched his ears- he was impatient about something.

Suddenly, his powerful head swung to the side to glance at the warriors den, and Rowanbranch ducked. She heard pawsteps coming towards the den, and she pretended to fall asleep.

"Who's watching me?" Snakefang demanded as he charged into the den. "Tell me, now!" But the sleeping cats gave no sign as to who was watching.

Snakefang snorted. "Fine," he hissed. "Be that way." He turned and marched out of the den, retreating to the shadows once more.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Rowanbranch finally tried to fall asleep. She had done enough for one night, and Snakefang was onto her. So she truly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

[Lightningstar]

Chapter 1

Rowanbranch awoke the next morning just before dawn- she yawned and climbed outside the den, relishing the fresh air. Bramblejay came to sit beside her.

"Hey, Rowanbranch," he mewed. "You're on dawn patrol with me, Burntclaw, and Snakefang." His deep blue eyes looked like oceans on the middle of his brown tabby face.

"Ok," purred Rowanbranch. She liked Bramblejay- he was funny, and knew his way around the forest like the back of his own paw. He was always ready to help a Clanmate, and was extremely loyal to his Clan. Although Rowanbranch liked him, she wasn't sure if she actually loved him or not.

Snakefang padded up to them. "Come on, you lazy furballs," he ordered. "We're on dawn patrol." He stalked off, looking over his shoulder. "Come on, follow me!"

"Someone's pushy today," whispered Rowanbranch. Bramblejay snorted with amusement.

Burntclaw, the ForestClan deputy, was a lightly built ginger tom with black claws- hence his name -and dark amber eyes. He was extremely loyal to Cinderstar, and he followed her every command. He loved his Clan and would die to protect it if he had to. But every deputy has his faults. Burntclaw was quick to actions and didn't really think before he did something. He also was a little too kind to the other Clans.

"Let's go!" Burntclaw exclaimed. He padded through the gorse tunnel leading in and out of the camp, and stepped out into a smaller clearing, surrounded on three sides by thick forest. A little ways off a small river rumbled through the woods.

Snakefang nodded at Burntclaw. "I'll go with you out by the StreamClan border," he offered. "Rowanbranch and Bramblejay can take the border with MarshClan." Then he started for the river.

The deputy opened his mouth to disagree, but then decided better of it. He closed his gaping jaws and followed Snakefang into the forest.

Rowanbranch and Bramblejay exchanged swift glances. Snakefang wasn't exactly the right cat to be alone with in any situation, even a patrol. But then again, he was with Burntclaw- he wouldn't dare kill the deputy.

Or would he? The pounding question throbbed in Rowanbranch's head as she followed Bramblejay towards the line of oak trees marking the border with MarshClan. Snakefang was harsh, and his answer to every problem was a fight- but did that mean he was a killer?

Shaking the thought out of her head, Rowanbranch dashed ahead of Bramblejay. She approached the oak trees and carefully sniffed them one by one.

"They're all covered with MarshClan scent," she reported when she had finished. "Every pawstep reeks with their scent." She flicked her tail towards the trees. "They must be laying down pretty tight borders. Maybe something's going on with their Clan?"

Bramblejay was about to reply when a yowl echoed through the forest. It wasn't a battle yowl; it was a yowl of pain and sorrow. Both cats rushed to where the sound came from- the clearing near the stream.

Snakefang stood over Burntclaw's dead body, his head bowed. "He's dead," he hissed. "Killed by a badger."

Rowanbranch looked around her. She had never known that a badger lived close by. "What did you do with the badger?" she asked.

"Killed it," replied Snakefang. "I threw its body in the river and covered the scent." His eyes narrowed. "But Burntclaw is dead. We need to get him back to camp."

Bramblejay stepped up to help Snakefang lift the limp body of the former deputy from the ground. By the time they reached the fern-and-thorn tunnel leading into camp, the whole ordeal seemed to be unspoken of.

But Rowanbranch couldn't forget it. And her whole body shivered as she watched Snakefang go through the tunnel. His tongue swiped over his mouth, and there was a glint in his eyes that must have been victory.

[Lightningstar]

Chapter 2

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the GreenRock for a Clan meeting!"

Cinderstar's call rang throughout camp, and Rowanbranch watched as the other warriors and the apprentices filed out of their dens. The nursery stayed silent, and only Thundercloud emerged from the elder's den. Redfoot was missing a leg, so he couldn't move anywhere.

"I am sorry to tell you that Burntclaw has been killed by a badger," sighed the leader. "He is no longer deputy of our Clan."

The ForestClan cats looked amongst themselves. Raintears would be devastated, seeing as Burntclaw was her mate. "But," Cinderstar continued, "we must pass things by sometimes and go on with Clan life. So, as a custom according to the Warrior Code, I must appoint a new deputy before moonhigh."

Rowanbranch looked over at Snakefang. He didn't appear to show any emotion, not even sorrow for the lost deputy. Then again, Rowanbranch knew that Snakefang was a heartless warrior, not grieving for any cat at any time. She looked back up towards Cinderstar once more.

"I speak these words before the body of Burntclaw, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice." Cinderstar lifted her head to the canopy above. "Snakefang shall be the new deputy of ForestClan."

Bad choice! Rowanbranch shouted inside her head. Her shoulders dropped and her ears flattened against her head. She watched hopelessly as Snakefang leaped onto the rock to stand beside his leader and address his Clan.

"Cats of ForestClan," he mewed, "I promise to be a good deputy of this Clan, and lead it to plentiful times and lead it through difficult times. This is my promise to you, as the new deputy." He bowed his head and then bounded off the rock.

Bramblejay and Rowanbranch exchanged worried glances, and watched as their Clanmates cheered for their new deputy. They shied back from the festivities to go visit Redfoot- they always talked to him daily.

"You are not happy with Cinderstar's choice?" the elder asked when the two cats came to visit.

Rowanbranch nodded. "Yes," she mewed. "I think that when Cinderstar chose the new deputy, she chose wrong." She dipped her head. "I'm pretty sure that Snakefang had something to do with Burntclaw's death, Redfoot," she whispered. "I swear to StarClan."

Redfoot nodded. "If that is what you believe, that is what you must believe. I am but a three-legged elder; what can I do?"

Bramblejay looked over at Rowanbranch. "He's right," the tom mewed. "Come on, let's go."

He dragged Rowanbranch out of the elder's den and to where Burntclaw's body lay. Rowanbranch crouched down to examine the wounds. Her eyes grew wide.

"Is everything ok?" asked Bramblejay, glancing over her shoulder.

The tabby tortoiseshell turned around, her gaze glittering with fear. "These are no badger wounds," she whispered. "The puncture mark in the back of his neck- it was made by a cat!"

[Lightningstar]

Chapter 3

Both cats were taken aback by the realization. "But did Snakefang really….." Bramblejay didn't have the words to finish his question.

"I don't know," Rowanbranch told him. "But I know the mark of the killing bite all too well." Her voice became choked with sadness as she remembered her father, and how he had sported the same wound after the Great Battle so many seasons ago.

Bramblejay moved a little closer to Rowanbranch, pressing against her fur. "Whether he really was killed that way or not, Burntclaw's memory will rest in us forever."

"Hey, you two lovebirds!" a voice called. Rowanbranch spun around to see her sister Wildfur padding towards them. "I was just talking to Firestream, Burntclaw's daughter. She's devastated by her father's death, the poor thing! But anyway, what's the party about?"

Rowanbranch shook her head. "There is no party here," she assured her sister. "Just a remembrance of our lost deputy." She hung her head.

Wildfur padded closer to Burntclaw's body. "Swanfire and Snakefang, as the medicine cat and deputy, are going to bury him tonight," she informed them. "It's so sad that he's gone; he had kin here that loved him."

A breeze ruffled Rowanbranch's fur and blew through her whiskers, making them sway. Her ears caught the unmistakable sound of arguing cats- Dewpaw and Twigpaw.

She sighed. Those two ruffians, she thought. They're always fighting. She padded across the sun-dappled camp to the apprentice's den, where, sure enough, she found Dewpaw and Twigpaw.

Among the nests of moss and the cavern of sticks and brambles, the two apprentices glared at each other. Dewpaw twitched her ears and spat, "Burntclaw was a good deputy! He didn't deserve to die!"

Twigpaw shook his head. "Snakefang deserves being deputy more," he hissed back. "That mouse-brain Burntclaw was too soft!"

"Mouse-brain?" Dewpaw demanded. "You're insulting a StarClan cat when you say that, you know."

"But you're insulting a-" Twigpaw began to speak, but Rowanbranch pushed her way in. "Stop arguing!" she growled, pushing the two cats away from each other. "There is no use now. Burntclaw is dead, and Snakefang is the new deputy. That's how life is."

Dewpaw's shoulders drooped. "Well life can go chase a blue squirrel," she muttered.

"Now then," Rowanbranch mewed flatly. "We must prepare for the mourning ceremony." Then she padded out of the den, making her way to the GreenRock where Cinderstar was already gathering the Clan together.

A beam of sunlight drifted down from the lush green canopy and shone brilliantly on Burntclaw's body. His dark ginger fur glowed like fire in the light; unfortunately, this fire had been put out.

Cinderstar leaped down from the GreenRock and faced Burntclaw's body. Digging her nose into the dead cat's flank she mewed, "he was my apprentice, and then deputy. No cat could have done more for their Clan." She stepped back and proceeded to the side.

Next was Swanfire. "He was good in spirit," she announced. "He was worthy of StarClan."

Rowanbranch's muscles tensed as Snakefang walked up to the body. What would he say? Of course he wouldn't say anything bad at a Clan mourning, but Snakefang wasn't exactly the most predictable of cats.

"He was a good deputy," Snakefang meowed. "He served his Clan well every minute that he was alive. Every cat shall remember him."

A sigh of relief escaped Rowanbranch's mouth, and she could feel Bramblejay loosen up beside her. There was no mention of the struggle with the 'badger'.

Many more cats passed by to pay their last respects, proclaiming Burntclaw's wisdom or compassion or hunting and fighting skills. Rowanbranch leaned down and mewed, "He was a formidable warrior, and he was loved by his kin and Clanmates. Burntclaw's spirit will rest in us forever." Stepping back, she allowed Bramblejay to move forward.

The last cat to arrive at the body was Redfoot. Supported by Swanfire and Firestream, he limped up to Burntclaw. "He was a great cat," the elder rasped. "And my great-grandson." There was sorrow in his wavering voice. "StarClan will accept him as one of their own."

A long moment of silence followed after, broken at last by the call of a jackdaw. Swanfire and Snakefang picked up the fallen deputy by his shoulders and motioned for Raintears and Firestream to help them. The two cats trudged up to help, their eyes watering at the sight of their dead father and mate.

As the body, carried by the four cats, disappeared into the forest, Rowanbranch lifted her eyes to the darkening sky. "Goodbye, Burntclaw," she whispered. "Watch over me from StarClan, and lead my paws to find the truth about Snakefang."

[Snowstep]

are you gonna keep writing? it's so good! =P keep on going! only a few more chapters and it'll be accepted! ^^

~Snowstep

[Lightningstar]

I'll continue it here, just for you guys, once Golden Heather is finished. I accidentally deleted the document off of Word, but I hadn't started on the fourth chapter yet, thankfully. ^^ I can't wait to be starting this story again!

Ignore the abridged thing in the author's notes. I'll continue the full story just for this site. The number of chapters is still undecided, though.

[Snowstep]

aw thanks Lightningstar! ^^ That'll be AWESOME! Thanks so much for writing this story just for us. <3 Btw, u saying that u deleted ur word file scared me there for a bit. =O lol

ps. GOOD LUCK! hope u DO NOT get a writer's block! i had plently. @_@

~Snowstep