A cat with bright red paws was crouched down below the grass. Her belly-fur brushed against the ground as she crawled froward towards an injured cat lying on it's side. It's white pelt was stained with blood. The yowls of other cats could be heard all around and red pawed cat hoped that no enemy cats saw her. Maybe it didn't matter whether they saw her or not; they would surely be able to smell the fear scent coming off her fur. She pushed her nose into the injured cat's flank. "Angelstar, get up! We need to get you to the medicine cat's den!" The red-pawed cat, pushed against the other cat, trying to get him to his feet.
"I'm on my last life, Tomotofoot..."
"Don't talk. Save your strength!" Tomotofoot cautiously peered above the tall grass, looking for a medicine cat. All she saw were warriors fighting all around her.
"I'm not going to make it," Angelstar stated.
"Don't say that! You can't die! Stay with me." Tomatofoot pressed her head into her leader's flank. "Stay with me..." The battle around them seem to fade out and for a moment it seemed as if the two cats were the only ones in the field, mentor and apprentice.
"You're the leader of Teh Clan now, Tomatofoot," Angelstar's voice was barely a whisper as he faded away into AngelClan.
"NOOOOOO!" Tomatofoot yowled.
"Wake up you stupid fur ball!" Sharpclaw yelled as she poked her leader's side. "You'll scare all the prey away! And it's not even Sunhigh yet!" Sharpclaw was a dark gray she-cat with splotches of white on her paw, muzzle, and chest. She also had a white fur along her stomach and a white streak that curled up around her back. Her fur looked as though clumps of snow had fallen on a boulder.
Tomatostar blinked sleepily at Sharpclaw. "What?" She looked around at seeing leaves all around her, and realized that she was in the den under a thick climb of Bracken. She had that dream again...
"Maybe you should see Sunheart," Horseheart suggested, a worried look in her eyes. Horseheart was a storm gray she-cat. She had white around her muzzle and chest, making it looking like she had stuck her nose in the snow and it had clung to her pelt.
"I'm alright," Tomatostar shook some scraps of grass out of her fur, before padding out into the camp her bright orange fur gleaming in the sunlight.
Teh Clan's camp was small, considering they didn't have as many cats as the other Clans. The camp was in the middle of a meadow filled with tall grasses that swayed in the breeze and dotted with a few bushes and clumps of flowers. Most cats could wade fairly well through the tall grass, even though it rose just below the shoulders. Most of the cats got used to it after living here for a while. They had put clumps of thorns and bracken around a large portion of the camp in a circle, serving as a sort of wall. They had dug a tunnel under the bracken to serve as an entrance for the camp.
There was a gray stone stretching out towards the sky, Tall Stone, where clan meeting were held. There was a old burrow that went under Tall Stone where the medicine cats made their den. There was a cluster of bracken among other planets a few fox lengths away from Tall Stone. Some of the warrior cats had dug an area underneath the planets for a place that served as a den.
Warriors, elders, apprentices, kits; they all slept in the same den. Although they didn't worry about kits or queens. No cat had kits since Ninjafang had Psychopaw and he was already 8 moons old. They didn't have have any elders, most of them died in the last battle that had been held on this ground. That had been many moons ago... Tomatostar was deep in her thoughts, and walked right into a sleek black she-cat with light brown paws and a light brown spot on her chest. The brown spots made it look like the she-cat had gotten mud on her fur and hadn't bothered to clean it off. "I'm sorry, Ninjafang" Tomatostar muttered. Here she was clan leader, and she could barely keep from knocking over her own cats. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"I'm alright," Ninjafang said her eyes filled with understanding. "Are you alright?"
"I just... haven't been sleeping well is all. I'm going to see Sunheart now."
"That's good. I'm going to take Psychopaw out hunting," Ninjafang explained flicking her tail towards her jet black kin. Psychopaw had been Ninjafang's only kit and once he was ready to become and apprentice, Ninjafang took on the task of mentoring the young tom. "His fighting skill are as every bit as good as his fathers, but his hunting skills still need some work." She meowed the last line in a hushed tone as if she didn't want her apprentice to hear it.
"Come on, mom! Let's go!" Psychopaw was bounding around his mother in a playful manner, tail lashing back and forth.
"You need to be
quiet when hunting. You'll scare all the prey away from here to AngelClan if you that noisy."
Psychopaw didn't say another word as he made his way out the camp entrance. He bounding out into to the tall grasses of Teh Clan territory, his mother following close behind him.
Tomatostar watched the two cats leave before padding off the medicine's cat's den. She entered the burrow, watching their medicine cat pad back and forth, looking over the rows of herbs she had. "Hello Sunheart," Tomatostar meowed in greeting.
The tortoiseshell she-cat turned around to look at her leader. "Tomatostar! Everything alright I hope?"
"I've been having the same dream for a little less then a moon now. What do you think it means? Do you think that AngelClan is trying to warn me that another war will break out? Am I to lose my last life in battle?" Tomatostar didn't know if she could handle it if another war broke out. It had been many moons since the Clans last fought, but Teh Clan was still recovering.
She felt Sunheart's flank press against hers, in a gesture of comfort. "The war was a long time ago. We're not on bad terms with any of the Clans. Sometimes dreams are just dreams." Sunheart knew what was wrong with their leader. She had been very close to the last leader of this clan, Angelstar. He had died when a horrible war broke our over two of the Clans over Teh Clan territory. It had been many moons ago, shortly after Tomatostar became deputy. She still missed Angelstar horrible, but there where no herbs to cure a broken heart.
"You're probably right," Tomatostar said. She was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Sunheart of anything. She just couldn't shake the feeling that whatever the future held, it would mean disaster for Teh Clan.
Tomatostar padded out the medicine cat's den, trying to forget her dreams. It was then that one of the cats ran right into Tomatostar. The cat was smaller than the other cats, about 8 moons old. She was light gray with some darker gray stripes. Her tail was black on the tip. It was one of the apprentice, Rainpaw. Her tail was sticking straight up in the air and her fur was fluffed out, and a fear scent came off her in waves.
"What's wrong?" Tomatostar asked alarmed.
"Fox!" Rainpaw meowed. She was shaking as if her paws didn't want to support her."A f-fox has Mosspelt! We were practicing fighting moves and a fox attacked us!"
A fox? Tomatostar was surprised to hear the news. Foxes rarely ever wandered into Teh Clan territory. They didn't like the lack of cover. They usually stuck to the forests of ThunderClan territory. "Sharpclaw! Horseheart!" Tomatostar yelled, running over to the camp entrance, the two cats following her. They had curious looks on their faces, no doubt wondering what got their leader's fur so riled.
"What's this about Tomatostar?" Sharpclaw asked, grooming the fur on her chest.
"A fox has attacked Mossfur." Tomatostar turned around to Rainpaw. "Lead us to where Mossfur is. "
All four cats scrambled out of the camp's entrance, Rainpaw leading them.
Please let us be in time. Tomatostar silently prayed. It was only a minute later that the scent of fox and blood hit the cats. That was when Tomatostar saw it. The fox was standing over a blood covered cat.
Mossfur... No! Tomatostar felt grief welling up inside her, like a stone settling at the bottom of her stomach, making her limbs go numb.
The fox was only a few tail lengths away, it's teeth at Mossfur's throat. Sharpclaw yowled, hurling herself at the fox, claws unsheathed. She collided with the fox's side, knocking it off Mossfur. The fox turned to snap at her, mad that it's fight had been interrupted by another enemy. Sharpclaw ducked just in time, and hissing swiped at the fox's muzzle. Her claws made contact with fur, leaving a nasty wound on the side of the fox's muzzle.
It was then that Horseheart hurled herself at the fox, and landed on it back. She dug her claws into the fox, trying to keep a hold as it tried to shake her off.
Tomatostar snapped out of the trance she was in when she heard Sharpclaw yowl. Tomatostar dived for one of the fox's legs. She manged to sink her teeth into the fox's hide leg, giving it a nasty bite mark. The fox kicked Tomatostar, leaving scratch marks at one the side of her face, as well as causing her to lose her grip on the fox. She stumbled back, daze.
The fox started tumbling on the ground, trying to get Horseheart lose, but she held strong. Rainpaw lunged at the fox and got a hold of it's tail with her claws. Horseheart loosed one paw from the fox's fur and started clawing at it's side. This cause her to loose her grip on the fox, and she was flung off, but not before doing considerable damage. She manged to land on her feet, a dazed look of shock on her face.
Rainpaw was still hold on to the fox's tail, except she hand managed to get a hold of it with her teeth, leaving a bite mark. The fox growl and swatter a paw at her, throwing the apprentice off it's tail and a few tail lengths away. The gray she-cat had drops of blood running down her flanks, and her sides where heaving, as if holding on to the fox's tail had cost her all her strength.
The fox turned toward the apprentice furry in it's eyes. Rainpaw back up, ears flat against her head. She let out a defiant hiss, as she slashed her claws at the fox's face, giving it a scratch on it's nose. This only seemed to anger the fox more.
At least it's wounds seem to be slowing it down now. Tomatostar thought.
It won't be long now. Tomatostar ran at the fox, hurling herself upon the fox's back. It yelped in surprise. Sharpclaw was attacking the fox's side now, and Horseheart had put herself between the fox and the apprentice, fur fluffed up, hissing, and slashing at the fox's muzzle. The fox's ears went down and it began to back away, tail between it's legs. Obviously this meal wasn't worth the trouble. Tomatostar jumped off it's back, and Sharpclaw and Horseheart chased the fox out of their territory, nipping at it's heals.
Tomatostar stood beside Mossfur frozen in eyes wide with shock. "Mossfur? Can you hear me?" There was no response. There was a deep gash in the cat's flank, staining the tortoiseshell's fur with blood. She could see where the fox's teeth had made puncture marks in two of her legs. She looked over to Rainpaw, still frozen in fear. "Go get the medicine cat!"
Rainpaw stared at her like she didn't know what Tomatostar had said.
"Sunheart!" Tomatostar snapped.
Rainpaw, just ran off into the grass, towards the camp without a word.
What do I? Tomatostar thought desperately. "C-cobwebs!" That's what medicine cat's used to stop the bleeding right?
"MOVE!" A blue-gray cat with dark gray-black stripes pushed Tomatostar aside. She was smaller than most cats, and here paws, chest and muzzle was snow white. The white fur also went halfway up her back legs, and there was a layer of white-pale gray fur on her stomach. Her tail had a think layer of light gray fur on it. The tips of her ears were black, but the fur around the inside of her ears were long and white. Her voice was muffled and that's when Tomatostar noticed the cat had cobwebs in her mouth. She started to press the cobwebs on the wounds. It was Lightpaw the medicine cat's apprentice.
Tomatostar watched in disbelief. How could this happen to Mossfur- Her thoughts were cut off when Lightpaw thrust a ball of stick web towards Tomatostar.
"Help me! It's not that hard to stick cobwebs on wounds. Just stick them where the bleeding looks the worse."
Tomatostar took the ball of web and did as she was told, as Lightfoot chewed up marigold and applied them to the wounds. "This should stop the wounds from getting infected..." the medicine cat's apprentice mumbled to herself.
"Is... Is Mossfur going to be alright?" Tomatostar asked. The worry could easily been seen in her eyes.
Lightpaw shook her head. "I don't know really... This is all we can do for now..."
"How did you find us so quickly?"
"I was out gathering herbs when I heard the yowling. I came to check it out."
"And you went out of the camp without a warrior?" Tomatostar's gaze turned to one of anger.
Lightpaw shifted her paws in the dirt, showing her discomfort. She didn't make eye contact with the clan leader. "I'm sorry... There's not much danger that lurks around here..."
That was true... Not many animals felt this safe out in the open. The only thing they had to worry about were birds like hawks and the occasional eagles. They only seemed to go after kits most of the time, and there weren't any cats that were 6 moons or younger in the camp as of yet. "It's alright. Just make sure to bring a warrior with you next time." It didn't hurt to be cautious.
"Alright."
Both cats whipped around hearing movement within the grass. "Sunheart!" Lightpaw breathed a sigh of relief.
Sunheart padded over to Mossfur, looking her over. "Nice job, Lightpaw. The bleeding seems to have slowed down a considerable amount. Did you put anything on the wounds to prevent infection?"
"Marigold," Lightpaw answered. Any cat could see how proud Lightpaw was at the praise of her mentor.
"Good. Tomatostar can you help me move her?" Sunheart asked, getting under Mossfur. Sunheart let out a faint hiss as she rose to her paws, Mossfur on her back. "Make sure she doesn't fall off. Just walk beside me. Press your flank against mine. You too, Rainpaw." Both cats did as they were told.
Tomatostar was relived when she could see the camp and scent the other cats. It would be comforting to be inside the thick bracken walls of the camp. It was harder for a fox to get through those then it was for them to attack a cat in the open meadow.
"Tomatostar, Lightpaw, you go in first. I'll set Mossfur in the entrance. You'll have to pull her in. I'll be right behind Mossfur. Just be careful of her wounds. Rainpaw, I'll tend to your wounds once we get Mossfur in the medicine cat's den," Sunheart instructed.
Tomatostar went through the camp's entrance followed by Lightpaw, her jaws full of the herbs she gathered. "Do you need help with Mossfur?" Lightpaw manged to say despite the bundle of herbs in her mouth. Tomatostar shook her head and Lightpaw padded off to the medicine cat's den. She then saw that Mossfur was being pushed through the entrance. She bent down and took the scruff of Mossfur's neck in her teeth, and pulled Mossfur out of the entrance and into the camp, her sides heaving with the effort.
Sunheart manged to get Mossfur onto her back again, and get through the tunnel that lead to the medicine cat's den without much harm to Mossfur. She placed Mossfur on a bed of grasses and moss, leaving poppy seeds by her bedside for when she woke up. Sunheart padded over to Tomatostar. "Are you okay?"
"I'm alright. Just a little shaken up."
"You should stay I'll give you and Rainpaw some lavender. It'll help calm you down. Let me take care of that scratch on your face, too."
It was then Tomatostar spotted Lightpaw tending to the stone-gray apprentice. Rainpaw was staring off, at something she could only see, shaking badly.
"She's only 7 moons old..." Lightpaw mumbled, pretty her flank against Rainpaw's after she had patched up her wounds. "I'm a medicine cat apprentice so I'm used to see things like this... Rainpaw's not."
Sunheart padded up to Rainpaw and put a light purple flower in front her her. "Here. Sniff this. It will help calm you down. You too Tomatostar." Rainpaw did as she was told, and took and took a deep breath, her nose in the purple plant. Tomatostar mimic her action. "You should sleep in here tonight Rainpaw. I know you're wounds are serious, but I want to keep an eye on you." Rainpaw just laid down, putting her head on her paws. Her ear twitched nervously, as if she was afraid the fox was going to come back and force its way down the burrow.
Sunheart padded over to Tomatostar, and tended to her wounds. Tomatostar flattened her ears against her head; she hated the feeling of the sticky cobwebs on her fur.
Sunheart laughed. "Stop acting like such a kit! It's not that bad."
"I know... I just... hate the feeling of cobwebs," Tomatostar looked down, shuffling her paws around in the dirt of the medicine cat's den. She wasn't used to being called at kit, even if someone had been kidding about it.
Sunheart laid her tail across her leader's shoulder. "I was just kidding, you know."
"I know."
"If the scratches are bothering you or you're having trouble sleep, come back here. I can give you something."
Tomatostar nodded before padding out of the medicine cat's den.
"Hi, Tomatostar!" A cat no older than 9 moons bounded up to the clan leader, setting a plump mouse down in front of her. Her fur was dust brown and she had dark brown streaks running down her flank and between her ears. It was Bloodpaw, Deathpelt's apprentice. "We're taking this fresh-kill to Sunheart. I caught this one myself."
A midnight black she-cat flicked her tail in greeting as she approached the two cats. She had gray markings that curled around her legs and belly like dying vines. She worse a black collar that had a skull on the end of it and had pale orange eyes.
"Hello, Deathpelt. I see you've taught your apprentice well in hunting." Tomatostar gestured to the mouse.
Deathpelt set her catch on the ground also. "If you think that's impressive wait till you see her fighting skills."
"I wish I had been there to sink my claws into the mouse brained fox that hurt Mossfur!" Bloodpaw meowed, digging her claws into the dirt.
"I'm sure you'll get your chance," Deathpelt meowed before picking her fresh-kill up and padding into the medicine cat's den, Bloodpaw right behind her.
Tomatostar looked around the clearing for her deputy, Crimisonclaw. She didn't see her any where in the clearing. She did notice Horseheart and Sharpclaw coming through the tunnel. She padded over to them, flicking her tail in greeting. "I don't suppose you two have seen my deputy around?"
"Sorry, no," Horseheart shook her head.
"I think she went out on patrol with Bloodsword."
"I just hope she doesn't get attacked by that fox," Tomatostar let out a sigh. She didn't need any more cats getting injured today.
"Oh don't worry. That mouse-brained creature won't come around here again. We chased him off our territory for good," Sharpclaw gloated.
"With the wounds we gave him I doubt it would want to come back here after the fight we gave it anyway," Horseheart meowed.
"Besides, if she's with Bloodsword, she'll be safe. That cat could drive a fox off by his self if he had to."
Well that's true, Tomatostar thought. Bloodsword was the best fighter they had. Not even a quick and stealthy cat like Ninjafang could beat him.
It was just then a brown-gray apprentice ran up to Sharpclaw. She tail was fluffed out, and the fur on her chest and ears was ruffled as if she hadn't give it a good lick in months. "Are you okay!? I heard you fought a fox!"
"We're fine, Scruffypaw," Horseheart assured her.
"If you're so worried about us come to the medicine cat's den with us," Sharpclaw said touching noses with her apprentice.
"Alright! But tell me the story of how you fought the fox!" Scruffypaw insisted bounding after the cats on there way to the medicine cats den.
Tomatostar's ears perked as she hear the scrambling of paws on the dirt. She padded over to the tunnel to see what cats were coming back from patrols. The first cat to emerge was a black cat with white paws, chest, stomach fur, and had white around his muzzle. He also had light brown patches of fur along his back and legs, between his ears, and a brown spot on his tail. It was Bloodsword, Ninjafang's mate. He was carrying a vole and rabbit in his mouth. He padded over to the fresh-kill pile, setting down his catch. Ninjafang jumped to her paws, once she saw him and ran over to her mate, her kin following suit. She nuzzling his shoulder with her muzzle.
Tomatostar turned her attention back towards the entrance, waiting for the clan deputy. Sure enough she saw the black and white cat wiggle her way through the tunnel into camp, a rabbit between her jaws. She padded over to the fresh-kill pile, and the clan leader followed. "Something the matter?" Crimsonclaw asked.
"I need to talk to you about something." Tomatostar picked a piece of fresh-kill from the pile, and padded over to the far side of camp, Crimsonclaw following her lead. She sat down at took a few bites of the mouse she had chosen before she spoke. "There was a fox in our territory."
Crimsonclaw wore a confused look on her face. "Foxes rarely ever come into this sort of territory. They hate the openness of the meadow."
"I know. I'm not sure what to make of it. It attacked Mossfur, and injured her badly."
"What did Sunheart say about it?"
"She didn't seem worried." Sunheart wasn't the type of cat to worry about things that was out of her paws. They did what they could for Mossfur, now it was in the hands of AngelClan "The did the best they could..."
"Well Mossfur is young and strong I'm sure she'll pull through."
"I just want you to tell the patrols to watch for foxes, and anything else that's out of the ordinary. Especially the apprentices. Rainpaw was shaken up by the attack."
"I'm sure. Mossfur is her mentor after all. She looks up to her. No cat ever thinks their mentor is going to be the one in this situation. That's the life of a warrior. We fight to protect our fellow clan mates. The clan comes first."
Tomatostar nodded. She had heard that the clans of the forest were taught the same thing. She knew that Teh Clan was vastly different then the clans that came from the forest, but they had the same ideals about some things.
"I guess I'm going to have be more strict with the rules," Tomatostar sighed. "Lightpaw was out on her own gathering herbs. What if that fox had gotten her?"
"It didn't."
"It could have!" Tomatostar's fur bristled at the thought of the young medicine cat apprentice's fur cover in blood, her body on the ground, unmoving. She pressed her nose into Crimsonclaw's flank. "I don't want this to happen to any other cat."
"Things like this happen. Mossfur is alive. That's the important thing." The two cats were silent for a moment before Crimsonclaw asked. "Why was a fox in our territory anyway?"
"It might have been chasing pray out of the forest. Maybe Rainpaw and Mossfur were just in it's path."
"I hope there's plenty of prey in the forest. I hate to see other animals start attacking cats, if that's all they can find. We're not the only ones who share our homes with foxes and badgers."
Tomatostar knew she was talking about the four other clans who lives near Teh Clan territory. RiverClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan. "I hope so, too."
Crimsonclaw rested her tail on Tomatostar's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "I'm sure everything will work out. Mossfur will recover from her wounds, and Rainpaw will recover from the shock. Things will be back to normal in no time."
"You're probably right..." Tomatostar began eating her fresh-kill again, thinking about all that happened. She couldn't shake the feeling that the fox was only the beginning of the trouble Teh Clan was going to see.
A/N If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Pixs of the Teh Clan cats Teh Clan/Orgy XIII names/outline