A Winter Nightmare | PLOT

[Vipernose]

Vipernose ; Sass Queen of ShadowClan

"I thought nothing good would ever happen to me - that I was in hell after it froze over, thawed, and then burnt to the ground."

The tabby looked down at the kit who called himself Otterkit. That was a clan name… So who was his mother? This wasn’t a ShadowClan kit, but he repeatedly said that his mother would come for him. She looked down at the little tom, genuine sadness in her eyes. Poor thing; wandering around by himself out in this cold, he must’ve been so lonely.

Vipernose could feel another presence and looked up to see Maplepaw nuzzling the kitten. The amber-eyed feline smirked - the younger she-cat was so sweet, kind, and gentle to Otterkit. The warrior decided to give the apprentice her trust with the stranger kit so she could give her attention to Fallenstar.

She watched as a tom, Froglegs, stepped toward the new leader. Vipernose tilted her head ever so slightly at how they seemed to show affection for each other. The molly blinked, her eyes narrowing at the sight. Then she shook her head - Fallenstar’s personal life was none of her business and she would keep it that way.

Vipernose heard another voice, and turned to a black tom who she thought was named Blackfang. The question he proposed was a good one; what would happen to ShadowClan? Would the cold kill every cat one by one until they were gone? Would this leaf-bare be the end of her clan? The silver tabby shuddered and shifted uncomfortably from paw to paw, not liking the thought.

As she heard the authoritative voice of Fallenstar, her full attention was given to him. The level of respect she held for him was massive, and she had a feeling that he would do just fine as a leader. She shouted an agreement to his words. ShadowClan could stay strong and have hope, and they could most definitely push through. His next words proved her hunch right; he was going to be a great leader for ShadowClan.

Her ears perked up as he mentioned the naming of a deputy, and she wondered who it would be. There weren’t many options; most of the experienced, older warriors had gotten sick and passed, and even the newer warriors were scarce. Then Vipernose froze as the leader’s eyes zeroed in on her. She couldn’t help but recoil, and her eyes held a puzzled look. No, it couldn’t be her. There was no way it would be her. It couldn’t be her…

Could it?

The molly listened to his words carefully, and her suspicions were confirmed. She knew it was her from the moment his gaze stopped on her, and she couldn’t decide if she was proud, nervous, or scared. What did a good deputy do? Would she be able to handle it? What if the clan didn’t approve? She knew that a lot of cats weren’t too fond of her, and she realized that what she wanted more than anything now was ShadowClan’s acceptance. She just wanted to feel important to more than just her mate and remaining daughter. She wanted to feel useful for once in her life. Vipernose wanted to make up for her rough past that she had to fight her way through. She wanted to forget all the scoffs and glares she would receive from her clanmates when she would simply walk across the clearing to get prey. It wasn’t her fault she was bossy and had a very short temper… The way her clan had treated her after her mother died made Vipernose feel that she had to fend for herself for the rest of her life, and she had no choice but to take the route of an argumentative, depressed, and unforgiving cat.

And all she had ever wanted was to feel normal.

Her shoulders slumped, but she didn’t break the stare that was being held between Fallenstar and herself. She slowly stood up, and she looked to her paws, refusing to make eye contact with any cat. She wasn’t going to look into the hateful eyes of her clanmates. She didn’t want to feel like a coward in front of the whole of ShadowClan. She wasn’t going to let them bring her down today, and she didn’t care what StarClan would think. Vipernose had given up faith in them long ago, and she wasn’t going to let them tear her apart another time.

It was her turn to show them - all of them, everyone - who was boss.

A fierce look entered her amber eyes, and an overwhelming pride suddenly coursed through her body. Her head suddenly lifted as high as it could go, and she held a posture that said, Don’t mess with me. You all know what I’ve been through, and I could care less what you think. Once she reached Fallenstar’s side, she sat a little ways behind him; she wasn’t the type of cat who wanted all the attention, and she wasn’t the one in charge anyway. She wanted her clan to know that.

The warrior-turned-deputy barely heard the words of her leader now, her own delight was louder than any cat’s voice.

Her worries put aside for later, and her pride shining through every other emotion she had, Vipernose knew one thing for sure:

This was going to be fun.

But her thoughts and emotions hesitated when she heard the leader’s final words.

These grounds are no longer safe…

We need to leave…

This may seem hard to process…

Vipernose’s thoughts went on full pause, and she had to rewind the scene from when she had sat down.

Maplepaw was in charge of Otterkit.

And ShadowClan was leaving their beloved home.

Leaving the one place that Vipernose had lived her entire life.

Leaving the camp that she had grown up in.

Leaving the place that her mother and sister had died, she had found love, and where two of her daughters were lost.

No.

She wasn’t going to leave.

She couldn’t leave.

This is where all her memories were kept, were her whole life had been lived. She couldn’t just leave. It would be like leaving half of herself behind. She couldn’t do that.

No.

Her eyes were wide and her ears were completely flat against her skull now. She could feel her eyes getting wet, but she knew she couldn’t cry in front of her clanmates. She couldn’t show that weakness, especially when she was just assigned the role of deputy. She had to be strong for her clan, she couldn’t let them down. Fallenstar had put his faith in her, and she couldn’t let him down either. She blinked back her tears, saving them for later. She would show courage in Fallenstar’s choice, and she would stand behind him. Vipernose didn’t exactly disagree with leaving - it was what was best for the clan. And since she couldn’t argue, she would back him up.

No.

She pushed her thoughts aside, she could deal with her problems later.

“I think this is a good idea,” Vipernose said, stepping forward to stand by the orange tom. “It’s cold here and the snow is getting too deep for even the tallest cats to walk through. We need to find a safer refuge for leaf-bare. We can’t afford to lose anymore cats. We’ve lost too many as it is. I don’t want to leave; this is my home. But I’m with Fallenstar - for the good of my clan.” She stepped back again, her head dipping slightly in respect for the fallen cats. She hoped that the clan would see hers and Fallenstar’s reasoning, and that they would understand that it’s for their own good. She tried not to show her nervousness when she spoke her opinion, but she could feel the shaking tone her voice had held.

She just hoped ShadowClan would live through this awful leaf-bare no matter what happened.

► kaigra ◄

[Deleted]

Frog legs

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MALE | gay | taken | 23 moons

i am not throwing away my shot!

    The large tom removed his head from the nape of the orange tom's neck and gave him a smile. He sat down by his side, his thick, matted fur fluffed up against his mate's flank to provide a little warmth. As he spoke of the fallen leader, Froglegs bowed his head in respect, a frown upon his lips and his ears pinned. After a moment, he picked it back up to gaze down at the clan. 

    He soaked in every word Fallenfox spoke like it was oxygen and needed it to survive. He'd never seen him so passionate about his clan before, and it suited him. Fallenfox will make an amazing leader. 

    Froglegs' ears perked. A new deputy, yes. That was a necessity. Who is it going to be? His heart started racing and his eyes scanned the cluster of cats before them. What if he chooses me? It was clear the thought excited his interest, a smile on his face and his fur warming at the thought. To fight by his leader, and his mates' side would be more than enough for him. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to slow it down so he didn't hyperventilate and make a fool of himself in front of the whole clan.

    Fallenfox began describing the cat who he saw fit for the position, and his heart stopped when he said,

    "This cat has love, compassion, and vitality and I believe she will---" He opened his eyes and bit his tongue, saving himself from lashing out.

    She? 

    That was the only word that ran through his mind. It was like poison to him, slowly killing him. Why? Why not me?

    Froglegs followed the leaders gaze into the crowd and landed upon a she-cat, one who he had seen many times before, but never bothered to say hello to them. Though she was a stranger to him, a fire burned in his stomach when he looked at her. He turned his chin up, his tail flicking irritably behind him and watched with slitted pupils and narrowed eyes as Vipernose took her place next to Fallenfox on his other side. His olive eyes were locked on the figure and tears began to form in his eyes. 

    Froglegs let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in since Fallenfox announced his new deputy. Without giving his mate a single look or word, he padded down into the crowd and headed to the back, where no one could see him seething with fury. Except for Vipernose and Fallenfox. He didn't care if he saw him angry. He wanted them to. Gritting his teeth, he didn't try to hide his displeasure. Somewhere deep down he wanted to be happy for the new deputy, but being stubborn was like second nature to the tabby tom. It came naturally, and when he felt indignant about something, it was too hard to snap him out of his thoughts. 

[Deleted]

Fallenstar Leader of ShadowClan Fallen son. Risen god.

Fallenstar couldn't help but feel pride radiate from his body as Vipernose accepted her new position. A young cat, although she had much to learn, the orange tom cat knew that she would catch on quickly just as he had when he was first appointed to the position of deputy.     "Ah, young Vipernose. I know that you shall do well and that just as you adapted from kit to apprentice and apprentice to warrior, you too, shall adapt swell from warrior to deputy." His green eyes scanned the molly and they locked on to her sightline before drawling out more words. "For if there ever is to come a time that I fail. That I fall short, and I cannot complete my rightful duties as leader of this clan, those duties shall fall upon your shoulders."     He had a look of pain in his eyes and although he had not actually watched the brown tom leave his side, he knew as he spoke that Froglegs had moved to the back of the gathered felines as he was speaking. Those suspicions were confirmed when he finally released his gaze from the new deputy and looked throughout the crowd to finally let his eyes land on the messy, warm pelt of his mate.     Oh, my dear Froglegs. You would never know or understand why I didn't choose you. His thoughts swam through his skull as he could see the sad expression on his mate's face. He has never really been very good at hiding his emotions. This thought brought a small smile to his jaw but he quickly disbanded it and set his focus back on the clan cats.     "I know that you may have a hard time processing why we must leave. You may feel as though this is and will be your only home but please, listen my fellow clanmates. For I have journeyed through many troubles in life. As you may know, I did not come from the nursery that many of you did. For I was a RiverClan born kit. But this clan, ShadowClan, is where I have lived for many moons and this is my true home too. I know that you all have sorrows and fears about leaving." His eyes landed on Vipernose as he could tell that something was surfacing in her mind but he did not want to press at the current time so he decided it would be best to continue on with his words. Each vowel dripped from his mouth and fell grittily on the clan's ears as if there were no longer snow falling from the clouds, but sand streaking across the landscape.     "I understand that this journey that we must take will not be easy in any way, shape, or form but we must persevere. We must stay strong as ourselves and as a clan. We shall seek out WindClan, as I know many of you have already heard rumors of their reappearance and if they have perished as the other clans have, we still must continue on. For we are ShadowClan! We are sly and strong! We will not back down! And we will never allow StarClan to take what is ours. We will not perish until we allow ourselves to! We will survive! And I say to you as not a leader but as an equal to all of you who can hear, whether you be warrior, apprentice, kit, elder, or queen, we are ShadowClan and we will be successful!"     His sharp eyes gazed upon the crowd and his fur ruffled up as a strong wind shifted into the camp. Fallen star refused to shiver and let his long pelt whip around him. And in that moment, as he looked out at the remaining cats in front of him, he fully believed in everything that he spoke to them.

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[Ferntrail]

IF YOU WERE DROWNING AT SEA

i'd give you my lungs so you can breath

He was just so tired, and none of these cats seemed to be confronting the major issue! His mother wasn’t here, and had they been rolling in crow-food? He couldn’t take it. Sides shaking he shook his head back and forth, unable to bring words to his lips. He wanted his mother, not these cats. Another cat nuzzled him and he just stared at her. Then he scrambled forward, pressing his body against hers. He tried to control his breathing, but he ended up just sobbing.
“W-why do you smell like crowfood?” He sounded miserable and honestly couldn’t focus. The voices around him were blurring into one big shout. Little one, please do not fret. Hearing the leader address him he turned his head, looking up with large, shiny eyes. Scrunching them together he did a little dip of his head “Okay” He mumbled quietly, not loud enough to be heard over the stormy weather.
He turned his gaze to the molly he was currently snuggled in, this was Maplepaw? “You're not my mum” With a sigh he curled up into her warmth and let the weariness in his limbs take control of his body, shutting out the horrors of the word. Maybe when he woke up, he’d ask what it was about. It didn’t matter though, once he rested he’d leave to go find his mother.

SWANSKI

[Deleted]

Owlpaw

I hope somebody's gonna hold my tongue.

Owlpaw gave a small grunt as an unexpected weight smacked into him and caused his legs to buckle, his attacker experiencing no resistance when squishing him into the cold snow underfoot. An undesired shiver shot straight down the tabbies spine, a visible quiver rippling from the tips of his whiskers all the way down the base of his tail. Normally, one would expect to hear a loud outburst from Owlpaw in retaliation, laced with several handpicked insults and personal attacks. This time, however, Owlpaw could be seen merely picking himself back up with the trace of a pout being the only evidence of his rebuttal.

Truthfully, the only reason Owlpaw wasn't angry was the fact that Maplepaws scent had assaulted him at the same time the feline's weight had. He and Maplepaw had become good friends, okay? There was no other reason for him to put up with her playful attitude!

After a few moments of pouting, Owlpaw dared to glance at Maplepaw out of the corner of his eyes with a knowing smirk. It was easy to rile up the female, even his most exaggerated of pouts could begin to make her worry that she had done him some harm. Before she could get too lost in her own thoughts, Owlpaw let out a snort of laughter at her newfound embarrassment. He seriously doubted the Clan was even paying her any attention at this moment, everyone was huddled in tight pairs to keep warm while sharing their thoughts on what they thought this clan meeting was all about. With a small roll of his eyes, Owlpaw extended his tail and curled it behind Maplepaw before tucking it safely against her side.

He definitely did not think about how intimate the whole situation was. Nope, nuh-uh. They were just friends!

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As Fallenfox began to speak, Owlpaws unfocused green eyes gradually locked onto his mentor. He drew in his attention quickly, having only missed the beginning of his statement, and the tom could feel his jaw drop and his heart clench at the words that stumbled out of the orange toms quivering lips. Pumpkinstar... was dead? How? He had only recently become the leader, only recently gaining all nine of his lives! Surely it wasn't normal for a Clan leader to lose them all so quickly?!

Owlpaw, quite frankly, was shocked into silence. He wasn't sure how to process the information, even with his mentor's uplifting words traveling through his right ear and slipping out the left. He felt like his head was full bees, a dull but evergrowing hum reverberating in his mind. He had left the city to be safe, to survive the Winter months, but... the strongest cat in Shadowclan, the tom with the highest chance at survival, had fallen.

Even as the cats around him began to chant Fallenstars new name, Owlpaw felt himself slump more heavily into Maplepaws side, the young apprentice visibly appearing to have disconnected from the here-and-now.

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As Fallenstar shouted Vipernoses name into the heavy snowfall, Owlpaw felt reality rush back into him. He blinked once, his eyes wide, as he sucked in a breath of frosty air. Exhaling an unsteady stream of mist into the air, Owlpaw felt his muscles tense as an unfamiliar scent wafted into his nostrils. Glancing down, Owlpaw noticed the dark brown kitten near his and Maplepaws feet for this first time, his brows immediately furrowing together as his mouth opened in a confused gape.

"What the... where did... what?" Owlpaw mumbled to himself, something that even Maplepaw, despite sitting right next to him, would have trouble overhearing with the howling blizzard they found themselves in. Shaking his head a few times, Owlpaw refused to let himself be distracted any longer. He needed to focus now more than ever for the lives of Shadowclan cats could very well depend on his strength.

The Shadowclan apprentice looked up to lock eyes with Fallenstar as the leader made his next announcement, only a brief expression of confusion flashing across Owlpaws face before he nodded, determination flaring to life inside of him. He would follow Fallenstar to the ends of this earth if he commanded it.

695 words

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[Deleted]

Fallenstar Leader of ShadowClan Fallen son. Risen god.

"I know many of you are afraid. Many of you have never been elsewhere. The land here is your home." Fallen fox's voice carried throughout the snowy clearing and he watched the cats cowering before him. "But alas, I have traveled before and I do not fear to travel again! I shall lead you to a better land. A better home. A place where we can live in peace and not suffer as we are now. I do believe there is someplace waiting for us right now as I speak." He hesitated before letting his current idea flood the ears of the rest of ShadowClan, unsure of how they may react.      "As you may know, there are rumours of WindClan still surviving. I believe it to be in our best interest to seek out what felines may still be standing and join together. We cannot do this alone and I know that deep down, all of you know that having more help would be in our best interest."     He blinked his emerald eyes slowly and flicked his long tail back and forth. Although he worried for the cats of his clan, he had faith in them and knew that if they tried, they would make it. "Let us gather here and look about once more. For we shall head out when the sun rises by this next morning. We shall be on our way and into better grounds soon enough."     With a glance towards Froglegs, his mate still seated in the back of the group, he sighed and wondered what could have caused him such distress. For the last things these cats needed was more stress before they begin their venture. He also eyed his apprentice and gave Owlpaw a small smile before going to address the clan as a whole yet again.     "My fellow clanmates, please take the rest of tonight as time to prepare yourselves. Whether that means you take the next couple of hours resting, finding food, or just preparing you and the ones around you."     Fallenfox flicked his tail before standing up to tower over those around his figure and he turned to leave the gathering. Yet, something tugged at his chest and he turned back to face the group once again.      "If any of you shall need me or require my assistance, I will be paying my respects to the leaders of ShadowClan past."     With that, he turned away and made headway to the dark and haunting appearance of what was left of the leader's den.

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