Warrior Cats: The Four Clans

A soft pink nose lifted to the wind in a strange forest. Piercing blue eyes that were usually sightless could see perfectly in the dim light of this strange area. Scuffling ahead told the young apprentice that a mouse was near. 'Come on Eaglepaw, you can do this. Theres nothing stopping you now.' His whiskers twitched as his mouth pulled in to a smile. As he crept forward, the world went black. What was going on? In his dreams he could always see. Now he couldn't. What happened?

Yet as the tom looked down he could see his own gray paws standing on the black nothingness. A frown touched his lips. When he looked up again the world had changed once more. In front of him was an opening in the large pine trees so he could see large craggy peaks against the horizon. He was standing on a downward sloping mountain. The scene was so beautiful that Eaglepaw felt his chest constrict. So this is what he was missing out on in the waking world. How could Starclan be so cruel?

A sound caught the young cats attention as he whirled around to see a few cats padding out of what appeared to be old badger dens. They looked strong and battle ready. Could this be a clan of cats? A few more warrior-like cats padded out in to the dawning sun. A loud yowl rang around the clearing as the largest cat Eaglepaw had ever seen, though he hadnt seen many, strode out of a den that was above all the others. This cat looked like it was the leader of this would be clan. His dark brown tabby pelt almost glowed and his bright green eyes stared down at his 'warriors'.

"Wake up everyone!" growled a loud voice, "Our leader, General Hammer of the Northern Sky, is awake. So shall you all be!" Eaglepaw was shocked. So this clan woke up by the time their leader did? It was odd to the apprentice. What struck him even odder was that none of them had noticed the intruder. Perhaps he was like a phantom among them. If he was then he could get closer. Eaglepaw padded cautiously in to their 'camp'. He sat at the edge peering out of the shade of a fern bush.

Cats milled about from the caves. Some didnt even look at each other. No, they passed each other with a quick flick of the ear. Almost like a salute. A loud unforgiving voice boomed near a cave opposite of Eaglepaw, "Cadets! Get your mangy hides out of there!" A few 'cadets' raced out of the old den, scrambling to not be the last one out. These small cats looked to be about the age of a clan apprentice. Their small bodies were well muscled already and their attention never wavered from the large tom cat the padded before them. All the cadets stood shoulder to shoulder in a line with the ever watchful gaze of the large tom stared them down.

The ginger tom that was walking down the line called out, "Fern!" From somewhere in the line of cats a she cat answered, "Sir!" Eaglepaws mouth dropped was this a roll call? "Hare!" he called out and received another, "Sir!" back. The ginger tom continued this until every one in the line had spoken. Yet there was an unsatisfied glare on his face. He called out, "Night!" and waited. There as no answer. "Night!" he called again. Yet still no answer.

"Dawn!" he called out and a golden she cat with a hauntingly familiar scent stepped forward.

She replied with another, "Sir!"

"Where is that mangy friend of yours?" His eyes never wavered from the she cat as he stepped in front of her. Dawn looked forward as if she could see right through him.

"I do not know sir. I shall go check the den if you want," She reply. There was something about that cats voice that bugged Eaglepaw. It was so familiar. Yet with this horrid army like speech he couldnt make any resemblances. The speech of these cats was alien to him. It sounded harsh and almost slurred at points. Like their tongues were too big for their mouths. This also reminded Eaglepaw of something. A speech he had been getting used to lately, yet the accent wasn't as prominent as these cats.

The golden she cat turned from the ginger one, Eaglepaw had assumed he had spoken to her while he was lost in his thoughts. She disappeared in to the den. The whole line of cadets were left standing rigid and staring harshly ahead. No apprentice Eaglepaw knew could do that without getting bored. Oddly enough there was something wrong with these cats. He hadnt noticed before but on some of the cats, there was a mark of four claws deeply embedded in to their shoulders. On a few others the mark was on their haunches. For a few others it was on top of the head. Each mark was perfectly alike in every way, as if there was a trained cat to give these young cats such scars. The fur on the scars hadnt grown back and didnt look like it would for a long time.

Out of the cadets den came the golden she cat called Dawn. She snapped to attention before she flicked her ear and padded to the line of cats. Out of the den next stepped a rather lanky tom. His muscles werent well developed like everyone elses. Rather he looked like he hadnt been trained as well. Yet there were more odd things about the cat. A scent wafted to Eaglepaw that made his heart almost stop. Standing before the den was a young black tom with white paws, jaw and tail tip. On the top of his head an odd tuft of fur stuck up making him indistinguishable with any other cat.

The ginger tom that everyone called, Sir growled deeply, "Night on the SnowyPeaks! Why were you not here for role call?" Anger filled the ginger toms golden eyes.

The young cat opened his mouth and as soon as he spoke everything clicked in Eaglepaws mind, "I am sorry Captain, Fire that Always Burns, sir.... I... I over slept." The cat he was looking at, with such a familiar scent and odd way of talking was a young version of Blackfox. Though the accent was heavier than he was used to there was no other way that it wasnt a younger version of the flirtatious, smart-alecky Darkclan warrior.

From the way that the cats were calling each other, Eaglepaw assumed that Captain was probably like a deputy and that Fire was this cats name. "Dont call me by my full name maggot!" The captain growled. "So you over slept did you?" Fire stood tall with a vicious glare, "Dawn! Mask! Get over here!" The she cat from before bolted over. And another cat from which Eaglepaw didnt recognize bolted over as well. The new cat was a gray tom with a few tabby stripes but over his blue eyes was a dark gray mask like one that was on a Raccoon. Both cats had the four claws mark over their right shoulder. Also upon a closer look Blackfox had the same marks.

Eaglepaw frowned. Perhaps these cats were all in the same group. You three are to stay here at the headquarters and do training exercises eight and fourteen, Dawn and Mask made no motions but Blackfoxs younger self cringed. Obviously what they were doing wasnt going to be fun. The Captain turned and called out, "Direction right!" As if they were one, all the cadets turned to the right. "March!" called out the Captain and every cadet moved away.

As soon as the group was gone Dawn and Mask gave the young Blackfox a harsh glare. "I am sorry Dawn... Sorry mask..." He muttered.

"Jeez Night... Cant you just wake up on time?" pouted the gray tom.

"Cadets Dawn on the GoldenShore, Mask the Raccoon Wears and Night on the SnowyPeaks. Why are you not doing your assignment?" Called what looked like a cat that should be a warrior. This tom was a large brown tabby with large unnatural yellow eyes.

A small smile spread on Dawn and Masks lips. "We are sorry Hornet with Yellow Eyes." With a nod Hornet padded away. "Its a good thing that it was dad instead of someone else. They would have us doing all sorts of things today." Mask chuckled and flicked Dawns side. So Hornet was Mask and Dawns father, these two were brother and sister. Was Blackfox a relative too, or just a friend? The young Blackfox that everyone called Night looked a little downcast. Mask frowned and nudged him a bit. "Dont worry Night. I am sure your father will come back some day. He... He just had a bit of trouble I think." The young gray tom looked to be trying to cheering up Night. Yet the young black and white tom only smiled an insecure smile.

"Its alright Mask you dont have to keep cheering me up like that." Night turned away and padded toward the top of the sloping mountain. The other two cadets followed after him perhaps to do their assignments. Eaglepaw wasnt about ready to let them slip out of his sight. He padded after them and passed a few warrior sized cats. It was obvious that they couldnt see him. The Fireclan apprentice was glad of that.  He followed behind them only to have his vision cut off. Darkness surrounded the young gray tom.

"Oh come on!" He growled, "I want to see what happened!" Nights troubles seemed to be deep. Yet the young cat wasnt exactly the same tom that Eaglepaw knew. He was innocent. His eyes glowed with a young light. The way he walked was different was well. Eaglepaw had heard the way Blackfox walked. He could scare away every last prey from Starclan and back. Yet the cat he had just seen was timid and hesitant. Eaglepaw wanted to know what had happened to make the young Cadet turn in to the odd Darkclan warrior. How had he come to Darkclan? Who was this cats father? Why was he skinny and lanky while the others were muscled and strong? What were the marks for? Why was Dawn on the Golden shores so achingly familiar? How had the Cadet Night on the SnowyPeaks become Blackfox warrior of Darkclan?

Eaglepaw snarled to himself. This thing had only been a dream right? Perhaps none of it was true, only the odd imaginings of a sleepy apprentice. With a sigh Eaglepaw turned, yet standing before him was a small very pretty ginger apprentice. Her green eyes were lit with warmth as she stared at him. Eaglepaw tilted his head to the side, not at all stunned by her beauty. "What do you want?" He growled.

The she cat gave him a surprised glance but then a smile touched her lips, making her whole face light up. Eaglepaw rolled his usual sightless eyes. "I am Robinpaw," She purred to Eaglepaw. "I have spoken to your brother before. Yet this time I must speak with you."

"Okay, but I must warn you I have a bad habit of not listening so you are going to have to speak very fast." He sat down quickly and made a very bored face. The she cat gave him an odd glance as if she had never see a tom not paying her any attention. For a few more moments she stared at him, as soon as she decided to speak Eaglepaw cut her off, "I am so sorry," he started, "Times up, but thanks for playing." He stood and turned his back to her.

"Eaglepaw this is serious, you must listen to me." She pleaded. Eaglepaw flicked his tail at her.

"Obviously it wasnt that important or you would have already stated your business. But as for me, I am going to do something more productive... like watching the grass grow." He laughed and started to walk away.

Yet another voice made him stop as it carried to his ears, "Eaglepaw...will you not listen?" The voice was smooth and warm. One Eaglepaw recognized but had not heard for a long time. The young Fireclan apprentice whirled around to see a thin dark gray she cat with stunning blue eyes. Her pelt had darker flecks that were highlighted with stars. Eaglepaw almost gasped.

"Ravenmist..." he started, he had never seen his mother but her scent was so familiar. The dark gray she cat smiled at him making the young apprentice feel warm all over. Standing beside the she cat was Robinpaw. The ginger apprentices beauty was nothing compared to Eaglepaws mother. Ravenmist had a refined air about her. Making the very darkness they stood in bright and warm.

"Dearest one, please listen. There are things that you need to know. What you have seen is not just a dream. It was real. We cannot tell you what has happened or what will happen. It is not for the warriors of Starclan to say. We can only let you to see what the ancestors of the ones in your visions allow us to. Please keep in mind that these visions were given to you for a reason. No one else in your party will receive them. Use good judgment my beloved son."  The moment her lips closed the images blurred and disappeared.

Eaglepaw yowled when he could no longer see her, "Mom!" His vision began to ebb away from him as he awoke to the sound of the regular world. Was his vision real? If it was and it was from Starclan then that meant there were things he needed to know about their mysterious companion. Eaglepaw frowned deeply, would he receive a vision every night, or would he just get them every once in a while? Well, he would just have to wait and see.

A scent drifted to his nose making him slightly shocked. "You awake now Eaglepaw?" It was Goldpaws voice. For a moment Eaglepaw had thought he had scented Dawn on the GoldenShores. A sneer appeared on his face. A thought struck him, there had to be a connection to Nights old friend Dawn and Goldpaw... but what? Before he had time to think about it more, the smooth easy voice of Duskpaw purred in his ear.

"Whats the matter Eaglepaw? No snappy come backs for her?" by the sound in Duskpaws voice, she was teasing him. Yet this morning Eaglepaw didnt feel like snapping. He stood and yawned.

"No, no comments today. Slept wrong and now I am grumpy. I will bite her head off with my wit later." He muttered lowly. A warm laugh escaped Duskpaws lips making Eaglepaw slightly embarrassed. He liked making the she cat laugh. That was probably why he hung around her most.

"Oh, no you dont!" called a very familiar voice. "You dont get to bit off Goldys pretty little head." Though the accent wasnt as heavy as it used to be, Eaglepaw recognized the odd dialect of Blackfoxs former 'clan'. The image of a timid cat passed in his mind. How could that image match up to the cat that was always having a battle of wits with him? "If anyones going to anything, it is going to be me!" The uneven laughter of the tom cat reached his Eaglepaws ears. It was so odd having a dream about this cat and then waking up to hear him speak so differently. What ever it was that Starclan wanted him to know about this cat, he had better figure it out quickly.