#bloodclan the next chapter

[lordofryoshimacoast]

How I make ocs, part one. Names, quite literally copy and pasted from a Wattpad book I made today because yeah.

Before you can even write a story or join a roleplay, you must think about your basic cat! Who are you writing/playing? What is their background, thoughts, relationships?

The best way to start with a character is with a name! In the case of warriors, names do not have significance unless they're for a specific title like leaders. But it does not mean your cat cannot have a name that means something. (Do not police people for random names either, even if it doesn't make sense.)

Well what do I consider realistic names? It all depends on setting! If your cat is in a forest, think of things that live in the forest, if your cat lives on the seashore think of sea themed names ect.

A cat named Parrotpelt sounds interesting! But would not make sense unless the character lived in a place where your cat would know what a Parrot is!

I also find it helps by thinking: what would my character's parents want to name their kit?

Being honest here, what type of parent looks at their kid ((even if they're an abusive parent)) and goes: ah yes! SKULLKIT/DEATHKIT or any other 'edgy' name. I am not saying your cat cannot have an edgy name, perhaps your cat changes their own name during a warrior ceremony or gets it changed after a bad omen or some shit.

//If you want mean names, I suggest thinking about something more realistic like perhaps: Dogkit, Ratkit, Dirtkit, wormkit, mangekit, maggotkit//

(Dirt is included because fun fact: it is a term for shit. Somehow some people don't know this.)

Think about how your cat was raised, would their parent name them based on appearance, or wait till their kit was able to play before naming them?

I'll start with a prefix for our kit.

Tumblekit.

What does this name make you think? A clumsy kit who stumbles over their own paws, maybe a kit with messy fur or a goofy demeanor? Maybe a whimsical and carefree kit?

Apprentices of course keep their prefix when they're apprenticed, so I'll just drop some other names.

Viperpaw, Bubblepaw.

Now if you were to think of these two cats, what would think of them? Who's more sharp looking, perhaps meaner?

Sharper sounding names tend to fit better with more rude/evil/snarky characters, while a softer name will fit better with a cute/kind/innocent cat.

Now your kit has grown to an apprentice now finally to a warrior! This is where a cat gains a true suffix based on their skills, personality, and even appearance sometimes. This can be really fun thinking about how your cat behaved as an apprentice then matured into a warrior!

Doeleap, sounds like an agile yet graceful cat, perhaps the highest jumper out of the apprentices!

Lizardtongue, perhaps your cat was a gossiper or a great liar!

Birdsong, makes you think of a beautiful cat, maybe with a smooth voice/appearance, maybe just great with words in general.

If you want a meaner name for a cat, maybe a leader disliked them along with a parent, then try other things like:

Ratfur, rats aren't considered clean by clan standards, maybe Ratfur was named that for their thin fur.

Perhaps your prefix is outright changed based on an event! Maybe your cat was held back from being a warrior due to failing the assessment.

Burnfur, a balding cat maybe, or a cat who was burned.

Stumblefoot, perhaps a clumsy cat who got into an accident before their assessment that held them back for a few moons, or maybe just a really accident prone cat.

Icyslip, again, maybe a really accident prone cat, maybe with ice or something.

Remember mocking names should have some sense behind them! Is the leader generally not a good cat, who likes to harm cats, then it makes sense for your cat to get that name! If your leader is a sweet angel who suddenly names someone: dookiefur, it seems oddly out of character.

Now onto a different subject, what's acceptable to name your OC. I will be covering some topics about disability, so yeah.

As stated names depend on what type of cat the leader is. Your leader could be quite ableist, but if your cat isn't ableist, DO NOT NAME THEM IN AN ABLEIST WAY.

Please for the love of god do not name a blind oc: Blindeye, or Nosight. Basically, do not name them like the arc 1 thunderclan elders!

Disabled cats if they have a good leader and parent, will usually have a normal name too! Unless the leader is intentionally bad, your character will have a normal name.

Tangent over!

Warrior cats names do NOT follow guidelines whatsoever, this is generally just the system I use when making characters. I am not your mom, if you want a OC names Bobatea or Skullcrusher, go ahead! Your OC does not need a fleshed out name!

This mainly covers clan names, rouges, kittypets, Bloodclan cats can have whatever the fuck name they want.

Go ahead, name a kittypet 100 McDonald's sprite.

[gwagwagwagoogoo]

I need to skip into the future for the next chainsaw man chapter

but for now have some funny shit

Yoru: girl how the fuck did you trigger his trauma already it’s literally only been 2 minutes.

Asa: 😶

Fami: hiii I need this real quick *grabs Yoru by scruff*

Yoru: NO. NO. ASA. ASA. ASA NO. ASA HELP ME. *shaking like wet rat and clawing like cat*

Denji: oh my god please shut up

Asa: starfish are better than penguins what’s your problem. Isn’t my info enough. What’s wrong with you (she is the problem)

Asa: Denji, I need your warrior cats book.

Denji: What

Asa: The warrior cats book. The one I lent you. The book about warrior cats.

Denji: You What

Asa: I need it

Denji: No you dont. Its mine

Asa: Stop. Don’t do that. give it.

Denji: now I won’t out of spite!

Asa: Denji.

Denji: Why do you want it back so badly?

Yoru: if you do not make him return Into The Wild by Erin Hunter to us, I shall maim him. I must reread Tigerclaw’s scenes for. Researchive purposes. Also make him return The Darkest Hour. for similar researchive purposes but this time for Scourge the Bloodclan Leader.

Asa:

Asa: Listen, I just—

Yoru: Oh God.

Fami: What is your problem, Little Sister?

Yoru: My emotional support creature has been trapped in there! she’s going to kill that boy with boredom and the inability to vulnerable before we could use him as a weapon!

Fami: lolllll

Yoru: it’s actually quite enlightening that the boy is more socially acceptable than you.

Asa: *gritting teeth* Okay.

Asa: did your family (the horsemen of the apocalypse) disown you for being gay

Yoru: I WAS NOT DISOWNED FOR BEING GAY CAN YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP SHUT UP SHUT UP ISNT YOUR FAMILY DEAD

Denji: I hope I don’t get trapped in the same room for hours on end with an loner loser chick with high empathy to point of strong and blinding morality and sense of black and white justice but the inability to form close interpersonal relationships or generally allow herself vulnerable in general, acts like a wounded animal and self righteous, cocky, stubborn asshole.

Asa:

Asa: Was that targeted.

[redux-iterum]

Reread anon here!

Wanted to comment on a few fun things I noticed~

Lizardtail seems to be working on anger issues, in one scene Tigerclaw warns him before a gathering, and in another later chapter Lizardtail catches himself when he’s snapping at fire and continues what he’s saying in a much calmer tone. I thought this was a neat background character thing bc it’s happening at the start completely independently of rusty/fire - Lizard is just a young warrior trying to improve himself, and one of those things includes his temper. As Fire joins the clan, that means he is affected and affects Lizard, and it’s fun seeing the iconic snarky Longtail reimagined as someone who knows he has a temper, and is trying to chill out - he’s wary of accepting Firepaw at first, but as it becomes clear this is what the leader, seer, matriarch, deputy, legit all clan leadership agree on, Lizardtail trys to make an effort, even if he doesn’t personally agree.

And also a completely separate thing !!

During a training session with Firepaw, Tigerclaw offered to give him a few tips, and gave advice on how to fight like a ShadowClan cat- being small and vicious, going for vulnerable point quick and fast.

And then ! Tiger teacher Firepaw how to predict where an enemy will be so he can aim accordingly.

And this results in Tigerclaw teaching Firepaw the infamous attack that, in another world, Scourge would use to Kill Tigerstar nine times over.

I found this very interesting and exciting to notice.

Tigerclaw specifically said to aim for the throat and belly, and showed how a smaller cat could knock him down from mid-pounce.

I’m sitting here screaming, just screaming inside.

((A few comment Rusty made in super early chapters about where he lived before the house next to Smudge - is it a spoiler to ask if his dad is still meant to be Jake? Was he born in a regular house and they just had different food? Or is that super early foreshadowing about rusty/tiny being brothers and BloodClan I spotted? - the vague comment was rusty mentioning to himself his previous house has different food that smelled or tasted different, and I think at one point something in the forest reminded him of the smell, which had me wondering if he was given prey

ORRRR and I’m just realizing this literary as I type, it could be him remembering milk scent, and I’m looking way too deep, lol ))

You’ve done you’re job as author I’m feeling emotions and thinking things and wanting to know more!!

What a delight to return home to, god damn. Thank you for this!

I wish I could say that the Lizardtail thing was deliberately thought out and planned, but the honest truth is that he just started doing his own thing as I wrote him. A lot of characters did! I can only hope that the directions they go are ones people like reading about.

As for the Tigerclaw attack thing... did you know that yarrow is used in cheesemaking to curdle the milk faster and add flavor?

To make up for the lack of an answer before: Jake (now named Sparks) is still Fireheart's father, yes! Also a kittypet like his son, just a wandering one that went all over the place in search of adventure.

[wcphasesofthemoon]

Chapter Four

Heron woke to a familiar grumbling in her belly. She wasn’t cold; if there was any good thing about the the junk crowding the alley, it was the insulation it provided. For days the impending departure had been all her friends and littermates were talking about. With her empty stomach aching, Heron closed her eyes again, curling up into a tight ball.

As she tried to find sleep again, she heard chatter around her. 

“What’s the commotion…?” Thicket mumbled sleepily, lifting his head. Heron sighed and looked up as well, recognizing Branch’s voice.

“Branch and Parsley are talking. Probably about the journey again,” Heron yawned. “Mom, too…”

Thicket’s eyes opened fully. “I can’t wait to leave just so I’ll stop hearing about it!”

Heron snorted, pushing him.

“What? You know it’s true!”

Heron rolled her eyes and got up, peering between two boxes to find her mother, sister, and Branch sitting together and talking. Branch passed a partially-eaten mouse to Red, and she thanked her fellow queen with a silent dip of her head before beginning to eat. Then, Branch stretched and got to her paws. “It’ll be strange being fed by housefolk again, provided one takes me in,” Branch meowed. “I’ll be itching to hunt for moons to come.”

“Not me,” Red chuckled a bit wryly. “I was never good for this.”

Heron shook her pelt to rid it of any dried leaves that had gotten stuck, and stretched. She didn’t care if she’d be a kittypet, something many BloodClan cats scorned. She was just glad that Red would get back to her own life. Besides, maybe it’ll be nice to not wonder where our next meal is coming from.

“Hey, Thicket,” she meowed at the sleeping lump next to her.

“Hmm?”

“Wanna go scavenging together?”

“Sure,” he yawned, standing. “Maybe then I’ll get a break from all this leaving talk.”

“I won’t say a word,” Heron purred. She liked being with her family, but she wouldn’t mind hanging out with just him, anyway.

“You’ll understand our excitement when you don’t find anything!” Parsley called.

“Yeah, yeah,” Heron sighed, before beckoning Thicket with her tail. “Come on.” Thicket bounded after her. They raced through what remained of their camp and crossed the street. Dark clouds blocked out the rising sun, promising rain or perhaps snow. They needed to return soon before it fell. Moving upwind, Heron looked out through the city and saw three other cats skulking about in the distance, following a hopping pigeon. “Stay low,” she hissed to Thicket, but Thicket was already doing so.

Then, Thicket spoke. “Thank goodness the monsters aren’t taking all the buildings down, huh?” Heron nodded.

“Of course! Where else would we sleep?”

“Soon we’ll be sleeping inside of them,” Thicket said thoughtfully.

“Ah! I thought you didn’t want to talk about our new home,” Heron said, flicking him with her tail. Thicket’s expression filled with embarrassment.

“Oops. Guess it’s contagious.”

Unfortunately, the stone clearing where they usually fetched food from among the rubbish was swarming with twolegs moving the rubbish away. Rat dung! They talked noisily, not seeming to notice the kits approaching them. Seeing her chance, Heron rushed out into the open in pursuit of food. As she leapt for a trashcan the twoleg was lifting, Thicket cried out in alarm.

“Heron, get back here!” 

He raced after her, but Heron was faster, wild energy pumping through her veins. Thicket reached the twoleg as Heron landed in the can of rubbish, and he leapt up to snag the twoleg’s large paw until it yelped and dropped the can.

Her heart pounding, Heron snagged a smaller can halfway full of something that smelled like fish. In turn, Thicket grabbed her scruff and dragged her across the path into another alleyway, out of sight.

“Score!” Thicket panted. “You’re awfully fast!” He then gave Heron a bump with his head, pushing her in the direction of home. “We should keep moving, though.”

“I was pretty cool out there, wasn’t I?” Heron purred, carrying the can proudly in her teeth. The fish didn’t smell too old to eat. “I think I can split this with a cat or two.”

“If those twolegs don’t come after us,” Thicket said. “Now, hurry up!”

“All right, all right.”

Thicket only slowed once they’d crossed the street again, but his sides still heaved from his rush of adrenaline. In the wake of her own, Heron felt more and more triumphant.

“What in StarClan happened to you two?” Blue asked when she spotted them, using an unfamiliar phrase.

Heron set the can down before her. “We found food. It was nearly taken by a twoleg, though. This is all I could grab.”

“I’m glad you made it back,” Parsley meowed. “We were just about to head to the outskirts of town! We’re looking for the best route to take when we leave the city.”

“Guess I’ll come, too, then,” Thicket mewed.

Heron herself hesitated. “Are you leaving now, or can we eat first?”

“Sure,” Blue purred. “We’d be happy to share your catch.”

She said that, but the others seemed anxious to leave, even as they ate, flexing their claws in and out. They sat in pairs or groups of three, murmuring.

“I wish we could leave earlier,” she heard Firefly saying. “The twolegs are getting too close for comfort.”

“That’s true,” Lion said, “but who’s to say out there is safer than here?” Heron supposed he had a point. She also wondered who else thought so; who else secretly feared their exodus. For her and the rest of the kits, the city, the Clan was all they’d ever known, and they were about to become traitors because they couldn’t face the twolegs. 

If Scourge was alive, would he understand that?

“Can we go now?” Parsley piped up.

“Very well,” Blue sighed. “Follow me.”

“Yay!” Parsley bounded across the street as Blue followed, hissing warnings. Thicket trailed close behind them. Branch then stood.

“I guess I’ll go, too. Stay close to me, Heron.”

“Stay quiet, everyone,” Blue said as they rallied. Red nodded, stopping behind Heron.

To Heron’s relief, the rubbish-collecting twolegs had gone, but so had whatever food remained in the cans. “The coast is clear,” she whispered.

Red sighed with relief. 

“Which way do we go?” Heron inquired.

“This way,” Red surprised her by answering, pointing right with her tail. “I remember coming this way, when Bone brought me here.”

Heron stared at her sympathetically. “You won’t be leaving with him, though,” she whispered, touching her nose to Red’s shoulder. “You’ll be able to go home again.”

“We’ll be crossing the bridge,” Blue stated, and Heron shuddered at the memory of Bone’s brutal attack on Red that had occured there.

They crossed over the bridge after that, and Branch pressed herself close to Red as they passed through the place of unpleasant memories. They’d only have to cross it a couple of more times, Heron reminded herself.

“Wait,” Blue suddenly ordered, stilling with her tail straight in the air. “I smell–”

Suddenly, a bellowing bark rang out, making Heron freeze in her tracks. Branch also stiffened, stepping protectively in front of Red.

A dog exploded out of the hedges nearby. It snarled, barking furiously as it charged the cats, but Branch met it head-on, lunging with claws outstretched. “Branch!” Red screamed. Branch sank her claws into the dog’s foreleg, and it dropped its head to bite down on her arched back. “Blue, help me!” Red cried as she leapt to her friend’s aid. Blue and Thicket were close behind her. Heron charged as well, leaping in a tall arc to land on the dog’s back.

“Let Branch go!” she hissed, tearing at the flesh on its back. She tasted blood. She kept pulling and pulling, tearing skin until the dog wrenched away from the cats with a howl and took off, knocking Heron to the ground.

For a moment, the hard landing made Heron’s vision swim. Parsley was at her side at once, nudging her with frantic eyes. “Heron, are you okay?!” she cried.

“I’m fine,” Heron gasped, scrambling to her paws. “What about you, and Branch?”

“Branch won’t wake up!” Red suddenly wailed, answering the question in the worst of ways. Heron peered over Parsley’s shoulder.

Blue got up at once, shaking her head to clear it. Heron followed her gaze to a still face, one she’d known since she first opened her eyes. Red crouched beside where Branch lay, flexing her claws helplessly as if trying to find a way to use them to save her friend.

“Branch!” Heron choked. Blue rushed over, bending down to listen for breathing. By her stricken expression alone, Heron knew that things were not looking well.

Parsley gazed at Branch’s body and opened her jaws to wail, but no sound came out. Branch still didn’t stir. She didn’t even open her eyes.

She could still hear the dog baying in the distance. Blue looked up at Red, her eyes radiating deep sorrow. “She’s on her way out, Red. I think the dog crushed her lungs when he bit down. We can’t move her.”

“But we must!” Red yowled, shaking her head wildly. 

Her heart cracking, Parsley rushed over to crouch close beside her despairing mother. She looked so small, flattened by her grief.

“You can’t die like this,” Red pleaded tearfully. “Not when I could have helped you, Branch!” Unable to hold back his own tears, Thicket ran mewling to his mother’s side.

Blue put her tail across his back to console him, occasionally looking up to check for the dog even as she mourned. “She may still be able to hear us,” she said in a low voice. “Everyone, if you want to tell Branch anything, tell her now.” Parsley hung back. What could she say?

She watched Thicket try to swallow down his sobs. Red collapsed against Branch’s still body, unable to speak, so Thicket said his piece. “I hope I made you proud, Mama,” he rasped. “I love you so much. Firefly and I will never forget you.” Heron staggered over to him, licking between his ears. Parsley felt as if her chest were being crushed. 

At last, Red lifted her head, daring a bleary-eyed glance around as if just recalling the dog. With her out of the way, Parsley was able to see Branch’s side shudder once, before it was still. “It’s over,” she whispered, both about the dog attack, and the life of Branch.

Blue bowed her head and backed away. Red stood like her legs were about to give out.

Parsley turned to her, but words failed, so she just leaned against her mother’s soft fur. “This route isn’t safe,” Blue declared. “I can hear that dog howling to others now. We must go.” 

With that, she got to her paws, and shouldered her way under Branch to carry her home. Her own blue-grey fur was disheveled, and her paw bled, but she stood strong even in the face of such a tragedy. Parsley followed her in silence, trying to mimic her purposeful gait, until she spotted Lion waiting for them at the edge of their camp. The sun lit his golden coat. 

“What happened?” he asked when they arrived, and Moon and Firefly stopped their tussling behind them at the sound of his voice.

Parsley felt as if the ground would collapse under her paws. “We’ll explain everything, but… Firefly, come here. You need to hear this.”

Firefly cocked her head, confused, but trotted over to where Blue rolled Branch onto the ground anyway. “What’s wrong with her?” Red murmured something to her, and Firefly let out a terrible cry. Then, she sank onto her rear, drawing her tail around her shivering form.

Thicket raced over to her, nuzzling her comfortingly. 

“I should have been more aware of my surroundings,” Red yowled miserably. “She shouldn’t have had to save me! I’m so sorry, kits.”

Parsley turned back to Lion and Moon, who carefully padded closer. “She never got to see our new home,” Lion said, his voice cracking as his tears turned angry. “That dog took away her chance… It deserves to die!”

Red shook her head, tearfully lapping at his head. “There’s nothing we can do against a dog.” She straightened herself, looking around. “Did any come around while we were out?”

When Lion grunted the negative, she turned to help Blue carry away poor Branch so they could bury her. Blue’s chin trembled as she walked by, her piercing eyes wet with tears.

Heron and Lion followed close behind as they moved Branch to a secluded place. Once they found a patch of grass and dirt a tree-length or so from camp, they dug a grave and lay her in it. Once they backed away, Heron approached the queen one last time, her heart aching. It wasn’t fair. Once the soft, dap earth had been smoothed over Branch’s body, Heron turned back towards the familiar alleyway as a soft rain began. She hardly noticed. Her sadness had already left her so cold. “What’s it like outside of the city, Mama?” Lion asked Red, seemingly desperate for something else to talk about.

“Much quieter,” Red croaked, weaving her longer tail around his before pointing to the west with it. “I lived in a house that way.”

Heron leaned closer to her. “Will we go live there again?”

“We will if it’s possible,” Red assured her.

Nodding solemnly, Lion kept walking in silence.

“My twolegs were very kind to me,” Red added.

“Then we’ll never leave again,” Heron vowed, her voice still rough with grief, but sharp with determination. “Even if Dad and Scourge do come back. We won’t let them take you again!” Red nodded.

“I could never show my face to Branch in StarClan if our journey was all for naught.”

Lion blinked. “StarClan?”

“It’s a place my own mother and father spoke of,” Red murmured, staring up at the darkening sky. “They said it was where warriors go when they die, and Branch was always a warrior to me. Just like Snowscar was…” She shut her eyes as if trying to feel the presence of cats she’d lost, and Heron found herself doing the same.

Snowscar… Branch… Watch over us from up there. We’ll make you both proud.

[boypaw-s]

I've been reading Broken Things for awhile now and I have Many Thoughts, but here's One of Them:

I LOVE how you're writing ThunderClan, especially Bluestar. It made my jaw drop in the latest chapter when she went "yeah I thought by holding you hostage so the Kin would help us :)" Like GOD no wonder Redtail contended with her over this. I hope Firepaw's situation gets better soon.

Also, speaking of the Kin, I have a creeping suspicion that it's this universe's version of BloodClan, and if the leader is still the same... Scourge must be Firepaw's dad. This'll be very Inch Resting...

Really excited for the next chapter!! Keep up the good and hard work!!

hi! i have been keeping this ask in my inbox until the chapter that just went up bc i was worried abt spoilers.

whenever i've needed motivation to work, i've looked at this ask. thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me, & i wish you'd shared more! i realize that perhaps you were discouraged by never receiving an answer, but, well. you hit the nail on the head with the identity of firepaw's dad.

(also, apologies if you see this ask before you read the new chapter!)

[pumpkin-claws-archive]

[btnc-btfc-official]

Next Generation Crew! Snakekit, Vinekit, and Rabbitkit/paw!

[btnc-btfc]

W A T C H

[bloodclancomic-blog]

Canon- Seafoam

[alphaareus]

Deviantart has changed so i’m gonna be posting here more instead

here’s some art stuff!

from top to bottom: 

My profile pic

fanart for @wc-starless 

Thumbnail contest entry for StudioFelidae on Deviantart

[oldwarriors-fireandwater]

Here they are! Some teasers for the next book - Scourge and his new partner in crime. Her appearance is different from canon, but she’s a character that some of you might be able to guess!

[dreamingblacktabby]

Scourge's group

Since I'm still working on the first chapter, here's a little Drabble about Scourge's group.

Scourge's group has existed for about 4 years. Scourge is still praised for killing a dog and the dog tooth still gets stuck in his collar when he uses it to try and get his collar off. A handful of cats started following him around after this and Scourge gave himself a cooler sounding name to sound more impressive. As more cats joined, Scourge decided to actually form and lead a group. The group never got a proper name which is why it is simply referred to as Scourge's group.

Hierarchy is based on strength and respect. The more claws and teeth someone has in their collar the more respect they gain from those around them. Of course, if a cat gains all those claws and teeth from dead corpses, they will often be seen as cowards who aren't willing to work for their rank and will often be exiled from the group. It is seen as okay to steal teeth and claws off of dead corpses if it is the first tooth or claw a cat puts on their collar because they are still young and it shows they are willing to show off they are part of Scourge's group, it is only the repeated behavior that is truly looked down upon. If a cat loses their high rank, they often lose their collars and are either exiled or must regain their rank by getting a new collar and working to regain their teeth and claws.

Queens are the only low rank cats who are respected because they are carrying and raising the next generation of members. Scourge has a special section in their camp for queens to raise their kits and ensures their safety above most other cats. Kits need to still work for their rank and not considered full members until they earn their first tooth or claw, but a queen is guaranteed more respect if she bares kits. If a she-cat doesn't bare kits they are simply judged by their own actions like other members of the group. (trans cats can also earn more merit by bearing kits but its often discouraged because most are uncomfortable and Scourge has his limits on what cats should be pressured into)

Scourge's group lives in an abandoned building with an overgrown parking lot. Its fenced off so they are fairly unbothered by two-legs. The first floor is mainly used as a common area while the second floor holds all the dens. Cats will often drag up boxes, blankets, or other things up to make nests for themselves and others. There are also abandoned desks and shelves that can be used as a space for nests. The queens have a rather nice room thats sheltered from the elements more than a lot of rooms that have broken windows and stuff. Scourge sleeps on the first floor in a room that was once a storage room. It gives off a maze like feeling which can be intimidating to cats who never enter, allowing Scourge to be anywhere in the room to keep an eye on the place, as well as allowing him to have space to collect things like collars for the kits born into his group. He also has a stash of small blades that he uses to reinforce his claws which is what makes them so sharp. Scourge is the only cat who has these.

The trials are for kittens born into the group. Scourge will often wait until cats are roughly fully grown(5 - 8 moons) to send them out on a mission to collect their first claw or tooth. The cat will be unable to return until they earn their tooth or claw through combat or get lucky and find a corner they can take it off of. If a cat earns their tooth or claw through combat than they will be given a second to show their bravery and strength while those who get their first off of a corpse will be seen as lucky and told to earn more teeth and claws if they want anymore respect. If a cat is unable to get a tooth or claw for any reason, they are not allowed to return to the group and will be considered exiled until they do.

Scourge does eventually end up naming his group BloodClan but thats not until the last book. Won't say why yet, especially since the reason might change, but I do plan on him naming the group BloodClan eventually.

If anyone wants clarification or have other questions feel free to ask.

[petalstem]

Finished my reread of the first arc! Sorry this post got a lot longer than I expected, I rambled angrily about ableism there for a paragraph, so be warned. My thoughts are:

The good parts

-Honestly, held up pretty much as expected! I don't think its any worse than when I read it as a kid, at least not in writing quality (There's other things about it I find downright despicable but the writing quality isn't that)

-I appreciate Runningwind, honestly. He's THE most minor character ever but I like him. He's my new favorite background guy alongside Tallpoppy and Woollytail

-The ThunderClan forest fire chapters are legitimately still VERY good, they feel intense and real, as is Yellowfangs death honestly the highlight of the arc

And the bad parts

-Hoooly fucking shit is the ableism something to behold. I already knew the series was ableist, I feel like we as a fandom already know, but I guess I forgot just HOW much it is and how it's just constant. And I feel like not enough people talk about how fucking AWFUL Firestar is to Brightheart. When she's initially moved to the elders den, 1. It is very explicitly said to be a choice SHE has to make, and neither he nor Cinderpelt will force her

2. It's less "she can't be a warrior so she's going to be an elder" and more implied to be that she's not ready to return to being a warrior yet, and she probably still needs someone to watch over her for now, but it doesn't have to be Cinderpelt, so they let a still mourning Speckletail help with that

But when its time for her to move into the warriors den, FIRESTAR ACTIVELY SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW IF SHE SHOULD, and, in singlehandedly one of the most insulting things I've seen in this series, he tells Cloudtail that since he doesn't have an apprentice, he can train Brightheart instead, and that he has to keep an eye on her, and continues to think to himself how she'll never be a "true warrior". It is downright baffling and nightmarish how they take any and all agency away from Brightheart, who, I forgot to add, IS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THEM DURING THIS CONVERSATION. She is treated like a helpless child and her boyfriend is essentially told to watch her like she's a toddler, and this is basically NEVER addressed. Yes, she does become, as Firestar thinks, a "true warrior", but I don't care how many cool fighting moves Brightheart does, the narrative never acts as if Firestars constant thinking of her as needing supervision and not being as "useful" as her other Clanmates as being wrong. It legitimately disgusts me, and that's not even the first time. I honestly had less of a reaction to the ableism against Cinderpelt and Snowkit because I was already expecting it and remembered the majority, but I guess I just forgot how bad it was to Brightheart and it caught me entirely off guard. How the books have the understanding that "Lostface" is an insulting name but calling Brightheart "not a true warrior" is just fine is absolutely beyond me

-Why is the message of the final book "cats without religion are morally corrupt". Maybe I'm reading into it wrong but Barley literally says BloodClans weakness is not believing in StarClan, and says because they don't have the warrior code, they neglect kits, the sick, and the elderly

-The hypocrisy of StarClan in coming books angers me so ungodly much. There is an entire passage where StarClan claims they can't intervene with BloodClan because StarClan can not control the living cats, and a cats choice to either believe in StarClan or not is what makes them free. Only for later books to prove THATS bullshit and StarClan can 100% manipulate and lie to cats to force them to do things, as well as actively scold and yell at them for breaking the code

-This is a minor nitpick but Tawnypaw's reasoning for leaving ThunderClan is uh. Stupid as shit. The reasoning itself is fine, but you're telling me its WORSE to be judged than to join a violent tyrant where children her age are killed for nothing? You couldn't have just waited a few months until either Firestar or Tigerstar won and THEN made your decision? I think, narratively, Tawnypaw DID need to join ShadowClan, but having her do so IMMEDIATELY after the scene of the cats rescuing the RiverClan cats makes her seem like she's either a moron or she's okay with what Tigerstars doing as long as he's not bullying her

-Another nitpick but there's a continuity error in Yellowfangs death scene where Fireheart thinks about how Yellowfang doesn't know he knows Brokentail was her son, but she literally told him when they took Brokentail prisoner so that's not true

My favorite characters were Runningwind, Longtail, Yellowfang, and Sandstorm, and my least favorite were Greystripe for all of Fire and Ice specifically, Leopardstar, and Dustpelt. Honorable mentions go to Bluestar (Of course, Bluestars great, also she was right StarClan fucking sucks), Mistyfoot (Despite how much I hate modern Mistystar, Mistyfoot in this arc is pretty flippant with the rules tbh, and I like it! I also love that she and Silverstream are besties), Darkstripe (LOVE how pathetic he is), Whitestorm (He's a LOT older than I remember him being, also while he was written with the idea he's Bluestars nephew, I like to think that Firestar just doesn't know they're related and thinks they're besties, I honestly love how kind and patient is Whitestorm is with Bluestar even at her lowest) and Tallstar (I know he's written with the authors not intending that he was gay for Firehearts dad but every time he's nice to him I like to think its because he sees Jake in him)

TL;DR Overall, I DID enjoy my reread. I love this series to bits, and while it has some MASSIVE problems I can't and won't overlook, the good parts are frequent and well done, and I genuinely think it earns a good portion of its emotional payoffs

[furry-monster-trash]

Darkstripe’s Loyalty - Novella - Chapter Ten (END)

Previous Chapter

The battle with BloodClan was upon them. Leopardstar had agreed to fight beside ThunderClan and WindClan. Darkstripe couldn’t bear the thought of fighting next to Firestar, so he ran. He ran away from TigerClan and the forest and made a small nest for himself next to a river just outside of TigerClan territory.

His once sleek pelt was now mattered and dirty, dull and full of dirt and moss. He had stopped bothering to groom himself. There was no point to it anymore now that Tigerstar was dead. There was no point to anything now that Tigerstar was dead.

When the four Clans faced off against BloodClan tomorrow Darkstripe would exact his revenge. He would kill Firestar over and over again until his clanmates knew what it felt like to lose someone that important. Darkstripe curled his tail over his muzzle and fell into a restless sleep.

He awoke to the sounds of cats fighting and stretched out his muscles. The battle had already begun. He made his way over to the clearing and froze with shock. There was blood and fur everywhere. He could just barely make out the body of Blackfoot fighting bravely against Jaggedtooth, who had joined BloodClan after Tigerstar’s murder.

Then, Darkstripe saw him. A flash of bright ginger and a blaze of fury. Firestar knocked away his attacker, only for a she-cat to leap on him and begin to claw at his shoulders. He’s mine! Darkstripe thought and he leapt into battle, knocking away the she-cat and digging his claws deep into her chest. She ran away with a wail.

He spun on Firestar, who was looking at him with round eyes, full of shock and pain. “You’re mine, kittypet. It’s time for you to die.”

Firestar braced himself for the attack. “So now you’re fighting on the side of Tigerstar’s murderer?” he taunted Darkstripe. “Have you no loyalty in you?”

“Not anymore,” Darkstripe snarled. “Every cat in the forest can turn to crow-food for all I care. All I want is to see you dead.” You’re the reason Tigerstar is dead. I’m going to take away all nine of your pathetic lives! Darkstripe pounced towards Firestar, but the ginger tom slipped to one side, only with careful timing was Darkstripe able to catch Firestar on the side of the head. Firestar landed awkwardly and Darkstripe saw his chance. He landed on top of Firestar and pinned him down. Firestar twisted, trying to free his hind paws. He scrabbled furiously at Darkstripe’s belly but could not shake him off. The warrior bared his teeth, aiming for Firestar’s neck. 

Darkstripe sneered with victory but before he could deliver the killing blow he felt a heavy weight knock him aside. He looked up into the bright yellow, very angry eyes of Graystripe. He spat and reared up, knocking Graystripe aside. The gray tom hissed and knocked Darkstripe off of his feet. The moment Darkstripe collided with the ground, Graystripe was on top of him, his claws drawing heavy amounts of blood from his shoulders.

Darkstripe tried to twist to bite into Graystripe’s neck, but quick as a mouse, Graystripe’s paw lashed out and Darkstripe felt blood well up on his throat. The dark tabby gave one convulsive shudder. His jaws parted as he fought for breath. “There’s nothing left . . .” he choked out. “It’s all dark—everything’s gone. . . .”

Darkstripe woke up with a gasp. His eyes frantically searched for anything, anyone, some sign of life. Am I dead? He looked around, heaving himself to his paws. A bright, blinding light focused in front of him and he squinted. From the light came Brindleface, her pale gray pelt shining with stars. “I’m in StarClan...”

“For the time being, yes,” Brindleface’s voice was soft, but her eyes were the opposite, holding a blind fury. “You have betrayed your Clan Darkstripe. Your Clan, your kits, the Warrior Code.”

Darkstripe hung his head, feeling hot shame pulse off of him in waves, “I had to do what I thought was best.”

Brindleface shook her head, “If you did that then you would’ve stopped listening to Tigerstar a long time ago. I wonder,” she paused, licking her lips and gazing wistfully at Darkstripe, “If you had had a different mentor, would you have turned out this way? Would you have turned out to be a better father to your kits or a better warrior to your clan?”

Darkstripe shook his head, “Tigerstar was the best mentor anyone could’ve asked for.”

Brindleface sighed, “In terms of teaching you to fight and hunt I have no doubts. But when it comes to loyalty and honor he taught you the wrong ways. He taught you that he was right above all else, above his own clan leader and the Warrior Code that we have lived by for so long.”

“Tigerstar was the greatest warrior of them all!” Darkstripe spat back, feeling awfully defensive for a cat who didn’t seem to care much for him.

“You are blinded by your own heart. It makes your eyes see things that are not there,” Brindleface gave him one last look of pity, “I hope you find peace Darkstripe, know that I am watching over our kits and I will do so until they die. You will be unable to see their warrior ceremonies or if they have any kits of their own. You will not be there to welcome them into StarClan. I hope Tigerstar is worth it.” 

“You promised me that you would be a warrior ThunderClan could be proud of,” a familiar voice whispered next to him.

“Dawnpaw?” Darkstripe spun around, looking at his sister. He felt a flash of guilt, he hadn’t thought about her in seasons.

His sister stood before him, all signs of the illness that had taken her was gone, her pelt glossy and smooth, “You promised me Darkstripe,” she shook her head sadly, “Why did you let Tigerstar corrupt you?”

“Corrupt me? Dawnpaw I was just following my orders!”

“Your orders are to listen to your clan leader,” She silenced him with the glare, “Former kittypet or not. You made your choice a long time ago. I wish that Patchpelt could’ve been your mentor.”

“I’m sorry...I failed you.”

Dawnpaw blinked slowly and bowed her head, “I hope you find peace Darkstripe.” With a final flick of her tail she left him there, frozen in place as the light that had welcomed him turned to darkness. The trees of life turned dead rotten and all signs of prey or running water left in a single heartbeat.

Darkstripe closed his eyes in fear. This wasn’t StarClan. He was being punished for being loyal! Loyal to what though... He choked on a sob and ran, ran as fast and as far as his legs would take him. Foxhearted Firestar! He will get what’s coming to him, one of these days. If I ever see him again, I’ll turn him into crowfood!

Darkstripe had grown used to the shadows, the rotten scents, the lack of life or prey. He often saw cats running by, but they always seemed out of ear-shot. He gave up trying to find someone else to share his misery with. He found that he couldn’t even drown himself in the sludge that made up the river where he lived. No matter how long he spent trying to fill his lungs with the thick, black liquid, he could never seem to fade. Always vomiting it up and hacking up a lung once he realized his efforts were futile.

He could hear something. Something close and something big. He opened his jaws and tasted the air. It smelled of...prey? He knew now that the twitching ferns and leaves meant nothing, there was nothing there. But, he was sure that he smelled something. He dropped into a hunter’s crouch and waited.

When he sniffed again though the scent came through more clearly. It was a cat. A cat he knew from his living days, a cat that he would’ve once followed to the end of time. Tigerstar! Darkstripe thought to himself, leaping out of the bushes and landing near the large tabby, who didn’t even flinch at his presence.

Tigerstar’s deep amber eyes locked on him and he flinched back, pressing his ears to his head, “Tigerstar!” he gasped, sliding to a halt and cowering to the ground. “Where did you come from? I thought I was alone here.”

“Get up, Darkstripe.” The tabby tom’s voice was a rumble of disgust. “Stop cringing like a terrified kit.”

“What is going on here?” Darkstripe asked, standing up and trying to at least make himself look somewhat presentable to his former clanmate. Darkstripe’s heart ached at the sight of the tabby, his body frozen in place in his presence.

“If StarClan thinks they can forget about us, they’re wrong,” Tigerstar snarled. He turned his back on Darkstripe, shouldering his way through the ferns without waiting to see whether the other cat followed him or not.

“Wait!” Darkstripe called after him, racing to catch up, “What do you mean?” Please don’t leave me. I gave up everything for you.

“Firestar thought he won when Scourge took my nine lives. He is a fool. What lies between us is not over yet,” Tigerstar meowed darkly. Darkstripe felt a shiver creep through his pelt at the familiarity of the hatred in his voice.

“But what can you do to Firestar now?” Darkstripe protested. “You can’t leave this forest. I know—I’ve tried. But however far I walk, the trees never end, and there’s no light anywhere.”

“I can scent Brokenstar!” Darkstripe exclaimed. “Is he here too? Brokenstar, where are you?” 

Tigerstar stopped and looked back. “Save your breath. Brokenstar won’t answer you. You will sense traces of many cats here, but seldom will you meet one face-to-face. We may be trapped in one place, but we are trapped alone.”

“Then how do you expect to deal with Firestar?” Darkstripe asked. “He doesn’t even walk this forest.” 

“I won’t deal with him.” Tigerstar’s voice was a soft, threatening growl. “My sons will. Together, Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw will show Firestar that the battle is far from won.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Darkstripe meowed, tilting his head.

“Of course you don’t!” Tigerstar spat, rounding on Darkstripe with claws unsheathed, “You never really did understand.”

Darkstripe winced. He didn’t want to lose Tigerstar, not again.

“But that is all in the past.” Tigerstar meowed. “I have learned to walk in the living’s dreams and I will teach them how to be better warriors. I will plant seeds of hatred against kittypet softness.”

Darkstripe flinched back into the shelter of a clump of bracken. “They couldn’t have a better teacher,” he meowed.

“They will learn the best fighting skills in the forest,” Tigerstar went on, as if the other cat had not spoken. Darkstripe tried to not let his hurt show. “They will learn to have no mercy on any cat who tries to oppose them. And in the end, they will divide the entire territory around the lake between them.”

“I could help you,” Darkstripe offered. 

Tigerstar turned on him with a look of cold contempt. “I need no help. Did you not hear me say that every cat walks this dark forest alone?” Darkstripe shivered. “But it’s so empty and silent. . . . Tigerstar, let me come with you.”

“No.” There was a hint of regret in Tigerstar’s voice, but no hesitation. “Don’t try to follow me. Cats have no friends or allies here. They must walk their path of shadows alone.”

“Tigerstar please,” Darkstripe begged, not wanting to be left alone.

Tigerstar looked at him and blinked slowly, “If you can promise me one thing Darkstripe.”

The black tabby sat up, “Anything!”

“That you will fight beside me, through whatever, against whoever. You will not question my orders and you will swear allegiance to me until the day we both fade away,” Tigerstar’s voice was cold, calculated. His eyes narrowed to slits as he awaited Darkstripe’s answer.

“You have my word Tigerstar,” Darkstripe meowed, a hint of hesitation in his voice. He could not bear the thought of being alone, so with Tigerstar he would go. Just as he did in the forest, he would walk beside Tigerstar and support him through thick and thin. I just hope that it ends better for me this time. 

[wcphasesofthemoon]

Chapter Three

Parsley woke and looked blearily over at her mother. The morning was chilly, and the chilly breeze ruffled her coat, making her shiver.

“I’m here, Darling,” Red whispered, nuzzling her. “I’m all right. Branch made the bleeding stop.” Parsley hummed, looking over at the spot next to her. Heron was gone.

Worried, Parsley sat up, looking over her mother’s shoulder. She then gasped as she saw Lion and Heron standing stiff in the entryway, faced by Bone. Red spotted them, too, and tensed nervously. Parsley expected Bone to hit her siblings, but he just glared darkly down at them.

“I’ll deal with you four later,” he growled. “For now, I have to go. Urgent mission from Scourge.” Bone looked from Red to Branch. “Most of the warriors will be gone, so you all will have to fend for yourselves. Blue’s in charge. Scourge told me to tell you that.”

“Right,” Branch agreed with a nod.

Without another word, Bone left, but his lashing tail hit Lion in the nose. He fell back on his rump with a squeak. Sighing with relief once her father was gone, Parsley crawled over her mother’s body to get to Moon, who slept beside her, and nudge him. Knowing her mother was all right and that the scary cats of the Clan would be gone for a while, she wanted to go out and play. “I said I don’t wanna play,” Moon mumbled groggily, burying his face into Red’s chest fur. He must have thought she was Lion or Heron.

Heron padded over to them. “I wonder how long Dad will be gone for.”

“Hopefully a while,” Parsley whispered. “He’s scary!” With him gone, she felt like she could stretch out more, like his presence crumpled her up into a ball. Why was Moon sleeping such a reprieve away? They could play their hearts out!

“Well, I’d better go hunting,” Branch said, getting up from her nest. “With less warriors around, the rest will need some helping paws.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” Red said sincerely, but Branch waved her off. Once she was gone, Parsley went outside as well to drink in the fresher air. She watched Branch approach Snake, her mate’s brother, who was organizing a hunting party. Once he was done, the group departed. Parsley looked back at her mother. She was watching them go, too.

Once the warriors were gone, Parsley bounded all the way out into the open. “Be back soon, Mama!” she called over her shoulder. 

The air was sour with the smell of monsters. They rumbled in the distance, and cold wind made the black, crisscrossed ropes overhead sway back and forth. Scourge’s den had cobwebs on it. Blue was lying underneath it as Ice spoke to her. Parsley looked up at the silver clouds, glowing softly in the morning sun. It was beautiful, even after how awful the previous night had been. He hoped that Red could see it, too.

“You almost done yappin’, Ice?” Brick called. “We should be hunting, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’,” Ice growled, dipping his head respectfully to Blue before heading for the ginger molly. Pounce and Snipe also headed over to meet them.

Parsley breathed in deep, smelling the scent of the twoleg trash the adults often ate. “You’ve already found food,” Ice observed. “Good. We’ll bring some back, too. Come, Brick.”

“I’m right behind you.”

*

Silvery moonlight lit the the pavement of BloodClan camp.

“Blue!”

The cat’s voice was nearly drowned out by the distant roar of a huge approaching monster. Out in the open, Firefly and Thicket argued over a dead crow.

“Blue!” Parsley suddenly realized it was her mother’s cry she was hearing. Red was at the corner of one of the buildings enclosing the alley, gaping at something they could not see.

Firefly suddenly shoved Thicket back from the crow, but this time to get his attention. They both followed Red’s gaze, and Parsley did the same. Her heart dropped as she saw what they were looking at: the huge monster was no longer very distant. No, it was lumbering right towards the camp. Its growls pounded Parsley’s eardrums. 

“What’s that?!” Lion cried, peering out from the alley with his ears pressed flat to his head. Red shrieked and turned away from the monster, bundling the kits back into the alley.

Instead of continuing on the path, the monster eased off of it and rolled right into the middle of the camp. Red had told Parsley that monsters were confined to their paths!

“Get in the alley and stay there!” Blue ordered as she appeared, nudging Heron towards them. Blue herself then dived for shelter beneath the dumpster while Ice ran for a pile of cinderblocks and cowered beneath them. Would the monster even stop? “Stay calm!” Blue shouted, but Parsley could hardly hear her. Parsley swallowed hard, trying to be calm like Blue told her as she trembled underneath Red’s belly. 

The monster ambled past, blocking their view of the rest of camp. Despite Blue’s orders, several cats panicked and darted out, swarming every which way like flies.

The monster reached out groaning forepaws then, lifting the dumpster sheltering Blue right off the ground. Then, taking it, it backed away.

A foul stench overwhelmed Parsley’s nose from the smoke the monster produced. Ice peered out, flinching at a loud crash. 

“It put the dumpster down,” he screamed to Blue, “and it’s coming back!!”

*

Parsley trotted towards what was left of the alley, blinking in the haze. Firefly had said she’d thought of a new game to play. 

“There you are!” Firefly mewed, lifting her tail in greeting from where she stood before the barricade of objects blocking most of their home. “We’re playin’ doghunters!”

Parsley had grown since the disturbance of the camp. She still played to keep her mind off of things, but the monsters came every day with unbearable noise and smells. Most of the prey hadn’t been able to stand it, and left. The twolegs had moved most of the trash away, too.

“Ooh! Please don’t tell me I’ll be a dog.”

“You drool enough in your sleep to be one!” Lion teased.

“Shut up!” Parsley hissed, and all of the kits laughed. She sighed, shaking her head, but couldn’t keep from smiling. It was good to hear their laughter clearly without the sounds of the monsters moving, building, and knocking over in the way.

An eagle screamed from one of the taller buildings, high above the destruction. Parsley glared upwards. Lucky bird.

Suddenly, the sunlight was blotted up by a descending shadow. The eagle was swooping down! Parsley stiffened, ready to spring, when Blue suddenly lunged to her rescue, claws fully extended. She barreled it out of the sky, squashing Parsley’s lower half beneath it, and Parsley squealed and ripped at the bird with her claws. The bird wrenched itself around, shrieking furiously, and Parsley saw the flash of its golden eyes and she squirmed to avoid its sharp beak.

With another cry, the eagle pulled itself free and scrambled away from the cats, wings beating furiously. It leapt once and then took flight, leaving a smattering of blood droplets in its wake. Parsley scrambled to her paws, panting, and turned to Blue.

Blue was panting as well, and her eyes were wide. “It was skinny. It must have been starving. Even eagles feel the effects of this destruction. All it can hunt now is the animals scattered by the twolegs.”

Parsley exhaled heavily, sitting down. She never thought she’d feel empathy for such a terrifying creature. “Thanks for saving me.” She lifted her paw, finding bloody feathers caught between her toes.

“You helped me, too,” Blue murmured, lapping at her own paw. “You’ll be a great warrior, someday.”

Parsley followed her example, moving closer to Blue and beginning to wash.

“That was awesome!” Firefly suddenly squeaked, making Parsley jump. She’d forgotten that the others had been watching! “I only wish you’d killed it. Then we could eat it!”

“There wouldn’t have been much meat,” Blue said, getting up. “Come on. Let’s get under something, in case it tries again.”

Parsley led the way deeper into the alley. There was less and less room the further they went. They passed Red, who was grooming herself, and she followed them to fuss over Parsley. Evidently, she’d seen the scuffle.

“Darn twolegs,” Heron muttered. “We shouldn’t have to slither like this through our own home!” Lion huffed and muttered an agreement. 

How long can we go on like this, if more kits come when we’re all grown? Parsley found herself wondering, as well as if that was what Blue had been discussing with Red and Branch the previous night.

Branch nodded in greeting as they all settled in an adequate space between the boxes and shiny twoleg tools. Blue came to sit beside her. Parsley noticed that their ribs were visible, and their pelts had grown dull.

“I need to talk to you kits,” Blue said, her voice low and very, very serious. “This… This isn’t working. This is no place to raise little ones.”

Shocked murmur swept over the six kits. “She’s been thinking the same thing as us!” Firefly whispered after nudging Parsley to get her attention.

Blue held up her tail for silence. “This camp can no longer support us all. And Scourge…” She sighed, shutting her eyes. “I don’t think he’s coming back. It’s been many days and not a single messenger has been sent back. That is unheard of. That’s why I want to take all of you, the innocents dragged into this, back to the place where I was born.” She looked to Red with round amber eyes. “Where Spark was born.”

“When are we leaving?” Thicket asked, actually sounding excited.

“Not right this minute,” Blue purred, amused at his enthusiasm. “We’ll leave in a quarter-moon.” 

Parsley trembled with excitement. So soon!

With that, Blue took her leave, bounding out to meet the hunting party, empty-jawed and shamefaced. Nothing, again. 

But soon we’ll be fed.

“We’re really leaving,” Moon gasped in wonder.

Parsley nodded, her heart picking up its pace as hushed conversation passed through all of them. “I’m sort of excited,” she whispered to her black and white brother. “I don’t think I’ll miss Bone much at all.”

“Me neither.” Moon stared hard at the scars on Red’s belly. “Not ever.”

“I wanna go right now,” Heron admitted. Parsley couldn’t help but agree.

Firefly was silent, and looked uncertain. Thicket practically vibrated with eagerness, but pressed against his sister when he saw how nervous she was. “Are you not ready?”

Firefly shook her head, looking at her paws. “It’s not that I like this place, but it’s all I’ve ever known. What if the outside world is even scarier?” Anxiety sparked in her yellow eyes.

Parsley wished she could reassure her friend, but she didn’t know any more of the world beyond the city than Firefly did.

“We’ll get used to it,” Thicket mewed. “Just you wait, Firefly. Just you wait.”

[extratallhobbit]

Warriors: The Darkest Hour

Just finished the first series! This was a solid conclusion that I really enjoyed. I'll take a brief break from reading so I con focus on other things but I'll hop into the next books soon. This one gets an 8.5/10

- the prologue introduces Scourge, a rogue cat who is now allied with Tigerstar, who commands Bloodclan

- Fireheart is given his 9 lives as he is made clan leader, and it's a really cool and even touching scene. It's good lore and worldbuilding that stands up as an adult, and I can totally see how as I child I was obsessed with this

- Tigerstar has united Shadow and Riverclan to form Tigerclan, a proposed union of all four clans. There's interesting themes that mostly go unexplored of union/disunion and how these clans should politically operate. The largely unquestioned assumption is that, because the clans have always done this, they should remain four separate clans, without strong alliances, who sometimes come together in the face of a major threat

- Tigerclan begins persecuting "half clan" cats, that is, cats with parents from different clans. I don't know how I feel about this addition, but it mirrors a lot of other contemporary children's literature in how it attempts to show racism and prejudice in the issue of blood purity

- Tigerstar dies a grisly death to Scourge, who Tigerstar attacked when he did not obey his orders. I am really surprised by how violent and explicit these books are for their intended age group

- Barley, a lone cat friendly to the clans and Firestar, tells Firestar about Bloodclans lack of belief in Starclan and the warrior code, something that he sees as a weekness. While Starclan does grant clan cats (especially leaders) very real advantages, like their nine lives, this mirrors real world rhetoric used by fundamentalist Christians that only Christians can be moral, because they have God making sure they behave well. Of course, Cloudtails loyalty and nobility while still denying Starclan adds much needed complexity to this theme

- the book, and series, ends with a huge battle between the united four clans and Bloodclan, where Firestar looses a life while killing Scourge. I think something these books, and especially this one, does really well is how it shows scenes with Starclan. They are very touching in how it shows the passed heroes who give strength to the warriors, and provides a much needed break from page after page of an action scene

- Overall, this was a very good conclusion to the first series! The beginning chapters were excellent in how they show Firestar's ascension to being leader and that tone carries until the end. The second third of the book drags a bit, as it is concerned with preparing for the final battle, and maybe could have been shortened, but overall I really enjoyed this first series!