A New Dawn: Blood River

This takes place after The Last Hope. Allegiances are the same except Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Graystripe and Millie have moved to the elder's den and the kits are apprentices. This is my first serious fanfic (all the rest are spoofs or from someone's point of view) so please comment and give me feedback. This fanfic will regularly cross between reality and dreams, so don't get confused between the two. I will try to make this obvious. Also, each story in the arc (six books) will be dedicated to someone.

To Roo

with Taylor Swift in mind xx





Prolouge
A dark shape flitted across the rock. A pair of amber eyes shimmered in the darkness, navy shadows engulfing the rest of his body. A torn ear and a long, deep pink scar down his back were the reminders of his latest battle with his son. 'Snakepaw,' he hissed. 'Come out.' The golden eyes glowed with danger, a pool of fire ready to burn. They watched as a long haired apprentice poked his head out between the boulders that secured the clearing. The small tom's dark brown pelt glowed with moonlight, his body bathed in an eerie glow. 'Yes father.'

The older tom crept out of the shadows. 'My son,'he growled. 'I have waited so long for this.'

'For what?' The smaller version of the big tabby cocked his head in curosity.

'For my power to rise. Snakepaw, listen to me.' He circled the cat. 'One day, you will rise to be the greatest leader ShadowClan has ever known. But you must keep one promise.'

'I will be leader? Wow! I'm going to tell all the Clans to keep off our territory because they know ShadowClan is the greatest.' Snakepaw sliced his claws along the stones, as if he was slitting someone's throat. Alarmingly, his youthful face was curled up in a snarl, a sign of ferocity and hunger for the power that may one day come to him. 'So, what do I have to promise, Tigerheart?'

Tigerheart's mouth slipped into a purr. 'You have to do everything I say. If I tell you to kill your mother, you must.'

'But why?' Snakepaw's eyes stretched wide. 'Dewtail is my mother and I love her. I am her only kit.'

'Well, Snakepaw. If you disobey one of my orders, you will be killed.' Tigerheart slid out his claws.

Snakepaw's green eyes were as big as moons. 'I will do everything you order me to,' he whimpered. 'I promise.'

Tigerheart's eyed softened. 'Good. Breezepelt's son, Boulderpaw, is going to helo you. Together, the two of you will avenge the Dark Forest. My grandfather was killed by that Firestar! The Place of No Stars will rise again, and you will be just the begining.'

Snakepaw's ears were flat, and his fur fluffed up. 'I don't want to be part of the Dark Forest,' he whispered, scared of his own voice. 'Dewtail told me that the cats were-'

'Silence!' Tigerheart swiped his tail across his son's lips. 'You have promised already, there's no turning back.' He unsheathed his claws.

'But I am dreaming,' Snakepaw croaked. 'You can't hurt me.'

Tigerheart's amber eyes were glazed with red. 'Maybe I can.'

'''So, did you like that? Tense, huh? Just a note-Boulderpaw is Breezepelt and Heathertail's son, and he has a sister, Larkpaw. Also, Dewtail is Dewkit from Night Whispers, daughter of Kinkfur.'''

Chapter One
Firekit watched the mouse, his nose twitching with the scent. Its thin pink tail stretched out temptingly before him. He unsheathed his claws and narrowed his yellow eyes. Sunlight filtered through the trees, making Firekit's ginger pelt stand out like a flame in the forest. He had been named after Firestar, and he admired him. He wanted to achieve the greatness that the former leader had. Firekit flexed his claws, watching his prey come nearer and nearer. He was so close to it now that he could see every one of its whiskers. Silently, he drew his paw back, ready to swipe. He pounced.

'Firekit!'

It was his sister, Mintkit. He opened one eye groggily. 'What?'

'You're disturbing Dovewing!' Mintkit gave him an irritated look.

Firekit flicked his eyes over to the queen. Her two kits, Wolfkit and Larkkit were nestled in her belly. They were only a few days old. Dovewing glared at him. He glared back and rolled into his nest, desperatly trying to get back to his dream. But he couldn't,so he decided to get up and eat. His brother, Bushkit, was eating a sparrow in the shelter of a holly bush, and their mother, mother, Cinderpelt, was chatting with Poppyfrost by the fresh kill pile.

Firekit chose a vole and watched Clan life go by. The elders were sunning themselves outside their den, looking content and relaxed. Purdy had died several moons ago, but he didn't remember the former loner very well. The apprentices sat in a huddle by the tree stump, Dewpaw, Amberpaw, Snowpaw, Seedpaw and Lilypaw all enthusiastic about the day ahead. Squirrelflight, the Clan deputy, was assigning patrols for the day, all the warriors clustered round her.

'Hey, Firekit!' Moletooth called from the thorn tunnel, bouncing back from the dawn patrol.

Firekit leapt up to greet his friend. Moletooth had only been a warrior for a moon or so now, but he was still a great playmate to him. Cherrytail, his sister, was also there to greet her brother; the two were very close. Firekit was running and running across the camp when suddenly two great big balls of fur smacked into him, one pale brown, one tabby grey.

Pain shot through him as he landed awkwardly on his side, his flank unmovable. 'Bushkit, Mintkit!' he moaned, letting the pain ride over him. 'That hurt!'

Instantly, Mintkit was crouching down beside him. 'Sorry,' she apologised sheepishly. 'It was just for fun.'

'But it isn't fun for me, getting injured!' Firekit snapped back.

Bushkit ignored his outburst. 'Want to play mossball?' he asked.

'Can't you see that our brother's hurt?' Mintkit cried. 'I'll take you to Jayfeather. You'll need some dandelion if it's really painful. And stop thinking about the injury.' she added. 'It takes your mind off it.'

Firekit was suprised by his littermate's knowledge of herbs. 'How do you know that?' he asked curiously.

'I like spending my free time with Jayfeather and learning about medicine,' she shrugged. 'Maybe I'll become a medicine cat.'

Firekit leaned on Mintkit and hurried to Jayfeather's den. He tried to stop thinking about the pain, as Minkit had suggested, but all he could focus on was her last words. ''Maybe I'll become a medicine cat. ''He had always thought that the three of them would become warriors, and fight all the battles together. Suddenly, fury shot through him. How dare Minkit want to be a medicie cat! Everyone was born to be a fighter, especially him and his littermates. Their father was Lionblaze, one of three, who's power was to go fighting without getting injured.

He voiced his thoughts to Mintkit. Her eyes turned from caring and compassionate to anger. 'You can never say that, Firekit, ever!' she fumed. 'I want to be a great healer, and learn everything! I feel the same way about medicine like you do about battling!.'

Then she dropped Firekit to the floor and left him slumping on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sibling running back to the nursery. He let his eyes focus on something else. The sky. Today, it was particularly beautiful, with the fluffly clouds floating about and the sun a watery yellow, beaming down at the camp. However, it wasn't quite as warm as usual, Firekit noticed. Leaf bare is on its way, he thought.

Then, a face loomed over him, green eyes staring down at him. 'Bushkit!' Firekit moaned.

'I'll let you lean on me,' his brother offered. 'I'm strong.' He puffed out his chest. 'Stronger than Lionblaze.'

'Thanks.' Firekit hauled himself off the ground and slumped against Bushkit. Together, they trekked the last few tail-lengths to Jayfeather's den. The grey tabby was there to greet them, his blind blue eyes staring at them. Firekit shivered. For some reason, the medicine cat always gazed at him and his littermates, and it made Firekit feel uncomfortable. Even though he couldn't see, it was almost like he was watching your every step.

'I fell over,' Firekit began.

'It was me and Minkit's fault,' Bushkit cut in. 'We were playing and it got out of hand.'

'Come in, Firekit,' Jayfeather mewed. 'We can talk.'

His opal pupils stared at Flamekit so intensly that Firekit staggered back, making his leg strain even worse than it was already.

Bushkit looked alarmed. 'Will you be alright?'

'I'm fine.' Firekit gasped, and he staggered into the medicine den, still aware of Jayfeather watching his every pawstep.

Chapter Two
Firekit let himself fall roughly into the spare nest in the sen. Jayfeather followed after him, his tail swishing through the brambles. It hurts!' he moaned as the agony in his flank throbbed away.

'Of course it hurts!' the medicine cat retorted, with a slight sharpeness in his tone. 'How did the injury occur?'

'Well, I was running across the clearing to greet Moletooth when suddenly, Mintkit and Bushkit rammed into me,' Firekit explained. He twitched his  tail in annoyance. He winced. That made the pain grow again.

Jayfeather sniffed round the sprain, and mewed, 'You'll need some dandelion for that.'

'Mintkit told me so,' he sighed. 'She says she wants to be a medicine cat. But surely everyone is meant to be a warrior? We need fighters, not healers!'

While he was rumaging through his stores, Jayfeather spoke. 'Who's going to heal those wounds after you've been in battle?'

Firekit shuffled his paws, feeling guilty now. Lionblaze had told him that his brother had always wanted to be a warrior, except his blindness meant he had to become a medicine cat. 'Sorry.' he apologised quietly. 'I din't mean to offend you.'

Jayfeather ignored his question. There was a pause, and then he plucked out the yellow leaves that must me dandelion, and asked, 'Firekit, have you or your siblings had any...odd dreams recently?'

He was trying to keep his tone light, but Firekit could tell that there was something more behind his words. 'No,' he replied. 'Except this morning I had a dream where I nearly caught a mouse.'

'Nearly?' Jayfeather looked straight at Firekit. 'What happened?'

'I must've been talking and moving in my sleep, so Mintkit woke me up just as I was about to catch the mouse. I was disturbing Dovewing, aparrently.'

'Chew these.' Jayfeather slid the dandelion across the floor to Firekit. Obediently, he licked it up.

'Yuck!' He swiped his tongue round his muzzle twice before the bitter taste began to fade. He was tempted to spit it out, but he swallowed the plant, knowing that they were for his own good.

'I want you to tell me if the sprain feels worse, okay? It was only small, it wil heal quickly.'Jayfeather instructed.

Firekit nodded and heaved himself out of the den. He was feeling better already. Mintkit ran up to him. 'Sorry,' she said breathlessly. 'I didn't mean to snap at you like that.'

'It's fine.' And Firekit added, 'I should apologise too. I now understand that there are other, more important, positions in the Clan.'

Bushkit scampered up. 'Come on! Let's go listen to the elders' stories. They're in a good mood today, for once. Race you there!'

Firekit took off, feeling a slight twinge where his injury was. Jayfeather's herbs were working miracles already. He saw the camp blurring past him, the rocky walls whizzing past. He pounded ahead of his littermates, and skidded in front of the elders den a few whiskers before them. He crashed inside, seeing Graystripe napping, but the others awake. 'Shhh!' Millie hissed, jerking her ear towards her sleeping mate.

'Oops,' Bushkit mewed. 'Please can you tell us a story? What was the old forest like? Can you tell us about Scourge? And Firestar?'

Firekit looked up at Sandstorm, Dustpelt and Millie with pleading eyes. 'Alright,' Dustpelt chuckled. 'I am going to tell you about Tigerstar's crimes.

'I admired Tigerstar, when I was an apprentice. His warrior name was Tigerclaw, and he was a very big, bulky warrior, about the size of a small fox.'

Firekit gasped. 'That's massive!' he exclaimed.

'Yes,' Sandstorm agreed. 'Before Firestar joined the Clan, he murdered Redtail, the RiverClan deputy at the time. The only witness was Ravenpaw, his apprentice. Then Firestar came to ThunderClan and found out that Tigerclaw was scaring Ravenpaw and had threatened to kill him!

'So, Firestar sent Ravenpaw off to live with Barley, a loner who lived in WindClan territory.'

'He was happy there,' Dustpelt mewed. 'But then Lionheart died, and Tigerclaw had to become deputy then. So he plotted to murder Bluestar, so he could become leader.'

Mintkit let out a muffled squeak. 'But then Firestar told Bluestar about her deputy, and he was exiled,' Dustpelt continued. 'I am glad I didn't stay with him.'

'Tigerstar launched an attack on ThunderClan, with a bunch of other Rouges, but it failed.' Sandstorm said. 'And then he became leader of ShadowClan, but was killed by Scourge. He was sent to the Place of No Stars, where all the bad cats go.

'And just a few moons before you were born, the Dark Forest cats came down and attacked the Clans. Many died in the process. But he was killed for good, never to be seen again.'

'However, there are some Clan cats who trained with Tigerstar who want the Dark Forest back,' Millie added darkly. 'I doubt it will happen, though.'

The kits stared up at the elders, wide eyed. 'Wow,' Bushkit breathed. 'He was evil.'

'Run along now, kits,' Millie said. 'Maybe next time we'll tell you another story.'

So Firekit left the elders, his mind filled with thoughts of a cat so bad, he was sent to the Place of No Stars