Forest of Betrayal

A prophecy promising betrayal and danger with in the Clans is foretold. A Clan medicine cat is missing, putting all the Clans in danger. Darkkit, a young kit who has no idea of the dangers of the forest is about to become an apprentice, and is about to learn that nothing is as it seems. When this young cat meets the prophecy, something is going to happen, something that couold save the forest, or something that could destroy it.

Allegiances
BirchClan:

Leader: Poolstar- Silver tabby she-cat

Deputy: Ravenfeather- Black tom, former medicine cat

Medicine cat: Mudheart- Brown tom

Apprentice: Violetpaw

Warriors

Jaw- Brown tabby tom, former rogue

Fireclaw- Ginger tabby tom

Fernheart- Ginger tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Rainpaw

Blackheart- Black tom

Hazelfern- Brown tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Pricklepaw

Redfrost- Reddish-brown she-cat

Branchtail- Dark brown tom

Grayheart- Dark gray she-cat

Queens

Petalheart- White she-cat with gray ears, mother to Fireclaw's kits: Hollowkit (brown she kit) and Darkkit (black tom kit)

Apprentices

Violetpaw- Black she-cat with violet eyes

Rainpaw- Dark gray she-cat

Pricklepaw- Small dark gray tabby tom

Elders:

Ratwhisker- Dark gray tom

Birdflight- Light gray tabby tom

Whitedove- White she-cat

WaterClan:

Leader: Brookstar- Dark brown she-cat

Deputy: Leafstorm- Golden tom

Medicine cat: Hollyberry- White she-cat with pink nose

Warriors

Voleheart- Pale brown she-cat

Shrewclaw- Pale brown tom

Snaketooth- Dark gray tom

Apprentice: Inkpaw- Black tom

Hawkclaw- Brown tabby tom with white paw-tips

Apprentice: Beetlepaw- Black tom

Antwhisker- Black she-cat with long whiskers

Queens

Softmallow- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Elders

Sandstripe- Pale she-cat with a dark brown stripe down her back

DarkClan

Leader: Gingerstar- Ginger tabby she-cat

Deputy: Thistlefang- Dark brown tom with long teeth

Medicine Cat: Fuzzyleaf- Long-furred gray tom

Warriors

Spiderclaw- Tall black tom with long claws

Spikytail- Dark gray tom with a spiky tail

Frozenclaw- White she-cat

Web- Dark gray tom, former loner

Apprentice: Rowanpaw- Brown tabby tom

Daisyfern- White she-cat

Lilyfern- Gray-and-white she-cat

Apprentice: Poppypaw- Reddish-brown she-cat

Queens

Roseheart- Reddish-brown she-cat with Web's kits

Elders

Frogleg- Long-legged brown tom

ReedClan

Leader: Troutstar- Dark gray tabby tom

Deputy: Sandyfur- Pale ginger she-cat

Medicine Cat: Larkfeather- Black tom

Apprentice Goosepaw- Pale gray she-cat

Warriors

Limpfoot- Dark gray tom with twisted hind paw

Apprentice- Saltpaw- Light gray tabby tom

Runningriver- Light gray tabby she-cat

Swollenlake- Pale gray tom

Dropletwhisker- Silver tabby she-cat

Queens

Pinkfur- White she-cat with a pinkish-gray tinge, mother to Limpfoot's kits

Elders:

Smallsplash- Small pale gray tom

Duckfeather- Golden tom

GrassClan

Leader: Swiftstar- Black tom

Apprentice: Swooppaw- Brown tom

Deputy: Stoneclaw- Dark gray tom

Medicine Cat: Lightbreeze- Light gray she-cat

Apprentice: Blacknose- Black tom with black nose

Warriors

Tornfur- Brown tom with patches of missing fur

Kinkpelt- Brown tabby tom with a clumped pelt

Apprentice: Hardpaw- Pure dark gray tom

Windtail- Silver tom

Sweeptail- Dark gray she-cat with a long-furred tail

Apprentice: Twitchpaw- Brown tom

Tallgrass- Brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Flickpaw- Dark gray tom

Queens

Sweetdaisy- White she-cat with ginger patches of fur and a gray ear, mother to Windtail's kits

Elders

Hawthornwhisiker- Brown tabby tom

Prologue
Four cats padded side by side over a rock-covered terrain. Very few plants grew in the rocks, though some vegetation grew in the crevices. Suddenly, a long-furred gray tom pushed himself to the lead, before turning to stand in front of the other cats.

"I've had enough of this silence," he hissed, " First Hollyberry goes missing and now this? Will somebody tell me why you didn't bring your apprentices already?"

A black tom stepped forwards to stand in front of the tom, blinking at him sympathetically.

"We already told you, Fuzzyleaf" he began, "Goosepaw is-"

"Yeah, yeah," Fuzzyleaf growled, lashing his tail. "Goosepaw is supposedly 'fixing Tornfur's paw' and Blacknose is 'sick', while Violetpaw ' hurt her paw'"

Before the black tom could speak, Fuzzyleaf went on.

"But I'm not an idiot!" He spat, flexing his claws.

"I know that Tornfur isn't even at camp, because I saw him hunting a hare when I came to meet you, Larkfeather." He hissed. "And he wasn't even limping the slightest bit!"

He turned to glare at a brown she-cat. "And I know Violetpaw isn't injured, Mudheart," he hissed. "I saw her gathering herbs on my way here, when she was supposed to be lying in her nest injured!"

Mudheart bristled. "I told her to rest her paw!" He protested angrily. "I guess she didn't listen."

Fuzzyleaf snorted. "I'm not dumb, I could tell she wasn't injured."

Mudheart opened his jaws to speak, but Fuzzyleaf turned to the last cat, a light gray she-cat.

"And I just talked to Blacknose earlier today, Lightbreeze," he hissed "he is quite well today, actually."

He turned his fierce glare on the rest of the cats again.

"So can anyone tell me where your apprentices really are?" Fuzzyleaf asked, his tail lashing.

Lightbreeze just sighed, and flicked her tail.

"We didn't take our apprentices to the moontree today because StarClan told us not to during our last meeting." Lightbreeze confessed.

Larkfeather let out a warning hiss, but Lightbreeze just interrupted him.

"Calm down, Larkfeather, if we don't tell him, he'll just waste us precious moonlight."

Larkfeather just dipped his head with a sigh, while Fuzzyleaf jerked his head back, surprised.

"D-did you share a dream?" He asked, glancing at Lightbreeze. Lightbreeze nodded.

"We did share a dream, and we would've told you, but we wanted to discuss it with ourselves before we told anyone else."

Before Fuzzyleaf could reply, Larkfeather stepped forward, his tail twitching impatiently.

"Let's go, we're wasting moonlight!," he hissed. At Larkfeather's hiss, the rest of the medicine cats followed him through the rocky terrain, until they came to a stop in front of one lone tree. The tree was a huge dead oak, with gnarled branches and roots. It was smooth, as though the bark had been shredded off of it many years ago.

The cats curled up at the bottom of the tree, touching their noses to its massive gnarled roots. When they opened their eyes, they were all standing side by side, in a mossy clearing that glittered with moss.

"Great StarClan," Fuzzyleaf meowed, gazing around. "We're all sharing dreams!"

Suddenly, cats began to appear in the clearing, their pelts glittering with stars. Soon, the clearing was filled with cats of all ages, who were standing brushing together, surrounding the medicine cats. Suddenly, a blue-gray she-cat padded out from the crowd of starry cats to touch noses with Lightbreeze. Lightbreeze closed her eyes and murmured softly.

"Bluestream, what does StarClan have to say."

The blue-gray she-cat stepped back and dipped her head.

"There will be a betrayal in the forest, and a cat of darkness will save us all."

The medicine cats looked at each other, their eyes glimmering with confusion. Finally, Mudheart stepped forward.

"When will this happen?" He asked, gazing at Bluestream with wide eyes.

Bluestream looked at him solemly.

"It is happening right now." She responded.

Chapter One
Darkkit darted across the snow-covered clearing, pouncing on snowflakes that were drifting lazily onto the ground. Crouched in the bushes nearby, his mother, Petalheart watched him, her whiskers twitching with amusement. Suddenly, Hollowkit dashed across the clearing from in front of the nursery, were she had been pawing the snow.

"This is amazing," Hollowkit exclaimed, halting in front of Darkkit.

"Yeah, I wish it would snow more often," Darkkit mewed, pawing at the snowflakes again. This was the first time Hollowkit and Darkkit had ever seen snow, and the two kits had spent all morning playing in the white stuff.

"I bet when you're older you won't whish that it would snow more often", a creaky voice meowed. Darkkit and Hollowkit whirled around to see Ratwhisker padding to them, his tail lashing in the snow, stirring up flakes. Darkkit sniffed curiously.

"Why not?" He asked. Ratwhisker snorted.

"You'll find out eventually young'un," he meowed, before padding off to the elders den, which was a den built in an elder bush.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Hollowkit asked Darkkit, looking confused. Darkkit shrugged and snorted.

"Ratwhisker's probably trying to ruin our fun, like he always does." Darkkit replied.

Darkkit and Hollowkit's ears twitched at the sound of pawsteps and they turned to see Petalheart padding up to them.

"Now now young kits," she began sternly, "that's not true."

Darkkit turned to look at his mother, his small black tail lashing.

"But he is though," he complained.

"Yeah," Hollowkit meowed, padding up to Petalheart.

"When me and Darkkit were playing mossball yesterday, he scolded us for being to loud!" Hollowkit meowed.

"Yeah," Darkkit stepped in. "And he made us go play in the nursery!"

Petalheart's tail tip twitched.

"And who's fault is that?" She asked the kits.

"Ratwhisker's!" They both mewled at once.

Petalheart shook her head.

"Now, YOU two were the ones who were yowling near the elder's den after I told you specifically to be quiet."

Petalheart scolded them.

"Sorry," Hollowkit mewed, looking a little guilty, while Darkkit snorted and lashed his tail.

"I bet Ratwhisker wouldn't dare do that if we were warriors!" Darkkit hissed.

Petalheart looked at Darkkit, her eyes glimmering with amusement.

"I'm sure he wouldn't," she purred, blinking at Darkkit.

"But for now, why don't you two eat? Then you can go play in the snow some more." Petalheart meowed.

"Okay," Hollowkit mewed, before bounding over to the fresh-kill pile without hesitation. Darkkit just stood still, looking at his mother.

"Why can't we become warriors NOW?" Darkkit whined, lashing his tail. Petalcoud twitched her ears with a purr.

"You have to become apprentices first," she mewed. Darkkit's tail twitched.

"Then why can't we become apprentices?" He asked.

Petalcoud purred softly, "Because you have to be six moons old."

Darkkit's tail lashed.

"Well I'm four moons old, can I become an apprentice early?" He asked in a whiny mew.

Petalheart shook her head.

"Not yet, but you should enjoy being a kit while you can." She purred.

"Petalheart!"

Darkkit and Petalheart turned to see the deputy, Ravenfeather bounding towards them.

"Yes, Ravenfeather?" Petalheart asked, ears alert.

"Fireclaw told me that you wanted to take a break from watching the kits to go hunting." Ravenfeather meowed, glancing at Darkkit. Petalheart nodded.

"Do you want me to go now?" She asked Ravenfeather. The black tom nodded.

"Fireclaw's leading a patrol, you can go with him." He meowed, before turning to pad away.

As Pealheart stepped forward to follow him, Darkkit pounced on her tail to stop her.

"Wait," he mewed, "Can I come?"

Petalheart shook her head.

"Once you've started your training, then you can hunt," she meowed. "For now, go eat with Hollowkit, it looks like she's having a hard time finding something at the fresh-kill pile." Petalheart mewed, nodding to the fresh-kill pile. Hollowkit was sniffing the fresh-kill pile curiously, her tail twitching as she looked for something to eat.

"Okay, I will!" Darkkit mewed, blinking at Petalheart. The gray-and-white she-cat leaned down to lick his nose.

"I'll be back soon," she promised, before padding off to where Fireclaw and another cat were waiting. As Darkkit turned to walk to the fresh-kill pile, he muttered angrily under his breath.

"I don't see why I can't be a warrior NOW."

Chapter Two
Darkkit padded over to Hollowkit, who was still sniffing the fresh-kill. As Darkit padded over to her, he realized that the snow beneath his paws felt strange compared to the grass that he was used to. As Hollowkit heard him nearing, she twisted to look at him.

"Hi, Darkkit," she mewed, "have you come to help pick something to share?"

Darkkit nodded and padded to crouch beside his sister.

"What's all here?" He asked her, sniffing a small mouse that was lying on the edge of the pile.

Hollowkit wrinkled her nose.

"All the prey is all wet from the snow! And all that's left are a couple of mice and a vole!" Hollowkit complained, her tail lashing, sending snowflakes flying all over the place. Darkkit continued to sniff the mouse, and suddenly, he had an idea.

"I know a game we could play!" He exclaimed, startling his sister.

"You do?" Hollowkit asked, eyes wide. Darkkit nodded.

"Let's pretend we're warriors, and our Clan is starving," he began to explain, looking at his sister, who nodded. Darkkit pawed at the mouse again.

"And that this is the last mouse in the forest, and we have to hunt it." He mewed. Darkkit looked back at Hollowkit, who flexed her claws, her small green eyes glowing. Suddenly, Hollowkit looked nervous. Darkkit's tail twitched.

"Why do you look so nervous?" He asked his sister, pawing the mouse closer to him. Hollowkit flicked her tail and looked at Darkkit again.

"Didn't Fireclaw tell us never to play with our prey? Won't we get in trouble?" Hollowkit asked, her innocent eyes wide.

"You're too innocent," Darkkit snorted, flicking his tail.

"Am not!" Hollowkit protested, her brown fur bristling.

"Then prove it," Darkkit meowed to Hollowkit. "Let's play the game!"

Hollowkit looked at Darkkit, her eyes gleaming with mischief again.

"Okay! Where should we play it?" She asked, looking around the clearing.

Darkkit looked as well, trying to find a suitable spot where there were no cats. In front of the elder's den, Whitedove and Birdflight were sharing tongues. In between the elder's den and the apprentice's den, which was a dip in the ground with a dead bush looming over it, Rainpaw and Pricklepaw were practicing their battle moves. In the center of the clearing, Ravenfeather was talking to Poolstar, their heads bent close together as if they didn't want any other cat to hear. By the medicine den, Violetpw sat by herself, grooming her smooth black pelt. By the warrior's den, most of the warriors were sharing tongues, and by the nursery, Ratwhisker groomed himself.

Darkkit suddenly had an idea.

"Let's go behind the nursery!" He hissed to his littermate. Hollowkit blinked at him, surprised.

"There's room beside the nursery?" She asked.

Darkkit nodded, and gave his tail a swift flick. Hollowkit narrowed her eyes.

"How do you know that?" She asked him.

Darkkit thought about it for a moment.

"I think I came across it when I was alone, and you were in the medicine den with a stomach ache." Darkkit replied. Hollowkit frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" She mewed, looking upset. Darkkit rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but can we please play now?" He asked, impatiently. Hollowkit shook herself and leaped to her paws.

"Of course, let's play!" Hollowkit flicked her tail, and let Darkkit lead her to a spot behined the nursery. There was a small clearing surrounded by snow sprinkled bushes. Darkkit dropped the mouse in the center of the clearing and turned to look at Hollowkit.

"Now," he hissed to his sister, "do you remember the hunting moves that Rainpaw showed us the other day?"

Hollowkit nodded, and crouched low, her belly fur barely touching the snowy grass. Darkkit copied his sister, and signaled with a flick of his tail.

"You attack first," he whispered to Hollowpaw. His sister crept forward, before pouncing on the mouse and batting it over to Darkkit. Darkkit grasped it in his forepaws and nipped it's spine, his tail lashing. He tossed it to his sister, who pounced on it with a growl. The two kits played like this for a few moments before an angry hiss startled them both. The whirled to see Branchtail pushing his way between the nursery and the bushes beside the nursery.

"What are you doing here?" The brown tom growled, narrowing his eyes at the kits. Darkkit suddenly felt as nervous as Hollowkit always was.

''Great, now we're in trouble, just like Hollowkit said! ''Darkkit thought grumpily, but he pushed his fears away. Act like you usually do, he thought, Why would we get in trouble for practicing hunting?

Darkkit raised his muzzle defiantly to look at the tom, seeing Hollowkit out of the corner of his eye. Hollowkit was looking at her paws nervously, and Darkkit felt a twinge of annoyance.

''We did nothing wrong, Hollowkit! Stop looking so nervous!''

"We were just practicing hunting," Darkkit meowed to the older cat. Branchtail glared past Darkkit to look at the mouse lying on the ground. When he looked back at the kits, his gaze was bright with anger.

"You were playing with a mouse from the fresh-kill pile?" He hissed, lashing his tail. Darkkit bristled.

"So?" He growled defiantly.

Branchtail looked furious.

"You wasted a piece of prey that was meant to feed the Clan!" He snarled. "Which means that some cat's not going to eat!" Branchtail glared at Darkkit and Hollowkit for a moment longer.

"You broke the warrior code," he continued, "and now you must be punished."

Chapter Three
Hollowkit's eyes went wide with terror.

"We're sorry!" She wailed, her fur on end. "We didn't know!"

Branchtail only grunted and twitched his tail.

"Sorry catches no prey." He growled. "Now both of you, come with me."

As the tom turned to lead the kits into the clearing, Darkkit let out a furious wail.

"Why should we follow the warrior code? You warriors our always telling us we're too young to be warriors!" Darkkit lashed his tail and dig his claws into the ground.

Branchtail glared over his shoulder at Darkkit.

"Just come with me," he growled darkly.

Heads and tails low, the two kits slunk after the warrior. As he led them past the nursery, Ratwhisker, who was still grooming himself, looked up from his spot in front of the nursery.

"What did they do now?" He grumbled, rolling his eyes. Branchtail turned to look at Ratwhisker.

"I found these two kits destroying a precious piece of prey." He growled, before marching off again. Darkkit stood a moment longer to glare at Ratwhisker, registering the tom's angry face. As the two kits, continued to follow Branchtail through the clearing, Darkkit felt as though every cat was insane.

It's just a piece of fresh-kill, so why does every cat have to act like we just killed somebody?

After what felt like moons, the Branchtail halted in front of the leader's den, which was a gap between two trees covered by a small bush.

"Wait here," Branchtail hissed, before disappearing into the leader's den.

Hollowkit pressed up against Darkkit, terrified, while Darkkit muttered.

"It looks like we're not the only ones breaking rules,. He didn't even ask to go into the leader's den."

Hollowkit shifted uneasily beside Darkkit.

"But we still actually broke the warrior code," she mumbled, looking blank with fear. Darkkit rolled his eyes, annoyed that his sister was making such a big deal of getting in trouble.

If she acts so badly when we get in trouble now, how will she cope with being a warrior?

Suddenly, Ravenfeather burst from the leader's den and bounded into the clearing behind the nursery. Hollowkit stiffened beside Darkkit as the black tom reappeared with the mouse they were playing with in his jaws.

The black tom padded back to the leader's den stiffly, without so much as a glance at the kits. Suddenly, Darkkit felt a nudge from his sister.

"We're being watched," she whispered to Darkkit. Darkkit looked up to see that most of the Clan was watching them, or at least glancing curiously at them.

Ratwhisker was still glaring at them from in front of the nursery, but now Whitedove and Birdlight had both joined them. The other two elders looked more sympathetic, but Ratwhisker looked as though he whished he was young enough to run over and swipe the kits over their ears.

The apprentices had stopped practice training in front of their den, and were gazing at Darkkit and Hollowkit with wide eyes. Darkkit knew that they had no idea why he was in trouble, but by the looks on their faces, they knew something was up.

Many of the warriors looked up from where they were sharing tongues, and Darkkit wished he could rip their eyes out.

I bet that all of these cats have gotten trouble once in their life too!

Darkkit bristled angrily, but Hollowkit was shivering. Darkkit turned to look at his sister with a teasing purr.

"You're scared," he purred, batting at the snowy ground with his front paws. Hollowkit turned to look at Darkkit with wide, eyes.

"Of course I'm scared," she mewed, "We're in trouble with the Clan ''leader!" ''

Suddenly, Branchtail padded out of the leader's den with a growl.

"Come, kits. Poolstar wants to see you." He turned and padded back into the leader's den. Darkkit rose to his paws and padded into the den, with Hollowkit nervously following him. Darkkit himself felt nervous, but he would never admit or show it.

Act like a warrior, he told himself. Act like a warrior!

The leader's den was surprisingly spacious, with room for Ravenfeather, Poolstar, Branchtail and the kits. Poolstar was sitting up in her nest, her eyes narrowed. Ravenfeather sat beside her with the mauled mouse at his paws, while Branchtail stood beside the den entrance, dipping his head to his leader.

"So, I see you were playing with your food." Poolstar meowed to the kits, her ears twitching.

"We're sorry," Hollowkit mewled, "please don't hurt us!" She pressed against Darkkit, her eyes wide with terror.

Poolstar twitched the tip of her tail.

"It's against the warrior code to hurt kits," she meowed, "but it's also against the warrior code to play with your prey, especially with leaf-bare here. You two will be confined to the nursery for two days, and will be brought prey by your mother."

Ravenfeather nodded beside Poolstar.

"Sounds fair," he mewed.

Poolstar nodded to Branchtail.

"Take these two to the nursery, I'll tell Petalheart to watch them." She meowed. Branchtail nodded and lead the cats across the clearing to the nursery. Darkkit felt the stares of all the Clan on him, but he ignored it as he padded to the nursery.

"Stay here," Branchtail growled, "I have something I need to do."

Branchtail turned and padded off.

Darkkit sat down in the nursery den with an angry hiss.

"I wish we would be treated like warriors instead of prey!"

Hollowkit blinked at him. "We are being treated like warriors who broke the code."

Darkkit just grunted.

"Yeah, well, I wish we were more appreciated."

Hollowkit sighed.

"We will be when we're apprentices." She mewed.

"That's not good enough! I wanted to be treated like a warrior ''now!" ''Darkkit complained.

Suddenly, he looked up at his sister with glowing eyes. An idea was forming in his head. Hollowkit tilted his head at him.

"I know how to get appreciated!" He mewed.

"How?" Hollowkit asked, tilting her head at Hollowkit. Darkkit leaped to his paws.

"We'll sneak out of the camp, now, when wer're not being watched, and then we'll catch a real mouse for the Clan!"

Chapter four
Hollowkit stared at Darkkit, her jaws gaped.

"What," she gasped, "are you sure?"

Darkkit nodded and flexed his claws.

"The Clan will understand that we're just as important as any stupid old elder!"

Hollowkit nodded.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Darkkit lead his sister out of the nursery, signaling with his tail for her to be quiet. To his relief, no cat was watching the nursery. Darkkit slid out of the nursery, Hollowkit right behind him. Darkkit darted as fast as he could to the other side of the clearing, right in front of the Clan entrance. Hollowkit followed him closely, her eyes glittering with excitement. Darkkit inspected the camp entrance closely, looking for an easy way to sneak out without any cat noticing.

The den entrance was a narrow-dug in slope between two brambles.

More soon