Chapter Text
Twolegplace was built in a valley, on one side stood a forest twolegs couldn’t pass. The other, the tallest mountains this side of the sea. there, a tom named Pinestar noticed my followers, strays and rouges that relied on me to feed them. he told me of the star cats, and the clans. he begged me to make my own, and have my followers join.
I disliked the idea of clans. too structured, restricted in territory with a set of rules. but my followers listed benefits and asked that if they made their own clan, if I may lead. I loved them, like my own kits, so i agreed. my clan was called Deadclan, and our territory was twolegplace.
my mate was a tom named Sauron. he was a kittypet-turned-stray when his housefolk moved. he joined the clan, becoming Dustleap. he was unqualified and unrespected by my followers, so he demanded he be made deputy, then he begged me for kits until I caved, meaning he had complete control of Deadclan while I was nursing. He was rude to an old friend of mine, Fleetfooted Sky, whose colony had raised several of my cats, when he was deperate for aide for his dying daughter. Deadclan suffered under his rulership. We lost many good cats in the three months I spent nursing. Faithkit and Lifekit, my daughter and son, attended more funerals before they became apprentices than I had been to in my entire life. But I defended him, not daring to believe the tom I kitted for was as terrible as my clanmates said. I retook leadership as soon as my kits weaned, but I kept him as my deputy. I hoped I could fix him.
I killed him when he grew so angered he killed one of our young apprentices. I snapped when our kits were only nine moons old. Frogpaw was Dustleap’s apprentice, and had already done the dawn patrol and a hunting patrol, and had just returned from training. Dustleap told him he was on the midday patrol, and Frogpaw protested. Dustleap lost his temper quickly, and launched at him. Frogpaw was too exhausted to defend himself, and Dustleap snapped his neck, right in the center of camp. My rage flooded my senses and my claws found his belly in moments. I don’t remember when he died, but I remember my clanmates dragging me away, and later, clearing his blood from the clearing. It became our freshkill pile spot.
well, Cherrywillow was my deputy for a while before dying in a pointless border battle when Deadclan moved from twolegplace to the forest with the other clans, keeping close to the thunderpath territory-wise. Many cats died during those days, but Deadclan persisted. We loved eachother, and every death, every cooling body buried in our soil made us grow fiercer to defend it. By Cherrywillow's death, my daughter Faithfawn was old enough to be my deputy. when I died, she saw me at her leader ceremony and told me that she wished to rename deadclan, believing the name to be accursed. and by my death, I had fallen in new love - love of my clan. Faithstar renamed my beloved clan to Nightclan. still today it is known as the most clan-proud clan, we love each other more than even the warrior code or the stars.
Dustleap was possessive and wanted everyone to obey him. but he was a new member of my clan, and they were loyal to me, not him, and he hated it. So, he guilt-tripped me to make him my deputy, pressured me into having kits, forcing me to step away from my duties as leader and letting him take control. he was violent, though, and killed frogpaw for refusing to go on every patrol. He was a terrible deputy, but my clanmates forgave me. Cherrywillow’s death was from my choice, and my clan forgave me. I was so upset he killed one of my followers, that I killed him. and my clanmates forgave me for it. That is what real love is. The forgiveness given to the most horrible of crimes.