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Cloudkit bounded up to the Elder’s Den, her litter mates right on her heels. “Ryepelt! Ryepelt!”
The beige tabby elder pocked her head out of the den, and spoke with an over exaggerated gruffness, “Kits! Always waking me up.” Her amber eyes glittered with amusement, and she beckoned them inside with a single sweep of her tail.
Dirtkit and Rockkit caught up with their sister, her fluffy white pelt stained the same brown as Dirtkit’s fur by the dust kicked up as they raced across the hollow. Rockkit’s pale grey pelt shone in the sunlight, with more kit fluff than either of her littermates.
She bounded into the den, paw slipping into Icewhisper’s ear.
The younger elder grumbled good-naturedly, sitting up in his mossy nest, flecks of moss speckling his almost blue-white pelt, as if the flecks were the warriors of StarClan. “Fed up annoying your Mother?” His mew was no louder than a rustling leaf.
“She’s on patrol,” Cloudkit exclaimed, flopping into the moss.
“Tell us about Tigerstar!” Dirtkit mewed, voice sharp with excitement, “Please!” His eyes were wide and sparkling, and his littermates joined in with their own pleading meows.
Icewhisper shifted until he sat beside his denmate, and the three kits settled in the moss in front of them, wriggling excitedly.
Ryepelt opened her jaws, voice cracked with age, “A long time ago, back when all the clans still lived in the old forest,”
“Woahh” Rockkit breathed, before Cloudkit slapped her tail over her sister’s mouth.
“ThunderClan had a noble leader, by the name of Bluestar. She had led her Clan through many moons of hardship, and many more of peace. But, what no one knew, was how her leadership, and the Clan she sacrificed everything for would almost be lost, all at the paws of the ambitious Tigerstar. Then, they called him Tigerclaw.”
Dirtkit leant so far forwards that he fell over, and shook moss from his fur, “What did Bluestar sacrifice?”
“That’s a tale for another day, little one,” Icewhisper responded, flicking his tail for silence.
Ryepelt dipped her head, and continued the story, “Tigerclaw had always held great ambitions, no cat could deny this. But he was believed to be a noble warrior, one who believed in his Clan above all. It was the arrival of a kittypet, a kittypet who would become leader, who unraveled his dastardly plot, and saved the Clans. That kittypet was Firestar.”
All three kits gasped, amber, blue and green eyes shimmering.
“Firestar was a kittypet?” Cloudkit yowled.
“You’ll wake the whole clan, and then Mossystar will never make us apprentices!” Rockkit chastised her littermate in an even louder meow.
“Hush, both of you,” Ryepelt’s mew was stern, but not unkind. “Bluestar found a kittypet, saw him like a brand of flame in the sun, and knew that he was destined for ThunderClan, destined for greatness. He was named Firepaw, and was even apprenticed to the leader. The day he joined the Clan, was the day of Tigerstar’s first betrayal. The treacherous warrior slew the deputy, a brave warrior named Redtail, all while claiming it to be the work of RiverClan. But, unknown to him, his apprentice, a fearful cat who turned out to have more spirit than anyone knew, saw what he did, and couldn’t stay quiet. But Tigerstar wasn’t done. He plotted with ShadowClan, with their leader who trained kits for battle, to invade ThunderClan, and got his wish. He became the deputy.”
“No!!” Dirtkit wailed, and his sisters wore twin expressions of dismay.
“But that wasn’t enough for Tigerstar. His first misdeed was an attempt to slay the leader, to trick her onto the Thunderpath. But, it was not Bluestar who arrived, but rather a young apprentice, named Cinderpaw. She would become the medicine cat, after the loss of the use of one of her hind legs at the paws of a monster.”
The kits all stared, eyes round with horror.
“So, Tigerstar had to try again. And he was caught, caught with his claws at the throat of his leader. Stopped by the future leader, Firestar. The traitor was exiled, but that would not be the last the Clans saw of Tigerstar.”
Icewhisper nudged Ryepelt, “I think you’ve terrified them,”
All three kits were staring at the elders, tails flicking with distress.
“Maybe you three should go back to the nursery?” Ryepelt suggested.
Rockkit shook her head ferociously, “Tell us more!”
“Please!!” Her littermates joined in chorus.
Ryepelt nodded her acquiescence, and continued the story.
“Injured, he fled to the rogues he used for his attack on his leader, ShadowClan exiles and those from the Twolegplace. They rebuilt their strength, and plotted ThunderClan’s downfall. A trap, with ferocious dogs. Bluestar sacrificed herself to save her Clan, leaping into the gorge with the foul beasts on her heels. But that wasn’t enough for Tigerstar. He wanted vengeance on Firestar, for becoming deputy after him, and foiling his every plan. He took over ShadowClan, becoming their leader. The first Tigerstar.”
The kits all shuddered, but Ryepelt continued her narrative, “ShadowClan had been weakened by their cruel leader Brokenstar, and then a sickness that swept them. A false sign, created by a rogue Tigerstar made warrior, let him take power easily.”
Icewhisper raised his voice, now, “And Tigerstar wasn’t happy with just ShadowClan. He took over RiverClan, forming the formidable TigerClan, with additions of Twolegplace rogues, who knew nothing of warriors or loyalty, but called themselves “BloodClan”. He drove the half-clan cats out of RiverClan, having their deputy killed. He was faced by an alliance of WindClan and ThunderClan, LionClan, led by Firestar.”
“ThunderClan is the best!” Cloudkit declared, pouncing on Dirtkit, and tussling with her brother.
Rockkit leapt in, and the three kits devolved into a bundle of fluff.
Icewhisper nosed them apart, “And we all know that. But I don’t think those battle moves will win you a fight, not like LionClan.”
“Teach us?” Rockkit begged, her littermates’ eyes wide with hope.
The elder hummed, “Maybe tomorrow. If you’re extra polite.”
They all nodded, and turned to stare at Ryepelt, desperate to hear how the story of Tigerstar ended.
“But, Tigerstar’s Twolegplace allies betrayed him, and their leader, Scourge, took all 9 of his lives in one cruel slash.
The kits shuddered, but stayed quiet.
“The cats of “TigerClan” dissolved, back to ShadowClan and RiverClan, and back to BloodClan. United as 4 clans, against a far greater threat than the cats could’ve foreseen. But even when LionClan triumphed, and the cats split back into 4, Tigerstar would not stay dead.”
“They didn’t let him into StarClan, did they?” Dirtkit sounded horrified, and Icewhisper shook his head.
“Tigerstar was condemned to the Place of No Stars, where he walked in the dreams of the living, building an army along with those long dead evil souls who resided in the Dark Forest. He was defeated by Firestar, once again, the leader sacrificing his life to save the clans from Tigerstar once and for all.”
Icewhisper chuckled, “And with that, I hear Lilyfeather coming back from patrol.” The kits’ pelts were bushed out, and their eyes shone with fear and excitement, as they bustled out of the den, chattering about ThunderClan’s historical victories amongst themselves.