The New Forest Book 1: The Broken Lake
Blurb
Only When the Code is Broken May They Mend the Broken Lake...
For generations, the clans have finally been at peace with the lake, the code finally mended correctly amongst the clans. But now, a new danger has surfaced through all the clans. The clans gain visions of life far before them at the glorious times of the old forest moons before its destruction. The clans soon realize that those visions mean something bad, but they realize too late when cats from each clan go missing, and the fate of the lake is out of StarClan's reach.
Allegiances
ThunderClan
Leader: Birchstar-White tom with black and brown flecks.
Apprentice: Stonepaw- Gray tom.
Deputy: Wildtail- White tom with a strangely twisted tail.
Apprentice: Rabbitpaw- White she-cat with a stumped tail.
Medicine Cat: Koifern (Formerly Koi)- White she-cat with black, brown, and ginger splotches.
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Lostpaw- Tortoiseshell tom with missing back leg.
Warriors: Stormclaw-Black tom with gray paws. Oldest warrior in ThunderClan.
Cherryfur-Red she-cat with black freckles.
Grizzlyclaw-Brown tom with curled ears and a stumped tail.
Flamepelt-Ginger tabby tom.
Apprentice: Willowpaw-Brown tabby she-cat.
Darkfur-Pure black tom.
Apprentice: Sleetpaw-White tom with gray paws.
Flowertuft- Light ginger she-cat with a white neck tuft.
Sunrise-Golden tabby she-cat.
Leaftail-Gray she-cat with a leaf-shaped tail.
Apprentice: Burrpaw-Brown tom with spiky fur.
Frosteye-White tom with a blind eye.
Grasstail-Dirty brown tom with a very long tail.
Blurrysnow-White she-cat with gray paws.
Apprentice: Pigeonpaw-Light gray tom with a dark gray underbelly.
Dirtpelt-Brown tom with black and white speckles.
Killdeerflight-Brown, white, and black tom.
Queens: Bearheart-Brown tabby she-cat. Expecting Darkfur's kits.
Snowfluff-White she-cat. Mother of Flamepelt's kits, Snowkit (White tom with ginger flecks.), and Firekit (Ginger tabby tom with a white chest.).
Elders: Browntuft-Brown tom.
Nightcurl-Black she-cat with curly fur.
Applefoot- Golden tom with a missing eye. Blind and deaf. Oldest cat in ThunderClan.
ShadowClan
Leader: Ratstar-Longhaired bi-colored tom.
Deputy: Mapleheart-Medium-ginger she-cat.
Apprentice: Toadpaw-Dirty brown tom.
Medicine Cat: Doveflower-Gray she-cat.
Warriors: Dustheat-Brown tom, formerly kittypet.
Sheeptuft-Curly-furred white tom.
Stormwing-Gray she-cat, formerly kittypet.
Deeppool-Brown tabby tom with deep brown eyes.
Runningfern-Black tom.
Spikeclaw-White tom with a black patch around his eye.
Birdflutter-Golden tabby she-cat.
Wolfscar-Fluffy gray and white tom with multiple scars.
Apprentice: Stormypaw-Gray tabby she-cat.
Quailwing-Brown and white she-cat.
Frogleap-Dirty-brown tom.
Apprentice: Breezepaw-Blue-gray she-cat.
Pinewing-Brown tom.
Palefern-White she-cat.
Ravenflight-Black she-cat.
Rainpool-Blue-gray she-cat.
Queens: Flurrycloud-White she-cat with a gray head. Mother of Pinewing's kits: Treekit (Brown tom with gray spots.), Cedarkit (Gray she-cat with brown paws.), and Snowykit (White she-cat)
Flyingfern-Blue-gray she-cat. Mother of Frogleap's kit: Fernkit (Blue-gray tom with a dirty brown tail.)
Elders: Burnpelt-Brown tom with multiple burns.
WindClan
Leader: Fernstar-Golden she-cat.
Deputy: Rushingstorm-Ginger tabby tom.
Medicine Cat: Spikeglow-Ginger tabby tom.
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Fawnpaw-
Warriors: Flowersong-Tortoiseshell she-cat. Duckwing-Light brown tabby she-cat.
Prologue
The grass swayed back and forth with the wind, and a brown tabby tom slinked through the trees. His amber eyes glistened in the sunlight, his eyes locked on a mouse. Once he got close enough, he leaped. He grasped the mouse's neck, and the mouse quickly died. The tom was about to turn back to his den until he heard an alarmed voice.
"Bramblestar! There you are!" A dark ginger tabby tom called out. The brown tabby lifted his head, burying the mouse before going to the dark ginger tabby.
"Alderheart? What do you need?" The brown tabby asked, sitting down with his tail curled around his paws.
"To tell- and show, you something. Follow me, Bramblestar." Alderheart flicked his tail, beckoning Bramblestar to follow.
Bramblestar twitched his ear, going through StarClan's forest to where Alderheart wanted him to go.
---
"Here we are." Alderheart mewed.
"Okay." Bramblestar looked into the crowd of cats and smelt numerous scents, of ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and SkyClan. Why were all the clans here?
"The most known leaders and medicine cats want to meet here, for some kind of trouble they've been hearing about," Alderheart explained. Bramblestar blinked, wondering if the old former medicine cat had read his own mind. He shook his head after a few heartbeats to find out Alderheart disappeared to talk with the other medicine cats.
Bramblestar looked on into the group, and went in, searching for his mate, Squirrelstar. She became leader after Bramblestar joined StarClan, but they never forgot each other, nor will they. He continued searching, before noticing the dark ginger tabby she-cat with the singular white paw and pine green eyes of his mate.
"Squirrelstar!" Bramblestar called for the she-cat's attention. Squirrelstar turned her head, her green eyes shining as she went up to Bramblestar.
"There you are! Everyone was waiting for you." Squirrelstar mewed, nuzzling her mate affectionately.
"They were? Why? What's so important?" Bramblestar asked, looking at the leaders and medicine cats in the group.
"Firestar wants us here for-" Squirrelflight lifted her head. "Firestar's here. I guess you'll find out for yourself, huh?"
I guess... Bramblestar lifted his head to the ginger tabby on the rock, who was raising his tail for silence.
"I have come to you all for news. A prophecy. Only when the code is broken may they mend the broken lake. What do you think it means?" He questioned the cats below, scanning the crowd of confused cats.
"Maybe the lake is going to be destroyed like the old forest?" Squirrelstar spoke up through the crowd. The other cats stared at her, eyes dull.
"Think about it. Mend the broken lake. The lake will be broken when it's destroyed, right? Mending the broken lake means bringing the clans together again! But something horrible has to happen for the lake to be broken both physically and mentally."
"Maybe Squirrelstar is right." A brown tabby tom spoke, his amber eyes glancing at Squirrelstar. "Why wouldn't some Twolegs decide to destroy the forest? Maybe the lake is going to become to dangerous for cats and Twolegs alike, so they'll have to destroy it? Anything could happen!"
Firestar looked at the tabby then at Squirrelstar. "You really think she's right, Tigerstar?"
"Yes." Tigerstar mewed, nodding. Firestar stared longer, as Bramblestar looked at the crowd.
"Then it is done. We must find five cats to join together, restore the broken lake. Who shall it be?" Firestar asked, before his gaze locked on to Bramblestar. "Who shall ThunderClan choose?"
"I choose Killdeerflight. A brave, young warrior named after a once-in-a-lifetime-sighting bird. Who else could it be?" Bramblestar spoke up, waiting until all the other leaders and medicine cats nodded in approval.
"Killdeerflight shall be representing ThunderClan! Now, Mistystar, the longest leader to have ever lived. Who shall RiverClan choose?" Firestar's gaze shifted from Bramblestar to Mistystar.
Mistystar cleared her throat. "Ahem, I choose Wrenpaw. She may be an apprentice, but one of the strongest apprentices out there, both mentally and physically. She'll make a good fit." The leaders and medicine cats looked shocked at Mistystar choosing an apprentice, but they reluctantly nodded.
"Wrenpaw shall be representing RiverClan! Now, to Daisyflower. Deputy of WindClan who had died just too soon. Who will you choose?" Firestar continued.
"I choose Smallfur. A good warrior with a little fur. She'll be a great cat for the journey ahead." Daisyflower mewed.
"Smallfur shall be representing WindClan! Now, Tigerstar, the leader who restored ShadowClan after nearly falling apart. Who shall represent ShadowClan?" Firestar looked down at Tigerstar.
The brown tabby lifted his head. "I choose Dustheart. A former kittypet who has proved himself worthy. He might take his sister, Stormwing, but they're both fine warriors."
"Dustheart, and maybe Stormwing too, shall represent ShadowClan! Now, Hawkstar. The leader who proved that SkyClan found its place among the clans. Who'll you choose?"
"I nominate Blueclaw. A great warrior, he'll be fine on the journey." Hawkstar twitched his tail as he spoke.
"Blueclaw shall be representing SkyClan! Is that all?"
The surrounding cats nodded their heads.
"Very well," Firestar announced. "The cats that will be representing the cats on the journey are Killdeerflight, ThunderClan, Wrenpaw for RiverClan, Smallfur for WindClan, Dusty for ShadowClan, and Blueclaw for SkyClan! This meeting is dismissed, please go and tell the cats that it is time for them to meet and journey to a new land." Firestar disappeared into the bushes.
So I have to tell a cat to completely defy clan orders and boundaries to find a new home? Bramblestar grunted. I suppose so, but the living Clans won't like it when that secret is kept from them...
Chapter 1
A cold breeze swept the air as Killdeerflight trekked through the wet grass, stars touching the outlines of the trees, the grass, the birds, everything was outlined in starry lights. He lifted his muzzle to navigate the air but smelt no danger, only prey, clean air, cool water, and dewy grass and leaves. He traveled up a small rock, looking back and forth at the vast edges of his dream. Quiet and calm, that's how he liked it. He breathed in the calm breeze, before breathing out. He perked his ears, hearing a rustle in the bushes. He jerked his head to the noise and noticed a brown tabby tom with bright amber eyes, a cat he had never met.
"Who are you, w-what are you doing here? What am I doing here?" Killdeerflight asked, backing up his rock as the tabby approached him, his amber eyes glinted with fear.
"I am Bramblestar. A past leader of ThunderClan. Now, I must tell you something. Something important." The brown tabby spoke, his deep, fear-ridden voice ringing through the clearing.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Not yet, it isn't. But soon. Trouble is coming, and you must go to the island on the new moon, for the safety of all the Clans." Bramblestar twitched his tail, his voice now sounding much calmer and confident. --
"W-what do you mean by this? Why me? What do I have to do?" Killdeerflight asked, panic filling up his own lungs.
"I must go. Meet at the island on the new moon, listen to the stars. Now go..." Bramblestar's loud voice then went down to a whisper as he faded away with the wind.
"W-wait! Come back! I have to-" He cut himself off as he saw the territory of StarClan fade, and then darkness.
"Killdeerflight, wake up!" He felt a jab in the shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Darkfur's pine green eyes piercing into his own gaze.
"Huh?" Killdeerflight murmured, heaving himself to his paws. He shook the moss pellets of his pelt, looking straight as Darkfur.
"You were kicking and talking in your sleep. Kittypets in the giant Twoleg place came to complain!" Darkfur hissed, ducking out of the warriors' den.
And kittypets from across Sundrown Place are coming to complain about your attitude. He thought in his head, heaving himself to his paws. He shook the moss from his pelt and understood Darkfur's snappy tone. He peeped outside the warrior's den, seeing Darkfur and Bearheart. He watched as Darkfur put his tail on Bearheart's plump belly. Koifern said that Bearheart was due any day, and Darkfur has been protective of her even before the pair were expecting kits. He saw the sun peep through the branches of the trees above the hollow. He didn't feel like doing anything, today. He came outside to the sun of the hollow and flopped down outside. I hope I don't have that dream again. He thought, before closing his eyes.
---
"Mouse-brain!"
"Huh-Ah!" Killdeerflight jolted awake, whipping around, before noticing the large figure of the leader, Birchstar. "B-Birchstar! What do you need?"
"For you to wake up!" Birchstar hissed, lashing his tail. "You slept all night yesterday, what gives you the right to sleep now?"
"S-Sorry..." Killdeerflight mumbled, again heaving himself to his paws. "What do I need to do?"
"Go on a patrol or something. The border patrol is going, you can go with them." Birchstar mewed, pointing his tail to three other cats.
"Alright." Killdeerflight sighed, padding over to the group. "Hey, Darkfur, Sleetpaw, Grasstail. Birchstar wanted me to go on patrol with you."
"Of course, Killdeerflight." Darkfur mewed.
"But Darkfur, don't we already have enough cats? It's crowded as it is!" Sleetpaw moaned.
"We only have three cats, and you barely amount to one cat." Darkfur meowed, putting a tail over his apprentice's muzzle as he tried to open his mouth to protest.
"So, it's settled then. Let's go." Grasstail mewed, flicking his tail to the outside of camp, stepping out. Killdeerflight followed behind the three other cats, tail hanging low.
Killdeerflight trekked through ThunderClan's territory with the group, looking up at the sky. Sunhigh. He thought, squinting at the bright light. He then looked back down at the trees, taking in the breathtaking scenery that surrounded him. He let the breeze course through his pelt, and flow off like a waterfall.