Wingless Dragons Book One: Into the Forest

Character List: Into the Forest
== warning: Unpredictable and I know, summaries it looks like ==
== Excerpt ==
"Netpets be warriors? No," Grayclaw shook his head. "They don't have warrior blood." "warrior blood," Bluestar sighed, "we lost much of that from our fighters recently." After she said that, it was silent, but Lionheart scowled, "Bluestar is only offering you training, young dragonet. Not everyone will be a warrior. It might be proved too hard for you. In StellarClan, you can have a good life there too." Dusty smiled at Lionheart's words. "Can I have a chance?" Bluestar had replied instead. "we'll offer you a chance. It's just that, Leafclan needs more warriors." "You must understand that Bluestar doesn't make offers that often," Lionheart had warned. "If you wish to be with us, we'll take you to our territory. You can either live with us and follow the Warrior Code, or return to your Smalloneplace and never ever come back ever again. You can't go with us at day and smalloneplace at night, or smalloneplace at day and with us at night."
== Prologue (dragon of the chapter: Bluestar) ==
A few dragons crawled onto the surface. The others were coming out of the bushes. "The Brightrocks are ours." The dragons attacked.
Tigertalon stepped on Oakheart, gripping his neck. "No, these are ours," he told the male. "No, we will win over it tonight," Oakheart responded. Another warrior announced, "More BrackenClan warriors are coming." Tigertalon still gripped his talons on Oakheart and told him again, "Leave. You and your warriors don't belong in this forest." Later, Mousescale was attacked by BrackenClan tom and was about to get a Dragonbite Viper. Tigertalon heard her cry of agony and leaped off of Oakheart. He ran into the forest and knocked down the tom and then demanded to her, "Run." Mousescale scrambled onto her feet and ran away.
Tigertalon sunk his teeth into the tom's leg and he screamed "OKAY OKAY! JUST LET ME GO!" when Tigertalon let him go, he scrambled away quickly. He spent a minute arguing with Redtail, "Should we have LeafClan retreat?" "I want to keep--" Tigertalon wanted. "I don't want to lose any other life," Redtail cut off. "Let's retreat!" Redtail commanded and then LeafClan disappeared into the trees.
~~At a clearing...~~
Bluestar sat, watching the stars. The LeafClan's medicine dragon, Spottedleaf, came out of the trees and told Bluestar, "Mousescale and the rest of the clan will heal from the wounds of battling." Bluestar mumbled back, " Our clan was just defeated and LeafClan didn't lose a battle since I became the leader. And a few dragonets have been born. Newleaf came late, and she just died." Spottedleaf pointed out, "There will be more dragonets that will have a long life. Also, Bluestar, are you asking for answers for that? At least I know that StellarClan didn't speak to you in moons." She looked at the night sky and saw a shooting star. "I also know the prophecy:
Fire alone can save our Clan,
It will not save a man,
At all, not even a can,
I don't know if it's bursting flames or not
Ya know, it's just a thought"
Bluestar commented, "But fire will burn our territory." She also questioned, "How can it save us?" Spottedleaf shook her head. "I don't know." Bluestar replied, "You, Spottedleaf, you haven't been wrong before." But she also said, "It has to be true though, fire can save my clan."
== Chapter One (dragon of the chapter: Bluestar) ==
Dusty smelled prey, growling for it. He finally saw a bird and leaped for it, but missed. He tried again, but again, missed it. It accidentally walked into his talons, but a loud noise made him jump and let the bird escape. The sound continued as he whirled around. He had awoken from his dream, realizing the sound of screaming prey. "Come back," he moaned as he lied in his bed; he wanted it a third time. Dusty got up and ate some of the dead prey and then walked his way to the garden, kicking the dirt. He looked over the fences, ignoring his owners calling, "Come back inside, Dusty!". Instead, he looked into the forest, wondering what the heck is even there? 
Curly, one of Dusty's netpet friends called out to Dusty, "Hi Dusty! Don't go out into the woods!" Dusty said, "I'm only going for a look.", but Curly told him, "It's dangerous out there," and then continued, "another of our netpet friends, Gold, is rumored that he could've gone into the woods. Gold told me that wild dragons live in the woods, and they eat meat." Dusty ignored his friend's advice and leaped over the fence, heading into the forest. He saw a bird and tried to hunt it down, but was instead distracted by a strange animal's tail in front of him. Another animal approached him, and Dusty decided that he would rather fight than run away. The creature then stopped, and Dusty realized that it was a dragon. He introduced himself, "I'm Grayclaw!"
Grayclaw and Dusty had a little conversation, and then Grayclaw told Dusty, "I'm from LeafClan. Are you an intruder?" Of course, he used words that were unfamiliar to Dusty, e.g 'intruder' and 'Clan'. "why would you want to live in the forest?" Dusty was confused, and suggested, "Are you a netpet? wait a minute! You are!" He then realized Dusty didn't ever eat a bird, and he thought, Dusty wouldn't understand why a warrior is so important to me. So now what? "Run!" Grayclaw then told Dusty. "Some other dragons from my Clan are coming!" It was too late anyway. Grayclaw says, "This is Bluestar, the leader of LeafClan, and Lionheart, your future possible mentor." Bluestar revealed, "we had seen you fight, and we are impressed by your hunting and fighting abilities." Lionheart reminded her, "Dusty is a netpet and we should send him home." Dusty said, "I had only come here to hunt for a bird or two, and I'm sure that there's enough for all dragons in the forest." Bluestar went into 'rage mode', telling him, "There's never enough.", and Dusty thought, There may be enough for one group, though.
== Chapter Two (dragon of the chapter: Lionheart) ==
Bluestar angrily hissed at Dusty, an inch away from him. Dusty flattened his ears, feeling Lionheart's scary stare as he scowled, "I'm no threat to your Clan." Bluestar shouted at him displaying her forked tongue and no-teeth-at-the-upper-jaw even though he is truly no threat to the Clan, it escapes every time he tries to take it. She told him, "we think you hunt for only yourself and our Clan hunts to survive and help each other too." Dusty felt too sad for having taken their prey without asking and apologized, "I'm sorry." Bluestar accepted his apology, but then told him, "You are an unusual netpet." Grayclaw sighed in relief, and Dusty noticed happiness in Bluestar's voice as she spoke with Lionheart, doing a mysterious action.
Dusty asked in a quiet voice, "Is survival in the forest really so hard?" and then Bluestar explained, "The LeafClan territory only covers a part of the forest, and we have to battle with other Clans." Dusty asked, "Is the Clan very big?" and Bluestar said, "Big enough, but there isn't much prey left over." He asked, "Are they all warriors?", which lead to Lionheart explaining in a four-sentence summary of how Clans work. Dusty felt a bit nervous about what to do when getting a hard life soon, which he had a sour face. Bluestar then asked Dusty, "would you like to find out what it's like to be a warrior?" (insert what Grayclaw said in the excerpt)
(insert the rest) Dusty shivered, not with the cold, the excitement flowing through his mind. Bluestar asked, "Are you sure you want to give up your warmth and food? You're still a tom in the Clan, though. At least you don't need proof because...male colors." Dusty was confused, and thought, I'm like Gold. He was male but was neutral to his parents. Darn it. 
Bluestar then told him, "Although the Clan may not be able to build a house or steal some food from your use-to place, you will still remain a tom and be trained in the ways a wild animal does." Dusty's neck tucked into his body (although he isn't a turtle or a tortoise) with excitement, thinking, Yay for me, does that mean my dream is going to be a reality? Lionheart told Bluestar, "we cannot waste time anymore because we must be ready to join the other patrol at moonhigh and Tigertalon could be waiting for us." Dusty asked, "Can I think about the offer?" and then Bluestar told him, "Lionheart will be ready to meet you at sunhigh to receive your answer." 
The forest dragons then left, and Dusty stared, excited and scared. He looked through the ferns and canopy of trees to the stars glittering in the sky as many different scents hung in the air. As Dusty headed for home, he felt a strange scent, dragging him back into the forest. He ruffled himself, and the shadows of the rustling leaves looked like they were whispering his name. 
== Chapter Three (dragon of the chapter: Bluestar, she's been popular these days...) ==
Dusty dreamt of hunting a bird again before waking up. He took a drink from his water bowl and thought whether or not he could leave his netpet life behind. He went out into the garden, where he met Curly again. Curly asked, "what happened when you went to the forest?", and Dusty told her, "I met some wild dragons there." Curly was shocked and even more when Dusty told her, "I have been asked to join a Clan." And then he told her, "I'm going to accept." Curly tried to warn Dusty about joining the Clan, but it led to no use. The two spent their last morning together remembering their pasts.
Dusty then went to meet Lionheart. Lionheart asked Dusty, "Are you alone?" Dusty realized that Grayclaw and Bluestar weren't with him. Lionheart then introduces a wild dragon, "This is Whitestorm." Dusty was scared that it might be a trap, but he realized that the two dragons were honest. Lionheart led the way back to camp; they cross a stream, something Dusty hasn't done before. As they get close, Whitestorm told Dusty, "Scent the air." Dusty smelled a lot of dragons, to which Lionheart told him, "Soon you will be able to name all the scents." As they enter the camp, Dusty noticed lots of dragons 'sharing powers'. Lionheart also pointed out, "There's a nursery too, where the queens and dragonets live." He also told Dusty, "The most important thing about living in a Clan is the loyalty of it."
Bluestar then approached them, wildly surprised that Dusty came. She then went to announce his arrival to the Clan. Bluestar told her Clan, "He has come to be an apprentice," and the Clan shouted out, "wHERE'S HE FROM?" One dragon shrieked out, "DUSTY IS A NETPET AND HE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOwED TO BE A CLAN DRAGON!" Lionheart identified the Mudwing as Longtail. Longtail challenged Dusty, shouting, "HIS BELL wOULD ATTRACT ATTENTION!" Dusty unexpectedly attacked Longtail, and the two fought. Longtail tried to choke Dusty with his collar, but the collar snapped, ending the fight. Bluestar jumped down from the Tallrock, announcing, "Dusty has lost his collar and will become an apprentice." She tells him, "You fought well," and then announces to the Clan, "he will now be called Fireclaw because of his fiery appearance."
Grayclaw came up to greet Fireclaw, telling him, "You fought well," and accidentally said that Longtail had good looks. Fireclaw replied, "I put up a good fight too," and the Clan calls "Fireclaw!" Grayclaw said, "Longtail probably headed to Spottedleaf's den." when Fireclaw asked, "Is she the medicin--" He was cut off when Darkstripe approached, who mockingly said, "You're lucky, NETPET FIRECLAW!" Grayclaw said "Darkstripe isn't young or pretty.", but before Fireclaw could agree, Smallear let out a warning shriek and Ravenclaw entered the camp, wobbling. Grayclaw explained, "Ravenclaw is Tigertalon's apprentice and they went on a mission to BrakenClan." Grayclaw scrambled up to Tallrock and announced, "Redtail is dead."
== Chapter Four (dragon of the chapter: Fireclaw) ==
Ravenclaw stood on the Tallrock, wobbling and bleeding a wound on his shoulder. He said, "We had met BrackenClan by the Brightrocks." Grayclaw gasped when Ravenclaw commented, "Oakheart had been there," and said, "I wish I had been there." "Silence!" silenced Smallear, and Ravenclaw went on to explain how Redtail had challenged Oakheart for Brightrocks and how they had started fighting.
Before he could finish, he collapsed off the Tallrock and Spottedleaf tried to help him. Tigertalon returned with Redtail's body, placing it in the center of the clearing. He told the Clan, "Oakheart had killed the LeafClan deputy, and I managed to kill Oakheart while the BrackenClan deputy was cheering for both sides."
As the Clan thanked Redtail for all his hard work, Fireclaw asked Grayclaw, "What's going on?" Grayclaw explained, "His spirit was going to StellarClan, and that each star in the sky, Silvercolor, is a warrior ancestor." Bluestar was the last to approach the dead tom. She crouched beside him and commented, "You were such a brave warrior and would have made a fine leader, you used-to-be nice dragon."
Other dragons went to sit dragil (a made up word by me) beside the fallen deputy, and Grayclaw commented, "Dustclaw, Redtail's apprentice, would be sad." Fireclaw asked, "How long would the Clan stay beside Redtail?" Grayclaw explained, "Redtail had been deputy for a long time and we would probably sit dragil for the whole night."
Tigertalon got up and approached Spottedleaf and Ravenclaw. Grayclaw explained to Fireclaw, "The cobwebs she is using stop bleeding," and suggested, "we should go over to him." Tigerclaw asked Spottedleaf, "Will the young dragon be fine?" She said, "It would be a pity for his training to go to waste. He will live." Tigertalon tried to get Ravenclaw to get up, but Spottedleaf shooed him away, saying, "You won't even argue with a medicine dragon."
Tigerclaw caught sight of Fireclaw, asking, "Who is he?" Grayclaw explained, "He's a new apprentice." Fireclaw scowled, "I was a house dragon" when Tigertalon commented about his smell, and the warrior said, "Bluestar mentioned you and I will watch your progress." Fireclaw hoped that Tigertalon liked him. Ravenclaw opened his eyes, asking "Did Tigertalon leave?" "I'm Fireclaw, a new apprentice," Fireclaw tried to introduce himself, but Spottedleaf shooed him away also.
Grayclaw offered, "Would you like me to show you around the camp? I think that's a yes." He pointed out the Tallrock, "The Tallrock is Bluestar's den," and brings him to the elder's den. The elders warmly greeted the apprentices, "Hello," offering them some bird. They eat and the elders discuss, "Who will the next LeafClan deputy be?" Halftail said, "The choice is obvious, maybe it's that dark brown MudWing." Fireclaw wondered if he meant Tigertalon.
Bluestar stood up from her dragil and called, "Let's have a Clan meeting." Fireclaw saw the hunger in Tigertalon's eyes. She chose Lionheart as deputy, however, and Tigertalon cheered as loud as the rest as the Clan. Grayclaw said, "She probably picked Lionheart for experience," when Fireclaw asked. Bluestar also assigned Darkstripe as Dustclaw's new mentor before the dragons resume their dragil for Redtail.
Fireclaw asked, "Do I need to sit with you?" Grayclaw told him "No" and showed him to the apprentice's den. Sandclaw was in the den and greeted him rudely, telling him, "You're stinking up the nest." Whitestorm came up and scolded her, and she responded, "I don't think I'm going to train with a netpet." Whitestorm told her, "You'll get used to it," and sent them back to their nests.
Sandclaw rushed into the den. and Fireclaw and Grayclaw followed. Sandclaw told him, "Don't sleep anywhere near me." Fireclaw made himself a nest and curled up to sleep, thinking, LeafClan is my home now.
== Chapter Five (dragon of the chapter: Tigertalon) ==
"Fireclaw!" Grayclaw woke Fireclaw up. "Since Ravenclaw is still injured, you will be training with Tigertalon and Lionheart," he explained. Grayclaw led the way to the training hollow. "Don't be too hard on the apprentices," Lionheart told Tigertalon when he insulted them for being late before telling Fireclaw that the two will share his training.
"We are going to show you the borders," Tigertalon told them and the dragons took off. Fireclaw struggled after them until they stop beside a Smallone (it's really ironic since the dragons are smaller than the humans in this series) path. They vote whether it is safe to cross before entering into Highpines and then towards the BrackenClan territory, while Tigertalon pointed out where Smalloneplace is. Fireclaw smelled BrackenClan scent for the first time at Brightrocks and they follow the border to Fourtrees. "The Clans meet here each full moon," Lionheart said, and Grayclaw explained about it.
Grayclaw then pointed out BrokenClan territory. "How many Clans are there?" Fireclaw asked. "That is why we must protect our prey," Lionheart said. "But it seems foolish and it would make more sense to work together," Fireclaw replied. The Clan dragons fell silent. "Your thinking is unpredictable," Tigertalon snapped. "Speaking from his heart will make him a stronger warrior," Lionheart told him. "But that will make him weak when he needs to attack," Tigerclaw growled.
"The clans do meet peacefully at the full moon," Lionheart continued to explain and praised Fireclaw, "There must be one soon, but it only lasts for that night." "If you weaken Clan loyalty the whole Clan suffers," Tigertalon said.
The dragons continued along the BrokenClan borders and reach the Leafpath. "The smells are familiar," Fireclaw noted, but he had never seen such a large Leafpath before. "It runs along the border for a while and BrokenClan tends to stay away because of it," Grayclaw explained. "We are heading back to camp," Lionheart announced.
Dustclaw and Sandclaw were already at the apprentices' den. They took a few jabs at Fireclaw's roots and how they got the food. "Don't worry about the borders," Grayclaw told them. "You guys are safe." "Why didn't you show your faces at the Gathering?" Sandclaw asked. Fireclaw was impressed. "We'll tell you all about it in the morning," Dustclaw said.
As he was eating with Grayclaw, Bluestar called the Clan to leave. "All apprentices get to go sometime," Grayclaw told him. The two shared powers and curled in their nests.
Grayclaw dragged Fireclaw out before he could ask Dustclaw and Sandclaw about the Gathering the following morning. This time Ravenclaw came. "My shoulder hurts," he said, miserable. Tigertalon and Lionheart approach. "You should suffer your pain silently and hold your tongue," Tigertalon growled.
They practice stalking, with Tigertalon saying that Fireclaw's crouch looks lame, but Lionheart saying that he's doing well. "Ravenclaw's crouch is even worse," Tigertalon growled, and Fireclaw defended him, saying, "His shoulder probably only hurts." "Injuries happen," Tigertalon said, "and it's an embarrassment to be practicing stalking with a netpet."
Grayclaw pretended to make fun of his own crouch. "Be serious," Lionheart growled and sent them hunting, Ravenclaw by the Magpietree, Grayclaw in a large prickly shrub, and Fireclaw in a stream bed. Fireclaw caught his second bird and returned to the hollow, feeling like a true apprentice of LeafClan.
== Chapter Six (dragon of the chapter: Fireclaw) ==
It's been two moons since his training began and Fireclaw is on his first solo hunting mission. He was about to catch a sheep, but something frightened it off. He smelled dragon and thought, It's an enemy warrior. However, when he attacked what he thought was an intruder, it turned out to be Grayclaw on his way to deliver a message with a LeafClan patrol for TallClan territory. Fireclaw sprung off and the two teased each other and played fight. "Would you like to help me on my assignment?" Grayclaw offered and they set out. They caught a fruit bat without wings. "Bluestar will probably send out a patrol to drive it off," Grayclaw said. "I had been following a fruit bat without wings when I had first met the Clan dragons," Fireclaw said. "They're as bad a wildcat and a wildcat is what bit off half of Halftail's tail, which is why he never tries to get honey anymore."
The two apprentices chased after a tapir and ended up by the Leafpath. Fireclaw walked out, ignoring Grayclaw's warnings, and laid a talon on it. He was distracted by a pair of eyes on the other side of the border but jumped back when a monster went by. "I saw a BrokenClan warrior," Fireclaw told Grayclaw. "You were lucky the monster went by," Grayclaw replied. Grayclaw left to meet his patrol and Fireclaw went back to hunting.
== Chapter Seven (dragon of the chapter: Yellowfang) ==
Fireclaw started heading back to the stream, and he smelled a strange dragon. He knew that it is a female, not from LeafClan, and not in very good shape. He dropped into a battle crouch, ready to creep up on the dragon, but she attacked him, knocking him around and pinning her down. "My name is Yellowfang," she called herself, "and apprentices are easy prey." Fireclaw went limp and Yellowfang started to shriek in agony before he jumped upward as she bit him again. He threw her clear and they facepalmed. "Leave LeafClan territory," Fireclaw told her, but she refused and Fireclaw attacked again. He defeated her, but felt bad for her and backed off, leaving himself open for attack. But Yellowfang's legs gave up as she thumped to the ground. "Go ahead and finish me off, netpet," she told him. "Is LeafClan so desperate that they allow netpets to join?" Yellowfang asked when Fireclaw finched. "I don't think so," Fireclaw protested. "Prove it then! Act like a warrior and finish me off. You'll be doing me a favor," Yellowfang told him.
"Wait," Fireclaw told her and went off hunting. He caught a giant albatross and brung it to her. Yellowfang ate it and started to wipe her snout on a tall grass, wiping off the blood. Fireclaw ate the leftover prey. "It's much better than netpet food," Yellowfang said. "Netpet food--" She was cut off and warriors approached. Fireclaw felt scared as the Clan is supposed to be fed first and he was feeding an enemy warrior and himself.
== Chapter Eight (dragon of the chapter: Bluestar) ==
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