Scorch's Tale

~Scorch's Tale~
~Based off the father of Baren and Akira~
~By Barenthoughts AJ~
~ to all my nerds at Silencedclan ~
Prologue
Tanpaw's pov
The moon shined down onto the frosted ground, the wind blew a chilly breeze as cats padded in and through a small area. One cat made its way through the crowd bumping into several cats, "Sorry" he'd say over and over his tan pelt turning silver in the moonlight. It was a full moon if they had any ally clans they would be at a gathering tonight, but it was just them alone in this forest that fit their clan perfectly. He made his way to a den in a dirt like cave as an older cat was padding out her face had layers and layers of dissapointment. "You missed it" She meowed pushing him out of the way, Crookedspirit had always been that way he would never be able to impress her. He padded into the small den there lay three cats one swelled, one with three kits and one with two new kits. He just missed yet ANOTHER birth of kits, he made his way over to the cat with newborns, one was white like her mother and one was burnt brown like his father. "Moonshine, are these your kits?" he asked looking at them, her eyes were beaming with love Shadowfern's (the father) beaming with pride. "Yes they are, but there not just my kits there also Shadowferns" she explained her voice sounded like raindrops, it was an odd echo yet a beautiful sound. "Do you know their names yet?" He asked looking at the small kits. "Tanpaw, we decided for the white one were going to call her Brightkit because she brightens everyones lives" Moonshine meowed looking down at them. He purred he loved kits he touched her lightly and all was calm, like dewdrops dropping from a leaf. "This one we haven't decided on yet" Shadowfern meowed lightly nudging the burnt black kit his eyes still beaming with pride. He nudged the small kit unlike his sister flames warped in his mind, the flames surrounded Tanpaw as he felt his head pound and waves crashed thunder roared. 
The land is bright not dark like night,
The right path is blocked by ferns,
the wrong path is barren and guided by willows,
The right path will be scorched and reveal a field of lavender
He shook his head, was that a prophecy? "Are you alright?" Moonshines voice brought him back to reality. "Scorch" he blurted not knowing why the word Scorch came out of his mouth. "Scorch? Scorchkit? is that what we should name him?" Shadowfern asked, suddenly the nursery felt so small all Tanpaw did was nod. "Okay, Brightkit and Scorchkit" Moonshine nudged them both affectionetly, "I-I have to go" he meowed darting out of the cramped space. The cat traffic had gone down and he moved his way to the medic den. His mind whirled and spinned as the strange words kept reapeting in his head. He saw Crookedspirit but decided not to tell her she wouldn't believe him anyway, he climbed into his nest and curled but he knew that Sleep was a far away.
Chapter 1
Scorchkit's pov
Scorchkit opened his eyes as sunlight made its way into the nursery where him and his sister slept, he yawned getting up and curving his back into a stretch. His mother, Moonshine was still asleep so he didn't even bother trying to wake her. He slowly stepped out of the nursery to see that cats were already moving, patrolling and hunting. He looked up and saw their leader Bronzestar, sitting down on Tallrock. His father must've been out hunting because he wasn't in the clearing with the other cats. "Scorchkit what are you doing up so early, well early for you I mean your only three moons old" He turned his head to see the owner of the voice, it was Tanpaw. "I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to get up and get ready for the world today" Scorchkit meowed flicking his tail. The air was crisp and chilly Newleaf had only just started, "well then, I just came to check on you and your mother" Tanpaw explained. There was always something off about his blue eyes, they seemed like pools that never seemed to have a bottom the also had a hint of green. "Well she's asleep and you forgot out my sister" Scorchkit replied trying to to stare into his eyes. Tanpaw shrugged "Well then I wont check on them then" he turned and padded off. Crookedspirit always said he was a terrible medicine cat when it came to herbs, but a master when it came to Starclan. "Starclan guides us down the right path and maybe in the end they'll be no need for herbs" he remembered Tanpaw saying. He padded more away from the nursery, looking up he realized it was going to rain sometime today. "Scorchkit!" he turned to see Brightkit bounding up to him. "Hello Brightkit" he greeted her with a nuzzle, "You should've woke me" Brightkit pouted playfully. "But you're so peaceful when you sleep its hard to wake you up" Scorchkit nudged his sisters shoulder affectionetly. "Well, well what are my kits doing up so early especially when its about to rain" Their Father meowed to them. "Father!" Brightkit shouted jumping on him, Scorch did the same. "Kits are supposed to be asleep at this hour" Scorchkit immediately knew the cranky owner behind that voice, Crookedspirit padded up to them she was a she-cat but she was the opposite of beautiful. Three scratch marks went across her face, one of the lines going through her right eye making that eye all cloudy. Her face was narrow and the fur color was a gray-silver-tan it was hard to explain, because her main color was tan with gray silver tabby patches here and there. Her eyes were a piercing green that seemed to stare into your soul everytime you looked at them. She was not one of his favorite cats in the clan. "I couldn't sleep and I don't want to sleep" Scorchkit meowed defiantly. "Well it doesn't matter if you don't want to its that you have to" Crookedspirit lightly wacked him in the back of the head with her tail. "We have to? why do we have to?" Brightkit meowed looking right into Crookedspirit's eyes. "Because if you don't sleep you get tired, if you get tired you can't hunt, if you can't hunt you don't have food, if you don't have food you starve, if you starve you die" Crookedspirit meowed without stopping for a breath. "But the clan will feed us" Brightkit replied her voice sweet like rose petals falling onto the ground. "Yes, thats true well let me put it this way: if you don't sleep you get tired, when your tired your not strong, when your not strong you cannot become a warrior, and you'll be stuck with me" That got Scorchkit and Brightkit. "Okay, well I do feel a bit tired..." Scorchkit faked a yawn, "Me too" Brightkit did the same. "Father we're going back to bed" Scorchkit waved his tail to his Father in goodbye and crawled back into the nursery. He curled next to his mother and his sister curled next to him, his eyelids got heavy and he closed them slowly drifting to sleep with his mother's tongue gently cleaning him.
Chapter 2
Scorchkit's pov
3 moons later...
Scorchkit got up slowly but then remembered today was the day! He then basically jumped out of his mothers fur and squished his sister who moved out of the way just in time. "Mother! today is the day!" He yowled pushing his mother left and right until she opened her eyes. "What..? look at your pelt! you cannot become an apprentice if you look like that!" His mother started to lick him. "Mother, after him can you do me? I want to look my best" his sister meowed. Scorchkit shook his head "Mother I can do it myself" he complained pushing his mother off, he started to groom himself as his mother went over and cleaned Brightkit. "Okay, kits today is the day you become apprentices" he turned around seeing his father step into the nursery. "Father!" he shouted but before he jumped he remembered he'd just groomed himself and he would mess up his pelt, so he didn't. "So you both ready?" he asked his black thin tail swaying. "Yes father" Brightkit meowed padding next to them, she exited the nursery with Scorchkit behind. Excitement bundled up inside his stomach, he was so EXCITED he wanted to burst he felt like he was going to burst. He remembered he had to sit still if not he would look like a foolish kit instead of a soon to be apprentice. The sun was shining down in the clearing a meeting had just been called, all the cats were sitting below watching their leader, Bronzestar. Bronzestar's light brown pelt seemed to glow in the sunlight that beat down on the camp, he also noticed Tanpaw-now Tanpool-sitting down next to Crookedspirit. He climbed up the rock-stairs to where his brave leader was but they sat over to the side waiting for their name to be called. "Cats of my clan! we are all here together for an amazing ritual that has been passed down from generation to generation from our anscestors, two kits will be becoming apprentices today!" he yowled as the crowd cheered. "Scorchkit" he whispered beckoning his tail, Scorchkit padded up to their leader butterflies filled his stomach, the excited kind and the nervous kind. "Scorchkit you have reached the age of six moons, that means you are old enough to not just start serving your clan but also learning how to serve it" he explained, Scorchkit stared into his green eyes. "From this day on this kit will learn the ways of the warrior code and become an apprentice" Scorchkit looked away from his leader for a second and noticed at Tanpool was watching intently. "From this day onward until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Scorchpaw!" he announced and the crowd cheered a bit. "Your mentor will be Willowfrost" as soon as he said the name, a light tan(maybe white?) tom padded out of the crowd. His face had a dark brown mask on it and the same color on his ears, paws (and some of the leg) and tip of his tail. His eyes were a bright icy blue that sent chills up Scorchpaw's spine. "Go down and touch your nose to his" Bronzestar reminded him as he nudged him foward, Scorchpaw leaped down Tallrock and padded up to Willowfrost. The cat was even more scary up close, "I look foward to mentoring you, Scorchpaw" his voice was icy yet calm and friendly. Scorchpaw had no choice but to touch noses with this cat, so he did and the crowd cheered. He looked into his icy eyes and saw no excitement, nor happiness, or any good feeling in fact he could see nothing. He knew one thing, this terrifying cat couldn't be trusted and this cat was his mentor.
Chapter 3
Tanpool POV
Tanpool sat down as the morning sunlight shined down, the ceremony for the apprentices was over but something had to happen. Some amazing sign from Starclan like the rays beating down on Scorchpaw's pelt to make him glow and burn a way through the path. He noticed that Willowfrost was talking to Scorchpaw about what they were going to learn first, Tanpool could feel the unease come off of Scorchpaw's pelt in waves. He was surprised that Willowfrost didn't feel it, and if he did he didn't acknowledge it.
Scorchpaw POV
"We will learn how to hunt, fight and all kinds of fun things" Scorchpaw didn't like his voice, it seemed filled with malice and jealousy. why would he feel jealousy towards me? I didn't do anything. Scorchpaw tried to calm himself down because he didn't want Willowfrost to find out he felt uneasy. His ear flicked as Tanpool padded up to them, now that they were close he realized the two looked alike. Both the same pale tan fur base, with the dark tabby markings. Their eyes were different though, Tanpool's endless blue eyes and Willowfrost's icy shallow blue eyes. "Are you both related?" Scorchpaw asked almost putting his paw over his mouth. "Yes we're brothers" Willowfrost meowed trying to hide how much he hated saying that they were brothers, but Scorchpaw could tell he could see that Tanpool could aswell. "I came to congratulate both of you, Scorchpaw for becoming and apprentice and you Willowfrost for becoming a mentor" he explained quickly. "Thank you" Scorchpaw dipped his head but his mentor replied with a flick of a tail. "TANPOOL GET OVER HERE" he heard Crookedspirits voice. "Well you heard her I better go" Tanpool padded off. Scorchpaw didn't know what was going on between them, but he didn't like it. 
Brightpaw POV 
Brightpaw watched as Tanpool left her brother and Willowfrost alone. "Lets see if we can tour the territory with them" her mentor, Shallowpelt meowed her voice was like lavender blowing in a field. "Okay" she nodded following her, "Hello Brightpaw!" Scorchpaw meowed almost jumping on her. "We wanted to tour the territory with you" Shallowpelt explained. Willowfrost flicked his tail and nodded "what a great idea" his voice was icy and for some reason full of hatred, Brightpaw couldn't figure out why. Scorchpaw got up beside her and padded off next to his mentor, Brightpaw felt sick. Her brother was stuck with this mentor that terrified Brightpaw, she could tell he terrified Scorchpaw also. Something deep inside her knew this wasn't going to turn out well, I hope Willowfrost is better than I think he is she thought knowing that he wasn't. More like I hope Scorchpaw doesn't turn out like him.
Chapter 4
Scorchpaw POV
"Thats the first marker, the Ripped Tree" He heard his mentor explain pointing his tail at a tree, it looked like it had been ripped up from top to bottom by a huge cat. Scorchpaw wondered if he'd ever see a cat as big as that or if he even wanted to. "I can see why its called that" He heard his sister say. "Yes legend says that when Pantherclan roamed these woods they would use the trees to sharpen their claws, and when Pantherclan left Starclan replaced all the trees except this one" Shallowpelt explained whimsically. "Pantherclan's just a myth, why would they get rid of all the trees? that sounds mouse-brained if you ask me" Willowfrost's voice was annoyed and icy as usual, like a piece of ice being chipped off of a huge glacier. "Lets continue I want to see the whole territory before sunset!" Scorchpaw meowed wanting to lose the slight tension that his mentor brought everytime he spoke. All Willowfrost did was nod and pad on, "Thats Shallow Creek, its shallow but long only one cat walked all that way and survived, his name was Forestwalker his friend Rockwhisker went with him but got crushed by the rocks at the end" Willowfrost explained, that made Scorchkit want to stay away from the end of the creek. They continued through the twist and turns of the forest the sun crept through the trees keeping the air warm, it helped warm him especially when Willowfrost would look at him. "Thats Badger Burrow" his tail flicked to a big dip in the groud that was covered in roots and Scorchpaw could smell all the mice that hid down there. "Why is it called Badger Burrow? is it filled with badgers?"  Scorchpaw shook himself he remembered all the bad things he heard about badgers. Shallowpelt shook her head "No they named it after the cat that found it, Badger's Cry" That made Scorchpaw feel a bit better. "So... shall we move on..?" Willofrost didn't wait for an answer and padded on. There was a clearing filled with tall grass and in the middle of it sat some sort of den but it wasn't made out of leaves or ferns but some kind of red hard material and rocks outlayed the bottom of it, the top had what looked like the Ripped Tree but it was slanted and alot thinner. "Thats a twoleg den, we stay away from those" Willowfrost meowed moving on quite quickly. The air got crisp and the sun was almost set, Scorchpaw's paws were heavy with exhaustion he yawned ready for bed. They finally made it up the hill and they jumped down the small ditch where the enterance to their camp was held. They were back they were home. 
Tanpool POV
Tanpool noticed that Willowfrost's patrol was back but he didn't care to go see them Willowfrost didn't like Tanpool for some odd reason. He shrugged not wanting to deal with Willowfrost's fox-dung he turned around and went through the small cave a tunnel to the left where his nest was. He curled up and went to sleep. He woke up in his dream to fire and he heard what he hadn't heard in a long time...
The land is bright not dark like night,
The right path is blocked by ferns,
the wrong path is barren and guided by willows,
The right path will be scorched and reveal a field of lavender...
Chapter 5
Scorchpaw POV
Scorchpaw woke up with a yawn as dawn light seeped into the apprentices den, his sister wasn't there. Worry filled his belly as he exited the den he noticed Tanpool by the prey pile. "Tanpool!" He yowled bounding over to the tan cat, Tanpool turned his head and Scorchpaw almost tripped as he saw the cats deep endless blue eyes. "Yes..?" he asked somewhat confused. "Wheres Brightpaw? did something happen to her? she wasn't asleep next to me, have you seen her?" he asked full of worry but Tanpool just watched and listened as he went on. "Don't worry, she went out to learn fighting techniques" he meowed softly. Scorchpaw was confused he thought he was going to do all his training with Brightpaw and her do all her training with him. "O-Oh okay" He suddenly could feel his back freeze as he could feel his mentors icy gaze peel of his fur layer by layer. He turned to Willowfrost's the toms eyes were covered in hatred, "Scorchpaw c'mon we're going to learn how to hunt" he said through his teeth. Scorchpaw nodded goodbye to Tanpool not able to say anything else to him under his mentors icy gaze.
Tanpool POV
He watched Scorchpaw pad away from him and towards Willowfrost. I feel bad for Scorchpaw having to get stuck inbetween whatever's going on between me and WIllowfrost Tanpool thought as he sat in the middle of the clearing. Willowfrost had hated him since he became a medicine cat apprentice and not a warrior apprentice. He closed his eyes and got lost in the memories...
Tanpaw touched noses with his mentor, Pouncingpebble she smiled at him and her eyes filled with pride. He watched his brother touch noses with his mentor, Vulturetail. That day he became a warrior apprentice one that would learn to hunt, fight and protect his clan at all cost, even his own life. His brother smiled at him and his eyes were a bright icy blue but a soft ice that didn't hurt you when you accidently slipped on it. Once they started training Tanpaw was terrible at everything, from hunting to swimming. His brother on the other hand was great at everything, but no matter what his brother always made him feel special. One night when the moon was full Crookedspirit their old but beautiful medicine cat bursted out into the clearing while everyone was having their last meal before bed. "TANPAW!" She shouted and he turned his head. "I know why he's not good at warrior things, because he's destined to be a medicine cat." All the cats in the clearing gasped. "What do you mean?" Bronzestar asked stepping down from Tallrock. "Did you have a vision?" Tanpaw asked wonderingly. "Yes I did sort of,  A tan leopard does not fight but they control the earth itself"  she finished. "So.. your saying Tanpaw cannot become a warrior because of some dumb words?" Willowpaw asked. Everyone gasped and Crookedspirit let out a small growl. "Their not dumb their prophetic, this cat has a prophecy about him, he cannot become a warrior he will never be one a good one but he will become a great medicine cat" She explained to Bronzestar. "If it is Starclans wish let it be so" Bronzestar answered. That night Tanpaw became a medicine cat apprentice, and that night was the night Willowfrost started to despise him.
Tanpool came back into reality as he heard Crookedspirit yell. Whatever happened to supportive Crookedspirit? the one that said I would be a great medicine cat because of the amazing prophecy? oh yeah... I never turned out great and she's given up on me. He got up and padded to the Medicine cat den after hearing her yell again. Will it ever go back the way it was Willowfrost..?
Chapter 6
Scorchpaw POV
3 moons later...
Scorchpaw leaped on a mouse in Little Clearing, he killed it swiftly with one bite. Today was his first solo hunting mission as an apprentice. He turned as he heard something in the near by bushes, there he saw beautiful purple eyes staring at him. They vanished in an instant, Scorchpaw leaped forward toward them to see who owned these beautiful eyes. When he bashed through the bush nobody was there only a fresh smell of she-cat. He turned to go back but the image of those beautiful eyes flashed through his mind and stayed there. No I have to find who owns these eyes He thought. He put his head down and started to follow the scent not watching where he was going. He didn’t run into anything or fallen down anything until… he crashed down into a ditch. He blinked pain ringing in his head from where he hit in on the ground. He narrowed his eyes as the sun blazed down almost blinding him, it was a lot brighter without the canopy of trees that usually covered him. Where am I? this isn’t the forest… I’m out of clan territory… I’m lost! He thought fighting panic. I can’t panic that’s not the answer that’s never the answer He breathed in and out calming himself. He sat in the ditch for a moment then he finally climbed out. The sun was even more bright out of the ditch, after blinking several times he adjusted to the light. In front of him lay a field of beautiful purple plants, the same color of the strange eyes. He’d never seen these plants before, he felt one and it was soft and fuzzy filling him with joy for a strange reason. He started to frolic around in the field of beautiful purple plants. He stopped when a small clearing where none of these beautiful purple plants lay, a cream tabby she-cat sat there staring off into the distance. He couldn’t see her face, but he wanted to. “Hey!” he called to her. She turned her head, those same beautiful purple eyes stared right at him, it wasn’t just her eyes her whole frame was beautiful. She got up slowly and started to pad to him, all he could to was stare. “You’re the same cat from the forest clearing… WAIT that means you’ve must’ve followed me all the way here… How? And why?” she asked suspiciously putting her face right up to his. So close… he thought, as he stared into her dazzling purple eyes. “To be honest, I don’t know why…” he said suddenly, was that true? Did he follow her to protect his clan? Or because he loved this stranger? “So… you followed me all this way for some unknown reason…?” she asked stepping back a bit. “Yes.” Scorchpaw answered, “Well then! What’s your name?” She meowed cheerfully seeming like she shook off all her suspicion. “Scorchpaw” he blurted was I supposed to tell this stranger my name? NO then why did I? he thought confused with himself. “Scorchpaw… odd name… but it suits your burnt fur color. No offense” she chuckled. “None taken” Scorchpaw replied, the air blew softly in the field. “I’m Lavender, like the plants surrounding us” she meowed lightly swatting a lavender plant with her paw. Lavender… Scorchpaw looked at the lavender surrounding them he could see why she was called that as he looked at her eyes. The sun started to set, “Oh! I gotta go the sun’s setting, see ya!” she yowled as she bounded away through the field of lavender. He paused blinking as he turned around back into the forest, WAIT how am I supposed to get home…? He thought as he got up to the top of a hill. He looked down seeing Little Clearing and his buried prey beside it. Lucky me! He thought skipping down the hill. He started to unbury his prey when he got there, his mind was filled with images of Lavender now and till the day he died.
Chapter 7
(TBC WIP)
(eheheheheehehEHEHEHEHEHEEHEH)
Category:Cats