Shadowed Rage

Made by ~Patchfeather~

## Prologue

Gray leaves glittered with frost. the sky gray with dark clouds, showing the high chance of snow. dead flowers lined a snow dusted path, they were frosty with the smallest hint of color, pinks, blues, and reds. behind, opened a forest, full of maples, oaks, and short pines.

Snow speckled the pines and the softest breeze made a little snow cloud fly, and disappear. the maple trees leaves were lost, showing the nests of small furry animals sleeping inside.

Beyond the forest was a river, the water was frozen into a rippling shape. tall reeds stood with snow pushing them closer to the snowy ground. faint paw prints covered the ground, but were covered up by a breeze that pushed the snow on top of them.

Farther away from that, was a moor, the rolling hills thick with snow. some boulders jutted out, but were quickly covered by the moorlands breeze.

Paws touched the snowy path, disturbing the fresh layer. a spiky brown tabby made his way through the path and padded through frosty brambles and bracken and made it to a ruff long line of stone in the ground. fresh tracks from round wheels were on it, making huge, snowy over hangs that dipped onto the stone.

He stopped and turned to a smooth thin layer of ice. he pawed it away to reveal a small tunnel. he pushed his way through the rest of the ice and snow and went down into it. it was surprisingly warm in the tunnel

. and only a bit of snow dusted the entrance for it.

He stood still in the warmth for a moment then moved on. his broad shoulders scrapped up on the roof and his head felt like fire when it touched the roof. the tunnel got narrower and he thought he would get stuck but kept going anyway.

A rumbling came over head, which then turned to roaring, roaring so loud the tom thought his ears were going to blow up.

he began running to find the exit. fear rose in his belly when he crashed into a wall. dizzy he got to his paws and padded on more slow.

The roaring above was still loud. at last light pooled into his face and he stumbled out into a marshy pine forest. the marsh was frosty and frozen.

relieved, the tom padded over it and into the forest. the pine scent hurt his nose, it was so strong that he couldn't smell anything else.

The snowy ground then crackled by paws. the tom darted under a small, lone dead bramble. three cats appeared sniffing, then they pushed on. the tabby went onward.

He made it to the edge of the marshland and went on a trail heading for the four trees.

the sharp grass over hanged the path, and he did his best to stay away from the frosty blades. he looked out on the moor, the wind was picking up, it howled and tossed snow around.

He looked to the sky, the first snow from the blizzard started falling.

rage clouded his mind when he remembered why he was here and he pushed on faster he broke into a run. he went past the gray four trees and to WindClan. the grass nipped his paws but he didn't care.

He found a shallow dip in the ground and went into the snow. it burned his paws and nose and his fur got wet and cold. he poked his head up from the snow. he made sure his pelt was well covered and the blizzard began to strike hard.

He looked at the ground, a trail of blood lay on the ground. he shifted his paws over to feel the soft kit fur beneath his large paw.

he wiped a bit of the snow away from it's pelt to reveal some of it's gray fur. he pulled away when a flicker of movement caught his eyes through the storm.

Snow wiped into his face. he hissed and brushed it off, he pricked his ears to listen to a cat calling. "Graykit!" a she-cat called the name. and he could see her more clearly. a white she-cat. he lowered and flattened his ears as she neared.

The she-cats gray eyes locked on the kit. "Stonekit!" she screeched and ran to him. before she made it to her kit. the tom leaped out of the snow and landed on the she-cat. she screamed as he ranked his claws down her side.

She struggled a hard blow into the toms belly. he fell off her and looked up at her through cold amber eyes. her eyes narrowed when she saw who it was. "Lichentail." she growled. "Yes?" the tom asked.

"Why? why did you hurt this kits?" she asked anger hard in her voice. "What? they was going to be weak, since their mother was. and I wanted revenge on what you did to me." he snarled.

"I've told you before, I love Rabbitrunner, not you! was it so wrong of me to pick loyalty over love? and I didn't love you before." she hissed.

Lichentail leaped and bit hard at her belly. she screeched and kicked his throat. fire blazed through his neck after this and he fell on the snowy ground, snow already dusting his pelt. everything was starting to turn black and his hearing was stopping.

"Your a maggot." she snarled and kicked snow over him, which made his wound sting. and grabbed her kit and left. he watched her full of rage, then he softened.

*Yes I am.*

## Chapter 1

Sunshine bathed into the forest, the forest thick with smells, flowers, prey, water, pollen, and cats. the yellow light pooled onto a pile of rocks, flowers grew from the cracks and birds sang loudly. a river sat next to the bed of rocks, the ripples making light dance on the water.

Farther away was a water fall, too far to hear the crashing of the water, but the mist flew into the air and disappeared.

reeds stood at the other opened side of the river, dragon flies fluttered around them, sometimes landing. behind the rocks opened the forest, squirrels hopped through the branches.

Bracken, ferns, and brambles covered the forest floor, yellow and green from the light, a few small trails cut through them. on the rocks were two cats, a spiky brown tabby, and a black tom.

The wind was calm this day and they sat basking in the warm rays of sunshine. the black tom rose and turned to the tabby.

"So Lichentail, we're going to the gathering tonight, so we better get back to camp." "Okay, Eelfeather, I'll catch up." Lichentail meowed.

He watched Eelfeather leave, then he himself jumped off the rocks and padded into the sunny forest. Today's a good day to hunt. he thought to himself.

he breathed in deeply, a scent of fresh mouse hit his nose, he padded through a swaying fern and saw the mouse.

He crouched ready to leap when the undergrowth rustled. A cat pounced on him. He snarled and batted the muzzle of his attacker, lightly.

She rolled off and fell of the ground, in her back. He jumped up, standing over her. "I give in." She purred. She was a brown tabby, her amber eyes glittered.

He purred and walked over for her to get up. "Good sneak attack, needs a little work." Lichentail meowed, licking a paw and drawing it over an ear.

"It was perfect." She mewed fluffing out her feathery tail. She then padded over to the Sunning Rocks. " Swallowtail, We have to go rest if we are going to the gathering tonight."

Lichentail protested, fallowing her. "It won't hurt to sit a little while." Swallowtail mewed.

She padded onto the rocks then froze sniffing. She opened her mouth to say something when a silver tabby leaped out of the water and bit deep into her neck.

She tried to scream, but she couldn't. "No!" Lichentail screeched flying at the cat. He kicked him into the water.

Lichentail ran over to Swallowtail, her sparkling amber eyes glazed, no warm breath came from her nose. Blood poured out of the bite. It was clear she was dead. "Swallowtail..."

## Chapter 2

A moon had past since the death of Lichentail's mate, Swallowtail. He was at the four trees at day, since this is where they were going to go that night.

RiverClan had taken over Sunning Rocks, and the ThunderClan leader, Dockstar, was planing on taking them back.

Lichentail watched the WindClan side, The yellow green grass was rippling in the wind and light. He rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. I miss you Swallowtail...

He jumped back on his paws at a scream. He ran out onto the moor, crossing the border, but not caring. He found the source of the scream.

A white she-cat was cornered by two boulders, with a huge dog yipping at her. He noticed it was starting to draw blood. He ran to the rescue and bit the dogs tail, it yelped and whipped it's massive head and dug its teeth into his forepaw.

He snarled with pain and bit its ears, then the she-cat sprang onto its back and ranked its fur up. The beast yelped in pain and now fear and shook the she-cat off and ran across the moor, not daring to look back.

The white she-cat turned to him, looking thankful. "Thank you so much! ahh...?" She mewed then looked thoughtful. "Lichentail," He ended it for her.

She nodded. "Lichentail, I'm Snownose." She mewed. "But I have to ask what is a ThunderClan warrior doing so far out on WindClan?" Snownose squeaked.

"I was just... I heard you yowl." Lichentail thought quick. Snownose didn't look like she believed him. "You heard me all the way at ThunderClan? you must have powers." She purred. "Hey!" A cat yowled.

"Get off!" A brown tabby appeared. "He helped me!" Sownose defended him. "That doesn't give him the right to be here." He growled. "Leave now." Snownose meowed softly to Lichentail. "Please met me at the four trees tonight." She whispered.

Lichentail nodded and padded away, he felt Snownose's gaze boring into his back. Back at the trees. He sat, it was already almost sunset.

*I'll wait.*

## Chapter 3

Lichentail paced around the four trees. He was waiting for Snownose, he was falling for her. It been four moons since he saved her from the dog on the moor, she also seemed to be falling for him.

Late Leaf-Fall was here and the leaves crouched under Lichentail's paws. He spun around when he heard other paws hit the ground, it was Snownose.

"I'm so sorry I was late!" Snownose mewed, "Rabbitrunner was telling me this dumb story and he wouldn't shut up." She meowed with a worried look.

"That's fine, would you like to climb one of the trees again?" Lichentail asked lifting an eyebrow. Her face softened, but she still looked worried. "No not tonight." She mewed slowly.

"Why not?" Lichentail asked, disapointed. "I'm going to have kits." She meowed, with a bit of regret. "Oh a- are they my kits?" He asked.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

"Great! aren't you excited?" Lichentail asked cocking his head to a side. "What, yes of course I am, I'm just worried." Snoenose replied shaking her pelt.

"I... I have to go, you know, patrols. bye." Snownose meowed turning around and disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Okay." Lichentail went along the path back to his clan then paused. What if there are foxes out? he had to make sure she was safe.

He ran out onto the moor, the moon shone brightly, so finding her wouldn't be hard. His paws pattered lightly and he spotted a white flash. He padded over to a clump of heather, and watched her, she seemed okay, was she laughing?

He padded closer to her to see her standing with that tom Rabbitrunner. He faintly heard her say. "I'm going to have your kits!"

What no! They were Lichentail's kits right? ...right? Then he noticed how close they looked, she looked far more happy then she did with him. could she just be lying so no one would know? no, she couldn't be she wasn't lying to Rabbitrunner, she was lying to Lichentail.

Anger lifted in his belly. She lied to me! why couldn't she have just stayed away from him? He thought spinning around back to ThunderClan.

His heart felt broken the way home, sadness crept through his pelt, replaced by anger.

She would pay the price.

## Chapter 4

Lichentail sat at the four trees waiting for his so called mate to show. She did show up, she looked tired. "Sorry I'm late again, the kits came." She gasped.

"That's great, great for you and Rbbitrunner." Lichentail snarled. Snownose looked startled. "What- what are you talking about?" She asked with a worried look.

"I know the kits are his, you never loved me, you lied to me." Lichentail hissed. "Lichentail, I... I know, I'm so so sorry, I knew it was bad, I don't know why I did it, I was going to tell you, I really was but... Snownose trailed off.

"Sorry won't cut it, you need to suffer." Lichentail growled deeply with a threat in his eyes. Snownose's ears perked in surprise. "I lied about one tiny thing! your going to kill me because of that?"

"One tiny thing? that wasn't tiny! you said you loved me, you said I was a father! how isn't this big? and I'm not going to kill you I'm going to do something else, something where you suffer for the rest of your life." Lichentail snarled with an evil smile.

"Please Lichentail what ever your thinking, don't do it, you'll regret it." Snownose mewed high-pitched with a pleading look.

"Well you did something you regret, now it's my turn, but this time I won't regret anything." Lichentail growled whipping around and padded back to ThundeClan leaving Snownose alone, he felt her gaze boring his back, but he didn't look back.

Now to wait.

## Chapter 5

Daylight poured into the den as Snownose rose up she yawned, the worry gnawed at her belly. What if Lichentail did do something as bad as he made it sound, there's no chance that hes forgotten.

"Snownose, do you want to go hunting?" Ask Snownose's sister, Fallownose. "Erm.. okay." Snownose looked down to her kits, all three there, Stonekit, Rubblekit, and Pouncekit, she turned to Fallownose and padded out of the den.

They'll be fine, they'll be fine, the hole clan is there to protect them. She tried to reasure herself but she couldn't push the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

She fallowed Fallownose out, the air was cold and the snow was deep, it reached her knees. "Are you okay?" Fallownose asked with a look of concern in her golden eyes.

"Yes of course, why wouldn't I be?" Snownose asked, she hated lying to her sister, but she couldn't let her find out about Lichentail.

Fallownose looked like she didn't believe her. "Whatever you say."

Lichentail made his way across the moor, he looked to see the snow clouds starting to roll in, he had to make this quick. He padded swiftly to the rocky side of the WindClan camp. He slipped through the rocks like a fish swimming through water.

He was thankfully blocked from view by a heather bush, next to this is the Nursery. He made his way in and squeezed through the wall and was in the den. In front of him sat three confused looking kits, a gray one, a ginger one, and a gray white patched one.

"Why didn't you use the entrance of the den?" Asked the molly gray patched one. "Your mother sent me to take you on a trip." Lichentail meowed flecking his tail.

The ginger one stepped up, his kit blue eyes bold. "Who are you?" He asked not a trace of fear in his voice. "A friend of your mother." Lichentail growled lightly. Slowly the ginger one led the others closer to Lichentail. "Fallow me." Lichentail meowed pushing through the heather wall and holding a branch back with his paw so the kits could get out.

He led them to the open moor, away from there clan but still in WindClan. "Now she wanted me to play with you while she was away, lets play hide and seek." Lichentail meowed.

"We don't wanna play that." The she-kit wailed. "Well to bad, you the tall one you hide first." Lichentail growled pointing his tail to the ginger tom. He did as he said and slipped away. Lichentail turned around to count. After a few moments he turned around to see the kits gone.

He began to sniff them out, he was on the she-kits trail. He saw her hiding under a low gorse, half way covered with snow, only her head could be seen. His mouth moved to a smile and he leaped at her from behind and slit her throat. She let out a squeak of surprise which turned to a gargle, then she fell limp.

One down, two to go. He padded out and shook her body around, spraying blood drops everywhere, he wanted to give Snownose clues. He then tossed her body carelessly into the air and watched it hit the snow hard, a pool of blood formed around her neck.

He looked at her face to see her last moment on it, her mouth was part way open and her eyes were wide in surprised terror, some blood trickled from her mouth. A tiny part of him looked in horror, but he pushed it away and turned for the next kit.

He found the ginger tom shaking from the cold, deep snow. Lichentail felt pity for the young tom, never going to grow up. He sprang on the tom, the tom screamed and kicked Lichentail's chin. "You lied!" The tom kit yowled dashing away.

Lichentail ran after him and swiftly snapped his neck beneath his paws. He slowly ranked his claws down the dead kits flanks and threw him in the air like his sister and made sure enough blood was on the scene.

Two down, One to go. He sniffed out the last kit, the gray tom and hit him in the head he fell and Lichentail made sure to rip him up and he tossed him on the snow. He was done, with this part, he would wait for sun-down and come back to catch Snownose, she will be looking for them.

## Chapter 6

"My kits!"

Snownose leaped out the Nursery, her kits were no where to be seen. "Snownose!" Rabbitrunner ran up to her. "The kits are gone?" He asked baffled. "Yes why would I be screaming?" Snownose wailed. Lichentail was here, I know he was.

"Aright, I'll get Littlepool to send a search party out and- "

"No! I can do it myself!" Snownose yowled running out of camp, the gray cloud covered the sky, she almost couldn't see and the blizzard was starting to fall. She breathed in the icy air and began running, as soon as she did her legs tired, the snow was too deep.

She slowed to a walking pace. She couldn't let the patrol find Lichentail, she couldn't she was going to have to do this herself.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she tripped. She looked behind her to see faint blood spatters, almost covered by the falling snow, and a clump of fur, ginger fur. She quickly got up and pushed the snow off. It was Rubblekit...

"No..!" She tried not to yowl. She lean down and pushed her nose into his fur. It's all my fault you.. She couldn't even get herself to say the word, not even in her thoughts. "I'll come back for you, I must find your brother and sister."

After wondering around for a while calling the names of her other two kits, she found Pouncekit, she looked to have the worse death, most likely due to her looking so much like Snownose.

"Stonekit!" She had been calling for a few hours now, she could only see two feet in front of her and she couldn't feel her legs. trembling, something caught her eye, gray fur, Stonekit. "Stonekit!" She yowled running to the kit lying on the snow.

A shadow sprang out of the snow before she reached her son. It landed hard on her and ranked it's claws down her side. she screeched and she hit his belly and it fell off. "Lichentail." She yelped but not very surprised. "Yes?" He asked in a mocking voice.

"Why, why did you hurt my kits?" She asked, but she didn't know why she did, as she knew the answer to the question. "What they were weak, since their mother was and I wanted revenge on what you did to me." Lichentail answered away.

Not like this! Snownose wanted to scream but she tried to stay calm. closing her eyes she began. "I've told you before, I love Rabbitrunner, not you! was it so wrong of me to pick loyalty over love? and I didn't love you before." She hissed her heart pounding.

Lichentail leaped at her and bit her belly. She screeched and felt blood come out of the wound he gave her. Terror rose inside her and she kicked his neck. He coughed up blood and fell Snownose watched heartlessly at the tom, she turned and kicked snow over him.

"Your a maggot." She snarled picking up her kit and padded away. She looked behind her a few time to make sure he wasn't some how fallowing.

Her kit kicked at her. "Let me go!" She heard him rasp. She sat him down. "Stonekit? your alive?" She asked her kit looking at her. "Mama!" He suddenly sprang on her purring. "I thought I wasn't ever going to see you again."

"I'm so sorry, I won't ever let this happen again." She meowed. "You promise?" Stonekit asked meeting her eyes. "I promise."

## Epilogue

Lichentail woke to darkness, so much darkness. The trees were crooked, the ground was slim covered, and no sky, no stars.

He glanced around. She put me here.

I can take revenge on her forever now, oh dumb, dumb, dumb Snownose.

"Hello, welcome to the Dark Forest." A cat whispered coming out of the shadows, a she-cat. "Thank you, what may I call you?" Lichentail asked her.

"Call me Sandtooth." The she-cat meowed harshly. "Are you ready to start your revenge Lichentail?" Sandtooth asked.

"Yes, and you don't call me that dumb name anymore call me... Maggottail."