Nothing will stop me. (Open; Enter Horizonshine)

[Kathryn]

Panting desperately for air as she ran, she couldn’t breathe; tears flooding down her cheeks as she ran and ran and ran. Claws had struck her once ginger shoulder, turning her fur crimson, and it hurt – it hurt badly. Choking on her cries as she weaved in and out of the trees, trying to shake off the big rogue who had kept her imprisoned for so long, memories flooded her. Separated from Kenny, she had tried to find him, instead encountering a large white tom with freakishly red eyes, which had lured her into a trap and forced her to bear his kits. Despite his threats, she had finally had enough, fleeing right from under him, but had been wounded in the process. Now her belly was filled with kits, which kicked and screamed in her womb. Distantly she could hear the snarls of the tom as he chased her, determined to get her back, but she was skinny, weak and scared. Running was the first thing; otherwise she would force him to kill her and the kits to spare their suffering.

Veering off of the path, she skirted around a pool and headed into a clearing where cats were in the clearing. Eyes wide with fear, she backed up slightly, right into the claws of the rogue, who tossed her into the air and sent her flying to the ground. Sharply crying out with pain, she writhed and struggled to get up when the tom’s white paw shoved her into the ground. Staring down at her were furious red eyes, fixed only on her and nothing else with the scariest expression she had ever seen on a cat.
Before he could do anything to her, though, what sounded like tremors rumbled in the distance and the cat looked up. Thundering paws like the charging of cats echoed in her ears and before the tom could move, the Warrior’s den exploded into fragments and the white cat was on the ground a short distance away from her. Gasping with wide eyes, she saw a gargantuan black tom with his teeth tearing viciously at the cat’s throat, with long curved claws slashing at his belly and with bristled fur that exceeded a hedgehog’s back.

“K- Kenny!” She yowled as the white tom screeched with fear and pain. Desperately clawing at the bigger tom’s body, he only succeeded in twisting his paws and tangling the massive tom’s fur. Digging in with fangs bared, the AspenClan Warrior attacked just below the windpipe, suffocating the tom. For a moment he held the tom down before he tore out the cat’s throat with a snarl, kicking him into the rocks and spitting out the blood in his mouth. As the bestial tom turned, shoulder fur twisted, he rushed over to Horizon’s side and stopped dead, staring at her swollen belly with disbelief.

“He... He-” The she-cat cut off, tears flowing down her cheeks again. Something – Kenny – curled around her and held her closely, though she could feel the rage flowing through his veins.
“He’s not going to bother you again, Horizon,” Raggedclaws said gently, nosing her head up to lick her shoulder. “And I swear if any cat touches you again without you wanting them to, nothing will stop me from tearing him limb from limb. Nothing will stop me, alright? Shhh, Horizon. You’re safe now... There’s a cat called Fallenleaf; he will help you, and I’ll be here every step of the way.”

[ember]

Lightningfoot padded calmly to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a thrush. She chewed on it thoughtfully, thinking of yet another set of battle tactics. She yawned and stretched out, intending to take a long nap. She closed her eyes, and suddenly her body was on hyper-alert. She muttered angrily to herself, and began imagining shutting everything off one at a time.

She was nearly done with her ears when a ear-splitting shriek broke her eardrums. Lighningfoot shook her body, trying to wake herself up. "What's going on?" She muttered, annoyed, to herself. She stood up, stretching lazily, when the she-cat shriek this time, but it was a shriek of fear. Lightningfoot woke up, and she practically flew to the source of the noise.

Lightningfoot burst into the clearing, where Raggedclaws was tearing at another tom. A small she-cat was sheltering in a corner. Lightningfoot growled deeply. But then Raggedclaws threw the tom against the rocks, and he was dead. The she-cat had obviously been forced to mate, she looked scared and tired. Raggedclaws told her of Fallenleaf.

Lightningfoot decided to reveal herself. "We should probably get rid of this crowfood." She nudged the body with her tail. "Before the Clan starts asking questions." She nodded at the she-cat. "And you should see Fallenleaf. He'll have something for the shock."

Her voice had been harsh, and her amber eyes had sparked, but now Lightningfoot had a softer tone and a calming light in her eyes. "Go." She said softly, touching the she-cat on the shoulders. "Hope is may seem far over the horizon, but it's just a tail-length away." She quoted her mother, her voice catching for just a whisker-twitch.

"Raggedclaws." Lightningfoot turned towards the black tom. "Our leader must hear of how brave you were to fight that tom, and how well you protected this young-" She started. "Queen." She finished, glancing at the young she-cat. She gave the compliment willingly.

Lightningfoot knew the Clan did not like Raggedclaws, but she admired him for his strength, and his power in battle. "You were great." She let some of the old apprentice tone for an idolized warrior slip into her voice. The young she-cat still looked scared, so Lightningfoot gently helped her up. "Come." She said, leading the queen to the medicine cat den. She left her there.

Lightningfoot came back to the clearing. "Now, where will we drop him?" She asked harshly. "This filth does not deserve a warriors burial. Let him rot." She laughed harshly, voicing her anger at this tom. She turned to Raggedclaws.

443 Words

[Holly]

A red and black tortoiseshell ran up behind Lightingfoot, her mentor. This she-cat was Hollypaw. She turned her pale green glaze toward the frightened she-cat. Se looked at the dead body and her eyes wided in shock.

'What happen here?' Hollypaw thought. She looked up at her mentor. She padded up over to Raggedclaws and crouched down beside the frighten queen. She wasn't afraid of raggedclaw, actually he wasn't clan born either, so she felt a bit of friendliness to him.

"Will she be okay? Who was that tom? Why was he chasing her? Why did you kill him? I thought warriors don't kill to win? Why didn't you just chase him away?" Hollypaw asked. She would constantly ask question if she was confuse about something.

Hollypaw didn't wait for an answer she looked at the she-cat. She had heard Raggedclaw call her Horizon. "Your name Horizon, right? Where are you from? I'm Hollypaw! I'm just an apprentice, but one day I'll be a warrior like Raggedclaws and my mentor Lightingfoot! I lose to be a rogue, too, but I was just a kit. My mama was killed by a badger and Aspenclan saved me and raised me!"

Hollypaw was probably making the she-cat freak even more. She realized this too late. She owed her head and went over to her mentor Lightingfoot. She looked up at her. "Can I help bry him?" She sat in front of her mentor with her fluffy tail wrapped around her paws.

[Kathryn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/rag2.jpg] Raggedclaws turned his head when he heard Lightningfoot approach, his muscles tense as he rested his head over his adopted daughter’s belly. Giving her another soothing lick, the tom lifted his paw to pull Horizon closer to him as she nuzzled into his chest fur. Making soft sounds to calm the shivering she-cat, he looked up to Lightningfoot, forcing himself not to resist when the she-cat ordered her into the Medicine Cat’s den. Given more time, Raggedclaws would have made the tom beg for mercy and forgiveness, but that would probably have hurt his little girl more. “That filth isn’t worth even calling crowfood. He’s the lowest of the low,” he growled, storming over to the body of the rogue as Hollypaw approached. Horizon simply smiled weakly at the Apprentice before she went into the den, and Raggedclaws added that he would be with her shortly. Whirling to face the AspenClan Apprentice Hollypaw, the massive black Maine Coon flicked his tail to the dead cat and growled, “This is an example of a cat who forces cats to have kits with them against their will,” he said darkly, digging his claws into the corpse and dragging it through the dirt. “These toms are the most disgusting, low and hated cats you can find. And bury?” Snarling as he tore the tom up by the throat in his jaws, he swung the body around before thundering out of camp with a mutter for the two to follow. As he approached the outer camp wall, he approached a badger den with the creature still inside with her young. Ignoring the snarls, he shoved it back inside the nest before he hurled the body in with it and collapsing the entrance of the den. “This dung-eater deserves no burial. He will be eaten and help other creatures survive. He is not worth the energy, nor is he worth being placed under AspenClan soil. The badgers will eat him and he will provide for them, as I will provide for Horizon. Now come, both of you.” Flattening his ears as he walked back to camp, his curved claws dug into the earth. Thoughts of what the tom had forced Horizon to do sent rage pulsing through his veins and he growled again. “Hollypaw, fetch Horizon some prey from the Fresh Kill Pile. Lightningfoot, come into the den with me. She’ll need some guidance, even if you have had none of your own.”

[/blockquote][/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Holly]

Hollypaw followed Raggedclaw and watched as he threw the corpse into the badger den. Her ear flatten. She let out a growl. Why would a tom do such a thing and why would Raggedclaws disrepect a body, even if he was a bad cat. Her tail flickered.

'Starclan, I would say this out loud, but I can't. I'd like you to please take his soul to the even if it's to Dark Forest,' She said her silent pray as she looked up at the sky.

She turned her glaze back to Raggedclaws. She let out a huff of annoyance. He was acting like he was her mentor bossing her and her mentor around. She dug her claws in the ground and held her tongue. She nodded as Raggedclaw bossed her around and without a word turned away from Lightingfoot and Raggedclaws.

Hollypaw headed towards the fresh-kill piles and bent down. She sniffed the prey. She was looking for something big and freshly caught. She grabbed the rabbit the morning patrol brought back. She turned around and headed back to the Medicine Den.

She pushed her way into the den. She walked up to Horizon and placed the rabbit gently at Horizon feet. "This should be a nice meal for you and your kits!" Hollypaw smiled at Horizon.

[ember]

Lightningfoot nodded respectfully, and turned, sensing her apprentice's anger. "It's alright Hollypaw." She soothed softly. "A bad cat like that should not have been fed to badgers, it will strengthen our other enemies, but it was more than that, that cat was evil and cruel." She sighed deeply.

Then she turned to Raggedclaws and something inside her snapped. "There's no need to order me or my apprentice around." She growled. "You're not my leader, deputy, or senior warrior." She turned away. "Fine." She consented. She padded stiffly to the den. "And say please next time."

Her voice lowered and went softer. "It's alright Hollypaw. It's not your fault Raggedclaws is a cat who thinks he can boss everyone around, and get away with it." She turned to her former idol, the bright light that had shone in her eyes every time she looked at him had dimmed. Lightningfoot sighed again and turned, ready to take orders.

[Holly]

Hollypaw- The Wonder

Hollypaw looked up at her mentor and twitched her tail in annoyance. Her pale-green eyes were narrowed with anger. She whispered back to her mentor, too low for Raggedclaw or Horizon to hear.

"What right does that stupid fur ball have to boss me around like I'm his tiny little apprentice! It's not right. Your my mentor not him!" She looked at her mentor and drained the anger in her eyes, but she was still annoyed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't get short at you. He just gets under my pelt."

Hollypaw straightened up. She looked over at Raggedclaw. "Anything else the great Raggedclaw want," she said dryly. This would probably get her in trouble, but she didn't care. He was annoying the living whisper off her. (Heehee!) She looked at Raggedclaw straight in the eyes. He wasn't scary, whether it's because he really wasn't or that she wouldn't let him scare her. She was no more then a kit and he was a powerful warrior who could really hurt her if he felt like it.

[ember]

Lightningfoot turned to Raggedclaws. "She's right, she's not your apprentice, and your not deputy or leader, DO NOT order her around." She growled. She turned back to Hollypaw. "He gets under my pelt as well. Like fleas."

She turned back to Raggedclaws, slipping slightly. "Now what?" She asked, her fur tingling at the thought that she had growled at this mighty warrior. Her nose twitched and she sneezed. "Sorry." She said, twitching her whiskers.

Then Lightningfoot turned to her apprentice. "Hollypaw?" She asked. "I want you to go feed the elder's and search for their pelts for ticks and fleas. Afterward, we can go train. You choose whether to hunt or fight." She turned back to Raggedclaws. "Let's go." She said, straightening herself.

[Holly]

Hollypaw- The Wonder

Hollypaw was shocked as her mentor growled at Raggedclaw. Her eyes brightened at the sight. Oh how she looked up to Lightingfoot. She puffed out her chest as she looked at Raggedclaw. Now he knew she wouldn't be bossed around by him.

That warrior, Raggedclaw, annoyed her, yet she also admired him for his strength and caring to a cat thats not even his kin. She dug her claw into the ground and let out a frustrated sigh. She held her tongue when Lightingfoot said he bothered her too. She couldn't though. She let out a chuckle.

Hollypaw turned her glaze to her mentor and nodded her head. "Of course, Lightingfoot!" She stood up onto her feet and ran out of the den. She loved taking care of the elders. She got to help her clan and hear stories of the clans beginning. She would stay there all day and listen if Lightingfoot would let her, but she knew that was impossible. Hollypaw had training.

Hollypaw went straight to the fresh-kill pile and looked for the freshest and biggest food for the elder. She choose a freshly caught mouse and rabbit. She carried the rabbit in her jaws and the mouse clenched under her chin.

-Exit Hollypaw-

[Dove]

Dovekit watched this progress with avid curiosity. She looked from Hollypaw, to Lightingfoot, to Raggedclaws. "I wonder why they are all so irritated..." she thought to herself. She looked at the cat named Horizon and ambled towards her sniffing suspiciously, she wrinkled her nose in disgust as she smelt blood. She looks outside watching as a leaf drifts down, onto the frost covered ground, from a tree Glancing at the other cats trying to think of why they were irritated.

"Hi," Dovekit squeaked, "Who are you? Where are you from?" Although Dovekit knew her name, she wanted to know more. But suddenly Dovekit backed away suddenly shy. She was thinking about the conversation she had heard from Lightningfoot, Hollypaw and Raggedclaws. “what did he say? What did he do to make them so mad?”

She looked at Horizon wondering about where she came from and what had happened. Finally she pieced it together -part way anyway- “But why does she look so unhappy? I thought mommas were happy when they had kits. Like mine was… for a while… but then it happened…” Dovekit Slouched down suddenly unhappy, But she looked up staring at the cats with cold eyes, calculating, hazel eyes.

[brackengaze]

^Trotting into camp, paws stepping so light footed it made the she-cat appear as though she were floating. She was rather proud of herself, carrying the trush, vole, and rabbit in her jaws. She felt the weight straining her down as she tripped over the rabbit's large body. What a catch! It was rare to find rabbits where they were, but a welcomed treat whenever it strayed too far. She had been the opposite direction of the skirmish, not hearing the cries or scenting the loners. The problems of being downwind. Hunting was one of the few things the she-cat prided herself on, walking towards the camp entrance her eyes, the odd color of a waxed moon shone proudly. It had been one of the few things she had excelled at as an apprentice, one thing she had always won if not almost won during the assessments.

^Stepping into camp the chocolate brown she-cat scented the newcomer, hackles rising along her spine instantly as claws instinctively slid out. Spotting Raggedclaws, Lightningfoot and Hollypaw she relaxed. Raggedclaws was one of the best if not the best fighter in the clan. Moving quickly the slender pawed she-cat dropped her kill, and stepped towards the loner and her clanmates. "What is going on here?" she asked knowing she had little reason to sound the way she did, she was no senior warrior or any of authority. Finally spotting the dead body she growled, "Why would you bring that into camp? she growled. Forgetting the loner for a moment. Sighing she turned to the loner realizing how rude she sounded, "Hello, I am Ottermask, I don't know why you are here or what happened, but as long as Icestar welcomes you, then welcome to Aspenclan," she said with a gentle nod of her slender mug. The she-cat was rather lean, even compared to her clanmates, her long brown tail flicking in curiosity.

^This was incredibly uncharacteristic of the she-cat. The normally quiet chocolate hued she-cat with eyes the color of a waxed moon, she never acted out, never spoke out of turn or showed anger. She was normally a docile cat, keeping to herself. Yet loyalty to her clan could bring out any emotion, at any moment. Flicking the long brown tail the warrior eyed the newcomer, before sighing and stepping towards Dovekit. "Go back into the nursery, she said gently unsure if the kit would even listen to her. Nosing the kit she continued to watch the warriors and apprentice, she was not a part of what happened, nor did she know. This was beyond her, so she awaited for things to be explained. Although stepped back towards the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a thrush and stepping down, towards the others. She began eating the meat, tail curling around the side of her, nearly touching her chest.

Status - Done
OOC - I hope it's alright I just jumped into this. If not, feel free to delete my post and I can make something elsewhere. ^^

[ember]

Lightningfoot glanced at Ottermask. She sighed as Dovekit padded over. "Dovekit." She said softly. "Go to the nursery. A great wrong has happened here. If you want, you can go comfort Horizon. She has been-" She winced, stopping in her sentence. "Forced." She choked out, suddenly sad. She was explaining this to Ottermask as well as Dovekit. "That's why the loner is dead and the other she-cat is here." She said softly to Ottermask. Then she turned to Raggedclaws. "What do you want me to do?" She asked in a resigned tone of voice.

She blinked thoughtfully at Raggedclaws and Dovekit. “Wait Dovekit.” She said softly, turning to look at the kit. She kneeled down to look at the kit eye-to-eye. “What can you do to help the she-cat be comfortable?” She asked. “What do you want to do?” She blinked respectfully at the little kit, she had suffered much in her short, life. It dawned on her that she was missing a family just like the kit. She was a young warrior, almost 11 moons. (or 12? Can’t remember) She blinked thoughtfully. “You’ll be a great warrior Dovekit.” She said bluntly, then stood up and glanced back at Raggedclaws. “What are we going to tell Icestar?” She asked quietly and thoughtfully.

[Dove]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,600,true][atrb=height,500,true]

[atrb=width,300,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=be6732] Dovekit opens her mouth to argue, then chooses her next words carefully and changes her attitude. She turns to Lighningfoot to awnser her question and replies steadily, “I can comfort her… by making her comfortable… change her bedding? Talk to her?” the second option did not sound fun. “What am I supposed to say to her? What happened?” she looks at Ottermask and Lightningfoot quizzically. Dovekit then pads away to the medicine den. As she goes inside she glances around peering into the gloom. She smells fear scent and the faint scent of fresh and stale herbs. “Horizon? Is there anything you need?” Dovekit asks sheepishly, wondering if she would even reply. Dovekit moves around the den picking up burrs making sure there were no thorns, cleaning up any left over not-so-fresh-kill. As she cleans the den, Dovekit casts furtive glances at Horizonshine, trying to figure out what to say to her. Finally the medicine den is cleaned up and Dovekit walks over Horizonshine. She sits down carefully wrapping her tail neatly around her paws. “Are you okay?” she asks nervously scuffing her paws. She looks up trying to read Horizon’s expression. “Will she even answer? Does she even want me here?” "You don't know what it's like to have your father wish you were dead." ~Dovekit

[Kathryn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/rag2.jpg] Raggedclaws padded in circles around the entrance to the Medicine Cat’s den, his tail fur bristling with agitation and worry for the cat he considered his daughter. Horizon had been so strong before, he had no idea how she would cope after this. How could any cat take advantage of her like this. “She...” Raggedclaws growled quietly, “Was innocent.” Horizon was innocent, and the thought that any fox dung had done such a thing... “I should have been there to protect her...” Guilt was what he was experiencing, as well as pure rage in response to what had happened. His claws itched to tear the whole of the world to the ground, his muscles literally forced them out of his sheathes and made deep gouges in the earth. “I,” he snarled, shoving his face against Lightningfoot angrily. His fur was on end, claws curving down to the ground and digging into the ground like daggers. His golden eyes were filled with anger, but at the same time, he was confused, and that showed clearly. He didn’t know what to do now that the rogue was dead. He should have kept him prisoner and clawed him slowly to death... “Don’t give two dung piles about whose Apprentice is whose right now. Especially when Horizon is lying in there, scared and hurt and violated!” His voice darkened, deepened with anger. “She needs a comforting cat in there with her to talk to her and tell her that she’s going to be alright! If you and your Apprentice cares more about being told what to do, rather than to help someone who needs it, then you’re selfish and fools! What I want you to do is go in there and reassure her and let her know that nothing bad is going to happen. Because if any cat so much as looks at her wrong,” and his claws tore against the trees, leaving a big mark there, while splinters of bark stuck out of his thick paws. Blood dripped onto the ground and his eyes said all they needed to: Any cat hurts her again; they get their skull smashed in. “Icestar can chew on my tail for all I care.” ...From inside the Medicine Cat’s den, Horizon was trembling. Her ears flat against her head as she tried to get comfortable, but her swollen belly refused her that comfort. Why did this have to happen to her? Her face was hidden under her paws when Dovekit came in and she was trying to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t. It only resulted in her crying harder when it came. She held her tongue, suppressing it until it died down, and then she looked toward the new cat that had appeared. It was a kit; a small white one, just like-... No, she couldn’t make that comparison. The she-cat drew in a shaky breath and smiled weakly at Dovekit, though and swallowed nervously. “I... I would like Raggedclaws with me, and... And some water,” Horizon still sounded young; she hadn’t lived her life before she had become pregnant. She looked thin, so she would have needed some prey, but she wasn’t sure that asking was a good idea. She didn’t want to take much that she couldn’t replace. “You’re such a lovely kit,” she meowed, “What’s your name?”

[/blockquote][/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Holly]

A silver tabby with crystal-blue eyes calmly walked over to the bickering cats. She walked over to the she-cat. She swiped her tail to the bickering cats. She was the medicine cat. She turned her normal icy glaze to all the cats. She was glaring at them.

"All of you can not be in here! This den will not fit you all," She mewed. She turned to Dovekit with a gently smile. "Dovekit, I wuld appreicate your help, but first I need to make sure she's okay. Why don't you go play for a bit and I'll call you later."

She went back into storage. She was looking for something to calm her down, so she could explain what happen. She had the pick of catnip, Jupiter berries, or thyme. She grabbed the Jupiter berries. SHe padded back to Horizon. She place the two berries at her paws.

"Eat these, I'm Silversoul, the medicine cat. These are Juiter berries. They help you calm down. You don't want to be freaking out, they would hurt your kits. Now who are you?" Silversoul said in a very calm and relaxing voice. She calmly laid down next to Horizon. "Also, eat that prey Hollypaw brought. You need as much food as possible. Also, once your feeling better we will start you on Borage. That will give enough milk for your kits." She leaned forward and licked the young cat beween the ears.