1Thunder Clan
#1
Story of Starkit
Megan Deitterick
Copyright 2012 Megan Deitterick
The ThunderClan series is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of this author’s imagination.
Contents
- - -
Chapter One: The enemies attack
Chapter Two: The kit-nappers
Chapter Three: Shadow Clan’s Castle
Chapter Four: The hunt
Chapter Five: The Great Escape
Chapter Six: Leaving Camp
Chapter Seven: An Ancient Warrior
Chapter Eight: SkyWing vs. Starkit
Dedicated to my mother, who helped me write this story
Prologue
Starkit was born as a Thunder Clanner. She had two other sisters- Lynxkit and Moonkit. Starkit was yellow and gray with black star marks. Lynxkit was brown and white with green leaf marks. Moonkit was black and white with gray moon marks. Thunder Clan lived in an old house that was deserted, and to make sure no one else came into their territory, other clanners would go out a while a way and bark at anyone coming down the trail.
Thunder Clan had many enemies and their second leader was dead because of their top enemy, Shadow Clan. Shadow Clan invades when they can and kit-nap all of the kits. They steal all the herbs, (plants that heal their kind which are hurt) and kill other clanners. Other clanners risk their lives to keep the Shadow Clanners away from the kit nursery. Many of the Thunder Clanners had joined Shadow Clan because they thought Shadow Clan was cool, but others joined because they figured they’d rather be powerful than weak. Many of those who joined only did because they were wolf-napped and forced to, or kit-napped and forced to, as the Thunder Clan spies reported.
But the most deadliest thing that Shadow Clan does is kit-nap. The wolves have their own land, which other wolves live. No humans. Shadow Clanners either sell kits for new clan stuff, kill the kits because they refuse to be caged, kill them because they want to, make them join, or make them give out information. Thunder Clan has stolen a few Shadow Clan kits. But Shadow Clan has stolen more than them.
Another huge enemy is the dangerous, quick and smart dragons. All dragons are in Dragon Clan. They eat and harm kits, harm other clanners, and sometimes kit-nap kits. Dragon Clan killed the current king’s one and only son. Their daughter took over and mated with another clanner. From then on they always tried to keep Dragon Clan at bay. But it was hard, because the dragons always fly and come to the place that way. Kits were the easiest to harm, so they were defended by putting into a nursery and being guarded by the best and most caring warriors.
This is the story of Starkit, a wolf pup who has a long story of her Thunder Clan life.
Chapter One: The enemies attack
Thunder Clan was busy feeding the kits and giving them water. The kits all had begun to open their eyes and speak.
“I’m hungwy!!” Starkit complained. The kits could talk but used “w’s,” for their, “r’s.”
“We’ll get you in a minute, Starkit!” A warrior who guarded the nursery told her, and the warrior ran for the food. This warrior was leader of all those who guarded the kits. She placed the food down for Starkit, and some water. Starkit gobbled down the food and quickly slurped the water. She lay in the mats and started to take a nap.
That was all the kits did- eat, drink and sleep. But if something bad invades, they stay wide awake, barely eat or drink, evacuate and try to run. Kits are built to leap high and run fast to get away from Shadow Clan, dragons, or any other dangers.
Lynxkit was entering the kit nursery- she loved to explore the place.
“Lynxkit, lunch!” Called out the warrior who fed Starkit- her name was RainWolf.
“Yay!” Lynxkit cheered. Lynxkit was 5 minutes older than Moonkit, and 7 minutes older than Starkit. Starkit was the youngest of her family.
Lynxkit ran over to eat.
Moonkit was asleep already. Starkit was just drifting off, when-
“Shadow Clan!” Said a warrior, Darkmoon. Darkmoon guarded the outside of the nursery.
“What?” RainWolf asked. All the kits woke up to the talking. Lynxkit stopped eating.
“You heard me, the Shadow Clan warriors are invading! They found a way around the guards!” Darkmoon explained.
The kits knew Shadow Clan was bad. They all ran around. Starkit crept out of the nursery and downstairs.
Downstairs, adult wolves were thinking of plans, it seemed like. No one looked at Starkit- they were all worried. Starkit crept outside and saw Shadow Clan. Most were black wolves, but some where white, green, brown, etc. They all had swords, and a few had helmets and leg armor. Shadow Clan leader wasn’t there, and Thunder Clan rarely spotted him because he didn’t come to war much and stayed at their territory. But the clan did know that his name was Shadowruler.
Starkit didn’t know too much about Shadow Clan- she only knew that they were evil. She dived into a plant pot and peeked out. Other Thunder Clanners were coming up to Shadow Clan, growling, and getting ready to attack. Starkit could hear others yelling: “Make sure the kits are in the nursery!”, “Keep the enemies from coming in!”, “Guard the herbs!” And, “Get your weapons!”
Starkit never seen the clan so worried. She saw Thunder Clan’s leader, WolfClaw, in his usual, king chair, giving orders to others.
A Shadow Clanner ran to WolfClaw and knocked him off. Thunder Clanners around them tackled the Shadow Clanner.
Starkit couldn’t take it, and began to creep out of the plant pot, when-
“DRAGONS ARE IN THE SKY!!” She heard a Shadow Clanner shout. Dragons were not buddy-buddy with Shadow Clan- they were only pals with other dragons.
The dragons landed. Starkit was interested in dragons and crept out of the plant, slowly heading for a Lava Dragon, the deadliest dragon, who kills the most wolves.
“STARKIT!!” She heard a Thunder Clanner shout, and found herself carried back to the nursery. She looked to see who it was, and there was her friend Foxkit. Foxkit was brave, never kit-napped, and always wanted to battle dragons or other enemies.
“Starkit, you could have been killed!” Foxkit nuzzled Starkit. Starkit nuzzled him back. Foxkit was a couple moons older than Starkit, so he was more swift and smart.
“I wanted to see if any kit-nappews were here.” Starkit said.
“If they were, you could’ve been kit-napped yourself.” Foxkit warned her.
“Hey! You kits- come to the circle where we can guard you!” RainWolf ordered them, and they squeezed into the circle. Starkit stood next to a smaller kit, Lightning kit.
All the kits were worried, since the adult wolves were.
“How much longew until we can move?” Moonkit complained.
“Shush!” RainWolf growled, and no other kit dared to meow nor talk.
Starkit heard her mother arguing with the deputy of Shadow Clan.
“You have a warrior named Rainlegs? That’s a weird name!” Her mother said.
“Don’t make fun of my warriors!” The deputy growled.
Then, her mother came into the nursery.
“Starkit, take this.” She said, and slid Starkit a green Heart Locket. Starkit put it on and watched her mother leave the nursery.
“Kits, go to sleep, and the war should be over after you wake up.” RainWolf told the kits, and they all fell asleep.
***
When Starkit woke up, the war seemed to be over. RainWolf was asleep as well, so that was a good sign- no guard falls asleep during war. Other kits woke up as well- Lynxkit, Lightning kit and Foxkit.
“Mowning, Stawkit.” Lynxkit yawned. Starkit sa
id nothing back; she crept out of the nursery to see what had happened.
Starkit saw the bed for warriors was sort of torn up. She saw the Med Den wasn’t touched at all. The Med Den lost some herbs, but there was still plenty left. Outside, the warriors were asleep, and no Shadow Clan, no dragons.
The leader was asleep, and had a big, ugly scar across his forehead to add to his other scars. It came from what the Shadow Clan warrior had done to him. The chair was a bit crumbled, and the jewel at the top of it wasn’t there. Starkit assumed Shadow Clan stole it.
There seemed to be nothing else to explore, so Starkit ran back to the nursery, where everyone, even RainWolf, was awake.
“Starkit, did you stay out there overnight?” RainWolf asked Starkit, sounding worried.
“No, I go out thewe when I woke up.” Starkit explained. She went back to the other kits.
“Wet’s pway hide and seek!” Lightning kit suggested.
“Sure.” Foxkit agreed. All the other kits agreed as well.
“Ok, play hide and seek and I will be fixing up the place.” RainWolf explained, and the kits decided that Lightning kit would count and the rest would hide. The kits ran and Lightning kit dove into a plant pot.
“1...3...5...10! Weady ow not, hewe I come!” Lightning kit crawled out of the plant.
Starkit was hiding behind the leader’s stone chair. She saw Lightning kit come out and find Moonkit in the bushes.
“Found you!” Lightning kit cheered.
“Aw.” Moonkit moaned, but she joined the search. They went inside and Starkit waited to be found.
It took 5 minutes and Lightning kit was outside again with all the other kits except Lynxkit and Starkit.
“Wynxkit! Stawkit! Whewe awe you?” Lightning kit called out. Foxkit climbed one of the trees.
“Found you Lynxkit!” Foxkit said.
“Aw.” Starkit heard Lynxkit complain.
“Stawkit! You won! Come on out!” Lightning kit called. Starkit crawled out from behind the chair.
“Yay!” She cheered. They played hide & seek again, with Moonkit counting. The next time they played, Foxkit counted.
They played and played until RainWolf came up to the nursery, where they were all starting to run with Lynxkit counting. RainWolf stopped all of them.
“Go to sleep, guys.” RainWolf ordered.
“Why?” Lynxkit asked.
“Shadow Clan is here, and they killed Moonkit, Lynxkit and Starkit’s mom and dad already...” RainWolf’s voice trailed off.
Starkit looked at her sisters, seeing tears coming out of their eyes.
“Sleep,” RainWolf ordered, and the kits went to their beds and closed their eyes.
***
The kits all woke up 30 minutes later to shouting.
“Back off, you kit-napper!”
“Never! I must have your kits!”
All the kits woke up and saw a black & gray wolf fighting RainWolf and a wolf that was reddish purple with lightning marks and a sword. RainWolf had a sword as well.
The black & gray wolf took the medallion from around her neck and touched the picture of a howling wolf. RainWolf and the other looked at it, and fell asleep.
“Ha! You two sisters are now asleep. And I’ll get the kits!” The black and gray wolf mumbled loudly.
Starkit, Foxkit and Lightning kit dove into a plant pot. The other kits ran around the nursery crazy and couldn’t get out because the kit-napper was guarding the door. The kit-napper reached for a key attached to RainWolf’s sword belt that was around her back, and locked the door to the nursery.
“HELP US!! WE’WE LOCKED WITH A KIT-NAPPEW!!” Moonkit shouted. The black & gray wolf put Moonkit in a brown bag.
“Moonkit!” Starkit cried. Foxkit jumped out of the plant.
“Hand Moonkit back to us!” Foxkit shouted. The black & gray wolf bagged Foxkit as well, then Lightning kit hopped out.
“Give thewm back!” Lightning kit shouted.
“Pesky little kits...” The black & gray wolf mumbled, and sacked Lightning kit as well, then Lynxkit.
“Wynxkit! Wightning kit!” Starkit shouted, and ran out of the pot.
“Give thewm back!” She shouted to the napper, and the wolf sacked Starkit as well.
“That’s enough...” The napper mumbled to herself, and hit the star on the medallion, and disappeared with a majority of the kits in the sack.
***
Starkit was uncomfortable in a sack with the other kits. Lightning kit was smaller than them all, but kept kicking, trying to get out.
“Quit kicking! This bag is only so big,” Foxkit complained. Starkit kept scratching at the sack, hoping to rip it and set them free.
After a while, the sack DID break, and they all fell with an, “oof.”
They looked around and were in a deserted, empty house. The kit-napper was sitting down.
“Talk.” She said.
“Give us the medallion fiwst.” Starkit said to the wolf.
“Very well.” The kit-napper said, and slid it onto the floor. Starkit whispered to the other kits, and they all touched the medallion. Starkit touched the star and they transported to their clan’s deserted house.
***
The kits appeared in the yard, where they saw the warriors putting up a heck of a fight with others. The kits ran to their nursery, but quickly remembered that the door was locked. Starkit still had the medallion in her mouth, and put it down.
“Unlock the doow! It’s us, we escaped!” Starkit shouted to the remaining kits, and the door opened. Starkit grabbed the medal again.
“Yay!” The remaining kits cheered. Starkit and the others came into the nursery. RainWolf and her sister woke up.
“Wha-what happened...?” The sister yawned.
“Lighteye... where’s the napper?” RainWolf tapped her sister.
“Nappew gown. We out-smawt it and steal hew medal.” Starkit informed the two sisters.
“Oh...” RainWolf whispered, eyes closed.
“You okay?” Lynxkit asked.
“Yeah...we’re fine, just a little bit tired still from what the kit-napper did.” Lighteye hopped up, and so did RainWolf.
“Back to your bed, kits!” RainWolf ordered, and the kits sat in the bed and played guessing games. RainWolf and Lighteye sat and guarded the door.
As the kits were playing war with Moonkit and Lynxkit the last ones in, there was a knock at the door. The kits all backed slowly, scared it would be another kit-napper, or the same one asking for revenge.
“This better not be another napper...” RainWolf mumbled as she opened the door. It was a red wolf with black spots and a steel foot.
“What?” Lighteye growled.
“I bring news. I was spying on Shadow Clan, disguised as a bunny...” The wolf touched her glove and transformed into a white bunny, then touched the steel cast and transformed back into the wolf. “And they said, ‘We need to invade in MadWolf’s house.’”
MadWolf used to own the house before he died. He started Thunder Clan and died because of dragons.
“Who is MadWolf?” Starkit asked.
“He means this place, Starkit.” RainWolf answered.
All the kits looked at each other in fear, jaws dropped.
“Calm, kits, clam.” Lighteye said, and turned to the bunny-wolf. “When should they be getting here?”
“Anytime now.” The bunny-wolf replied.
“I need to quickly do something- will be back as soon as possible.” Lighteye announced, and ran out of the nursery. Darkmoon came into the nursery.
“I will be taking Lighteye’s place.” Darkmoon announced, and sat at the door. RainWolf looked out the window and saw a full moon, but it was 2:00 p.m.- the afternoon.
“Oh no...” RainWolf whispered.
“What is it, WainWolf?” Moonkit asked.
“A full moon, in the afternoon January 22, 2012...” RainWolf turned to Darkmoon.
“Yipe!” Darkmoon shouted, terrified.
“What does a full moon mean?!” Foxkit shouted.
“A full moon....” RainWolf whispered. “I was told many stories of what happens during a full moon when it comes out before nighttime...”
“Well, what does it mean?” Lynxkit asked.
“Yeah, and almost everyone heard of the stories...don’t know why wolves howl during a time like this, don’t they know what it means?” Darkmoon whispered a little loudly to RainWolf.
“Well, what is it?!?” Starkit shouted, a little frustrated.
“I’ll bet only evil wolves howl at them.” RainWolf then turned to the kits. “A full moon before night always means something bad will happen to the good side.”
“Dwagons?” Moonkit tilted her head.
“Or worse...” Darkmoon whispered.
Chapter Two: The kit-nappers
Warning the whole clan of the full moon AND Shadow Clan wasn’t too easy. They first went to their current leader, WolfClaw. He was shocked to hear the news, and then RainWolf and Darkmoon ran like crazy around their territory, warning everyone and giving instructions on what to do to prepare. As they spread word they added about the full moon to let them know why it was such an emergency.
Once the two wolves went back to the nursery, all the kits were in one piece, all there, hiding in the plants.
“Guys, they aren’t here yet, me and Darkmoon will-”
“YA!!!!” Everyone in the nursery heard. They all went silent, listening.
“CODE 7! CODE 7!” That meant Shadow Clan was here.
Sshing! Sshing! That was the sound of swords.
FLOARRR! And THAT was the sound of a Lava Dragon’s fire.
This was a total nightmare- far worst than any of the wolves could have imagined. The full moon was right.
“Kits, stay clam. There’s got to be something. Hide until this is over.” RainWolf told the kits, and they all dived into the plants.
“Although it may be longer than any other attack...” Darkmoon mumbled to RainWolf. “We’re gonna see lots of blood tonight.”
The kits looked at each other, wide-eyed and scared. Another wolf came into the den. “Bloodclaws!” Darkmoon smiled, happy to see the wolf. “We need help guarding these kits.”
“Anything for my brother.” Bloodclaws smiled back. “I’ll guard right at the door.” He walked to the entrance and drew out his sword, held it in his mouth (battling with a sword in your mouth may seem hard but for wolves it is very easy), and stood there.