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On with the story!!
The air was humid as always. The cicadas were buzzing, the cattails shook in the breeze. The sun was low in the west, and the sky was dappled with brilliant colors that shone like fire. A dragonfly was zipping along the vast marsh, and a toad croaked lazily. Something was wrong in all this afternoon beauty though. Something hiding in a thicket, something large, and powerful. Something horrible.
Tree’Sparrow was sitting in the warrior’s den, cleaning her shimmering black fur, watching the sun go down. She got up and padded out of the hollow between the tree roots, and trotted over to the freshkill pile to grab herself something. She picked and pawed at the pile, trying to find something she wanted to eat. She didn’t feel like eating salamander today, nor frog. She thought for a while, then finally decided on a shrew.
“Hey, Tee’Thparrow!” A fawn-colored cat galloped up to her. It was Sheep’Paw, the apprentice who got bullied for her lisp all the time.
“How haff you been?”
“I’ve been pretty good, thanks, Sheep’Paw!” Tree’Sparrow nodded politely at the apprentice. “You seem excited. Why’s that?” “Ith becauth my warrior theremony ith today!” Sheep’Paw bounced up and down like a frog. “Oh, congratulations! Wha’d’ya do to earn it?” “I thought oth a group of lowges with my pattol! I’ wath thuper awthome! You thoud’ve theen me, I nearly killed one of ‘em!” The fawn-colored cat pawed at Tree’Sparrow’s tail. “Well, thee ya la’er!” Tree’Sparrow chuckled as Sheep’Paw bounded away. She would make a great warrior. The black cat went back to eating her shrew. “All cats old enough to jump over the puddles of the marsh, gather around the HighBank!” Bumble’Star, the leader, named for her yellow and black coat, yowled from atop the HighBank, which was the MarshClan equivalent of a HighRock, since there weren’t many large rocks on the marsh. Of course, you couldn’t gather under the HighBank, because you wouldn’t be able to see the leader then. There was also a small pool under the bank, which was used for anointing newly made warriors. Every cat scattered about the camp soon gathered around the bank in a semi-circle to listen to the leader’s wise words. “Sheep’Paw, step forward.” The light brown apprentice strode into the middle of the circle, tail held high and quivering in the excitement that she had tried to contain. The leader continued, “Today Sheep’Paw has shown courage and strength, and StarClan tells me that she is ready to be a warrior. Sheep’Paw, do you vow to keep the MarshClan laws, and to respect also Starclan’s rules?” “I dtho!” Sheep’Paw bowed her head. “Do you promise to protect your clan and the cats in it, even at the cost of your own life?” “I dtho!” Bumble’Star stepped down from the bank to sit beside the pool under it, with Sheep’Paw quickly following. “Then by the powers of StarClan…” Bumble’Star delicately dipped her paw into the pool, and lightly touched the apprentice’s forehead with it, “I give you your warrior name. You shall be known as Sheep’Hoof; StarClan honors your bravery. ” The cats around the circle cheered Sheep’Hoof’s name as the meeting was dismissed, some nuzzling her as she went past. Tree’Sparrow was proud of Sheep’Hoof. The black-furred she-cat remembered when her apprentice, Duck’Paw, was given his warrior name: Duck’Foot. Since then, there had been a massacre in MarshClan and many cats were killed, including Tree’Sparrow’s mate, Aardvark’Claw and her sister, Shark’Fin, and Duck’Foot. No one had ever found out what had caused the massacre, or who. “Wake up, Tree’Sparrow, you can’t sleep all day!” A white and brown paw patted her on the head. It was Lark’Song, the deputy. “Alright, alright, hang on,” Tree’Sparrow grumbled as she sleepily shook herself awake and trotted out of the den. There was a ring of cats around a tree root, which the deputy sat atop when assigning patrol duties. Lark’Song was calling orders from the root at this moment. “Salmon’Leap, Beaver’Tail, and Sheep’Hoof,” he was saying, “You three try hunting around the Toad Ponds. Tree’Sparrow, Bumble’Star and I will go hunt over Where River Meets Marsh. Penguin’Fur, Frog’Hop, and your apprentice, Wolf’Paw, go find some herbs in the Willow Tree Forest. That leaves Sun’Bear, Zebra’Stripe, and Gecko’Foot to tend to the camp.” As Lark’Song said, Tree’Sparrow followed the leader and deputy to the place where the river ended and the marsh began. “Lark’Song, you scout over by the willows,” Bumble’Star directed them, “Tree’Sparrow, you try to catch something near the rocks over there by the riverbank. I’ll fish near the rapids.” Tree’Sparrow nodded. “Good luck everyone!” She strolled off to the large rocks by the riverbank. The black cat sniffed around for any prey scents. She could just faintly smell lizard, since lizard scent wasn’t very strong. Then she saw something skitter over the rocks. A blue-tailed skink. She crouched down, slowly sneaking towards the rocks. There it was, sunbathing. She slightly repositioned her posture, made sure the jump was possible and leaped! She had caught the lizard, proudly grooming her fur. She wondered what the others had caught. Suddenly Salmon’Leap came galloping towards her. “Tree’Sparrow! Oh..oh thank StarClan.. you were here, s-something..got sh-sh-Sheep’Hoof!” The brown -slightly green- she-cat’s eyes were wide with terror. Then her body went limp and she collapsed on the sand. Tree’Sparrow went over to her and checked her pulse. She was fine, though very tired and scratched up, probably from running through and over loose sticks and rocks. “Lark’Song! Bumble’Star!” Tree’Sparrow yowled with all her might. The leader and deputy came running a few seconds later. “Oh, StarClan! What happened?” Bumble’Star gasped. “She’s fine, but.. it seems Sheep’Hoof’s not. Before she collapsed, she told me something got the newly made warrior.” “Goodness. We have to go down to the Toad Ponds right away!” Lark’Song sprinted away, Bumble’Star not far behind. “Let’s get you back to camp, huh?” Tree’Sparrow nuzzled Salmon’Leap’s side. The scratched-up she-cat was just waking up, and was shaking all over, trying to stand. “J-just..leave me here…f-for now…” Tree’Sparrow shook her head and whacked Salmon’Leap’s face with her tail. “No, silly, I'm not going to leave you behind. Come on, you can lean on my shoulder.” The two of them slowly walked back to camp, taking some rest stops along the way. Sheep’Hoof, and Beaver’Tail, who was also dead, had already been brought back to camp, with some of the clan’s warriors and the medicine cat, Frog’Hop, standing beside them with looks of grief and fear on their faces. The deceased cats’ bodies had at least one or two giant gashes in them, and bloody all over. It was an ugly sight. “There’s nothing I can do. They’re long gone,” said Frog’Hop somberly, “Something took bites out of them. Deep, brutal bites.” She looked up at Salmon’Leap, “You were the only other cat in that group. Did you see anything?” The greenish-brown she-cat was still shivering, her eyes wide, leaning against Tree’Sparrow. “B-b-big, gnashing, c-clashing j-jaws…round, h-huge sh-shell…” her breathing quickened, “b-blood..b-b-blood e-everywhere….” The medicine cat nodded. “Thank you for telling us. You go to my den now and get some rest.” Tree’Sparrow helped bury Beaver’Tail and Sheep’Hoof, wondering what had killed them..Salmon’Leap said that it had big jaws and a shell...it must’ve been a turtle, but she didn’t think any turtle could be that big…
I know, it looks really janky so far. but i am trying to fix it, so please, just wait! You CANNOT imagine how awful it is in code form.