Panthermoon

********* Chapter 1: The Birth of a Killer**********
"Goodbye, Brackenshimmer. I'm going hunting." a large, grey tom said as he left his small den. His mate,Brackenshimmer, a thin black she-cat, stepped outside to bid him farewell.
"Good luck, Bladewhisker! Try out by the Swinging Branch. The rabbits have been running good there. They're fattest there,too, so they're easier to catch!"she called after her mate. Pantherkit, a miniature copy of her mother, the couples' only kit, stepped out of the den.
" Bye, Daddy!" she squealed before plummeting back into the warmth of the den. Just as Bladewhisker turned toward the direction of the Swinging Branch, a strange scent caught his attention. He turned to face his mate.
" Yes, I smell it, too." Brackenshimmer said with an uneasy tone about her voice.
"What is it? I've never smelled anything like it before."Bladewhisker looked uncertain.
" I think i reckognize it, Bladewhisker. I think it might be.... BADGER!!" Brackenshimmer yelped as the beast came charging out of the woods.
" Noooo!! Not Pantherkit, please don't let it smell Pantherkit!" she said franticly.She began to run around in circles as a result of her panic. Brackenshimmer didn't notice the badger charging up behind her as she took her last breaths.
" Nooooo!!" Bladewhisker cried with despair. He charged at the badgers face.He reached out and sliced the badger's face.He ripped at it's large chest, and then dived underneath it.He quickly turned over and began to bite,claw,rip, and tear at the badger's stomache.The badger quickly tried to retreat. This was one cat she did NOT want to mess with.
Since the badger had moved, Bladewhisker was left on his back flailing aimlessly at the air. He swiftly turned over onto his feet and charged at the retreating badger's left flank. He jumped up and latched onto the badger with his claws while he bit at it.
"This one was for you, Brackenshimmer!" Bladewhisker yowled his last words.
The old, weak, badger gave one final groan before falling over, on her left side. The impact crushed and killed Bladewhisker.The badger could not get up. She died soon after.
Pantherkit stretched and then yawned inside the cozy den."Hey , Daddy, what did you catch me?" she asked. "Oh." she said as she realized her father wasn't home yet. "Mom? Are you home?" Pantherkit was confused. Her mother rarely left the den.
Pantherkit stepped outside."Mom?"She was heartbroken.She ran to her mother's side.
She crouched down and began to lick in between her mother's ears, as she used to do to Pantherkit at night before she went to sleep."Daddy? Daaadddy!?! Where are you?" she was now sobbing. As she approached the badger, she noticed a paw the same smoky grey color as her father's pelt poking out from underneath the beast.
She had been tugging on the paw until twilight before she finally got the whole body out from underneath the badger.Poor little Pantherkit tried to contain her tears, but they were too strong, and flooded down her small cheeks.
She remembered something her mother had told her several suns before,which seemed so perfectly timed to Pantherkit at the moment.
"Pantherkit, when I die, you must stay up all night and sit in the clearing out in front of the den. You must sit vigilante for me." Yes. That is what she would do that night. And that is what she did.
The next morning, after her vigilante was over, Pantherkit decided to try her luck hunting."The Swinging Branch is the best place for hunting. Always try there first." she repeated her fathers words from her first and only training session.
"I have officially been alive for six moons now. I'm not Pantherkit anymore. I am Pantherpaw, the apprentice with NO mentor." Pantherpaw thought aloud. Pantherpaw had never been out of the den except to go to the dirtplace. She turned to face the direction her father had been facing when he was about to head out the day before. She hoped the Swinging Branch was that way.
She walked until she saw a large, flimsy looking branch that was hanging from a regular, sturdy looking branch.There were at least five rabbits in the clearing.She darted for the nearest bush and crouched down. A plump rabbit was sitting less than three feet away from her position in the bush. It was eating a carrot.
She lunged at it, but missed. " Mouse- dung!" she hissed as she rolled back into the bush. Then suddenly, an idea hit her. She remembered her mothers directions on how to get to a small carrot patch with the fattest, juiciest carrots.
She dug up several of these carrots before following her own scent trail back to the Swinging Branch. She moved to where all the rabbits could see here, and , of course, they all ran back inside their burrows. She began to dig furiously. She dug until she had a hole so deep, not even a rabbit could hop out! She gathered up a bunch of leaves and carefully laid them on top of the hole. She placed the carrot on top of the pile of leaves.
She crouched in the nearest bush and waited. The rabbits began to emerge from their burrows.They hopped around carrying on with their usual social habbits, but then, one especially fat, greedy rabbit, hopped on over to pick up the carrot.
"Come on. Come onnnn......" Pantherpaw whispered. The rabbit hopped right on top of the carrot. It plummeted down to the bottom of the hole.Pantherpaw planned on the rabbit starving, which, it did after several days of waiting. Pantherpaw was starving when she approached the hole. She down looked and and saw the dead rabbit she expected to find.
She clumsily hopped down into the hole. She picked up the fattest rabbit she had ever seen in her jaws and skillfully climbed up the walls of the hole, using her claws to grasp the firm earth. She was satisfyied with her meal that sun, but decided that her rabbit hole was better off untouched. She reserved it for emergency hunting.
Five moons later, Pantherpaw was the best warrior the forest had ever known. She skillfully stalked prey and swifly pounced on it, claws unsheathed. She practiced perfecting her hunting, day and night. Her hunting was endless and most of the time she wasted prey.She was learning how to convert her prey catching techniques into skilled battle moves. She practiced on fallen logs. She was an extremely excellent fighter.
"Panthermoon." she thought happily to herself. "My new name will be Pantherm--"a kits mewling voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Help! Someone, please help me! I'm scared! Mom? Dad? Frostkit? Help!" the kit mewed.
"You're on my territory!" Panthermoon hissed. She charged the kit. She ate with delight that evening. She became a cannibal, for she particularly enjoyed the taste of kit. She promised herself that every encounter she had with a kit would not end well on the kits side of the deal, but a full stomach on Panthermoon's side.
Panthermoon was tiring of her boring life alone, and had heard stories from her parents about a terrible killer clan called Fangclan that was only twenty miles east of her current territory. She knew that the next few weeks of her life would not be boring. She decided that she would set off on her journey the next morning.
Panthermoon yawned and stretched. She got up at dawn. She set off to hunt so she would have a full stomach for the first of the journey. She crouched with her stomach almost touching the ground as she waited for her prey to appear. She was watching a crow's nest with a few unhatched eggs in it while she waited for the mother to appear.
But what Panthermoon did not know was that this was a very smart bird. It was in a tree far above waiting for Panthermoon to tire and leave. And eventually, she did. She patiently padded over to the Swinging Branch, which was about fifty yards away from the nest.
She crouched low, haunches gathering up all her strength, waiting to propell it into her forepaws when she made the leap. And then she was ready for the pounce. The rabbit went down easy. So did the small lizard, who was unfamiliar to cats eating lizards, who happened to be at the swinging branch.
Once Panthermoon felt well fed, she stalked off to the east. This journey would be hard, and Panthermoon knew it.
**********Chapter 2: The Journey**********
"Mouse dung!" Panthermoon cursed under her breath as she watched the vole scurry away, completey unharmed by the likes of such a cat as Panthermoon, for she was not familiar with this type of prey. She had only begun her journey yesterday and she was already beginning to starve.
" Maybe there's at least something edible in the river. Probably not. Frogs only like ponds and small streams. Mouse Dung! I hate fish! Oh well, might as well get used to it now." she hissed. She padded over to the bank, all the while wondering how in the world she could catch such a creature as a fish.
She crouched down, ready for the leap. She pounced as soon as the first fish flopped up out of the water. She unsheathed her claws as her outstretched paws clasped the fish. She landed right in the ice cold water, and from the shock, sheathed her claws, and the fist got away.
Panthermoon struggled to keep her head above the rushing water. "No! Not that way! The other way! Stupid water.Fangclan is east, not west! I'm going right back where I came from!"She lay unconsious on the river bank for several hours,until she finally awoke.
"Where am I?" she mewed a little dizzily. She didnt even bother to open her eyes, for she had them tightly shut because she was cringing in pain.
" You're on my territory." replied the voice of an angry tom.
"Is this Fangclan?" She sprang up and opened her eyes immediately.
" Fangclan? You mean that nasty clan down in the woods?" the tom sounded curious now.
"Yes that one. Do you know how far it is from here?" she asked
" I'd say, ohhhh..... about.....umm..... probably somewhere around, 250 miles?" he said it as if he was unsure, as if he were asking himself rather than Panthermoon.
"What?!?! 250 miles?!?!? Are you serious? Ohhh.... it'll take weeks to get there!" she moaned
" What's so special about Clawclan anyway?" he asked.
"Fangclan." she corrected him
" What's so special about Fangclan anyway?" he repeated himself as if he hadnt been mistaken the first time and hadnt been corrected.
" Fangclan only houses killers." she edged closer to the tom. " I'm seeking to join this clan." she moved a little bit closer.The tom was so stupid that he didnt realize that that was a hint that his life would be over in five seconds.
" Ahhh.... now that that's over with, i must find another cat to ask the direction i am seeking, and then, he, or she, will join their little friend here." she looked at the tom, lying there, the pain from the sudden neck bite still twisted into his face.
" Socks? Where are you? Melon wants you to play with him and Blackberry." A she- cats voice spoke. Panthermoon took a moment to observe her surroundings and see where the voice was coming from. She saw a huge two-leg den, a white picket fence, a sprinkler, and at last, what she was searching for. A she-cats head was sticking out of a cat door on the garage.
Panthermoon quickly nudged the tom into the river, and then licked her lips clean of blood. She approached the she-cat.
"Who are you?" the she-cat immediatetly crouched into a defensive posture.
"I am Panthermoon. I want to find Fangclan and you will tell me which direction to go or die." Panthermoon hissed
"I will tell you nothing!" the she-cat hissed.
"Then prepare to die." Panthermoon was becoming a bit annoyed.
"250 miles east of here. Happy? Good. Now leave." the she-cat answered
"No. I need a traveling companion. You'll be perfect. Now, what's your name?"
"No! I have six kits!''
"Good. Now we won't be hungry."Panthermoon mewed. The she-cat lunged under Panthermoon's stomach, quickly rolled onto her back, and began clawing at Panthermoon's underbelly. She rolled out from underneath Panthermoon and ran into the garage.
"Mouse dung!" Panthermoon was caught by surprise in a moment of vulnerability. She ran through the cat door into the garage. There were six kits all curled up around their mother. "What is your name? I demand an answer!" Panthermoon hissed.The mother stared at Panthermoon menacingly, but said nothing.
There was a burst of sound as all of the kits called out their names.
"Apple!"
"Banana!"
"Strawberry!"
"Melon!"
"Blueberry!"
Panthermoon looked at the small black kit who had not recited his name.
"What about you?" she asked.
"Blackberry....." whispered the kit.
"What?"
"Blackberry!" the kit said a little louder. Panthermoon observed that the biggest kit was Blueberry. She grabbed Blueberry by the scruff and sprinted out of the garage as if her life depended on it, which it probably did, considering the size of the she-cat who was in quick pursuit of her.
Blueberry squealed with excitement. He loved adventure. Eventually, the mother thought she was too far away from the rest of her kits, and gave up.
"What's your name?" Blueberry asked.
"Panthermoon. And your new name is Bluekit."
"Are you one of those forest cats mama talks about?"
"Yes."
"Wow......." Bluekit gazed admiringly up at Panthermoon.
"Now.....we find east! That should be easy enough if we follow the river I came here on...... do you know where the river is?" She hissed.
" It should be straight ahead....i think."
"Good." She trudged forward with dignity.
They soon came upon a large river. Panthermoon looked at the river and observed it for a moment. She turned the opposite way the river was flowing and walked along the riverbank. "Kit, can you hunt?" she mewed as she thought of the horror of having to hunt for the kit....or worse. Let it suckle her. She shuddered. "Yes. I am the only one!" Bluekit mewed with pride as he interrupted Panthermoons nightmare.
"Thats good. Do you know how to fight?"
"I fight with my brothers and sisters all the time!"
"Not simply quarreling! I mean like actual fighting! Like when clan cats battle each other! Like this!" Panthermoon turned and swiped the kit across the nose with her claws unsheathed. Or at least she thought she did. The kit ducked and rolled under Panthermoons belly. He clawed furiously before getting up and jumping on Panthermoons back.He reached down and raked her flanks with his claws.
Panthermoon didn't want to have to kill her companion, but she would, if necessary. She threw the kit off of her back and charged at it. When she was just inches away and about to attack, the kit pounced and clung to Panthermoons muzzle with his tiny claws. He pushed himself up onto her head and bent down to bite her scruff. "I win." the kit said playfully. He only meant this as play fighting.
Panthermoon tossed the kit off and gave it a quick deathbite to the neck. "I win." she said with a smirk. Panthermoon turned and continued her stride down the riverbank. She paused and turned around. She kicked the kit into the river. Panthermoon traveled for days, stopping only to hunt, sleep, and make dirt.
She traveled for four moons and two days,to be exact. She sniffed the air. She smelled another cat. Lots of other cats.

********Chapter 3: Fangclan********

"Who are you and why are you on our territory?" questioned a tom who was with another small group of cats.

" I am Panthermoon, most skilled hunter of the forest, seeking to join the killer clan." She waved her tail and looked at a particurlarly handsome black tom with ice blue eyes in the front left of the group. He stared at her before turning to lick a light grey she cat who was standing beside him. His mate. Of course he had a mate. She singled out another tom. He was very muscular, a large light brown tom whos fur darkened at the paws, ear tips, muzzle, and tail tip.
"Very well then. Come along." The white tom who was leading the group instructed. She took a second to observe the group. The white male leading, the black tom and his mate, the dark tipped brown cat, an orange striped female, a dull brown male, and a small smoky grey colored female. Who send eight cats on a patrol?
They arrived at the camp, which was huge. There were at least twenty cats in the camp. And she could see into the huge dens, which were all as big as a typical clan camp each, and there were at least ten more in the apprentices den, and even more in the warriors den. "This place is huge! Look at all these cats! How do you hunt for them all? What about the medicine cat? Won't he or she be overburdened if a number of these cats were to be injured?"
The orange female nodded toward a smaller den. "Medicine cats den." Panthermoon looked inside. There were six medicine cats inside. "The other four must be out gathering herbs."
"You mean there are ten medicine cats?" The cat just nodded.
"The thing is, I don't even know half the cats in this clan." The dark tipped tom spoke. "And I was one of the first cats in this clan. Before, when you were about apprentice age, there were hardly any cats in this clan. Just me, the leader, one medicine cat, and three warriors. But then sent the warriors out to recruit. Now look at us. Reeling in more every day. Even you, but you found us, not the other way around."
"So you're the deputy then?"
The tom sneered. "Was. Until the leader tried to butter up this female with making her deputy."
Panthermoon realized that this tom was a little older than her. He had been a warrior and mentored at least one apprentice before she was even a warrior. But that wasn't a bad thing, nor a good thing.