Jackal the Player 28

About one or two moons had passed since Fallenkit was brought to camp. Things had been going smoothly, too smoothly in Jackalstar's opinion. The kits were being kits, growing quickly and learning every day. The warriors were plump with the prey of new~leaf and had no complaints when carrying out their duties.

The only thing that had dampened everyone's spirits was the deaths of Darkfeather and Frostywhisker to the mysterious disease, and that Eveningsky had jumped off the top of the waterfall and committed suicide.

"Jackalstar?" The large tom broke out of his daze as his great-grandkit Viperstrike padded forward. The small silver and black tabby tom looked troubled.
"What is it?" Jackalstar narrowed his eyes.
"I've scented a rogue on our territory, sir." He looked to his paws as if it were his fault the rogue were here.
"Where?" Jackalstar bristled with fury. He had sworn he'd gotten rid of all the rogues for good.
"The Cancoon, sir. And he hasn't just been wandering, he's been scent marking." Jackalstar's lip curled back in disgust.
"If you find him, kill him."
"But sir, killing is against the-"
"I don't care if killing other cats is against the code." Jackalstar hissed, and Viperstrike looked alarmed.

"I'm going to go look for him. Get Rabbitleap, Hawkstorm and Basilwolf." Viperstrike nodded and darted towards the warriors den. Jackalstar licked his chest a few times before he padded to the entrance. Moonleap and Frailnight were lying right beside it sharing tongues. As the leader approached his brother looked up, delighted to see him.
"Going to get some fresh air finally?" Moonleap offered a friendly smile.
"Actually I'm going to hunt down a rogue." He snarled, impatiently waiting for the warriors.

As the patrol finally gathered, they set out immediately with Viperstrike at the lead to show where the rogue was. The toms padded along confidently, except for little Hawkstorm who seemed terrified at the thought of rogues.
"You did great in battle against the rogues," Rabbitleap spoke up as he saw his friend trembling. "Why are you scared of a single rogue?"
"Because what rogue is crazy enough to scent mark on Clan territory after everything that's happened?"
"Well we'll never know if you all keep talking and give us away." Jackalstar snapped as they approached the Cancoon, which brought back the stinging memory of one of the nights Jackalstar spent here with Foxfaith.

But as they entered the clearing that surrounded the Cancoon, the rogue's scent was so strong it was stinging Jackalstar's eyes. He snarled in disgust.
"Coward." He spat as he looked to a tree marked with scratches from the rogue's claws.

"Well wouldn't that be the cat calling the crow black, Jackalstar?"

The patrol whirled around as a shadow emerged from the undergrowth. It was an immense white tom, with intense glowing amber eyes. The top of one of his ears had a nick in it, and he had patches of missing fur all over his face. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Who are you?" Viperstrike demanded, his pelt bristling.
"I am Ice." The tom snarled, prowling forward.
"It looks like you still have some battle scars from us." Rabbitleap snickered, stepping in front of the still trembling Hawkstorm. Basilwolf nodded in agreement. The tom was nearly mute, so Jackalstar didn't expect him to join in on the taunting. Even Jackalstar himself remained quiet as the tom explained himself.

"You think you pesky Clan cats gave me these wounds?" He hissed. "These are battle scars from fighting the fiercest cats you'll ever meet besides me."
"Well then what are you doing on our territory?" Viperstrike spat.
"MoonClan thinks they own everything." Ice set his gaze on Jackalstar. "I was once Icepaw of OceanClan. And evidently without many cats left, including a medicine cat," His gaze hardened and Jackalstar gulped hard. "The Clan was too weak and collapsed. So, I went to the city. Where I met some rogues who forced me to learn and adapt to their way of life." The tom began pacing as he spoke of his troubled past. "So when Scourge got together all of his followers, I moved with the others to the woods. Lucky for you all, I was out chasing dogs that night." Hawkstorm let out a squeak of alarm at the mention of this crazy cat chasing dogs. "If I had been there, you would've been terminated. I came home to dead bodies and blood. I've been raised to hate MoonClan. You cal yourself a Clan yet you slaughter other cats and mate with medicine cats. You don't even obey the only code that keeps you together! But don't worry...I'll have you know," he stopped pacing to stare Jackalstar dead in the eye, a crazed look on his face. "I'll have my revenge." With that, he padded towards the undergrowth and seemed to melt into the shadows without even rustling the bushes.

"What if he follows us to camp?" Hawkstorm breathed.
"I wondered why OceanClan had been so quiet for so long..." Basilwolf mumbled to himself, licking his light brown tabby pelt that had been ruffled from the confrontation.
"Well then we need to get back even quicker." Rabbitleap turned to the leader, his rabbit-like ears pricked. Without even giving an order Jackalstar just started padding back towards camp, his ears flat with frustration.

As Jackalstar rustled the whole entrance to camp, every cat in the Clearing shrunk back as they knew he was angry. Even the kits ran back to the Nursery. Jackalstar made his way towards the High Stump and his patrol followed without a word, and the Clan began to gather without even being told. But just as Jackalstar perched himself atop the High Stump the woods went silent, and in the distance there was the sound of undergrowth being trampled. Whoever was approaching had no intentions of being quiet.

The whole Clan turned as Ice made his way through the entrance as comfortably entering camp as any cat would that lived in MoonClan all their life. Murmurs immediately broke out, and Lilacsong gasped, her fur on end.

"I told you he'd follow us!" Hawkstorm screeched. Viperstrike took a step towards the rogue.
"Who invited you to our camp, maggot?"
"I invited myself." He held his chin up proudly, surveying the clearing. "What a nice home...And lovely cats." He snickered as he cast his gaze over Jackalstar's clanmates. Before Jackalstar could jump off the High Stump and shred the tom, he settled his gaze on Lilacsong, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"My my...Well if it isn't the lovely Lilac. Well I haven't seen you in quite some time." He grinned, revealing sharp yellow teeth. Lilacsong looked infuriated, and Cloudfur sat beside her looking rather confused.
"Mom, who is that?" Cloudfur whispered loud enough for the tom to hear.
"Mom? Does this mean this is our daughter, Lilac?" The Clearing broke out in gasps of shock and Lilacsong was on her feet now, her claws unsheathed. Her kits stood in the entrance of the Nursery, watching with keen interest.

"You're my father?" Cloudfur's eyes widened immensly, and her mate Basilwolf took a threatning step towards the rogue.
"You're mother never told you the name of the rogue she mated with? Tsk tsk. Lilac, I thought you were different." Lilacsong bristled with fury in silence, about to rip this tom's face off.
"Ooh, you look like you've just given birth..." He padded closer to the queen and that's when Jackalstar finally leaped off the High Stump, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Where's your mate?" Ice continued. "I'd love to meet him and your kits..."

Jackalstar leaped between Ice and Lilacsong, curling his lip back.
"If you take another step forward I'll claw your eyes out and feed them to the birds. You're not welcome here."
"What are you gonna do, Jackalstar? Kill me? Break the code you're supposed to follow?" None of the cats in the Clan spoke up. Because it was true. Their leader didn't follow the Warrior Code.

"I best be going then." Ice turned and flicked his battle-scarred tail at the Clan. "See you all soon, don't miss me for too long." He slipped out of the camp silently, melting into the shadows again like an inigma.

Jackalstar turned to his deputy, but she was already padding back towards the Nursery. Cloudfur followed eagerly on her paws, looking even more shocked than Jackalstar was. He'd forgotten once more that Cloudfur was Lilacsong's daughter, and that her father had never been determined since Lilacsong joined the Clan pregnant.

"Well don't just stand around." Jackalstar snapped, looking at the Clan. "Nightstalker, Thunderpride and Hootfury, go follow him. Flamefur, Thistleflight, Wolverinefury and Mosssky, get working on that Prisoner's den. Moonleap, Russetfury, Flamestorm and Huntingstep, go hunting and stock up the fresh-kill pile." Jackalstar was about to pad back to his den but Crowfrost cut him off, looking deeply irritated. He'd never really talked to the tom, but with his sour attitude Jackalstar knew he didn't like the tom.

"Willowlight has given birth." He announced, eyeing his leader. "She requested from me that I told you of all cats."
"Well obviously she'd want me to know." Jackalstar snapped at the scrawny black tom. Crowfrost's mood soured even more than before. "I love Willowlight more than anyone else here." He said, as if challenging Crowfrost to deny it.

Jackalstar immediately padded to the Nursery, and as  he stepped inside he was surprised to see Rainstorm by Willowlight's side. He looked around, and all the queens and kits were outside to leave Willowlight to kit in solitude.
"Everything okay?" He ducked his way in and padded to Willowlight's side, looking down at the small bundles of fur.

"The silver tabby female is Silverkit," Willowlight announced proudly. "And the fluffy black tom is Ravenkit." She just stared at her kits, in total awe of them. It was her second litter, and she was lucky enough to not lose any.
"Their birth went perfectly." Rainstorm purred. "We believe Silverkit is Flamestorm's daughter, and Ravenkit is Crowfrost's son."
"That's why I named him Ravenkit, because Ravens and Crows are so similar." Willowlight purred, as if she were proud of herself. She had seemed to come to terms with the fact that it was her responsibilty that the kits were of two fathers.

"Have you told Flamestorm and Crowfrost the truth?" Jackalstar asked, eyeing his grandkit.
"Yes. Flamestorm was angry at first, but he's forgiven me. Crowfrost on the other hand doesn't want to speak to me. But that's fine." She shrugged. It seemed as if she didn't care about either of the toms now. Jackalstar didn't bother delving into the drama and just shrugged. He and Rainstorm padded out to let Willow rest.

"Did she have kits?" Essencekit, Birdkit, Maplekit and Starkit came bounding over.
"A boy and a girl." Rainstorm spoke up, looking proudly at the kittens.
"I wanna meet them!" Birdkit thrust her chin in the air and went marching towards the entrance. Rainstorm blocked the kit with her tail.
"I don't think so. Willowlight needs her rest."
"She can sleep and we'll watch the kittens!" Starkit offered, and Essencekit nodded in agreement. Maplekit just looked happy at the news of kits.

Jackalstar watched the other kits. Fangkit and Scorchkit were on the ground wrestling, while Darkkit was pouncing around Violetkit who looked like she was about to rip his ear off. Hollowkit sat by Coyotekit and Fallenkit, watching it all with great amusement.

"...Don't you agree Jackalstar?" Jackalstar brought his attention back to the female kittens before him.
"Yes." He nodded, although he had a habit of tuning Rainstorm out. The kits all groaned in protest.

"Did Willowlight have her kits yet?" Cloudfur came padding over with Hazelsoul by her side.
"Yes. I believe she's sleeping right now though." Jackalstar looked to Cloudfur, and she looked a little dissapointed that she couldn't see her best friend just yet. Hazelsoul shrugged.
"We can visit later." Hazelsoul looked to the pretty white she-cat. "We have plenty of other kits to play with. Isn't that right Essencekit?"
"Wanna play kick the rock againt?" The small light brown tabby she-kit eyes widened with excitement. Hazelsoul and Essencekit took off running, looking for a stone.

"What do you pretty little ladies think about hearing a story from Viperstar?" Cloudfur purred. Jackalstar wasn't even bothered that Viperstar had kept the 'star' in his name when he retired. Birdkit, Maplekit and Starkit went bounding towards the bush that made up the Elder's Den.
"Daddy!" Starkit was ahead of the other kits and Cloudfur. "Daddy come tell us a story!"

"Well, we'll have plenty of apprentices that's for sure." Rainstorm spoke up. Jackalstar nodded.
"They're almost old enough to be apprentices, actually." Jackalstar pointed out. "I'd like for these kits to be made warriors before Willow's kits and any kits born after become apprentices, so we have enough warriors to spare."
"Well, those are leader responsibilities. I'll be in my den." Rainstorm began padding away.

"Don't forget what I've told you."

Jackalstar nearly leaped out of his fur as a small black kit with a white chest appeared beside him.

"Ambrosiakit? What are you doing here?"
"Have you forgotten?" She repeated, looking up at her brother. "Everyone wants happiness and no one wants pain...But you can't have a rainbow without a little rain." Her eyes glowed and her image wavered, and then she dissapeared into the air. Jackalstar blinked a few times. Was this a warning? For as long as he knew, there wasn't a prophecy as long as MoonClan existed. Could this be one?

And as it began to rain, Jackalstar knew her words had greater meaning. But just how great?