Warriors: Secrets of the clans.

[Sile]

Warriors: Finding the Secrets of the clans Series
By Sunstar.


Insert from book. Pg-


Dawnpaw shuffled her paws anxiously on the sandy lake shore. How dare Pineclan invade on their territory! Before her, Owltalon was glaring threateningly into Icefur's eyes, but Dawnpaw's mentor refused to be outdone. She stared back, just as fiercely, without flinching a single whisker.
“This is Sunclan's hunting grounds!” She growled, her powdery white fur along her neck and spine beginning to bristle. “Move on, or prepare to fight!” She drew her lips back into a warning snarl, revealing her small white teeth. Dawnpaw's fur stood on end with fear and excitement. A real Sunclan battle! But at the same moment, a small spark of doubt kindled within her. The Sunclan warriors were outnumbered, two to six. Owltalon's eyes glittered maliciously, for he clearly echoed Dawnpaw's thoughts, and believed Icefur would be beaten if they fought.
“Don't be foolish, Icefur. You are outnumbered. Would you really risk your apprentices life for the sake of your own stupidity?” He purred, a silky tone to his voice. His eyes found Dawnpaw as he spoke. “It looks as though Sunclan warriors think they are stronger than the other clans,” He meowed to his warriors. “Why don't we show them what Pineclan is really about?” His patrol of warriors murmured in agreement. “After all,” He sneered, “Sunclan must really be suffering. Especially if they are keen on training a three-moon-old-kit-sized-apprentice to do their work for them. Is your clan so desperate for warriors that you are going to train your most weakest kit?” There was a hint of a snarl in his voice. Dawnpaw felt a rush of anger, so strong it nearly knocked her off her paws. She stepped forward, angrily, ignoring Icefur's warning hiss.
“Sunclan is not desperate!” She hissed. “You Pineclan warriors think you are so great just because you have more warriors than the rest of the clans! The truth is, no cat thinks of you as a great clan, they fear you! True warriors are willing to sacrifice themselves for the safety and defense of their clan! That's what Sunclan is about. They are loyal, strong, and clan-bred warriors willing to defend their clan for safety and health, not greed! Can you say as much?” She bared her teeth into a snarl of defiance. She could feel Icefur's proud gaze, staring at her approvingly.
The Pineclan warriors, however, were now bristling with their own rage. Her speech clearly had no effect, and with a feeling of hopelessness, Dawnpaw saw unsheathed claws and bared fangs. These starved and inspirited warriors were going to attack!



This book is dedicated to Erin Hunter, a special thanks for the Warriors books they had made for readers.

Allegiances

Sunclan

Leader: Morningstar- Black and white splotched she-cat, Yellow eyes.
Apprentice: Whitepaw
Deputy: Tawnyclaw- Black and brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Medicine cat: Leafdapple- Pretty brown she-cat with blue eyes. Apprentice: Foxpaw
Warriors:
Bluetail- Black she-cat with a blueish-gray tail, yellow eyes. Apprentice: Sandpaw
Grayheart- Huge gray tom with yellow eyes.
Apprentice: Lionpaw
Icefur- Powdery white she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentice: Dawnpaw
Longfur- Pale gray long-furred tom with dark yellow eyes. Apprentice- Goldenpaw
Ravenheart- Jet black she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Shadowfur- Dark brown, gray, and black tom with tuqouise eyes
Snowbird- Pure white long-furred she-cat with light blue eyes. Apprentice: Cloudpaw
Spottedfoot- White she-cat with black spots along her back, and blue eyes.
Apprentice: Mousepaw
Voleskitter- Small brown tom with blue eyes.
Apprentices:
Whitepaw- White she-cat with green eyes
Foxpaw- Reddish tom with golden yellow eyes
Sandpaw- Small pale brown she-cat with orange eyes
Lionpaw- Golden-furred tom with green eyes
Dawnpaw- Very small brown she-cat with creamy white paws, neck, muzzle, belly, and at the tip of her tail. Pretty green eyes.
Goldenpaw- Long-furred golden-brown tom with yellow eyes.
Cloudpaw- Long-furred white she-cat with light blue eyes
Mousepaw- Wiry brown she-cat with amber eyes
Queens:
Frostheart- Pure white she-cat with blue eyes
Kits- Icefur, Snowbird, Cloudpaw, Whitepaw, and Shadekit
Petalfoot- Brown she-cat with yellow eyes
Kits- Leafdapple, Shadowfur, Voleskitter, Sandpaw, Mousepaw, Leopardkit, and Littlekit
Cindertail- Brown she-cat, with puffy white-gray tail and pretty green eyes
Kits- Dawnpaw
Flowerpetal- Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
Not yet kitted
Elders:
Firefoot- Red tom with torn ears
Kindleheart- Short-tempered gray she-cat. Oldest cat in Sunclan.
Moondapple- Dark gray tom with yellow eyes.



Pineclan
Leader: Reedstar- Black and brown tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Puddlepaw
Deputy: Owltalon- Dark black and brown tabby tom with dark blue eyes
Apprentice: Splashpaw
Medicine cat: Orangemoon- Small black she-cat with golden eyes
Apprentice: Poppypaw
Warriors:
Clawfur- Matted gray tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Licepaw
Cedartail- Dark gray tom with blue eyes
Darkheart- Dark black and brown tabby with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Lakepaw
Nightfoot- White she-cat with black stripes and paws
Apprentice: Slowpaw
Rainwind- Pretty white tabby she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice: Thornpaw
Whispertail- Jet black tom with green eyes
Wildclaw- Dark brown she-cat with black stripes and blue eyes
Rabbithop- Tireless blue-gray tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Sootpaw
Loudstep- Reddish tom with white paws and green eyes
Twigheart- Light gray-yellowish she-cat with blue eyes
Robintail- Blue-gray tom with blue eyes
Apprentice: Gingerpaw
Oakflight- Huge dark brown tabby tom
Maplefur- Light gray and black tabby she cat
Apprentice: Skypaw
Tallfoot- Long-legged tortoiseshell she-cat with white muzzle
Ashmound- Smokey gray tom
Apprentice: Lightpaw
Horsefoot- Light chestnut she-cat with white chest
Fowlbird- Mangy gray tom with torn ears
Birdflight- Light gray and white silver tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Goldpaw
Apprentices:
Puddlepaw- Blue-gray tom
Splashpaw- Blue-gray tom
Poppypaw- Light brown she-cat
Licepaw- Silver tabby tom
Lakepaw- Blue-gray she-cat
Slowpaw- Crippled gray tom
Thornpaw-Small black she-cat
Sootpaw- Smokey gray tom
Gingerpaw- Reddish brown she-cat
Skypaw- Small brown and pure white pawed she-cat
Lightpaw- Mixture of colors, all lightened. Tabby she-cat
Goldpaw- Golden tabby tom
Queens:
Sandpoppy- Black she-cat
Kits: Whispertail, Maplefur, Thornpaw, and Mustykit
Flowerfur- Tortoiseshell she-cat
Kits: Not yet kitted
Leapstep- Brown and white striped she-cat
Kits: Wildclaw, Horsefoot, and Poppypaw
Riverheart- Small Blue-gray she-cat
Kits: Rabbitheart, Robintail, Puddlepaw, Splashpaw, and Lakepaw
Rushleaf- Gray she-cat
Kits: Ashmound and Sootpaw
Elders:
Hightail- Black and brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Willowsnooze- Large gray tom, oldest cat in Pineclan
Treewhisper- Brown tabby tom
Molescratch- Silver tabby she-cat




Brookclan

Leader: Stonestar- Big gray tom
Apprentice: Stormpaw
Deputy: Hawktalon- Black, brown, and white tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Keenpaw
Medicine cat: Heatherpool- Black tabby tom.
Warriors:
Clifthingycher- Gray tom
Apprentice: Crowpaw
Shelltail- Small blue-gray she-cat
Badgerheart- Black and white tabby she-cat
Eagletalon- Brown and white tom
Apprentice: Gorsepaw
Ghostfur- Pure gray misty tom
Apprentice: Bramblepaw
Browntail- White tom with a brown tail
Cloverfield- Dark gray tom
Apprentice: Sorelpaw
Patchpelt- White tom with black patches along side
Longclaw- Black tom with claws pulled from fight
Soundtail- Huge black tom
Grayfur- Long-furred gray she-cat
Shadowcatcher- Black she-cat
Apprentice: Birchpaw
Ivytail- Brown and black she-cat
Spiritheart- Reddish she-cat
Apprentices:
Keenpaw- Black tom
Stormpaw- Dark gray she-cat
Crowpaw- Gray she-cat
Gorsepaw- Red tom
Bramblepaw- Black and brown tabby she-cat
Sorelpaw- Reddish she-cat
Birchpaw- Black, white, and brown tabby tom
Queens:
Lightningstep- Bright gray she-cat
Kits: Stormpaw, and Crowpaw
Flufftail-
Kits: Birchpaw and Keenpaw
Elders
No-sight- Oldest cat in Brookclan. Lost sight. Gray tom.







Breezeclan

Leader: Brackenstar- Huge ginger tom
Apprentice: Owlpaw
Deputy: Swifttail- Long-legged, fast tabby tom
Medicine cat: Willowfoot- Light gray and white striped tom
Apprentice: Applepaw
Warriors:
Leopardspot- Golden she-cat with black and brown spots
Apprentice: Nightpaw
Cloudedtail- Big white she-cat
Runningstep- Fast ginger tom
Apprentice: Scratchpaw
Windracer- White tom
Windfur- Gray and black striped tom
Orangestripe- Orange-furred tom with yellow stripes
Spottedstep- Tortoiseshell she-cat with orange paws
Goldenheart- Golden tabby tom
Whitetail- Gray she-cat with a white tail
Dappleheart- Brown she-cat with ginger paws
Apprentice: Graypaw
Frosttail- Pure white she-cat
Winterstorm- Pure white she-cat
Featherwing- Orange she-cat
Mistywind- Light gray and white she-cat
Apprentice: Silverpaw
Apprentices:
Owlpaw- Dark brown tom
Applepaw- Reddish, orange she-cat
Nightpaw- Black tom
Brightpaw- White she-cat with ginger patches
Scratchpaw- Black and brown tom
Noonpaw- Black tom
Graypaw- Gray she-cat with black stripes
Silverpaw- Silver tabby she-cat
Queens:
Snowfur- Snowy white she-cat
Kits: Frosttail, Winterstorm, Brightpaw, and Icekit
Powdertail- Brown she-cat
Kits: Owlpaw, Mousekit, and Molekit
Bluestep- Blue-gray she-cat
Kits: Graypaw
Elders:
Crackstep- Brown tom, oldest cat in Breezeclan
Jumpingmoon- Younger white she-cat




Prologue


Two cats padded calmly onto a rain soaked patch of Earth. Their eyes were calm, thick muscles bulged beneath their thick pelts. Neither of the two cats flinched as lightning tore across the sky, setting the forest alight with flame. Their pelts clung to bone and mussel, soaked with rain from the forth going storm. The first cat spoke, her blue eyes glittering warily against the night sky.
“Morningstar, we have lost to many warriors in these battles. Is it really wise to keep fighting like this? Pineclan have more cats than any of the other clans. We cannot hope to make it through this war with so few warriors.” The muscular she-cat's black and brown tabby fur bristled anxiously when her leader did not answer. The black and white cat stared into the night sky, watching as night glittered above her. “Morningstar?” The cat was more wary now, her eyes glowing like full moons. Finally her leader turned. Her eyes were troubled.
“You are right to ask, Tawnyclaw. But what can we do? If we give up, Pineclan will take over. You know how blood-thirsty they are. They will kill any of our warriors who disagree with them. I can't keep sending our warriors out to die, so it's important we speed the training of our apprentices up even more. Sun-leaf was kind to us this season. We had plenty of kits before winter started.”
“Yes. You know Dawnkit is reaching her sixth moon tomorrow?” Tawnyclaw spoke now. Morningstar nodded wisely.
“She is very small to begin apprentice training. But she is swift and intelligent. Her small size may be used to her advantage.” There was an edge to Morningstar's voice, as though there was something else she wanted to say. Tawnyclaw spoke instead.
“Do you think we should tell her?” She mewed. Her eyes flashed with uncertainty. “I know she is smart enough to find out for herself. If we tell her now, we can spare her the betrayal of her finding out later. We are the only cats who know, right. You, me, Cindertail, and Sandpoppy?” Morningstar nodded.
“Yes. But we shouldn't tell her now. The tension between our two clans is bad enough. If we tell her now, we could risk her being divided from loyalty to her sister in Pineclan and her mother and clan mates here. And if we tell her now, she might go to Pineclan territory to see Skykit. Then Reedstar will make a civil war between out clans.” Morningstar twitched her ears disagreeably. Tawnyclaw dipped her head in submission, and the two cats turned and were swallowed up in the nightly undergrowth.

At the same moment where pines and oaks collided against each other, a shrill, angry wail interrupted the eerie silence. The ground was smeared with mud from the pounding storm. A small mouse hopped curiously out of the whispering bramble thicket undergrowth. It sniffed hopefully at the ground. ' Pine, sand, oak seeds,' It thought. It scrabbled over the slippery leaves, with small twittering paws. Their it was. The small precious little seed. Draped in sunlight as the clouds began to clear, and the sun began to push its way sluggishly through. He was two tail-lengths away, when his whiskers twitched. In the smallest of a mouse's heartbeats, the mouse pelted toward the hole, and cats crashed through the trees, their fur bristling in a mixture of anger and anxiously. One was a jet black she-cat, and the other was a young, small brown tom.
“Did you hear that cry? That must be Longfur!” The she-cat gasped. “He must have been attacked by Pineclan. He was supposed to patrol the border!” The brown tom took a flying leap over a fallen tree. The black she-cat began heading towards the far side of the border, but the brown tom called her back.
“Over here, Ravenheart! I can smell Longfur's scent trail!” Ravenheart swerved towards the small brown tom.
“You're right! I can see them fighting right now!” As the cats rounded over the small bend they could see a long-furred pale gray tom pinned to the ground by two vicious looking warriors and a young apprentice. Ravenheart recognized one of the warriors as Cedartail, a dark gray tom she had met at a gathering. The other warrior was a black and brown tom, and probably his apprentice, a blue-gray she-cat named Lakepaw. The apprentice looked horrified at attacking this one cat. Longfur's pelt was now matted with blood, but he still lashed out, strongly, with all four paws. As Ravenheart and the small tom raced ever so closer, the black and brown tom lunged forward and sunk his teeth into Longfur's neck. Blood stained the weakening toms neck and he choked on a small wail of blood.
“No!” Ravenheart yowled. She hurled herself down the rocky wall, and landed heavily on the black and brown toms back. Voleskitter sprang at Cedartail and began clawing at his face and eyes. Lakepaw lashed out uncertainly at Ravenheart, but the jet black she-cat kicked out with her powerful hind legs, and sent the small she-cat sprawling in the dust. She dug her claws deep in the tom she had pinned beneath her, and bit down hard. She could feel the muscle, packed hard beneath this toms pelt, and he kicked forward, taking Ravenheart by surprise, and they both rolled over and over in a shrieking whirl of teeth and claws. Voleskitter hissed in anger as Cedartail raked his claws down the side of his head. He reared back ready to slam down on the Pineclan warriors back, but before either of them could move, Ravenheart and the black and brown tom crashed into them forcing them both apart.
Suddenly the black and brown tom twisted upward, forcing Ravenheart into the air, and twisting around the tom slammed down hard onto her back, knocking the breath out of her. Fierce claws raked down her spine, and teeth closed in around the back of her neck. Twisting and snarling, Ravenheart struggled to lash out at the tom, but he had a strength that kept her pinned beneath and forced her muzzle into the earth.
“Mousedung!” She snarled, spitting out mud and sand as the tom bit down into her shoulder. But with her neck now free, Ravenheart was able to twist her around, and bite down hard into the tom's striped black tail. He yowled in pain and whipped around to free himself. At the moment he let up, Ravenheart broke free of his grip and pounced on his back again. This time she showed no mercy, and she gave the tom a few vicious bites to the shoulder before springing off and bowling him over again with the single swipe of her paw. The tom sprang to his paws and fled for the safety of the Pineclan border. Ravenheart didn't bother chasing the tom, and turned instead to Longfur.
He was twitching feebly, and his blood-soaked flanks heaved as he fought for air. His eyes were glazed over with pain and shock. Ravenheart scrambled to Longfur's side, her face twisted suddenly with shock and grief. She scooped up a pawful of cobwebs and pushed them into his neck wound. She didn't even bother tending to her own wounds. A hiss sounded behind her as Voleskitter finally chased of Cedartail, and sent the dark gray tom wailing like a kit through the brambles. Voleskitter turned to Ravenheart. He looked to her expectantly, as though waiting for directions. Ravenheart flicked her tail impatiently. This was no time to be foolish!
“Don't just stand there! Go back to camp and fetch Leafdapple and Morningstar. Tell them there was an ambush waiting for Longfur at the border and he was badly hurt! Go! Now!” She bared her teeth and hissed. She looked down at the injured warrior. Longfur had been Ravenheart's mate for uncountable moons. If he died now, Ravenheart wouldn't know what she would do. “Don't worry Longfur. Just a little bit longer. You'll be fine. The clan will look after you. You were very brave,” she whispered sliding her tail gently down his blood-stained pelt and coaxing him to relax. He tried to lift his head off the ground, but the effort of that sent blood spilling from his terrible wound even faster. He opened his mouth spoke, but the words were so mangled Ravenheart had no idea what he was saying. He tried to speak again, but choked on blood. The third time, Ravenheart was able to detect a few words he spoke.
“Leave...Save.....Kits.” He coughed and spluttered fur a moment. “Starclan....save,” he choked again, but when he tried to speak Ravenheart leaned forward and gently silenced him with her tail.
“Quiet, Longfur. Save your breathe, and your strength. You can tell me when we get back to camp,” Ravenheart mewed. But Longfur didn't stop speaking.
“Join...Starclan,” He wheezed. “Don't....b' scared,” He drew in a gasping breathe. Ravenheart pushed herself down closer. “No,” She growled. “You are staying here. I won't let them take you.” Longfur's tiny movements were growing more feeble by the heartbeat. He laid his head on the ground and stared up at the darkening sky. “Longfur, don't!” Ravenheart pleaded. Her voice had now dropped to a whisper, although it seemed as though the whole forest could hear it. “You can't leave me!” Ravenheart was so distraught she had not noticed the Sunclan warriors racing through the bracken overhead. Only when Leafdapple and Morningstar raced into the clearing did Ravenheart look up. Behind Morningstar was a large patrol of warriors. Every one of them, warriors and apprentices, bore scratches and bites of recent battles.
“Can you save him?” Ravenheart begged Leafdapple. The brown she-cat had drawn close to Ravenheart's side, and gently touched the bloody warriors pale fur with her nose. At last she looked up.
“He's lost a lot of blood. But he is young and strong. I think I might be able to save him,” she mewed.
As the sun dropped out of sight, the blood-stained battle-scene and its group of warriors evaporated along with the forest in a cloud of darkness.

[Sile]

Chapter 1. (Part One)


Dawnpaw yawned and stretched in the spear of sunlight that shone into the apprentices den. Only Cloudpaw and Foxpaw were still in the den beside her. Neither of them were awake. Dawnpaw sat up, shaking off leaves and bracken lichens from the den around her, and began washing her tiny paws with small rapid strokes. Outside the camp was buzzing with sounds, her clan mates speaking with each other, the calls of birds a long ways away, and maybe once or twice she heard the final squeak of prey before the killing bite was dealt. Dawnpaw got to her paws and slowly padded out of the den, and watched as the other Sunclan warriors got to their usual routines. Some may grab their prey from the fresh-kill pile near the Moss-Rock, and others may take their apprentices out to train or go on patrol or hunt. Dawnpaw padded over to where Whitepaw was crouched beside her mentor, Morningstar, the leader of Sunclan. Whitepaw was now pestering Morningstar about what they would be doing for training and where they would be going today.
“Good morning Whitepaw, Morningstar.” Dawnpaw dipped her head respectfully to her clan leader.
“Hello Dawnpaw. How was your first day as an apprentice?” Morningstar sounded friendly, just like she always did.
“It was very interesting. Icefur showed me the important land-marks on our territory, and our borders to the other clans.” Dawnpaw paused for a moment, thinking. “She also showed me the best way to stalk a mouse.” Dawnpaw had begun her apprentice training yesterday. Her mentor was Icefur, a strong noble she-cat with powdery white fur and eyes as blue as a warm Sun-Leaf days.
“Did she now?” Morningstar looked almost surprised, but Dawnpaw could see her white tail twitching good-humorously and satisfactory.
“Yes. We were heading towards Pine-Hollow when she scented mouse, and decided we should stop. She said she would show me an easy way to hunt a mouse before I begin hunting.” Dawnpaw gave no mention about her size to that. “But I think she did that because the clan needs as much prey as it can get. It's almost winter, and Pineclan don't seem to want to give us a break, and we need to be prepared for anything.”
Morningstar flicked her tail in surprise. “You're right youngster,” She meowed. “What is Icefur showing you today?” Dawnpaw noticed how quickly Morningstar changed the subject, but she decided not to question it.
“Icefur is going to take me battle training in the Lichen-Pit today. I guess she wants me to be prepared for any causalities,” Dawnpaw shrugged. “But it depends if she ever wakes up we will leave. It seams as though she loves to sleep in all morning,” Dawnpaw purred in amusement at her mentors clumsiness. Whitepaw gave a small squeak of surprise.
“Not today, I don't think,” she purred, mischievously. Dawnpaw felt warm breathe in her ear. She spun around to see her mentor sitting right behind her. Icefur must have came out when Dawnpaw was paying no attention. “Oops!” Dawnpaw yelped, “Sorry Icefur!” And then she scampered off in the opposite direction, and hid beneath the rocky overhang surrounding camp. Dawnpaw peaked out from her hiding space. Icefur was looking in her direction, but it was clear she did not know exactly where Dawnpaw was. Morningstar looked amused. So did Whitepaw. The white apprentice was Icefur's half-sister from a younger litter. She scampered across the clearing after Dawnpaw.
“Dawnpaw? Where are you? I can't see you!” She was staring at a spot several fox-lengths from where Dawnpaw crouched.
“Whitepaw, over here!” Dawnpaw whispered. Whitepaw scrambled over without glancing at Dawnpaw. “What are you doing?” Dawnpaw mewed, puzzled.
“If Icefur sees me looking over here she might think you are hiding here,” she whispered back. “I'm trying to make believe I haven't seen you, yet.” Whitepaw padded in mock-puzzlement to the far side of the rock wall. She glanced around, her eyes clouded with pretend confusion, and they traveled over to the spot Dawnpaw crouched in more than once. She scrambled back over to Icefur and Morningstar. “I can't find her. I think her brown pelt blends in really well,” she explained. Dawnpaw heard Icefur's pretend purr of amusement.
“Dawnpaw? Are you ready? We are going to battle train with Morningstar and Whitepaw today.” Tail fluffed up with sudden excitement, Dawnpaw leaped to her paws instantly and scrambled over to her mentor, hiding from her mentor, now forgotten. Whitepaw flicked her tail delightedly “Really?” She mewed. “Really,” Her mentor returned.
“Are we going now?” Dawnpaw asked. All thoughts of hiding from her mentor vanished, and the only thing in her mind was her determination to learn her fighting moves. She cleared the room in her head for the space to remember.
“If you're not hungry, then yes,” Icefur replied. “Morningstar has to give Tawnyclaw some orders before she leaves though.” As Icefur spoke, Dawnpaw noticed Morningstar flick her tail to the Sunclan deputy, Tawnyclaw, a black and brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. The muscular she-cat arose instantly are padded across the clearing, her tail held high and dignified.
“Yes, Morningstar?” Although Dawnpaw told herself to stop being paranoid, she couldn't help but notice the great warrior's eyes flicker to her the moment she sat down beside her leader.
“I want you to send a few patrols to the Pineclan border. Make sure each patrol has at least three warriors and three apprentices. We don't want to make the same mistake I made last time that nearly cost Longfur his life,” Morningstar ordered. Dawnpaw pricked her ears. She had heard about the attack on Longfur, a Sunclan warrior who was attacked and nearly killed on the Sunclan-Pineclan border the day before her apprentice ceremony. Her would of died if it weren't for his mate, Ravenheart, and Voleskitter, who found him at the last moment. Tawnyclaw, meanwhile had dipped her head.
“Is their anyone specific you would like me to send?” She asked. Her eyes flashed for a heartbeat, as though their was more meaning to her words than Dawnpaw knew.
“Just the normal warriors,” Morningstar replied. With the smallest flick of her tail, Morningstar indicated that the conversation was over, and dipping her tabby head with respect, Tawnyclaw backed away from the group. “Now we can go.” Morningstar turned to her apprentice. “Just don't go running off into the forest on your own again, Whitepaw,” Morningstar added. Icefur and Dawnpaw both purred with amusement. A quarter-moon ago, when Whitepaw had become a warrior, she had run off into the forest without waiting for Morningstar. She got lost, and nearly stumbled into Pineclan territory. If Morningstar and a search patrol hadn't found her in time, she might not have made it back at all.
“Yes, Morningstar.” Whitepaw dipped her head, shuffling her paws in embarrassment. Dawnpaw padded forward and nudged Whitepaw happily. Whitepaw let out a small purr. “Race you to the top of the Sun-Wall!” Whitepaw yowled. She pelted across the clearing. Without hesitation, Dawnpaw raced after her, digging her claws in the ground to propel herself forward. Although Whitepaw was nearly three times Dawnpaw's size, she was half Dawnpaw's speed and skill. Dawnpaw was very small for her age, and her small creamy-white paws, barely moved the dirt and sand the was scattered across the camp ground, while Whitepaw sent it flying in all directions. With powerful strength, Dawnpaw hurled herself to the top of the Sun-wall in just two leaps. Whitepaw was left scrambling up after her.
“That was fast, Dawnpaw!” She praised her. Icefur and Morningstar scrambled up beside them.
“Let's get going.” The two warriors set off at a very fast pace, Whitepaw leaped over trees and holes after them. But Dawnpaw, because her small size, would sometimes have to climb every over every tree, in every hole, and into bramble bushes. The two warriors did not slow down once to wait for their apprentices to keep up. Finally they reached the Lichen-Pit. Dawnpaw understood why they called it the Lichen-Pit. It was a deep hollow bend that went further into the ground than the surrounding forest. It was draped and surrounded by hanging lichen, and the hollow was soft with lichen and moss. Perfect for battle training when a cat landed hard so it wouldn't hurt.
“Whitepaw and I will train in the far left corner by that big oak. You and Dawnpaw can go to the other side. If we have the time we might be able to pit our apprentices together. Whitepaw cast a delighted glance at Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw followed her mentor pad over to their half.
“Let's start with the basics,” Icefur mewed. “Copy me.” Dawnpaw paid her complete attention. Icefur leaped up high, and twisting in mid leap, thrust up with her hind legs, before twisting around again, and landing in a strike position on a soft bed a leaves. “You try it.” Icefur flicked her tail at Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw imagined herself in a battle, imagined an enemy leaping at her from behind. As the cat rose above her, she sprang into the air, twisting so she could kick out with her hind legs, and when she did, she twisted again, and landed heavily on the imaginary enemy, knocking the breathe from his, and she knew she would be able to land some fierce blows of her own in a real battle. When she had finished, Dawnpaw glanced up at her mentor. Icefur's eyes shone with pride.
“Did I do it right?” She asked, hopefully.
“You did great,” Icefur replied. “That was an easy trick. Now try this one.” For the next while or so, Dawnpaw and her mentor practiced move after move, Dawnpaw paid her complete attention to every thing she did, and when it came her turn to copy them, she did great. By the time they were done, they were both panting, and their fur was slightly ruffled. “Let's try some attacks. I am going to try to get at you, and you will try one of those moves we have been practicing to dislodge me. Got it?” Dawnpaw nodded, and tensed her muscles. Icefur began to prowl slowly towards Dawnpaw, her fur bristling threateningly, and ears beginning to lie flat to her head. Dawnpaw mirrored her crouch and hissed through bared teeth. She began to puff out her fur, thinking of Icefur as she would any enemy warrior. Icefur glanced at her hind leg. Then her eyes flickered to Dawnpaw's back.
Icefur leaped, starting out looking like she was going to land on Dawnpaw's back, but Dawnpaw noticed how her body weight was leaning sideways slightly. She was making a surprise attack to Dawnpaw's leg! At the last moment, Dawnpaw darted sideways. Her mentor had no time to twist in the other direction, and she landed awkwardly on one side. Instantly, Dawnpaw sprang, and landed on her mentors back, a perfect position to land a fierce blow. Dawnpaw leaped off her mentor and allowed her to scramble up.
“Good job, Dawnpaw!” Her mentor praised. “Now you try and attack me.” She stepped back, dropping into a defensive crouch. Dawnpaw stalked forward with a hiss of defiance. Then she darted forward, with strait forward attack heading towards Icefur's back. Icefur reared back, ready to crash down on Dawnpaw's back the moment she was in reach. As Icefur crashed down, Dawnpaw rolled sideways avoiding the blow, and while the breathe was knocked from Icefur again, Dawnpaw leaped forward and bowled her over backwards, pinning her into the piles of lichen. Dawnpaw purred with pride at being able to defeat her mentor again. “Get off me you great lump!” Icefur exclaimed. Out of the corner of her eyes, Dawnpaw saw Whitepaw and Morningstar staring at them approvingly. And she saw them, Morningstar stepped forward.
“I don't mean to but in, but it seams to be a good time to try and pit out apprentice together. Dawnpaw is younger and smaller, but she knows how to watch and understand. I think it would be more a challenge if we send her up against a cat more of her own size,” Morningstar explained. Dawnpaw and Whitepaw shared another excited glance. Icefur nodded.
“I think so too. It almost seams to easy for her to dodge away from my attacks because she is smaller. I think some extra practice may do them both some good.” They both nodded and stepped back, indicating they could start practicing any time they wanted. Whitepaw leaped instantly into her position, and leaped immediately after Dawnpaw got hers. Dawnpaw darted forward, and leaped up into the air crashing into Whitepaw's belly. As she twisted around to get a clawhold, she felt the weight of Whitepaw's hind legs crash down on her shoulders, and she lost balance. Both of the apprentices hit the ground heavily, but both of them scrambled up quickly as well. This time Dawnpaw made the first move. She pelted forwards with lightning speed. Whitepaw aimed a downwards blow, and Dawnpaw stuck out her tail. Confused, Whitepaw lashed out, but Dawnpaw had leaped into the air again, and landed somewhere between Whitepaw's scruff and her shoulders. Dawnpaw bit down, not hard enough to draw blood, but a strong enough hold to cling onto.
Whitepaw reared back, attempting to dislodge her, but Dawnpaw clung to her pelt, and swung forward with all her strength so that Whitepaw stumbled headfirst into the ground as she lost balance. Twisting and struggling, Whitepaw aimed a back swipe at Dawnpaw's head, but the smaller apprentice merely ducked away. Now Dawnpaw tried to sink her claws into the earth around her, but Whitepaw rolled so suddenly that Dawnpaw lost her grip on her enemy. Now Whitepaw had sprang on top of her, the white apprentices size and weight pressing down on Dawnpaw's lungs. The smaller apprentice drew in a gasping breathe before lashing out at Whitepaw's face. The apprentice jerked her head back, and Dawnpaw was able to roll away before the apprentice bit down. Leaping instantly, Dawnpaw dug her claws instantly into the earth and got a grip on Whitepaw's scruff. The apprentice twisted and struggled, but whatever she tried, Dawnpaw knew she was stuck. Instantly the two mentors sprang forward.
“Alright, it's all over. Dawnpaw you can take your claws off her now,” Morningstar purred slightly with amusement. “You both did great,” She added as Whitepaw sprang back up. Dawnpaw began drawing her tongue over her ruffled pelt. It forest scents all over it. Pine, bramble and sap. Dawnpaw's belly growled, reminding her of how hungry she was. Icefur echoed her thoughts.

[Sile]

Chapter 1. (Part Two.)


“Why don't we go hunting?” Icefur suggested. “You must be hungry after all that training we did?” She added to Whitepaw and Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw nodded eagerly, hoping that her mentor might allow her to hunt for herself. Morningstar nodded as well. “Why don't we try hunt at near the stream by Pine-Hollow. Their should be something their.” Icefur glanced at her leader, as though waiting for her to object, but Morningstar just gave a mere dip of her head to agree with Icefur. The two mentors set off again, but slowly this time. Although they didn't show it, Dawnpaw guessed they were tired from the morning of training.
It was a beautiful day, Dawnpaw thought to herself. Starlings and Ravens sang lightly in the small breeze, the forest echoed with the whispering of prey and ferns. The sun shone brightly through the trailing branches overhead. It seemed more like Sun-leaf, than Cloud-day. Sun-leaf was the most warmest and sunniest part of the season. It was when the flowers finally finished blooming from New-Petal, which was just after winter. Cloud-day which the season is now, is when the leaves change colors and plants die. it is when the prey becomes scarce and the clan struggles to keep themselves fed. But today was not one of those days. Dawnpaw would try to catch as much fresh-kill as she could before winter, so the clan would have an emergency stock pile if needed.
Oak trees and pines flashed around her. Once or twice she would pass by a familiar land-mark Icefur had shone her the day before. The Root-mound, the Sun-rock, and the Golden-rock were in the present and then in the past within a matter of seconds. As the familiar scents and sounds wound their way into Dawnpaw's ears, she let her mind drift off. She thought about her mother, Cindertail. How proud she was on her apprentice ceremony. Then she though of her father. Dawnpaw's father had died before Dawnpaw had even been born. But Cindertail and the other warriors had told her a lot about him.
Dawnpaw's father was named Rainheart. Her had been a huge, terrible strong blue-gray tom. Cats of all clans were terrified and in awe of him. He had received the respect of every cat in the forest. Rainheart had been the Sunclan deputy before Tawnyclaw. He had died a noble death, worth the respect of every clan-cat in the forest. There was a rogue cat, even bigger than Rainheart, named Villet. He would gather a group of rougues and make forest raid, imprison clan she-cats and even kill kits. No cat could over power him or stand in his way. One day, Villet had killed Rainheart's brother, Dustfur, and Rainheart had left the clan to seek revenge. During a raid on Breezeclan, Rainheart had joined in the clan to save them, and he killed Villet. But the effort and the wounds he got from that battle were fatal, and Rainheart died not long after. Every cat in the clans honored his memory, and they felt the lost as badly as his own clan did. He had saved every cat in the forest. But that did not at all explain why Pineclan had turned so evil.
Pineclan was not always such a mean and cold-hearted clan. While Villet prowled the forest, they had a thoughtful, noble leader named, Sparrowstar. Sparrowstar was a very old tom, but he was very noble and respectful of the other clans. Soon after Rainheart and Villet died, a terrible sickness spread through Pineclan, killing half the clans warriors and apprentices, all the elders, Sparrowstar, and Sparrowstar's deputy, Mosspelt. Their was only one cat left in Pineclan strong enough to take on leadership. Reedstar. Ever since Reedstar became leader, Pineclan have become powerful and numerous. That is why they try to control the other clans. To keep them from becoming week again.
Pine-Hollow, was the place that all four clans would meet in peace, at every full moon. Starclan had forbidden the clans to make any fights whatsoever during this sacred time. One-day, although it has yet to happen, Dawnpaw knew Pineclan would break that powerful truce, to become the leaders of every clan in the forest. Until then, Dawnpaw promised herself, until then, she would make sure her clan was stronger than anything Pineclan ever thought they were. As they were approaching Pine-Hollow, Morningstar's voice startled Dawnpaw.
“Are you listening Dawnpaw?” Dawnpaw jumped up in surprise.
“Huh? What? I'm sorry, Morningstar. I was just thinking.” She hesitated, wondering if she could consult Morningstar about her thoughts. Mousebrain! Dawnpaw thought to herself. It didn't matter. She would need to focus on the present and the future, not worrying about her past. Then She saw, with confusion, that her three clan-mates were all purring with amusement.
“I wasn't really saying anything,” Morningstar purred. “I just wanted to see how involved you were in your thoughts, that's all. Besides we're here anyway.” Dawnpaw blinked and looked around, instantly snapping her mind back into reality. The small clearing they had just entered was draped in sunlight, and Dawnpaw saw, up through the treetops, a small hole separating the treetops from each other. Dawnpaw stopped and drew in the forest scents. Mouse came back to her scent glands instantly. She recognized the scent instantly from when Icefur caught one the day before. She dropped into a hunters crouch.
“Mouse!” She hissed quietly to her companions. Whitepaw flicked her tail with excitement, as though she was pleases at the chance she got to show off her skills to the newest apprentice.
“You two will both go hunting on opposite parts near the stream,” Icefur ordered. “You have until sun-down to bring back as much prey as you can. Dawnpaw, you will have more of a challenge, because you have never hunted before, but I know you will figure something out,” Icefur added to Dawnpaw. “Remember what I taught you about hunting a mouse. With rabbits you need finish them fast, and stay down low. They can sense the swish of your fur if you get near enough. Good luck.” Whitepaw dashed off, her paws scattering twigs and leaves all across the clearing. Dawnpaw turned, and padded more slowly across to her side of the forest half, careful not to scare off any prey as she went. As she padded away, she heard Morningstar murmur to Icefur.
“She does that every time. Whenever Icefur goes to hunt, she races away quickly, making enough noise to scare all the prey between Pine-Hollow and Shadow-Stone.” Despite her purr of amusement, Dawnpaw couldn't help but feel a flash of wonder as Morningstar spoke of the Shadow-Stone.
The Shadow-Stone was a jet-black stone, that lived in the heart of an underground tunnel in the edge of clan territory. The Shadow-Stone was where the ancestors of Starclan spoke loudest. Clan leaders must go their to speak to them during times of hard-ships, where they need to hear their ancestors noble advice. And when a deputy, or convicted clan cat became leader, they would have to visit to gain their nine lives and name in the sight of Starclan. Medicine cats also visit the Shadow-Stone every half-moon to speak to their ancestors.
Dawnpaw drew in another deep breathe, focusing her mind again on the task at stake. She scented mouse, and now it wasn't far away. Dawnpaw crouched, and keeping still as possible, she struggled to pin-pointed the creatures location. Dawnpaw strained her ears, her green eyes glaring, and she scented the air again. She heard a rustle to her right. Twisting her neck around silently, Dawnpaw spotted the tiny creature. Remembering how Icefur had stalked so confidently and silently through the undergrowth, Dawnpaw padded forward, keeping all her weight on her haunches, and being extra careful not to step on a leaf or twig. Only when Dawnpaw could hear the mouse's tiny heartbeats did she leap. As she leaped, her tails struck against brambles, setting the forest above her rustling. The mouse bolted for the nearest hole, but Dawnpaw, faster still landed on it with the force that crushed the air from it, and gave it a fierce killing bite.
The tiny mouse died instantly, and Dawnpaw sat up again with the furry carcass sitting in her jaws. She had just caught her first kill! Dawnpaw felt a small purr of pride in her chest, and she laid the body down on the forest floor, and buried it in leaves where she could fetch it later. There was more prey to catch today. Dawnpaw began to step silently through the brittle under-growth, pausing to scent the air every few moments. As she along the edge of her territory, she began to taste a bitter scent in the air. It tasted nasty, and smelled nearly of dung that had been rotting for uncountable moons. But Dawnpaw was old enough to know it was a cat. And it was from Pineclan!
Dawnpaw wasn't to shocked at first, knowing how close to the border she was. But then the scent began to grow stronger, and Dawnpaw could distinguish the gender and mood of the cat approaching, and where it was. It was a young she-cat, curious, but hungry. And she was approaching. A warning growl sounded deep in Dawnpaw's throat, and she leaped up into a tree over-head. Her muscles tensed as the bushes below rustled. For a heartbeat everything was still and silent, then a small brown cat padded out into the open. Dawnpaw blinked at first when she saw the small cat. She has white paws, and her pelt hung against muscle and bone. Dawnpaw did not care about how small or hungry this apprentice looked. She was intruding on Skyclan territory, and she was a Pineclan cat.
“Graarrr!” Dawnpaw gave a battle yowl and launched herself down in front of the apprentice, fur standing on end and claws out-stretched. The Pineclan apprentice let out a hiss of surprise, but she stood her ground. Dawnpaw felt a small prickle of admiration. This apprentice was half-starved, and looked as though she had been badly wounded before. But instead of retreating into her own territory, she bristled with defiance. The Pineclan apprentice looked ready for battle, her claws dug out into the ground, and her ears flat against her head. Her green eyes burned with anger, and hostility. Her small tail was bushed out with defiance. Dawnpaw rose on tip-toe and raised her hackles in a clear threat. She puffed out her chest angrily.
“This is Sunclan territory. Leave it at once!” Dawnpaw bared her teeth into a challenging snarl. But, the Pineclan apprentice refused to be ordered around by cat from a different clan.
“Try and make me, apprentice!” She retorted. “But we all know how badly Sunclan is suffering, you barely have enough warriors to keep the patrols going around. If you want a fight you are going to get one!” Her words were suppressed with a confident snarl that made Dawnpaw certain this Pineclan intruder meant what she had promised.
Dawnpaw hesitated, wondering if she should really attack this miserable creature. The fear and hunger pulsing from this she-cat almost made up for her hostile mood. Dawnpaw twitched her tail curiously. She relaxed her paws and haunches and stared at the intruder levelly.
“What do you want with us?” Dawnpaw mewed. “Why are you here?” If Dawnpaw tried not to be too threatening, she might just be able to get the intruder off her territory without a fight. She knew her clan definitely didn't need to start another war with Pineclan, all they wanted was to live their lives in peace which Starclan had declared in the warrior code they set down many moods ago.
“I don't want anything from you!” The intruder growled. “And I definitely don't need to start talking with you either.” The she-cats words were still hostile, but she relaxed her battle stance and stared back at Dawnpaw equally curious. “I don't want to start a fight, though,” she added. She dropped her gaze, and stared down at her paws. “Reedstar is terrible. He wants to take control of all the other clans so he can rule over them. He is breaking the warrior code by doing that, and some day Starclan is going to punish the entire clan for his ambition,” the apprentice looked almost scared. Dawnpaw was confused.
“Why are you telling me all this? We don't even know each others names and you're spouting out all your clans secrets. Why don't you tell Reedstar what you just said, anyway?” Dawnpaw meowed. She stared at the intruder as though she had just grown a few extra pairs of ears.
“No!” The apprentice hissed, suddenly bristling again. But this time she was bristling in fear rather than anger. “And I'm telling you this, because you look like you are the only cat who would understand. As for names, mine is Skypaw. I'm a new apprentice of Pineclan, as you might have already guessed.” Dawnpaw was almost stunned at Skypaw's sudden change of mood. Why would she tell me her name? Why would she think Dawnpaw, a cat of an enemy clan, would understand better than a cat in her own clan. So many questions seemed so mysterious, but Dawnpaw guessed it would do her no harm to tell Skypaw her own name.
“My name is Dawnpaw, of Sunclan. And like you, I'm a new apprentice.” Dawnpaw meowed, quietly. “What are you doing here on our territory?” Dawnpaw tipped her head to one side. “And why are you so scared of Reedstar. I mean, you are part of his clan. If you don't like his that much why don't you just leave?” Dawnpaw suggested boldly. She expected a shocked silence from Skypaw, but didn't get one.
“I left my territory to get away from our warriors for a little while. They are so mean. I just wanted some peace and quiet. And I can't leave Reedstar. As much as I don't like what he is doing, I can't.” The small she-cat hung her head, as though quite ashamed of herself. Dawnpaw was stricken. What was so interesting about Reedstar that made it impossible for Skypaw to leave? Was their something Skypaw knew that no other cat didn't?
“Why can't you?” Dawnpaw meowed. “Will he try to hurt you? Or are you scared that he may destroy any clan that protects you from Pineclan?” She knew what she said was very ominous, but Dawnpaw had to try. Besides, was it so bad for an apprentice to be the least but curious about a clan intruder that didn't even want to attack?
“I can't,” Skypaw whimpered. She bowed her head again in misery. “I can't leave Reedstar.” Her shoulders drooped so she looked even smaller.
“B-because Reedstar... He is my father.”

[Sile]

Chapter 2. (Part One)

“Your father?” Dawnpaw was caught off guard, and all she could do is stare at Skypaw stupidly. “But Reedstar has never had kits! That's what the other clans say,” she stammered, stricken. Skypaw raised her head to stare levelly at Dawnpaw.
“He wasn't supposed to!” Skypaw spat bitterly. “But then he fell in love with a Pineclan queen. I don't know who it was. The clan never speaks to me about it. But she was said to have died at birth.”
“Oh, Skypaw! I'm so sorry.” Dawnpaw knew of the relationship with her own mom, and cherished it. She did not know what it felt like to have no mother.
“I don't need your pity,” Skypaw growled. “Then Reedstar had me for a kit. He never cared about me. He only cared for my mother. Sometimes I wish she never had a kit. I can't think of anything worse than being Reedstar's daughter. Or even kin!” Despite the tension between the two clans, Dawnpaw couldn't help murmuring in sympathy. “You know what I think? Reedstar wouldn't probably care if I died or disappeared. I could leave the forest for the rest if my life, and he would hardly notice,” she unleashed her claws and let them dig up the ground in agitation. She looked up again, a look of calmness clouding her eyes.
“So, Dawnpaw. I'm surprised you haven't drove me out of your territory by now. What are you doing so close to the border, especially alone? You know how Pineclan warriors keep attacking your patrols. You're also very lucky it was only me who was by the border. If any of our other warriors had seen you, you would be Raven-Food by now,” Skypaw went on. She stopped, and stared at Dawnpaw, expectantly.
“Oh! Right. I'm on my second day as an apprentice. I was sent to travel along the stream and up to Pine-Hollow to hunt. What were you doing anyway?” She stared back at Skypaw.
“I was sent on border patrol,” she meowed. “I was ordered to attack any Sunclan cats I saw, no matter how many cats their were.” Skypaw hung her head.
“But that's Mousebrained!” Dawnpaw gasped. “Wouldn't they realize you could have been
killed?” As soon as she spoke the words, Dawnpaw wished she hadn't. If Skypaw took her words the wrong way, she may attack. Most Pineclan cats may have taken that as though Dawnpaw had said they were weak. But Skypaw thought differently.
“Reedstar doesn't care about that. He sends all his apprentices out on deadly missions, and doesn't care if they make it back. He doesn't even care about his own daughter. Maybe I should have waited for a patrol to attack, so I could have been killed. Anything is better than a life that no cat cares if you are even breathing,” she meowed.
“But that's horrible. And don't say that, Skypaw. I just met you, and even though you are a cat of an enemy clan, I care about you. You don't seem anything like your Pineclan warriors. You are noble, and strong. I can tell you this, Skypaw. You are more of a warrior than Reedstar and his warriors. You understand the warrior code, and you follow it. That is more than your father has ever done.” Dawnpaw realized she had spoken from her heart. Her mother had always told her she would make a great warrior because of that, despite her puny size. She spoke of of the truth and what she believed. That's what makes us true warriors. Dawnpaw heard a small purr rumbling in Skypaw's chest, and when Dawnpaw gazed, the troubled look in Skypaw's eyes had cleared, and she was now staring gratefully at Dawnpaw.
“You're right. I don't care what they say. You're the best friend I have ever had, enemy clan or not. Besides, I hate being a Pineclan cat. Are your friends as nice as you?” Dawnpaw blinked is surprise, again taken aback.
“Well. Whitepaw is very nice. And if I tell her you are a good cat I expect she will listen. And, Cloudpaw. Well she makes friends with her next piece of fresh-kill.” Dawnpaw purred with amusement. “All of my friend apprentices will try to be nice if I ask them. If we see you at the next gathering we might be able to meet. Isn't the next gathering two dawns from now, anyway?” Skypaw nodded. “Yes, we should see you then. If Reedstar allows you to go. But I should be getting back to my hunting task. I need to catch as much fresh-kill as I can before sun-down.” Skypaw scrambled to her paws.
“And I should be getting back. I might be forgotten sooner than I should.” She turned and began padding back up to her border. She paused half-way across. “Good-Bye, Dawnpaw.” She flicked her tail and farewell.
“See you,” Dawnpaw replied, pushing herself happily to her paws. As Skypaw disappeared from sight, Dawnpaw padded back through the trees, as carefully as she had when she began. She just needed to catch some more fresh-kill, and she would be good to go.

“Good job, Dawnpaw.” Dawnpaw could tell the cats she had returned to were impressed with the amount of prey she had caught, despite being Sunclan's newest apprentice. “You're the first one back. You can drop you catch their,” Morningstar indicated a bare patch of earth swept away before. “Then you can explain your journey.” Dawnpaw placed her catch down, silently cursing under her breathe. Dawnpaw decided to leave everything about Skypaw, out of her story, and began.
“First, I went over to the far side of the river, and caught my first mouse. After I went farther up-stream, but I didn't find anything. I hardly expected to anyway, for the stench the Pineclan border was giving off, and I doubled back. That's where I caught all these mice, voles, birds, and rabbits.” Dawnpaw indicated the pile with her tail. “Did I do alright?” Dawnpaw asked, suddenly anxious.
“Of coarse you did,” Icefur purred, padding up to Dawnpaw's shoulder. A rustle in the bushes overhead told them of Whitepaw's return. Whitepaw stumbled down the slope, holding a catch as big as Dawnpaw's. Whitepaw gratefully dropped her catch on top of Dawnpaw's, and sat downed with an exhausted sigh.
“Can we eat something?” She mewed. Dawnpaw's ear twitched. She had been so lost in
thought about Skypaw, she had nearly forgotten how hungry she was. At the first thought of food, Dawnpaw's stomach growled again. Morningstar and Icefur shared a thoughtful look.
“What do you think, Morningstar? The fresh-kill pile was pretty full this morning when we left,” Icefur urged. Morningstar nodded.
“I guess we can take the time to grab a morsel before we bring back the catch. Besides, we've got enough here to feed all the warriors and half the apprentices.” Whitepaw wasted no time in darting forward, and plucking out a fat vole. Morningstar grabbed a chaffinch, and Icefur, a squirrel. Dawnpaw grabbed her pick last, ending up on choosing a wren. She crouched down beside Whitepaw, who was ripping open her vole in famished gulps, and swallowed her own meal in more neat and small bites. Finally full-fed, the Sunclan warriors turned, and carried their catch back to camp. The forest seemed to fly by in blurs, as Dawnpaw thought about Skypaw. Why did they look so alike? The thought pushed its way into Dawnpaw's mind without warning.
Although Dawnpaw hadn't mentioned it when they had spoken, she kept noticing the similar personalities and looks the two apprentices shared. Skypaw was intelligent and thoughtful, she had the same tiny body and brown fur, and her eyes were the same shade of green. The only thing that differed between them was the white colors Dawnpaw had a creamy white that covered her paws, neck, muzzle, belly, and the tip of her tail, while Skypaw had a pure white color that covered only her paws. Then Dawnpaw shook herself. It wasn't uncommon to have to cats from different clans to share so many qualities. Besides, Icefur looked like so many cats from other clans that Dawnpaw could hardly count them all. She had seen plenty of other clan cat patrolling their borders, and some of them were white-furred. But Dawnpaw also knew that white was a common color along cats, and so was brown, and she told herself to stop worrying.
Within no time, the cats were back at camp, and Morningstar slipped away to join Tawnyclaw and a crowd of senior warriors. Dawnpaw had no doubt that they would be talking about the nights patrols and the mornings. Icefur slipped away to the warriors den, and crouching down beside a young she-cat, Bluetail, Dawnpaw watched the two warriors silently share tongues. Dawnpaw opened her jaws in a wide yawn. After a days training, she was ready for a great night's sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawnpaw saw Ravenheart slip away into Leafdapple's den. She must be going to see Longfur before bed, Dawnpaw thought. She and Whitepaw pushed their way through the apprentices den. Nearly all of them were in their, but they all were awake, buzzing with excitement about the great day of training they had. Dawnpaw saw Cloudpaw, Foxpaw, Sandpaw, and Goldenpaw. They all looked up as the two apprentices entered.
“Hi, Dawnpaw, and Whitepaw,” Sandpaw greeted them. What did you do today?” The she-cats orange eyes were glowing with curiosity.
“Morningstar and Icefur took us together,” Whitepaw explained. “We both did battle training, but Dawnpaw managed to beat me, the slippery snake,” Whitepaw teased. Dawnpaw cuffed her playfully with one paw.
“But you fought well, too, Whitepaw!” Dawnpaw put in. Whitepaw rolled her eyes.
“We were hungry after that, so our mentors took us out hunting.” Whitepaw paused as Mousepaw padded in. The wiry-brown she-cat looked as expressionless as ever. “Hi, Mousepaw. We were just telling the others about our day.” Mousepaw dipped her head in greeting, and settled down beside the other cats.
“Anyway, we caught a ton of prey, even Morningstar was impressed. It was great!” Whitepaw added happily. Dawnpaw was nearly leaping out of her skin with excitement. She wanted to tell the others about Skypaw so bad, she could hardly keep the words from tumbling out of her mouth and interrupting Whitepaw. Goldenpaw glanced in her direction and purred in amusement.
“What, Dawnpaw?” He purred. At the invitation, Dawnpaw couldn't keep the words in any longer. It came out more dramatic than Dawnpaw had intended, also.
“I met a Pineclan apprentice today!” Her fur fluffed out with excitement. Whitepaw and the other apprentices eyes widened with astonishment.
“Really?” Cloudpaw gasped. “A Pineclan apprentice.” She didn't wait for Dawnpaw's answer. “Did you get in a fight?” Dawnpaw hesitated.
“Not really. I sort of startled her though, when I jumped from that tree nearly on top of her. Do you know what? Skypaw is Reedstar's daughter!” There was a shocked silence from the other cats for a few heartbeats while they allowed those words to settle in.
“But Reedstar had never had kits!” Whitepaw burst out. “And this Skypaw. Was she mean like a Pineclan warrior?” Dawnpaw shook her head, impatiently.
“That's what I asked her. Skypaw told me Reedstar fell in love with a she-cat, but she died at Skypaw's birth. Skypaw also told me, Reedstar sends his apprentices out on deadly missions, just day after they are apprenticed!” Shocked gasped came from the apprentices mouths as though they could hardly believe what they were hearing. “And you know what else? Skypaw was sent out on a mission to attack one of our patrols, no matter how many cats were in them!” The shocked gasped mixed with anger.
“But wouldn't they be too young to fight?” Mousepaw asked. Dawnpaw shook her head. She felt a small flash of anger at the Pineclan leader, for how terrible he was to his warriors. Hoe can cats follow such a leader? Dawnpaw though to herself.
“Reedstar doesn't care about the well-being of his apprentices. But he's a Mousebrained heap of foxdung, and that's all there is to it!” She ignored Cloudpaw's exclamation of Dawnpaw's curse. “If he doesn't care about the well-being of the cats who die for his needs, and his thoughts, than hi is a heap of foxdung. The Pineclan warriors are being killed, and Reedstar doesn't even care that he was the one who had condemned than to death. What kind of leader could do something like that?” Dawnpaw could hardly keep the anger out of her voice. “The Pineclan cats are also starving. When I saw Skypaw today, I could also see her ribs, every one of them. He isn't just killing them, he's starving them first!” Dawnpaw could taste her clan-mates sympathy.
“That's terrible!” Cloudpaw mewed. The other apprentices nodded their agreement. Mousepaw looked sick, as though she could hardly bare the thought of a clan being forced to starve, and suffer because of a cruel leader.
“Skypaw is very nice, and strong. I think, in her heart, she is as good as any Sunclan warrior. She also looks a bit like me. She asked me if she could meet some of you at the next gathering. If I don't come, I can tell you that she does look like me.” Some of the shock lifted from the air as Dawnpaw finished. Goldenpaw nodded.
“Of coarse we want to meet her. If she is anything like a Sunclan cat we would know. Did you tell Morningstar or Icefur about this?” Dawnpaw felt a sudden prickle of fear. Would the apprentices betray her and tell her leader she had made friends with an apprentice from an enemy clan?
“Well, n-no. I didn't want them to know. If they knew they probably wouldn't let me see Skypaw ever again. Skypaw told me, although she had only only known me for a few moments, that I was closest cat to a friend she had ever had. All the other Pineclan apprentices never listened to her, or cared what she had to say. They thought of her as nothing more than a flea. What kind of clan loyalty and respect is that?” Dawnpaw's mew hardened with disgust. Whitepaw shook her head in puzzlement.
“I don't know. But his gathering is going to be an important one. No cat knows what Pineclan has to say about their continuous border patrol attacks, and night raids,” Whitepaw meowed. The other apprentices nodded.
“We should be getting to sleep. We have to get up early in the morning for training. Besides, if the warriors find us all talking to each other in our own personal meeting, they will ask what we were doing. I don't think we can all lie about this one,” Goldenpaw meowed. Dawnpaw turned and padded to the edge of the apprentices den, and sniffed out her nest. Dawnpaw circled it until it was comfortable, and laid down, resting her head upon her paws. Cloudpaw laid down in her nest beside Dawnpaw. Whitepaw, Goldenpaw, Mousepaw and Foxpaw settled down across the den, while Sandpaw lied down on Dawnpaw's other side. Dawnpaw stared at the entrance of the den for a long amount of time, before sleep finally came.

“Wake up, Dawnpaw.” A paw prodded her side. “Wake up!” The voice was familiar. A paw prodded her in the ribs for the second time. Dawnpaw opened her eyes, clouded with tired. Cloudpaw was standing over her, paw raised ready to prod her again.
“Okay, okay, Cloudpaw. I'm awake.” Dawnpaw moaned and uncurled herself. She struggled to a sitting position, her fur sticking up in ragged clumps where she had slept. She shook off the moss and leaves that clung to her pelt when she stood. “What do you want, so early in the morning?” Dawnpaw grumbled.
“We are going on the morning patrol,” Cloudpaw whispered. The other apprentices were all snoring around them. “We'd better hurry. The warriors are waiting for us.” Dawnpaw stretched quickly and leaped up. Her and Cloudpaw quietly left the den. Icefur, Snowbird, and Shadowfur were all pacing impatiently around the clearing. Snowbird was Icefur's sister, Cloudpaw's mentor, and half-sister. Shadowfur sat up as the apprentices walked up.
About time,” he grumbled. “We thought you might have taken a pawful of poppy seeds. Now, where is Goldenpaw? He is to come with us as well, because Longfur is still recovering from the ambush.” Shadowfur looked around, his turquoise eyes flashing as though he half expected the apprentice to come racing from the den any moment. Snowbird and Icefur exchanged an amused glance of satisfaction. Shadowfur was known for his ill-temper and little patience. Even other clan cats don't like to mess with him. Dawnpaw got to her paws instantly.
“I'll get him!” She promised, and dashed away to the apprentices den, thankful to get away from Shadowfur's penetrating eyes. Goldenpaw was still curled up in his own nest beside Whitepaw and Mousepaw. Foxpaw was nowhere to be seen. Careful not to step on any of her clan-mates, Dawnpaw padded over to Goldenpaw. The golden-colored fur on his flank rose silently up and down as he drew deep breaths. “Goldenpaw?” Dawnpaw whispered quietly into the toms ear. She poked him in the spine. “Goldenpaw get up. You're going on patrol with us.” Goldenpaw opened up his yellow eyes.
“What?” He meowed. He looked very worn out. Despite his lack of training since his mentor had been hurt, Goldenpaw had been kept busy helping out in camp. He was sent out to fetch moss and water for the queens and elders, and clean the dens, refresh the moss, and look over the elders for fleas and ticks.
“We are going on the morning patrol. You want to hurry. Shadowfur is with us, and he is in a really bad mood.” Dawnpaw backed out of the den. She could hear Goldenpaw moving around inside, and a moment later, he had joined her in the clearing. “Come on!” She meowed. Dawnpaw scampered across the clearing, feeling none of the soreness she had felt in training the day before. Goldenpaw followed more slowly, as though he didn't to go, but when Dawnpaw looked back, his eyes were bright with confidence.
“Let's go. We want to leave before the clan awakes and start chattering like kittypets about what they would be doing for training today,” Shadowfur growled. Dawnpaw met Cloudpaw's eyes. She saw Cloudpaw's sky-blue's roll up to the top of their head. The patrol turned, and began to climb out of the hollow. A sudden yowling made the patrol freeze in their tracks.
“Shadowfur! Shadowfur!” It was Foxpaw. The red-furred apprentice was pelting across the clearing, just coming out of Leafdapple's den.
“For the love of Starclan, what now?” Shadowfur grumbled. He turned as Foxpaw nearly skidded into him. “Watch where you're are going, Mousebrain!” Shadowfur snapped. Foxpaw ignored Shadowfur's rudeness. He was in no mood for quarrels with the cranky tom.
“Leafdapple said I needed to join the morning patrol and pick up some catnip on the way back to camp,” He gasped. Foxpaw's fur was bristling in a mixture of fear and dismay. “There is White-Cough in the elders den!” Dawnpaw's fur stood on end when Foxpaw spoke those words. White-Cough wasn't so bad, but when it turned into Green-Cough, the sickness can be fatal. Many cats die from Green-Cough every season. Catnip is the only healing remedy known by medicine cats so far. Shadowfur nodded instantly.
“We can go right away. We'll take the backwards route through Garden-Place and pick up catnip their. We will send you back as soon as possible!” The warriors charged through the forest, heading for the quickest route to Garden-place. Garden-Place was one of the places in Sun-clan territory where twolegs make their gardens. In Sun-Leaf, the cats can watch twolegs walking clumsily back and forth between the gardens muttering to themselves and picking up some bright shiny things that looked like food. In Cloud-Day, the twolegs were gone, and the cats were able to get catnip from those gardens in case of White-Cough and Green-Cough. They barely ever saw any twolegs in that part of the forest during Cloud-Day and Winter. New-Petal showed the first signs of the twolegs, who came back into the forest trampling undergrowth and scaring off any prey within the entire section with their noisy trampling. They would crouch down for hours on the gardens, digging up holes with their giant paws and filling them up again. No cats knew what that was useful for, but whatever they did, the clans were grateful for them to make the catnip.
Dawnpaw could hear Cloudpaw and Foxpaw's panting in her ear. Dawnpaw began to feel weight pressing down on her lungs, but she did not pause once to catch her breathe or take a break. Within moments the clan cats were rounding a bend into a grassy clearing with rows and moist soil. Near the end of the soil, were small leafy bushes. Catnip. Dawnpaw drew in the sweet scent, and had to use all her self control to stay where she was and let Foxpaw grab several mouthfuls. The irresistible scent wafted up Dawnpaw's nostrils, and she kneaded the ground impatiently with her front paws and tried to focus her mind elsewhere. She could tell the other warriors and apprentices were struggling to. Cloudpaw was twitching forward every few moments, her eyes clouded and gloomy. Goldenpaw was shaking her head back and forth, his lip curled, struggling to get the smell out. The warriors were padding back around the gardens, trying to stay as clear from the catnip as possible.
Foxpaw didn't seem to be bothered by it. He was the medicine cat apprentice, so he was used to all the strange scents of medicine and herbs. He grabbed several mouthfuls, and turned away. Shadowfur nodded at him, indicating her should go, and Foxpaw pelted away into the undergrowth. Instantly the clan cats shot away, pelting as far from the catnip scent as possible. Only when the had paced themselves several fox-lengths from the gardens did they stop. Dawnpaw sneezed, her tiny flanks heaving.
“Uh,” she complained. “I never want to see another bush of catnip again. Or smell it,” she added. The other warriors and apprentices nodded.
“Right,” Shadowfur meowed, getting to his paws. “Let's get going.” Dawnpaw noticed Shadowfur's curled lip, which indicated he hated the stench of catnip as much as the next cat. The cats began padding towards the Breezeclan border. The only borders Sunclan shared with the other clans were with Pineclan and Breezeclan. Brookclan were further away, across most of the clan territories. Dawnpaw could scent the wind of the windy moors up ahead, and knew the Breezeclan border was getting really close by. But as Dawnpaw and the patrol drew closer to the border, a strange but familiar scent blew their way. The fur along Shadowfur's neck and shoulders rose up, and Icefur and Snowbird both growled deep in their throats. Pineclan! Dawnpaw recognized the scent from the day before, when she met with Skypaw.
“Pineclan!” Shadowfur spat in disgust. “They must be attacking Breezeclan! How dare they! They must be Mousebrained to even think about attacking them on a day like this.” Dawnpaw's pelt stood up. She felt anger make her own fur prickle, and she saw her own hostility reflected in Cloudpaw and Goldenpaw's eyes.
“We should go make sure they are okay,” Icefur suggested. “If they are still fighting, we can help them,and prove to Pineclan that they cannot attack one clan on its own. I'm sure Brackenstar wouldn't mind. We all need to rise up against Pineclan, and show them we are free clans,” Icefur growled. Shadowfur and the Sunclan cats yowled their agreement. He glanced back at the apprentices.
“Do you think they are battle ready?” He flicked his tail at Cloudpaw, Goldenpaw, and Dawnpaw. Icefur and Snowbird nodded.
“I'm sure Goldenpaw has had plenty of experience from Longfur about how to fight before he got injured, and Dawnpaw knows how to observe and defend. And I know Cloudpaw would be doing more than just hunting for the three moons he she had been in training, if I know Snowfur,” Icefur growled. Shadowfur nodded. “Let's go.” The Sunclan cats pelted out into the open moors, and Dawnpaw began to feel slightly unsafe being here. The wind blew against them on all sides, and prey smelled scarce. How does Breezeclan stand it? Dawnpaw thought to herself. As the grew further into the heart of Breezeclan territory, Dawnpaw could here the screeches and yowls of cats as the fought, and the acrid taste of blood and fear.
Dawnpaw could begin to make out a shallow dip in the ground up ahead, and as they drew closer, she saw a Pineclan warrior race away from the hollow.
“There's the camp!” Snowbird yowled. Dawnpaw could hear Cloudpaw and Goldenpaw gasping with excitement. As the cats reached the top of the bend, Dawnpaw's fur prickled in horror at the gruesome scene below her. Bodies of wounded cats were lying everywhere, and the few Breezeclan cats left able to fight, were backed away in a small group sheltering the weaker and injured warriors. But their weren't many Pineclan warriors left fighting either, just enough to finish off the remaining Breezeclan cats.

[Sile]

Chapter 2. (Part Two)


Near the front of the clan cats, was a big black tom, which Dawnpaw recognized as Reedstar. Behind him, prowled several vicious and bleeding warriors. The other Pineclan cats were either retreating, or lying injured on the ground. As the Sunclan patrol stared down at the battle, Shadowfur let out a furious warriors yowl, and the Sunclan cats leaped, snarling into the fray. Dawnpaw landed on the back of a skinny gray tom, but the tom merely rolled around, crushing Dawnpaw beneath him. The mangy warrior reared back, teeth and claws flashing, but Dawnpaw kicked out with her hind legs, hitting the tom in the belly, and knocking the breathe from his all the same. Without waiting a heartbeat for the tom to recover, Dawnpaw lurched upward, clawing at his face and eyes. Her claws found their marks instantly, and the mangy gray tom drew back in agony, and fled from Breezeclan's camp.
Dawnpaw spun around panting, and spotted Icefur battling with a fierce looking Pineclan warrior, and as Dawnpaw watched, a second warrior hurled herself out of nowhere, and fastened teeth and claws into Icefur's spine. Icefur vanished, snarling beneath the two warriors. Dawnpaw pelted for her mentor, blood boiling with anger, but before she could reach her mentor to help, another cat crashed into her side. It was a huge dark brown tabby tom. The tom pinned her down, with claws dug deep into her shoulders and belly, and as Dawnpaw glared up at him, struggling still, he leaned forward, and Dawnpaw scented Raven-Food as he hissed into her ear.
“Stay out of this, apprentice,” he hissed. “This is not Sunclan's fight.” He bared his teeth and buried them deep into Dawnpaw's shoulder. Dawnpaw yowled with pain and anger, and battered at the toms belly with her hind legs. The Pineclan tom hardly flinched. Dawnpaw felt warm blood dripping from her wound, and trickling down her foreleg. She twisted and struggled furiously, but the toms weight and size held her down. Dawnpaw panted, waiting for the pain to subside, as he reared back and came down on her with all his weight. As Dawnpaw screeched in agony, she saw Cloudpaw chase away another Pineclan warrior close by.
“Cloudpaw!” She yowled. “Help me!” She had just enough time to see Cloudpaw come running in her direction when the tom struck again. Her lashed out with unsheathed claws, and tore them down the side of Dawnpaw's face sending scarlet droplets of blood spraying the moorland grass. She could here screeches and yowls around her as cats from one of the three clans suffered similar treatment. Dawnpaw heard Icefur's agonized call somewhere up ahead. We are losing, Dawnpaw thought, beginning to panic. We should have gone and got a bigger patrol when we had the chance. What will we do now?
The tom bared his teeth at her again. “You made a big mistake coming to join this battle with such a small patrol of warriors. A bigger mistake was struggling against me, apprentice!” He hissed. “If you even knew who I was you would have given up when you had the chance. Hasn't your clan every spoke to you about a warrior named Clawfur?” Dawnpaw glared up at him, wheezing for air.
“If they had, I would tried something different. But I doubt they would have. Sunclan will never think of Pineclan as a great clan. Not you or any warrior” She spat. The tom hissed. hatred and anger combined, and he clawed her belly with his hind claws, again and again. Dawnpaw let out another yowl of agony.
“We're are going to kill you, and all of the Sunclan warriors like you, until all that are left are great warriors. then we will be respected by all the clans,” he hissed at her. Despite Dawnpaw's pain and fear, she felt a flash of anger.
“Respected!” She spat. “What do you call respected? No cat will ever respect murderous traitors like you!” Dawnpaw hissed. “And Starclan will never allow you to rule the entire forest!” Clawfur bit down into her bloody shoulder wound again, this time even harder. The pain in her injuries, his weight, and agonizing kicks into her belly made talking a struggle.
“Starclan cannot stop it!” He spat back at her. “ How dare you say we will not be respected. I should have killed you before. But no matter, it is better if I just kill you now.” Clawfur tensed his jaw muscles,ready to strike.
“Cloudpaw, where are you?” Dawnpaw screeched. She lashed out with one foreleg, but missed. Even if Dawnpaw had hit, it would do no good. Her strength was running out rapidly, and her senses began to fail, as she thought this was the last place she would ever see. Starclan help me! She thought, shutting her eyes tightly. At the same moment, a yowl sounded close by, and the weight was off. Dawnpaw opened her eyes, and saw Icefur tussling in a furious battle with Clawfur. Dawnpaw's mentor had lost a Strip of fur along one flank, and she had deep gashes on one side.
“Keep your filthy paws off my apprentice!” Icefur spat, all the rage of a Tigerclan cat in her eyes. Dawnpaw tried to struggle to her paws, but she could feel the gaze of a small Pineclan cat staring at her. Dawnpaw twisted her neck around to stare strait into the eyes of Skypaw. The apprentices eyes were stretched wide with horror, and it appeared she had not done any fighting at all. By the look on her face, Dawnpaw could tell she had been watching her clan-mates struggle with the Sunclan and Breezeclan cats. Icefur and Clawfur had disappeared, and Dawnpaw struggled to her paws completely.
“Skypaw what's happening?” She yowled. Dawnpaw could hardly put any weight on her injured foreleg. Cloudpaw was nowhere to be seen as well, and Dawnpaw realized he must
have been caught in a fight before he could help Dawnpaw. Skypaw had shaken her head in shock and horror.
“I don't know. Reedstar forced me and some of his warriors to come fight Breezeclan. He said if Breezeclan didn't join Pineclan than he will get rid of them, and any of the other clans that do not join as well! He said the sooner Pineclan is thought of as greatest every clan in the forest, the better it will be for all of us. You're hurt,” Skypaw's green eyes softened into concern as she saw the deep bite marks and scratches on Dawnpaw's shoulder, and the blood dripping down her head. Dawnpaw struggled forward, crouching down beside a blood-spattered stump. She had left a trail of blood from her shoulder in her wake.
“Clawfur,” Dawnpaw meowed. Skypaw's eyes hardened, and a bitter look nearly replaced all the concern.
“He's as blood-thirsty as Reedstar. He cares only for his own self and the greatness of his clan, and is willing to kill any cat that gets in his way.” Skypaw shook her head is despair. “Do you know he killed a queen from out own clan?” Dawnpaw shook her head, shocked.
“No! What happened?” Dawnpaw knew she should be helping her clan mates, but looking around the clearing, most of the Pineclan warriors were fleeing.
“I can't tell you right now, but maybe at the gathering. You need to help you clan, and I need some wounds on me before I head back. I can't return without some proof I had actually fought.” Skypaw looked expectantly at Dawnpaw.
“Me?” Dawnpaw gasped in alarm. Skypaw nodded.
“Don't worry about me. We have a medicine cat. A very nice one too. I will be okay. Just do this as a favor, will you? I will be better off with battle marks than without one.” Dawnpaw nodded. Skypaw's words made sense.
“Okay,” she meowed. “Stop me when it gets to much,” Dawnpaw stumbled forward and raked her claws down Skypaw's flank. She flinched as her friend grimaced and hissed with pain. Skypaw shook her head. Dawnpaw sunk her teeth into the cats tail. Skypaw ripped it free and lashed it back and forth in pain.
“Keep going!” She gasped. “Just a few more scratches and bites, and it'll be good. Dawnpaw bit down on Skypaw's flank and clawed her haunches until they were sticky with blood. When she released her, Skypaw was panting and bleeding. “That's good, now, I have to go! Thank you, Dawnpaw. I'll try to see you at the next gathering. Skypaw pelted up the hill, after her clan-mates, and disappeared. Dawnpaw turned. Just three warriors and Reedstar left. Reedstar was crouched in the midst if enemies, and he knew he was beaten.
“Retreat!” He let out a furious caterwaul to his warriors, and they all turned and raced away, out of Breezeclan territory. For a few heartbeats, their was silence, as the cats finally realized they had won. Cloudpaw was the first to break the silence.
“Dawnpaw? Dawnpaw, where are you?” Cloudpaw's white fur was matted, and blood stained a flank which bore deep gashes. Icefur was bleeding from the haunches and back, while Snowbird and Shadowfur had scratched alone their necks and backs. Dawnpaw couldn't see Goldenpaw, but she could smell his scent.
“I'm over here,” she called, stumbling from behind the rock. Goldenpaw was just climbing from the other side of the hollow, his hind leg badly bleeding. The Breezeclan cats were in worse condition, though. A lot of them were lying injured or bleeding on the ground, while some had to lean against others for support. A huge ginger tom limped out from the warriors, gathered around the camp. His fur was sticky with blood, but his eyes were clear and glowed with gratitude. He must be Brackenstar, Dawnpaw thought. As she watched the ginger tom, he dipped her head to the Sunclan warriors.
“We must thank you, Without your help, Breezeclan may have been destroyed.” In Dawnpaw's opinion, it looked destroyed enough. It didn't look much like a clan. Snowbird
dipped her head to the Breezeclan leader. “There is no need for thanks, Brackenstar,” the she-cat mewed. “Pineclan threatens all of the clans. We could not leave you to fend them off alone. If you need any help, send a warrior to us, and we will come. I doubt that will be the last time we will have trouble from Pineclan,” Snowfur promised grimly. Brackenstar nodded. “What about your medicine cat? Willowfoot be able to tend to all these cats alone?” Snowfur stared around at the blood-spattered clearing.
“I will have the help from Starclan,” a voice sounded somewhere nearby. Dawnpaw glanced around and saw a light gray and white tom circling the group of warriors. That must be Willowfoot, Dawnpaw thought, Breezeclan's medicine cat. “I will be able.” Brackenstar nodded.
“Breezeclan is grateful for your help, but I suggest you may return to your own territory now, and tend to your clans injuries.” He looked around at the small, bleeding patrol of Sunclan warriors. Dawnpaw limped awkwardly to Icefur's side. Goldenpaw and Cloudpaw stepped up beside her. Shadowfur nodded.
“We shall return now.” The patrol turned and padded slowly up the slope. Every few heartbeats Cloudpaw would press her white pelt against Dawnpaw's for support when she stumbled.
“Sorry,” Cloudpaw whispered into her ear. “I was trying to help, but another Pineclan warrior stopped me. By the time I chased him away, you had disappeared.” She sounded guilty. Dawnpaw didn't want her to be.
“That's okay,” Dawnpaw meowed back. “Icefur managed to get me in time.” She trailed off, as she stepped in a rabbit hole, and nearly fell. Dawnpaw had to dig her claws deep into the earth to keep herself from falling. Pain shot up her foreleg, but she forced herself to keep going determinedly. By the time the patrol got close to camp, it was nearly mid-day, and there would definitely be other patrols out searching for them. The entire camp was gathered near the entrance looking worried. Morningstar and Tawnyclaw sat beneath the Sun-Rock looking grim. They both leaped up as the patrol staggered into camp. The scent on the patrol explained everything.
“Pineclan attacked?” Morningstar meowed. Her eyes clouded with concern. The rest of the clan receded around them as the patrol stopped. Dawnpaw noticed Leafdapple and Foxpaw scramble out of the den as though the scented injured cats.
“In a way of speaking,” Snowbird meowed. Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise, but she held her tongue. “We were heading over to the Breezeclan border when we could scent Pineclan. The scent was recent, fresh. There wasn't a Breezeclan cat in sight, so we went to the camp to see what was going on.” The clan shifted uneasily around her. “When we arrived the entire Breezeclan were either unmoving or getting ready to be killed by the remaining Pineclan warriors. We had to react then or never.” Surprised meows arose from the clan.
“Why?” Bluetail meowed. “Why would Pineclan do that? How do they expect to be the greatest clan if the kill one of the other clans?” Shadowfur shook his head. Dawnpaw's shoulder began to throb even worse.
“I don't know. We joined the battle, and managed to chase away the other Pineclan cats. Brackenstar thanked us, and I told him that Pineclan is enemies with all other clans, and we wouldn't leave any of them to fight Pineclan off alone,” Snowfur growled. Morningstar nodded, wisely.
“You are right, Snowfur. Thank Starclan all of you made it back safely. Leafdapple, you and Foxpaw can take a look at their wounds.” Morningstar flicked her tail to her warriors and they all padded away into their dens. Icefur dropped in beside Dawnpaw.
“Are you okay? I saw what Clawfur did,” she meowed. Her eyes gave away her concern. Dawnpaw nodded.
“Yes. Thank you, Icefur.” She twisted around to lick at her shoulder wound, which was now matted and sticky with blood.
“Here,” Foxpaw's quiet mew sounded just beyond her ear. Dawnpaw turned to see him hand her a cobweb. “Press this against your shoulder wound; It should stop most of the bleeding. I will do a quick check with the other cats and come back for the worst wounds.” Dawnpaw nodded, and took the cobweb from him, gratefully. Dawnpaw licked away as much blood as she could before pressing the cobweb onto it. She grimaced as she felt the sticky substance deep beneath her skin and into her muscle, but she felt better thinking that the wound would stop bleeding. Leafdapple padded back up to her, with some more herbs in her jaws. She dropped the carefully wrapped bundle at Dawnpaw's paws.
“These are horsetail and dock leaves. They will stop infection from spreading. The juices taste bad, but it will stop the infection. Chew them up and spit out the juice onto your wounds. They will seep in soon, so try not to rub them off,” Leafdapple instructed. “I would do them myself, but I have more cats to tend to. They have White-Cough.” Dawnpaw nodded.
“Foxpaw told us. We brought him to the Garden-Place to pick up some catnip,” Dawnpaw mewed. Leafdapple nodded.
“Will you be okay, here?” She asked. Dawnpaw nodded again. Leafdapple padded off into the medicine den. Foxpaw was running an eye over Goldenpaw's leg. Dawnpaw turned to her herbs.
“Gross,” Dawnpaw spat, as she began chewing. “It taste as bad as mouse bile smells. It's a wonder how Leafdapple and Foxpaw have an appetite for anything.” Dawnpaw turned and spat the juice out on her wounds, and the leaves on the ground. “Ouch!” The juice made her wounds burn like fire, but Dawnpaw guessed it would hurt worse later if she didn't put the herbs on.
“Taste that bad, do they?” Cloudpaw teased, flicking Dawnpaw's flank with her tail. Dawnpaw tried to bat her playfully with one paw, but she lost balance, and slipped onto her side. Her ears flattened with embarrassment, Dawnpaw scrabbled back up, unsteadily. “Are you okay?” Dawnpaw shook herself impatiently.
“Yes, I'm fine. I just lost my balance. Besides, those herbs sting.” She snapped back, but then Dawnpaw blinked, hoping she hadn't sounded to harsh.
“You are so gullible! I know they sting. I was just teasing you,” Cloudpaw teased her again. Dawnpaw coughed him again, awkwardly, but this time able to lean against the Sun-Rock for support. Icefur was now pushing cobwebs into a scratch on Snowbird's flank. Goldenpaw had flopped onto the ground, and was busy licking his leg wound, while Foxpaw kept trying to stop the bleeding. Shadowfur was some ways away, muttering under his breathe, and glaring at any Sunclan cat that got to close. Once or twice, Dawnpaw noticed Leafdapple approach him, but every time he would send her off.
“I'm fine!” He would snap, or he would just growl and hiss, and look like his usual grumpy old self. Dawnpaw heard soft paw steps behind her. Cindertail whispered in Dawnpaw's ear.
“How do you feel?” Her voice was soft with concern. Dawnpaw flicked her tail reassuringly at her mother's brown side.
“I'm fine. It's just a few bites from Clawfur?” Dawnpaw whispered back. She didn't want the entire clan to begin gossiping that Dawnpaw was still being fussed over by her mother.
“Clawfur?” Cindertail's eyes widened in a mixture of concern and anger. But Dawnpaw noticed something else in her mother's identical green eyes.
“What?” Dawnpaw persisted. “Is there something wrong?” The other emotion in her mother's eyes was the one that made her bushy white tail begin to bristle. It looked almost like grief. Then the expression cleared, and her tail fur flattened out again.
“It's nothing. I was just thinking about something he said at the last gathering,” Cindertail assured her, but her voice carried a trace of warning. A guarded secret she was keeping from Dawnpaw and the other cats. Dawnpaw couldn't help but feel the least bit curious, but she held her tongue. If Cindertail hadn't spoken out before, then it was probably something she didn't want speak about now. Even if it was a secret. But Dawnpaw couldn't help feeling a twinge of anger that her mother wouldn't even tell her own daughter about it. But then Dawnpaw felt guilty. After all, she was keeping a secret from her mother as well.
She was meeting with a cat from a different clan, secretly, and she brought the other Sunclan apprentices in it as well. How long would they be able to carry on with these secrets before the rest of clan found out? And what would happen when they did? Dawnpaw shook her head to clear her mind's worrying senses. She was scaring herself like a kit. and she was no longer a kit. She was an apprentice of Sunclan, training to become a warrior, and it any cat could take care of itself, it would be one of Sunclan. The gathering was in two days, and by now Dawnpaw couldn't wait to see Skypaw.

[Sile]

Chapter 3. (Part One)



It was the day of the gathering when Dawnpaw was back in training. Her shoulder still stung painfully where Clawfur's teeth had bit into it, but she could handle it. The day before, Morningstar had called her, Cloudpaw, Goldenpaw, and Sandpaw to her den, and told them they would be going to the next gathering. Dawnpaw was so excited she could hardly sleep the last night, but she was not the least bit tired. Instead her paws swam with energy, and she scrambled right past Icefur getting to the fresh-kill pile by the Moss-Rock, a rabbit.
“You seem happy today,” Icefur purred. Her mentors eyes gleamed with amusement as she grabbed a fat vole from the Moss-Rock.
“Yes. I'm going to my first gathering tonight!” Dawnpaw purred, unable to hide her excitement.
“I know. You told me every moment you had, yesterday. I'm going too. Morningstar wants all her senior warriors to be their, just in case. It seems Pineclan no longer follow the warrior code, I doubt they'll worry about a little thing called a truce at tonight's gathering,” Icefur's voice hardened with anger. Dawnpaw nodded. Icefur's words brought a little caution to Dawnpaw, but nothing ceased her excitement. If possible, she and the other apprentices were going to see Skypaw! “Oh, yes,” Icefur meowed, changing the subject. “I'm going to bring you hunting over near the Garden-Place. I would have taken you out further, but the threat of Pineclan is too much right now,” Icefur began padding towards Ravenheart. The jet-black she-cat was eating alone, and Dawnpaw noticed her ears were swiveled towards the elders den. She scrambled up to follow her mentor.
“Has any cat heard of those mouse-brained fur balls again?” Dawnpaw mewed, coming up to her.
“Not a whisker since. Morningstar has continuous patrols sent out every time another
comes back. She doesn't want to leave Sunclan borders unguarded.” I can't blame her,” Dawnpaw thought. Ravenheart was taking miniature bites from a small sparrow.
“No appetite, today?” Icefur meowed. Ravenheart looked up.
“I guess not,” the black she-cat replied. “Are you two going to the gathering?” She pointed her tail and flicked her ears at Icefur and Dawnpaw.
“Yes we are,” Icefur settled down beside Ravenheart. “How about you?” Dawnpaw took a bite from her rabbit. She had never tasted rabbit before, but it was delicious. The warm flavors and juices filled her taste buds with a sweet taste. Ravenheart nodded.
“Morningstar told me this morning. She says she wants to talk about the attack on...” She hesitated and Dawnpaw knew what she was going to say, a heartbeat before she said it. “Longfur.” Icefur moved closer to Ravenheart. Her white pelt blended in with Ravenheart's jet- black one.
“How is he?” Icefur's words were almost a whisper. Their was a small flash of pride and grief in Ravenheart's dark-blue eyes, then it dissolved into a careful calmness.
“Leafdapple says he'll be fine, but he needs to stay with her for a few more days before he can even think of straining his neck too far. Every time he moved a rabbit-length it would bleed. I know Longfur's a strong tom, and he'll pull through,” Ravenheart mewed, confidently. Icefur nodded.
“Do you want to go hunting with us? Some time outside camp might do you good.” Icefur stood up, her fluffy white pelt looked dull and dirty in the shaded ground.
“Well...” Ravenheart hesitated again, gazing uncertainly at the medicine den. “I suppose I can,” she mewed, standing up herself. “You're right. I can't stay in camp any longer. Longfur wouldn't want me to be unfit because he was injured. Where are we going?” She asked.
“We're hunting near the Garden-Place!” Dawnpaw meowed before Icefur could speak. “She says we're are bringing some prey back for the elders.” Dawnpaw glanced back towards the elders den. Only the dark ginger pelt of Firefoot was visible through the thick brambles. Dawnpaw guessed the other elders may still be sleeping.
“We can go now,” Ravenheart meowed. “I wasn't planning on doing anything this morning, anyway.” She swiped her tongue around her muzzle, finishing off the last scratch of the Chaffinch. Dawnpaw finished her rabbit in a few rapid gulps and tears, and scrambled to her paws.
“Yes. We don't need to wait for the morning patrol to return. But, it seems they've returned already,” Icefur mewed. Dawnpaw looked at the camp entrance, and heard a rustling in the bushes. Her muscles tensed as she remembered the morning patrol they went on two days before. She scented the air, and was relieved to taste only calmness and relaxation, not blood and fear. A heartbeat later, Morningstar appeared, at the head of the patrol. Behind her were Whitepaw, Grayheart , Lionpaw, and Voleskitter. Tawnyclaw stalked out from the warriors den to meet them.
“Anything? The muscular tabby she-cat meowed. Morningstar shook her head. Tawnyclaw always seemed so dignified, and strong. Dawnpaw knew she would make a great leader of Sunclan when she died.
“No. The borders were quiet. Not a trace of Pineclan stench along Breezeclan or our borders, although they are keeping them fresh. We met Windracer, Orangestripe, Whitetail, and Dappleheart with her apprentice on their own patrol. They told us they had not seen so much as a whisker of any Pineclan warrior since. I think Pineclan must have the sense to stay away for a while. They must know we want nothing to do with them.” Tawnyclaw nodded.
“Did they say anything about being helped by us?” Dawnpaw stiffened. Did Tawnyclaw really think Breezeclan owed Sunclan a debt because they saved them? Surely clan life was more important than how much they help each other? Morningstar narrowed her eyes at her
deputy, echoing Dawnpaw's thoughts.
“Windracer said the entire Breezeclan thanks us for our help. They wouldn't have made it without us,” Morningstar's yellow eyes narrowed into a warning stare. “They would have done the same for us if Pineclan would have attacked us instead.” Tawnyclaw dipped her head.
“I didn't mean they owed us a debt. I just wanted to know if they want to work with us against Pineclan.” Dawnpaw sensed a flash of uncertainty in the tabby she-cat's eyes. Meanwhile, Morningstar softened her fierce gaze. She spotted Icefur, Dawnpaw, and Ravenheart watching.
“Are you going hunting?” She meowed. Ravenheart nodded. “Good. We need as much prey as we can get. It's almost winter, and Pineclan are attacking the other clans,” Morningstar dipped her head. As she spoke, Dawnpaw felt the first cold gust of wind rise up from the earth. She shivered, feeling cold seep up her pads. Cloud-Day was definitely coming. The days were growing shorter, and the nights longer. The herbs that medicine cats used were freezing, and the air was getting cold. The trees had already changed color, and fallen leaves littered the ground everywhere. She could here the soft crunch of them as they crinkled under a cat's soft paw.
“We're leaving now, Dawnpaw!” Icefur's voice made Dawnpaw leap to her paws. She hadn't been listening to the older cats conversation. Their voices had to dissolved to a slight whisper, hiding beneath the sounds in the midst of her thoughts.
“Sorry!” She squeaked. “I was just thinking!” Morningstar and Tawnyclaw were just disappearing into Morningstar's den, the tip of a tabby tail still visible before it flickered beneath the brambles, and was gone. The rest of the morning patrol had padded over to the fresh-kill pile, and were grabbing prey, and sharing tongues with their clan-mates. Ravenheart was kneading the ground with impatient paws.
“Get your mind into the hunt. We can't have our apprentices minds up in Starclan at a time like this. We all need to be on our guard,” Icefur meowed sternly. Dawnpaw dipped her head.
“Yes, Icefur,” Dawnpaw mewed, flattening the brittle fur along her spine. “I'll be prepared.” Dawnpaw relaxed her tense muscles, and let her tail stop twitching. Ravenheart was now butting a rock on the ground in front of her. It ricocheted of the clan walls with a dull thump, and skidded to the ground sending up clouds of dust. Dawnpaw sneezed as one went up right in her face.
“Sorry, Dawnpaw,” Ravenheart apologized, looking embarrassed. Ravenheart left the rock alone, and padded sat down. Icefur looked around at them both.
“Well, now. Let's go.” She sprang away onto the boulders, and Ravenheart and Dawnpaw leaped up to follow her. The forest floor was frosty, and Dawnpaw stumbled as she caught her paw painfully on a sharp, icy stick. Nevertheless, she raced after the two warriors, ignoring the sharp stabs of pain shooting us her shoulder. The ground crunched and protested as the clan cats pelted over it, bricking twigs, crushing leaves, and leaving long stems of bramble and fern trailing along the forest floor. The Garden-Place was coming up, and Dawnpaw braced herself for the irresistible scent of catnip, and she tasted the air, but it wasn't all that bad now. The air was frosty, but it felt good when it got beneath her thick brown and white fur. Dawnpaw skidded to Icefur's side panting, and Ravenheart scrambled to a halt behind her. The sun was beginning to shine through the thick coating of trees that surrounded the forest. The bushes whispered in the cool breeze, and prey was beginning to stir.
“It will be a good day for hunting,” Icefur mewed. “We need as much prey as we can get, so no fooling around. The fresh-kill pile needs to be stocked.” Dawnpaw and Ravenheart both nodded. “Dawnpaw, you will hunt down by the Small-Birch, Ravenheart, I think you can choose the spot where you think is best, and I'll hunt by the Willow-Field.” Icefur turned and disappeared into the thick undergrowth. Ravenheart and Dawnpaw shared a glance.
“Bossy, furball,” Ravenheart purred. Then she too turned and disappeared in the opposite direction, leaving Dawnpaw alone with her own thoughts. The cold wind stirred her fur, and Dawnpaw padded away into the deeper trees where it could not disturb her. She pushed her way through thick brambles and black-thorns. The thorns would snag deep into her fur, and scrape her sides. Dawnpaw shook them off, but more would just cling to her pelt. She twisted and struggled, trying to break free from the clinging thorns, but every struggle made them dig in deeper.
“Mousedung!” Dawnpaw hissed as a sharp thorn snagged her ear. She thrashed and kicked out fiercely, and with the sound of ripping fur, she was free, tumbling over her paws as she pulled herself out. Dawnpaw scrambled to her paws, ears burning with embarrassment. She had more thorns in her now, than a hedgehog! She shook herself crossly, and pulled the throbbing thorns from her fur. 'It will be a good day for hunting. We need as much prey as we can get, so no fooling around,' Icefur's words echoed in her ears as Dawnpaw limped back through the trees. She felt something piercing her flank, and saw a thorn when she twisted her neck around. She had missed one. Dawnpaw plucked the thorn out with her teeth, and spat it out on the earth. She licked the spot where the thorn had worried her, but continued on nevertheless ready for the challenge.
Suddenly, their was a rustling in the bushes beside her. Dawnpaw spun around, all senses alert. A flash of white streaked past her nose, and she raised her hackles, and dropped into a defensive crouch. The creature was making a break for the bushes Dawnpaw had narrowly escaped from. It smelled like something familiar, and Dawnpaw knew what it was. It was fast. The animal raced away for the lighter trees, but Dawnpaw gave chase. She weaved easily through the trees and veered sharply to the left, and the rabbit careened strait into her paws. The life drained from it in a fast, sharp bite.
Dawnpaw dragged the rabbit from it's death spot, and buried it beneath a large sycamore. Dawnpaw turned, and padded more slowly and alertly through the forest. She tasted the air. The forest scents drew in, pine, birch, sap, and lichen. Vole! Dawnpaw heard a rustling to her right, and angled her ears, tensing her muscles. She tasted the air. It was definitely a vole. She could see it now, chewing a small beach-seed beneath it's two small paws. It didn't realize how close it was to its death.
Remembering her training, Dawnpaw began to glide forward, keeping her pawsteps light and soundless. She froze. The vole had dropped the beach-seed and was skittering over the ground, strait towards her. It didn't see her! Dawnpaw held her breathe, waiting until it was less than a rabbit-length away, then sprang. The vole squealed, but Dawnpaw was on top of it, biting in near the spine. She turned away, the voles carcass laying limp in her jaws. She brought it back to where she had buried the rabbit, and laid it down beside her. She went on with her hunt.

[Sile]

Chapet 3. (Part Two)


Dawnpaw laid a large thrush down in front of Firefoot, a mouse for Moondapple. Kindleheart wasn't their, but Dawnpaw left a chaffinch for her. Firefoot nodded his thanks, and Dawnpaw left the elders den. She had returned from her hunt happy, and her jaws loaded with prey. She had caught plenty of fresh-kill, again. Ravenheart had caught three large mice and a crow. Icefur had a rabbit, two voles, and a squirrel. Icefur told her to bring some prey for the elders before she left for the gathering. The clearing was loaded with cats, some waiting for the gathering, others wishing their friends goodbye. Cloudpaw was sitting by the Moss-Rock eating a mouse. Dawnpaw stepped across the clearing to meet her, and Cloudpaw looked up.
“Hi,” Cloudpaw's greeting was friendly. “Want to join me?” She flicked her tail welcomely toward the fresh-kill pile. Dawnpaw's stomach growled, and she dipped her head.
“Okay. Thanks.” Dawnpaw pulled out a wren, but later wished she had grabbed a mouse. Now she wished she had grabbed a mouse; She was trying to speak through a mouthful of feathers.
“I can't wait for the gathering. Have you ever gone before?” Cloudpaw shook her head.
“Nope. This is my first time. I can't wait either.” She tore a mouthful out of her mouse. “I can't wait to hear what Reedstar has to say. And I want to meet Skypaw.” Dawnpaw nearly forgot about the small Pineclan apprentice that had so recently become her friend. She remembered seeing Skypaw at the battle, and was about to say something about it to Cloudpaw, but Sandpaw came bounding across the clearing at the same time.
“Bluetail told me to come and eat. We are going to be leaving for the gathering soon!” Her breathless mew was sharp with excitement. Dawnpaw looked impatiently at Morningstar's den. Her leader had not come out yet.
“Have you been to a gathering yet?” Cloudpaw asked Sandpaw. Sandpaw nodded, her eyes glowing with excitement at the memories as she grabbed a vole. Dawnpaw felt envy prick her pelt.
“What is it like?” Dawnpaw asked, eagerly. Sandpaw shook her head.
“I don't want to spoil your excitement. You'll see soon enough.” Dawnpaw didn't feel disappointed. As she finished her wren, she spotted Morningstar spring out of her den. The agile leader picked her way to the top of the camp entrance, and gave an authorized yowl. Sandpaw scrambled to her paws, as cats began weaving throughout the clearing to their leader's side.
“It's time to go. Come on!” Sandpaw gasped. The three apprentices raced across the clearing. Morningstar was saying something to her watching clan. Tawnyclaw padded up to her leader.
“We will not challenge any Pineclan warriors for their attacks,” her words were met with yowls of disapproval and protest.
“Why not? Why can't we tell them what real Sunclan warriors mean?” Grayheart yowled to his leader. More warriors echoed his challenge. Morningstar silenced them all with a fierce caterwaul.
“I will challenge the Pineclan leader myself at the gathering. No other clan supports him. All new apprentices try and meet the Pineclan apprentices. Learn as much as you can from them, but don't give them any information that could lead to any weaknesses. Dawnpaw's fur prickled as a few of her clanmates glanced at them. “Let's go!” Morningstar turned and pelted away into the forest. The group of Sunclan cats followed after her. Dawnpaw fell in beside her mentor and Bluetail. In front of her were Voleskitter, Snowbird, Shadowfur, Grayheart, and Sandpaw. Behind her were Leafdapple, Foxpaw, Ravenheart, Firefoot, Moondapple, Cindertail, Cloudpaw, and Petalfoot. Tawnyclaw raced side-by-side with her leader as the pelted towards Pine-Hollow.
“Don't waste your time tonight, Dawnpaw,” Icefur growled. “This is a good time, to understand clan differences.” Dawnpaw nodded. 'I have to speak to Skypaw,' she thought. A scent of pines smelled stronger as she neared the heart of the forest. Dawnpaw recognized the familiar trunks of the trees, and undergrowth. Pine-Hollow was coming closer! The last few moments went by slowly. One moment they were pelting through the trees, and the next, they were at the top of a deep, roomy hollow, staring down over more cats than Dawnpaw had seen in her life. Their eyes glowed pale in the faint moonlight, and they turned to greet the Sunclan cats as they reached the top of the Pine-Hollow. Dawnpaw tasted the air. Breezeclan, and Pineclan. Brookclan had not yet arrived. Morningstar flicked her tail, and the Sunclan warriors leaped up, and raced away, down into the hollow. Dawnpaw was surprised at how many Breezeclan cats their were. All of them had deep scars and wounds from the battle. But their were still a lot of them. The Sunclan cats split away, weaving into the Breezeclan cats. Dawnpaw could feel hostility burn into her fur, and the hisses of hatred from the Pineclan cats.
“Hello,” a small Breezeclan apprentice had walked up to Dawnpaw. It was a white she-cat
with ginger patches. “How are you?” 'She must have seen me at the battle,' Dawnpaw thought.
“Good. How is your clan doing?” Dawnpaw meowed politely. The Breezeclan she-cat shrugged.
“They're getting along. I'm Brightpaw, by the way,” Brightpaw added. Dawnpaw dipped her head in greeting.
“I'm Dawnpaw.” She shot a furtive glance at the Pineclan cats. She couldn't see Skypaw among them. Brightpaw dipped her head, and padded over to a group of Breezeclan apprentices. Dawnpaw turned, and padded away, pushing through a Cloudpaw and Sandpaw.
“Hey. Watch it!” Sandpaw snapped crossly. Cloudpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement.
“Sorry. I'm looking for Skypaw,” she added more quietly. Sandpaw blinked.
“Oh, yes. Can we go with you? I want to meet her!” Dawnpaw glanced around making sure no Sunclan warriors were in view.
“Okay,” she murmured. Dawnpaw turned and began squeezing through the crowd. She heard a familiar meow in her ear.
“Dawnpaw!” Skypaw hissed. Dawnpaw swung her head around to see her friend. The scratched Dawnpaw had given her were still visible on her pelt. Dawnpaw felt a small prickle of guilt.
“Hi Skypaw. This is Cloudpaw and Sandpaw,” Dawnpaw flicked her tail to each of her friends. “This is Skypaw.” Sandpaw narrowed her eyes. Skypaw stepped forward, dipping her head in a respectful greeting.
“Hello. I'm Skypaw, of Pineclan,” Skypaw mewed. Sandpaw relaxed. Cloudpaw dipped her head back.
“Hi, Skypaw. Dawnpaw's told us a lot about you!” Cloudpaw's fluffy white pelt stiffened suddenly. “I smell Brookclan!” She meowed, excitedly. Dawnpaw looked at the top of the hollow. A huge gray tom was just visible at the end of the hollow opposite the side Sunclan had entered.
“That's Stonestar! Brookclan's leader!” Sandpaw whispered. As the four apprentices watched, Stonestar launched himself over the hollow, blurry shapes of his clanmates racing pelting around him. Dawnpaw saw Morningstar turn to greet the Brookclan leader.
“Hello,” a tiny, anxious voice mewed in Dawnpaw's ear. She turned and saw a small Brookclan apprentice. His fur was a black and brown color. “I'm Birchpaw.” His eyes widened as he saw Skypaw. He seemed to recoil from her. “You're from Pineclan!” His mew changed into a squeak a alarm. Dawnpaw saw Skypaw flinch. The small Pineclan apprentice stared at her paws, and she shuffled them unhappily. Instantly, Dawnpaw leaped to her friends defense.
“So what, if she's Pineclan? She has done nothing wrong!” Birchpaw flinched away. He gazed at the ground himself.
“I-I'm sorry. It's just Brookclan teaches its apprentices that all Pineclan warriors were mean, and don't care about the warrior code!” Birchpaw backed away, ears flattened. Skypaw's eyes shot up. She rounded on the Brookclan apprentice, making Dawnpaw, Cloudpaw, and Sandpaw flinch.
“I care about the warrior code!” She hissed. “I am nothing like my clanmates. If your warriors actually took the time trying to know some of the Pineclan apprentices, they might realize how much they respected the warrior code. I'm loyal to the warrior code! Let any cat who dares say I'm not, come here and say it to my face!” She snarled. Birchpaw froze. Skypaw backed off, and Dawnpaw saw guilt flash in her eyes. She relaxed her muscles. “I'm sorry Birchpaw. I didn't mean to do that. I just hate it that every cat thinks I'm a traitor to the warrior code just because I'm a Pineclan warrior. I don't think any cat will respect me for who I am instead of the clan I belong to,” she apologized. Birchpaw let his fur lie flat. Dawnpaw stared at her friend.
“I would respect you,” Dawnpaw whispered. She noticed Sandpaw's snort of disapproval. Luckily, Skypaw did not. Cloudpaw gave Sandpaw a warning glare. Skypaw flashed Dawnpaw a grateful look, but before she could speak, a yowling from the top of the well-known Stone-Ravine that the leaders shared their news on during a gathering.
“Let the gathering begin!” Morningstar yowled. Only her and Brackenstar were on the Stone-Ravine, but Dawnpaw saw Stonestar and Reedstar pushing their way through to leap up on the giant ravine. The full-moon shone of the four leaders' fur, turning them to a bright silver and black. Their eyes reflected palely down on the watching cats. Dawnpaw stifled a small shiver of excitement. Reedstar did not even acknowledge the other leaders, just took his place at the back of the Stone-Ravine. Morningstar dipped her head to Brackenstar, telling him to go first. Brackenstar nodded and stepped forward. Deep gashes from the battle before still shone clearly on his pelt, but his eyes were clear and proud as he surveyed the crowd.
“Three days ago, our camp was attacked by Pineclan warriors, trying to take over. He threatened to kill us all if we didn't submit. I said no. Luckily, a Sunclan patrol was patrolling our border, and must have smelled the Pineclan cats. They came and helped us drive out the remaining warriors. I must thank Morningstar, and the patrol, for coming to help us,” he thanked Morningstar. The he turned to Reedstar. The black tom had been glaring at Brackenstar ever since he began to speak. “I must tell you the attack has not weakened us. You and your blood-thirsty warriors will never take over our clan.” Dawnpaw glanced at Skypaw hoping she had not been offended, but the Pineclan apprentice just nodded at the Breezeclan leader. Brackenstar continued. “You may think you are the strongest clan, but we have loyalty and friendship. One day I hope your warriors realize life isn't all about power and greed, and become noble warriors once again. Breezeclan are ready to fight you off as many times as we have to. We follow the warrior code!” He hissed at the Pineclan leader.
Dawnpaw stiffened. All around her Pineclan warriors were yowling defiance at the Breezeclan leader, and challenging Breezeclan cats. Dawnpaw saw Owltalon, Pineclan's deputy, and Swifttail's Breezeclan's deputy, spinning to face each other with unsheathed claws. Dawnpaw's fur rose along her spine. Was the warrior code about to be washed away because of the Breezeclan leader's noble words? She glanced up at the Stone-Ravine. Morningstar and Stonestar were pushing their way between Brackenstar and Reedstar as the prepared to wipe their claws down each others muzzle. Dawnpaw couldn't tell which leader hated each other most.
“Stop!” Stonestar yowled. “Starclan will not allow us to fight on this day!” He spun to face the Pineclan leader. His eyes were wide with alarm. “If you want any of your cats to ever be respected, you will tell your warriors not to fight! There is other stuff to talk about at the gathering, is their not?” Reedstar glared at him. Dawnpaw's breathe caught in her throat as she waited for the Pineclan leader's reply. Brackenstar glared at him.
“Cats of Pineclan!” He yowled, finally. “We will not fight here. We have other information at paw.” He stepped back and sat down. The Pineclan cats relaxed their ready claws and muscles, and just glared around at the other clan cats. Dawnpaw heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't expect a battle to be avoided so easily after that. They needed to be more careful. Brackenstar swing his head around to the rest of the crowd.
“That is all. Breezeclan has no other important information to say.” He sat down, and Morningstar and Stonestar warily withdrew from their defensive places. Reedstar glared at them.
“Pineclan will share last!” He hissed. Stonestar looked at Morningstar, signaling she should go first. Morningstar took her place at front.
“We also bring information of an attack,” she began. “One of our warriors was patrolling the border when he was attacked by Pineclan warriors. He was gravely injured, but he will recover.
We bring news of new kits and apprentices,” Dawnpaw stiffened with excitement. “One of our queens, Petalfoot, had her kits, a half-moon ago. They are named Leopardkit and Littlekit.” Mews of joy rippled throughout the crowd. Kits were always a good sign in the clans. “We have two new apprentices this moon. Cloudkit, became Cloudpaw, two mornings after the last gathering. And Dawnkit, became Dawnpaw.” Dawnpaw shuffled her paws with embarrassment as cats turned from all across the hollow to stare at them. Her fur felt hot beneath their stares. Then, she felt a burning gaze into her fur, and whipped her head around to gaze into the furious eyes of Clawfur. As she glared at the matted gray tom, he turned and whispered something loudly into a neighboring Pineclan she-cats ears.
“I'm surprised she's an apprentice. I wonder if Sunclan is so desperate for new warriors their training their kits starting at three moons,” he mocked. Dawnpaw's fur began to bristle with anger. She heard a furious hiss from somewhere in the crowd and noticed Icefur glaring at Clawfur. Skypaw touched her tail softly against Dawnpaw's side.
“Don't listen to Clawfur. He's got as much sense as a newborn. He's a bully, but he is also a coward. He thinks he can boss around and intimidate apprentices because he's older,” Skypaw's voice was hardened with fury. Dawnpaw glanced at her and let her hackles fall. Morningstar finished her speech.
“The prey is running fine in Sunclan, and we are getting along fine.” She stepped back dipping her head to Stonestar who padded forward. The massive, muscular toms eyes glowed in the pale moonlight.
“We have had no trouble from Pineclan. We bring news rogues, though. They seem harmless, and they must just be passing through. But is seems as though they were heading towards your territory though,” he flashed a glance at Brackenstar. Dawnpaw noticed the murmurs and fur prickling with unease throughout the hollow. Stonestar went on. “The brook is beginning to run cold, and we are moving to our forest half of our territory for prey.” He stepped back when he finished. Reedstar stepped forward. Dawnpaw noticed how tense the cats below seemed to be as the Pineclan leader took his place. He swung his head back and forth as he surveyed the crowd with glittering, arrogant eyes. His eyes were slits, and the warriors beneath him seemed to recede.
“Pineclan has a proposition for you,” he growled, his voice low and threatening. Skypaw's ears flicked with surprise. Obviously, the Pineclan apprentice didn't know what was going on. Cats began whispering to themselves and each other. “Silence!” Reedstar hissed. Hiss voice suddenly filled with menace, and he yowled at them. Every cat froze. Dawnpaw could taste fear all over the hollow, and several of the biggest warriors flattened themselves to the ground, ears flattened. Reedstar's eyes reflected red as he glared at the cats.

[Sile]

Chapter 3. (Part Three)

“Pineclan has a proposition,” he began again. “You spoke of rogue cats,” he faced the Brookclan leader, eyes glaring hatred. Stonestar raised his hackles, and bared his teeth into a snarl.
“Brookclan is not weak, if that's what you mean! We are strong enough to drive any of your gutless excuses for warriors out, no problem!” Yowls of approval arose from the Brookclan warriors. A growl began rumbling in Reedstar's throat. Stonestar glared at him with challenge in his eyes.
“Enough!” Morningstar spat pushing her way through. Dawnpaw blinked. She had never seen her leader so angry. Morningstar's ears were laid back against her head, her eyes burned with a fury that made her fur prickle, and her yowl pierced the night sky, louder than Reedstar's. She glared at both of the leaders, spitting with anger. “You both are behaving like kits!” She rounded on Stonestar. You don't know what Reedstar meant by the rogues. He might have had a clue as to who they were! Just let him finish and comment later! And you!” She hissed, whipping her head around to glare at the Pineclan leader. “What do you think you're doing?
“Wh-what?” Reedstar spluttered, flattening his ears with surprise.
“Silence!” She hissed. “Coming in here like you own the whole forest! How dare you betray the warrior code! You're warriors are a disgrace! You have turned them into hated traitors, that no cat will ever respect!” Her eyes glared with hatred, and she advanced on the Pineclan, who began to back away, his eyes wide with alarm. The other two leaders just stared at her in astonishment.
“You're an embarrassment to the clans. You're an embarrassment to the cat species! Never again will you order MY warriors around! They are loyal to ME, and STARCLAN. They will never take orders from a humiliating crow-food eating excuse like you!” Her hiss was so fierce and low, Dawnpaw could hardly hear it. Reedstar's was now back against the ravine, and Morningstar was a whisker from his face. Dawnpaw could see the other Sunclan warriors staring at their leader in surprise. Morningstar lashed her tail from side to side. Every hair on her pelt was bristling out in anger. “This forest holds FOUR clans, not ONE! I know why you're such a Mouse-Brained idiot! You are a selfish, uncaring piece of FOXDUNG, that cares for himself. What if you were one of you warriors, forced to be killed or fight to death because your leader told you to. You think loyalty to a single, strong cat is what makes us strong. But it is loyalty to our beliefs. We fight for what we believe, and what we care for, and we are NOT going to give that up for a mouse-brained traitor like you!” Her words were met with dead silence.
Every cat in the clearing was staring at Morningstar or Reedstar, or both. Dawnpaw couldn't help her astonishment. Sandpaw and Cloudpaw were in awe as well. Suddenly, Morningstar seemed to realize what she was doing. She blinked to herself once, stepped back, and let her fur lie flat. She glanced self-consciously towards the clan cats. Reedstar just stared back in equal astonishment, and so did the other leaders. Then, Dawnpaw heard a cat growling deep in his throat. It was Owltalon. The dark Tabby's eyes were fixed on Morningstar, burning with anger. Morningstar shook herself, unaware of Owltalon's gaze.
“Great Starclan!” Dawnpaw whispered to Skypaw's ears. “I have never seen Morningstar so angry and lose control like that!” Skypaw glanced at her. The small Pineclan apprentice's expression was unreadable, and her ears were flat against her head. Dawnpaw wondered if she was offended by what Morningstar said. “Are you okay?” She meowed. Skypaw jumped.
“I'm fine. But Morningstar is right, isn't she? I mean, all the other cats hate us, and don't deny it,” Skypaw snapped as Dawnpaw opened her mouth to protest. “You heard what Birchpaw said about his clan thinking we were all traitors. Most of our cats, except for Orangemoon, our medicine, her apprentice, Poppypaw, me, and the elders. And Sandpoppy, one of our queens.” Skypaw flicked her ears to the black she-cat that was sitting beside Clawfur earlier. “She always had a special interest in me, I don't know why. It's just the way she looks at me, sometimes, it is as though she knows something that I don't. But it could just be that I am Reedstar's daughter,” she hissed her last words out with venomous fury. Dawnpaw looked back up at the leaders on the Stone-Ravine wondering if she had missed anything important.
Stonestar had taken a step closer to Morningstar. “You are right. But after what you said about the Pineclan attacks in your own territory, I thought he would be saying we were weak.” Morningstar just nodded at him, as though she had hardly heard his sentence. She glanced back at Reedstar. The Pineclan leader had stepped away, the surprised shock in his eyes now replaced by calmness.
“Continue. I just had to let that out. I'm sorry. I won't do that again,” Morningstar murmured. She dipped her head and stepped back beside the still astonished Breezeclan leader. Reedstar stepped forward again. He drew himself up, as though trying to cover up his surprise just moments earlier.
“Cats of Breezeclan, Sunclan, Brookclan, and my own,” he began. His voice was now low, and challenging. “Morningstar said I might know who those rogue cats are.” He glanced at the black and white splotched she-cat, and then back at them. “First of all, they are not a threat to your clans, right now. They are cats who live in their own tribe who are traveling from a distant forest. Pineclan have met these Tribe-cats, and they know that they mean no harm.” Dawnpaw heard a disgusted snort from Cloudpaw.
“After speaking with you, everything is a threat,” Cloudpaw hissed under her breathe at the Pineclan leader.
“Hush!” Dawnpaw whispered back. She turned her attention back onto the four leaders; Reedstar was gazing importantly at the crowd, and the other three leaders just watched on in silent puzzlement.
“Their leader is named Moon. He is a great fighter, and has been leader of his tribe for countless seasons. What is interesting, is they have their known set of ancestors, and not Starclan.” Those words brought yowls of surprise from every cat in the clearing.
“How can they not believe in Starclan?” A grizzled tabby tom yowled at the Pineclan leader. “Is their more than just Starclan for ancestors?”
“ Where do they come from?”
“Are they stealing our prey?”
“What ancestors do they believe in?” Reedstar waved his tail for silence, but it was several long moments before the clamor died down.
“They believe in the Starlight-Clouds. They come from a forest, seasons away from here. Their tribe is called Hope of an Endless Future. They have lived peacefully in their forest as single tribe forever, until the unstoppable fires came. They burned down the entire forest the tribe lived in, and they believe it is still burning now, although they left their home uncountable seasons ago. They are looking for shelter, and warmth, if they are to continue on their journey for a new, unoccupied forest.” A slow murmur of unease spread throughout the four clans as he spoke. Dawnpaw stared up at the Pineclan leader in surprise. Does he want us to give them shelter? She thought. “If they are to leave this forest soon, they will need shelter from all four clans. You must take them in!” He ended with a dramatic yowl. Yowls of protest battered her ears, as the other three clan cats yowled their protest.
“But it is nearly Winter!” Voleskitter yowled. “We have too many cats to feed within our own clan than to add more!” Several other cats yowled their agreement.
“So we are to help a tribe that cannot even help themselves?” Brookclan's deputy Hawktalon spat with disgust. Reedstar eyed the muscular tabby she-cat coldly.
“Should they be punished because the inconvenience the fires caused?” Reedstar yowled above the furious clamor. “Should they be left to suffer and starve because they were cruelly forced from their own home? How would you feel if you were driven from your own territories, hungry and starving, and when you finally find some cats who may be able to help, they refuse?” Every cat fell silent, and the yowl lingering in Grayheart's throat died. Dawnpaw could see the cats all around the clearing looking around at each other wind uncertainty and concern. “I have already invited some of their tribe cats to take shelter in our camp, but our territory is not big enough for all of them on its own. I have also invited Moon to bring his tribe here so you can all meet them,” As Reedstar spoke, he flicked his tail towards the bushes. Dawnpaw and several other cats stiffened as the bushes on all sides rustled and cats came padding into the clearing.
They didn't look like the clan cats. They were leaner, and their heads were smaller. Dawnpaw could see how hungry every one of them were. Their ribs stuck out and the pelts hung against bone, they were filthy and ungroomed, their fur sticking up in matted clumps. All the tribe cats filled into the clearing, and most of the clan cats backed away. Dawnpaw heard the squeal of kits, and saw several being carried by exhausted queens, while others staggered tiredly behind them. Near the end of the group, were several big toms, staying near the back to help any stragglers. At the front, was a huge, jet black tom with green eyes. Her had huge paws, and his eyes sparkled dimly in the quiet moonlight. Dawnpaw saw a Brookclan apprentice whisper something into his neighboring cats ear, but the other cat just cuffed him softly and the apprentice fell silent.
The black tom stepped forward. Behind him, the eyes of the tribe cats glittered warily in the night sky. They were all small, and bedraggled, and Dawnpaw couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for them. She wondered what it would be like to lose this forest. She didn't like the feeling that jolted through her stomach.
“I am Moon, leader of Hope of an Endless Future.” A small silver tabby she-cat limped up beside him. “This is Twilight, the tribe healer. She knows all the herbs of any forest and mountain,” Moon introduced her. Twilight dipped her head.
“She must be the medicine cat!” Dawnpaw hissed aloud. “They must call their medicine cats 'healers,' because the heal wounds.” A big brown tom padded out of the remaining group of tribe cats, and settled down at Moon's other side.
“This is Maple, the second in command of our tribe,” Moon meowed. Dawnpaw knew he must be deputy. Tawnyclaw was the second in command of Sunclan. “We greet you.” Moon, Twilight, Maple, and the other tribe cats dipped their heads in greeting. Several cats hesitated, and looked at each other. Then, a ginger she-cat stepped forward. Dawnpaw recognized her scent as Brookclan.
“Greetings, Tribe of Hope of Endless Future,” she meowed, dipping her head. “I am Spiritheart, a warrior of Brookclan. Welcome to the forest.” Spiritheart stepped back into the clan cats, and more echoed her greeting, but they sounded uncertain, almost disagreeable. Stonestar stepped forward, a troubled look in his eye.
“Wait, Reedstar. How can we possibly fit so many cats into four camps? We might not have enough prey for all of them. How can we take them in, as winter is just beginning?” Bluetail whispered something into a Breezeclan queen's ear. Moon glanced back at his tribe.
“We don't plan on staying long, just enough to rest and regain our strength. But if we're going to be so much of a problem, we should go,” Moon got to his paws, but Morningstar leaped down and padded over to him.
“Wait,” she meowed. “I'm sorry, that's not want Stonestar meant. I'm Morningstar, leader of Sunclan. Reedstar you must already know, and the other tom is Brackenstar, leader of Breezeclan. Stonestar is leader of Brookclan.” She indicated each cat in turn. “We cannot possibly send you out in this condition. Brackenstar, what do you think?” Brackenstar looked surprised that Morningstar was talking to him. His tail twitched with anxiety, as though her was unsure what to say.
“Well, I agree we can't leave them like this. I don't know if our territories will support all of them as well as us.” He looked around at the half-starved tribe cats, and then bowed his head. “But if you are only staying for a short amount of time we might be able to take in a few of you. None of us would let any cats starve.” Although none of the Breezeclan cats argued, several of them began muttering disaggreeably amoing themselves. Clearly they were unhappy about their leader''s choice, but non of them protested. Morningstar dipped her head to Moon.
“Sunclan may be able to take some in ourselves,” she meowed. Dawnpaw felt the Sunclan Warriors around her stiffen with surprise. She could read their thoughts as easily as her own. Do we really have to allow strangers into their camp? How could they all feed each other? Beside her, Sandpaw let out a hiss of disapproval.
“What?” Dawnpaw whispered. Sandpaw looked at her as if she was crazy. Her eyes sparkled with a new, fierce light.
“What?” She hissed, mocking Dawnpaw's question. “How can you say what? Do you really want to allow these strangers into our camp? Prey is small enough as it is!” Dawnpaw didn't think she had ever seen Sandpaw so snappish. But she couldn't help but feal a flash of anger, jolting through her like a lightning bolt. She rounded on sandpaw, bristling with anger.
"How can you say that?" She spat. "How would you feel knowing that you were driven from your home, hurt and starving, and the first cats that may be able to help, decide not to! We have to help them!" Sandpaw looked startled. Before she could speak again, Moon had stepped forward.
"Thank you," he meowed, dipping his head gratefully. "We will leave as soon as we can," he promised. Morningstar dipped her head.
"Stay until you are ready," she replied. She looked at the other leaders. "I would like to show these cats to our camp. Sunclan will be excused from the gathering." She got to her paws and began padding to side of the clearing, calling to her warriors as she went. A small group of the Tribe cats broke apart to follow, Dawnpaw noticed the healer Twilight pad with them. The clan was in an unusual amount of tension as they left the gathering and brought the strangers into the camp.

[hawkclaw]

wow

[FlameXcat]

That was really long!

[hawkclaw]

yeah it was

[FlameXcat]

Well maybe our story could be long if you worked on it Hawkclaw!

[darkpoppy]

omg

[Sile]

Just three more replied and we can start a new page! Keep replying!

[blade]

That's cool!