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Chapter Text

Thunderclan:

Leader:

Firestar- Ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt and green eyes

Deputy:

Graystripe- long-haired gray tom with yellow eyes

Medicine cat:

Cinderpelt- dark gray molly with blue eyes

Apprentice, Leafpaw

Warriors:

Mousefur- small dusky-brown molly with yellow eyes 

Apprentice, Spiderpaw

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Squirrelpaw

Sandstorm- pale ginger molly with green eyes

Apprentice, Sorrelpaw

Brackenfur- golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Whitepaw

Cloudtail- long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Thornclaw- golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Shrewpaw

Brightheart- white molly with ginger patches and a blue eye

Brambleclaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashfur- pale gray (with darker flecks) tom with dark blue eyes

Rainwhisker- dark gray tom with blue eyes

Sootfur- light grey tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Sorrelpaw- tortoiseshell and white molly with amber eyes.

Spiderpaw- long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes.

Shrewpaw- small dark brown tom with amber eyes

Whitepaw- white molly with green eyes

Squirrelpaw- dark ginger molly with green eyes

Leafpaw- light brown tabby molly with amber eyes and white paws

Queens:

Goldenflower- pale ginger coat, oldest nursery queen

Ferncloud pale gray (with darker flecks), green eyes (mother to Birchkit, Hollykit, and Larchkit)

Elders:

Frostfur- beautiful white molly with blue eyes

Dappletail- tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes, oldest cat in Thunderclan

Speckletail- pale tabby molly with amber eyes

Longtail- pale tabby with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing hearing

Shadowclan:

Leader: Blackstar- large white tom with huge jet-black paws

Deputy: Russetfur- dark ginger molly

Medicine cat: Littlecloud- very small tabby tom

Warriors:

Boulder- skinny gray tom

Ratscar- brown tom with long scar across his back

Snowbird- white molly

Oakfur- small brown tom

         Apprentice, Smokepaw

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell molly with green eyes

Cedarheart- dark gray tom

      Apprentice, Snakepaw

Rowanclaw- ginger molly

        Apprentice, Talonpaw

Nightwing- Black molly with green eyes

Apprentices:

Smokepaw- long-legged tom with green eyes

Talonpaw- pale gray tom

Snakepaw- dark brown tom with bright yellow eyes

Queens:

Tallpoppy- long-legged light brown tabby (expecting)

Elders:

Runningnose- small gray-and-white tom, formerly the medicine cat

Rowanberry- cream-and-brown molly with amber eyes

Riverclan:

Leader- Leopardstar- Unusually spotted golden tabby molly

Deputy- Mistyfoot- Blue-gray molly with blue eyes

Medicine cat- Mudfur- Long-haired light brown tom

   Apprentice, Mothwing- Beautiful golden tabby molly with amber eyes

Warriors:

Blackclaw- smoky black tom

Sedgecreek- pale brown tabby molly

    Apprentice, Icepaw

Grasswhisker- brown tabby molly

   Apprentice, Pinepaw

Mosspelt- tortoiseshell molly

  Apprentice, Swallowpaw

Heavystep- thickset tabby tom

Shadepelt- very dark gray molly

   Apprentice, Duskpaw

Reedwhisker- black tom with dark gray eyes

Dawnflower- pale gray molly

Stormfur- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Feathertail- silver molly with blue eyes

Hawkfrost- broad-shouldered dark brown tom with a white belly and blue eyes

Apprentices:

Icepaw- white molly with blue eyes

Swallowpaw- dark brown tabby molly with green eyes

Duskpaw- dark brown tabby molly with amber eyes

Pinepaw- short haired tabby molly with dark green eyes

Queens:

Skyheart- lithe pale brown tabby with green eyes(mother to Volekit, a brown tabby tom, Stonekit, a gray tom, and Splashkit, a white and ginger molly)

Mallowtail- tortoiseshell-tabby-and-white (mother to Beechkit, a light brown tom, and Ripplekit, a dark gray tabby tom)

Elders:

Loudbelly- dark brown tom

Windclan:

Leader- Tallstar- elderly black-and-white tom with a very long tail

Deputy- Mudclaw- mottled dark brown tom

       Apprentice, Crowpaw

Medicine cat: Barkface- short-tailed brown tom

Warriors:

Rushtail- light brown tom

Ashfoot- gray molly

Oatwhisker- creamy brown tabby tom

Pigeonflight- dark gray tom with white patches

Onewhisker- brown tabby tom

Gorsetail- pale brown cat with green eyes

Webfoot- dark gray tabby tom

Tornear- tabby tom

Whitetail- small white molly

Nightcloud- black molly

Apprentices:

Crowpaw- dark smoky gray, almost black tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Robinwing- light brown with blue eyes (mother to Weaselkit, a ginger tom with white paws, and Owlkit, a light brown tabby tom)

Runningbrook light gray(mother to Cranberrykit, a bracken molly, Thistlekit, a long haired spiky gray and white molly, and Gorsekit, a pale gray and white molly with blue eyes)

Elders:

Morningflower- tortoiseshell molly

Darkfoot- blue-gray tom with darker paws, a paler chest and belly, a white muzzle, and yellow eyes

Ryestalk- gray tabby molly with soft fur and amber eyes

Stagleap- huge, stocky, broad-shouldered, dark brown tom with amber eyes

Wrenflight- brown molly

Chapter Text

Leaves rustled as the young tabby slid through bushes, his ears pricked. In the warm night air, he heard prey scurrying about in the late greenleaf grass.

Movements twitched endlessly at the edge of his vision, but when he turned his head he could see nothing but thick clumps of fern and bramble, dappled with moonlight. Suddenly, he stepped into a wide clearing and gazed around in confusion. He couldn’t recall being in this part of the forest before. Long grass, glowing silver from the moonlight, surrounded a small rock where another cat was sitting. Her fur was speckled with stars, and her blue eyes glowed like two miniature moons. The young cat frowned, trying to remember where he had seen this cat before. Then, his eyes widened as he recognized her.

“Bluestar?” he meowed, his voice shrill with disbelief. He had barely begun his apprenticeship when the great Thunderclan leader had died four seasons ago. She had leaped into the gorge with blood-hungry dogs at her tail. They had been chasing his clan mates through the forest, almost catching the clan deputy. He remembered how he, like the rest of the clan, had grieved for her and honored her for the sacrifice she had made. It suddenly occurred to him that he must be dreaming.

“Come closer, young warrior,” Bluestar meowed. “I have a message for you.” Shivering with awe, the tabby padded across the soft ground until he was right below the rock, looking up at her. “I’m listening Bluestar,” he meowed. “A time of trouble is coming to the forest,” she told him. “A new prophecy must be fulfilled if the clans are to survive. You have been chosen to meet with three other cats at the new moon, and you must listen to what midnight tells you.” The tabby felt a shiver at her words. “What do you mean? What trouble?” “All will be made clear to you,” Bluestar replied simply. With that, the light began to fade from the forest.

“Wait! Don’t go!” The terrified cat cried. As his surroundings faded to black, he yowled in terror. Something snagged at his pelt, and he lashed out. “Brambleclaw!”

His eyes flew open to see several warriors staring at him in shock. He looked in front of him to see Graystripe, the Thunderclan deputy, holding up a bleeding leg. “Are you ok?” The gray tom asked softly. Realizing his claws were unsheathed, the startled tom sat up and bowed his head. “I-I’m so sorry!” Brambleclaw apologized, feeling horrified. Graystripe licked his injury calmly and swept his tail across Brambleclaw’s back. “Nothing a wash and a good meal can’t fix! Now, how about you fix your bedding and make yourself useful.”

Brambleclaw glanced back at his nest. Well, what used to be his nest. Scraps of shredded moss and bracken scattered around the spot where he had slept were all that was left of his bedding. The tabby figured that that he must had destroyed it in his sleep.

“Come on you lot,” Graystripe called to the remaining warriors. “I’m organizing patrols and I need some volunteers.” With that, he slipped out of the den with Brambleclaw following a few moments later. His dream was already starting to fade, although Bluestar’s warning still sounded in his mind. But why me? Surely, if there was something important, Starclan would contact medicine cats instead?

Shaking off the last scraps of sleep, Brambleclaw surveyed the camp. His mother, Goldenflower, flicked her tail in greeting. He went up to her, and she nuzzled him fondly. “Good morning,” she purred. “Did you sleep well? I heard that you made a bit of a fuss in the den when you woke up.” Brambleclaw shifted his paws in embarrassment. “Er.. I had a bad dream,” he said. Well, not exactly bad, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant.

His mother’s eyes rounded with sympathy. “My poor kit. If you ever need to talk, remember that I’m always here.” She sat down and gestured for him to do the same. “I know you had a rough apprenticeship between your father and Tawnypaw” her voice cracked at the mention of her daughter. Brambleclaw remembered how devastated they both were when his sister had left them for Shadowclan. The clan hadn’t trusted the two because of Tigerstar, their father and a traitor to Thunderclan. While Brambleclaw had patiently waited to prove himself, Tawnypelt chose to run away to be with her father so she wouldn’t be judged.

“I’m very proud of you, Brambleclaw,” Goldenflower murmured. She stood up and made her way to the nursery. “Have you seen the kits yet? Ferncloud has been thinking about their names.” He shook his head. “I’ll visit when I get back from patrol,” he promised.

Raising his tail in farewell, he started to walk to Graystripe when a young tortoiseshell molly noticed him and her eyes lit up. She sprinted over, slamming into him and knocking over both of them. “It’s today!” She announced excitedly, still pinning the bewildered tom. “Wh-what?” Brambleclaw asked. “My warrior ceremony!” Sorrelpaw let out a mrrow of joy. “Finally!” “Great, now let me up,” the tom demanded, trying to wiggle free. He kicked her off and launched his own attack, and the two wrestled on the ground. Sorrelpaw kicked his belly with her hind legs and he was grateful that her claws were sheathed. There was no doubt in his mind that she would make a fierce warrior. “Alright, that’s enough.” Brambleclaw cuffed Sorrelpaw gently over the ear and scrambled up. “If you’re going to be a warrior, you’ll have to stop behaving like a kit.”

The apprentice narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t you dare! You know how long I’ve waited for this!” Brambleclaw gave his friend a lick. “I know. You deserve it,” he assured her with a purr. Sorrelpaw had ventured too close to the Thunderpath while she was chasing a squirrel in newleaf. A twoleg monster had struck her with a glancing blow, injuring her shoulder. While she lay in Cinderpelt’s den for three long, uncomfortable moons, under the gentle care of the medicine cat, her brothers, Sootfur and Rainwhisker, had become warriors. Sorrelpaw had been determined to follow them as soon as Cinderpelt had declared her fit enough to begin training again; Brambleclaw had watched how hard she had worked with her mentor, Sandstorm, until her shoulder was as good as new. She had never shown any bitterness as being forced to train for several moons longer than the usual apprenticeship. She deserved her warrior ceremony more than any other cat in the clan.

“I’m looking forward to sharing a den with you!” He wished her good luck and padded up to Graystripe to join a patrol.

“Ah, Brambleclaw, you can go with Brightheart and Squirrelpaw.” Brambleclaw felt a spark of frustration. Not Squirrelpaw! Firestar’s daughter, eight moons old and two into training. She was the most stubborn cat in the clan, and he never understood how she got away with her bad attitude.

Seeing his expression, Graystripe snorted. “Alright, how about you go with my patrol instead. I know you don’t like her much, but Squirrelpaw is your clanmate and you should try to get along. She isn’t as bad as you’d think. She’s just like Firestar when he was younger.”

He found that hard to believe. Firestar was calm, intelligent, wise, and had an air of authority to him. Squirrelpaw was impulsive, short tempered, and disobedient. If anything, her sister Leafpaw seemed to be the one to take after him with her quiet, focused attitude in her medicine cat duties.

Seeing his expression, Graystripe snorted. “Seriously. Me and him used to get into all sorts of trouble as apprentices, and even when he was deputy.”

Brambleclaw struggled to imagine it. Graystripe, sure. He was a biggest jokester and eater in the clan, which could easily lead him into all sorts of trouble. The only times he remembered Firestar getting in trouble were to help other cats. Could I ever do that? He wondered. Go behind my leader’s back if it was to do the right thing? He wasn’t sure. Although, if his dream was true, did he have a choice?

Either way, he could only see Squirrelpaw getting in trouble for her own amusement.

“Alright. Thornclaw and Shrewpaw can go with them, and I’ll take Mousefur and Spiderpaw.” The deputy decided. Brambleclaw dipped his head and padded up to the gorse tunnel where the patrol was standing. Squirrelpaw was pestering Brightheart with questions and pacing back and forth nearby.

“Calm down,” Brambleclaw demanded. “You’ll wear yourself out before you even get started!” The ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes and puffed out her chest. “Well, excuse me if you’re on your way to the elder’s den, but I have plenty of energy left. Besides, you aren’t my mentor.”

Brambleclaw growled. “Why you arrogant-“ Brightheart cut between them. “Let’s all calm down. Squirrelpaw, Brambleclaw is right that you should save your energy. Although,” she adds turning to him. “You should be more gentle when it comes to apprentices. They’re still learning their own strengths. Sometimes, it’s best for them to learn from experience.” Brambleclaw dipped his head in apology. “Yes, Brightheart. Sorry” he muttered. She looked expectantly and Squirrelpaw. “Sorry for getting mad.” she reluctantly apologized. “But you still shouldn’t try ordering me around.”

Frustration surged through his pelt, but he simply turned to his patrol who were waiting to leave. Spiderpaw, a kit from Dustpelt and Ferncloud’s first litter, was listening calmly to his mentor and deputy as they spoke. I wonder what it would be like to have an apprentice. Hopefully they would be like Leafpaw or Whitepaw instead of Squirrelpaw.

Shrugging, the brown tabby set off into the forest either the others, ready to serve his clan for the day.

Brambleclaw purred lazily, enjoying the last rays of sun as it sank into the trees. His clanmates were sharing tongues and eating prey. He watched his leader bound up to the Highrock that loomed over the camp.

“Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting,” Firestar’s voice rang across the camp. Many cats had already gathered in anticipation, but at his words the last few made their way to the clearing.

He noticed the apprentices sitting in a clump, cheering on their denmate. Shrewpaw and Spiderpaw, two brothers who had started training a few moons ago. Whitepaw, who wasn’t much younger, but was the most mature apprentice he had ever met. Then, Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw. Firestar and Sandstorm’s kits who couldn’t be more different.

While both smaller than average, Squirrelpaw’s fluffy tail, bright fur and eyes, and energetic personality made her stand out and seem much bigger than she was. Meanwhile, Leafpaw’s toned down brown and white fur and dark amber eyes, quiet and attentive demeanor, and endless patience allowed her to practically melt into the background.

Brambleclaw spotted Sorrelpaw walking proudly with her mentor, Sandstorm. Her pelt was nicely groomed, and her eyes bright with joy. Firestar raised his eyes to the sky, where the first stars had already appeared. “I, Firestar, leader of the Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” He turned his gaze onto the apprentice, who met it eagerly. “Sorrelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Brambleclaw remembered his own ceremony as Sorrelpaw’s body quivered with anticipation. She lifted her chin and replied clearly, “I do.” “Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior name. Sorrelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sorreltail. Starclan honors your courage and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan.”

Stepping forward, Firestar rested his muzzle on top of Sorreltail’s head. In return she gave his shoulder a respectful lick before walking away. “Sorreltail! Sorreltail!” The rest of the clan crowded around to welcome her and call her by her new name. Her brothers, Sootfur and Rainwhisker, were the first to greet her, their eyes shinning with pride for thejr sister.

Brambleclaw yowled his friend’s name enthusiastically, remembering how the clan called his name when he was promoted. The temporary shock and disappointment of his suffix was quickly covered by the joy of being a warrior, acknowledged by every member of his clan.

“As tradition,” Firestar called above the clamor, “you must keep vigil in silence tonight, and watch over the camp.”

“While the rest of us get a good night’s sleep,” Cloudtail added. Sorreltail rolled her eyes playfully, but Firestar frowned at his kin.

As the new warrior took up her position in the middle of camp, the rest of the clan went off to sleep. Yawning, Brambleclaw started to make his way to his nest when he was stopped by Firestar.

“Graystripe told me you hunted well today,” the ginger leader said warmly. Brambleclaw was surprised by his former mentor’s praise. “Thank you. I’m just trying to provide for the clan.” Firestar purred. “You’ve come a long way, Brambleclaw.”

The young tom nodded, but then hesitantly asked, ”Firestar? I was wondering… why did you choose ‘claw’ as my warrior name? I’m worried it will remind others of Tigerstar.”

Firestar’s smile faded slightly. He ran his tail down Brambleclaw’s back reassuringly. “To be honest, I gave you that name because no cat will ever forget who your father was. The important thing is that you shouldn’t be ashamed. I wanted both you and the clans to remember it and move on.” Brambleclaw nodded.

For moons, he had secretly been worried that the orange tom only gave him the name Brambleclaw with ill intent. As an apprentice, he had seen the looks his leader gave him, as if he expected him to turn into his father and attack the camp. Warmth spread throughout his body from the new revelation. “I understand. Goodnight Firestar.”

“Goodnight,” said the leader, walking off to see Sandstorm and Graystripe. Brambleclaw picked his way into the den and settled himself on his fresh nest.

Remembering last night, he purred with amusement. His vision of Bluestar couldn’t have been real, or other cats would have spoken up about it. Surely it was all in his imagination.

Why should I worry about some silly dream? Firestar is proud of me, the clan is thriving, and I’ve started to make a name for myself. Yes, everything was absolutely perfect in the forest.

Chapter Text

Squirrelpaw sighed as her mentor, Dustpelt, slipped off into the nursery again. She could hear the faint mewlings of kits and murmurs of conversation between him and Ferncloud. Dustpelt had promised to go hunting with her, but had told the dismayed molly just moments ago that she was to go with her denmate instead.

At this point, I think I’m learning more from Shrewpaw than my own mentor. Squirrelpaw had been made an apprentice two moons ago. At first, Dustpelt had seemed like a great mentor. She couldn’t help but get excited to wake up each day and train. Dustpelt had been strict mentor, wasting no time with pleasantries before jumping into a lesson. On their first day of training, he had taken her to the sandy hollow to learn a hunting crouch. He hadn’t let her move on or take a break until it was perfected. At the time, Squirrelpaw had complained endlessly about her sore paws, or boredom. Then she had managed to catch a mouse on the way back to camp. Her parents had praised the catch, and Squirrelpaw knew in that moment that she had the best mentor in Thunderclan.

She dearly missed those days. Squirrelpaw had only been able to learn the basics with her mentor before Ferncloud announced that she was expecting her second litter. She remembered how happy Dustpelt had been when his mate gave the news. So pleased, in fact, that he had promptly canceled their training session in favor of changing her bedding, and the only thing Squirrelpaw had learned was how to do chores all day.

Squirrelpaw found herself spending less and less time with Dustpelt, especially after the kits were born. It had been a quarter-moon since her mentor had last taken her out.

The ginger molly got up from where she sat at the entrance to her den. Stretching, she padded over to the fresh kill pile to wish Sorreltail a good morning. The tortoiseshell molly had just been released from duty by Sandstorm. “How was your vigil?” She asked the sleepy warrior. The apprentices all got along very well, and Sorreltail had been no different despite the age gap. All of them had yowled her name as loudly as possible at her warrior ceremony the previous night.

“Great! I probably became a warrior at the most comfortable time. I’ve heard stories about new warriors sitting vigil in leaf-bare and spending the night freezing.” A grin spread on Sorreltail’s face that slowly dropped with her eyes. Squirrelpaw purred in amusement. “How does it feel? You’re waited longer than most.” Sorreltail gave her a friendly lick. “I still can’t quite believe it. It felt like my apprenticeship would never end!”

“You deserve it!” Squirrelpaw reassured her. “You should eat some prey and have a nice, long sleep. I know I’d like to.”

Sorreltail nodded. left with her meal and Squirrelpaw looked around the camp for a certain apprentice. She’s up, isn’t she? It’s not that late. Squirrelpaw strained her neck and eyes to scan the clearing. Ah. There’s my sister.

“Good morning, Squirrelpaw,” Leafpaw called. The ginger molly bounded over to greet the medicine cat apprentice, pushing her head into her sister’s soft white chest. Leafpaw rasped her tounge over Squirrelpaw’s head. The two had slept in separate dens for a couple moons, but they were still practically inseparable. The first couple nights of her apprenticeship, Squirrelpaw had even snuck over to the medicine cat den the first couple nights until Cinderpelt caught them.

Squirrelpaw stepped back and sat. “I’m going hunting soon. Anything special you want me to bring back?” She asked teasingly. 

Leafpaw purred. “Not unless you’re hunting for borage. We’re out, so Cinderpelt plans to take me herb gathering at sunhigh. And a sparrow might be nice.”

Squirrelpaw bowed dramatically. “As you wish, oh great medicine cat.” She gave a dramatic gasp. “But maybe if I bring back prey and herbs, Dustpelt will think I’m too talented and stop training me altogether! Alas, I must make sacrifices for my dear sister.” Leafpaw purred with amusement, but it quickly faded as she understood the meaning of her sister’s words. “Oh, again? I’m sorry Squirrelpaw.”

The ginger molly gave herself a quick shake. She quickly forced a smile on her face. “It’s fine. At least I get to go out at all. Have fun with your plants.” Squirrelpaw didn’t understand her sister’s interest in herbs, but as long as they made her happy, that was all that mattered. 

“Hey, Squirrelpaw! We’re ready to go. Are you coming?” Her denmate Whitepaw called her. She flicked her tail at the white apprentice. “I have to go. I’ll see you later.” “Bye Squirrelpaw,” Leafpaw said as she bounded over.

“Where are we going?” She asked eagerly as she skidded to a halt. “Over by Fourtrees,” Branckenfur, Whitepaw’s mentor, replied. “Near the stream. That’s where the prey will be hiding.” Whitepaw nudged her friend mischievously. “Let’s see who can catch the most prey.” Squirrelpaw kneeled the ground. “Alright. Just don’t be sad when I win!”

With that, the patrol ran off into the forest, and Squirrelpaw opened her mouth to check for prey. The smells of the forest flooded her senses and energized her. It was hard to believe how scared she was the first time Dustpelt had taken her out. She ran faster to keep up with the larger cats, invigorated by her surroundings.

Eventually, the patrol slowed their pace, and came to a stop. Brackenfur turned to the apprentices. “Alright, you two,” Brackenfur said. “What can you smell?” Whitepaw opened her jaws. “Mouse, vole… and is that a rabbit?” Her mentor nodded approvingly. “Very good! Squirrelpaw? Did she miss anything?” The ginger molly sniffed as hard as she could, determined to outdo her denmate. “There’s a squirrel… and something else I don’t recognize. But it smells really bad!”

Brackenfur lifted his head, his eyes widening as he picked up the scent. “That’s a badger! Well done, Squirrelpaw. We’ll report this to Firestar when we get back. For now, let’s hunt.”

Pricking her ears, Squirrelpaw heard a low thump. It was past sunhigh, and the patrol was preparing to return to camp. She had caught two pieces of prey while Whitepaw had only one. Smugly, she had carried her catches with her chin up, but it was forgotten by the sounds nearby.

A white and black creature came partially into view behind the bushes. “Is that a badger?” Whitepaw whispered nervously. Brackenfur nodded. “Let’s back away slowly and take another route back to camp. They retreated, but Squirrelpaw lingered. She took a few steps forward to try and get a better look.

“Squirrelpaw! Get back here!” Brackenfur hissed. The ginger apprentice stayed put, watching the lumbering animal with awe. Suddenly, it sniffed the air and turned in her direction. Squirrelpaw froze, barely daring to breathe as it slowly swung its head the other way and went back to foraging. Hesitantly, she backed away to her patrol, who were not pleased with her.

“What in the name of Starclan were you thinking?” The normally calm Brackenfur was furious. “Nothing happened,” she said defensively. “I didn’t go up to it and poke it or anything.” He lashed his tail. “Let’s go. Pick up your prey.” With lowered spirits, Squirrelpaw fell in line next to Whitepaw. “I thought that was brave of you,” she mumbled around her vole.

The three cats arrived back to camp, prey dangling from their jaws. Squirrelpaw proudly added her catch to the fresh kill pile, and chose a mouse for herself. Brackenfur slipped into Firestar’s den to report, and she was suddenly tempted to eavesdrop. I wonder what my punishment will be?

 “Don’t even think about it. This is warrior’s buisness.” She sighed and turned to see her sister frowning at her. “Hey Leafpaw. How was your day?” The brown tabby sat and licked her sister’s head. “It was fine. I’m guessing you can’t say the same based on your expression. How was hunting?”

The ginger molly puffed out her chest. “I caught a squirrel and a blackbird.” Leafpaw nodded. “Then what happened? When you were staring at Brackenfur, you looked like you had lost an entire supply of poppy seeds.”

“What?” “Nothing, medicine cat joke.”

Squirrelpaw leaned into Leafpaw. “There was a badger- I’m fine!” She quickly added as Leafpaw stiffened. “I just disobeyed Brackenfur and tried to look at it. I’m probably going to get tick duty for a moon!” She complained. Instead of saying something reassuring, Leafpaw sighed and shook her head. “Squirrelpaw, I love you, but you really are a mousebrain.”

Squirrelpaw jerked back and frowned. “Sorry, but if you get punished for making a bad decision and disobeying a cat in charge, that’s on you. Still,” Leafpaw added. “I’m glad you’re ok, and I hope your punishment isn’t too bad. It would be nice if you could come to the gathering with me.”

Squirrelpaw realized with surprise that it was a full moon. Then her ears drooped again. “Probably not. Only responsible apprentices that can represent Thunderclan at its best can take part in exchanging news ,” she mimicked Dustpelt. Leafpaw curled her tail with amusement. “I have to go. Cinderpelt wanted to talk to me,” Leafpaw said.

The sisters exchanged farewells as Squirrelpaw got Whitepaw and brought their meals over to their den. Shrewpaw and Spiderpaw were play fighting beside the tree stump. Noticing the two, they broke apart and scrambled over.

“Hey Squirrelpaw, Whitepaw!” Shrewpaw greeted, tucking into a sparrow with his brother. “How was your hunt?” “Great!” Replied Squirrelpaw between bites. “I caught a blackbird! Brackenfur was really impressed.” Whitepaw snorted. “More like you flattened it while falling out of a tree.”

“You mean like this?” Squirrelpaw launched herself at her friend, pinning her to the ground. “Ah! Spiderpaw! Help!” The black apprentice joined the tussle, quickly joined by Shrewpaw. Spiderpaw lashed out with his claws sheathed, and Squirrelpaw ducked under the blow. She leapt onto his back and brought both of them to the ground. The four apprentices wrestled they were panting from exhaustion. “

Just wait until our mentors see how tough we are!” Exclaimed Spiderpaw. “They’ll make us warrior on the spot! Look at what we learned today.” Squirrelpaw watched carefully as the brothers circled each other. Spiderpaw jabbed as Shrewpaw’s muzzle, who ducked and slid under his brother’s belly. Caught off balance, Spiderpaw fell over as his belly was pummeled.

“Can I try?” Squirrelpaw asked. Shrewpaw faced her and waved his tail. “Give it your best!” He jabbed his paw at her, and she slid under him, and batted at his belly. Unbalanced, Shrewpaw fell over. “Not bad!” He exclaimed. Now-“

“Squirrelpaw!” Dustpelt marched forward with fury in his eyes. “What did I tell you about listening to Brackenfur? Especially when there’s a badger? I expected better of you, especially being the daughter of Firestar!”

Squirrelpaw thought she saw a glint of fear in his eyes, but it was gone in a heartbeat. She bristled. “Why should you expect anything of me when you barely know anything about me? You spend all your time with your kits and Ferncloud! I’ve learned more from Brackenfur or Thornclaw than I have from you!” Dustpelt growled. “You watch your tongue when speaking to a senior warrior. You are out of the gathering tonight, and I’ll make sure you’re to handle all the elders’ duties alone for the next half moon.” With that, he whirled around and stormed off to the clearing. The apprentices sat in shock for a few moments.

“What did he say about a badger?” Asked Spiderpaw. Whitepaw told the story of their encounter while Squirrelpaw went to her nest . A half-moon! By myself? She sulked in her nest while Firestar announced who was to come to the gathering. Leafpaw, Whitepaw and Spiderpaw all were called. Although, as expected, Squirrelpaw was not. She listened as Thunderclan left the camp, and the clearing became almost deserted.

Shrewpaw came in the den and crouched down next to her. “Hey, I’m sorry you didn’t get to go. We can ask the others what happened tomorrow,” he lightly suggested.

Squirrelpaw flicked her ear but said nothing. Shrewpaw brushed her with his tail. “From what Whitepaw told me, it sounds like that badger was really scary.”

Squirrelpaw decided to sit up and respond. After all, Shrewpaw hadn’t done anything. “Not as scary as your father was when he found out. I was about to run back to that badger.” 

The brown tom purred slightly with amusement. “He’s just worried about you. I’m sure Firestar and Sandstorm felt the same.”

Squirrelpaw sighed. “I just… I wish Dustpelt spent more time with me. You three always talk about how proud your mentors are of you, and the bonds you share with them, and I wish I had that!” Shrewpaw put his tail around her. “I’m sorry about my father. He should be spending more time with you.”

Squirrelpaw leaned on her friend. “It’s not your fault. Besides, you, Spiderpaw, and Whitepaw keep me up to speed.” He purred. “You’re just as good as the rest of us, if not better! I’m hard to believe you’ve only been training two moons ago.”

Giving each other friendly licks, they curled into their nests to sleep. “You’ll be a great warrior someday, Shrewpaw,” Squirrelpaw murmured. “Thanks. So will you.”

Starclan, I hope so.

Chapter Text

Stormfur purred as the last rays of sun warmed his fur. All around him, his clanmates chattered excitedly. It had been a good day in Riverclan. The river had been leaping with fish, and there was no trouble anywhere in the territory, and full moon was about to rise.

Leopardstar, a spotted golden molly, and the leader of Riverclan, jumped onto the high rock and yowled for silence. “For tonight’s gathering, I will be bringing Mistyfoot, Mudfur, Blackclaw,” Stormfur twitched his tail in anticipation.

“Feathertail, Stormfur, Mosspelt,” Yes! “Loudbelly, Hawkfrost, and Mothwing.”

He exchanged excited glances with his sister, Feathertail. However, as they went to line up, some of his clanmates grumbled. “Why would she bring the rouges?” Blackclaw, a cat with the temper of a fox, complained behind him. “Especially Mothwing.”

Feathertail hissed at black tom. “Those two have proven time and time again that they are loyal Riverclan warriors. They at least deserve to go to a gathering.” Blackclaw’s fur lifted. “I suppose that’s easy to say from the cat who sided with Thunderclan and attacked her own clanmates.”

Stormfur, sensing a fight, quickly put himself between the two bickering cats. “That was moons ago. Feathertail learned her lesson. She’s right though, Hawkfrost and Mothwing deserve to go more than any warrior.” Ignoring his sister’s hiss, he stared down the tom until he looked away.

Feathertail brushed his back lightly. “Thanks,” she mumbled. Stormfur remembered how hard it had been for her when they first returned to Riverclan. She had distanced herself from her clanmates to the point where she didn’t even sleep in the same den with them.

    One day, while out hunting, a Thunderclan warrior, Ferncloud, had accidentally chased a squirrel into their territory. Blackclaw and Heavystep had discovered them, and prepared to attack Ferncloud. Feathertail turned on her own clanmates to help her friend escape, and was punished with nursery duty. Stormfur still felt bad that he hadn’t done more to support his sister when she was going through a rough time. It had been so easy for him to rejoin Riverclan like nothing had happened.

Hawkfrost and Mothwing padded up to the group leaving. “Are you two excited for your first gathering?” Stormfur asked. Leopardstar, likely intentionally, had kept the two from gatherings throughout their apprenticeship. Their mother was a rouge who came to Riverclan with them as kits. Hawkkit and Mothkit had easily settled in, but their mother had refused to take a warrior name, and eventually left. Starclan knew how much drama could stir up if their story had come out at a gathering. 

Hawkfrost dipped his head coolly. “We’re looking forward to it.” His sister Mothwing nodded in quiet agreement.

Stormfur felt for the two, being a pair of outsider siblings such as himself and Feathertail. He had noticed his sister growing close to them and their mother, Sasha, when they had first arrived. He had been thrilled to see her start to truly become part of Riverclan again. However, as seasons changed, so too did their relationship. She closed herself off to everyone again, even him, and especially Hawkpaw and Mothpaw. She had never explained her change of heart to him, and Stormfur had wondered for moons why his sister seemed to change her opinion at the blink of an eye.

The cats finally set out, and Stormfur thought of all the cats he wanted to see. Of course there’s Graystripe, I wonder how Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, and Ashfur are doing…

When Riverclan did arrive at Fourtrees, only Shadowclan was present. Leopardstar gave a signal with her tail, and the whole clan split off to mingle. Seeking out his tortoiseshell friend from a crowd, Stormfur and Feathertail greeted Tawnypelt. “Nice to see you two again,” the Shadowclan molly mewed. “How’s prey running in Riverclan?”

“Quite well, how’s Shadowclan?” Stormfur responded. She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Although-“ “Tawnypelt!”

A dark gray Shadowclan tom ran over to them. “Hey, Tawnypelt! Can you come with me? I want you to meet someone.” He noticed the Riverclan siblings and dipped his head. “Hello, I’m Cedarheart .”

“This is Stormfur and Feathertail,” Tawnypelt introduced. She dipped her head. “Sorry, but when Cedarheart wants something, he’s stubborn. I’ll see you after the gathering.”

Stormfur gazed around, but Thunderclan had still not yet arrived. He and Feathertail made their way to the Great Rock to wait.

“I wonder if there’s any news from Thunderclan,” Feathertail wondered. “Graystripe mentioned that Ferncloud is expecting kits. I wonder what their names are?” Stormfur nodded. “I expect all the clans will have some news to share. It’s been a good season for us all.”

Thunderclan finally appeared and tore down to the clearing, where they broke apart to mingle with their friends across the border. A long furred gray tom, nearly identical to Stormfur, purred and raised his tail in greeting as he spotted them.

“Hello Feathertail, Stormfur,” the Thunderclan deputy said. “How have you two been this last moon?”

“Fine, and you?” Feathertail asked. She always seemed happiest at gatherings where she could see her father. Stormfur was happy for his sister, but worried about her loyalty. She had fully involved herself in the clan for several moons, but he was always worried that his sister would leave him one day.

While the three talked, Mistyfoot padded up to join them, touching noses with Graystripe. From his brief memories as a kit, Stormfur recalled Mistyfoot and Graystripe being friends, and her being one of the few cats to not mistrust him.

Not long later, the blue molly spotted a young cat looking around anxiously.

“Hi- it’s Leafpaw, isn’t it? Cinderpelt’s apprentice?” “That’s right.” The young brown tabby padded over, and Stormfur remembered her and her sister being announced a couple moons ago. “How are you?”

“We’re all well, and the clan is thriving,” Mistyfoot replied. “Have you met Stormfur and Feathertail?” “My kits,” Graystripe added proudly. The young molly touched noses with him.

“I know Cinderpelt well,” the deputy continued. “She looked after me once when I was ill. You must be proud to be her apprentice.”

Leafpaw nodded. “Very proud. But she knows so much, sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever learn it all.” Feathertail purred sympathetically beside him. “I felt the same about becoming a warrior. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Stormfur gave his sister a warm look. While not always friendly with other warriors, she seemed to have a soft spot for apprentices and kits.

“You say your clan’s thriving, Mistyfoot,” Graystripe meowed quietly, “but you look worried. Is there a problem?” Stormfur glanced over at the two youngest Riverclan warriors. “It’s probably nothing, but… well, you’ll hear about it soon enough when the gathering starts.” 

As she spoke, the leaders climbed up the rock, and as soon as Blackstar finished his jump up, Leopardstar threw back her head and yowled for silence.

“Cats of all clans, welcome.” Tallstar, the eldest leader moved to the front of the rock. “Who will speak first?” Firestar dipped his head. “I will. We have a new warrior,” he announced. “The Thunderclan apprentice Sorrelpaw has taken the warrior name of Sorreltail.”

“Sorreltail! Sorreltail!” The crowd called. Stormfur remembered talking to the cat at a gathering, and had liked the feisty and playful molly.

The fiery leader stepped back and Blackstar took his place. “Shadowclan is strong and plentiful,” he announced. “The heat of greenleaf has dried up part of the marshes on our territory, but we still have plenty of water to drink.”

Lastly, Tallstar stepped forward hesitantly. “Windclan has been struggling. In the last quarter moon, all our streams have dried up completely. We have no water at all. Onewhisker was desperate enough to try getting some from the gorge, and almost fell. I worry that some of our kits may die.” 

Bowing his head, he turned to Leopardstar. “Leopardstar, in the name of Starclan I ask that you let us come into your territory to let us drink from the river there.”

Leopardstar came to stand beside the Windclan leader. “The river level is low,” she debated. “We have not entirely escaped the effects of the drought.”

“But there is more than you need!” Tallstar sounded desperate, and Stormfur willed his leader to agree. She looked down at Mistyfoot. “What do you think?”

The Riverclan deputy leapt to her paws, but before she could speak, Blackclaw cried out. “We can’t trust them! Let Windclan set one over the border, and they’ll be taking our prey as well as our water!”

Mistyfoot turned and glared as Blackclaw. “You forget times when Riverclan has needed help from other clans. If they had not helped us then, we would not be here today.” She looked up at Leopardstar. “I say we should allow this. We have water to spare.”

The clearing fell silent as Leopardstar thought. “Very well, Tallstar,” she decided at last. “Your clan may enter our territory to drink from the river just below the Twoleg bridge. But you will come no farther, and you do not have leave to take prey.”

Stormfur felt dizzy with relief. He wasn’t particularly close to any Windclan cats, but he believed that no cat should be deprived of help. The leaders kept talking, but all he could think about was how happy he was that Leopardstar put aside her pride to aid another clan. If she was the same cat she was when he was an apprentice, he was sure she would have let Windclan die. 

His leader at last gave the news that he was worried about. “Some of you have met our apprentices Hawkpaw and Mothpaw. They are now warriors and will be known as Hawkfrost and Mothwing.

The usual cheers broke out, but this time they were mixed with some growls.

Leopardstar lashed her tail. “Do I hear protests?” She spat angrily. “Very well. I will tell you everything, to stop rumors flying once and for all.”

The golden molly explained the arrival of Hawkfrost and Mothwing, and when she finished the clearing erupted in protest. One voice shot out above the rest. “Rouge cats? Taken into a clan? Has Riverclan gone mad?”

Leopardstar waited for the clamor to die down. “They are strong young cats and they have learned their warrior skills well.” She finally said. “They have sworn to defend their clan at the cost of their loved, just as any warrior once did.”

The cats nodded and finally settled down, and Leopardstar spoke again. “Mothwing has chosen a special place within our clan. Mudfur, our medicine cat, is growing old, and the time has come for him to take an apprentice.”

Stormfur barely heard the last of her words as the clearing erupted into chaos yet again. Blackstar lashed his tail. “I’m ready to admit a rouge can become a warrior, but a medicine cat? How could an outsider have a connection with Starclan?”

There were yowls of agreement across the clearing. Stormfur wanted to say something, but another voice cut across the clearing. “Starclan does not always choose its medicine cats.”

Cinderpelt of Thunderclan gazed angrily across the clearing, her blue eyes blazing. “Mudfur, Littlecloud and I were all training as warriors before we were medicine cats. None of us had any connection to Starclan, we just saw a way to help our clans. What does it matter if Mothwing isn’t clan born? She has proven herself to her clan by becoming a warrior, and I say that’s enough.”

The clans subsided, making sense of her words. Stormfur opened his jaws and spoke loudly. “Mothwing has a thoughtfulness and compassion that will make her a great medicine cat!” Feathertail joined in. “I trust her with my life!” The clearing erupted into cheers of “Mothwing! Mothwing!”

Looking embarrassed, Mothwing dipped her head. “I will do my best,” she promised. With that, the gathering was called to an end.

Feathertail and Leafpaw padded off, and Stormfur met with Graystripe and Mistyfoot. “Well done speaking up for your clanmate,” Graystripe praised him. Mistyfoot nodded. “I know Stonefur would have wanted you to do the same.”

Overwhelmed by his father’s approval, Stormfur pushed his head into Graystripe’s fur. I’ll do whatever it takes to help my kin and my clan. 

Chapter Text

Brambleclaw looked around as the clans broke up. Most cats padding off to say farewells to friends, many still taking about Mothwing or Windclan. It’s been a pretty eventful night. 

His gaze flicked to the Riverclan medicine cat apprentice, who was engaged in a conversation with Leafpaw. The Thunderclan molly was twitching as she spoke, either out of nervousness or excitement. 

He remembered with a purr the first gathering he had gone to. Firestar had kept him and Tawnypaw from attending during his first moon of training in fear that his father, Tigerstar, would demand them. However, Tawnypaw had ended up leaving Thunderclan by her own will to join him in Shadowclan. He had been thrilled to see her at the meeting, along with the Riverclan apprentices Stormpaw and Featherpaw. The two had been refugees along with Mistyfoot after Tigerstar had tried to have them killed for their half-clan heritage. Despite Featherpaw’s distrust, Stormpaw and Bramblepaw had instantly clicked. 

Speaking of, where is he? Or Tawnypelt for that matter? Turning his hopeful gaze across the crowd, one cat stood out to him above the rest. A tortoiseshell molly had her gaze drifting around the clearing. “Hey Tawnypelt!” His called to his sister.

He saw her tail twitch with excitement as she noticed him and padded over. “Hello Brambleclaw, how’s prey running?” He purred and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Quite well. How are you? I don’t trust Blackstar to tell us if something is wrong.

She flattened her ears and backed away. “He’s still my leader!” She hissed. Then she gave her chest a few quick licks. “Sorry,” she mewed. “But no, Shadowclan is doing fine.” She opened her jaws as if to say something else, but quickly closed them as if thinking better of it. “What?” Brambleclaw asked. “You can’t hide anything from me. I know you, Tawnypelt.”

The tortoiseshell warrior sat down, looking a bit nervous. “Well, I had this dream the other night-“ “What?” Brambleclaw exclaimed. “Sorry, continue,” he added as Tawnypelt’s eyes widened. “Nightstar appeared to me and said that I was to meet with three others to listen to what midnight tells us. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I had the exact same dream!” Brambleclaw breathed. “I didn’t think it was true because-“

“You’re not a medicine cat or leader? Neither did I.” Tawnypelt’s eyes shone. “Then no other cats mentioned it, so I tried to forget about it. But I bet the other two cats are probably from Windclan and Riverclan. That’s why it’s four! We should meet here,” she continued. “Hopefully the others will decide to as well, and we can learn what Starclan is trying to tell us.”

“Thunderclan! We’re leaving!” Firestar called. The siblings exchanged looks of excitement. “I’ll see you at the new moon,” Tawnypelt said. “Take care.”

Brambleclaw ran back to his clan, who were gathered to leave. His heart was racing with excitement. Me and my sister, saving the clans? I never would have thought that Starclan would choose us for something so important!

“What are you so happy about?” Asfur asked beside him. “Your tail is twitching like there’s ants crawling around in it.”

Brambleclaw hastily stopped his movement. “Oh, nothing, I was just happy to see Tawnypelt.” 

The gray tom clearly looked skeptical, but shrugged and turned to talk to Cloudtail How am I going to keep this a secret? He wondered. 

In the days after the gathering, Brambleclaw had tried to step up in patrols. He’d caught the most prey, a feat noted and praised by Sandstorm, and went out at every opportunity possible. He only ever let himself relax when the clan was satisfied or a clanmate forced him to rest.

I have to do the best, Starclan needs to know that they made the right choice.

However, there was one thing, one cat, that Brambleclaw found that he could not handle. Dustpelt still spent most of his time with Ferncloud, and Squirrelpaw needed someone to keep an eye on her.

One day, he was asked to take her on a border patrol with Cloudtail. They would be going over the Riverclan boundary. Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were mutually unhappy, but a look from Sandstorm had stopped any arguments.

Until they left camp.

With Cloudtail in the lead, Brambleclaw had to keep Squirrelpaw from darting away in all directions. “I can smell mice,” she commented. “Can we hunt? Please?”

“No, Squirrelpaw,” he had said. “Maybe hunting patrols can get them later if your racket doesn’t scare everything off.” The dark ginger molly bristled her fur, but said nothing.

Later, when they were along the river, she darted out to touch the surface with her paw, purring in amusement as she watched ripples spread across the water.

“You’re going to fall in,” Brambleclaw warned her. Squirrelpaw shrugged and grinned playfully. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to swim.” Her whiskers twitched mischievously.

Cloudtail, who had been watching the whole ordeal, padded over and promptly knocked Squirrelpaw into the water. The dark ginger molly gasped as she broke the surface. “Brambleclaw! Help! I’ll drown!”

He bunched his muscles to jump in, but the white warrior blocked him with his tail. “What are you doing?” Brambleclaw asked. Squirrelpaw may be a pain in the tail, but she’s in real trouble!

The apprentice was flailing and spluttering in the river. “What do I do? “

Cloudtail sat down and started casually grooming himself. “How about you try standing up,” he suggested. Squirrelpaw stopped, flipped herself over, and stood with her chin barely above the water. “Oh..” she mewed quietly. She quickly climbed onto the bank and shook her fur in embarrassment.

Cloudtail continued on, but Brambleclaw paused to wait for her. “How’s swimming?” He teased. “You really looked like a Riverclan cat.”

Squirrelpaw frowned. “Don’t you dare! I could have drowned!”

“In a tail-length of water?”

The apprentice said nothing, but hissed and stalked off. To her annoyance. Brambleclaw easily matched her strides.

Suddenly, Brambleclaw paused as he picked up a nearby scent. Windclan. “Cloudtail, Squirrelpaw, come here,” he called. The patrol crouched behind bushes, and saw a Windclan patrol padding through their territory. There were three of them, two he recognized. Mudclaw, the Windclan deputy, and Onewhisker, a friend of Firestar.

There was also a smaller, smoky black tom with a vole in his jaws. Mudclaw halted the patrol with a flick of his tail. “I smell Thunderclan. We need to leave.”

“Did you expect us not to be on our own territory?” Cloudtail asked dryly. The three emerged and face the intruders. “I suppose you expected us to lay around in camp while you steal our prey?”

A small, smoky gray tom dropped his vole with a snarl and barreled into Cloudtail. Squirrelpaw leapt to his defense and clawed the apprentice down the flank. Hissing with pain, he whirled around and tussled with her on the ground.

Onewhisker leapt forward and pulled his clanmate off. “Crowpaw! What in Starclan’s name do you think you’re doing? Attacking a patrol on their territory without orders?” The apprentice glared at the light brown tom. “He called us prey stealers!”

“He’s right to. I’m sorry,” he added to the Thunderclan cats. “Crowpaw will be punished. Although, this isn’t a Thunderclan vole. It’s Riverclan’s.”

Cloudtail frowned. “Wasn’t the agreement that you’d only take water?” Crowpaw hissed, and Onewhisker dipped his head. Mudclaw frowned but said nothing. “I know we shouldn’t have taken it, but our kits and elders are starving and-” He suddenly looked alarmed. “Are you planning to tell Firestar?”

“This is between you and Riverclan,” Cloudtail replied coolly. “I see no need to bring Firestar into this. Just stay out of our territory.”

“We will,” Onewhisker promised. Mudclaw, who had not participated in the exchange, called for them to leave. The Windclan cats ran off, Crowpaw defiantly taking the vole, and the Thunderclan cats exchanged glances. “We’d better get back to camp,” Brambleclaw suggested. “Squirrelpaw should get her injuries checked out.”

“I’m fine!” She protested, although reluctantly walked back to camp with them. Brambleclaw wondered if Windclan was really ok. They looked so thin, even more than Windclan usually does. And that Windclan apprentice attacked Cloudtail out of the blue. Are they really that desperate?

Looking over at Squirrelpaw, he noticed leg was bleeding, and she had a slight limp. “You can lean on me,” Brambleclaw offered.

Squirrelpaw flattened her ears and walked faster. “I’m fine. I don’t need help, especially from you.”

He was perplexed by her aggression, but reflected that he hadn’t been very nice to her all day. I don’t know why, but something about that cat makes me lose my patience.

After returning Squirrelpaw to camp, Brambleclaw chose a piece of prey for himself and looked around the camp for where to eat. Sorreltail waved to him from where she sat with her brothers and he happily padded over. Sorreltail was probably his closest friend in the clan. When he was made an apprentice, Thornpaw, Ashpaw and Fernpaw were training alongside him. However, Thornclaw got his warrior name fairly soon after. Ashfur had been close with him when they were apprentices, but he began to spend more time with Thornclaw and less with him after becoming a warrior. Ferncloud meanwhile had spent almost all her time with Dustpelt before and after receiving her name.

Sorrelpaw, Rainpaw, and Sootpaw were different. Sorrelkit and him played all the time in the nursery and quickly became training partners and rivals. Before her accident, they would often pair up on hunting missions, and she would occasionally convince the others to sneak out with her at night.

Rainwhisker dipped his head in greeting and Brambleclaw dropped his mouse and crouched to bite into it. “How was your patrol? Squirrelpaw looked a bit scratched up there.”

Brambleclaw sighed. “It was fine. There was just a bit of trouble.”

When he didn’t elaborate, Sootfur cut in eagerly. “I caught a huge rabbit earlier! It practically ran into me trying to get away from Ashfur. He was so clever,” the gray tom exclaimed. His gaze wandered over the camp and lit up with delight. Twisting his head, Brambleclaw saw the four elders tucking into what he could only assume was Sootfur’s catch. 

“So, Sorreltail, how do you like being a warrior?” He asked the tortoiseshell. The young molly purred. “It’s great! I love being able to go out when I want instead of  having Sandstorm boss me around.”

”Don’t forget you still get assignments from Graystripe,” Brambleclaw reminded her. “And you can’t just go off anytime.” 

Sorreltail’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “That reminds me. Does anyone want to sneak out of camp with me tonight? It could be like old times,” she offered. Sootfur shook him head. “I’m on dawn patrol tomorrow. Can’t stay up all night and be exhausted. Rainwhisker, meanwhile, was frowning. “We’re warriors now. We can’t be acting like apprentices. I won’t stop you, but I won’t be participating.” Sorreltail’s ears drooped slightly. “Oh… ok.” “I’ll come,” Brambleclaw offered. “It would be fun.” The molly’s expression quickly shifted from dismay to excitement. “Great! It’ll be fun!”

On the night of the new moon, Brambleclaw snuck out of camp, fear and excitement tingling in his paws. The forest was still and quiet, a sharp contrast to the lively atmosphere he was used to. It felt wrong to go against his clan to meet another cats, but he pressed forward. I’m doing this for them. I’m not breaking the warrior code.

When he finally reached Fourtrees, Tawnypelt had already arrived, and greeted him with a purr. “What took you so long?” She teased. “My clan took forever to go to sleep. How did you get out here so fast?”

“In Shadowclan it’s pretty common to go out for hunts at night,” she told him. “I just said I was going hunting, and no one questioned it.”

They continued to talk, waiting for the other cats to appear. Then, there was a rustling in a nearby bush.

The siblings tensed, and Tawnypelt looked ready to pounce at whatever appeared. “Wait,” he warned her. “It could be one of the others.” She nodded and settled down. “Come on out,” she called. “We know you’re there.”

Suddenly, and small dark ginger molly with shining green eyes appeared with a smirk.

“Squirrelpaw!”

Chapter Text

The stealthy hunter crept closer, eyes unblinking as she zoomed in on her prey. Can’t even tell I’m here. She thought smugly. Creeping closer, she bunched her hind legs to leap. Almost… steady… now!

Squirrelpaw leapt at Leafpaw, taking her sister by surprise and knocking her over. “Gah! Squirrelpaw! What are you doing?”

“Practicing my stalking! Pretty good, huh? Someday, I’ll be even better than mom!”

Leafpaw’s amber eyes narrowed playfully. “Oh yeah? Take this!” She kicked her off and swatted playfully at Squirrelpaw’s head. The Squirrelpaw dodged and slammed into her sister. They tussled on the ground, Squirrelpaw quickly taking the upper hand. In one swift move, she pinned Leafpaw. “Ha! You should have known a medicine cat could never beat a mighty warrior!”

Leafpaw shook her head as Squirrelpaw let her up. “That’s actually not true. I met a cat named Mothwing at the gathering. She’s the new Riverclan medicine apprentice, but she used to train as a warrior. I bet she could beat you.”

Squirrelpaw tilted her head. “Isn’t she the cat who everyone was gossiping about? The one who was born as a rouge?”

Leafpaw shuffled her paws. “Well, yes, but she’s great when you get to know her! She’s smart, interesting, pretty…”

The ginger molly purred with amusement. “You only talked to her for one night, right? How can you know so much about her? Are you two meeting in secret?” Squirrelpaw raised her paw to her head dramatically. “Oh, Mothwing, Mothwing, how I miss you so! The only cat my age who also knows and cares which herbs are which! I shall love you forever my beautiful Riverclan-“

“Squirrelpaw!” Leafpaw swatted at her sister. “You know it’s not like that. Besides, if I ever had a secret friend, I’m sure you’d find out about it.”

Squirrelpaw dodged the blow nimbly. “I know, I’m just that clever,” she responded cheekily. “Either way, Mothwing beating me doesn’t count because she was a warrior recently.”

“Squirrelpaw! Are you ready to go” the dark ginger apprentice swiveled her ears to her mentor, who was padding up to her and Leafpaw. She instantly sprang to attention. “Hi Dustpelt! What are we doing? Hunting? Border patrol? Fighting moves?”

Dustpelt sighed. “For the sake of Starclan, calm down! We’re going with Shrewpaw and Thornclaw for battle training.” Licking  Leafpaw in farewell, she was about to take off when Dustpelt stopped her. “Hang on. I know we haven’t had many training sessions together, so this will be an assessment of your skills. And I expect you to be on your best behavior.” Squirrelpaw nodded eagerly. “Yes, Dustpelt. I’ll be good.”

He nodded approvingly and stepped back, and Squirrelpaw bunched her muscles to race to the entrance. Hang on. Dustpelt’s watching. She forced herself to calmly walk to the gorse tunnel, where her friend and his mentor were waiting.

Shrewpaw’s eyes glittered with amusement as she trotted up to his side. “How regal of you, great Squirrelstar. I haven’t seen that kind of elegance since the days of Lionclan.”

Squirrelpaw gave him good-natured shove. Be calm and focused, Squirrelpaw! Focus on what you’re doing, and be still when you’re meant to be watching. Glancing at the tom next to her, she felt a stab of guilt. This must be awkward for Shrewpaw, watching his father and best friend not get along.

“Alright! Let’s get going,” Thornclaw brought her back to attention. As they padded out the gorse tunnel, Shrewpaw put his muzzle up to her ear. “Let’s show Dustpelt what he’s missing!”

Squirrelpaw stretched in her nest, blinking her eyes in the darkness. Beside her, Shrewpaw yawned and mumbled something before lying still once more. Despite a long day of training, she still was brimming with energy and couldn’t fall asleep.

Dustpelt had been somewhat impressed with her work, even asking her to show him a new technique she had created to beat Shrewpaw.

I’m kind of hungry the apprentice thought. Maybe a nice mouse will get me sleepy. She carefully wove out of the den to the fresh kill pile. “Oh, for the sake of Starclan!” she hissed. To her dismay, the fresh kill pile was almost empty. Actually, that’s fine. I could use a hunt.

Apprentices weren’t usually allowed out of camp without permission, but she wasn’t about to wake anyone up to ask. Besides, if she could catch enough prey, they’d be too impressed to care. Squirrelpaw glanced around to make sure no one saw her, and slipped out the dirtplace tunnel into the forest.

Padding through the woods, she opened her jaws, but didn’t pick up a scent of prey. Instead, she smelled... Brambleclaw? What’s he doing out here? Stealthily, she crouched down and followed the trail. Maybe he’s just going for a walk? Although she couldn’t believe it herself. The tom clearly had a destination he was trying to get to. She eventually caught up to the tom, who was padding through the woods though it was clear that he had a destination he was trying to get to.

She managed to track him all the way to Fourtrees without getting caught. Squirrelpaw was both surprised by his lack of caution and her abundance of it. She quickly crawled under a bush as he padded up to another cat who was sitting at the base of the Great Rock.

He greeted the tortishell molly with a purr and the two sat and talked together. Who is that? I smell Shadowclan on her fur. A terrifying possibility crossed her mind. Is Brambleclaw a traitor?

She flinched at the idea, which shook the branches around her. It was enough to give away her cover. The two cats leapt into action, and Squirrelpaw knew she had to reveal herself. Trying to look confident, she strolled out of the bush.

“Squirrelpaw!

Brambleclaw approached her with a furious expression until he was looming over her. “Just what do you think you’re doing here?” He hissed. 

Squirrelpaw tried to remain calm. “Hi Brambleclaw,” she mewed. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went out in the woods. I noticed your scent trail, so I followed you here.” She flicked her tail toward Tawnypelt. “And I’m glad I did. What are you doing out here with this Shadowclan cat?” 

Just what do you think you’re doing here?” The brown tom asked. His amber eyes were blazing, but she held her ground. “I could ask you the same question.” Her eyes narrowed. “Who is that cat, and why are you talking to her?” The molly in question stepped forward. “You’re Squirrelpaw, right? I’m Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw’s sister. We’re not sneaking around, we just wanted to meet up.” 

Brambleclaw nodded, calmer. “Wouldn’t you want to see Leafpaw if she lived in Shadowclan?” He asked. “Of course! But-“ “Great, you understand, now go back to camp.” 

Squirrelpaw sat down defiantly. “No. I still have more questions.” The brown tabby hissed, but his eyes flashed with panic. “I can tell you in the morning, alright? Just don’t tell anyone-“

A silver tabby cat slipped into the clearing. Squirrelpaw recognized her as Feathertail, Graystripe’s Riverclan daughter. She dipped her head at the three of them. “I suppose I was right. Did you three have to dream as well? Is it the four of us?”

“Tawnypelt and I did,” Brambleclaw responded. At the same time, Squirrelpaw asked “What dream?” The molly’s blue eyes flashed with surprise. “The dream from Starclan, telling us that there’s trouble anhead.”

What in Starclan’s name is she talking about? Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt both nodded. “Who came to you? It was Nightstar for me, and Bluestar for Brambleclaw” Tawnypelt explained.

Feathertail padded forward and sat down, and beckoned for the other cats to do the same. “It was Oakheart. I wonder who Windclan’s chosen one met?”

“Hang on a minute!” Squirrelpaw interjected. Her brain was struggling to process everything she had heard. “You’re trying to tell me that you all dreamt that Starclan visited you and told you to meet with cats of other clans in secret? Even though this is against the code? Without even the leaders knowing?”

“Yes,” replied Tawnypelt calmly.

“Do you all have bees in your brains? I-“

“She’s right. Whatever this is, I don’t see how it could do any good for our clans.”

A dark gray tom strode out of the trees with a frown. “Feathertail, what is Starclan’s name are you thinking?” Feathertail’s eyes widened in shock, and she stepped back. “S-Stormfur? What are you doing here?”

”How many cats are coming to this thing?” Squirrelpaw asked.

Stormfur strode forward, ignoring her. “I woke up and you weren’t in your nest. So I followed your trail in case you got in trouble. Little did I know that you would be the trouble.” He flashed the other cats an accusing glance. “Then I overheard your conversation. Feathertail, I thought you were past all this!”

Feathertail’s fur fluffed up. “I am! If you eavesdropped, then you know exactly why we’re here! Are you doubting Starclan?”

“I’m not! And it’s not that I don’t trust them-“

“You just don’t trust me?”

The siblings held each others’ gaze for a long moment. Then Stormfur dropped his head. “Alright, I’m sorry. It’s just…“

“What’s going on?” A new voice came from behind them. “This can’t be right— Deadfoot said that there were supposed to be only four of us!”

The five cats jumped and looked to the newcomer. Squirrelpaw’s eyes narrowed into a glare as she recognized the cat with smoky gray fur, cold blue eyes, and a lean frame.

“You!” she hissed. Crowpaw, the thief from a few days ago, was standing only fox-lengths away. 

He met her challenge with bristling fur and snarled back. “You’re that rude apprentice! Trying to finish what you started?”

“The name’s Squirrelpaw, although I don’t expect you to remember. You clearly have feathers in your brain if you can’t remember who leapt across the border first!”

Stormfur pushed himself between the apprentices. “Whoa, let’s take it easy for a moment. I don’t know what happened, but can’t we all have a truce for tonight?”

Squirrelpaw slowly relaxed and sheathed her claws. Stormfur looked expectantly at Crowpaw, who glowered at him. Eventually, the dark apprentice gave in and relaxed as well. “Fine. So what does Starclan want us to do?”

“We don’y know yet,” Feathertail commented.

“This is the Windclan cat, right?” Tawnypelt asked. She looked Crowpaw up and down. “Bit of an undersized specimen, isn’t he?”

“Crowpaw is an apprentice,” Brambleclaw explained. He looked down at the gray-black raging cat. “We’ve been trying to figure this out. You, me, Feathertail, and Tawnypelt represent the four clans, so it must be something that involves all of us. Starclan told us to hear what midnight has to tell.” 

Squirrelpaw and Stormfur exchanged a glance. “If it were me,” she meowed, “I’d be a bit less quick to believe in these dreams. I don’t why you all had the same dream, but it’s more likely that you’ve all been stuffing yourselves with fresh kill rather than Starclan coming to you before the leaders and medicine cats.” 

Crowpaw whirled on her angrily. “Who asked you, anyway?” He demanded. 

“It’s after midnight anyway,” Tawnypelt meowed. “I don’t think Starclan is coming.” 

Feathertail looked around, anxiety starting to grow in her blue eyes. “But they have to come! Why would we have the same dream of it wasn’t true?”

”Then why is nothing happening?” Tawnypelt challenged her. “Here we are, meeting at the new moon, just as Starclan told us. We can’t do any more.” 

“We were fools to come.” Crowpaw gave them all an unfriendly stare. “The dreams meant nothing. There’s no prophecy, and no danger.” He stalked away, flinging “I’m going back to camp” over his shoulder. 

“Good riddance!” Squirrelpaw yowled after him. He ignored her, and disappeared into the bushes a moment later. 

“Tawnypelt’s right. Nothing is going to happen. Feathertail,  one back to camp with me.” His gaze looked almost pleading, and Squirrelpaw wondered if there was something deeper to his words. 

“No, I know there’s a reason for this,” Feathertail protested. “I think that somehow, we just didn’t understand properly. We should all try to meet at the next gathering to see if any of us had another dream that explains this. We can keep an eye on Crowpaw if he comes to drink at the river to pass on the message.”

“What do we tell our clans?” Brambleclaw asked. “We can’t just lie to them.” 

The others exchanged guilty glances. Feathertail growled. “I know it’s against the warrior code, but it feels wrong to talk about it. And our leaders could forbid us from meeting up again.” 

“We’ll wait until the next gathering to see if we’ve found any other signs,” Tawnypelt decided. “If not, then we tell our leaders.” The others nodded. She stretched her back and gave a huge yawn. 

“Well, I’m off,” she said with a touch of the nose to Brambleclaw. He murmured something that Squirrelpaw couldn’t hear, and she replied by licking him once on the ear. She then turned back to the others. “Starclan willing, I’ll see you at the next gathering.”

The tortoiseshell bounded off. After saying farewells to Stormfur and Feathertail, Squirrelpaw noticed Brambleclaw flick his tail toward her. 

“Come on,” he beckoned with a stern voice. “I need to talk to you.” 

Squirrelpaw scampered over. “That was so exciting! I know you’re mad, but you have to let me come with you to the next meeting. I never thought I’d be part of a prophecy from Starclan!”

Brambleclaw fixed his amber gaze on her. “You’re not part of it. Starclan didn’t send you the dream.” 

“But I know about it, don’t I? If Starclan didn’t want me involved, they would have kept me away from Fourtrees somehow.” 

The ginger molly stood in front of him, blocking the brown tabby’s way. “I could help. I’d do everything you told me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. And hedgehogs fly.”

”No, I will, please!” She let a note of desperation into her voice. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Brambleclaw stared at her for a few moments, as if pondering. Please say yes, she silently begged. 

“Alright.” He agreed at last. “I’ll tell you about everything that happens, but only if you keep it to yourself.” 

Squirrelpaw’s paws tingled with excitement. “Oh, thank you, Brambleclaw!” 

Chapter Text

In the days following the meeting at Fourtrees, Stormfur found it hard to focus on day to day clan life. The moment they had gotten back from Fourtrees, Feathertail had gone straight to her nest and ignored all his attempts to talk to her. In the days following, he would try to go on a patrol with her, but she kept finding excuses to ignore him.

Stormfur wasn’t happy. He liked Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw, but the idea of his sister talking to cats of other clans scared him. It reminded him all too well of the time when she had given prey to Thunderclan. We used to be so close. Now sometimes it feels like she’s a stranger.

“Stormfur, are you busy?” He snapped out of his thoughts as Mistyfoot approached. “No, why?” The deputy pointed her tail at Hawkfrost and Heavystep. “We’re running low on prey. Would you mind going fishing with them?” His growling belly made the decision for him. “Sure, as long as I can eat some.”

“Thanks. I’m assessing Icepaw and Swallowpaw today.” The two apprentices were tussling near their den. Their mentors, Sedgecreek and Mosspelt, chatted nearby. “They’re going to stage an ambush. Wish me luck.”

Stormfur purred with amusement as he imagined Mistyfoot being bombarded by apprentice attacks. “Let’s hope you make it back with your pelt intact.”

The gray tom waved his tail and met up with Heavystep and Hawkfrost. He received a nod from Hawkfrost while Heavystep gestured for them to set off. “I’m thinking we try the area near the Thunderclan border,” he called over his shoulder. Stormfur fell in step with the blue-eyed brown tabby. Hawkfrost kept his gaze fixed firmly in front of him, ears pricked.

I wonder how he’s held up the last half moon. He felt a rush of sympathy for the young warrior. Hawkfrost was one of the most talented cats he knew, but had clearly been pushing himself ever since he and Mothwing were introduced at the gathering. Stormfur had noticed the effort he had put in on every patrol, bringing back more prey than anyone and volunteering for every empty patrol.

It’s been a lot for any cat, let alone a recently appointed warrior. “How have you been doing since the gathering?” He asked quietly. “I’m sorry you and Mothwing had to go through that.”

The brown tom’s piercing blue eyes met his amber ones. “I appreciate it, but we’re fine.” Stormfur was a bit surprised by his coolness. It also didn’t convince him at all.

The sight of the river came into view, along with the smell of fish. “Still,” he pressed on. “I know what it’s like to have cats judge you based on your birth. It’s hard.”

Hawkfrost shrugged, but Stormfur noticed his icy eyes flicker to Heavystep . He doesn’t want to be weak in front of a clanmate, Stormfur realized.  Alright, I can fix that.

“Hey, can me and Hawkfrost hunt over there?” Stormfur flicked his tail to a nearby boulder. “There were some fish leaping yesterday.” The patrol leader nodded and padded father downstream alone, leaving the two alone. Hawkfrost started to make his way to the fishing spot, only for Stormfur to block him. “Now, how do you actually feel?” Stormfur asked. Hawkfrost widened his eyes in surprise.

“It’s alright. I’m not going to tell anyone.” Stormfur climbed on the large rock. In the greenleaf sun, it was nice and warm. A little too warm. Maybe- “Youch” he cried as the stone burned his paws. He stumbled backwards and fell into the river with a yelp.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the cool water soothed his pads. The river was calm, perfect for a pleasure swim. If only we could stay here all day…

Noticing Hawkfrost staring at him with whiskers twitching in amusment, he quickly splashed out. “It’s uh… it’s a bit hot. I was going to soak it for you,” he tried.

Standing next to the boulder, he shook himself and let droplets fall on the rock, cooling it off. Satisfied, Stormfur settled himself on the smooth surface and let his fur drip dry to make his perch tolerable.

Hawkfrost’s purred with laughter. “Well, you’ve probably just scared off all the fish in the area.” He gingerly set a paw on the soaking boulder.

“That just means we have time to talk.” Stormfur beckoned him with his tail. “So, what’s the problem?” The brown tabby shuffled his paws. “Problem? I told you, there’s no problem.” The gray tom looked at him skeptically. Hawkfrost laid down with a sigh. “It’s just… I’m worried about being accepted by my clanmates. When we went to the gathering, I knew that not every cat would like us immediately, but they all hated us. Even Blackclaw spoke against us. I just wonder if the clan will ever respect me….” His voice trailed off.

Stormfur brushed his tail down Hawkfrost’s back. “Blackclaw is a fish-brain. If any cat actually listened to him, the whole forest would be in chaos.” Hawkfrost’s eyes widened with shock, but then he purred in amusement. “Clan cats have always been reluctant to accept those who aren’t exactly like themselves. I know Firestar had to work hard to rise above his kittypet origins, but over time, he became a clan leader. One day, if you follow the warrior code and work hard, you’ll be respected by all the clans.” A flicker caught Stormfur’s vision. He swiftly reached out a paw and hooked a trout out of the water.

“See? When I was an apprentice, I couldn’t react fast enough. Then I got to be a better fisher with training.” Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

“You know the story of Tigerstar, right?” Hawkfrost nodded. “Have you ever heard of when he tried to kill half-clan cats for our heritage?” The young tom’s head shot up, and his eyes widened. “What?”

Stormfur nodded, wincing at the painful memory. “When me and Feathertail were apprentices. Tigerclaw had united Shadowclan and Riverclan, held us, Mistyfoot, and her brother Stonefur in a hole because we were all half Thunderclan. He had been manipulating Leopardstar for moons, and forced her to follow his every word or her clan would suffer.”

Closing his eyes, Stormfur recalled the most traumatic moments of his life. “Me, Feathertail, and Stonefur were brought out one day, where Tigerstar told Stonefur to kill us to prove his loyalty. When he refused, Blackfoot- Blackstar’s warrior name, and a cat named Darkstripe murdered him right in front of us.” His voice shook, and he had to take a deep breath before continuing.

“I-I lost my mentor that day, and we would have been killed too if not for Thunderclan breaking us out.”

Hawkfrost’s eyes were wide with shock. “I can’t believe that!,” he murmured. He suddenly sat up, as if having a massive revelation. “That’s why Feathertail-“ he broke off suddenly, back rigid. Stormfur finished. “That’s why Feathertail used to be so distant. She couldn’t trust anyone in the clan that cheered when the Stonefur died. I found it hard at first too.”

Stormfur pushed the memories away. That’s not important. It’s all in the past . “Anyway, I know that the Riverclan today would never do anything so terrible. Pretty soon I was able to connect with my friends and forgave them.

Hawkfrost shook his head. “I’ve never heard that story before.” Stormfur stretched and sat up. “No one likes to talk about it. Not exactly a proud moment for Leopardstar or Riverclan.”

He gave the young warrior a light hearted shove. “Now come on, we have fish to catch.”

The patrol arrived back at camp with a good haul. Stormfur added his trout to the pile and licked his lips.

Skyheart’s kits, Splashkit, Stonekit, and Volekit, came racing up to the pile. “Wow! That fish is as big as I am!” Exclaimed Volekit.

“Maybe it’ll eat you!” Teased Splashkit. “Will not!” “Will too!” Volekit swiped at Splashkit, who tackled him in response. The two play fought while Stonekit sneakily snatched a fish and dragged it over to Skyheart. They’ll be out of the nursery in a few moons. I hope I can get one of them as an apprentice.

Mallowtail, who was due to have her own kits any day now, was sharing prey with her mate Grasswhisker. Splashkit, in her dash to escape Volekit, crashed into the pair. Grasswhisker hissed, and the frightened kit sprinted back to Skyheart. 

Stormfur smiled fondly at the litter. He remembered his own days as a kit. His and Feathertail’s mother, Silverstream, died when they were born. They were raised by Mosspelt alongside her daughter Dawnflower. Although not related by blood, he considered them his kin. Their only real family was their father Graystripe who lived across the river in Thunderclan. 

When he or Featherkit were bullied for their half-clan heritage, Dawnkit would immediately stand up for them. At night, when he woke up crying, Mosspelt would comfort him and lap at his head until he fell back asleep. After Bloodclan was defeated and he, Featherpaw, and Mistyfoot returned to Riverclan, Dawnpaw and Mosspelt immeadiately ran to them and embraced the two. 

Stormfur snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed Feathertail and Reedwhisker talking nearby. The black tom appeared to be telling a story with exaggerated expressions and movements. He paused, and Feathertail burst out laughing. This is my chance! He realized.

“Feathertail!” He called to his sister. The amusement on the silver tabby’s face faded, and she nodded to her brother. “Yes, Stormfur?” She asked stiffly. Stormfur was taken aback. Is she still mad at me for following her the other night?

“I- I was wondering if you wanted to go for a swim? It’s a nice day for it.” Feathertail swished her tail in silence.

“Please?”

Her ears flattened as she sighed. “Alright, you win. But you’d better not push me in again.”

“We were apprentices! Besides, you were asking for it, being right on the edge.”

Reedwhisker nudged Stormfur. “Maybe, but I recall you were the one who ended up with a scolding from Stonefur and a frog in your nest that night.” He gave Feathertail a pointed look.

Feathertail looked away and tried to feint innocence. “That was all Dawnpaw. She was a mischievous apprentice.”

The toms looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Yeah, right!” Reedwhisker cried. “Dawnflower was probably the only one who didn’t get constantly put on tick duty.”

Stormfur recalled his early apprenticeship. His and Reedwhisker’s litters were the only cats in their age group. Their mother Mistyfoot was even Featherpaw’s mentor, so the cats ended up spending a lot of time together early on in life. The six of them had been good friends, if not occasionally arch enemies. Me, Featherpaw, Pikepaw, Primrosepaw, Reedpaw, Dawnpaw. They had all trained together for a couple moons, and forged strong bonds that kept them close even as Reedwhisker became a warrior. 

Then Tigerstar had to come in and ruin everything…

No, he wasn’t going to think about that.

He snapped back to the present as Reedwhisker turned to him. “The usual place, I assume? I’d love to join you, but I’m supposed to watch the kits for a while.” He lowered his voice. “I’m hoping to get one as an apprentice. I’m hoping Leopardstar will notice my interest in them.” His eyes shone with excitement. “Enjoy the swim!”

After saying farewells, Stormfur and Feathertail padded down to the river. Noticing a leaf drifting down, he reached a paw up and snatched it, pinning it under his paws. Feathertail looked at him with a smirk.

“Er.. never miss a chance to practice your hunting skills. We don’t just eat fish.”

Rolling her eyes, the silver tabby kept walking. “I think I know who got dad’s personality.”

“Well, he‘s also deputy of Thunderclan. Maybe if having a sense of humor will make me Stormstar one day.”

Feathertail flicked her tail at him. “What do you think other clans do for fun? They can’t swim or fish, and they have to patrol their borders all the time.”

“We occasionally patrol our borders too.” He pointed out. “But I’m glad to be a Riverclan cat. It must be so boring to just work all the time. Oh, we’re here!”

Stormfur remembered when he, Pikepaw, and Primrosepaw had accidentally discovered their swimming spot while out exploring. He had been chasing a squirrel when he accidentally tore through the thick undergrowth. They discovered a strip of sand, unlike the muddy, grassy banks edging most of the island. Combined with a tree stump jutting out over the water, and it was the perfect place to swim and play.

Feathertail sat down. “Alright. You clearly wanted me out here for something. What is it?”

Stormfur sprang into the river. “Well, we can’t go swimming without a clanmate. Remember the new system?”

When the two were kits, their denmate, Perchkit, had snuck out of the camp one night. The next day, the whole clan had frantically searched for him, only to discover his mangled body washed up on shore. It was clear that he had hit his head on rocks while swimming and drowned.

Mistyfoot was devastated to see one of her kits dead. She proposed to Leopardstar that a clan rule would be passed. In order to avoid any more possible deaths from the river, no one would be allowed to swim in it without at least one other clanmate present. Additionally, apprentices had to be supervised by a warrior at all times. Of course, it didn’t stop them from sneaking out occasionally. Still, considering all the deaths from drowning, Stormfur was glad for the change.

“Come in,” he called to her. “The water’s great!” Feathertail simply padded over to the side. “Stormfur, if it’s about the other night, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Fine, be a dry-paw. I’ll be enjoying myself.” Stormfur took a deep breath and plunged underwater. The river was deep and cool, calming him as silence filled his ears. Seeing bubbles floating back to the surface, he reached a paw out as if to block them. He spun around, feeling as agile as a fish. If only I didn’t have to go back up for air.

He broke the surface with a gasp. “Hey, Feathertail, are you— Feathertail?” The spot where his sister had been sitting was deserted. He scanned the beach, but she was no where to be found. She didn’t leave, did she? I know Feathertail is annoyed, but she’s never just left me before. “Feathertail?” He called louder. “Where are— AHH!”

Feathertail pounced from the stump and crashed into him, sending the tom underwater. Stormfur swan to the surface and spluttered as he gasped for breath. After recovering, the tom narrowed his eyes playfully. “I’ll get you for that!”

“Not if I can help it!” Feathertail whacked a paw down and sent a spray of droplets at her brother. Stormfur dove under just in time and swam to the bottom of the river. He then kicked off the rocky bottom and propelled himself towards his sister. Exploding out of the water, he slammed his paws down and sent a wave at Feathertail.

“Stormfur! Feathertail!” The siblings froze and looked up to see Squirrelpaw bounding to the edge of the river. “Are you two alone? I have something to tell you.”

With a final splash at her brother, Feathertail swam up to Squirrelpaw. Her sleek fur cut through the water with ease. “Yes, we’re alone. What is it?

The ginger molly started pacing as she spoke with her tail swishing. “Brambleclaw had another dream. He was drowning in water that had a weird taste. A Starclan cat told him it was “where midnight waits” whatever that means. He wants to leave at the quarter moon. We’ll be waiting at Fourtrees.”

“We?” Stormfur asked. Squirrelpaw wasn’t given the dream. Is Brambleclaw really making her come?

Squirrelpaw nodded eagerly. “There’s no way I’m staying behind on a quest from Starclan! Aren’t you going?”

Feathertail glanced at him curiously. “Well, you can tell Brambleclaw that I’ll be there. I guess Stormfur can tag along if he wants.”

Stormfur blinked. He hadn’t considered the idea of  him being part of whatever his sister was getting into.

Squirrelpaw flicked her tail excitedly. “I can’t wait! He’s off to tell Tawnypelt now, so all we need to do is find a way to tell Crowpaw. Maybe I’ll see him on a border patrol, although it would be hard to get him alone. You said you’d pass news on to him if he comes to the border to drink, right? That’s great! Anyway, I have to go so I’ll see you at the quarter moon!”

Before either Riverclan warrior could say a thing, Squirrelpaw scampered back into the woods.

The siblings exchanged a look. “She certainly has a lot of energy,” Stormfur commented.

“Do you think she’s ready for such a tough journey?” Feathertail asked. Her blue eyes were thoughtful. “She’s only an apprentice after all.”

Stormfur had similar thoughts in his mind. We have no idea what could happen! Feathertail could get hurt, or worse…

He shook his head to clear his mind. “Squirrelpaw seems to take after her father. And if dad’s stories taught us anything, it’s that Firestar got into a lot of trouble and came out fine. I’m sure she’ll be ok.” He flicked his tail and accidentally splashed Feathertail. “Oops, sorry.”

The silver molly’s eyes narrowed. “Actually, weren’t we in the middle of something?” 

Stormfur crouched playfully. “You’re on!”

The pair sloshed into camp as the sun was setting, still damp from their hours of playing. They were still laughing and chatting as Stormfur spotted the freshkill pile. His stomach rumbled, and he bowed dramatically to Feathertail. “Care to share a fish, my wonderful sister?” 

Feathertail rolled her eyes. “Sure, why not. You big goof.” Stormfur selected a trout and Feathertail led him to Dawnflower and Reedwhisker. Their clanmates were eating under the shelter of a willow. Seeing them, the two cats shuffled to make room for them. “How was swimming?” Reedwhisker asked.

“Feathertail got her revenge.” Stormfur looked pointedly at the silver tabby who couldn’t hide a smirk.

He looked at his other sister, expecting Dawnflower to be amused, but the molly was quiet. “Are you ok?” He asked gently.

Dawnflower’s eyes widened, and she shuffled her paws. “Well… it’s just… I have something to tell you all.”

Stormfur felt himself tense up. Dawnflower’s never this nervous. How bad could it be? If anyone hurt her…

The gray molly’s blue eyes widened with anxiety. It struck him, not for the first time, how similar she looked to Feathertail and him. Gray fur and blue eyes, although her features were lighter than either of theirs. A strong yet graceful build, although a bit shorter than her adopted siblings.

Dawnflower took a deep breath. “I’m going to have kits.”

All of Stormfur’s anxiety melted into joy as the news sank in. “Kits?” His voice shook with shock and joy. Reedwhisker purred. “That’s great news!” Feathertail pressed her muzzle against her sister’s side.

Dawnflower shook her head and backed away. “I only found out today. Blackclaw sent me to the medicine den after I started feeling sick while fishing. That’s when Mudfur gave the news. I told mom right away, but I didn’t want to tell any other cat.”

Feathertail tilted her head. “Why? Is something wrong? More kits is always good for the clan.

The gray queen sighed. “The truth is, I didn’t want these kits. I was so scared that…” she trailed off. Feathertail immediately leaned against her and stroked her tail down her back.

How could I leave the clan knowing what my sister is going through? How could Feathertail walk away from our kin in need?

The quarter moon was climbing into the cool night sky. Stormfur waited quietly in the shadows at the entrance of camp. The last couple days had been spent with his kin. He and Feathertail had brought the prettiest shells and feathers they could find back to the nursery. The two hunted with Reedwhisker, talked with Mosspelt and Mistyfoot, and embraced clan life to its fullest.

He knew Feathertail was leaving tonight. Stormfur wasn’t about to let her slip off easily. Sure enough, the silver molly carefully made her way out of the den and padded silently to edge of camp.

Stormfur stepped out of the shadows just as his sister passed him. “If you want to sneak out, you’ll need to be on higher alert,” he mewed quietly.

His sister whirled around in shock. “Stormfur? What are you doing out here?” She hissed. “Keeping my eyes on you. Are you sure about this?”

Feathertail’s blue eyes flashed with determination. “I’m leaving. I know you’re worried, and I’m sorry to do this to you. But I’m sure Starclan wouldn’t be asking this much of us if it wasn’t necessary.”

He tried opening his mouth to speak, but Feathertail kept going.

“Do you think I want to abandon my clan? No, what I truly want is to run back to my nest with my clanmates. I want to tell Starclan that I’ve done enough, and they should choose someone else. But if going on this quest will save the cats I care about, I will put my own life on the line. For you, Mosspelt, Dawnflower, Graystripe, Reedwhisker, Mistyfoot, Leopardstar, and all the cats of the forest, the danger is worth it. And if I don’t return, it will be because I died as a true warrior protecting her clan.”

His sister’s gaze softened and she stepped forward to touch noses with him. “I love you, Stormfur. I’ll miss you.”

He stepped back. “I’m not saying goodbye to you.”

Feathertail’s fur bristled and her jaws parted in the beginnings of a snarl. “You aren’t-“

Stormfur cut her off. “I won’t stop you from going. I know you’re too stubborn to even listen to me. But I’ll be with you every pawstep of the way.”

Chapter Text

The mid-day sun pierced through the trees and soaked through Tawnypelt’s fur. It was a pleasant feeling, and she knew it was one she’s miss come leaf-bare. However, it was not particularly helpful for focusing at the task at hand.

She was on a border patrol with Rowanclaw and her apprentice, Talonpaw. The later was excitedly jumping around as he took in the area. As a brand new apprentice, he had never done a border patrol before and was learning the territory for the first time. 

Tawnypelt tried to have some patience with Talonpaw, but the young tom had slowed them down by running off and asking a question very other pawstep. She wished his mentor would put some effort into keeping him in check, but Rowanclaw seemed to sense Tawnypelt’s frustration and relish in it.

“Alright Talonpaw, this is the Thunderpath. We share a border with both Thunderclan and Windclan.” Rowanclaw explained to her apprentice. “You can smell Thunderclan across the Thunderpath. They smell terrible, so it’s hard to miss.” She pointedly threw her glance to Tawnypelt with her last words.

“Really? I can’t smell anything.” The apprentice ran up to the side of the Thunderpath. At that moment, Tawnypelt heard the roar of a monster.

With a flash of panic, Tawnypelt instinctively lunged forward and grabbed Talonpaw by the scruff. A monster roared by, and the young cat pressed against her in fear. After pulling him back, she roughly dropped him and cuffed him around the ears.

“Talonpaw, listen to me. The Thunderpath is extremely dangerous. There have been countless cats who have gotten hurt or killed trying to cross. Never, ever go near it without your mentor’s permission. Do you understand?”

The terrified apprentice nodded, still very shaken. Tawnypelt felt bad for a moment, but shook it off. Now he’ll be sure to act cautiously around the Thunderpath. He’ll be ok. Unfortunately, his mentor was not as cooperative.

Rowanclaw stalked up to Tawnypelt with a hiss. “What do you think you’re doing?” She hissed. “He’s my apprentice, and I will be the one to train him as I see fit.”

“Does your method of training involve him getting hit by a monster?” She shot back. “If anything, you should be thanking me.”

Rowanclaw scoffed and turned away. With a flick of her tail, she walked off. “Come on, Talonpaw. Tawnypelt can mark this border. I have more to show you.”

With an  apologetic glance at Tawnypelt, Talonpaw dashed off. Good riddance, you fox-hearted piece of fox-dung. I feel bad for Talonpaw.

It still stung slightly that Rowanclaw and Cedarheart, who had been warriors as long as Tawnypelt, were made mentors while she was not. Probably because they were born here. Or because they’re not Tigerstar’s kin. 

Shadowclan had never been as terrible to her as Thunderclan, but she would still catch suspicious glances from her clanmates occasionally.

Shaking her head, Tawnypelt turned back to the task at hand. Staring over the border, the sight of Thunderclan territory was enough to fill her head with memories.

I wonder how Goldenflower is doing. Or Brambleclaw. Suddenly, she picked up a distinct scent. Most cats wouldn’t notice, but Tawnypelt knew her brother like she knew her own pelt.

“Brambleclaw! Come out!” She hissed. A brown head popped out of the bushes in bewilderment. “Tawnypelt? How-“

“I could smell you, frog-brain. What are you doing here?”

Brambleclaw looked around anxiously. “Where are your clanmates?”

“Further down. Trust me, we’re alone.”

She leaned in close to her brother. “Is this about our dreams?”

He nodded. “I had another one. I was drowning, and the water had a salty tang to it. I heard a voice, and it said “this is where the sun drowns, so the midnight can rise. I think that’s where we’re supposed to go. I’m leaving at the quarter moon. Will you meet me at Fourtrees?”

Tawnypelt hesitated. Can I just leave my clan? “Starclan’s asking a lot of us,” she pointed out.

Her brother’s ears drooped. “You mean you won’t come?”

Tawnypelt’s tail twitched. “I never said that. But I feel like I’d be abandoning my clan at a bad time.”

Her brother tipped his head thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t you be serving your clan by coming on a journey to save them?”

She considered that. Her clanmates would be furious, and she wasn’t sure if Blackstar would even allow her to return. But if I can return as a hero, they’d have to respect me.

Brambleclaw pressed on. “Starclan must have chosen us because they think we’re the right cats. That we have something to offer that none of our clanmates can give.”

That’s true. Starclan went to us for a reason. Who am I to tell them they were wrong?

With a slight sigh, she knew she had made up her mind. “Alright, Brambleclaw. I’ll be there.” The brown tom’s eyes lit up. “That’s great! I’ll see you soon.” He touched noses to Tawnypelt before spinning around and running back to his territory.

Mouse-brain , She thought affectionately. Then she noticed Rowanclaw and Talonpaw off and the distance and reluctantly ran after them. Maybe I’ll enjoy being away from my clanmates for a while.

“Oh, look. You managed to find your way back to camp.” Tawnypelt sighed as Rowanclaw stalked up to the prey pile.

Just ignore her, just ignore her. Tawnypelt instead tried to direct her focus to the night sky, where the Silverpelt had started coming into view. Unlike the other clans, Shadowclan hunted well into the night, preferring to rest while the sun was out.

Unfortunately, Rowanclaw didn’t take the hint. “What a shame. Another mouth to feed. I guess you wouldn’t be helpful to any clan, would you?”

Alright, that’s it. She spun around to snarl at the red molly. “I hunt just as well as the other warriors. Besides, if I remember, you’ve been slacking on hunting lately. So don’t you dare try to call me out.”

Rowanclaw smirked. “At least what I catch goes to Shadowclan. How do I know you aren’t giving prey away to Thunderclan?”

“Because I was on a border patrol, so I didn’t have time to hunt. And if you’re so clever, you would have noticed the smell of prey or blood.”

Without another word, she snatched her frog and headed to the other side of camp. That toad-brained, snake-tongued, fox-hearted piece of mouse dung! She thinks she can get away with whatever she wants because she’s Blackstar’s favorite. I hope she chokes on crow-food!

Tawnypelt took a deep breath. Her heart was racing from her intense anger. In hopes of distracting herself, she looked around at her clanmates. Two of the apprentices, Smokepaw and Talonpaw, were picking ticks off the elders while Runningnose and Rowanberry were telling stories.

The other apprentice, Snakepaw, was talking to his mentor Cedarheart. Tawnypelt felt a rush of fondness for the tom. They had been apprentices together alongside his sister Rowanclaw. She found him to be much more tolerable than his littermate, and found him to be great fun on patrols.

Tallpoppy and Snowbird were eating prey together near the warriors den. Tallpoppy was sitting awkwardly to support her bloated stomach. Poor Tallpoppy. Her kits should be arriving soon.

Tawnypelt’s former mentor, Oakfur was sniffing the fresh-kill pile. Seeing him always made her feel like an apprentice again, waiting to go to training. Noticing her, he nodded and snatched a mouse.

She purred warmly as he padded over and gave her a friendly lick. “How was patrol today?” He asked. “I heard you were quite the hero to Talonpaw.”

Seeing her surprised expression he gestured to the young tom. Done with his elders duties, he was wildly chatting with his denmates.

“The kit’s been talking about it since he got back,” Oakfur continued. “You’ve always been quick to act. I’m proud of the warrior you’ve become, Tawnypelt.”

The molly’s fur grew hot. “I was just doing what any warrior would have,” she mumbled in embarrassment.

“Still, you’ve come a long way since you joined us.”

The pair happily ate and shared tongues while to sun slipped below the horizon.

Tawnypelt noticed Blackstar slip out of his den, followed by Russetfur and Boulder. The gray tom moved slowly, as if injured.

Boulder is getting old. He’s been alive before half the warriors were even kits.

Blackstar jumped on the highest boulder in  camp, the Highrock. Anticipating an announcement, she perked her ears and padded closer.

Blackstar threw his head back and yowled the customary words to call the clan together. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock.”

Most cats were already outside, but the remaining few poked their heads out of their dens to listen.

The white and black tom began. “ Boulder has asked to retire and join the elders. After countless moons of service, I am happy to grant his wish.”

He looked directly at Boulder. “Boulder, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?”

After a slight hesitation, the gray to dipped his head. “It is.”

”Your clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon Starclan to give you many moons of rest.”

”Boulder! Boulder!” Tawnypelt raised her voice with the Clan as they cheered for their new elder. 

With a jolt, she realized that Shadowclan would be down 2 warriors when they desperately needed more. 

There’s only going to be seven cats left in the warrior’s den. The apprentices just began their training, so there won’t be any more warriors for moons. Can I really leave them right now?

Shadowclan had been hit hard the last several seasons. An old leader, Brokenstar, had started the downfall of the clan. He had broken the warrior code and forced kits to become apprentices when they were barely weaned. A whole generation of kits were killed in bloody conflicts before they were even six moons old.

After Brokenstar was driven out, his successor Nightstar was refused nine lives by Starclan. During a bought of sickness, he, his deputy, and many other cats died. Shadowclan was left weak, when Tigerstar stepped in. Exiled from Thunderclan for killing the former deputy and attempting to kill their leader, he gained leadership of the battered clan.

Then there was more trouble when the battle with Bloodclan killed several more cats. Unfortunately, only two more litters had been born since. Of those, Nightwing was the only one of her siblings to become a warrior. Tawnypelt only hoped that Smokepaw, Snakepaw, and Talonpaw would be more fortunate.

“Tawnypelt?” A voice interrupts her thoughts. A very nervous-looking apprentice padded up to her.

“Oh, hi Talonpaw. How did you like your first patrol?”

“Great! I didn’t realize that Shadowclan was so big. ” Talonpaw ducked his head and shuffled his paws. “Anyway, I… well, I just wanted to say thank you for earlier.” He looked up at her with shining eyes. “I know my mentor doesn’t like you, but I think you’re a great warrior! Some warriors don’t like you for being born in Thunderclan,” Tawnypelt flinched. “But you’re really cool!” The young apprentice smiled at her.

Tawnypelt was taken aback by the praise. Talonpaw was a sweet apprentice, but she never expected to held in such high regard from him. This is good. If I can get a strong reputation from the younger cats, eventually the older cats will have to accept me too.

“Well… thanks Talonpaw,” she eventually replied. “Really, it was nothing. Just make sure you be more careful from here on out.” She head butted him affectionately.

“Do you know what makes Shadowclan so great?” He tipped his head at her. “What? Because we’re the best clan?”

Tawnypelt purred. “Well, yes, but we’re the best because we use our heads. A Shadowclan cat is always noticing their surroundings and using them to their advantage. In other words, stop and look around before dashing into anything, alright?”

Talonpaw twitched his ears. “I’m sorry. I was being a frog-brain. But I’ve learned my lesson.”

The tortoiseshell molly felt a stab of pity for the young cat. After all, what apprentice hasn’t made dumb mistakes?

“It’s alright, Talonpaw. I know you were excited, and you’re just a kit. I know me and  Rowanclaw were the same way as new apprentices.”

Talonpaw’s eyes widened and he glanced over at his mentor who was chatting with Cedarheart.

“Really? I don’t believe it!”

Tawnypelt smirked at the red molly. “Yeah. She used to get into all sorts of trouble. Ask Cedarheart sometime.”

Talonpaw grinned. “I need to go tell Smokepaw and Snakepaw! Bye Tawnypelt,” he called as he raced over to the apprentice den.

A sliver of moonlight shone. The quarter-moon is a couple nights from now. Then I’ll be traveling with Brambleclaw.

The thought made her excited and uneasy. Is Rowanclaw right that I’m a traitor? But Starclan told us, and Brambleclaw is my brother. He’s the least likely cat to be disloyal.

She was loyal, to her Clan, her leader, and the prophecy. Nothing was going to change that.

Tawnypelt repeated those thoughts to herself as she snuck out the entrance of camp. The sunset cast long shadows on the ground. It was common for Shadowclan cats to go for hunts in the evening. Their style was to hunt alone in the shadows, hence their name. Tawnypelt knew that by dawn, when cats started getting suspicious, she would be long gone. 

The walk to Fourtrees was longer for her than any other clan. Shadowclan was the most isolated of the clans, and their camp was at the opposite edge of their territory. Tawnypelt only hoped that she wasn’t the last one to arrive. 

To her surprise, she wasn’t. The clearing was empty by the time she burst in. I suppose it would be harder for other cats to leave camp at night. At least, Thunderclan never goes hunting during the day. 

She allowed herself a small glow of pride for her clan. When she fled her birth clan, it was difficult at first to adjust to a clan that functioned the opposite way she was used to. It was even harder after Tigerstar died and her clanmates started discriminating against her for crimes she didn’t commit. However, she managed to overcome their jeers and became a warrior with hard work. 

Tawnypelt wondered if Brambleclaw had to try as hard as she did. After all, they both were kin of a traitor. 

Another thought struck her. Feathertail was also discriminated against because of her parents. We’re cats that all have had to be perfect to be treated as normal clanmates. Is that how Starclan chose us? What about Crowpaw?

Tawnypelt pondered their connection while waiting for her companions to arrive. Eventually, Crowpaw emerged as the moon started rising. His chest heaved and fell as if he had been running. She dipped her head as the smoky gray tom walked toward her. “Where are the others?” He asked. “They didn’t chicken out, did they?” His eyes narrowed. 

Tawnypelt tilted her head. “Chicken out? What’s chicken mean?” The apprentice widened his eyes in surprise. “You don’t know that phrase? It’s… never mind. Anyway, if that Squirrelpaw put me though all that trouble and didn’t even show up, I’ll tear her to pieces.”

The dark tom kneeded the ground in frustration and impatience. 

“They’ll be here soon,” Tawnypelt assured him. Even then, she wasn’t sure. They could have gotten caught, or changed their minds. What if it was just the two of us? Can me and an apprentice really save the clans by ourselves? Wait. Did he say Squirrelpaw? There’s no way Brambleclaw would bring her, right?

Her worries were soon forgotten as Feathertail slipped into the clearing with Stormfur right behind her. The siblings joined the others at the base of the rock. Feathertail’s eyes were bright with excitement while Stormfur’s were dark with worry. 

“You both came!” The silver molly exclaimed. In the moonlight, her pelt seemed to glow as her tabby markings reflected the beams. Tawnypelt wondered if she looked as radiant during the day. 

“Of course we came!” Snapped Crowpaw. “Who are we if not followers of the will of Starclan?”

Tawnypelt nodded. “Now we wait for my bee-brained brother to arrive.”

Chapter Text

Racing to the Windclan border, Squirrelpaw replayed the message in her head. Yesterday Brambleclaw had gone to Shadowclan to visit Tawnypelt while she had sought out Feathertail. The silver molly had taken the news well, and she was confident that the Riverclan warrior would accompany them on the quest.

Crowpaw, on the other hand, would inevitably be much more of a challenge. Why do I have to see Crowpaw? That bad tempered, stuck up apprentice won’t even listen to me!

She wasn’t sure why Starclan would even choose him. Obviously an apprentice can handle it, I’m not going to object to that. After all, I’m coming and I’ve only had two moons of experience. But he’s clearly not agreeable enough to work with the other cats.

Additionally, it meant she had to get up early in order to beat the dawn patrol to the border. Both the Thunderclan and the Windclan one. Squirrelpaw wasn’t even sure if Crowpaw would be on it, but Brambleclaw had seemed certain that he would.

Arriving at the border, Squirrelpaw checked the air for scents. A small patrol was chasing a rabbit off in the distance. Despite her frustration with Crowpaw, Squirrelpaw was fascinated by Windclan’s speed and endurance.

“Crowpaw, make sure the border is well marked. We don’t want Thunderclan to accidentally stroll into our territory.”

Perfect timing. Squirrelpaw hid in a bush as the Windclan patrol padded past. A few moments later, a smoky apprentice came into view with Mudclaw and a black molly.

Crowpaw obediently marked the border, quietly scanning Thunderclan territory. Is he looking for something? Or just suspicions?

She saw her chance as the tom padded right past her. “Hey! Crowpaw!” She hissed. The apprentice’s eyes widened as he spotted her. His blue glare was blazing with annoyance, and for a moment she was worried he would alert the patrol. What now? I need to talk to him!

Her heart stopped as he swiveled his head to the patrol. “Mudclaw, I need to make dirt,” he called to his mentor. The brown tabby nodded. “Be quick. Catch up to us when you’re done.”

Squirrelpaw was dumbstruck as the patrol walked away, leaving the pair alone. Once the other cats were out of sight, Crowpaw whirled on Squirrelpaw. “What are you doing here?” He hissed. “Do you know what would happen if my clanmates caught you?”

“I know, I know. But this is important!” The ginger molly frowned at Crowpaw’s skeptical expression.

“Brambleclaw had another dream. He was drowning in water that had a weird tang. A Starclan cat told him that it was the sun-drown-place, where the traveling cats need to meet midnight. He thinks we’re meant to leave on a quest to find it. We leave at the quarter moon. Will you come?”

The dark apprentice snorted. “I’m not going to leave my clan for some mouse-brained journey because a Thunderclan cat says so. I’ll be a warrior soon, and I can’t leave my clan right before leaf-fall.

Squirrelpaw lashed her tail. “You were chosen by Starclan. How could you turn them down? Where’s your sense of pride or adventure? What greater duty is there than to save them from Starclan knows what threat?”

Crowpaw hissed. “Why do you care? You weren’t even chosen, you just had to stick your little Thunderclan nose into it. Besides, if Starclan was really guiding us, why would they only send a dream to one cat?”

“Maybe because some cats would completely ignore it,” she shot back.

His eyes widened. “I would never ignore a dream from Starclan! But if it were really important, I think a Windclan cat would be most likely to get it. Everyone knows we’re the closest clan to our ancestors.”

Squirrelpaw rolled her eyes. “Look. I’m going, and I think you should too.”

Crowpaw smirked. “Why? You weren’t even invited. Besides, how could those short little legs even take you anywhere?”

That’s it. Squirrelpaw sprang up in rage, her fur bristling. “How dare you! I don’t need to be tall to claw your face off! Besides, that’s a low blow coming from a Windclan cat!”

“Crowpaw!” Some cat called in the distance. He looked at the raging molly before turning away. “Keep your fur on! This just shows that you can’t handle such an important task.” He hesitated. “I don’t want to go, but I’ll obey the will of Starclan if they truly are asking me to go.”

With that, the tom raced away. Squirrelpaw stalked into the forest, the apprentice’s earlier words roaring in her head.

I’m not that short! He’s just out of real arguments, so he’s trying to trade insults like a kit!

When she got back to camp, still in a bad mood, she glanced around for her sister. Leafpaw was eating a mouse by the medicine cat den. Just the cat I need. Squirrelpaw quickly sided up beside her, licking her sister’s head. “Hello, Squirrelpaw,” Leafpaw greeted. She frowned as she noticed her sister’s clear frustration.

“What’s wrong? Is it Dustpelt again?” Squirrelpaw shook her head. Starclan, I wish that was all. “Someone was being a mouse-brain. Then they called me short!” Her head drooped. “I hate when cats make fun of my size. That dumb apprentice-“

She quickly cut herself off as she realized that she had almost given away her secret. Luckily, her sister didn’t seem to notice.

Leafpaw was nodding sympathetically. “You was it? Spiderpaw? Shrewpaw? I can’t imagine it was Whitepaw.”

”I don’t want to talk about it,” she quickly covered. “I just wish cats wouldn’t underestimate me because of my size.”

The brown tabby tilted her head. “Wouldn’t that be an advantage? You could quickly get the upper hand in a battle because your opponent would be going easy on you.”

Squirrelpaw shrugged. “I guess that’s true. But I want to be respected, not underestimated. Why do you think I work so hard in training? I want to impress Dustpelt, but I also want to impress the whole clan. If I can put myself on equal levels to cats who are about to become warriors, other cats will notice. Maybe I’ll even become a warrior with them.”

She thought, not for the first time, about how empty the apprentice den would be in her last two moons. Whitepaw, Shrewpaw, and Spiderpaw would get their names probably at the same time. After all, they were only a half moon apart in age. Then Hollykit, Birchkit, and Larchkit won’t be apprenticed until after I leave the den. 

With Leafpaw in the Medicine Cat den, she would be alone as she finished her training. If she could finish early, maybe she wouldn’t be left behind as long. Of course, that plan would no longer work if she was gone for countless moons. 

“Remember you can always talk to me,” Leafpaw reminded her sister. Squirrelpaw nodded gratefully. I’ll miss you, my dear sister. “Thank you, Leafpaw.”

Shrewpaw was sleeping in the den, but stirred when Squirrelpaw came in. “What? Oh, hi,” he murmured sleepily. “Did you have dawn patrol?” She guessed. Shrewpaw got up and stretched. “Yeah. Although it’s after sunhigh so I’d better get up, huh?” Squirrelpaw felt a surge of affection for her friend. It dawned on her that they wouldn’t be together for a long time once she left. “Do you want to go hunting?” She asked impulsively. “Just the two of us?” Shrewpaw looked surprised. “Is that allowed?” “Go ask Firestar if you’re not sure. Besides, the clan always could use more prey, and I want to spend time with you.” Shrewpaw shuffled his paws. “Well… ok. I’ll meet you by the gorse tunnel. Just let me check with Thornclaw.

Squirrelpaw dashed over to her father’s den. “Dad? Are you in there?” An answering mew allowed her in. She slipped in to see her parents standing together with Graystripe. Her dad’s green gaze grew warm as he greeted his daughter. “How are you today, dear?” Squirrelpaw nuzzled her parents. “I’m good. I was actually wondering if maybe me and Shrewpaw could go hunting?”

Graystripe nodded. “I think I saw Dustpelt not long ago. He said he was planning to take you out later, but-“

”Er, no. I meant just the two of us.” She interrupted. Graystripe and Firestar exchanged a glance. “I don’t see why not,” the deputy decided. “The two of us used to go hunting by ourselves all the time as apprentices.”

Sandstorm brushed her tail down Squirrelpaw’s back. “Just make sure you’re being careful. Stay close to Shrewpaw.”

The dark ginger molly nodded eagerly. “I will! Thanks!”

She bolted out of the den and over to Shrewpaw, who was waiting in the clearing. “I got permission,” she called. “Let’s go!” With her best friend at her side, she raced out into the woods. 

Squirrelpaw stretched quietly in her nest, waiting for Brambleclaw. Yesterday, she and Shrewpaw had caught enough prey to impress their mentors, so much so that Squirrelpaw had no trouble convincing Dustpelt to take her on the dawn patrol. He was surprised by her request, but accepted. 

As much as she would have liked to sleep in the night before she and Brambleclaw left, it meant that Dustpelt wouldn’t plan anything else for her that day. The plan was that Squirrelpaw got back, she could catch up on sleep around sunhigh. When it got close to sundown, Brambleclaw would take her out to the woods by saying he wanted to show her a hunting technique. Then, they would get to Fourtrees in time to meet the others at moonrise. 

Squirrelpaw padded out to the fresh kill pile and helped herself to a squirrel. Leafpaw always found it ironic, but Squirrelpaw’s favorite food was her namesake. She was gulping down the meal when Brambleclaw padded up. “Are you ready?” He asked quietly. She quickly finished the last few bites and stood up. “Let’s go.”

The pair exited through the gorse tunnel, Squirrelpaw trying to act casual. Anticipation and excitement pricked her paws, and it took all her will to not sprint. I need my energy, she reminded herself. Glancing at her companion, it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Brambleclaw wore a blank expression for the entirety of the walk.

When they arrived, Feathertail, Tawnypelt, and Stormfur were sitting at the base of the Great Rock, while Crowpaw paced restlessly up and down beside them.

“Finally” Tawnypelt sprang to her paws as Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw appeared out of the bushes. “We thought you weren’t coming.”

“We should get going,” Feathertail suggested. “If we want to get out of the territories without being noticed, we need to hurry.”

Squirrelpaw noticed Crowpaw glaring at her, which she returned. Who stuck a burr in his paw? The apprentice scoffed and turned his back to her.

Squirrelpaw bounded up to the other cats who were already at the clearing. “Squirrelpaw?” Feathertail widened her eyes. “Where’s Brambleclaw?” “About to give this apprentice a cuff or two around the ears,” the big tabby tom growled. Flattening her ears, Squirrelpaw hissed. “I wasn’t about to let you run off Starclan knows where without me! I’m part of this whether you like it or not.”

Stormfur laid his tail gently on her. “Come on now, let’s save some energy for the trip.” She hadn’t even heard the gray tom approach, but he had already moved to Brambleclaw. “I’m here too, and I wasn’t chosen. It’s only fair that she comes.”

Brambleclaw nodded. “I know. You’re right, Stormfur. I’m just worried. This is going to be dangerous.”

I’m not a kit! Squirrelpaw wanted to say. Although a look from Brambleclaw made her shut her mouth

Tawnypelt brushed by them. “Let’s get going. There’s not much time before cats notice we’re gone.”

Brambleclaw nodded and fell in line with her. Squirrelpaw followed close behind with Stormfur, Crowpaw, and Feathertail following.

The was a tense silence as the cats walked. Brambleclaw murmured to Tawnypelt a few times, but the tortoiseshell would only give brief answers before turning away. Stormfur made the occasional joke, but only Squirrelpaw or Brambleclaw would even react.

Eventually, the cats reached the edge of Windclan territory. “We should stop at Ravenpaw and Barley’s barn,” Brambleclaw suggested.

Ravenpaw and Barley? The names sounded familiar in Squirrelpaw’s head, but she couldn’t quite place them. Who are they? And why does one of them have an apprentice name?

Crowpaw immediately protested the idea. “No, we need to cover as much ground as possible before sunrise. We could easily make it to Highstones before dark.” He narrowed his eyes. Squirrelpaw wondered if she could detect a hint of worry in his gaze. “If we get caught on clan territory-“

“Look,” Stormfur interjected. “Would you rather sleep tonight hungry on cold rock? Or warm and with a full stomach? Because I for one would prefer the later.”

“Me too” added Tawnypelt. Feathertail nodded in agreement.

The smoky apprentice hissed. “Alright, fine.”

The group slowly padded to the barn. Before they could reach the entrance, however, two faces poked out from behind the door. “Who’s there?” A black tom with a white dash in his chest asked. Brambleclaw exchanged glances with the others and stepped closer. “It’s me, Brambleclaw of Thunderclan. Me and my…”

Squirrelpaw understood his hesitance. We’re certainly not friends. Not clanmates either. Or a patrol.

“Me and these other cats need a shelter for the night,” Brambleclaw finished. “We were hoping you would let us stay.”

Before he had even finished, the black tom was nodding. “Of course you can. We’d never turn down some company, would we Barley?”

As Ravenpaw came out of the gloom, Squirrelpaw noticed his white tail tip. Seeing her, his eyes lit up. “Squirrelkit! Or is it Squirrelpaw now? I haven’t seen you since you were a kit!”

She flinched back slightly as the loner reached to touch noses with her. “You know me?” She asked. Ravenpaw nodded, a slightly sad smile crossing his face.

Squirrelpaw noticed that the other cats were relaxed. Besides Crowpaw, who was clawing at the ground, her companions had started sniffing around and slipping into the barn.

She turned her attention back to Ravenpaw, who was watching her curiously. “What?” She asked. The black tom shook his head. “You just look so much like your father. The same bright green eyes, the way you hold yourselves…” as his voice trailed off, his gaze grew thoughtful. “You must not remember me, but I visited you when you were only a moon or two old. Me and Barley stayed in Thunderclan for a while and helped take care of some trouble your father was having.”

”How do you know my father?” She asked. Ravenpaw purred with amusement. “We were apprentices together. Did he never tell you?” He beckoned her with his tail and turned back to the barn. “We can talk while we eat. The mice jump into your mouth here!”

After a night of eating, stories, and a good sleep, the group was ready to go. Squirrelpaw learned how Ravenpaw and his mate Barley met, Ravenpaw’s apprenticeship and departure from Thunderclan, and adjustment to farm life. 

The pair walked to group to highstones before leaving them with some final words. It had turned out that the loner knew about the sun-drown-place from stories by passing loners. “Remember, it’s a long journey, and you’ll encounter dogs, twolegs, and rouges among other things. Follow the sun, and you should make it.”

Tawnypelt dipped her head. “We’ll be able to handle it. Thanks.”

The six cats walked confidently on their path. With high spirits, they were confident that the journey ahead would be no problem. 

Chapter Text

Their enthusiasm didn’t last long. After saying goodbye to Barley and Ravenpaw at highstones, the cats had occupied themselves with safely getting down the rocky slope.

Admittedly, it was a lot of fun. Where it was safe, he and Squirrelpaw had raced each other to get to a certain ledge or rock. Even Feathertail and Brambleclaw had joined in for a few rounds. It reminded him a lot of games he had played as an apprentice.

However, once they were back to walking in the grass, the group had settled into a quiet but tense walk. Occasionally, Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw would snarl at each other. Stormfur or Brambleclaw would break them up, and there would be silence again.

Tawnypelt had taken the lead with Brambleclaw a pace behind her. Stormfur followed with Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw on either side of him. He figured that if they couldn’t see each other, they’d be less likely to start an argument. It mostly worked, but whenever any of them spoke, the other would have a snappy retort. Feathertail, meanwhile, trailed behind them, her sharp blue eyes scanning their surroundings.

Stormfur couldn’t quite understand his sister’s isolation. First she was spending moons ignoring her clanmates and was in love with Thunderclan. Now she was actively avoiding two Thunderclan cats along with everyone else.

He looked between the two apprentices. Squirrelpaw was trotting forward with energy. Her ears were pricked, eyes gleaming with excitement, and tail high. It was obvious how enthusiastic she was about the journey. Somehow, the fights with her fellow apprentice hadn’t dampened her spirits.

Crowpaw was the opposite. His strides were long and low, as if he was hunting. He kept his ears flattened, as if listening for danger, and there was hostility written all over his features.

Hours slipped by as the gray tom got incredibly bored. To distract himself, he started playing games. He looked for shapes in clouds, tried to identify plants and animals they passed, and batted at stones. Although trying to include the others, it quickly became clear that at least half the group preferred to keep to themselves.

Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were the only exceptions, joining in his fun until Tawnypelt or Crowpaw would make a comment and they’d return to a normal walk.

He noticed Squirrelpaw had begun gradually slowing and dropped back to match pace. Having the shortest legs, even compared to Crowpaw, had clearly begun to take a toll on her. “Are you alright?” he asked gently. At the comment, the ginger molly puffed out her fur and straightened her posture. “I’m fine! I can handle myself.” She flattened her ears and picked up her pace.

This must be tough on an apprentice, especially a small one like Squirrelpaw, Stormfur reflected.

After what felt like forever, he was desperate to break the silence. “So… does any cat know exactly where we’re going?” He eventually asked. “Or are we just walking until Starclan tells us to stop?”

Brambleclaw turned his head back. “We’re looking for a huge amount of water. Once we find that, we’ll know we’re in the right place.” Stormfur couldn’t help but notice that despite the tom’s confident tone, his eyes betrayed uncertainty.

Oh Starclan, what if we’re just walking forever? Did we make a mistake? A pit of dread filled Stormfur’s belly. He noticed the same concern on Squirrelpaw’s face, but as soon as she noticed him looking, she changed to a confident smirk.

The apprentice was interesting to him. Being the youngest, and clearly the most extroverted of the other cats, they had done most of the talking throughout the day. It was clear as water that Squirrelpaw was Firestar’s kin, but she was significantly more energetic and quick tempered than her father. Stormfur wondered if the calm, wise Firestar had acted like her as an apprentice.

Eventually, the sun started slipping down the sky. Stormfur had hoped, just briefly, that it would mean comradery between the group as they settled down for the night. He learned an important lesson that day about not getting his hopes up.

“I say we hunt.”

“Why do you get to decide? You’re not our leader!”

“Yeah? Well who is?”

“Maybe I should be leader.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Stormfur flattened his ears. “Would you cut it out!” He yowled. Tawnypelt and Crowpaw turned their glares at him, their fur still bristling.

“Look, we’re barely traveled a day together, and arguing isn’t helping anyone. If we’re going to make decisions, we should get to decide together.” The cats slowly relaxed and Tawnypelt reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, Stormfur,” Brambleclaw agreed. “Does everyone want to press on a bit longer? Or should we hunt?”

“I’d like to hunt,” Feathertail decided. “We don’t know when we’ll find decent prey again. We need to keep our strength up.” Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw nodded, although Crowpaw looked frustrated.

“Squirrelpaw? What about you?” The young molly looked a bit tired, but she held herself firmly. “I can keep going, although I’m always happy for a hunt.”

“Then it’s settled,” Stormfur declared. “We can hunt in pairs for protection, and meet back here to eat.”

“I’ll go with Tawnypelt,” Brambleclaw immediately offered. The tortoiseshell nodded in response.

“I’ll go with Feathertail,” Stormfur said. Immediately, Squirrelpaw and Crowpaw hissed. “I’m not going with that hare-brain!” Crowpaw exclaimed. “She’ll scare all the prey away!”

“Would not! But you’d probably ruin my catch just to prove yourself right, wouldn’t you?”

“I wouldn’t have the chance, because you-“

“Alright!” Stormfur cut in. “I’ll go hunting with Squirrelpaw, and Crowpaw can go with Feathertail. Is that ok with you two?”

He swung his head to each of them, who nodded in return. Satisfied, the pairs split off look for prey.”

The ginger molly raced off, Stormfur right behind her. “Squirrelpaw! Where are you going?” He hissed. She slowed to a walk. “All the prey near us has been scared off. But I can smell mouse over there,” she explained while gesturing with her tail.

He opened his jaws, and sure enough there was a faint scent. “Well done,” he praised. “I’m not used to smelling for prey. Usually, I just sit and wait for fish to appear.” He nudged her encouragingly. “How about you catch it? I’m not very good on dry land.”

Squirrelpaw nodded and crept forward, slower and more deliberate than before. There was silence as she crept further away to the mouse ahead.

Stormfur used the opportunity to observe her technique. It had been moons since he had last hunted as a Thunderclan cat. In fact, the it had been about four seasons once the battle against Bloodclan when he, Featherpaw, and Mistyfoot had decided to return to Riverclan.

As soon as they returned, Shadepelt had taken over his mentorship and he returned to using only Riverclan techniques. From then on, he let his Thunderclan memories fade into the background, including their style of hunting.

Now he found himself wishing he hadn’t. Without water, he and Feathertail wouldn’t be able to contribute much. After missing a crow, and only catching a mouse that had practically run over his paws he lashed his tail in frustration.

“Hey Stormfur! I’m back! Look at this!” Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the gray ton saw the apprentice triumphantly holding two mice in her jaws.

Great. I’m getting outdone by an apprentice. Forcing a grin on his face, Stormfur nodded approvingly at Squirrelpaw’s haul. “Not bad. I guess you’re quite the hunter back home.”

The molly set her mice down. “My mom is the best hunter in Thunderclan. I guess I take after her.” The apprentice’s voice held a touch of pride, but also something Stormfur couldn’t quite identify.

The cats grouped back together, Crowpaw and Feathertail dragging a rabbit together. Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw each held a bird. Plenty to go around! A full stomach and a night of sleep would be good for all of them. Although, after choosing his prey and crouching to eat, he noticed how stiff the cats still were. Besides Feathertail, who sat next to him, the cats were spread out and ate alone. Stormfur suddenly felt a surge of loneliness. He missed his clanmates and friends. He wanted to be talking, sharing, joking around with him.

Will the whole journey be like this? He wondered sadly. Can cats from all four clans really come together as friends? If they can’t… do we even stand a chance and saving our clanmates?

He pondered the question as the group curled up to sleep. Tawnypelt took up first watch, claiming that she was used to being awake at night and wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.

Stormfur closed his eyes and allowed his memories of Riverclan lull him to sleep.

Chapter Text

Brambleclaw led the group forward, trying not to loose his patience. It had been nearly a quarter-moon since the group first left the forest, and it was… tense, to say the least.

Their first challenge has come several days earlier, when they had to cross their first Thunderpath. It was thankfully a small one, but the path curved so they couldn’t see monsters approaching. Crowpaw had immediately tried to dart forward, and Stormfur and to snatch him by the tail to keep Crowpaw from being run over. After a bit of bickering, Tawnypelt had stepped up and taken charge given that she had the most experience with Thunderpaths. “Wait at the edge until I tell you to go. Once I give the command, run as fast as you possibly can and do not stop for any reason until you reach the other side.” Her voice had been sharp, and she had looked over the cats, especially the apprentices, with a stern glare. A monster roared past, and Tawnypelt had given a quick “now!” Crowpaw darted across and reached the other side quickest. Feathertail and Stormfur had been close behind, with Tawnypelt keeping pace with the Thunderclan cats to prevent them from being left behind. He had almost reached the other side when Squirrelpaw let out a yowl. He had tried to stop and turn, but Tawnypelt shoved him forward. “Run!” She had hissed in his ear. “I’ll take care of her.” Brambleclaw had bounded to the other side and spun around to see Tawnypelt half-supporting half-dragging Squirrelpaw. At that moment, he had heard a rumble that suggested an approaching monster. A monster might be on them in seconds! He had worried. Unable to help himself, he ran back onto the Thunderpath while ignoring protests from Feathertail. Grabbing the apprentice in his jaws, Tawnypelt blinked gratefully and finished crossing while he practically threw Squirrelpaw onto the grass. Brambleclaw then launched himself to safety and cleared the path just as a monster roared past. After a few moments of panting in silence, Crowpaw had turned his accusatory gaze on Squirrelpaw. “What in Starclan’s name were you doing?” He spat. “You could have gotten all three of you killed!” Instead of her usual remarks, the ginger molly flattened her ears and widened her eyes. “I-I was t-trying to cross as fast as everyone else, but then I came down on my paw wrong and….” The poor cat was shaking, and Brambleclaw’s anger melted into pity. He wrapped his tail around the much smaller cat and licked her head in an attempt to provide comfort. “S-sorry Brambleclaw. Sorry Tawnypelt.” The tortoiseshell molly, who had recovered much quicker, nodded. “It’s in the past now. What matters is that we keep going. And pray to Starclan that we don’t have to cross any more Thunderpaths.”

After that first incident, the traveling itself proved to be fairly unstressful. The hard part came in his companions. At least Squirrelpaw is having fun. The apprentice had quickly made good friends with Stormfur, chatting the whole journey as opposed to the near-silence from the rest of them. Brambleclaw allowed himself to join in from time to time, but also tried to act as serious as the other traveling cats. Feathertail was friendly enough, if not guarded, and seemingly in a similar situation to him. Crowpaw, on the other hand, was constantly aggressive. He always picked fights, and never listened to any cat. As for Tawnypelt…

He looked over at his sister, who kept trying to put herself in front of the group. She had always been assertive, but Brambleclaw found himself getting irritated by Tawnypelt’s insistence on leading. He considered letting it go until a moment later, when Crowpaw passed both of them. The action was clearly intentional given the smug tip of his chin as he stalked by. Crowpaw! Of all cats, he’s the last one who should be trying to put himself in charge. Irritated, Brambleclaw picked up his pace to put himself back in the lead. A tension filled the air as the three cats silently competed for first in line.

“For Starclan’s sake, cut it out!” Feathertail finally snapped. The trio of bickering cats froze and whipped their heads around. The silver molly narrowed her eyes at them. “We’re supposed to be working together, not trying to one up each other. At this rate, we’ll tear each other to pieces before we get to the Sundrown place. If all of you are so eager to be leaders, why don’t you start by being responsible?” She nodded to her brother, who was a few paces behind the others. “Maybe you should be like Stormfur and stay at the back to make sure no one is falling behind? It’s better than acting like fish-brained kits.”

Brambleclaw was too surprised to speak. The silver molly was typically quiet, and spoke politely when she did speak to the others. Feathertail scolding them was the last thing he had expected from her. Judging from the others expressions, he guessed that they were thinking the same.

“Me and Squirrelpaw can lead instead, just so you can’t leave us behind in your nonsense.” With that, Feathertail stalked past them with the ginger apprentice hesitantly following behind, though she flashed a smirk at the others.

Crowpaw grumbled as he dropped back with Stormfur, while Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw walked side by side between the two pairs.

The rush of previous anger and shock of Feathertail’s outburst started fading away, replaced by guilt and embarrassment.

“Sorry,” Brambleclaw apologized quietly. “I shouldn’t have tried to make a grab for power like a new warrior leading his first patrol.” What an immature thing to do. Maybe Feathertail should lead us.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Tawnypelt agreed. “I’m sorry too,” she added a moment later. The siblings purred slightly and walked in silence for a while.

It’s nice to spend time with Tawnypelt, he thought. I wonder how she likes being here with me. Does she wish she had clanmates here? Another, more envious thought entered his head. Would she talk to a clanmate more than she’s been talking to me?

Admittedly, Tawnypelt had been colder than he expected. Most of the cats were standoffish, but Tawnypelt surprised him. At least I have Squirrelpaw, even if she’s my last choice for a clanmate.

Brambleclaw felt a twinge of embarrassment for his behavior. I can’t believe I’m quarreling with an apprentice. And I can’t believe I’d try being so assertive. There aren’t supposed to be any leaders here. That’s why a cat from every clan is here. We’re supposed to act as equals.

But another part small of his brain was still trying to rationalize it. I’m most qualified. Stormfur and Squirrelpaw aren’t even supposed to be here. Crowpaw is an apprentice. I’m the one who got the dream about the sundrown place. Doesn’t that mean Starclan saw me as special?

That last thought made his stomach clench.

I wonder if Tigerstar would have acted like this, he wondered.

“What?” Tawnypelt asked. The tortoiseshell molly was staring at him wide eyed with a mix of hurt and confusion in her eyes. Realizing he had spoken his thoughts out loud, he quickly tried to cover.

“Nothing! I didn’t— that wasn’t—“ before he could finish, Tawnypelt slapped her tail in front of his mouth. “Hey, I think we take a break for a while,” she said to the group.

Crowpaw, to no one’s surprise, immediately snarled. “But I want to keep going.”

“Put a mouse in it,” snapped Squirrelpaw. Before the dark tom could retort, Stormfur let out a yowl. The Riverclan warrior, who was usually laidback, was glaring at all of them was irritation.

“No. We’re not doing this anymore. No cat is leader,” he said with a hard look at him and Tawnypelt, “and no cat is allowed to have their way unless everyone agrees.” He paused for a moment, then continued in a calmer tone.  From now on, how about we take a vote? When anyone wants to stop, or offer any other suggestion, they say so, and everyone else gets to vote. If more than three cats agree, the vote passes. Unless any of you have a better idea?”

Slowly, the five shook their heads. Stormfur nodded and relaxed. “Good. Now, Tawnypelt, what were you saying?”

Tawnypelt dipped her head to the Riverclan tom. “I think we should stop for a quick hunt. We’ve been walking all day, and it won’t do us any good to wear ourselves out.”

Stormfur, still acting as the authority, nodded. “Thank you Tawnypelt. Now, everyone who agrees, sit down. All who disagree will remain standing.”

Brambleclaw sat down, as did Stormfur and Feathertail. A few moments passed, then Stormfur nodded. “Then we take a break. Who wants to go hunting?”

“Me and Brambleclaw will go,” Tawnypelt volunteered.

“I can go,” offered Feathertail. “Squirrelpaw, would you like to come with me?” The dark ginger molly pricked her ears with surprise, but nodded.

“Crowpaw? Do you want to come with me?” Stormfur asked. The grumpy apprentice shrugged. “I guess I have nothing better to do.”

“Great. Let’s go Brambleclaw,” Tawnypelt practically dragged him off into the fields with her.

Once they were out of earshot, she stopped and turned on him. “So. What in Starclan’s name was that?”

“Just forget about it,” he begged.

“Not while my brother is having toad-brained thoughts buzzing around like flies in his head.” Tawnypelt’s green eyes blazed. “I heard what you said. Don’t you think we hear enough accusations at home? I know I do. I didn’t trek all this way to hear my brother spout the same nonsense I get every night.”

“But what if it’s not toad-brained? Even you agreed that I shouldn’t have tried to put myself in charge earlier. Maybe it was a sign that I’m going to hurt someone for power!”

Tawnypelt’s eyes widened and her fur stood on end. For a moment Brambleclaw wondered if she was going to attack him. Finally, she drooped her head and sighed.

“Look. You may be the sweetest, most loyal tom I’ve ever met. Never in a thousand lifetimes would I imagine you ever harming another cat for the sake of ambition. I know you, Brambleclaw.”

He was so stunned that he didn’t resist as his sister pushed her muzzle into his shoulder. “Please. Give yourself more credit. I love you too much to see you so unsure of yourself.”

Brambleclaw yowled in horror at the sight of Crowpaw’s broken body snarling at him. “C… Crowpaw?” He whipped around wildly, looking for the culprit. Instead, he found Feathertail and Stormfur laying together in a bloody heap. “What… what happened?” He croaked out. “You did.” A badly damaged Tawnypelt lay on the ground next to a mass of ginger fur. He identified the remains of Squirrelpaw, barely able to recognize her. His sister took in a shuttering breath. “I… I trusted you… we all did… you’re truly like Tigerstar…” Tawnypelt fell still, but her accusing green eyes stayed fixed on him as they clouded over. “No! Tawnypelt!” He started desperately toward her, but slipped on something warm and wet. He looked down in horror at his paws, which were slick with blood.

Brambleclaw woke up, heart pounding. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked at the sleeping forms of his companions. They were all peaceful and unwounded. “Everyone is ok, they’re ok” he whispered. He got up, moving away from the others as not to disturb them.

Brambleclaw tried to catch his breath, but his heart was pounding and his legs were shaking. Why, why, why? What can’t I escape him? Why can’t I be a normal warrior? It’s not fair!

“Brambleclaw?” He jumped and looked up to see Stormfur watching him pitifully. “It’s my turn to watch. I couldn’t help but notice you seem upset. Do you want to talk about it?” Brambleclaw shook his head. “It’s nothing, just a bad dream.”

The gray tom nodded and sat down. “Would you like to sit with me for a while? It’s a beautiful night.” He gestured to the space next to him, which Brambleclaw gratefully filled.

The two sat in silence, gazing up at the stars. It’s amazing how much more of the sky is in view here. Back home, there were always trees blocking the view. Is this what Windclan sees every night?

“It’s comforting to know that even here, our ancestors are above us,” he commented.

Stormfur shrugged. In the moonlight, his fur looked as silver as his sister’s. “We don’t know if those are our ansestors.”

“What?” Brambleclaw was shocked, but the Riverclan warrior continued thoughtfully. “There are more cats out there beyond the clans. Maybe they have their own part of Silverpelt.”

“Maybe,” Brambleclaw concluded. “Do you think we’ll meet any?”

“There’s a chance,” Stormfur smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised.” He purred as Brambleclaw yawned. “Do you want to go back to your nest?”

The brown tom shook his head. “I’d rather stay out here and talk.” Especially if it means not having more nightmares.

Stormfur rolled his eyes and sat down on the grass in a loafing position. “Come on, I know you’re tired. Do you want to at least lean on me? I promise I won’t fall asleep.”

Brambleclaw knew he should’ve refused, but the gray tom was so open and comforting that he felt an unusually strong desire to stay with him.

Hesitantly, Brambleclaw curled up, resting his head against the Riverclan warrior’s shoulder. Within moments, he had fallen asleep. Instead of blood, his head was filled with his companions, happy and together.