Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny day, Dew was glistening on the bright leaves of leaf-fall. Stripekit was bouncing around outside the thick covered nursery, her brother Snowkit tumbling around with her. "Hey! That's my tail!" She laughed when Snowkit sat on her tail, she pounced at him, her little paws battering the larger Tom. They played for a while, before their mother. Vinetangle dashed through the nursery exit and scuffled with them in the dust. "Ok, ok. Calm down my kits." She giggled, Stripekit and her brother sat up, their fur knotted and dirty. "Now, you know what today is, right?"

"Yeah! It's our apprentice ceremononies!"

"That's 'ceremonies' Snowkit"

"Oh..."

"Who's gonna be my mentor?" Stripekit mewed, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Well, lets clean you up and find out, eh?"

After a while if grooming, Vinetangle finally groomed her kits to be silly smooth and shining, "oh look! It's your father!" Vinetangle purred. A large, well-muscled Tom barged through the entrance, he was tall and strong. His pelt was black, gray, and white tortoiseshell. "Tallpine." Vinetangle greeted. "You know what today is, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Tallpine answered.

The leader, Dapplestar, leaped up the mossy old tree that hung on a slight angle above her den. She addressed the clan with the usual summons. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath mossbranch for a clan meeting."

The cats all emerged from their dens, Stripekit and Snowkit were already bouncing around the clearing. "Today we will be apprenticing our kits, Stripekit, Snowkit, Featherkit and Mudkit." She meowed. "Featherkit, step forward." Featherkit shyly stepped closer, "your mentor will be Honeyleaf."

"Mudkit, your turn." Mudkit leapt forward. "Your mentor will be Skyshine."

"Stripekit, step forwards now." Stripekit shivered, finally, after all these moons of waiting! "Your mentor will be Weasalwhisker." Stripekit padded to her mentor, touching her nose to his like the others had done. "Snowkit, step forward, your mentor will be Heathertail." Stripekit's brother stepped forward, doing the same as his sister. "Featherpaw, Snowpaw, Stripepaw and Mudpaw, I know you will serve your clan loyally till the end."

The clan cheered for the new apprentices, chanting their new names in a happy mood. Stripepaw was glowing with pride as many cats congratulated her. She turned, seeing Snowpaw looking down, "hey! What's wrong?"

"My mentor."

"What? Why?"

"I got Heathertail, he didn't like me."

"Don't say that!" Stripepaw gasped, "he's your mentor!" Snowpaw brightened up a little, "yeah, I guess I'm just overreacting!" He smiled.

Stripepaw awoke, it had been a few months since she was apprenticed now. Training was good, she really enjoyed battling the other cats. Snowpaw stretched as he got up next to her, "lets go hunting together, just you and me!" He suggested, his bright happy face shining. "Sounds great!" Stripepaw meowed, arching her back. "Race you to the Rock Cliff!" The two apprentices raced out of the camp, Stripepaw ran through the trees, her paws picking up speed as she zoomed past the bushes and rocks, Snowpaw on her tail. They reached the rock cliff, bursting out of the undergrowth, and bounding up the smooth, wind-bathed stones. A wave of terror washed through Stripepaw as Snowpaw slipped, and plummeted. Stripepaw leapt to the edge of the rock, grabbing Snowpaw's scruff. She pulled backwards, trying to get him up. He was too heavy and the stone was too slippery. "Just let me go!" Snowpaw cried, "you can't fall too!" Stripepaw had tears streaming down her face, she new their was only one way to save her brother from the long fall to the hard ground below. Stripepaw flung herself upwards, flinging Snowpaw through the air, he slid safely across the stone. Stripepaw was watching him as she fell, smiling. At least she saved him. It all seemed as if in slow-motion, she felt like the fall took forever. Snowpaw was watching in terror as he realised what his sister had done. She'd put her life in serious danger to save his. Stripepaw turned around in the air, the earth was rushing toward her. There was a loud crack, then it all went black.

The ground was dusty and cool beneath Stripepaw's cheek, she groaned, her body aching. As her vision returned, she could see the walls of the medicine den. "Oh, you're up!" Mewed Honeyleaf, her apprentice, Featherpaw was sorting herbs. "Where's Snowpaw?!" She yowled. "Snowpaw?"

"My brother!"

"Oh yes, well ummm... You see-"

"W-what happened to him?" Stripepaw cried out, forcing her weak limbs to function, "lie down! Or you'll injure yourself further!" Stripepaw turned to the medicine cat, "I don't care!" She ran out of the den and out if the camp, ignoring the aching tenderness of her newly healed muscles. "Snowpaw!" She yowled. She spotted a white body lying beside the river. "S-Snowpaw?" Stripepaw meowed. Tears rushing from her eyes as she pelted to the body. "Stripe...paw..." She stood there, looking over him. "I was hunting... For you so... You could eat." He sputtered weakly. "What happened?" Stripepaw cried, "something pushed me." Snowpaw coughed. There was a lot of blood oozing from his head, he'd cracked it slightly on a stone. "I-I need to get y-you back to camp!" Stripepaw meowed. "No... I won't make it..." He replied softly, "funny, you risk your life to save mine, and... I lose it not long after. Stripepaw, your injuries... You'll never grow, you'll be the size of a small apprentice forever." Tears ran down Snowpaw's face. "I'm sorry." He cried. "No, I had to save you, I love you. You're my brother." Snowpaw shook his head, "no, I'm not your brother. Your mother was a rogue who passed while birthing you, she had been... Seeking refuge in our clan." He explained. Stripepaw looked at him, "I don't care who I come from, you'll always be my brother." She sobbed, shoving her nose into his cooling fur, "don't leave me!" She wailed. "I won't, I'll always be here." Snowpaw placed his paw on her chest, "I'll be in your heart forever. We'll play like kits in our dreams." He smiled as his eyes began to fade. "I'll never be a warrior, but you still can!" Snowpaw purred. Stripepaw shook her head, "don't say that, you're my warrior, Snowstorm."

"And you're mine, Stripetail." Her brother's eyes finally faded, a smile creasing his lifeless face.

~Incomplete