Hello, Merrit here. My series will most likely be off to a rather slow start, and I apologise for that. However, I feel that in order to get the plot, character development, etc. in its entirety, I can't just jump in from the beginning. As an author, I firmly believe that you should get to know my characters before the plot has potential to confuse you. You'd sit through a slightly confusing plot if you had likeable characters, correct? (;
Anyways. I hope you enjoy it anyways, and trust me when I say that there is most definitely going to be more exciting content later in the story. My friend, an avid Warriors fan, agrees.
Thank you for taking the time to look at my story! I sincerely hope that you'll enjoy it.

xx Merrit Pond

ALLEGIANCES

ThunderClan

Leader-

Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom

Deputy-

Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat

Medicine Cat

Jayfeather- gray tabby tom

Warriors

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Whitewing-white she-cat, mentor to Duckpaw

Duckpaw - cream-coloured tom with amber eyes

Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Amberpaw- gray and white she-cat

Mousewhisker-gray-and-white tom

Poppyfrost- tortoiseshell and white she-cat, mentor to Seedpaw

Seedpaw- ginger she-cat

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap-reddish tabby tom

Snowpaw- white tom

Icecloud-white she-cat

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Toadstep- black and white tom, mentor to Lilypaw

Lilypaw- dark tabby she-cat

Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe-very pale gray tom with black stripes, mentor to Patternpaw

Patternpaw - white tom with grey and black swirled markings (son of Greystripe and Millie)

Ivypool-silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Molespots- brown and cream tom

Cherrynose- ginger she-cat

Queens

Squirrelflight- dark ginger she-cat; mother to Bramblestar's kits

Risingkit - brown and ginger she-kit

Lindenkit - pale brown she-kit with a white speckled pattern

Briarkit - brown tabby she-kit with amber eyes

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes; mother to Bumblestripe's kits

Seakit - blueish grey tabby tom with bright blue eyes

Sheepkit - brown and white tabby tom with bright blue eyes and heavily textured fur

Cinderheart- gray tabby she-cat; mother to Lionblaze's kits

Morningkit - white and grey tabby she-kit with amber eyes

Quailkit - grey, black, and white tom with green eyes

Daisy - cream, long-furred she-cat from Horseplace

Elders

Millie - pale grey tabby she-cat

Greystripe - grey tabby tom

Dustpelt- tabby tom

Brackenfur- golden tabby tom

Sorreltail- tortoiseshell she-cat

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat, green eyes.

Purdy - dark brown tabby tom with a gray muzzle.

ShadowClan

Leader-

Rowanstar- ginger tom

Deputy-

Smokefoot- black tom

Medicine Cat

Littlecloud- old, tabby tom

Mistpaw- spiky-furred, pale gray she-kit

Warriors

Toadfoot-dark brown tom

Crowfrost-black-and-white tom

Kinkfur-tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail -tortoiseshell she-cat

Ratscar-brown tom

Snowbird-pure white she-cat

Olivenose-tortoiseshell she-cat

Dewpaw- gray she-cat

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot-gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur-dark gray tom

Sparrowpaw- tabby tom

Tigerheart-dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat

Ferretclaw-cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing-ginger tom

Stoatfoot-ginger tom

Queens

Pinenose- black she-cat; mother to Owlclaw's kits

Wingkit- tiny gray she-cat

Stripekit- gray tabby tom

Applefur-mottled brown she-cat; mother to Smokefoot's kits

Mottlekit- small mottled tom

Darkkit- black she-cat

Elders

Tawnypelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Oakfur-small brown tom

WindClan

Leader

Ashstar- gray she-cat

Deputy

Crowfeather- very dark gray tom

Medicine Cat

Kestrelflight- mottled tom

Warriors

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Mintpaw-light brown she-cat

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat

Lightningpaw-tabby and white tom

Whiskernose-light brown tom

Furzepelt-gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur-large pale gray tom

Larkfeather-gray she-cat

Crouchskip-black tom

Queens

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat; mother to Weaselfur's kits

Greenkit- light brown tom

Rabbitkit- light brown and gray tom

Elders

Owlwhisker-light brown tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white she-cat

RiverClan

Leader

Reedstar-black tom

Deputy

Pebblefoot- mottled gray tom

Medicine Cat

Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat

Warriors

Icewing-white she-cat

Silverpaw- silver tom

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Robinwing-tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Cloudpaw- small light gray tabby she-cat

Petalfur-gray-and-white she-cat

Grasspelt-light brown tom

Hollowflight-dark brown tabby tom

Podpaw - brown tom

Troutstream-pale gray tabby she-cat

Curlpaw - golden she-cat

Mossyfoot-brown-and-white she-cat

Rushtail-light brown tabby she-cat

Heronflight - brown tabby tom

Queens

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat; mother to Reedstar's kits

Waterkit- blue-gray she-cat

Vixenkit- small dark ginger she-cat

Fishkit- dark gray tabby tom

Elders

Graymist-pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Creatures Outside the Clans

Eglantine - soft grey she-cat with green eyes

Doormouse - grey-brown she-cat with soft brown eyes and white paws

Plum - black tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Beaver - large brown tabby tom

Hedgehog - puffy-furred tom with brown, grey, and cream mottled fur

Swan - white Siamese she-cat

Prologue

The ThunderClan camp was silent and covered in a thin mist. The sun was beginning to rise, staining the sky a faint pink and sending beams of light through the fog. Thornclaw, the Clan's temporary deputy, walked out of his den, arched his back in a stretch, and ate his morning meal of a thrush.

Newleaf has started of rather well, he thought. The prey was coming back well, herbs seemed to be in abundance, and there was peace amongst the Clans. Plus, the weather meant that there was plenty of time for quiet relaxation in the morning before starting patrols. Dawn was a perfect time to plan out the morning patrols, eat a quick breakfast, and just think about whatever.

"Camp is perfect in the mornings," he mewed to himself. And for the most part, Thornclaw was right. The only sound in the air was the chirping of birds and the slight rustle of leaves in the wind. It was completely peaceful and quiet, and he could not enjoy it more…

A mewling, curly kit stumbled out of the nursery.

"Seakit!" He mewed his dissent loudly enough for the whole Clan to hear. "SEAKIT! Why'd ya do that?"

"Because you were kicking me!" His brother, a small grey tabby, poked his head out of the nursery. He bounced out and jumped on his even smaller brother. "You kicked me and it hurt and it woke me up!"

"You're squishing me!" Sheepkit protested. "Get off!" The two began to fight loudly.

Morningkit, a small she-kit they shared the nursery with, ran out. "You need to calm down!" she whispered fiercely. "You'll wake up the entire forest with your commotion!" Of course, the two ignored her and continued fighting. Other cats in the Clan started coming into the clearing, muttering amongst themselves about the commotion.

Their mother, Dovewing, rushed out and separated them with her paw and sighed. This was certainly not the first time she had had to stop her twins from fighting. "I would tell you to stay in the nursery all day, but you'd only fight more," she sighed. Being a mother was difficult, but it was even worse when you had twin boys. "Morningkit," she began, "could you look after Sheepkit and Seakit today? Just make sure they don't get in trouble or start fighting?"

"Of course, auntie," the small kit mewed in response. It was not the first time she had to do this either. All seven kits in the nursery were only four moons old, but it had quickly become apparent that Cinderheart's eldest - and only - girl was very responsible and mature. The other queens trusted her.

Dovewing thanked her, licked the fur on the top of her head, and headed to the fresh-kill pile to get breakfast for herself and her kits. The twins complained "but we don't like birds!" when she came back to them.

"Tough," she replied. "That's what you get when you wake up the entire Clan before sunrise! Now eat up, or else I'm going to ask Bramblestar if he needs somebody to clean out the elder's den…" They stopped complaining and ate. Dovewing sat down, obviously pleased with herself, and began to chat with her sister Ivypool when she sat beside her.

Squirrelflight, a disgruntled deputy, emerged from the nursery, trailed by her three kits.

"I'm going to do some deputy things today," she told her kits. "When you're apprentices, I need to be able to get back to work. Go play with your friends, okay?" They nodded in response, and bounced off to their four denmates as soon as their mum turned her back.

Thornclaw sighed, finished his breakfast, and went to meet Squirrelflight and Bramblestar to organise the daily patrols. The sun was barely over the horizon, and the mist had quickly faded.

So much for a peaceful breakfast, he thought silently. I can't wait until they become apprentices...