Circle of Life: Book 2: Paths Not Tread

A/N: The long awaited sequel to book one. Sorry for the wait, and sorry I didn't post the companion story. If I have time when the trilogy's done, I might post it then. For now, don't hate me! Here's the allegiances, complete summary, and prologue. :3

Disclaimer: Warriors and all related themes and characters belong to Erin Hunter. No copyright infringement was intended in the production of this story.

Summary: Tanglepath and Silvertail are now warriors of NorthClan, and both are plagued by decisions that could change their lives forever. Tanglepath is forced to chose between living his life as a loyal NorthClan warrior and forgiving Wishpaw, the LightningClan apprentice he once loved. At the same time, Silvertail struggles with the secret she hides from Tanglepath, the identity of his mother. Their choices could affect the Clans for generations to come.


Allegiances

NorthClan

Leader: Stormstar – Very dark black tom with dark blue eyes that are almost black

Deputy: Dawnfire – Brownish gray tabby she-cat with light green eyes

Temporary Deputy: Stripefur – Gray tom with darker gray stripes

Medicine Cat: Lillypelt – Brown she-cat with light green eyes

Apprentice, Featherpaw

Warriors: Sunstripe – Yellowish tom with black stripes and amber eyes

Rosetail – Light brown tabby she-cat

Duskflame – Dark brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes

Emberheart – Yellowish she-cat with black stripes and green eyes

Moonshadow – Light gray tabby tom with light blue eyes

Shadowleaf – Smoky gray tom with a silvery sheen and topaz eyes

Topazfur – Topaz gold tom with topaz eyes

Twilightsky – Black tom with yellow eyes

Smokefoot – Dark gray tom with bright green eyes

Silvertail – Silver she-cat with bright green eyes

Tanglepath – Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes and two scars, one on his back and one on his left front leg

Mistypool – Light gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices: Featherpaw – All white she-cat with soft blue eyes

Queens: Dawnfire – Brownish gray tabby she-cat with light green eyes, mother of Stormstar's kits: Ravenkit (Black tom with amber eyes) and Poolkit (Blue-gray she-cat with silvery eyes)

Jewelfoot – Siamese she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Twilightsky's kits

Elders: Lightstripe – Black and white striped tom

Littlefeather – Soft white she-cat with happy blue eyes

Rainshadow – Former leader, black tom with bluish gray paws, tail, and face

AmberClan

Leader: Smallstar – Black and white tom with blue eyes and small paws

Deputy: Hawkwing – Jet-black she-cat with sliver stripes and a white muzzle, ice blue eyes

Apprentice, Shadepaw

Medicine Cat: Eaglefur – Dark brown tom with white paws

Apprentice, Speckledpaw

Warriors: Silverdusk – Silver she-cat with white spots and lavender eyes

Apprentice, Leafpaw

Bluerain – Bluish gray tom with gold eyes

Hawkpool – Light blue gray tom with ice blue eyes

Jaywind – Black tom with grayish eyes

Cougarfur – Brown tom with light blue eyes

Apprentice, Lightpaw

Leafmoon – Brown she-cat with blue eyes

Shadefoot – Gray tom with a white chest, amber eyes, and one black foot

Apprentices: Speckledpaw – Gray she-cat with black specks and amber eyes

Leafpaw – Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Lightpaw – Black she-cat with green eyes

Queens: Mossfur – Brown tabby she-cat with a white muzzle, mother of Smallstar's kits: Sweetkit (Pure white she-cat with orange splotches) and Fishkit (blue-gray tom)

Elders: Frozenfoot – Dark gray tom with light gray paws

Lostfoot – Elderly brown tabby tom, missing one paw

LightningClan

Leader: Moonstar – Black she-cat with light blue eyes

Deputy: Foxfur – Gray she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Wishpaw

Medicine Cat: Swanfeather – Light cream colored she-cat with green eyes

Warriors: Darkfur – Dark black tom with hazel eyes and a scar on his side

Apprentice, Coalpaw

Heatherfur – Brown she-cat with hazel eyes, black paws, and only one ear

Mistheart – Black she-cat with white paws, blue eyes, missing half of her tail

Blackpelt – Black tom with green eyes and scarred legs

Shorttail – Brown short tailed tom with a scarred face

Volefang – Vicious battle scarred gray and black tom with gray eyes

Songfire – Golden and white she-cat with amber eyes

Sunstep – Golden tom with black paws

Apprentices: Wishpaw – White and orange she-cat with green eyes

Coalpaw – Black and gray tom with amber eyes

Queens: Hazelflower – Light brown she-cat with blue eyes and a white tail, expecting Darkfur's kits

Elders: Crystalpool – White she-cat with green eyes and one torn ear

TreeClan

Leader: Pebblestar – Beautiful silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Turtlefur – Tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Dreadmist – Gray tom with blue eyes

Warriors: Eveningsong – Black she-cat with white paws and chest

Apprentice, Barkpaw

Sootpool – Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Wingflight – All white she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Feralpaw

Icetalon – White she-cat with green eyes

Moonleaf – Black and white she-cat with green eyes

Sunflash – Golden tom with black paws and tail tip

Leopardclaw – Brownish-gold tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Silverheart – Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices: Barkpaw – Brown tom with gray paws

Feralpaw – Black she-cat with green eyes

Queens: Bluesky – Blue-gray she-cat with gray eyes, mother of Sunflash's kits: Owlkit (brown tabby tom) and Lambkit (very pale gray she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders: Saltface – Gray she-cat with a white face

Cats Outside of Clans

Leaf – Tanglepath's mother, dead. Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Sky – Tanglepath's father, dead. Gray and white tom with sky blue eyes

Splotch – Fat white kittypet with black patches


Prologue: Lost and Found

The small clearing was nearly silent. Moonlight bleached the fur of the cats who were scattered around it.

Sheltered by a small bramble bush, a silver tabby she-cat rested her head on her paws. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was just starting to drift into sleep when a tortoiseshell tom appeared, amber eyes flashing in the moonlight.

"Pebblestar!" he called. The she-cat's eyes opened immediately, and she yawned.

"What's going on, Turtlefur?" she asked drowsily.

"Sorry," Turtlefur murmured, coming closer. "I didn't mean to wake you, but Icetalon's patrol just got back. She said they scented other cats."

Pebblestar's green eyes flashed. "Did she recognize the scent?"

Turtlefur shook his head. "No. It was close to our camp. She said our own scent overpowered it."

Pebblestar leaped to her feet. "Whoever it is, LightningClan or loners, I'll shred them if they even dare to come closer!"

Suddenly, a golden tom ran up, yelling, "Pebblestar! Turtlefur! We've just scented NorthClan!"

Pebblestar's claws unsheathed. "NorthClan!" she spat. "I'll teach them a lesson!"

Running off, Turtlefur and the golden tom behind her, Pebblestar skidded to a stop where several other warriors stood, blocking something from view. Pebblestar shouldered her way through the throng to see three cats with warm, leaf-bare thick pelts.

"NorthClan!" she hissed, circling the three warriors. "I thought the days had past when NorthClan held a grudge against us for driving you out, but I guess I was wrong!"

"Pebblestar, you don't understand." The tom who spoke was pale gray, with black stripes. "We're here to help."

"You're a little late," Pebblestar said dryly. "Besides, what is there you can do for us?"

"We can help you get home," meowed the gray tabby tom. "Let us help you."

"We don't need NorthClan's help," Pebblestar snapped. "If we want to come back, we will come back of our own accord."

"AmberClan and Smallstar agree with us," the warrior pleaded. "Surely together TreeClan, NorthClan, and AmberClan can make LightningClan see sense!"

"LightningClan!" Pebblestar spat. "No Clan knows better than mine of Moonstar's treachery!"

"Moonstar isn't behind this!" The reply came from a tabby she-cat. She stepped forward, green eyes shining, even in the dim moonlight. "It's Foxfur, her deputy. It was Foxfur who led the patrol to drive you out. It was Foxfur who even now leads patrols into your territory to hunt!"

Pebblestar felt fury boil inside her. "LightningClan?" she thundered. "On our territory? How dare they? I'll rip their fur out." Unsheathing her claws, she cut through the stem of a flower that grew nearby. The flower flew, landing at the silver tom's paws.

"Calm down, Pebblestar," Turtlefur whispered.

Pebblestar ignored her deputy. "Very well, NorthClan," she said coolly. "We will return, if it is only to get our revenge on LightningClan." She didn't miss how the three cats exchanged a glance.

"We begin the journey back tomorrow," Pebblestar said firmly. She waved her tail at Turtlefur, and the tortoiseshell tom followed her.

Pebblestar stopped and glanced back at the three cats, who were all standing there, looking out of sorts. The TreeClan leader sighed. "Come on."

Two of the three cats ran after her, but the silver tom hesitated, looking around uncertainly at the TreeClan warriors who stood around him, looking lost and half starved.

The third NorthClan warrior, a black tom, turned. "You coming?" he asked.

The tom hesitated, and then ran his fellow warrior, trying to ignore the probing eyes that rested on him.


A/N: Well, there you have it! Sorry it's so short, but I couldn't find any way to make it any longer. Review!

Off to take over the world,

Crazy Girl