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
