The Next Strike

Prologue

A tall golden tom stared around him he had been waiting his whole life for this moment but never expected it to be so crazy and on such a disaster of a day.

"So Lionstar are you ready? It's time" A olive green tabby said.

"um-uh-um" Lionstar stammered "I guess I am greeneyes, what about you bramblestripe?" he asked the dark tabby deputy.

"ya ok what about you tigerpaw." bramblestripe asked the young cat, the youngest cat in the prophecy.

"sure" tigerpaw said determined, we all knew he wanted to prove himself worthy of our presence.

"ok lets go" they all said in unison and walked out of the musty clearing not knowing that they were being watched and followed

Chapter one

Lionkit opened his eyes for the first time only to find that all his littermates were already outside playing with the other kits.

"Look! Look! Darkfoot his eyes they-they opened!" yipped his mother Cloudmist to his father Darkfoot, but all she got was a grunt in return, my father only liked my brother Copperkit, who had opened his eyes a moon ago, and now we were all 5 moons almost apprentices and I 'the late bloomer' had just opened my eyes. My life has not started out so great.

It had been a few days and I only got along with Wolfkit my best friend and only friend, at least he stood up for me. We watched from the other side of the clearing as Copperkit lead the kits into battle on two unsuspecting warriors.

"ha they are gonna get in so much trouble!" laughed Wolfkit.

Well at least he could get fun out of it, yet I still chuckled in agreement. "yeah my dad would find it good but if my mom got complaints they would be in a heap of trouble" I say wishing it would happen

"yeah though if you were apart of it she'd be all for it!" he agreed and I knew he was right, if I was doing something with my brother my mom would shower rose petals over the whole clan.

Before I could say another word though it happened! I looked up and high stone Whitestar's gleaming pelt on top.

"All cats old enough to climb up a willow gather hear beneath me!" his voice rang out across the shadowed camp. Before I knew it I was groomed and practically pushed under high stone with the nine other kits.

Whitestar began "Kits, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw, Copperpaw, Wolfpaw, Cyotepaw , Spiritpaw, Blossompaw, and Swiftpaw your mentors will be Me, Amberpelt, Nutwisker, Squrrielltail, Blackclaw, darkfoot and Shadowfoot I hope you all will pass down all you know on to them."

Whitestar continues "Warriors, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from your former mentor, and you have shown yourself to be loyal and fair." He finishes, And I realize what he just said my mentor is clan leader!

We all touch noses with our mentors and for being small Whitestar comes down the big stone to touch noses with me. I feel my brothers glare on my golden pelt and know he's jealous, jealous! My brother the perfect son is jealous! Ha! I say silently then pad over to my family and to my shock my father licks me on the head and congrats me, he does the same for Copperpaw except with a curt nod instead of a smile. My mother is a different story though, she is balling and making a big scene in the middle of camp, I'm not bothered but my brothers turning pink from Swiftpaw watching him, well we know what's gonna happen there.

Streampaw and Lakepaw 'the bro's' as they like to call themselves come over to help us with our nests. They being the only apprentices seem happy to have some dens mates well more like a whole lot of den mates.

Later Whitestar, me, Blossompaw, her mentor, Spiritpaw,her mentor and Wolfpaw and his mentor go out for a tour of the territory.

I never thought about how big the territory is but now I know its HUGE and there's no doubt that the clan loves every inch of it. As we go along the borders We smell Streamclan and Treeclan, Whitestar said that Thornclan is father off and borders only with the two other clans, were lucky in my opinion, all elders tales say that Thornclan is vicious. As we head back into camp Whitstar tells us to get comfy because tomorrow is gonna be a long day and we all do what he says knowing he's talking the truth.

Chapter Two

I woke up slowly but surely the pleasing warmth of Spiritpaw and Wolfpaw next to me. We had become the best of friends in the past moon, and I was glad that they are with me all of the time Wolfpaw is crushing on Blossompaw and my brother and Swiftpaw have gotten close. I seem to be growing though, now I'm taller than Copperpaw with long lengthy legs and were all getting at least some muscles. I hop out of my nest when I hear Whitestar's powered call, I was surprised the whole den didn't wake up. Except for Spiritpaw her tail touched my back as I padded out of the den.

When I got out I realized that I was going out on a patrol with instead of the leader the deputy and my mother. We padded out of camp and passing by the Treeclan border we smelled a strong scent of them a lot of them.

"Hush" commanded Stormfly the deputy and we did he peered over the bush with the scent on the other side and was trapped with us! We had Treeclan cats around us, well sort of I found a gap snuck out and warned the whole clan! They were all rushing out and pounding the treeclan warriors back to their territory and safely coming home.

Spiritpaw and Wolfpaw were driving me nuts for the nest of the day, but at least they cared. All my brother was doing was glaring at me because I saved they day.

"hmmf!" I muttered annoyed. Why was everything a competion with him I thought and went to bed.

In the middle of my training session Copperpaw and his mentor joined in with us, and told us to battle each other. Copperpaw had a menacing gaze on his face and I wish they clarified it as claws sheathed but Copperpaw was already on top of me claws digging into my fur. I fought back hard as I could trying not to hurt him but he was already doing a load of that to me when Whitstar hollered "STOP! Copperpaw this is a training session not a battle claws sheathed, thank you lionpaw for having some sense, now then Lionpaw you look bad all over" He continues glaring at Copperpaw "lets get you to Firegazes den before anything gets worse" he says and hauls me out of the clearing.

As we enter the medicine cat den I'm being comforted by Furzepaw the medicine cat apprentice, she's nice fun and carefree, while Firegaze is a tottaly worry mouse and has layed me down and he's putting poltuice after poltuice on me.

Once I'm out of the place I get some rest in my nest where I'm being questioned by Wolfpaw and warmingly comforted by Spiritpaw. Then it hits me and I fall to a deep sleep seeing a strange dream….

A starry looking cat begins "Four shall become one on a journey to seek The Stargazer" Then it all fades away and I wake up worry on my friends faces.

"are you ok?!" they ask in unison.

"yeah I'm fine" I tell them then numbly lie back down.

Chapter Three

I wake up a cold leaf fall breeze on my pelt and the sun shining brightly, wait! Brightly its Sun High! I run out of the den "sorry I'm lat…" then Whitestars tail brushes over my mouth and he calmly says "it's ok Lionpaw I was hoping you would sleep in, now get some fresh kill and we can do hunting practice" He tells me and I slowly pad off.

After eating a greedy choice of a huge blackbird, I pad out the mossy tunnel with Whitestar and dash through the forest mud flying on my pelt.

We skid into the clearing and I'm happy Copperpaw isn't there, instead his 'girlfriend'

Swiftpaw is, something about her ticks me off and I don't think it's because of my brother.

"alright," Darkfoot, my father and her mentor, begins " I want you to do the Rainclan fox attack

move."

Easy I think and keeping claws sheathed I bat

Her down easily, when she does it on me she's cunning as the fox itself yet light as a butterfly. Odd I think as I pad back to camp, rushing in only to be pulled back out.

"Hold up" Spiritpaw commands.

"What? I want fresh kill already" I say annoyed

"toms" she mutters then continues "its Blossompaw and Wolfpaw, they've moved their nests to the back of the den far away from us and are hanging out with Copperpaw and Swiftpaw!".

"What" I screech "how could he!"

"I-I think it's Blossompaw, she's drawing him away from us" she says.

"Owe really? But why?" I ask unsure why she would do such a thing.

"I don't know but were loners now just you and me" she fake sighs like it's a bad thing.

"Yeah oh well" I agree and pad into camp my flank against hers. Then I see what she means Wolfpaw is looking like he's having the time of his life with Copperpaw 'yuck' I think as we pad into camp, I could swear he was smiling right at me