Hey. I'm back after like a year. I randomly remembered about this story I had written a while back and decided that I would rewrite it and do my best to continue it. I feel bad for just disappearing but hopefully I can make up for it with a good story?

I stared into the roaring, rushing river water, which used to be the border between two of the ancient clans. Things are very different now since the invasion. At least, that's what we call it. I flicked my ears as I heard my name being called faintly. If I want to feed my family tonight, I have to get my paws wet and catch a fish or two. I ignored whoever was yowling my name obnoxiously and stood very still, holding my unsheathed claws over the water. I waited until I saw the shimmering scales of a fish and very quickly scooped it out, just barely missing. My claws caught onto it and I struggled to keep it from jumping back into the water, but eventually I was able to toss it by the tree near my small fresh-kill pile and I sat over it until it died. I was disappointed by the small amount of prey I caught, but it was better than most cats can catch these days. I grabbed my fish and vole and made my way back to camp. If I wasn't there before counting at sundown I would be punished.

A few minutes passed and I was already at camp. I peered in through a small hole in the brambles and saw the Shadow Soldiers already taking count of the older cats. Luckily, they do the young cats last, but there was no way I could just walk into camp late, especially with fresh-kill. We're not allowed to hunt on our own anymore. I snuck around back and wiggled into the old apprentice's den. My sister Ivy looked at me with a surprised but angry expression. I ignored it and stuck my fresh-kill into the corner and kicked some leaves and bedding over it. Then I rolled around in it, trying to disguise the scent.

"Ash, we were worried sick," Ivy hissed. She must have been the one calling my name. "You cut it so close this time, I thought for sure you would be punished!"

I heard a voice from the other side of the den. "You mean you were worried sick. I knew she would make it back in time. She always does. Besides, stop complaining," my brother Reed rolled his eyes. "Without her you would go hungry."

I chuckled and was about to smart talk Ivy, but my ears perked up as I heard rustling at the entrance of the den. A large black and white cat with piercing, evil-looking yellow eyes peered in. He scanned the den, taking count of all seven cats. He turned around, nodding at the other two Shadow Soldiers, letting them know everyone was here. He was about to leave when suddenly he sniffed the air. My heart started pounding.

"What's that scent?" He glared at me, knowing I liked to sneak around behind their backs. They had never caught me, but he just 'had a feeling' that I was trouble. He's not wrong, but I'm careful enough to cover my tracks. I sniffed the air dramatically. The tom was obviously not short on food, and I noticed a bit of fresh blood stained on the white fur on his chin.

"I don't know, Darkpelt, maybe you're smelling the dinner you ate earlier. You've got a little something on your chin there," I deadpanned. He glared at me but considered my words.

"Whatever. I've got my eye on you, kit," he snarled. With that, he whipped around and walked out of the den. I shrugged and turned around and walked over to the corner where I hid the fresh-kill I had caught earlier. This had to be shared between seven cats, plus whatever Swift had caught.

The oldest cats used tell stories of when every cat went hunting and contributed their prey to a pile in the middle of camp and there was so much prey every cat could go back for seconds. Now we don't have a fresh-kill pile and we don't have elders. The Shadow Soldiers decided that once a cat is a certain age, they will get executed because they can no longer provide services to them.

Swift, one of the seven other cats living in the den trotted over, dropping two mice onto the small unofficial fresh-kill pile. It wasn't much, but we would have to do. Lion, a somewhat large, fluffy, golden brown tom who is pretty easy on the eyes, if I do say so myself, stepped forward to assign prey to us. He basically declared himself leader of the younger cats, but he's good at it, so we don't question him.

"Moth and Dove, since you two are the youngest and smallest, you can share a mouse." Lion said quietly in his smooth, deep voice. "Swift and Ivy, you two can share the bigger mouse. It's kind of a fat one so sharing shouldn't be a problem." My sister tried to hide the excited look on her face but she could barely contain her happiness. I didn't blame her, Swift was a handsome, lean brown tabby tom, but he was a little too arrogant for my liking. Ivy darted forward and grabbed the large mouse and excitedly sat by Swift and they began their meal. It was obvious he was oblivious to her feelings.

"Reed, just take the vole. I know you have a small appetite so it's all yours. If you have extra, and the kits are hungry, just give it to them," Lion continued. The golden tom turned to me. "I guess that leaves us sharing the fish. I have no doubt there'll be extra so hopefully nobody will be going hungry tonight."

I sat in my normal corner as Lion brought over the fish we were supposed to share. It was a silent dinner throughout the den aside from the occasional giggle from Ivy.

As we began to finish up our fish I mumbled, "We're going to live our whole life like this aren't we? Just doing everything in hopes those shadow cats don't hurt us. You know what we're doing? We're living in fear." This was a thought I had often, but not one I normally voice. Lion looked taken aback. I'm usually very quiet. I'm smart and I keep to myself, but right then I was fuming. The tom shook his head. I knew what he was thinking. He was probably just wondering how ThunderClan, a powerful Clan built around strong, loyal warriors, could just be defeated so easily. I wonder the same thing all the time.

"I just don't understand how-" Lion started, but I cut him off. "I know, Lion. As 10 moons we're living the good life. The moment we turn 1 year, it's over. We just join the older cats and get assigned to a cat as their slave." I shook my head thinking of the stories the elders would tell us. The invasion ruined everything for ThunderClan. ShadowClan declared themselves superior and got WindClan on their side. They never would have been able to set foot inside our camp if we didn't have a traitor among us. ThunderClan was short on warriors one season and ShadowClan, always being our biggest rival took that to their advantage. We were small and most of the cats in the Clan were apprentices and queens. ShadowClan invaded us, killing our leader and deputy, taking our strongest warriors hostage, and closing off our camp so that the apprentices and kits could grow up living their lives like this, not knowing any different. They made a mistake of keeping the elders alive, though. For a little while. Once the elders began telling the young cats their stories, it put ideas in our heads. It would be so easy to just leave. We aren't under supervision all the time, but ShadowClan is so powerful they outnumber us.

I closed my eyes, recalling the last cat who tried to escape. My mother, Cloud. Her mother, my grandmother, was an apprentice during the invasion and she was supposed to get her warrior name within a week's time, but ShadowClan ruined everything. The most powerful thing my grandmother Whitepaw could do was tell stories and educate the young cats, but soon, that was made forbidden by ShadowClan. Eventually they had declared no cat shall live past thirteen years, if they make it that far. Soon after, ShadowClan renamed themselves The Shadow Reign. They now have enough cats to split up between hunters and fighters, but collectively they are called Shadow Soldiers. They have a truce with what's now known as the Wind Kingdom. They call themselves Wind Warriors. RiverClan tried to help ThunderClan, but they were outnumbered and they aren't so agile on land. They were driven out and a RiverClan cat hasn't been seen since.

My mother had tried to escape, but no cat has training anymore. She was weak against the strong Shadow Soldiers, and was severely punished for trying to escape. She died of her wounds when my siblings and I were just five moons. I have never forgiven them and I never will. But with no way to escape this wretched place, we're just stuck here. Once a cat turns one year, they are either lined up with the other one years and chosen to be a slave in their camp, or they are kept here at home, with their only purpose to reproduce and keep all of the cats alive. Every cat learns basic herbs as a kit so that we can care for ourselves and two unfortunate cats have their lives dedicated to hunting prey. Two cats are taught basic hunting skills, and if they don't bring enough fresh-kill in, then some cats get hungry. That's why we have to teach ourselves survival skills. Right before my mother died she told me to always cover my scent and that that was one of the most crucial skills one could know. She was right. As long as I can cover my scent I can do whatever I want as long as I am careful. And I am. I know my siblings and denmates depend on me because I am a good hunter. I have considered running away, of course, but I would never make it very far because I'm not in shape. Nobody is. To run away, you would have to keep going for miles and miles as fast as you can before the Shadow Soldiers can find you. No cat has ever succeeded and no cat ever will. We're just stuck.

I looked up and saw Lion staring at me as if he were waiting for me to reply to him. I zoned out.

"Sorry Lion, can you repeat that. I'm not in my head right now." I meowed. The tom chuckled lightly. "Ash, I've been talking to you for a while now. But if you of all cats are zoning out, then something must be up. What's on your mind?"

I laid down and wrapped my fluffy gray tail around my body. "Just the usual. I can't wrap my mind around being stuck here forever. I cannot be a slave to some cat living the good life. That's just not how it's supposed to be. The elders used to tell stories about a StarClan. If it really exists, then how could they let us live like this!?" I exclaimed. Lion just stared sadly. "I don't know but this is just how it is. Nothing will ever change. Every cat born into Thunder will live like this, not knowing anything different. We may as well just live our lives as best as we can make them and try our best not to have kits, because I could never allow myself to have my own kits live the horrible life I lived."

I sighed deeply. "You and me both, Lion."

Both of our ears perked up as we heard the yowl signaling for us to sleep. I touched noses with Lion and curled up in my little scratchy nest. In a way, it was my safe place. No cat has ever been harmed in this den, and I intended to keep it this way. As I got comfortable, I felt exhaustion waving over me. I closed my eyes and let myself drift into sleep.