Prolouge

"Rosestar?" A starry gray she-cat with white spots on her back whispered.

"Yes, Rainsong?" Another starry she-cat stepped out of the trees.

"I just.. Wanted to make sure you're okay," Rainsong sat down in front of her sister. "After all, you.. You did die.."

"Yes.. I am aware of that, I was there," Rosestar retorted. "I just hope Skycloud will be okay.."

"You know he won't; deep down, he wants to be in StarClan, with you," Rainsong said. "He's pretending to be okay so the Clan doesn't think he's weak."

"They know he isn't weak," Rosestar hissed. "And we'll help him. We will guide his paws."

Rosestar stopped speaking, and Rainsong noticed the distant look in her eyes.

She's thinking about the past..

Chapter One

A small brown tabby she-cat watched as a white tom crept through the snow, waiting for him to leap at her. He eventually did; and she let him. She waited until she was pinned down, and pretended to be defeated. As he was distracted, she jumped up, causing him to fly across the clearing.

"How did I do, Snowheart?" She asked him.

"You're getting better every day, Rosepaw," Snowheart replied, shaking snow out of his fur. "What did I expect from the deputy's daughter? Now, let's go back to camp."

"Rosepaw!" Rosepaw perked her white-tipped ears up, seeing a gray-and-white tom, only a moon older than she was, running towards her.

"Hi, Skypaw!"

"You two get some fresh-kill, then rest. Spottedtail and I are giving your assessment tomorrow." Snowheart said, walking away.

"Our assessment!" Rosepaw excitedly squealed, running to the fresh-kill pile.

"Wanna share?" Skypaw asked as he picked a vole.

"Sure." Rosepaw replied, crouching next to Skypaw.

The two stood after they finished the vole, and went to the apprentice's den. Skypaw's sister, Cinderpaw was already there, crouched in her nest.

"There you two are," She said.

"Guess what, Cinderpaw?" Rosepaw crouched in the nest next to Skypaw.

"What?" Cinderpaw asked.

"Me and Skypaw are having our assesment tomorrow!"

"Oh.." Cinderpaw looked upset. "Wonderful!"

Why do you look so upset..? Rosepaw wanted to say, but just curled up in her nest, covering her nose with her bushy tail.

"Rosepaw. Rosepaw!" Rosepaw opened her eyes, seeing Snowheart in front of her. "Time for your assesment."

Rosepaw shot up, following Snowheart, Spottedtail, and Skypaw out into the forest. No cat spoke, until they came to a clearing.

"You're going to attempt to hunt." Snowheart told them.

"Hunt!? It's leaf-bare!" Rosepaw exclaimed.

"So, you're going to try to find prey." Spottedtail said, walking away.

"Okay.. I guess we're going to work together then." Skypaw began walking away, Rosepaw following.

"It is the end of leaf-bare.. Maybe the prey is starting to come back." Rosepaw said as they walked.

"Y- Ye- Yeah.."

Rosepaw glanced at Skypaw, noticing he was shivering. "Cold?"

"No.." Skypaw replied through clenched teeth.

"Liar," Rosepaw pressed against Skypaw. "You're shivering."

Rosepaw halted, upon spotting a squirrel eating a seed.

"I'll surprise it, you catch it." She told Skypaw, then quietly squeezed into a bush.

"Rosepaw!" Something hit Rosepaw, causing her to fall.

"Hey!" She looked up, seeing a familiar black-and-white face. "Strings!"

Strings was a friend of Rosepaw. The two she-cats had been meeting for a while now, and they had even planned for Strings to join ThunderClan.

Rosepaw pushed Strings off, then stood. "I'm in the middle of an assessment!"

"Assesment?"

"To be a warrior!" Rosepaw hissed.

"Oh.." Strings flattened her ears. "I.. I'm sorry.."

Rosepaw sighed. "It's fine.."

"Rosepaw..?" Rosepaw looked around, spotting Skypaw. "Who's that?"

"This is Strings.."

"A loner?" Snowheart leaped down from a tree, followed by Spottedtail.

Oh, StarClan, help..

"Rosepaw," Spottedtail said. "You know this loner?"

"Yes.. I have for a while now.." Rosepaw stared at her white paws.

"I want to join your Clan." Strings randomly blurted. "I- If I can keep my name.."

"Come with us." Snowheart began walking away.

"W- What about our assessment!?" Rosepaw called after him.

"I managed to kill it." Skypaw approached her, a dead squirrel hanging from his jaws.

"You. Not we." Rosepaw pointed out.

"Are you two coming?" Spottedtail called.

Skypaw ran to catch up, but Rosepaw trailed behind.

I'll never become a warrior, will I..

"Strings, you are welcome as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Squirrelstar finished. "Clan dismissed."

Rosepaw sat there, staring at the ground. She didn't even call her new Clanmate's name. She didn't feel like it. Strings had ruined Rosepaw's chance of being a warrior.

"What's wrong, Rosepaw?" Rainpaw, Rosepaw's sister, asked.

"Nothing!" Rosepaw snapped.

"Rosepaw," Flamestorm, Rosepaw's mother, and the deputy, warned. "Don't snap at your sister."

Rosepaw rolled her eyes as they walked away.

"Rosepaw?" Skypaw's voice. "What's wrong?"

"I'll never be a warrior now." Rosepaw hissed.

"Don't say th-"

"Where's Cinderpaw?!" A yowl interrupted Skypaw.

"Cinderpaw..?" Skypaw gasped as Flamestorm and Squirrelstar ran past them, towards Blizzardfur, Skypaw's father.

"Come on," Rosepaw said as she ran towards the three cats.

Blizzardfur was sitting in front of the apprentice's den with Flamestorm and Squirrelstar, staring at his paws.

"...gone.. She's gone.. She's gone!" He hissed. "Just like Goldenheart!"

"Blizzardfu-"

"Skypaw." Blizzardfur stood, taking a step forward. "Promise me something.."

Blizzardfur then leaped at Skypaw, pinning him down.

"Blizzardfur!" Flamestorm hissed.

"Promise me you won't disappear! Promise me!" Blizzardfur growled. "Promise me!"

"O- Okay.. I.. I promise!" Skypaw whimpered.

"Swear it by StarClan!" Blizzardfur hissed as Squirrelstar grabbed him by his scruff, pulling him away.

"Gone! They're both gone! Just like that!" Blizzardfur yowled as Squirrelstar took him to the medicine den. "Gone!"

"Well.. He's gone mad."

Rosepaw turned to see Bramblestripe, only named a warrior for one moon, standing behind her.

"Mad? He lost his mate and now his daughter." Rosepaw said.

"I know what happened to Cinderpaw." Bramblestripe confessed.

"You do?" Skypaw jumped up.

"Don't tell anyone," Bramblestripe's meow dropped to a whisper. "She went looking for Goldenheart."