A Lifetime in SnowClan~~

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Deputy: Tangleclaw- dark golden tabby she-cat with light golden flecks

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom; apprentice: Drypaw

Torntail- silver tom; apprentice: Goldenpaw

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws; apprentice: Angelpaw

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur; apprentice: Flurrypaw

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Flurrypaw- white tom

Angelpaw- brown she-cat with white flanks

Drypaw- light brown she-cat, former kittypet

Goldenpaw- orange tom, former kittypet

Queens:

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat, caring for Starlingfern's kits: Littlekit (black she-kit with dark brown ears, paws, and tail-tip), and Leopardkit (long-haired brown she-kit)

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, expecting Voleheart's kits

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Hollybite- silver she-cat with unusual red spots

Prologue

Horrible weather disturbances began in a gorge near a twolegplace and every cat thought it was because their ancestors were upset with their way of living. Kittypets and loners were still being let in their Clan. A scrawny young tom stood on a large pile of rocks. He shouted to the Clan, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey scramble beneath the rockpile!"

"You aren't leader yet, Whitetooth!" some cat shouted from the crowd. The rumbling of thunder was so close, nobody could mew in a normal tone. Kits trmbled in the nursery as their mother tried to calm them.

"Sharpstar is dead! Skyrock has split clean in half by lightning and fallen onto his den! I'm sorry to report that he is gone. He walks with our ancestors in a safer, quieter place now."

Few cats yowled over the howling wind and another crack of distant thunder, "WHITESTAR! WHITESTAR!"

A she-cat screeched from the crowd, "THIS IS THE FAULT OF LEAFSTAR! SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEGAN LETTING IN SO MANY KITTYPETS!"

"Cherrytail, silence! I know what I must do to save this Clan from crumbling like-!" Whitestar leaped off the rockpile as soon as he felt the earth quiver. The pile toppled over and spread across the ground. "Like this! Our Clan will crumble like the rockpile! If we change it, we can preserve it! first, we keep sure that the kittypets never come back! Drive them off and don't show mercy!" Yowls of agreement came from the crowd. Every cat was digging their claws into the hard dirt beneath them to try and keep themselves from going with the whipping wind. The thunder became more distant and cats heard each other with more ease. The ground stopped shaking with such force.

"It is a sign from StarClan!" the aging Frecklewish rasped. "They agree with us!"

"I have more ideas to improve Clan life! Eliminate Medicine cats! The leader will learn medicine! The deputy will learn medicine!"

Frecklewish gasped, "You're going to drive me off too?! I kitted you! Your mother wanted me to take care of you! You cannot get rid of me!"

"I know all that. You must stay and teach me about medicine."

"What are you saying?"

"Be my deputy."

"You have bees in your brain! I can't be deputy! I'm already the medicine cat!" The world began trembling again.

"We must remold the warrior code! It is inadequate!" The ground trembled on, the wind howled more than before.

"NEVER!" The medicine cat screeched. One side of the gorge crumbled into a neat slope that was soon smoothed down with a pelting rain that just began.

"Fine! I'll be your deputy! I haven't much more to live for!" the wind died down and once again, the ground ceased quivering. It was still deathly dark out, but it wasn't as scary as it was moments ago.

A soaking warrior shouted out to his new leader, "So what other ideas do you have to improve this Clan?"

"Well, I have a lot. Starting with SnowClan..."

Chapter 1

Littlekit was prancing around the snow covered hollow reminding everyone that she and Leopardkit were to be apprenticed soon. Hollybite nearly nipped her ear off after the tenth lap around the hollow. Tulipstem reminded her to stop bouncing so much after eating or she'll get a tummy ache.

"I hardly ate though!" Littlekit pressed. "I'm so excited!" She continued bouncing around until she bumped into her father, Polarscar. "Sorry! I'm really excited!" she apologized and took off again.

After passing the Elders' den, she heard Hollybite call out, "What would Starlingfern say to all this energy you're wasting?" She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of her mother's name.

Almost a moon ago, Starlingfern was asked to collect herbs for Wildstar that were across an unused thunderpath. On her way back, a huge monster came out of nowhere, scooping up the thunderpath and replacing a new one right behind it. Not knowing it wasn't a dry thunderpath, Starlingfern walked right into it and sunk right into the nasty black substance only to get stuck.

Littlekit shook the memory of her mother's body lying on its side half buried in the thunderpath and thought of her how amazing her apprentice training would be. She's been kissing up to the leader and doing her favors to get on her good side in hopes to become Wildstar's apprentice.

In the middle of her daydream, Littlekit turned her head to see her leader standing on the Fallen Skyrock near her den calling the clan for a meeting.

"Oh, Littlekit! Leopardkit! Come here and get washed! Wildstar called the meeting so early!" Gorsebloom used her tail to beckon the kits over.

After a thorough and brisk grooming, Littlekit felt the warm sun shining on her as she strode across the clearing with her sister, crunching along in the snow.

Wildstar jumped down and began to speak as her Clan settled, "Today, we shall name two new apprentices, and by naming new apprentices, we show that SnowClan will survive and remain strong, yet growing stronger. Leopardkit, step forward. From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name," Leopardkit seemed to be shaking, though frozen, "you shall be known as Leopardpaw," Leopardpaw licked Wildstar's shoulder as the leader rested her muzzle on the new apprentice's head. "Tangleclaw, I am prepared to allow you to have a new apprentice. You shall mentor Leopardpaw. Tangleclaw, I know you will teach this young apprentice your agile and stealthy ways. She must also know the basic knowledge of medicine before she may be next in line as deputy." Wildstar bowed her head to her deputy to let her know that she could touch noses with her apprentice. Littlebelly sank just a little since she couldn't possibly be Wildstar's apprentice now. She sat up even taller knowing that her sister would be deputy one day.

"Littlekit, step forward." She felt every fiber of herself glow as she nearly floated up to her leader. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Littlepaw." When Wildstar's warm muzzle rested on Littlepaw's head, she couldn't feel her paws, but she still took a step forward to lick her shoulder.

"I, myself find it appropriate to have an apprentice. I shall take on Littlepaw to be my own apprentice to learn the ways of a healer and some day take my place." Gasps and murmurs of outrage broke out within the clan. Both the leader and deputy usually do have apprentices, and the apprentices have to be kin, but they have never been from the same litter before! "Settle down, everyone!" Their leaders sour rasping yowl echoed through the great, snowy gorge. "The meeting will continue with no more outbursts! Now, I have chosen Littlepaw to be my apprentice because I feel that when her time comes, she can take care of the clan as well as I did and as well as those before me. I will pass on all of my skills and knowledge to this apprentice. We are all aware that she must know all medicine remedies that I can pass on to her before she is allowed a rightful place in line as leader." The two cats touched noses and a jolt of energy rushed through Littlepaw. She felt like she could climb any tree, catch all the prey and fight off any trespassers!

The Clan dispersed and The leader, deputy, and the two newest apprentices were left beside the Fallen Skyrock. "Leopardpaw, you may take your place in the small den beside Tangleclaw's. Littlepaw, you may take your place in the small den beside mine. Remember, you two must fetch your own bedding plus help the older apprentices with everyone else's. Did I make myself clear?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Littlepaw and mewed, "I don't ever want to repeat myself." As she said this, Tangleclaw and Leopardpaw trotted off chatting.

Littlepaw nodded so quickly her head started spinning.

"Good. We're going out into the forest to learn the hunters' crouch and to look at a couple of good places to find the most useful herbs." Wildstar turned and stalked off to the slope that led to the forest. As Littlepaw stood at the top of that slope, she gazed at the sudden drop down to the stony hollow and looked down at the long thin slope that was the entrance to her home.

She was an obedient kit, so she never left the camp. Now that Littlepaw was an apprentice, she felt like she could go anywhere, anytime! She trotted a quick lap around the area of the camp to look down at everyone for a minute, then raced to catch up with Wildstar.

As Littlepaw approached the small patch of plants that her mentor was standing in front of, Wildstar said, "These are borage," she pointed with her tail, "they're good for fever, and they help queens' milk come after her kitting. And this is feverfew. It also cools fever," She pointed with her tail again, "that's marigold, it fights off infection. Any questions so far?"

Littlepaw shook her head and silently assessed herself in her head. those leaves are marigold, those are feverfew, and that's… she couldn't remember the name of the lush green leaves with vibrant periwinkle buds sprouting from them. Borage! That's it! She looked at her mentor, sure of herself now, and nodded.

"Now scent the air. Breathe in all of your surroundings. Find some prey if you can." Wildstar showed her how to properly smell the air and Littlepaw followed.

"I smell… vole? Or is that mouse?" Littlepaw was feeling a bit insecure because she couldn't tell mouse apart from vole and she knew if she wanted to be the Healer one day, she'd have to hunt and fight like a regular warrior.

"Actually," Wildstar said, to her satisfaction, "it's both. Well done. Now, let's show you how to catch some prey." She dropped into the hunter's crouch and began to stalk a vole that was scrambling to dig a hole to find food underneath the snow.

Littlepaw almost forgot that her mentor was stalking a vole. The only hint that she was there was her deep crimson pelt that contrasted against the sparkling snow. Her moves were swift and agile. The kill was clean and only a couple drops of blood stained the snow. Wildstar lifted her head which showed that she was still firmly clenching the vole's neck in her teeth. The leader's forepaws scuffed snow over the blood to hide the scent and color. She buried the prey.

"Now you try. First smell the air, then crouch and stalk."

Littlepaw obeyed. As she snuck up on a mouse, her tail nearly grazed the snow, but she let it go stiff and didn't move a muscle until she was sure the mouse had no idea she was there. She leaped and as soon as the mouse turned its head, Littlepaw bit its ear! How could this happen? She aimed squarely on its neck, but it turned its head. Thinking quickly, the apprentice used her claws to cut open the prey's throat. It went limp, telling her that it was finally dead. She let its ear go and it slumped on the ground.

"Bad luck. That was a horribly messy catch. It's okay. It was only your first try. You'll get it right some day." Her mentor examined the lousy catch. "Might as well bury it right where it died. It's a shame that it lost so much blood." Littlepaw felt even more insecure at her nasty catch. Who would eat a dried up, stringy mouse that an apprentice caught on her first day? "Don't worry about it! It was just your first catch. I happen to know a queen that would love to have a good mouse. I don't think I've seen her have one for a moon or two."

"Really? Who?"

"Never mind. Let's catch more for the Clan."

They continued hunting until shortly after sunhigh and came back with 3 mice, a vole, and a rabbit.

When Littlepaw caught her third mouse, she finally thought she'd gotten it right. "That catch was so good!" Wildstar had said.

"You think so?" Littlepaw had a glimmer of pride in her eyes and her paws felt energetic again.

"Absolutely brilliant."

When they caught the rabbit together, Littlepaw said, "Whew! What a long day of hunting! I'm so hungry, I could eat this entire rabbit myself!" Littlepaw licked her muzzle as if she really meant it.

Wildstar had taken her seriously and reminded her, "Remember the warrior code. The clan must be fed first. Only eat after all of your duties are done."

Though Littlepaw didn't need to be reminded this, she nodded to be polite.

They were now dragging their kills down the slope.

When they passed the elders' den, the old warriors eyes were wide in astonishment. "Do you expect us to believe that Littlepaw caught all of that, Wildstar?" Lostnose said. You could tell that if he still had his tail, it would be lashing amusedly.

"Actually, she caught the mice on her own and I helped her with the rabbit. The rest were my kills." The leader had always been one to brag about herself whenever she got the chance.

"Three mice is incredibly impressive for an apprentice on her first day!" Gorsebloom appeared behind them. "I'm so very proud of you! And I'm sure Starlingfern would be even more proud!"

"If anyone is allowed to be proud here," Polarscar padded up to his daughter and her kills, "it's me! You are going to be the best hunter in the clan! And a wonderful leader by the look of it. You have a great mentor." He looked at her admiringly.

Wildstar hissed. "I told you never to look at me like that again. You're lucky to still be in this clan after what you did!" She hissed again, picked up her prey, plopped it on the fresh-kill pile and stalked back to her den with humility and ferocity rolling off her from nose to tail-tip. As she finally jumped all the way up to the entrance to her den, she snapped her head to look back her clan and swept a furious gaze across the clearing. Every cat noticed and knew not to bother her.

Uh-oh! Littlepaw thought. She was supposed to take me out for more herb training after we ate! Littlepaw looked grim as she picked up the mice by their tails and dragged them to the fresh-kill pile. She nearly fell asleep on her paws, but she stayed awake to finish off her mouse. Despair crept over her as she fell into a deep sleep, remembering the three plants she learned.

Marigold for infection, Feverfew and Borage for fevers.

Ok, I think I fixed all my mistakes. Enjoy reading! next chaper should be up soon!~