Prologue.
The three cats trekked through ShadowClan's territory. The thick-furred she-cat found her fur sticking to her slim body, but the silver-grey seemed perfectly at home. The little white cat at the back, however, seemed anything but contented. He looked around at any noise, and then sprinted ahead when the other two left her behind. He was obviously terrified.
"Grasspelt, why did you insist upon this? It's pointless! There are no cats out here apart from loners and lost kittypets! We won't find anything!" said the little cat.
"Great StarClan, there won't be any here if you yowl that loud, Whitepaw! Hush-up!" hissed the short furred black tom beside her. If it was possible, Whitepaw seemed to become smaller. While they padded, a shape came out of the undergrowth. A large, black cat. Whitepaw instinctively sheathed her claws, but several more cats appeared out of nowhere. Grasspelt sprung forwards.
"Nightstar! Run! Get away from here!" Grasspelt shouted. Nightstar tried to run, but got sprung upon my one of the rogues. It bit down on her neck and she stopped moving. Grasspelt was already in battle with a white rogue, but it dragged him over to a river and threw him in. He was quickly carried away. Whitepaw looked on, shocked. He picked up his leader's body as best she could, and dragged her back through the forest.
It was a mystery to him why he hadn't been attacked, but he was pleased that he hadn't. But, now he had the difficult job of telling the rest of ShadowClan that Nightstar and Grasspelt were dead. He supposed Sparrowflight would become leader. Then, he felt his stomach tighten. That would mean Boulderheart would become deputy. That terrified him more than the rogues had. But, no matter. He had to get Nightstar's body back there.
"Need a paw?" asked a voice beside him. He turned abruptly, and saw a little she-cat, dragging Grasspelt's body. "I'm Dusk," she added through a mouthful of Grasspelt's fur. Whitepaw dipped his head respectfully and looked anxiously at Dusk. She hadn't attacked... Why hadn't she attacked?
"I'm Whitepaw, apprentice of ShadowClan." Whitepaw mewed. Dusk looked at him.
"White… Paw? But, you're all white… Not just your paws…"
"I'm called Whitepaw because I'm an apprentice. All apprentices' names end with paw. That's Grasspelt you're carrying. He was deputy. And this was Nightstar. She was the leader," he mewed. "Say! Why don't you join ShadowClan?' he mewed.
"I can't. Momma wouldn't let me, even if I brought her all the wrens in the forest. Poppa would, but Momma doesn't like me going anywhere. And what if ShadowClan don't accept me?" Dusk said.
"They will. I'll say you attacked the other cats, and killed one of them. They'll accept you that way. Oh, and you jumped in to the river, and dragged Grasspelt's body out, even though you didn't know him. They'll definitely accept you that way. Although, Boulderheart might…"
Whitepaw trailed off as a shadow fell across the path. He looked up, and saw Rainpool and Lionpelt in front of him and Dusk. Dusk shrunk back in to her smooth, dark pelt but Whitepaw stood up straight.
"What happened? Are you OK? Oh my, what happened to Nightstar? And Grasspelt?" mewed Rainpool. Whitepaw gently lowered Nightstar on to the ground, and Dusk anxiously lowered Grasspelt.
"Rainpool, Lionpelt, this is Dusk. She fought with me against the evil cats, and she got Grasspelt's body out of the river. If she hadn't attacked the rogue, I would have died!" Whitepaw mewed. Lionpelt bristled.
"Yet, neither of you thought to save Nightstar? How do you explain that, Whitepaw?" he hissed. Rainpool sighed and picked up Nightstar.
"She… She was too far away… The rogues set up an ambush, and… And… She jumped out and attacked the rogues when they attacked, but she was too far away from the other cats. But, she found Grasspelt's body." Whitepaw mewed as Lionpelt picked up Grasspelt's body.
"You should join the Clan, Dusk." Lionpelt mewed indistinctly through Grasspelt's fur. Whitepaw nodded and looked at Dusk, who seemed to be bouncing up and down.