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Swallowstar: black-and-white she-cat with light blue eyes.
Railheart: brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Mistpelt: gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Pebblepaw: small long-haired brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes.
warriors
Blackclaw: black tom with golden eyes.
Willowface: beautiful gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.
Gannetfur: calico she-cat with orange eyes.
Rowanfoot: dark ginger tom with green eyes.
Avocetfang: black-and-white tom with blue eyes. apprentice is Snailpaw
Alderwhisker: long-haired dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Moleclaw: long-haired black she-cat with yellow eyes. apprentice is Orchidpaw
Leechtail: long-haired tortoiseshell tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. apprentice is Lionpaw
Blizzardstorm: white she-cat with green eyes. apprentice is Eveningpaw
Owlclaw: burly long-haired brown tabby tom with yellow eyes and a large scar across muzzle.
Waxheart: cream tabby she-cat with copper eyes. apprentice is Asphodelpaw
Minnownose: tall gray tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes and a white tailtip.
Cranefoot: pale gray tom with orange eyes.
apprentices
Snailpaw: long-haired brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Eveningpaw: dark gray tabby she-cat with golden eyes.
Orchidpaw: pale gray she-cat with orange eyes.
Lionpaw: golden ginger tabby she-cat with orange eyes and a white neck and underbelly.
Asphodelpaw: ginger tabby tom with green eyes and a white underbelly.
queens
Plumflower: long-haired white she-cat with copper eyes.
elders
Losteye: calico she-cat with one amber eye.
Redfang: ginger tabby tom with green eyes.
◈ƇɧɑթȶɛՒƟɳɛ
It was greenleaf, and Pebblepaw was out on the riverside searching for herbs with her mentor, Mistpelt. The river looked extraordinarily beautiful with sunlight glistening across its dark, churning surface. Pebblepaw padded over to a patch of watermint, a purr rising in her throat; she liked the way the cool, soft mud felt between her toes, and how the breeze was gentle as it caressed her long tabby pelt. She swished her bushy tail happily as she sniffed the watermint at her feet.
"Pebblepaw, the watermint is for gathering, not sniffing." Her mentor teasingly meowed. The gray she-cat was beside a cluster of bright yellow flowers, which Pebblepaw immediately recognized as marigold. She had been a medicine cat apprentice for a few moons, but she was already fairly acquainted with the territory's herbs. Mistpelt said it was because of her attentiveness, but Pebblepaw argued that it was because Mistpelt is such a good mentor.
"I know, I know! I just really like flowers. Everything's so pretty," the brown tabby purred as she tugged at the watermint's stem. As she pulled, she heard Mistpelt chuckle.
"You like flowers, hmm? What's watermint for, then?"
"Bellyache." Pebblepaw looked up toward Mistpelt as she dropped some watermint at her paws. "And... marigold's for... infection and bleeding!"
"Close, dear one. You're forgetting something."
"Something about stiff joints?"
"Inflammation. It's when an injury," Mistpelt yanked another stem of marigold from the cool river soil, "or irritation hurts, swells, and burns."
Pebblepaw met Mistpelt's gaze and cocked her head. She asked, "Is that why the word flame is in it?", and the pretty medicine cat smiled.
"Presumably," she mewed. The medicine cat leaned over and inspected Pebblepaw's batch of watermint. "This is enough for the time being," Mistpelt said as she glanced at the darkening sky, "it's nearly dusk, we'd best be back to camp. Come along now, Pebblepaw. You did well today."
Pebblepaw muttered a shy thank-you and beamed at the praise. She followed Mistpelt back to camp with even higher spirits, watermint clutched between her teeth and a purr still in her throat.
The RiverClan camp clearing was full of cats, and Pebblepaw looked at Mistpelt nervously. It appeared they hadn't started the meeting yet, as Railheart had pulled Swallowstar down from the treestump and was whispering something into her ear. The sky was already dark when they entered. Mistpelt started for the medicine cat den, flicking her tail and nudging Pebblepaw with her flank, gesturing for her to follow.
After depositing their freshly gathered herbs, both medicine cats padded into the clearing just as Swallowstar jumped onto the treestump. The cacophony of whispers turned to silence as Swallowstar gazed out at the clan. Finally, after a few heartbeats of quiet, the black-and-white leader spoke.
"ThunderClan scent is within our borders," her deep, rough voice vibrated and tickled Pebblepaw's ears. A few mumbles rose inside the crowd, "upon further analyzation we found that they have been stealing our prey."
Our prey? It's greenleaf, why in the name of StarClan would they do that? Pebblepaw thought, her hackles rising. The few mumbles grew to several aggravated murmurs.
Railheart, who was sitting on the ground beside the treestump, spoke up. "We've reason to believe they are provoking us. Swallowstar and I are certain they want more than RiverClan's prey."
"What are we going to do?" A pale gray apprentice questioned just as her dark tabby sister howled, "If I see any ThunderClan scum on our territory I'll rip them to shreds!" Which was followed by agreeing growls and hisses.
"Quiet!" Swallowstar shouted, and the clanmates shut up. "The next Gathering will be within a half-moon. We will confront ThunderClan there. Hopefully it was a few stupid apprentices, but I highly doubt it. Until then patrols will be increased. No cat is to leave the camp alone, understood, RiverClan?"
"And what shall we do if we catch any ThunderClan cats on our territory?" Pebblepaw turned her head to the right, easily finding her long-haired brother among the other clanmates.
"Fighting will be a last resort. Chase them off, if you can." Swallowstar looked over the cats again, then nodded her head and jumped off the treestump. "You are all dismissed," the she-cat meowed and turned to Railheart, "Gather a border patrol. Take no less than five cats."
"Yes, Swallowstar."
Pebblepaw watched as the cats dispersed, her stomach grumbling. She realized she hadn't eaten since the morning, and began to trot to the fresh-kill pile when a pretty ginger she-cat rubbed up against her flank.
"Lionpaw!" Pebblepaw purred, her pale green eyes shining as her friend gave her a lick on the shoulder.
"I don't think I've talked to you since yesterday!" Lionpaw meowed. She was obviously excited, practically bouncing as she followed the medicine cat apprentice to the fresh-kill pile. "I was on the patrol that smelled ThunderClan! I even saw some pawprints and blood from their kill!"
"And why exactly are you so aflutter about this?" Pebblepaw asked as she grabbed a minnow from the pile.
"Dunno!" She sat next to Pebblepaw and watched her bite into the little fish. "Snailpaw was with us. For some reason, whenever he's on a patrol with you, you just know it's gonna be entertaining. He took one sniff of the trespassers and made such a disgusted face! Like this!" Lionpaw her nose up and squinted her brilliant orange eyes. Pebblepaw burst into laughter, nearly choking on her minnow. "I started laughing at him and he blushed so bad! The tips of his ears were as red as a cardinal!"
Lionpaw didn't seem at all concerned about the ThunderClan invaders. Her jovial nature was somehow infectious; the anxiety that had been building up inside Pebblepaw began to fade away.
Later that night, Pebblepaw curled up in her nest, her tail lightly brushing her pink nose. Mistpelt's soft snores lulled her to sleep. Slowly, her eyes closed...
... and opened to a dark forest. A shriek pierced the air. "Let all who oppose me choke on their blood!"
Pebblepaw yelped and skittered across the grass, her bottom bumping into a tree's rough bark. What's going on? The apprentice thought, her wide eyes frantically scanning the territory before her. It didn't look like RiverClan. This place was unfamiliar to her, and the scent that filled her nostrils was sharp and heavy and utterly unknown. Her muzzle trembled, her unsheathed paws scoring the ground.
"And who are you?" The voice came behind her. Breath tickled the hairs inside her ear. She jumped, tearing away from the tree, and turning to see a dark brown she-cat coming out of the bark. Her mouth was covered in blood. When she saw the look on Pebblepaw's face, her mouth broke out into a vicious smile, her fangs stained red. "You don't belong here," the tabby drawled. Pebblepaw watched, frozen in fear, as the she-cat emerged from the tree.
The strange cat approached, her yellow eyes glinting like whitehot lightning.