Chapter 1: My Beginning

Hey guys! I've wanted to do a rewrite for ages, but I finally decided to do it! Haha :) It has a lot of changes, cause Featherpaw wasn't a well-developed character at the beginning, so the things she did, does, and will do, won't correspond nicely… Sorry guys! I hope you like it anyway :)

With my eyes still closed, I reach over to grab a blanket, but my hand scrapes something hard. A smell is surrounding me, fresh and clean, like plants and forest. I've missed that smell; living in the city doesn't have it.

I remember leaning against the balcony as light rain pours from the grey clouds that cover the entire sky. Lifting my face to the sky to taste the rain and laugh as it smells so much like my old home. My real home.

Sure, the city was nice, but I got tired of it pretty quick. I'd rather be out in the forest, climbing trees and playing with my little sister. I smile at the thought. She'd giggle as I caught her and tickled her. Then she's try to run again and I'd let her, watching her little legs try to take her far, but she'd only end up a few metres away from me.

I remember how cold I am and rub my eyes, not noticing that they feel a little furry. As soon as I open them, I'm looking up to see the branches of trees covering a clear blue sky. A bird sings somewhere in those trees, and I see it's little blue body hopping from one branch to another.

I normally pinch myself during dreams because they always turn into nightmares. But everything here seems so real, I don't want to wake up in the city and miss that smell of the forest.

The bushes rustle and it makes me jump up. That's when I realise I'm on all fours and I'm about the size of a cat. Oh dear god, what?! I look at my paws and gasp. I am a cat!

A voice sounds from where the bushes rustled. "I know I can smell something; it's not ThunderClan."

Another voice sounds nearby. "What if they're intruders? Do you want me to get Firestar?"

"Calm down Lionpaw they wouldn't be too much for two warriors and one apprentice to handle."

Wait, Lionpaw? It is the warriors! Wow, what a cool dream!

A dark brown tabby tom shoulders his way through the bushes, pausing slightly to scan me. "She's no threat."

I step back, but my ears flatten and I let out a small hiss instinctively.

Another cat follows him; his pelt golden, and his amber eyes sparkling. That's Lionpaw, so he must be Brambleclaw!

He frowns. "Who are you?" Wow, they both look really strong! I better be careful about what I say.

I'll use the start of my warrior name for my rogue name. "I'm Feather."

Lionpaw tilts his head to one side. "What are you doing in our territory?"

A grey cat emerges from the bushes behind Lionpaw. "Who's this?"

I open my mouth. Ashfur! Looking at Lionpaw, I answer his question. "I'm here to talk to Firestar."

Brambleclaw widens his eyes. "You know Firestar?"

"Well, yes." I shift slightly.

Ashfur frowns. "Should we just take her to our camp?"

Brambleclaw nods. "She knows Firestar, Ashfur."

He leads the way into the forest, and I ignore Ashfur's glare at me as I pass him. The forest smells of fresh plants; new life, spring is here. Or Newleaf, as the warriors call it.

Brambleclaw leads us into a bramble tunnel and I gape as I see the camp. It's even better than I had imagined it; the clearing, the Highledge, the fresh kill pile. The cats! I feel so proud that I can recognize everyone in the clearing. There's Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Graystripe, Berrynose and Honeyfern! I widen my eyes as I see Jayfeather, well, Jaypaw at the moment. I notice he's looking straight at me, too.

Firestar appears from a den at the top of the Highledge and he gives me a look of curiosity. "Who do we have here?"

Brambleclaw glances at me. "We found her near the ShadowClan border. Her name's Feather and she wants to talk to you."

Firestar smiles at me and dips his head. "Very well, come with me, Feather," he leads me up the rocks to the top of the Highledge.

I take a deep breath, this could go badly. I need to convince him to let me stay. Firestar sits down in front of his moss bed, wrapping his tail around his paws. I sit in front of the entrance, and he nods for me to begin.

"Can I join the Clan?" I blurt out.

Firestar widens his eyes in surprise. "Why do you want to join our Clan?"

I blink. "Because, it's hard being a rogue and I want to be a warrior."

Firestar tilts his head to one side, frowning. "How do you know about ThunderClan?"

Because I'm a Twoleg who reads about you and I know your future. I say to myself. "I heard about the Clans from two cats living on the other side of the mountains; Ravenpaw and Barley?"

Firestar widens his eyes again and blinks a few times. "How are they?"

I nod. "They're both well."

"What did they say? How did you get here by yourself?"

"They welcomed me into their home, and we shared our stories. I ran into the Tribe of Rushing Water, and they helped me across the mountain."

Firestar nods. "I see."

I'm beginning to get impatient. My stomach is killing me, waiting for the answer, and I just need a yes for the churning to stop. "Can I join ThunderClan?"

Firestar hesitates, and then nods. "Yes, we'll always welcome a friend. I will announce your arrival to the Clan."

The leader gets up and heads for the bramble tunnel. I follow him out; he beckons to me to stand underneath the Highledge. He yowls. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting."

Cats appear from several different dens, and I flinch as hostility flashes in their eyes when they see me. Firestar speaks again. "Cats of ThunderClan, I have decided to take in a rogue to train as a ThunderClan warrior."

Mews of disbelief erupt from the Clan. Ashfur gives me a harsh stare. "How do we know she is going to follow the warrior code and watch out for her Clan-mates like the rest of us? She wouldn't know; she's been living on her own her whole life!"

Cats murmur agreement and I hold my head up to show I wasn't scared. Firestar continues, despite all the protest that came from the cats. "From this moment, until you have received your warrior name, you will be Featherpaw. Your mentor will be Graystripe. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you."

Graystripe looks up in surprise, though I know he will respect Firestar's choice to take me in and make him train me.

Firestar looks at him. "Graystripe, you are ready to take on an apprentice again. You have proven yourself to be smart and loyal over and over. You will be the mentor of Featherpaw, and I know you will pass on all you know to her."

I try to hold in my excitement and Graystripe steps forward to touch noses with me. Firestar and Graystripe both look around expectantly. Something's not right. Wait, the cats are supposed to be calling my new apprentice name, but they aren't. Hollypaw doesn't look happy. She loves the warrior code, of course she isn't happy. Dustpelt is just looking at Firestar with an 'are you really doing this?' expression. Sandstorm looks awkwardly at the other cats; she is waiting for a cat to start.

Squirrelflight and Leafpool start calling my name. "Featherpaw! Featherpaw!"

Sandstorm and a few other cats join in as well, but most of them stay silent. So much for my apprentice ceremony, I sigh. Graystripe looks at me. "Cheer up, they just need to get used to you."

I nod as Firestar bounds down from the Highledge. He looks at Hollypaw. "Hollypaw, could you show Featherpaw around?"

Hollypaw nods, though I can see she doesn't want to. I follow her to one of the dens. She beckons with her head to it. "That's the elders' den. It's our job as an apprentice to get new bedding, prey and to check their pelt for tics. Maybe someone can show you how a bit later."

I nod, I know this already. Hollypaw leads me to the next den that smells of milk and warmth. "This is the nursery, where all the queens that have or are carrying kits stay, until their kits have become apprentices, the queens can't do warrior duties."

I nod again. And she leads me to the next den. "This is the apprentices' den, where I sleep, and where you'll be sleeping." She beckons to me to follow her inside, and there is a bed of fresh moss next to the one that smelt of her. "I'm sleeping next to you?"

Hollypaw nods and she takes me to the next den. "This is the warriors' den and," she pads over to the den a few meters away from the warriors' den, "here's the medicine cat's den."

It smelt of herbs, and I prick my ears up to hear a voice. I let Hollypaw go first, and I go in after her. A grey tabby with blue eyes turns around to look at me. I grin at him. "Hi, Jaypaw." I mew. He looks at me with confusion, and I remember no one has told me his name yet!

Jaypaw nods, though he still looks confused. "Hi, Featherpaw."

Hey, you can't blame me; I was excited to talk to my favourite character in the books, alright?

Hollypaw looks at me, and she meows. "I can see you already know Jaypaw, and this is Leafpool."

I dip my head to her and smile. "Hello." I'm grateful to her for cheering out my name earlier.

I look around. I wonder what book I'm in. Hollypaw leads me out again, and she nods her head to the Firestar's den. "That's the leader's den, but you already know that."

I hear the bushes rustle, and Brambleclaw comes through, followed by Sol.

Firestar sighs. "Another rogue?" he pads up to Brambleclaw's patrol.

"He insisted we took him to the camp, Firestar."

Sol! I better stop him now.