Summary: When Shadowheart, a insomnia plagued ThunderClan tom with a pure and utter hatred for foxes, meets Kira, a young female fox that can talk to cats, he begins the journey of a life-time. A journey of love, betrayal, trust, and heartbreak. Can this rambunctious vixen help Shadowheart see the lighter side of the fox, or will his anger and grief be too deep for her to save him? And if he does fall for her charm, can he keep her safe from his own clan?

Rated: T

Warnings: Violence in later chapters, cat/fox pairing.

Author: ME! The marvelous Silver Scarecrow!!

Italics: Flashback, or Shadowhearts' thoughts


"To love is to suffer, to be loved is to cause suffering." - Contesse Diane


First Impressions

The long-legged young tom stood silhouetted in the entrance to the warriors' den. It was to be his first night spent among his older clan-mates, and he did not relish in the prospect in the least, what with the loud shuffling and soft snores that would surround him as he slept. That is, assuming he would be able to get any sleep, considering his already terrible insomnia, brought on by the many nightmares he suffered through on an almost nightly basis, which would be made all the more terrible in the crowded den.

A single head rose from within the warm mass of cats in front of him, its eyes glinting in the failing sunlight sneaking in around his lithe body. Her grey and white fur barely distinguishable in the darkness, Hazeltail mewed a soft greeting, beckoning him forward with her tail.

"There is an empty spot here, Shadowheart, if you'd like to take it." She nodded at the vacant nest beside her small frame. "I certainly don't mind, and I can't complain. It's pretty packed in here," she added with a friendly purr.

After a brief moment, he gave a slight nod and began to pick his way carefully around the other cats. Berrynose twitched, glaring up at Shadowheart and letting out an irritable growl. "Watch where you're stepping, mousebrain! That was my tail!"

The golden and black warrior mewed a short "sorry" as Berrynose huffed and tucked his tail in tightly against his body. What a shame it wasn't your fat head instead, he thought, as he settled down beside Hazeltail, curling into a tense ball and wrapping his tail over his nose. She blinked kindly at him before following suit. Trying to ignore the feeling of unease that crept over him in the stifling warmth of the warriors den, he drifted off into a broken slumber…


A screech of fury, followed by a challenging snarl, sent shivers rushing through his body, making the fur on his neck and spine bristle with terror. It was dark and cold, the stench of an unknown creature clouding his thoughts, blinding his sense of smell; the smell of blood also surrounded him, mixing with the reek of the monster. Something brushed against his side, warm liquid splattered on his pelt; blood! Whose it was, he could not tell. The course-furred monster stumbled over him, knocking him down, scratching his flank, and he let out a pitiful wail. A fierce caterwaul made him jump. It was so dark, so confusing… He scrambled up the slope behind him, tripping over his own paws, searching for the light and fresh air, his claws digging into the soft earth… It was so loud…. Angry yowls, the monsters' snarls, and a high-pitched yelping filled his ears…I'm trapped! he thought, and the word echoed around his mind, his chest rising and falling rapidly with fear.

Suddenly, the noise died away…he turned around, slowly, his ears flat, amber eyes wide…he meowed weakly, and the sound was loud in the sudden silence…The smell of blood and sand and the monsters' own, powerful scent beat down on his fur, sticky with blood as it was. He wished he knew whose blood it was…. His side stung where the monster had raked him with it's claws. His padded cautiously forward… A pair of yellow eyes burned in the blackness… it stalked closer…. He began to back away, pressing his body as close to the dirt wall as he could, closing his eyes as sensed the creature looming above him. He crouched down, muscles tense, holding his breath as he waited for it's fearsome fangs to meet in his throat, imagining the blood, his blood, that would lap at it's paws, and that of the blood that already soaked it's jaws…


Shadowheart woke with a start, his hind paw thudding against a warm, solid lump. A yowl of pain and shock helped to drag him back to the present, and confirmed that he had accidentally struck another cat. He gasped, shaking, and gripped the moss in his nest with his front claws, feeling Hazeltails' sympathetic gaze on his pelt.

"Are you alright, Shadowheart?" she meowed, touching his flank with her tail. "You were crying out in your sleep." She said nothing about his kick, so he didn't either. He flinched away from her tail, as though he could still feel the sting of the monsters claws, raking through his fur, its stench clouding the air.

"Yeah," meowed a cat in the darkness, just to his right. Dustpelt, he guessed, from the sound of his voice. "I swear, you're as bad as Firestar," he went on with a scornful sniff.

Shadowheart smoothed the ruffled fur on his shoulders with his tongue, hoping that no one noticed how shaken he was by the dream.

"Shadowheart?" Hazeltail whispered, concern in her green eyes. He glared at her. The last thing he wanted was pity. "I'm fine," he mewed curtly, hating how his voice shook anyway. He stood, relieved to find that his legs were steady. He rushed out of the den, ignoring the disgruntled meows from the cats he had disturbed in his hasty retreat. The cool night air helped clear his head of the dream, with its screeches, yowls, snarls and yelps, and the horrible stink of the creature He twitched his ears, trotting towards the camp entrance. He knew what the creature was, of course, but it was the same thing every time, in every nightmare. A nameless, bloodthirsty, vile monster, with slavering jaws, gleaming claws and burning yellow eyes. That had been the first time he had slept in days, too.

Shadowheart nodded at Brackenfur, who stood guard just inside the entrance.
"Can't sleep?" the golden-brown tom asked.

"You could say that," mumbled Shadowheart. The older warrior winced sympathetically; he was one of the only cats that knew about Shadowhearts' insomnia.

"Watch out for fox-traps," he warned as the other tom brushed past and bounded into the forest.

Shadowheart hissed furiously, breaking into a sprint to calm his nerves and cool his temper. It wasn't the traps he was worried about, so much as it was the creatures they captured, the monsters that haunted his dreams and sent ice rushing through his veins.

A rabbit suddenly sprang out of a fern, almost directly under his paws. He sprang after it, pinning it to the ground with his claws and biting down hard on the back of its neck. When it no longer struggled and his mouth filled with its warm blood, he let it drop and took a deep breath, swiping his tongue around his jaws. That had helped bring him down to earth. He tucked the rabbit into a small hole between the roots of an oak tree, hiding it from other predators for later collection.

Shadowheart felt his heartbeat slow as he padded towards the WindClan border, the dew covered grass soaking into the fur on his belly, sparkling like the warriors of StarClan that shined above him. A strong wind picked up, rustling through the leaves of the trees and bushes. The bright moon above set his golden and black pelt awash with silver light, the same light that danced and played gently on the river that separated ThunderClan from WindClan.

He lay down beside the water, absent-mindedly flicking small pebbles into the swift dark waves with his tail, making the quick flashes of light that he knew to be fish dart back and forth in an attempt to dodge the sinking bits of stone. He had no interest in the strong tasting creatures, but he did enjoy watching them swim in the fast flowing waters of the steam, especially during the day, when he could lose himself to the sunlight-dappled water, where fish swam lazily between the shady reeds and cattails.

Imagining himself lying in the warm sun, with a cool breeze playing along his fur and soft sound of water rippling against the sandy banks, he almost didn't noticed the glowing eyes that watched him from just inside WindClans' territory. He jumped, trying to focus more clearly on the bright dots that stared at him across the water. He could just see the gleam of moonlight on its broad shoulders, though the tall grass around it cast too many shadows for him to be sure, or for anything else about it to be clear.

Bristling nervously, Shadowheart unsheathed his claws and glared at the creature. If it was a cat, he had nothing to worry about; he was on ThunderClan territory, no matter how close to the border he may be. If it was not a cat…well, what ever it was, it would find him ready and waiting if I decided to attack.

It blinked its pale amber eyes once, and then disappeared with a faint rustle. The heather twitched and jerked awkwardly, as though a large creature had pushed its way through them, then returned to swaying quietly in the wind, like nothing had ever been there to disturb them in the first place.

Shadowheart opened his jaws, trying to detect the animals' scent, but all he could smell was the slightly fishy scent of the water, the WindClan border just beyond him, and a temptingly strong scent of mouse. He swiveled his ears back and twitched his tail. Whatever it was, it was gone now, though whether or not it returned remained to be seen. He hoped that, if it did return, it would stay far away from him and his clan.

Surprisingly calm, despite the intense gaze that had just rested upon him, he turned around and padded back into the cover of the trees. If it had wanted to attack, he reasoned with himself, it would have been more direct about it, since it was obvious that Shadowheart had been aware of its presence. For the same reason, it probably wouldn't try to stalk him through the shadowy forest. Besides, that mouse-scent was way to tempting to ignore any longer, and, with no desire to return to his fox-infested dreams, he had nothing better to do.

Are you so sure you're more safe from them in the waking world? a tiny voice asked, whispering ominously in his ear. He shook his head, as though by shaking himself hard enough, he could rid himself of such thoughts. He had enough trouble avoiding the beasts in his mind. If he started worry about them constantly in his everyday life, he would turn into a nervous wreck, jumping at every strange scent and sound. No thank you, he thought, crouching down as a mouse wandered into view. That is the last thing I need


"Hey! Shadowheart!"

Shadowheart twitched his ear, swiveling it towards the voice. Determined not to be interrupted by this unwanted guest while he basked in the first light of the day on the flat rock, he kept his eyes closed and tried to concentrate on the nearby bird that was thrilling loudly just outside the hollow. Its' obnoxious, shrieking voice was much preferred over Ashfurs', and he sent up a silent plea to StarClan to will the grey tom away.

Apparently, their warrior ancestors, much to Shadowhearts' disappointment, do not answer such petty prayers.

"Shadowheart!" The older warriors' mew was sharper now.

Persistent furball, isn't he?

"Yes, Ashfur?" Shadowheart drawled, opening his jaws in a massive, and partially forced, yawn. Ashfur curled his lip.

Ashfurs' blue eyes, like cold chips of ice, stared hard into his liquid amber ones, and the younger tom had to bite back a purr of amusement. He loved trying the patience of uptight cats like Ashfur.

"I'd like you to go hunting with Lionpaw while I go on a patrol with Brackenfur, Hollypaw and Sandstorm."

"And I'd like to lie here for the rest of the day. Maybe have a bite of fresh-kill. Perhaps I'll have Lionpaw fetch me some…" he trailed off, while Ashfur narrowed his eyes angrily. Great StarClan, this was easy. Some cats have no sense of humor. "But we can't always get what we want, can we?"

A spark of fury flashed in the grey warriors' eyes, and he bared his teeth in a furious snarl, his tail lashing as his crouched, as though preparing to attack Shadowheart.

Confused by the unexpected wave of rage that had been turned on him –he was just teasing!-, the gold and black tom sat up nervously. "Hey, keep your fur on! I never said that I wasn't going to go!" he tried to soothe the bristling cat.

For a few heartbeats, it seemed the other tom was going to ignore his attempts of placation. Then, with a last threatening hiss, Ashfur stalked away towards Sandstorm, Brackenfur, and his apprentice, who was pacing around her mentor impatiently, her tail lashing.

Wondering what could have possibly put Ashfur in such a foul mood, Shadowheart jumped off the stone and padded over to Lionpaw, who had just stuck his head outside the apprentices den. The slightly shorter, broad shouldered tom yawned and sniffed the air with his mouth open, his eyes and pelt shining in the weak morning light. Catching sight of Shadowheart, the apprentice bounded over to him, energy rolling off him.

"Hi, Shadowheart! Ashfur said you were going hunting with me this morning. Is it just us?"

As Shadowheart opened his mouth to reply, another cat called out. "Good morning, Shadowheart! Up for a little hunting?"

The young warrior sighed. "I guess not," he muttered to Lionpaw, turning to see Hazeltail trotting over with a cheerful bounce her step. Why is everyone in this clan so…awake in the morning? he thought disgustedly.

"Sure," he meowed to the grey-and-white she-cat. "I was just asked to take Lionpaw out." He felt Lionpaw bristling crossly next to him. Clearly, he didn't like the idea of taking orders from a warrior as young as Shadowheart, and while Shadowheart shared his aversion, neither had any choice. Tough, he thought, I am not going to let the almighty Ashfur attack me for not obeying his orders, bossy idiot though he may be. It's not like I enjoy listening to older cats telling me what to do either. He'll live.

He followed Hazeltail into the forest, Lionpaw at his side. The dappled light that streamed through the leaves played on his pelt as they set a steady pace towards the Tall Oak. A cool breeze ruffled his fur, bringing a strong prey-scent to his nose, flooding his senses until his mouth watered with anticipation. He hadn't eaten yet that morning, and he hoped he could catch a nice mouse, or maybe a plump rabbit, which he was especially fond of.

Lionpaw was mumbling to himself, breaking him out of his daydream of fresh-kill. He heard something about annoying warriors who thought they were clan leader when they had only just left the apprentices den. Shadowheart could guess whom he was really grumbling about; no cat could be a bigger pain in the tail than Berrynose. What was worse, it seemed cream furred tom had lately corrupted Birchfall, and the two cats had become all but insufferable. He was sure that half the cats in the clan would have shredded both of their pelts for a couple of mouse-tails, himself included.

When they reached the Tall Oak, Hazeltail immediately dropped into a hunters' crouch and began to stalk the squirrel that sat at the trees' base, nibbling on an acorn, unaware of its approaching death. Shadowheart was impressed, though grudgingly so, at how her muscles slid smoothly under her pelt, her paws making nary a sound on the forest floor as she stole ever closer upon her prey. Hidden in the shade of a fern, she crept forward until she was only two tail-lengths away, her tail held carefully so as not to disturb the broad leaves that covered her.

He held his breath and thought, Now! Hazeltail sprang forward as though she had heard his thought, landing squarely on the squirrel and killing it with a swift bite. She lifted her head from the limp creature, holding her tail high with pride.

Lionpaw left the cover of the brush and padded up to her. "Nice catch, Hazeltail! That was a great leap."

Shadowheart grunted in agreement. It wasn't that great. Any cat could catch such a fat squirrel in Greenleaf.

"Thanks," Hazeltail mewed. "I think there's a thrush, over there," she added, pointing her tail to her left, where a small bird could just be seen through a bramble patch. Lionpaw nodded his thanks and headed towards the thrush, his paws thudding softly on the ground.

Hazeltail turned to head in the opposite direction, glancing over her shoulder at Shadowheart to meow "Coming?"

He opened his jaws to reply, but hesitated. A scent hit his nose, running over the gland in his mouth, a horribly familiar scent that raised the fur on his neck and sent shivers along his spine. He swiveled his ears back and strained his senses. He could feel…it watching him. His eyes lost their focus, and all he could see was the monster, with its foaming, blood soaked fangs. That creature, the one that haunted his dreams…it was close. He could no longer smell the tempting scent of prey. It was just the scent of fox. Whether or not the… monster – he could not think of it as a fox - was close enough for him to truly smell it did not matter. Fear gripped him with icy claws and, realizing that Hazeltail was watching him and waiting for an answer, he tried desperately not to let it show.

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, eyes focusing once more on Hazeltails' fluffy grey-and-white pelt. He took a deep breath to steady himself, while the she-cat scrutinized him with narrowed eyes. Thankfully, she let it go, blinking once and padding away.

Shadowheart shivered again as the scents and sounds of the forest returned to him. Anger began to burn like fire in his belly, and he bared his teeth. If that...thing didn't go away soon, he vowed that he would hunt it down and rip it to shreds.

At last, the weight of the creatures' gaze left his pelt, the ice in his veins melting as he calmed himself with deep breaths. He imagined he could hear it creeping through the brush, stalking him, as Hazeltail had stalked the squirrel.

He did not like the feeling of being hunted. He was not prey, and if the… monster didn't believe that, then it was going to be in for a nasty surprise if it messed with him.


Thank you so much for reading! I worked really hard on this first chap, so I hope you liked it. Now, if you did, push that pretty purplish-blue button and leave a review! Or if you have critique to offer, push it! Please! Thank you!

NOTE: If you enjoyed this chapter and want me to hurry...well I'm sorry, but I can't hurry. I have a colledge level class and a forensics class that I really need to concentrate on, so I'll do my best to get chapter 2 up asap, k?

Much love to those who review!!

-SS