Chapter One
Leaves rustled as a small grey she-cat slid through a narrow gap in the brambles. It was Greenleaf and many tempting aromas of mice and squirrel hit the roof of Featherpaw's mouth. She was out with her mentor, Sandstorm..
"What can you smell from here, Featherpaw?" asked her mentor. Featherpaw opened her jaws for a moment and let the sent come in.
"Prey," she replied, "and Shadowclan."
"Very good," Sandstorm praised her, "Now we will hunt so you can do your share in feeding the elders, and remember to be on your best behavior so you can go to the Gathering tonight." They then treaded away from the Shadowclan border, and headed deeper into the forest. Featherpaw then scented squirrel just as Sandstorm crouched down and sprang into the brush. She emerged a moment later with a dead squirrel hanging from her jaws.
"Wow, great catch!" Featherpaw told her mentor.
"Thank you," she replied, "now you try and get that mouse in that brush over there." Featherpaw nodded and crouched into the same position Sandstorm had been in. she then padded forward lightly; when she reached the bush she stopped for a moment and opened her mouth. The prey-scent hit the roof of her mouth immediately, and when she was positive of the mouse's location, she leaped. In one swift movement she landed on the mouse and bit its neck for the killing blow. She then picked up her kill and padded back to Sandstorm.
"Well done," Sandstorm praised, "that was excellent. Now why don't you take that to the elders, and it might be worth a story if you ask nicely."
"Alright, but won't you still need me here?"
"No, you've done quite well today, and the elders would like it best warm."
"Thanks Sandstorm." Featherpaw said as Sandstorm flicked her tail in response and padded away. Featherpaw then bounded back to camp and couldn't wait to tell her sisters, Larkpaw and Juniperpaw, about her training and the mouse she caught. When she reached the bramble entrance, she spotted Coudtail standing guard. With a brisk nod, she went in and looked around the clearing for her sisters. When she couldn't find them, she padded over to show her catch to her parents, Hollyleaf and Mousewhisker.
"Did you catch that?" asked her father.
"Of course she caught it, mouse-brain," Hollyleaf said with an affectionate flick of her tail, "and well done, Featherpaw. Better than me, I missed my first couple when I was an apprentice. Now go on and take that to the elders." Featherpaw turned and flicked her tail in farewell as she padded over the elders den. As she went in, Longtail lifted his head.
"Is that a mouse?" he asked her.
"Yes, I caught it myself." She answered proudly.
"Well now, that certainly is something to be proud of," Mousefur told her, as she shifted herself to get a better bite at the mouse, "I expect you want a story as a reward." Featherpaw nodded as she sat down.
"If it's not too much trouble," she replied, "I would like to hear about the old forest."
"Well that's always a popular one," Longtail told her, "you let us eat this mouse and then we'll tell you." Featherpaw nodded and watched Longtail eat. He was not much older than their leader Firestar, but he was forced to retire to the elder's den due to failing sight in the old forest. When he was finished he licked his jaws and began to tell the story, with Mousefur cutting in to add details of her own. Featherpaw listened as they told of the many trees and sunning rocks. Of Fourtrees and the many battles that took place. She felt sadness as they described how the great leader Bluestar had fallen to her death, and of pride that she saved the forest by doing so. She shuddered as she listened to the terrible things the evil cat Tigerstar had done, and the battle with Scourge when Firestar had lost his first life. She felt as if she were there when the monsters tore up the forest and the cats were forced to journey through unknown lands to get to the lake were they now resided. When the story was finished Featherpaw thanked them and padded outside to the apprentices den in hopes of having some rest. Before she reached the den, however, Firestar padded up to her.
"Sandstorm has told me you have done very well at your first couple of weeks at being an apprentice." he told her. Hearing that Featherpaw no longer felt tired, and jumped with excitement.
"Oh, thank you Firestar!" Featherpaw exclaimed. He nodded and then turned and padded away leaving Featherpaw to search around the clearing for her sisters. But before she could go to them, a yowl came from the thorn tunnel.
"Shadowclan have crossed the border, we need help fast!"
Firestar bolted out of his den calling out orders as he went. "Squirrelflight, Larkpaw, Featherpaw, Sandstorm, Hollyleaf, and Cinderheart, come with me." He yelled out, "the rest of you guard the camp and the nursery!" Featherpaw darted through the tunnel after Firestar and caught up with her littermate, Larkpaw, and whispered, "This is our first battle as apprentices, and we should make our mentors proud." Larkpaw nodded in agreement. They heard yowls as they approached and saw their clan mates, Hazeltail, Berrynose, Nettlepaw, and Honeyfern locked in battle with the Shadowclan warriors Rowanclaw, Flamepelt, Dawnwhisker, Tawnypelt, Oakfur, Smokefoot, Toadfoot, Owlfang, and Ivytail. We are outnumbered, thought Featherpaw, we are loosing. The Thunderclan warriors hurled themselves into battle beside their injured clan mates. The Shadowclan cats looked up in surprise at the reinforcements and slowly were being forced back into their own territory. When they finally retreated, Featherpaw could see that the Thunderclan cats that were already there when the battle started were badly wounded. She then spotted a limp mound of fur that was Hazeltail. Slowly Featherpaw padded up to her and prodded her with a paw, but Hazeltail's body was already growing cold.
"Firestar, I think Hazeltail is dead." She said, as Honeyfern padded over and looked down in grief at her friend's body. Berrynose then ran over to his mate's side and stared at Hazeltail's body.
"No, she can't be dead." He whispered. Honeyfern said nothing, but gave Berrynose a comforting lick on the cheek. Firestar bounded over to and sniffed Hazeltail's body.
"Let's take her body back to camp where we can sit vigil for her. Berrynose you can help me carry her." The cats padded back to the camp as if the battle had been lost. Briarpaw walked up and looked hopefully at Firestar, but when she saw Hazeltail, she hung her head and padded off. Firestar and Berrynose carefully laid Hazeltail's body beneath the Highrock, and then Firestar leaped onto it. There was no need to call for a meeting, for all the cats were starting to assemble below to hear news of the battle.
"Cats of Thunderclan," he began, "We won the battle with Shadowclan, but we also lost the life of Hazeltail. She died a warrior, fighting for her clan, and I am proud to say she was a Thunderclan warrior. Tonight those warriors not going to the gathering will sit vigil for here; those warriors who are will have to do it now. Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Featherpaw, Sparrowpaw, Nettlepaw, Mousefur, Juniperpaw, Larkpaw, Ferncloud and Dustpelt, go and eat we leave for the Gathering soon." And with that he jumped off. Cats began to form a circle around Hazeltail, as the wounded went over to the medicine cat's den.
"You should go to the nursery now." Berrynose told Honeyfern.
"I can't just leave you here." She replied to him.
"I'll be fine. Mousewhisker and Hollyleaf are here, you know they were good friends." Honeyfern then nodded and padded of toward the nursery. Featherpaw padded over to were Berrynose sat.
"Is Honeyfern expecting kits?" she asked him.
"Yes." He replied.
"Would you like me to help her settle in?" Berrynose gave her a grateful look and she padded over to where Honeyfern was dragging a large mound of moss toward the nursery.
"Let me help with that." Featherpaw grabbed half of the moss. When she finished helping Honeyfern settle in, Featherpaw padded over to the medicine cat's den.
"Well if it isn't Featherpaw, here for scratches I think." He said as she approached. Featherpaw stared at him.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked him.
"I have a very keen sense of smell and hearing, more than any cat, and I can identify you using that. I guess being blind has some advantages. Now hold still so I can examine you." Featherpaw sat as still as she could while Jayfeather poked and sniffed her.
"The only bad one is on your shoulder. Stay here for a bit." She waited as Jayfeather went inside the den and came back with some herbs. She winced a little when the healing juices seeped into her wound, and when he was done; she padded over to the fresh-kill pile to eat. Sparrowpaw was already there picking a chaffinch out of the pile.
"Hey Featherpaw. How was the battle today?" Sparrowpaw asked her.
"Well it was exciting being my first battle, but the loss of Hazeltail makes me wish I hadn't been there. Do you think Firestar will mention the battle today?"
"He has to." Sparrowpaw replied. Firestar then called out that it was time to leave, and Featherpaw and Sparrowpaw finished their meal then went over to the other cats that were going to the gathering. Featherpaw went over to her sisters, Juniperpaw and Larkpaw, while Sparrowpaw headed toward the front of the group. They raced out of the camp and towards the tree that posed as a bridge to get the island that held the Gatherings. When it was her turn, Featherpaw warily stepped onto it and carefully padded across the slick surface and into the clearing. She jumped down from it and sighed with relief.
"I really hate that log!" she exclaimed.
"Really?" said Sparrowpaw, padding up next to her. "I think it's rather exciting. They then followed the other cats through the bushes and into the clearing. Windclan and Shadowclan were already there. The cats in Thunderclan began to wander around and some went to talk to others in Windclan, clearly avoiding Shadowclan.
"I didn't think so many cats were actually going to be here." Juniperpaw said to her sisters as they padded off to go sit next to their other clan members.
"You'll get used to it when you've been here a couple of times." Said Sparrowpaw to the younger apprentices. Featherpaw nodded and she felt excited to finally be going to a gathering. She turned to say something to Sparrowpaw, but she had gone. She then spotted her padding towards a black Shadowclan apprentice that was sitting in the shadows. She stared at her friend then looked around to see if any other cats had noticed, though none had. I wonder what would happen if she was found talking to a Shadowclan cat so soon after the battle. She thought to herself, but soon forgot her question as she spotted a golden colored apprentice sitting out away from the others. Featherpaw decided to go talk to him and bounded over.
"Hi!" she exclaimed and he glanced at her, his blue eyes lit up in the moonlight, then looked back down at his paws.
"Hello." He mumbled.
"I'm Featherpaw from Thunderclan. Who are you?" she asked him.
"Sunpaw. Windclan." He mumbled softly.
"I like that name." She told him. He seemed about to say something else, but was cut off as Blackstar's yowl cut across the clearing.
"I will go first!" he said, "prey is running well and we have a new warrior, Marshfur. That is all." He stepped back and Onestar stood up.
"Our clan is doing well and we have a new apprentice here tonight, Sunpaw." Leapordstar than reported that there had been a new litter born in Riverclan, then it was Firestar's turn.
"We have three new apprentices here today," he called out, "Featherpaw, Larkpaw and Juniperpaw. I have bad news, one of our warriors, Hazeltail, died in battle earlier today from Shadowclan invading our territory." A couple of shocked gasps came from the cats below, as Blackstar turned to face Firestar.
"I only did what was best for my clan," he hissed, "we should have more hunting ground, and a clan of half-blood cats like yours shouldn't have the privilege of such space! Shadowclan has nothing else to report." With that Blackstar leaped down from the leaders tree and Shadowclan followed him out of the clearing. Onestar jumped down from the tree and started to gather the cats from his clan.
"I guess I'll see you at the next gathering." Featherpaw said to Sunpaw and he mumbled a goodbye. As he padded of towards his clanmates, Featherpaw went over toward her sisters were.
"I guess the Gathering is over." Larkpaw said.
"Not worthy!" spat Juniperpaw, "Half-blood! That lousy leader must have fleas for brains!"
"Well, it's true that most Thunderclan cats aren't truly Thunderclan." Larkpaw told her.
"But they are all still true Thunderclan warriors at heart!" Featherpaw exclaimed.
"Try telling him that." Juniperpaw stalked off leaving Larkpaw and Featherpaw walking a ways behind her. Most of us are half-blood, she thought, but we are all true blooded at heart.