I don't own Warriors!

Broken Love

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER

CEDARSTAR—very dark gray tom with a white belly

DEPUTY

RAGGEDPELT—dark brown tabby tom

MEDICINE CAT

SAGEWHISKER—white she-cat with long whiskers

WARRIORS

(toms and she-cats without kits)

CROWTAIL—black tabby she-cat

BRACKENFOOT—pale ginger tom with dark ginger legs

ARCHEYE—gray tabby tom with black stripes and thick stripe over eye

MUDCLAW—gray tom with brown legs

TOADSKIP—dark brown tabby tom with white splashes and white legs

NETTLESPOT—white she-cat with ginger flecks

MOUSEWING—thick-furred black tom

DEERLEAP—gray tabby she-cat with white legs

AMBERLEAF—dark orange she-cat with brown legs and ears

FINCHFLIGHT—black-and-white tom

BLIZZARDWING—mottled white tom

NUTWHISKER—brown tom

ROWANBERRY—cream and brown she-cat

SCORCHWIND—ginger tabby tom

WOLFSTEP—gray tabby tom

FOXHEART—dark russet she-cat

NEWTSPECK —black-and-ginger she-cat

ASHFUR —pale gray she-cat

APPRENTICES

(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

QUEENS

(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

LIZARDSTRIPE—pale brown tabby she-cat with white belly (mother to Runningkit and Tanglekit)

YELLOWFANG—dark gray she-cat (mother to Brokenkit, foster mother to Clawkit and Nightkit)

HOLLYFLOWER—dark-gray-and-white she-cat (mother to Flintkit, Fernkit, and Blackkit)

ELDERS

(former warriors and queens, now retired)

STONETOOTH—gray tabby tom with long teeth

POOLCLOUD—gray-and-white she-cat

BRIGHTFLOWER—orange tabby she-cat

Chapter 1

"Stop it, Yellowfang! I'm clean enough!" Brokenkit protested as his mother rasped her tongue over his dark brown fur.

"You have to look your best," Yellowfang purred, giving her kit one last lick. She looked at him fondly. "Now, run along, and don't get dirty again." Brokenkit rolled his eyes and bounced off to join his friends, Clawkit and Nightkit.

"I can't believe we're becoming apprentices!" Nightkit purred.

"Yeah, it seemed like forever," Clawkit added. "I can't wait for battle training."

"I'm just wondering who my mentor will be," Nightkit said. "Who do you want, Brokenkit?" He broke off, coughing.

"Somebody good," Brokenkit sniffed. "Like Raggedpelt." He over at his father, the deputy, who was conversing with Hollyflower and Archeye.

"You know, apprentices usually don't have their parents as their mentors," Nightkit reminded him. "I doubt you'll get him." He scanned the camp, his eyes landing on a white tom. "I want Blizzardwing."

"I hear he's a good choice," Clawkit mused. "But I don't want him. Or Crowtail." He shuddered as the black she-cat padded into camp, a frog swinging from her jaws. "I accidentally bumped into her once, and she yelled at me and made me clean out the elders' den."

"You guys have nothing to worry about," Brokenkit scoffed. "I'm sure Cedarstar will pick the right mentors for us." Right on cue, their graying leader padded out of his den. He climbed onto the Mossy Stump, his pawsteps slow.

"ShadowClan!" he rasped. "Gather for a Clan meeting!"

"Geez, he looks like he's about to collapse," Clawkit muttered.

"Shh," Yellowfang hushed them.

"Cats of ShadowClan," Cedarstar croaked. "Today, five young cats will become apprentices. Tanglekit, step forward." Brokenkit yawned as the white and brown splotched she-cat shakily stepped forward. "Tanglekit, from now on you will be known as Tanglepaw. Wolfstep, you will be her mentor." A well muscled gray tom stepped forward. "Wolfstep, you have proved yourself to be an excellent warrior. Teach this young apprentice all you know." Wolfstep's eyes gleamed proudly as he touched noses with Tanglepaw.

Brokenkit didn't listen to the rest of the ceremony. All he knew was that Runningkit had been apprenticed to Sagewhisker, Clawkit to Crowtail (much to his dismay), and Nightkit was given Nettlespots.

"Brokenkit, step forward."

Finally!

"Brokenkit, from now on, you will be known as Brokenpaw." Cedarstar scanned the crowd. "Brackenfoot, you will be Brokenpaw's mentor." A pale ginger tom stepped forward and stood next to Brokenpaw. "Brackenfoot, you are loyal and skillful, and I hope you will pass down all you know to Brokenpaw." Brokenpaw almost hesitated to touch his mentor's nose. He had heard Brackenfoot was a good warrior, but it certainly wasn't as good as having the deputy as your mentor.

"Touch my nose," Brackenfoot hissed. Brokenpaw snapped out of his thoughts and touched his nose to his mentor's.

"Clan dismissed," Cedarstar wheezed, almost collapsing from the exhaustion. Raggedpelt darted forward to support his leader and guide him into the den.

"Where are we going first?" Tanglepaw asked.

"Duh," Clawpaw said, batting her tail. "We're going to explore the territory." He looked at Crowtail for confirmation. "Right?" he asked, hopefully.

Crowtail sighed. "I suppose," she said. "Let's go." Clawpaw glanced smugly at Tanglepaw before padding after his mentor. Tanglepaw sighed and followed him, Wolfstep trailing behind her.

"I'm going to show Nightpaw the territory as well," Nettlespots told Brackenfoot before leaving. Brokenpaw looked at his mentor.

"I want to battle train," he said firmly. Brackenfoot blinked.

"Already? You don't want to see the territory?" he joked.

"Well. . . ," Brokenpaw hesitated. He'd heard stories about the lush pine forests, the soft needles and pine cones drifting to the ground after storms. "Fine."

"This is the ThunderClan border," Brackenfoot explained, leading them to a hard, black surface. "This is the Thunderpath." Brokenpaw opened his jaws to take whiff, immediately recoiling after tasting the bitter, acrid taste.

"Yuck," he muttered, stepping away from it.

"Monsters travel on these," Brackenfoot warned. "They don't come off the Thunderpath, but they will not hesitate to hit you if you stray on here." He looked at his apprentice. "Stay off."

"Trust me, I will," Brokenpaw said. They padded off towards another border, where the marsh faded into coarse, thick grass. Beyond that, a huge moor stretched beyond where they were standing.

"This is-"

"WindClan," Brokenpaw growled, his fur bristling. He remembered the stories of the scrawny cats chasing rabbits, not even getting tired. He squinted his eyes as a gust of harsh wind blew into his face.

"Correct," Brackenfoot said. "They are quick and thin, so you have to use more brains than brawn to defeat them." He raised his head to look at the sky. The sun was slowly setting. "We should get going."

"But. . . ," Brokenpaw began. "I wanted to battle train!"

"We'll have to learn the crouch and stalking, first," Brackenfoot said sternly. "Let's go." Brokenpaw sighed, then began to follow his mentor back to camp, when he heard a twig snap. He glanced behind him.

"Brackenfoot, there's something there," he hissed to his mentor. Brackenfoot turned around and scented the air. His eyes narrowed.

"Rogue," he whispered. "It's on our territory." Brokenpaw narrowed his gaze onto the bush where he had heard the sound. As he watched, it shuddered for a moment, before a ruffled, pale gray she-cat slid out.

"Intruder!" he yowled, diving at her.

A/N: What do you think? Please review! ^.^