Chapter 1: New Hope
Beechpaw padded into the clearing. "Sunpaw!" he called excitedly, prancing over to a bright ginger she-cat. Beechpaw had just become an apprentice; Sunpaw had been an apprentice for quite awhile, and she would be a warrior within the next three moons.
"Hey, Beechpaw! You're an apprentice now! Are you ready to leave the Nursery?" Sunpaw asked him. Beechpaw nodded eagerly. "Of course! Now we're in the same den, Sunpaw! And we can hunt together!" Sunpaw purred and opened her mouth to say something, but Beechpaw never found out what she was going to say.
"Sunpaw," a voice said. "Let's go, we're training with Midnightpaw today!' Sunpaw nodded politely and padded away, joining her mentor and Midnightpaw, who was one of the eldest apprentices. Midnightpaw was a gray and black tom with dark blue eyes. Beechpaw's eyes narrowed; he always disliked Midnightpaw and his littermates.
You see, Midnightpaw, Fernpaw, and Dawnpaw were Beechpaw's mother's first litter. Beechpaw's older siblings. It always seemed as if they received more attention than him, and his sister, Robinpaw, agreed. "Especially Fernpaw," she would say. "Fernpaw always gets more attention." And though Beechpaw tried constantly to impress Sunpaw, he always got the feeling that Midnightpaw was trying to steal her away from him. He shrugged it off this once and padded over to his littermate.
"Robinpaw!" he called out, approaching her. "Hi, Beechpaw. Lionpaw was telling me about the territory!" Robinpaw mewed cheerfully. Lionpaw was Sunpaw's charming littermate. He was a pure golden color, fur long like a mane, and possessed melting green eyes. "Really?" Beechpaw inquired. He had no quarrel with Lionpaw.
Lionpaw nodded. "Yes, I was. Would you like to listen in, Beechpaw?" he asked kindly. Beechpaw nodded eagerly. He had not yet been out of camp. Lionpaw began, stars in his eyes, telling to the younger apprentices what he had once been told by his own mother.
"Our trees are many, our forest is far and wide, yet not as dense as that of IceClan or of GrassClan. Yet, the trees are alive with the various chirps and whistles of the woodland birds. The scurries of young squirrels and the rustles of plump rabbits echo throughout the moors, and the leaves brush together with much of a comforting sound, especially after a long days' work at camp. The refreshing water of the pond, rich with salmon, branches throughout our territory, sending the soothing melody of the babbling brook into the air, reaching the ears of all those who listen. At the shore of the Clan lake is a bridge of pure stone, strong and true, guiding all Clans to the island on which we Gather every moon. Our mere range of mountains is tall and snowcapped, and though they are nothing when compared to the mountains of IceClan, they are a majestic beauty to even the eyes of foxes. The ash-gray stones on which we perch in Greenleaf absorb the sunshine and radiate happiness to those who lay there. And the ravine is where a stream once flowed. A single dead tree marks the border between us and IceClan, nd resembling the dead peace of the Clans that would occur, should we break our sacred truce by the name of StarClan."
Robinpaw gazed at Lionpaw in awe. "Holy StarClan, Lionpaw, I could picture every single word!" Beechpaw, wide-eyed in wonder, just looked at Lionpaw without a mew. His littermate was right; it was as if Lionpaw hadn't even said the words, as if a StarClan cat had prophesized them long ago.
Night of Shining Star looked up at the pitch, cloudless sky. She dreamt of a land, away from the barren mountains in which she made her home with the rest of the Tribe. It was a rich land with green grass and lush trees and undergrowth and prey.
Night of Shining Star was exasperated. Her once-sleek fur had faded to a dull, matted shade of rock-gray. Her eyes that once shined with pride and dignity had turned cloudy and glazed with silent desperation. Her frame was frail and thin, no longer healthy and full.
Tribe of the Eternal Sky, she prayed silently. Send us our new hope. Give us reason to look for the future. Help us survive. I want to live.
AN: Hi, people! This was written by yours truly, Georgia! :) Please write a review! I love hearing from people, learning what they think. Please, no flaming. If you don't like it, that's okay! I willingly except kind criticism and suggestions. More to come!