Chapter One:

Snowpaw sat in front of the highrock, her whiskers twitching in excitement. Firepaw, (the she-cat), sitting next to her, was calm, but Snowpaw knew that she had to be at least a little excited. This was the day the white cat and her orange and white tabby friend had waited for. This was the day they would become warriors of Woodsclan.

"I call upon my ancestors of Starclan," Shadowstar began, "to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the way of the warrior code. I give them to you in their turn as warriors." Shadowstar turned to the two apprentices, "Firepaw, Snowpaw, do you solemnly promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cot of your life?"

"I do," the cats said, in unison

Shadowstar continued, "Then by the power of Starclan, I give you your warrior names, Firepelt, and Snowfoot!" Snowfoot quivered in excitement.

"Firepelt, Firepelt! Snowfoot, Snowfoot!" chanted the clan cats. Snowfoot touched noses with every cat she could find. Next to her, Firepelt glowed with pride as her former mentor, Brindlenose, congratulated her. Then Snowfoot realized that one cat had not greeted her. It was her littermate, Stormpaw. She looked around, but didn't see the black she-cat anywhere. Then she spotted her at the edge of the clearing, by the medicine cat's den. Stormpaw gazed up at the two newly named warriors sadly, and Snowfoot felt a pang of sympathy toward her. She forgot all about the troubled apprentice, though, when Cottonface, her former mentor, drug her kits over and congratulated her. After the excitement died down, and the cats went about their every day things, Firepelt and Snowfoot the warriors den. Inside, Twigear was just settling down for a nap.

"Twigear," mewed Snowfoot, "What about Stormpaw?" Twigear looked up, confused, but only for a moment.

"Oh, your friend has chosen to become the medicine cat apprentice," he replied, sleepily, "She will train with Ferntail." Twigear closed his eyes, and rested his chin on his paws, a signal for them to leave him in peace. The two warriors obeyed his simple gesture. Outside, a white tom with a ginger spot over his heart was sitting outside the nursery, and there was tension, mingled with excitement in the air. Snowfoot spotted Stormpaw hurrying across the clearing with herbs in her mouth. She followed after her, but didn't catch up before the speedy black apprentice disappeared into the nursery.

"What's going on?" Snowfoot asked Brokenheart, the white tom, "Are the kits alright?" Brokenheart nodded.

"Cinderfur is having her kits," he mewed nervously. A few moments later, Stormpaw stepped out with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Three healthy kits!" she announced, happily. Brokenheart beamed and slipped into the nursery. Stormpaw smiled proudly at her litter mate.

"Would you like to see them?" she asked Snowfoot.

"Sure!" mewed Snowfoot enthusiastically. She stepped into the nursery. Cottonface was curled up at one end, with her kits, and on the other end was Cinderfur, with three squirming lumps of fur. One was orange, one was blue/gray, and one was brown with thick black stripes.

"Meet Flamekit, Bluekit, and Brackenkit!" mewed Stormpaw. She didn't seem near as depressed as she had during the warrior ceremony. Snowfoot watched the kits for a while, before she realized how hungry she was. She padded over to the fresh kill pile and selected a juicy looking vole.

By the time she finished, the sun was sinking, and it was time for the evening border patrol, which consisted of Firepelt, Snowfoot, and Brindlenose. The cats set out around Woodsclan territory. Firepelt and Snowfoot were terribly excited about going on their first patrol. They patrolled the border by the Thunderpath, the Sunclan border. Snowfoot wrinkled her nose at the acrid tang, a mixture of Thunderpath stink, and a Sunclan patrol. Snowfoot noticed Firepelt's fur had bristled, and she looked across the Thunderpath. Standing at the edge, was a pale tabby, a gray tabby apprentice, and a gray cat with a white spot on their chest. This must be the patrol I smelled, Snowfoot thought, But why were they going to cross the Thunderpath? Firepelt growled, and her ears were flat against her head. Brindlenose stepped to the edge of the border to meet the patrol that was hurrying across the Thunderpath.

"Dawnfur," Brindlenose nodded in greeting to the pale tabby, then to the gray cat, "Raincloud." The tabby apprentice looked up nervously at Dawnfur.

"Get back on your own territory!" snapped Firepelt, eager to defend her clan. Brindlenose shot her former apprentice a scornful look, and Firepelt shuffled her paws in the dirt.

"Tintedstar requests that you return Stonekit immediately." The Woodsclan cats looked at each other in confusion.

"Stonekit?" mewed Snowfoot, bewildered.

"Grayknee's kit that was stolen by Woodsclan!" The tabby apprentice snapped, unexpectedly.

Dawnfur also shot her a scornful look, and when she saw the Woodsclan cats still looking confused, announced, "Tintedstar will not fight if you admit to your crimes and bring Stonekit back now. I suggest you go check your camp."

"We didn't take your stupid kit!" screeched Firepelt, "Now get off our territory and tell your mouse-brained leader that he was mistaken!" Snowfoot flinched at her friend's lack of respect towards Tintedstar, but she did agree he was mistaken.

"There was Woodsclan scent all over the nursery!" burst the apprentice.

"Leafpaw!" scolded Dawnfur. Snowfoot looked at Firepelt, who looked ready to attack, then to Brindlenose, who was still calm and collected.

"And you traced the scent back here?" Brindlenose was addressing Leafpaw. The young cat was shuffling from side to side.

"No," she admitted, "We traced it to the twoleg place." Brindlenose nodded.

"Then go back to your camp, you have no proof it was Woodsclan," she mewed. Brindlenose began to pad away from the Thunderpath, motioning for her patrol to do the same.

"But the scent!" exclaimed Leafpaw. Dawnfur silenced her and took her patrol back in the other direction.

"The monsters sure are scarce today," commented Snowfoot, noticing for the first time that not a single monster had passed while they were talking to the Sunclan cats. When they reached the camp, Brindlenose padded over to Shadowstar, who was sunning herself over by her den. Snowfoot went over to the apprentice den, before remembering that she didn't sleep there anymore. Firepaw, one of Snowfoot's closest friends, stepped out to greet her. They had been apprentice together, then a few moons ago, when Shadowstar was about to assess the apprentices; Fireypaw, (Firepelt's apprentice nickname, to distinguish her from the tom, Firepaw), Firepaw, and Snowpaw; Firepaw had had a mild accident on the Thunderpath. He missed the assessment and the ceremony, but now looked fully recovered.

"Snowfoot!" he exclaimed, "Shadowstar is planning to assess me today!" Snowfoot smiled and gave him a friendly lick. "If she ever wakes up," he added quietly. Then, a yowl broke through the peaceful camp.

"What!" exclaimed Shadowstar, "The think we stole their kit!" The black she-cat stood up and looked around the clearing. "Snowfoot, Brindlenose, Brokenheart, and Ferntail. We'll take a medicine cat so they know that we don't want to fight." The warriors she had chosen followed her towards the gorse tunnel. Brokenheart and Ferntail were clearly confused, so Brindlenose quietly filled them in. As they began to file through the gorse tunnel, Shadowstar turned around and looked at the apprentice den.

"Firepaw!" she mewed, "You come, too." The orange tabby dashed across the clearing eagerly to her mentor's side. "We may have to fight," she reminded him sternly, but there was a twinkle in her eye. Firepaw nodded seriously and dashed past Shadowstar to walk beside Snowfoot.

As the patrol neared the Thunderpath, Snowfoot grew more and more nervous. What if Tintedstar ordered his cats to attack? A monster roared past, ruffling the patrol's fur. Shadowstar looked up and down the endless black trail, and then signaled for her cats to cross. They darted across the Thunderpath and into open grassland. They were in Sunclan territory, now.

All was going well until the patrol got halfway through Sunclan territory. Yowls of anger rose up from behind them and Snowfoot whipped around to see three Sunclan cats cresting a hill and charging at the intruders.

"Stop!" yowled Shadowstar, "I only wish to speak to Tintedstar in peace."

Raincloud, from earlier, was there. Her eyes, seeming soft and worried before, were now fierce and burning with anger. "Then why did you bring so many warriors with you? I bet you were planning to steal another kit!" Snowfoot's fur bristled. How dare they accuse her of something like this! She let out a low growl, simply a warning. A light gray tabby apprentice hurled herself at Snowfoot, taking her by surprise and knocking her to the ground.

"Petalpaw!" yelled a black cat with a white bib, "Get back here this instant!"

"Sorry, Darksky," Petalpaw, obviously the sister of Leafpaw, sulked over to Darksky and Raincloud, "She was going to attack!" Snowfoot glared at the outgoing apprentice. To much like her sister; that was her problem.

The border patrol reluctantly led Shadowstar to their camp. Sunclan cats stared at them; some with curiosity, some with anger. Snowfoot heard an elder say, "They were probably caught tryin' to swipe another kit!" She hissed in their direction, and received an exasperated look from her leader. The Woodsclan cats and the Sunclan patrol sat outside Tintedstar's den as Shadowstar tried to persuade him that they did not take the kit.

"Fine, then. Let me see the nursery. If one of my clan took him without my knowledge, I might recognize the scent." She insisted.

Rollingpelt, the deputy, hissed, "You can't take her in the nursery! She might try to take another one!" Tintedstar shook his head.

"She wouldn't leave her warriors. And besides, once she smells the scent with her own nose, she can deny it no longer," he reminded his deputy. Shadowstar marched out of the den.

"Where is your nursery?" she questioned Petalpaw. Raincloud stared at Tintedstar, shocked, as he emerged from the den.

"You're letting her in the nursery!?" she exclaimed. Tintedstar nodded and Petalpaw flicked her tail toward a small gorse wall inside the camp, with a hold in the front.

"Thank you," the Woodsclan leader mewed, "Firepaw, come with me." The two cats headed over to the nursery, with Tintedstar behind them. A few moments later, Shadowstar stepped out of the nursery. Every hair on her back stood up in alarm, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"So it was a Woodsclan cat!" Petalpaw hissed, smuggle.

"You fools!" spat Shadowstar, "That smells nothing like Woodsclan!" Snowfoot cautiously padded forward and slipped into the nursery. Two queens looked up at her angrily. She sniffed the air. She smelled Sunclan, of course, and the fain scent of Woodsclan. But wait…It wasn't Woodsclan. Snowfoot wrinkled her nose at the awful scent. It was similar to Woodsclan, but lacked the soft smelling kittypet-like smell, and the smell of the forest. Snowfoot slipped back outside. Her leader stood ridged, looking afraid. The thought of the strong, black, powerful leader she had known her whole life having smelled something that scared her, chilled Snowfoot to the bone.

"If it's not Woodsclan, who is it?" Petalpaw taunted. The warrior called Darksky shot her a warning look. Shadowstar shook herself, and looked nervously around the clearing.

"It is Shadowclan."