I hope you enjoy my book, Warriors: A New Dawn , book 1 of the Fire and Water. Please enjoy and may StarClan light your path!

Chapter 1

The clouds covered the moon as the murmurs of cats rose angrily. Mossstar meowed above all the clans. "Look!" The cats turned towards the sky, shock filling some of their eyes. "StarClan is angry with us! We must keep the truce!" The clan's voices began to die down as Shiningstar, leader of MoonClan began to speak again.

"I know my warriors have been invading your territory, Mossstar," she meowed. "Because I told them to. Our territory is running out of food."

Mossstar gazed at Shiningstar with surprised eyes. "That does not give you the authority to steal our prey."

Murmurs of agreement rose from LightningClan. Shiningstar glared at her. "My clan is starving, Mossstar! A blind hedgehog could see it!" She turned to the cats. "I think that MoonClan should have more territory. It is only fair." Agreeing meows echoed through the small gorge.

Smokestar, leader of SunClan spoke calmly. "Shiningstar. These have been the boundaries of the clans for many moons. We cannot just change them because you say so."

Yowls of protest broke from MoonClan. "Our clan is dying!" One voice yelled from the group.

Heathertail, the medicine cat of LightningClan stepped forward. "Maybe," she looked at Shiningstar. "if we all gave a small amount of prey, you would be able to survive, without taking other clan's territory."

The fire burned away from Shiningstar's eyes. "I guess we could do that."

Mossstar stepped forward. "Very well, it is settled." She nodded to Heathertail. "Thank you." Heathertail sat back down in the group. "As of tomorrow, we will give MoonClan some prey from our pile."

MoonClan began to quiet down, and the ShadeClan leader, Skystar began to speak. "I can report that we have one new apprentice, Swallowpaw." ShadeClan chanted the apprentice's name. "Swallowpaw! Swallowpaw!" Skystar flicked his tail to silence his clan. "However, our eldest warrior, Mousepelt went with StarClan after she was attacked by a fox. But my clan drove out the creature before any more warriors were taken."

Skystar nodded to Smokestar as he stepped back with Mossstar and Shiningstar. "All is well with SunClan," Smokestar began. "And we have a new warrior and elder. Our newest warrior is Honeywing." He paused to allow cheers for his new clan mate. "Honeywing! Honeywing!" "And our newest elder is Mousetail, and she has served SunClan since the first badger attack." Mossstar winced. She had heard stories that a badger, many moons ago, had gotten her kin to destroy the cat's camps before Mossstar was born. Many cats had been killed, and only a few survived. "Mossstar, would you like to start?" Smokestar meowed. Mossstar nodded. "Thank you Smokestar."

She turned towards the crowd of cats. "All is well in LightningClan. As you know, this is my first Gathering as leader." Mossstar glanced at the confused faces.

"Where is Redstar?" a voice from ShadeClan meowed.

Redstar, the previous LightningClan leader had died falling from a waterfall trying to save the clan's newest litter. He had plummeted down and lost his last two lives from the fall and from drowning. "Redstar has gone with StarClan," she paused to look at Mistyfur, Redstar's sister. "He died from falling off the edge of the waterfall, saving his clan's kits." Shock spread throughout the clans and murmurs arose from the crowd. "However, I have chosen a new deputy, Hawkfire." Mossstar glanced at her; the she-cat's blazing red fur gleaming. "She was there to comfort me as an apprentice and when I saw my leader die." Chants of Hawkfire's name echoed. "Hawkfire! Hawkfire!" Mossstar stared at Mistyfur as hurt filled her eyes. "I promise that I will keep the clan alive with the same love and comfort he gave before."

The cats were silent. Mossstar nodded and stepped back.

Smokestar stepped forward. "The Gathering is now over!" he announced. As the words were spoken, every cat split into their separate clans. Hawkfire sat by the end of the small stump where the leaders stood. She looked troubled as every cat glared at her as they passed. Mossstar strained to hear what one MoonClan cat said.

"She killed Redstar," the tom paused to look at her. "You can see it in her eyes."

Mossstar leaped from the rock and brushed pelts with Hawkfire. "I know you didn't do anything, Hawkfire." Concern started to cloud her eyes. "I have known you since we were apprentices. You would never do anything to hurt your clan." Hawkfire nuzzled Mossstar's flank.

"I know, but every cat looks at me like I was an outcast." She turned away and sighed. "Snowpelt was right; I should've never joined the clan."

Mossstar flinched. Snowpelt had found Hawkfire during border patrol when she was a kit. She had crossed the border from MoonClan where her birth mother, Spottedtree had raised her to four moons. Snowpelt had suggested taking her as captive as evidence that MoonClan didn't know any boundaries, but Redstar had taken her in and had given her the apprentice name, Hawkpaw.

Mossstar sat beside her. "Just because you came from a different clan as a kit, doesn't mean you are a traitor."

Hawkfire nodded and stood up. "We should head back to camp." With the last word spoken, she turned and headed towards the slope that led out of the gorge. Mossstar followed behind and led the way back home.

The clan slowly trekked their way back home. Mossstar reached the entrance and stepped through the thorn tunnel. As the clan moved through, they all split to go and rest in their proper dens. The apprentices sped to their den, its leafy roof shading them. Barkface and Snowpelt ran side by side to the nursery hidden in the corner to say goodnight to their kits. Its thorns blocked out the cold and enemies and kept in the warmth. Bramblefur, Mossstar's mate was curled up next to her den that sat below the Highledge. As Mossstar approached, Bramblefur stood up and pushed a plump mouse towards her. "I thought you would be hungry." He said to her. She brushed her face on his neck. "Thank you."

She sat down and gulped the mouse down with a few swift bites. "By the way," she began. "We need to organize new hunting patrols, since MoonClan needs more food from our territory."

Bramblefur's neck fur rose up and he hissed. "Why? They have their own territory!"

Mossstar spoke with a calm voice, trying to sooth her mate. "Shiningstar's clan is starving, and we decided that all the clans would pitch in to help keep the four clans alive." Bramblefur relaxed and slumped down next to her.

He sighed. "I just think that our clam has enough problems this leaf-bare, rather than sharing our hard earned food with a rival clan."

Mossstar rested her tail on his shoulder. "We need to help them. We are a good clan, and we have great warriors. We will do just as well even with this in our way."

Bramblefur nodded and looked at her, this time humor in his eyes. "Dapplepaw and Birchpaw decided to go and pour mouse-bile all over Sunclaw." He purred with amusement. "But Sunclaw nearly tore their ears off. Luckily, Mistyfur calmed him down."

Mossstar glared at the apprentices den. Her two kits, Birchpaw and Dapplepaw were made apprentices two moons ago, and were the jokers of the clan. If they want to be made warriors, they should act more like warriors.

Bramblefur sensed the anger in his mate. "They are just apprentices," he nuzzled her flank. "They should be able to have some fun now and then."

Mossstar rolled her eyes and turned to her mate. "Could you sleep in the den with me? I don't want to be alone after what happened at the Gathering."

Bramblefur nodded and headed inside with her. The moss draped over the entrance blocked out the streams of light that the moon provided. Mossstar headed towards her small moss bed, its damp texture soothing her tension. Bramblefur padded next to her and curled up beside her.

Mossstar rested her head and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, sleep overtook her, and she was plunged into a weary darkness.

Thank you for reading!

Trivia: Why do you think Shiningstar was being so hostile? Do you think that Hawkfire kill Redstar?

Please comment what you think and review! Thank you for reading!

-Mossstar