Chapter One

Swanfeather's Point of View

"Come on Swanfeather, you have dawn patrol." A paw prodded her shoulder and she was forced to blink open her eyes. The young warrior had forgot that she was to lead it today; with a growl she pushed herself up and out of the Warrior's den.

It was Nightdance who had awoken her from her slumber and a he pointed his nose towards two waiting cats by the entrance.

As she made her way over to the two - Woodnose and Cricketchirp - she watched the sunrise over the lake with a purr. Green-leaf was on the way and she could already feel the warmth of the sun on her pelt. "Where are we going?" Asked Cricketchrip, making her snap back into reality.

She thought for a moment before answering. "How about we border the wasteland?" Even the thought gave her prickles along her spine. She had patrolled the border between DarkClan many times, but the sight of dead forest always made her gasp.

Cricketchirp, one of the senior warriors, nodded before dashing away into the forest. Woodnose quickly followed and Swanfeather brought up the rear.

In time Woodnose had fallen in step with Swanfeather. He was a little bit older but Swanfeather's closest friend next to her son. She purred, head butting him with a purr. He returned the gesture. "So... Duckpaw's father?" He pressed.

She cringed; the topic had been going for a long time. Ever since she was transferred to the Nursery as an old apprentice. Swanfeather was the bane of the family when she had gotten pregnant so young but she held her head high and soon later she had been accepted again. Duckpaw was a blessing though, and no one denied that. "I told you," she snapped, "he was a loner." She hated this topic. Her mother sent her glares for 9 months; she didn't want that to continue.

He shrugged, "I've never seen another cat here except for the two Clans..." he explained, pressing.

But Swanfeather hadn't heard him; she was running again. She didn't tell him that the Loner belonged in Dark Willows Crossing and that when she had found out she was pregnant she refused to see him anymore. "We're here!" Chirped Cricketchirp and so Swanfeather rushed again.

She was greeted with the sound of growls and when she turned a clump of ferns she greeted the sight with shock. Three DarkClan warriors where standing only inches from the border. They growled at the two, and soon three as Woodnose rushed up to join his Clan mates.

"Hookocean... Coreheart... Madhat..." hissed Cricketchirp in a not-so-friendly greeting.

Coreheart - the black she-cat - sat down and flicked her ears for her comrades to do the same. Swanfeather watched in awe at the three cats, she had never before met a DarkClan cat before.

Their pelts mixed in with the burnt trees behind them, mere shadows of death. She took a minute to look over the tom with the barbed tail and cringed.

Where his tail should be there was a foot-length of silvery metal that was tied to the bone. Fur had long since grown over to make it look like a tail but the spots where infection had once owned his skin weren't hard to point out. It looked painful but he seemed to manage.

"What do you want?" He snapped at her, drawing her eyes to his own. She snarled in response, drawn back to reality.

"Hookocean, quiet yourself." Hissed Coreheart and the tom clamped his mouth shut, but his eyes still glared at Swanfeather. She got this one, pesky vermin.

"You go on your way and we ours." Said Cricketchrip, the only one who looked unthreatened.

"And what if we don't?" Hissed Madhat.

"Then we'll kill you." Retorted Cricketchirp, fur ever so bristling.

"Good never kills, didn't they teach you that in apprentice hood? Silly little bug!" And Coreheart snapped upwards. But she did not attack; instead she flicked her tail for her warriors to follow. "Come on Hookocean, Madhat. Millstar will want to hear about this..." And they curled away into the dank darkness.

Cricketchirp didn't look satisfied. "Come on you two, I think we need to talk to Snowstar. If Coreheart is bad, I imagine Millstar being terrible..."

"But Eldermill is her father, and we all know what he's like." Responded Woodnose as they began to trot towards camp.

Swanfeather cocked his head, "that was Millstar's mother?"

Cricketchirp nodded, "only until a few moons ago their leader was Graystar - Snow's father -"

"- Wait what!" Swanfeather was confused. Her grandfather was a DarkClan leader?

Cricketchirp sighed and turned on her. "A long time ago there was Graystorm and Jewelheart who were warriors here. Millspell was mates with Horsepelt. As of old Clan custom, when Jewelheart and Horsepelt both died, the tom was to leave and be mates with the single she-cat. Snowstar though grew up here, as the tom couldn't take any children with him. Graystorm became leader, him and Millspell had kits - Blindwitch and Dragonscream - and he made Millspell deputy. Graystar died a few moons ago and Millspell became leader."

Swanfeather nodded, "but this custom is... no longer here right?"

Cricketchirp shook his head. "No, it is very much alive. But, thank StarClan; no tom/she-cat's mates have died recently. But the next tom's mate that dies in DarkClan will be moving here."

Swanfeather's heart began to race, but she still asked. "For who?"

"For you Swanfeather..." Breathed Woodnose sadly.

"And which tom's are the options?" She asked, all this information ringing her head dry. Why did her mother never tell her of these things? To protect you from her father's fate, her inner mind told her.

"Huntarrow - the deputy - and. Hookocean. Sadly, I don't think Millstar will die anytime soon, she has all her 9 lives. But Coreheart could die any minute..." Said Cricketchirp.

"Yes, it looks like Millstar is giving her the most wind-battered den and the least amount of food." The two cats exchanged purrs. Coreheart was obviously disliked.

"And Hookocean is mated to Coreheart I presume," she hissed.

"I'm really sorry Swanfeather." Said Cricketchirp, the camp was in few.

"Can't I just take a mate inside the Clan?" She hissed desperately.

Woodnose shook his head, "the Clan Code forbids it. Once your mate dies or disappears... then you are up for grabs."

Swanfeather cursed under her breath but camp was in sight. She could not change her fate.

"Come on, lets go talk to your mother..." Answered Cricketchirp, trying to bring up Swanfeather's mood.

She nodded, and they disappeared into camp.