Notes: Hello! I realize I didn't explain at the end of the prologue that I changed some of the titles of the Lostclan cats. They have a Guides, a Healer, and Fighters instead of a Leader, Medicine Cat, and Warriors. That was on purpose as a way to show the changes that this clan has made since their departure from the four clans. All will be explained in greater detail later on! Enjoy the first chapter!

Chapter One
Fighting in the Thickets

Ashpaw made his way through the thicket, his paws lightly scrapping into the dirt, clawing up dirt and grass in his wake, his ear flat and his head held high, as his footsteps sped up, in chase of his prey. He followed the tabby pelt in front of him, using his long legs to propel him forward. Getting closer, he tensed his shoulder up, using his strength to pounce on his target. Landing onto the cat's back Ashpaw bit down into the scruff, and they both tumbled into an open clearing, sending up dust and leaves in their wake.

Ashpaw felt his side being kicked, and teeth bite down into his shoulder. He yowled in pain releasing his hold. His body got propelled backwards, and he landing in the thicket with a loud thump.

His side sore from the kicks, Ashpaw rolled out of the thicket and shook the dust from his striped fur. "Good job Poppypaw," he mewed. "That last bite really hurt. Any rogue cat would be sorry to come across your path."

"Oh please," a dark black she-cat mewed. "Anyone can beat you in a fight, it's like swatting a fly."

Ashpaw flattened his ear, irritated as his sister's taunt. "Stop it, Ravenpaw. I can fight just like any other apprentice."

Ravenpaw scoffed. "You sure have a sad way of showing it."

Before Ashpaw could reply, there was a loud yowling from the other of the clearing, and two more cats came rolling into view. A small grey cat rolled off his attacker, but quickly jumped up, swiveling around to face his attacker. A dark brown tom jumped back up, crouched, and jumped to land on the grey cats back.

"Hook his paws, Thrushpaw!" Ravenpaw called, her fur prickling with excitement at the fight. "Expose his belly!"

"It's not your job to train him." Ashpaw mewed. He was bothered at how well his sister was at fighting.

He smelled Poppypaw before he felt her fur brush his shoulder, the older apprentice looked down at him and give him a friendly cuff on the ear, before turning to watch the fight. Leaves were still stuck in her fur from their tumble in the thicket.

Thrushpaw used his weight to roll his attacker over, and climbed on top before the grey cat could recover from the blow, slamming his paws down onto the exposed white underbelly, and made scratching movements up and down.

"You got me! I'm dying!" the grey cat cried, thrashing his head back and forth. "Goodbye! Tell Lionclaw I'll never be able to clean fleas out of his fur again! Oh, the pain!"

Thrushpaw got off, his tail thrashing with excitement. "That was a good fight! I hope Longscar saw that last move I pulled. We've been practicing it for moons"

At the sound of her name, the she-cat quietly appeared from the bushes. Behind her followed Poppypaw's mentor, Whitewhisker followed, along with Silverstorm and Aspenpelt. They were all here to watch the final tests for the two older apprentices, gauging their readiness to become fighters within Lostclan. Today they were testing the cat's fighting, and Ashpaw and his siblings were there to help, even though they were quite as close to their fighter ceremonies.

Longscar dipped her head to her apprentice. "I saw your fighting skills, Thrushpaw, and you have come a long way from your first days as an apprentice. I will be sure to tell Oakstar later today."

Thrushpaw pushed out his chest in pride.

Whitewhisker turned to his apprentice, "Poppypaw, you also did well avoiding Ashpaw for a long as you did. He is one of the fastest toms I have seen in moons, and you kept him off your tail for almost the whole trail."

Poppypaw purred and nudged her brother. They both had shimmers in their eyes at the approaching ceremonies.

Ravenpaw stepped forward. "I think Poppypaw should be able to show her fighting skills more, Ashpaw is no match when it comes to fights. All he can do is run away."

Ashpaw turned to swat his sister. "Leave me be, Ravenpaw. Not everyone can have long claw like you."

"It's not my claws but my skill! I actually train to keep our clan safe!" Ravenpaw hissed.

"Knock it off right now." Whitewhisker scolded. "You both are not kits."

Ravenpaw huffed. "Not my fault he would make a better two-leg pet than a fighter. You should have left him for the kittypet's than taken him in with us."

Whitewhisker turned and swiped Ravenpaw with his paw. "That's enough. You are cleaning out the elder's den tonight instead of going on the evening patrol. Aspenpelt will hear about this when we reach camp." Ravenpaw cried in disbelief.

Ashpaw felt the other cats looking at him, and his pelt prickled with unease. "I-I need to go." He mewed, and ran out of the clearing, away from the shame he felt.

Silverstorm watched her apprentice go. "I'll go get him, you guys head back to camp." She mewed, and disappeared into the bushes.

-x-

Ashpaw ran through the forest whipping past the trees and weaving through the roots. Ravenpaw was right, he was only good at running away. He wished his paws would carry him away from this clan. He would never be a good fighter. How could he protect them if he couldn't even fend off a basic fight move? His brother, Sagepaw was an even better fighter and he had no interest in battle moves.

I just want to make my clan proud. Ashpaw thought, slowing his steps. His blood was racing through his ears but he could still hear the rushing of the river as he approached the marshy bank. He walked through the mud, the water cooling his paws. He always felt a little more relaxed by the water.

He sighed when he heard movement in the bushes behind him. "I just want to be alone Silverstorm."

The she-cat purred. "Your sense of smell is beyond your moons, Ashpaw."

Ashpaw shrugged. "It won't help me learn how to be a fighter. I'm going to still be an apprentice by the next green-leaf."

Silverstorm gave his ear a reassuring lick. "You are already a fighter Ashpaw. From the moment you were born."

Ashpaw turned away. He had heard this story many times, of how him and his siblings were found by the river.

"I was with the patrol when you three were found by Longscar." Silverstorm mewed. "We took you back to camp, and Oakstar took you in without question, even though there were no queens around to feed you milk. Bristlepaw and Cloudrunner took turns feeding you herbs all day and night to keep you strong. Even when Sagepaw and Ravenpaw got sick, you showed them how to fight through, never leaving their sides. Your body is made for fighting, Ashpaw, it's in your blood."

"I don't even know where my blood is from Our mother abandoned us by the river, remember?" Ashpaw mewed.

Silverstorm narrowed her eyes. "Ah yes…. abandoned." She mewed. "That's right."

"How can I be a fighter is my own mother didn't want me?"

Silverstorm sighed. "It's not that she did not want you, Ashpaw. Either way, I'm sure her reasons were valid. She may have been in danger, for all you know."

"All I know is that I can run, and be a scaredy-cat." Ashpaw said.

"Once, some of our ancestors came from a clan," Silverstorm began, "who were as fast as the clouds. They called themselves Windclan, and they were a part of the four clans that we are once came from."

"Windclan?" Ashpaw echoed.

Silverstorm nodded. "They had long legs like yours, can chased rabbits through the moors. They were faster than the sky, legend says. No cat could escape from them."

"Do you think that is where I am from? Ravenpaw and Sagepaw too?" Ashpaw asked. "Where is Windclan now?"

"I can't say, my apprentice." Silverstorm mewed. "We lost all contact with them many moons ago. Lionclaw is the last from the original travelers. I know some cats of the clan would travel back to see their kin, and kits. But they have passed onto to the stars, and I do not know if any Lostclan cat now knows how to get there, or where to go."

"Do you think Lionclaw could help me find him?" Ashpaw mewed.

Silverstorm laughed. "Lionclaw is lucky if he can find his tail most days. Let's go back to camp, the others should be there by now."

Ashpaw nodded, following the she-cat back into the trees. He was no longer upset by his sister, but this mind was rushing with thoughts of cats that ran like the clouds, and eat rabbits under the open stars of the moor.

Note: Hello! I hope you enjoyed. Kind of more of an introductory chapter here, but I wanted you to meet the three main cats of the fan-fic. Let me know what you think! I don't know if you noticed but Lostclan doesn't really acknowledge Starclan as the home where they go when they die, but rather just a gathering of their former ancestors. Why is that? Wait and see!