Thank you to my one reviewer. Thank you ever so much, I really appreciate it.
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"Leopardcloud!"
The voice shook Leopardcloud out of her dream. It was Tigertail, Leopardcloud's mate. He stood in front of her, his ginger fur fluffed up, a joyful look in his amber eyes. Leopardcloud could see red light coming in the entrance of the den, telling her it was twilight.
"Guess what!" he mewed excitedly. "Stripekit and Russetkit will be made apprentices at twilight tomorrow!" His long tail, which had black stripes, curled up with delight. Leopardcloud and Tigertail's other two kits, Stormpaw and Foxpaw had been apprenticed almost a half moon ago.
"That is great news!" Leopardcloud purred. "These two are too big for the nursery. Who will be their mentors?" she asked her mate.
Tigertail was about to reply when he was interrupted by the call for a Clan meeting by ThunderClan's leader, Blazingstar.
Leopardcloud nudged Stripekit and Russetkit to their paws. Tigertail left the den first, followed by Leopardcloud and the kits. Leopardcloud settled down at the entrance to the nursery, her kits at her paws. Tigertail sat next to her, and they both looked up at Blazingstar. Leaves fluttered down from the trees above to hollow, blown by a cold leaf-fall breeze. Leopardcloud drew her kits closer to her, and Tigertail pressed against her. Leopardcloud enjoyed feeling her mate and her kits close to her.
Beneath the Highledge, ThunderClan gathered. Blazingstar sat on the Highledge, his bright blue eyes taking in the Clan. Leopardcloud looked around at her clanmates. Otterclaw, a light tabby she-cat sat near Thistlefur, a black and brown tom and her sister, Ripplefeather, a silver spotted she-cat. Leopardcloud's daughter Stormpaw sat with her friend Owlpaw, a light tabby tom, and one of the other apprentices, Hailpaw, a gray-black tom. Owlpaw was glaring at something, and Hailpaw was whispering in Stormpaw's ear. On Stormpaw's other side sat Flowerpaw. Foxpaw, Leopardcloud's other son, sat with Bluepaw, Hailpaw's sister and the medicine cat apprentice, and Moonpaw, a pretty silver apprentice. Leopardcloud's good friend Wildtail sat with another warrior, Spottedstorm. Swallowtail and Sparrowfeather, Leopardcloud's two sisters, sat together, their mates, Sootclaw and Weasleclaw on either side. Blacktip, the other queen in the Clan, sat nearby Leopardcloud. Rockfrost sat near the base of Highledge, his eyes on Blazingstar. Smokefeather slipped out of the warriors den, and sat next to Spottedstorm. The elders, Hollytail, Whitepelt, and Raventail all left the elder's den together, and sat in group.
At the base of Highledge sat Lionfur, in the traditional place of the medicine cat. Icefeather also sat at the base of Highledge, her apprentice Tigerpaw sitting at her side.
Blazingstar got to his paws and began to speak. As soon as he spoke, the Clan quieted.
"Cats of ThunderClan!" the ThunderClan leader yowled, "We are gathered here at the Highledge tonight to name three new warriors. Will the apprentices and their mentors please step forward?" Flowerpaw and Hailpaw bounded to their mentor's sides, and Icefeather and Tigerpaw met Sootclaw, Flowerpaw, Rockfrost, and Hailpaw at the base of the Highledge.
"Sootclaw, is Hailpaw ready to become a warrior?" Blazingstar asked from above.
Sootclaw nodded. "He is." He mewed solemnly.
"Rockfrost," Blazingstar called next, "is Flowerpaw fit to be a warrior?" Rockfrost nodded, his eyes glowing.
"Icefeather, is Tigerpaw ready to receive his warrior name?" Blazingstar asked his deputy.
Icefeather replied, "He is, Blazingstar."
"Tigerpaw, Flowerpaw, Hailpaw, step forward." Blazingstar ordered.
The three apprentices stepped forward, looking up at their leader with anticipation in their eyes. Blazingstar ran down the rocks to the hollow floor, and stood in front of the three apprentices. He fixed his eyes on the first star of StarClan, and began the ritual words that had been passed down from one leader to another, for generations.
"I, Blazingstar, leader of ThunderClan, call on my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Blazingstar mewed. He fixed burning blue eyes on the three apprentices and mewed, "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?' Blazingstar asked.
Hailpaw answered excitedly, "I do!"
Flowerpaw and Tigerpaw answered together, "I do."
"Then by the power of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Hailpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Hailclaw. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Blazingstar rested his muzzle on Hailclaw's head, and the new warrior licked his shoulder. Hailclaw stood up, and then went to sit with the other warriors. Blazingstar now looked at Flowerpaw.
"Flowerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flowertail. StarClan honors your bravery and fierce defense of your Clan, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Blazingstar rested his muzzle on her head, and she too licked his shoulder. Flowertail went to sit next to Hailclaw.
Now just Tigerpaw stood before Blazingstar. Leopardcloud noticed something strange in the leader's eyes as he looked at Tigerpaw. Blazingstar hesitated, and then mewed, "Tigerpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Tigershadow." When Blazingstar gave Tigershadow his name, a cracking sound filled Leopardcloud's ears, and she felt a great pain on her shoulder. She heard an eerie voice say, "beware the moonshine and the flame it hides."
Leopardcloud missed the end of Blazingstar's words about Tigershadow, and when the noise had faded from her ears, the Clan was cheering the new warriors. "Tigershadow! Flowertail! Hailclaw!"
Leopardcloud felt a shiver of unease go through her. Something was not right about Tigershadow, but what? Whatever it was, Leopardcloud did not feel safe with Tigershadow guarding the camp.
--
In Leopardcloud's dreams a black tabby padded, his amber eyes glowing with malice. He and four other figures filled her vision. Each of the cats carried a different scent. One smelled of ShadowClan, one smelled of RiverClan, the third smelled of WindClan, but the fourth's scent was unfamiliar.
The strange cat mewed with a rasping voice, "The time is now. We attack the hills at dawn."
The RiverClan cat asked, "But what about the woodland?"
The strange cat replied, "I will send Crow and a few others to scope it out." He mewed, "Now go, before your Clans know you are gone."
Leopardcloud watched, frozen, as the five cats separated. She felt confused, what was going on? She was about to follow the black tabby, when she was woken by a nudge. Leopardcloud opened her eyes to see Blacktip standing over her. Blacktip flicked her white tail and mewed, "Leopardcloud, your kits got into Lionfur's herbs again."
Leopardcloud got to her paws with a sigh. "I will take care of it. Thank you, Blacktip." She nodded to the black and white queen, and left the den.
--
Angry screeches sounded near the abandoned Twoleg nest. Ears pricked, Icefeather tracked a mix of scents to the warring cats, puzzled by the strange scent that was mixed in with ThunderClan. Reaching a small clearing, Icefeather saw Sootclaw, Thornheart, Flowertail, Ripplefeather, Stormpaw and Wildtail fighting against a band of rouges. Icefeather could see a black tom was bent of the still form of Owlpaw. Owlpaw's light tabby fur was ripped, and spiky with dried blood. With a yowl of fury, Icefeather leaped at the black rouge, claws unsheathed. She clung to his back as he tried to dislodge her. He was strong, obviously well fed, and strong muscles rippled under his pelt. With a great shake, he threw her off his back. She lay stunted for a moment, watching as one of the smaller rouges picked up Owlpaw by the scruff and dragged him away. As she got to her paws, the black tom turned and stared at her.
"In two dawns time, a group of our warriors will guide you to our camp. Will you compromise, or will we kill your cat?" He rasped.
Icefeather hesitated. She did not like dealing with rouges. But, Owlpaw was Thornheart's apprentice, and her Clanmate. "We will talk, but only if you do not attack us till then." She replied.
The black rouge nodded, and then raced into the forest. Icefeather watched him go, and then turned to her Clanmates. She took in the condition of her Clanmates. Stormpaw had scratches across his muzzle, Icefeather's son Sootclaw had a gash on his shoulder that was bleeding. Flowertail was limping slightly for a wound on her shoulder, and Wildtail's ear was torn. Icefeather was feeling relieved that there had been no serious injuries, when she heard a strangled moan coming from Thornheart. The fur on his right side had been torn off, and he was bleeding heavily. Icefeather felt fear for him sweep over her, and she ordered Stormpaw, "Get Lionfur!" The gray apprentice raced off, toward the camp.
Icefeather padded to Thornheart's side. She looked at Wildtail and mewed, "get some cobwebs! We need to stop the bleeding." Wildtail nodded, and slipped into the abandoned Twoleg nest to see if she could find any. Icefeather began to clean to wound as best she could. Thornheart lay still, panting, as she licked his side.
After what seemed like seasons, Lionfur arrived. His golden fur was in disarray; his mouth was full of herbs. Bluepaw stood next to him, also carrying herbs. As soon as he saw Thornheart, he padded quickly to his side and began to work. Icefeather stepped back to give the medicine cat space to work.
After a few moments, Lionfur stepped back. "He will be alright, but we need to get him back to camp." Icefeather nodded. Sootclaw came over and gently picked him up by the scruff, while Flowertail gripped his tail. Stormpaw and Wildtail also helped support the injured warrior as they took him back to camp.
Lionfur watched them go before turning to Icefeather. His golden eyes were worried as he met her green ones. "This new group of cats seems to be a problem." Lionfur remarked.
Icefeather nodded. "It would seem so. They want to meet in two dawns time to talk. They took Owlpaw." She told the medicine cat.
Lionfur looked troubled. "This is a dark time for the Clans."
Icefeather shifted her paws. "In the meantime, I am sending Tigertail and Spottedstorm to track these new cats and see what we can learn."
Icefeather nodded to Lionfur, and then set off for the camp. Lionfur watched her go, the rising sun touching his pelt to gold, and Icefeather's silver fur glowed as she moved through the woods. Lionfur murmured half to himself, "I just hope it is enough. It would seem StarClan has added a new Clan to the forest, DawnClan."
--
There you go.
Reviews and criticism are much appreciated.
