Chapter 1: Dawn Patrol
The sun was just coming up over the horizon as a small black tomcat padded along the stream that seperated LightningClan from MountainClan. On his side of the river, there was lush undergrowth and tall trees. On the other was a tall mountain, many caves, and a few shorter trees. He opened his mouth, scenting to see if a MountainClan patrol was going to run into them.
His mentor spoke. "Shadowpaw, don't go too close to the water. Remember what I taught you about this river." His mentor was a dark gray tom with eyes like green olives. He was watching Shadowpaw closely.
Shadowpaw remembered. His mentor, Stormfreeze, had told him a story about one of Hazelnose's kits. Hazelnose was a LightningClan elder, formerly a queen. One of her kits had ventured out of the camp at night, and hadn't seen the water. The kit had fallen in and was swept away, never to be seen again.
He veered away from the water. Looking over his shoulder in the pale morning light, he saw Stormfreeze and a small pale ginger she-cat. She was mewing something to Stormfreeze, too quiet for Shadowpaw to hear.
Shadowpaw growled. I'm ten moons old! Three more moons, and I'll be old enough to be a warrior! Why does everyone always keep secrets from me?
He sulked for the rest of the walk down the stream.
"No sign of MountainClan. They've kept to their borders." Meowed she-cat, Sandwhisker, impressed. MountainClan was very aggressive usually, but things had been peaceful for moons. "Let's go back to camp."
The trio turned away from the river and padded into the undergrowth. They walked for a little while, quickly paced because their bellies were rumbling with hunger.
When they got back to camp, Shadowpaw saw the other apprentices eating fresh-kill by the apprentice's den. Their den was in a gnarled tree root, which was warm when properly stalked with moss. He rushed to the fresh-kill pile, and grabbed a mouse with his teeth and scurried over to his denmates.
"Morning, Shadowpaw! How was dawn patrol?" The only she-cat, a beautiful gray she-cat with dark stripes and amber eyes, purred.
Shadowpaw answered. "No sign of MountainClan, Stonepaw." He quoted Sandwhisker.
A dark brown tom with black stripes, called Tigerpaw, meowed. "That's too bad." He looked crestfallen. Tigerpaw and his brother Rainpaw were a couple moons younger than Shadowpaw, while Stonepaw was already thirteen moons old.
"Why? Are you itching for a fight?" Rainpaw teased, fluffing up his dark gray fur.
Tigerpaw spat at his brother. "Yeah. A fight with you!" He pounced on Rainpaw and put a sheathed paw at his throat.
Stonepaw cuffed Tigerpaw over the head. "Settle down, you two! Or I will have to tell your mother that you need to go back into the nursery because you're acting like kits." She hissed, mostly at Tigerpaw.
Shadowpaw was watching all this while thoughtfully chewing on his mouse. Stonepaw would probably be named a warrior soon. And since the kits in the nursery were so young, that would mean one less cat for apprentice duties. He sighed. He would surely miss Stonepaw when she left the den.