Featherstar's POV
"From this day on forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cedarpaw," Featherstar tried her best to keep her voice from being stiff. "Duskstorm will be your mentor." Her gaze flicked over to the dark grey warrior. "I trust that he will pass on as much knowledge that he has learned from his previous mentor."
Featherstar watched as her brother walked up to the middle of the clearing where Featherstar, the new-named Cedarpaw, and Mistkit stood. Father and son quickly touched noses and retreated to the crowd.
"Mistkit," Featherstar's mew was now warmer. She hoped that not many cats had seen this. "You have also reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed as well. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mistpaw. I will be your mentor, and I hope that I pass down all my knowledge to you."
"Cedarpaw! Mistpaw!" The Clan chanted. Featherstar stepped forward to Mistpaw and touched noses with her.
"Cloudfall," Featherstar dipped her head to her deputy. "Please set the patrols."
The clearing was deserted. The moon rose high above the sky. The sky yawned sleepily as the first few cats of StarClan began to appear.
How is it night? It was just sunhigh, and I was talking to Cloudfall. Featherstar thought, looking around. Cloudfall? Duskstorm?
She was alone. Featherstar decided to go off and check the apprentice den. It was empty. Blood was splattered all over the nests.
Oh no, she thought. Mistpaw...Cedarpaw...Russetpaw...Redpaw...
"Hello there." Featherstar spun around to see a dark figure. She couldn't see the cat's features.
"Why did you stop me?" The cat growled. Fear trickled down Featherstar's spine. "S-stop what?" she stammered.
"You know." The cat snarled. "Why? I know you did it. You convinced him. Its all your fault."
The cat raised its paw, claws unsheathed, and struck.
Snowsong's POV
I stare off into the distance. There it is. The Ratplace. I'm certain that the rogue lives there. Looking down at the dark brown fur that I brought here, I set off.
The Ratplace is a sad and cold place. An old, weather-beaten, abandoned Twoleg den with many rats there, and the occasional rogue. Once a happy Twoleg couple lived there with a cat named Roger. They lived at the den for a few seasons, but then they moved away. Roger then got angry and went on a massive murdering spree. He gathered followers, mainly rats, and waged war against DarkClan, SunClan, and IceClan for no reason. Eventually, Roger was killed by StarClan, and the rats retreated into the Ratplace.
Blinking my eyes three times, returning back to my solid form, I warily pad through the interior of the Ratplace. Incoming rats are hissing at me, wanting to know what I am doing in their territory.
What are you doing here? A shaggy, brown rat with long fangs and glowing amber eyes steps out from the shadows. You don't belong here. Cat and crow-food don't mix.
"I'm here to find a thief," I say. "Dark brown fur, smells like crow-food."
The shaggy rat points his whiskers at one very dark direction. Cat is there, he hisses. Be careful - cat is dangerous. Can kill you very easily. Though very weak, it still strong. Your walking into your death, cat.
"You'll be surprised when you see the outcome," I reply coolly. The rat flicks his tail and retreats back in to the shadows.
The farther I pad in, the more I see what the Ratplace really looks like. Its dark and rather stinky in there, and you can see the rats' glowing amber eyes in the darkness, watching your every step.
I take a deep breath as I stand right in front of the place where the rat told me to go. Looking up at the sky once more, I step inside.
The whole entire place is stunk up with crow-food. Rotten, blackened herbs are laying here and there. Bones of what I'm sure is the rogue's victims are stacked up on the ground.
"Hello?" I call. My voice echoes, and then I hear a big crash. The bones that are neatly stacked fall down and scatter all over the place.
"What are you doing here?" A thick-furred white cat with a dirt-stained pelt steps out of the darkness. I gasp as I focus more closely at the rogue.
"Snowpaw?" The cat steps closer to me. I want to step away, to flee, but my legs are frozen. "Is that you?"
I nervously nod. "Y-yes. Its me, but now I'm Snowsong."
The cat steps even closer to me. I can feel its breath blowing onto my neck.
"Hello again, little daughter."
So, yeah, the thief turns out to be a she-cat. And my mother. Wow.
I know I told you before that my mother and father are Dawnstar and Thornfrost.
I lied. My real mother and father are the rogues Frost and Shrub. I was born in the Ratplace, but I learned out to swim when I was only two moons old so I could get rid of the stinky crow-food scent on my pelt.
My mother saw that I longed to start a new life. Back then, she was kind and sweet. She let me go. One night, we traveled to DarkClan and told Dawnstar and her mate, Thornfrost, what I wanted. They both accepted me and let me into the Clan. They were to say that I was their daughter.
My father was kind and sweet too. Strict, but nice. Before I left for DarkClan, he taught me a few nifty hunting and training skills. Soon after I left, he was decapitated by a falling beech tree. My mother was there at the scene. She was driven into depression - regret for not being able to push her mate out of the way just in time, wishing that it was her that had died. Frost was never the same after that. She became insane - crazy.
"H-how are you the thief?" I ask.
Frost sighs deeply and sits down on what I think is her makeshift nest. "I killed my parents. My siblings. I killed all the rogues that dare step close to my den. I need to mourn alone." She unsheathes her claws, and in the light I see that they are extremely sharp and long. "I became weak and starving. I don't want to feed on the rats - they're my friends. Or at least I think they are. I made a pact with them - leave me alone, I'll leave them alone. I remembered the Clan that I had dropped you off at. I remember seeing a pile filled with prey, wonderful, wonderful, prey..." Frost's eyes glistened for a moment.
"So one day I traveled to the camp, but I secretly stole the prey. I left a leaf stained with another Clan's scent to make that Clan think that they had stolen the prey. I did the same thing with the other Clan." My mother fixes her eyes on me.
"I've continued to do this for the past few weeks. I have grown stronger. A few days ago, when I made my daily trip to DarkClan, I thought that maybe I would see you. I was careful to rub my fur with DarkClan scent, so no one would know that I was there. I searched the camp - the dens. You were not there. Now its your turn to explain. Where were you?" Her beady, green eyes widen.
I struggle to get out the words. "The...the thing is, Frost, I'm, I'm..." I look down at my paws. "I'm dead."
Frost just blinks. "Okay." she meows simply. "So you're dead. You joined SpruceClan-thing-a-meh-bob?"
"StarClan," I meow impatiently. "But why are you so depressed? Aren't you over Dad's death now?"
"I am." Frost replies. "Over these few weeks when I have been stealing prey, I realized..." Her eyes glow. "I realized that you are the one that I miss. I haven't seen you in so long, Snow. Its time you come home."
"My home is now StarClan," I refuse to look at my mother's gaze.
"Can't you persuade StarClan to let you stay here?" Frost's mew is filled with longing.
"I...I suppose." My eyes flick upward. "But I still need to turn you in."
"I understand." Frost meows. "As long as I can stay with you."
I look outside to see the sun rising. "C'mon," I meow. "How about we go now?"