I don't own Warriors. And remember, I have a plan.

Silverstorm - Thank you. *gives you plushie*

Stormthatwhirlsthroughheart - Simply their names reminded me of them.

Pokesnail - Merci, mon ami. Do you know what language that was? And what this sentence is? Comer los quesos!

3Snow Fox3 - Nomnomnom! And I didn't quite understand that.

Kirani100 - Merci. No one has ever said my stories are eloquent. Take some Oreos. *gives you box*

The Might Silverblaze - I think it'd be first cat. And I like using first person. Makes it easier for me.


"Honeykit, until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Honeypaw. Peatheart, you are ready for an apprentice. Train Honeypaw well in the ways of the warrior."

I cheered along with everyone else as my sister touched her nose with Peatheart's. "Honeypaw! Honeypaw!" By the nursery I could hear Tawnykit complain, "Why does Honeypaw get to be an apprentice and I don't? I'm almost six moons."

While Willowlash explained for the billionth time how the Clan worked, I padded to Honeypaw and rubbed my muzzle against hers. "Congratulations, Honeypaw. Too bad Silvermoon and Eelkit aren't here, though I hope he's happy where he is." In the corner of my eye I saw Swiftstar flinch. Is he hiding something?

Honeypaw nodded. "I can't wait for the Gathering tonight! We'll be able to see the great warriors. Copperfang, Blackbriar, the mighty Sunstar. . . ."

The Gathering. Tonight. I felt a twinge of anxiety. ThunderClan might try to kill me because of the attack. Then again. . . . I shook my head to get rid of the image of frightened green eyes. I don't even know him. Besides, he's ThunderClan. But I couldn't. In fact, I'd been thinking of him since the attack. "Want to go hunting?" I asked.

"I don't know how. Besides, Peatheart said he was going to take me around the territory."

I shuddered as I remembered my first time by the gorge. "Be careful. Don't run by the gorge, and watch for foxes, and -"

Honeypaw licked my ear. "I'll be fine, little sister. Peatheart knows what he's doing." The two bounded out of camp, tail tips disappearing into the gorse.

I walked past Mist, who was sharing tongues with Sweetberry, her belly swollen with Lightningblaze's kits, and brushed past the heather into the medicine den. Owlpelt was curled up in his nest, his fur glossy in the half-light. His eyes were tired and there were still cobwebs on his neck, though the bleeding had long since stopped. I put a smile on my face, even though I could smell the infection. "Feeling any better?

"Sort of." Owlpelt's voice rasped like the sound of claws raking down stone. "Better than before. I heard Honeypaw's ceremony. You must be excited."

I lifted my head proudly. "I am. And tonight's my first Gathering as well."

Owlpelt put his head on his paws. "Full moon already? Feels like it was just a few days ago that I was at my last Gathering. I wonder how Lilacpaw is. She's a new apprentice, her first Gathering being last moon."

"I can find out for you if you like."

"Yes, please. If you see her, tell her I say hi." He yawned widely.

I rested my tail tip on his shoulder. "Get some sleep. You won't get better unless you rest." Owlpelt closed his eyes. I stayed with him until his steady breaths told me he was asleep. I tiptoed out and into the warm morning air. Leaf-bare had ended really early as of yesterday. There was still no snow and the ground was parched in yet another drought. StarClan must hate us.

Skyclaw was frailer than usual. Her pelt was patchy and her ribs pushed through her pelt, like a lot of other cats in WindClan now that prey was getting scarcer than in Leaf-bare. Even Honeypaw's fur, which took after Silvermoon's glossy feel, was dull. She also was confined to the warriors' den due to stiffness. My temporary mentor was Snake-eyes. He was old enough to remember the previous leader, Flashstar, but still strong and healthy. I liked him, though his slitted eyes were somewhat disconcerting.

I flattened my ears against the hot sun, thinking about how Honeypaw and Peatheart must feel, and made my way to the meager fresh-kill pile. There was a rather squashed squirrel, which had been found lost in the tunnels, a young, skinny rabbit, and few smelly fish. Yes, fish. Silverwind and Acornclaw had braved the pathway down the slope of the gorge and managed to get some. The gorge was much calmer than usual due to the lack of water. I wrinkled my nose. This isn't proper food for a WindClan cat. I grudgingly nibbled on a fish, drawing back immediately. My stomach twisted and I barely resisted the urge to retch. I'd rather starve than eat that slimy thing! I didn't bother trying the squirrel, and Wolfclaw had already taken the rabbit to Creamleaf. I'll catch another, something that doesn't give everyone a bellyache.

I left the camp and emerged onto the moor. The grass, once green and yellow, waving in the wind, was now almost black from the lack of water. The heather no longer dotted the landscape with gray and purple, but with brown. The territory looked sad, parched, and dead.

"Let's see what I can find." I very highly doubted I would find anything worth eating, though.

Taking a deep breath, I dove into the dying area, which was to say just about everywhere. I scented the air, but the odor of dead plants and dust blocked out any scent. Maybe I should go closer to the RiverClan border. There might be more prey there, that isn't fish. I didn't run toward my selected spot, too hungry and hot to do anything other than trot. One other reason that I had chosen the RiverClan border was that there was a grove of trees on our side of the boundary there, though we rarely hunted in it. Besides the gorge, it was closest thing by the river in our territory, so the trees might not be wilting already.

As I approached the trees, a hare suddenly burst from cover, hopping as fast as it could toward the shelter. I pounded after it, forcing my legs to race across the space and into the grove. I dodged trees, logs, and the occasional fern until I finally caught up with it and snapped its neck.

I gazed down on my catch, mouth watering. It wasn't a very big rabbit, but it was better than the fish in the camp. I know I should take it back, but I'm so hungry. . . . I'll just eat a little and say it got damaged in the hunt. I took a big bite from the haunch, the warm meat filling my empty belly. I continued eating ravenously until I looked up, realizing it was all gone. Uh oh. I guess more hunt -

My eyes snapped up as fresh RiverClan scent hit my nose, and I realized I had crossed the border. Warriors were coming and very fast. I glanced around, unsheathed my claws, and flung myself at the nearest tree, barely managing to scramble to the lowest branch; my claws ached as they were tugged at by the bark.

Three cats emerged into the clearing. The youngest one, a white she-cat with ginger splotches, sniffed the pile of bones. "Rabbit. Eaten by a WindClan cat. Very recent. We might be able to catch it, Rainstorm."

The stocky, sleek black she-cat, Rainstorm, nodded. "You go ahead, Splashpaw and Flamefur. I'll check and make sure that rabbit-muncher isn't hanging around here."

Please don't look up. Please don't look up. I closed my eyes, hoping my fur would help me blend in. I could faintly hear Rainstorm's steps as she looked around. When they faded away, I finally released the breath I'd been holding. I carefully, slowly lumber down, checking to make sure no RiverClan cat was around, and pelted back to my own land. I washed my fur thoroughly and started back to camp. Hopefully no one asks where I've been.


Sorry if this seemed down. One of my birds died today. This chapter is dedicated to Velvet, may he rest in peace. I made a cat for my birds.


WindClan:

Leader: Swiftstar - black tom with white paws and amber eyes (Blizzardstep's brother, Hazelfur's mate)

Deputy: Ravencall - sleek, black tom with yellow eyes (Silvermoon's mate, father of Honeykit, Eelkit and Fangkit)

Medicine cat: Stormgaze - brown she-cat with gray eyes (Heatherstorm and Skyclaw's sister)

Warriors:

Skyclaw - mottled brown she-cat with green eyes (Stormgaze and Heatherstorm's sister)

Snake-eyes - black tom with yellow eyes that are always in slits (Sweetberry's mate)

Apprentice (temporary) - Fangpaw - black she-cat with a white flash on her chest in the shape of a fang and amber eyes

Sweetberry - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes (Snake-eyes' mate)

Lightningblaze - black and white tom with gray eyes (Mist's mate)

Blizzardstep - white tom with green eyes (Swiftstar's brother, Hareleap's mate)

Peatheart - brown and white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Honeypaw - pale golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

Hareleap - dark brown tabby she-cat with white legs and amber eyes (Owlpaw's mother, Blizzardstep's mate)

Apprentice, Robinpaw - brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Yellowstorm - pale yellow tom with green eyes (Willowlash's mate)

Goldentail - golden she-cat with blue eyes and a long tail (crush on Darkpaw)

Apprentice, Darkpaw - jet-black tabby tom with green eyes

Silverwind - silvery she-cat with lighter tabby stripes, long strong legs, and blue eyes

Acornclaw - brown tom with blue eyes (Mistclaw's brother, former rogue)

Mistclaw - pale gray tabby tom with gray eyes (Acornpaw's brother, former rogue)

Owlpelt - blue-gray tom with white specks like feathers and green eyes

Queens:

Hazelfur - gray and white she-cat with yellow eyes (mother of Daisykit and Velvetkit)

Willowlash - cream-colored she-cat with green eyes (mother of Mistlekit, Mintkit, and Tawnykit)

Featherstream - silvery white she-cat without kits and sapphire blue eyes (permanently a queen for her love of kits)

Mist - light brown she-cat with black paws, tail tip, and icy blue eyes (former rogue, Lightningblaze's mate)

Kits:

Mistlekit - cream tom with yellow eyes

Mintkit - yellow tabby tom with green eyes

Tawnykit - pale golden tabby she-cat with a white face and pale yellow eyes

Daisykit - cream-colored she-cat with yellow eyes

Velvetkit - blue-gray tom with dark blue, almost black, eyes and white patches

Elders:

Creamleaf - cream-colored tom with yellow eyes

Airfur - white she-cat with blue eyes

Wolfclaw - mottled gray tom with amber eyes

Tansypetal - ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes

Heatherstorm - pale gray she-cat with a graying muzzle and blue eyes