*Chapter reuploaded*I shall try to update faster next time but it is very difficult. I am running out of ideas for this story but I think I have an idea for this chap. I am trying to make my chapters longer than 2000 words so…yeah. Wish me luck!

Chapter 9: NobleClan

A dark gray she-cat and a dark ginger tom stood before Frozenflame, their heads bowed. They were loners, recruited by Goldenstorm who had found them living just beyond the mountain. The dark gray she-cat raised her head, fiery amber eyes smoldering, "We would like to join you Frozenflame. We have heard of how mighty you are. We shall help you take over the clans."

"Good," Frozenflame dipped her muzzle, "What are your names?"

"My name is Hex," said the gray she-cat.

"I'm Darvey," the dark ginger tom greeted.

Frozenflame spat at the ginger cat's paws, "Darvey? Are you a kittypet? I will have no softy names like such in my clan! From now on you shall be known as Bloodpaw, for your dark red coat. Hex, you will be known as Hexpaw, that is mysterious…I like it."

"Thank you," Hexpaw breathed.

"I shall explain to you our objectives. The four forest clans have kicked us out. We cannot last without them, and they cannot last without us. We depend on each other. So now we must form our own clan from the ashes and take over these clans one by one."

Frozenflame etched pictures of battling cats into the dry earth.

"From this moment forward I shall be known as Frozenstar! I am the leader of NobleClan! We shall be invincible against the others. The clans do not stand a chance! You two shall be the first apprentices of NobleClan. Goldenstorm, my deputy, shall mentor Bloodpaw, and I shall mentor Hexpaw. You shall train in our ways and learn to defeat the clans. Now, we must prepare our battle armor."

Hexpaw looked nervous, "But we're both fully grown cats, mates even. I'm pregnant with Da-Bloodpaw's kits. I thought apprentices were the younger cats in training."

"You won't be apprentices for long. You must only learn the basics. I'll give you a week as apprentices then you will be full warriors of NobleClan."

Frozenstar led the cats over to a pile of supplies on the ground. Amongst the weapons were three dead snakes, venom dripping from their fangs, thorns, bones of other animals, and teeth. The white "leader" of "NobleClan" grabbed a set of thorns. She pierced them through her ears and tangled long stalks of them through her fur, being cautious not to cut herself. Then she tied tight rings of the bones around her paws. Next she set a large set of dogs' teeth over her own, so her mouth was forced open. Last she dipped her claws in the adder poison. The others did the same, looking equally as dangerous.

"Frozenstar, who will help me give birth to my kits?" asked the dark gray "apprentice" Hexpaw. The spiky furred white she-cat had watched the medicine cat help queens give birth. It seemed simple enough.

"Everything will be fine Hexpaw!" Frozenstar soothed in her richly dangerous voice. Only now had she noticed how swollen Hexpaw's stomach was. It had to be her seventh week being pregnant now. A milky scent drifted over and wafted through the air. Frozenstar saw Hexpaw and Bloodpaw rubbing against each other regardless of the thorns. What one would do for love!

A sudden thought struck her. She missed Shadowsoul so much. Maybe, when she saw him again, he would still want to be her mate. Maybe she would have his kits. She wasn't afraid to admit that she loved him. Frozenstar curled up into a tight ball and drifted into sleep.

"Frozenflame!"

The white she-cat snarled, "My name is Frozenstar! Who dares to question my authority?"

She realized this wasn't StarClan but the Dark Forest. A black tom stood before her.

"I don't question you Frozenflame, I have only come to grant you your nine lives," he said, his voice smooth and convincing.

"Who are you? I thought only StarClan gave leaders their nine lives."

"My name is Nightshade. No, the Dark Forest warriors can also give you nine lives, and much more. Our lives are extremely effective. They leave you practically invincible. You see, we offer the better choice," he whispered.

Frozenstar thought hard. All her life she had believed in StarClan, always being told that they were her best option. Yet maybe it was all lies. Finally she replied, "I will accept your offer."

"Good," Nightshade almost praised her. He led her through the hazy woods, mist tendrils swirling around her paws. Nightshade pointed through the trees to a black figure sitting stiffly with glowing yellow eyes. Frozenstar would know that face anywhere. It was Shadowsoul! She ran forward and brushed against his sleek black pelt. He greeted her warmly, nuzzling her cheek. Frozenstar never noticed the other Dark Forest cats appearing like shadows out of the winding forest. Nightshade called attention and every cat turned to him. Nine cats in all stood on both sides of him.

"Frozenflame, you have given your honor to the Dark Forest and as reward we give you your long awaited leadership. You shall be known as Frozenstar from now on and you shall lead NobleClan to fight for what his good and just."

Shadowsoul looked a little shocked at the mention of NobleClan. Frozenstar flashed him a smug look. He smiled winningly back at her. The cats all took turns stepping forward and giving her lives and she relished the cold icy pain that surged through her every time another Dark Forest warrior touched her nose. When all was said and done Shadowsoul stepped up to her. He was smiling but tears had dripped down his ebony colored cheeks.

"I'll get you back," he promised. Frozenstar went to touch his nose but he disappeared, fading back into the land of reality. Yes, Shadowsoul would get her back, because she was going back, tonight.

Frozenstar jolted awake. Hexpaw was standing over her, worry in her eyes. On the ground next to her was Bloodpaw, his name describing his appearance. He was smothered in his own blood, lying on the cold ground, barely breathing.

"Foxes attacked while you were sleeping, Bloodpaw, Goldenstorm, and I drove them away to protect you but Bloodpaw got hurt. I don't know what to do!"

Frozenstar was feeling selfish; only then did she see the injuries on Hexpaw and the gaping wounds in her mate. They had saved her life! She owed them. She leapt delicately to her paws and walked out into the woods, ignoring Hexpaw. Out from the mountain, near the path up to the Gathering cave, she heard cries. Cries of pain and suffering. Suddenly claws dug into her back. Acting quickly, her instincts told her to throw off the attacker. The enemy screeched in pain as its delicate skin was pierced by the thorns in her back fur. She whipped around to face a FeatherClan warrior named Sharpfang. The golden tabby tom leapt back in surprise at the large set of dog fangs set in her mouth.

"This is FeatherClan territory," he sputtered, gasping in astonishment. Then the distant cries made sense; FeatherClan had captured StoneClan. This was originally part of StoneClan territory.

"You're from IceClan aren't you?" Sharpfang asked, a glint of fear running through his dark amber eyes. His fear-scent was prominent in the night air.

"I am from NobleClan, the greatest clan in the forest. You will allow me to retrieve herbs and leave, or otherwise you shall be the meat for the soon to come kittens. My name is Frozenstar, fear me you pitiful clan filth!"

Sharpfang nodded quickly, not hesitant to let the obviously dangerous leader get what she wanted.

"May I join you?" he asked suddenly, "You say you are the greatest clan. I am sick of holding cats hostage in their own home. I need more glory-

Frozenstar silenced him, glaring with annoyance at the blabbering tom. She nodded without making a sound, her jaws clamped around marigold and her paws bound with cobwebs. She led him up to where Bloodpaw was still bleeding. His wounds were only just beginning to scab over and blood stained his mate's paws. She rubbed marigold poultice into the wounds like she had seen done by medicine cats and wrapped cobwebs around them.

"Where's Goldenstorm?" Frozenstar hissed. The golden tom limped over, carrying a twisted paw above the ground so it wouldn't hurt more.

"Here," he ground his teeth together in agony.

Frozenstar grabbed his dislocated paw and popped it back into place with a deafening crack. Goldenstorm screeched in pain, tears welling in his eyes. She grabbed four strong branches and placed them in different places around his paw and bound it tightly with tough long grass stalks. He limped away. It looked like her plan to return to IceClan tonight had been soiled with the injuries. She turned to Sharpfang.

"You cannot keep your name here, or else you will be remembered by FeatherClan as a traitor. Go decorate your pelt with the weapons," she gestured to the pile of battle weapons and left him. When he came back she had his new name set. She called attention to the other cats, making sure they were listening, "From this moment on, since this tom has joined NobleClan, he shall be known as Gloryclaw."

Gloryclaw admired his new name, knowing that the NobleClan leader had actually thought of a name that he would like. Before he had mentioned that he needed more glory so she gave it to him, right in his very own name! Little did he know that after he had been trained to fight ruthlessly in battle he would be better off known as Goryclaw rather than Gloryclaw.

Suddenly Hexpaw stepped up, anger flaring in her eyes, "After defending your lazy butt from foxes don't we deserve our warrior names?" she snarled.

That was one of her biggest mistakes. Her number one mistake was to pledge allegiance to Frozenstar in the first place, her second mistake was to defy Frozenstar. Frozenstar lashed out and dealt the apprentice multiple attacks. Wrestling with claws unsheathed. Blood dotted the hard, snowy earth. Hexpaw felt all of the stinging wounds and remembered the poison. Frozenstar's claws were tinted with venom. The white she-cat "leader" must have refreshed the poison on her claws.

Her body was burning like fire as the venom spread. Frozenstar realized this and gave her the herbal antidote. She couldn't afford to lose the kits that Hexpaw would bare and a soon to be valuable warrior. The leader decided now was a good time to practice fighting with her apprentice. She rinsed her claws off in a nearby river and the battle began again with claws unsheathed. Frozenstar dove and raked her claws down the gray apprentice's side then Hexpaw raced towards a tree, half ran up it and flipped over to face her mentor. Rage burned in her, but not towards Frozenstar, towards herself, that she couldn't keep up the fight.

"How do you feel?" Frozenstar asked.

"Worthless," Hexpaw whispered.

"That is how you are supposed to feel. You should feel weak and not good enough. That is how you will get better. You will strive to fight harder and faster next time. Every day you will get better. Yet, since you probably don't know, you do have a purpose. Your purpose is to help me dominate the forest and get back my clan. You are a servant warrior that will be trained to fight as ruthlessly as I do."

Hexpaw dipped her head in acknowledgement. She didn't want to be a servant but there was nothing else for her in life. She lived in a smelly sewer with her mate, starving at times. She wanted to be a sleek and strong warrior like her trusted mentor. She wanted to be worth something to someone other than Bloodpaw. She wanted to fight, and show the other cats that she was not worthless, that she was to be feared.

Frozenstar saw this in her apprentice. NobleClan was well on its way to victory.

Ok, so I kind of had planned to do this chapter to where Hawkpaw is but Frozenflame/star is like my absolute favorite character that I came up with so I decided to create NobleClan. A rival clan to fight against the filthy forest clans. If you liked that chapter please review. I also have a question. I have ideas for the rest of this series but once I finish Hawk's Call I wanted to make another part of the series with different clans and characters and then do a super edition where all of the main characters meet. Review me with any ideas. If you like that, tell me. Or if you just want me to keep going with Hawk's Call that's fine too. Just let me know! Thanks! R & R! *Reuploaded*