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ACTUAL AUTHOR'S NOTE ON BOTTOM. (WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO THE STORY)


I forced myself to frown as I got close to the meeting spot, trying to lot as upset and frustrated as possible. It seemed to work as I approached, and Whitestorm drew up in worry. "Bad luck?"

"Worse." I answered dully, glancing at his catch. "Riverclan. Sunningrocks was either picked clean or hunted so badly they prey was far hidden."

Mousefur curled her lips. "Knowing those badger footed fishes, it'll be the latter. Those mousebrains couldn't tell a mouse from a fox!"

Whitestorm flexed his paws unhappily, lashing his tail. "We'll tell Bluestar after we return. Something needs to be done."

I nodded in faux agreement, feeling apprehension curl in my belly. I'd be down for going at Windclan, but I'd rather not for the other two clans. Especially Riverclan.

Fish was tasty and swimming was cool man. I hummed to myself quietly, thinking about the topics. Maybe I could try trading prey with Whiteclaw. I'd kill for some fresh trout.

Tigerclaw stepped out of the bushes, dropping his pair of catches and interrupting my thought process. Longtail pulled up behind him with a small rabbit. Longtail slid next to me and Tigerclaw tilted his head at Whitestorm. "Tell Bluestar about what?"

"Riverclan in Sunningrocks." I said dryly. "No prey to catch there."

The deputy bristled angrily. "Then yes, let's get back to camp and let Bluestar know."

Longtail glanced at me as I stood. "That's unfortunate." He said, tail flicking to my empty paws. "You can carry the rabbit back if you want?"

I twitched my whiskers in amusement. "Thanks but no. I appreciate it though."

He seemed both unsurprised and pleased, tail tip twitching contentedly. We took up spot behind the patrol and I walked at his side lazily.

The sun was setting and painted the ravine and camp with nice shadowy strokes. The residual sun highlighted the tops of dens and made the High Rock look badass.

Longtail nodded at me and ran to drop his rabbit at the fresh-kill pile, glancing at it every so often. He came back and I stared at him. "Hey I don't think that'll fly away. What's with the looks?"

He led the way in front of the warriors den and settled down on some thrown out moss. I joined him and flicked him with my tail. He was still staring at the rabbit.

He jumped and grinned weakly. "I'm just hoping no one takes it."

"Why not?" I said in confusion, twitching my ear. He didn't respond but I turned and watched Brindleface walk and look at the rabbit. She chose a pigeon instead and walked away.

Longtail leapt to his feet and raced across camp, lurching to snag the rabbit and almost falling the the process. Darkstripe, who seemed to want to take it, gave him a dirty look and rolled his eyes.

Looking victorious, Longtail trotted right in front of me and dropped the rabbit. His tail flicked and he sat down next to me and looked at me meaningfully. I blinked at him.

He returned the blink and tilted his head. "Aren't you hungry?"

Ohhhhhh, got it. I grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, sure, I could eat." And I nipped at the rabbits spine. After tearing it open, I snagged a mouthful of meat and leaned away so Longtail could have a bite.

He didn't and I gave him a quizzical look. He jerked his head at the carcass. "Eat."

I twitched my whiskers, wholly confused but did as he asked. I ate my fill lazily savoring the prey then passed it to Longtail. I saved him a little more than half of the "good parts", none of which I liked to eat. While tasty, the texture of innards was unsettling and I just didn't like how chewy some were.

Flicking my ears when I heard the rumble of a stomach, I gave Longtail a funny look. "We could have shared and been full at the same time you know."

He shrugged and glanced forwards, avoiding my sharp gaze. I rolled my eyes and shoved the rabbit closer. "Well, eat now mouse-brain."

"Gladly." He replied, snagging a leg with claws and starting where I ended.

Bluestar called my name and I looked up, shifting from where I was laying. I sighed and got to my paws, stretching out my shoulder. I gave Longtail a glance, meeting his eyes and smiling. "Thanks for the rabbit."

Since his mouth was full he just gave me a muffled purr and nod.

I trotted up to Bluestar tiredly, eyeing her as she stood in front of me. She seemed pleased by something, and I remembered the whole thing with her trying to set me up with- Oh shit. Was that a thing clan cats did? I gave a panicked look at Longtail, who was too busy chowing down to notice.

Was that cat flirting?

I stiffened uncomfortably and Bluestar twitched her whiskers. "You did well today, with protecting camp."

I took the compliment easily, using it to cover my discomfort. "Thank you but it wasn't only me. I-"

My eyes drifted around the camp and spotted Sandpaw with Fireheart, sharing prey and chatting pleasantly. Dustpaw was laying in front of the apprentices den with his eyes closed. Did I want to? Ugh. No, I didn't but it was a nice thing to do right?

I flicked my ears and turned my mood around by thinking about the pair sitting silent on a potentially cold night like this. "Sandpaw and Dustpaw fought like warriors. Had they not been in camp, Thunderclan might have been doomed."

Bluestar brightened, tail twitching happily. "Indeed. I suppose I'll go ahead and do that. Thank you, Redmist."

Oh god she was so bipolar damn.

Or she was just happy to have some clanborn cats made into warriors. My whiskers twitched as I watched her climb the Highrock. Maybe not, since her eagerness to deem Fireheart a warrior said otherwise.

As she gathered the clan, I joined back up with Longtail. He gave me a curious look, gnawing on a rib. "What did she say?"

I took part of the forearm bone and sunk down into a crouch. "Just about the attack and that I did well."

He snorted, but his eyes glowed pridefully. "Obviously. No one could do better."

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to leave space between us. All for moot, as Longtail pressed against my side to cover up the ground. He stared at me curiously. "What's wrong with you?"

I grimaced, thinking of a way to explain my stiffness. "I'm… cold."

"Oh, alright." And then he pressed harder, curling his tail over my back.

Bluestar began the ceremony and I listened to it half-heartedly. I was way too focused and unsettled by the cat pressed against my side. And the potential meaning behind it.

I… don't think I wanted kits. Not in this life, if ever.

I'd have been relieved if Bluestar had literally anyone else try for kits. I didn't understand why she singled me out in particular.

Fireheart stepped from where he was congratulating newly named Sandstorm, eyeing me thoughtfully. Longtail gave Fireheart a look but then nodded in acknowledgement.

I gave my brother a pointed look, half pleading half terrified. Fireheart seemed amused but he saved me anyways. "Redmist can I speak with you for a second?"

I nodded and stifled a sigh of relief as Longtail shifted away. I got to my paws and let Fireheart lead me away. I gave Longtail a shrug and flicked my bobtail in goodbye.

Probably wouldn't be sleeping near him or the usual group tonight. Ugh. At least I was on relative speaking terms with Graystripe so at least it wouldn't be too awkward.

Fireheart led me near the Nursery, looking like he actually wanted to talk to me about something. "Is Longtail padding after you?"

I grimaced. "I hope not but I think so. I still have no idea how that particular topic works. Part of me feels like Bluestar put him up to it."

My brothers ears flicked forwards in confusion. "What does Bluestar have anything to do with this? Do you think she sets up cats?"

I blinked thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Goldenflower and Tigerclaw seemed to get together on their own. Unless Bluestar told Tigerclaw to speak with Goldenflower to talk about having kits."

It kind of made sense. Tigerclaw was one of the strongest and biggest Thunderclan warriors. If I was a clan leader I would want him to reproduce too.

But then what of Runningwind, who was hands down named aptly. If I was leader I would also want his speed passed down. While speed doesn't automatically equate to good hunter, it would certainly help.

Hmmm. I gave Fireheart a helpless look. "If they are done by matches, all things considered, you'd probably be put with Sandstorm."

He seemed put out by that, probably wanting to choose himself. I gave him another shrug. "Look I don't know. If you're really that curious about this subject ask Bluestar."

Fireheart seemed absolutely horrified at the prospect and I hid my amused tone. "Or not. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Just: If someone goes up to you with offers of sharing prey, make sure your taking turns."

I tried to make myself remember to ask the queens what that meant. Or someone. I didn't want to ask a tom.

Whiskers drooping unhappily, Fireheart nodded and we made our way back to the warriors den. I stopped in front of it while I remembered something. I hit Fireheart with my tail to stop him. "I'm an apprentice now, remember? I have to go sleep in there."

His tail fell in disappointment but he dipped his head sympathetically. "Right. Goodnight then."

"Likewise." I answered quietly, glancing across the camp. I started my stalk across the ground, and a momentary passing glance had me looking at the entrance of Bluestar's den.

The Thunderclan leader was watching me, face hidden by darkness. She shifted and got up, then she just turned and walked deeper into her den. I couldn't tell if she wanted me to follow her, but I trotted the rest of the way and shoved inside.

Swiftpaw and Brackenpaw looked up in alarm when I entered, before they realized it was me. Brackenpaw pricked his ears and smiled. "We made a nest for you."

Awe. Okay that was pretty cute. "Thank you." I said instead of anything else, picking over Swiftpaw and settling between the two apprentices. "How do you guys feel about this arrangement?"

Immediately Swiftpaw bristled. "It's not fair. Graystripe is a traitor, you aren't." He settled and his eyes grew big. "But I would prefer you over Graystripe in here. You're better, so it could be worse. Still unfair for you though."

I hummed but didn't say anything, settling for resting my head on my paws. I was nice and warm between the apprentices, who were bigger if not my size, so it was easy to fall into a deep slumber.


Waking up sucked. The blinding light of sunlight reflecting off of freshly fallen snow really, really sucked.

Bluestar's call is what shoved me awake and I hesitated at stepping out.

Most cats were already out and the entrances snow was compacted by many paw prints. But it was just so cold.

I picked carefully over spots, looking for the most compacted and least wet looking. I wasn't trying to be wet and cold so early.

I hopped carefully onto a dry patch of ground and settled happily in place. Bluestar was standing on the High Rock, looking out at the clan.

After a moment of silence, Bluestar began to speak. "I wanted to make sure you all know that Brokentail is in the camp."

I twitched my whiskers. I was pretty sure everyone knew that. Considering that was the topic, I ignored the rest of Bluestars words and started to lick my paws. They weren't numb with cold but they were getting there.

There was a soft mew to my left and I looked up from between my toes. I gave an experimental wiggle and looked at Swiftpaw. "Longtail wants us to go hunting."

I stifled a groan and sat up, unsheathing and sheathing my claws. "For how long?"

"As long as it takes to catch prey I assume." He said evenly, tail tip twitching.

I felt a burst of jealousy. Swiftpaw's coat was much thicker than mine, and would keep the chill out better. "Not for too long." I said seriously. "I don't want to freeze."

Swiftpaw purred in amusement. "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm."

I froze, unsure. Was that a good natured friend joke or something else? I hid a frown with a tired yawn. "Well, let's get going then."

Longtail was waiting for us at the top of the ravine, tail flicking back and forth. Brackenpaw was settled beside him, looking content. "Good morning Redmist."

Their chorus made me amused, and despite my punishment and age, I felt like the senior warrior of the group.

We set off to Snakerocks, with Longtail giving advice to Swiftpaw about avoiding adders. Brackenpaw slid next to me, stepping through the snow easily. "Do you think we'll be catching snakes today?"

I hummed thoughtfully, taking a moment to think. "I don't think so. Snakes don't like the cold so I would assume they would be deep underground where it would be warmer."

Brackenpaw nodded in understanding and we continued the walk in silence. Eventually Longtail and Swiftpaw picked up their pace to be even with us. Swiftpaw began chatting with Brackenpaw and Longtail walked by me.

Even though he was my friend, I did my absolute best to ignore his presence. He seemed put out by my lack of communication but let the silence be, figuring I needed time to myself.

He figured right, and I was unsettled with the notion that he knew me well enough to pick that about me. I sped my pace up, hoping to get hunting done with.

We got there and I immediately went off on my own, tracking the stale scent of mouse half heartedly. After a moment of tracking in silence, I took the moment to appreciate my solitude and then put app my effort forwards.

With my sudden energy, I managed a scrawny crow and a single mouse, but considering the fact it was starting to snow again, I did real well.

Swiftpaw had a mouse, Brackenpaw had a thin squirrel, and Longtail had a small rabbit. So all in all, we didn't do terribly.

The snow thickened as we topped the ravine, and I quickly went down first. I was eager to crawl into a den, any den honestly, and just curl up to conserve body heat.

I had no desire to sleep, but staying warm was an ideal idea. Longtail sent the apprentices to deliver food, and I took my crow for myself. Longtail chose a mouse and flicked an ear at me wordlessly.

I shook my head and took the prey right outside the apprentices den, right next to the severed oak tree.

Cats were finicky about eating prey in the dens. Fireheart did it once in the warriors den and was chewed out by multiple cats because of the smell left behind. And the drops of blood.

So clan cats were just as clean as normal cats were. I personally didn't care, since I liked to sleep with plucked bird feathers and those also smelled of dead animal. Some other cats did too, but not all.

Most of the elders did, but that was probably their senses of smell were deadened or they just cared about comfort more than smells. I cared more about comfort.

Which is why I was sorely tempted to sneak the crow in and eat everything. I didn't, and Swiftpaw came by to finish off the bones and some innards. After that, I slipped into the den and rested.


I slept a lot more than I had meant to, considering it had only been a little after noon when I went to the den. It was dark out still, and the camp was silent. Besides me, Swiftpaw and Brackenpaw were both curled up and sleeping.

Trying not to wake them up, I tiptoed around Brackenpaw and out of the den. It was still snowing a little, and I figured by dawn it would be over.

I glanced around the camp, taking in the thin layer of snow. I was grateful for the trees above sheltering the camp from the worst of it. I slapped a bit of snow away with my paw. The layer was crunchy and stiff, and that meant it must have snowed when I slept and then froze over.

The fresh-kill pile was low, the only thing on it was a scrawny vole and a tiny swallow. Hunting it was.

I padded out of the camp and up the ravine, flicking my tail at Goldenflower as I walked passed. The queen perked up, trying to make herself not look as tired as she was. "Out hunting." I said quickly, fluffing out my fur. "I can take over for you when I get back."

Goldenflower trilled instead of speaking, and I dipped my head to hurry on.

The walk was quiet and peaceful, and despite the cold I wouldn't mind do this often. I walked all the way to fourtrees, taking a seat on a snow dried tree root. The clearing was silent, nothing to be seen in sight.

Since it was still pretty much midnight, going by the moons position in the sky, I thought about nocturnal rodents that could be hunted.

Hunting, I felt, was always better at night. Especially considering the clans hunted during the day, so it would be safe to assume smarter prey did their food gathering when we were asleep. Birds wouldn't be out for sure.

… if I could find one, would the clan eat moles? Though I didn't know if they were nocturnal. Considering their poor eyesight I figure they would be.

I shook my head, trying to pick up a scent. It took a while before I got one, and it was and small scent if squirrel. I hoped it was a bulky one, but considering the history if snowfall this snowfall I doubted it.

Even so, I tracked it until I couldn't recognized the area of forest I was. From scent, I was definitely closer to the Shadowclan side if the border. Still, I tracked the scent until I heard the rodent scrabbling somewhere above me.

For a moment I stood and eyed the squirrel, thinking about Yellowfang and what she had said about Yarrowtail or whatever his name had been. I shrugged, I could avoid dying by not falling after all.

I clung to the tough tree bark, heaving myself up in a steady rhythm. I didn't hunt at all in trees often, I wasn't one for climbing, so this was not something I was too confident in.

Thankfully, the squirrel was peeling a nut on a really thick oak branch, so when I pulled onto a nearby branch, I jumped.

The squirrel chattered in alarm as I hooked it, but I snapped its neck before it really made some noise. The prey dangled from my jaws and swung when I turned my head.

After minutes of looking around, I realized I was stuck. Shit.

At least the branch I was on wasn't in danger of snapping off anytime soon, even with the thin layer of crackly snow.


A brown pelt neatly pounced on a small bird, and I withheld a dismayed sigh. Mousefur flicked her tail in delight and paused, probably catching my scent.

Her head lifted and I met her eyes unhappily. "Morning." I said, for lack of a better thing to say.

"Uh, morning?" She blinked at me, eyes wide with confusion. "What are you doing up there?"

I pulled the squirrel from my side, and I let it drop to the snowy floor. "Hunting… kind of."

Mousefur dropped her bird and snatched it out of the air in an impressive show of reflexes. She put it neatly next to her catch. "Okay. How long have you been up here?"

I opened my mouth to say a few hours, but I was pretty sure cats didn't have a sense of time like that. "Since the moon was halfway and set below the tree lines."

My old mentor gaped up at me, before she guffawed. I refrained from hissing at her angrily since I needed her to get me down. "Yes it's hysterical. Maybe you-" I cut myself off and lashed my tail. "Can you just get me down."

Pinning the blame on her probably wouldn't have helped my situation. Mousefur made a noise, one that I had no idea what it meant, and she flicked her tail.


Taking a pause here! So I've had this chapter mostly complete for a while, but I've been stuck around here.

I've decided to start a rewrite, which will pretty much be the same but with better articulation and explanations in the right orders. Perhaps more dialogue as well.

If I do end up taking a different route with the same characters, I'll leave this version up for those of you that prefer it. Or even just want it to compare with the new version.

Very excited to rewrite this though, because there's so much I want to touch up and make better. Like relationships as a whole. I haven't written them like I imagined them, since there's a lot more complicated nuances with…. Well just about everyone lmao.

I may also throw in different POV's for both flavor and to better myself as a writer. Those changes perspectives will be smaller than Redmist's First person, but they will be there nonetheless.

It should also help build and explain the relationships in the story a lot better.

One of my general goals with this story was to make the clans seem more like a big family. That's why I've tried to include everyone.

But I'm not very experienced as a writer so its it's super tricky for me to do like I want.

Shoot, this story is the first one where dialogue with more than 2 characters doesn't seemed forced or choppy!

So improvement is there, thankfully, therefore I'm not discouraged from writing.

But this story did take turns that were… random, like the whole tree thing this chapter.

I'll still have it in the rewrite, but for now I want to plan this event a little more and actually decide on the best course of action for personalities.

Characters like Mousefur, Longtail, Runningwind, Brindleface (actually all of the queens), Brackenfur, his siblings except for Cinderpelt. None of them really have personalities? They do but they're like one worded and honestly so unhelpful to peg them.

Mousefur and Yellowfang are often described having the same personality. (With yellowfang obviously having more character)

But I want to give Mousefur more than just being a silver tongued grouch.

Same with other characters who only go so far. Like Swiftpaw. And a lot of apprentices.

ANYWAYS

To anyone who is worried?

This story WILL be continued. So don't worry about it being stopped. But I apologise in the long lull of updates.

I'll make a new chapter on this one when I begin uploading the rewrite.

I'm going to try to have the whole first book done before I start uploading so I won't be here for a while lol.