Chapter Three: StormClan

Windstar made it back to camp within a few hours. He trekked to his den, feeling worn out. With the moonlight reflecting on his fur, he vanished inside of his den, finding moonlight spilling onto the dust. He curled up, planning to tell Sharpclaw the prochecy he had heard tommrow night. Closing his eyes, he finally slept, hunger clawing at his empty belly.

-------------------------------------Two Days Later----------------------------------------

Amberfur took Tigerpaw out on his first hunting mision. "Now, I want you to go hunt until sun-high. Catch as much as you can and then when sun-high, come and meet me at the training hollow." she ordered. Amberfut had made Tigerpaw sleep all night and then wake him in the morning when all of the prey was just waking up, it was much more abundant when they weren't sleeping, she didn't really care what Windstar thought.

Tigerpaw nodded excitidly, "We can catch anything we find, right?" she asked, her voice high with excitment.

"Right, not you will hunt all the way from the Stream to the Open Clearing." Amberfur instructed. Tigerpaw nodded and dashed off. "Remember I will be watching!" she called after her.

Tigerpaw did not respond, but Amberfur was sure that Tigerpaw had heard.

ShadowClan

Shadowstar stood and summoned her CLan to her. "Cats of ShadowClan," she began, "I have come to ask two cats to accompany me to RiverClan territory. We shall fake we are going to Highstones so we won't get attacked by WindClan, then we will cut across Hihstones, whos coming?"

"I will acompany you!": came Yellowbird's shrill voice.

"I will!" Blacktail hissed.

"Me too!" Shadowmist insisted.

"No I want to go!" Redshadow yowled.

Shadowstar nodded, "I will take Redshadow and Blacktail with me."

Redshaodw, and huge red cat, grin a cat grin, displaying his yellow teeth. They were sharp and menacing. Shadowstar knew instantly she had made the riht choice, Redshadow was a powerful apponent if they were attacked, he would do well.

Shadowstar flicked her tail, "We leave now."

Sun streamed down on their pelts as the cats left ShadowClan's camp, evil business on their minds. Nothing would stop them from becoming the most powerful Clan any cat had ever seen. It had been Darkstar's will, and now it was Shadowstar's.

As they entered WindClan territory, they passed the stream, scenting freash WindClan scent. "An apprentice!" Shadostar mused, her eyes narrowing. WindClan was growing. "Redshaodw, I want you to go find this apprentice and kill it, I don't like WindClan growing in size, they're big enough now." she grwoled, facing Redshadow.

Redshadow nodded and put his nose to the ground. He followed the apprentice's scent trail, knowing that whoever it was, was young, newly apprenticed. This kill would be too easy.

ShadowClan

Redshadow soon came to a open clearing and found the apprentice prancing around out in the meadow, alone. Redshadow took a quick look at the apprentice and saw tiger-striped marking on the little cat that were dark brown, while the rest of the cat was a light, tan colored brown.

The cat took one look his way and Redshadow got a full blast of the image of a tiger. Redshadow was so shocked that he nearly stumbled backwards. Never had he ever seen a cat that looked like that. Who was this apprentice's parents? Did they look anything like that. Redshadow blinked and shook his head, but he was still shaking. Where had he seen a cat that looked similar to that?

Looking around, Redshadow pinpointed some wild onions growing. He quickly dug them up, deciding he was going to decieve the cat, but not kill it. He cruched the bulbs and rubbed them on his fur, the ShadowClan scent vanishing. Redshadow then rolled in some weeds, letting the onion scent minagle with the scent of a rogue. Saticfied, Redshadow shook himself and prowled out of the bushes, quickly approaching the apprentice.

Redshadow kept a close eye on the tiger-like cat until it turned around and spotted him. Redshadow smirked as the cat leapt five feet in the air, but he tried to look friendly and not show his true colors. "Who are you?" the apprentice demanded, her voice sounded like a snarl, similar to something like Windstar's when he was angry.

"I am Red." Redshadow replied, deciding it was best not to use 'Redshadow' in case the cat knew about him and his record. "You?"

The cat did not answer, instead she sniffed him and drew back. "You are a loner!" she spat.

"I am not an evil loner as you think, I'm kind." Redshadow assured her, "I just finally decided to join a Clan. Which do you belong to? ShadowClan? RiverCLan? ThunderClan? WindCLan?"

The apprentice was still distrustful, but she replied, "I am Tigerpaw of WindClan." she replied proudly.

"Tigerpaw, eh? Nice name, it suits you." Redshadow mewed. For some reason, he was already beggining to like this apprentice.

"If you want to join our Clan, you'll have to speak with Windstar." Tigerpaw informed him.

"Oh." Redshadow responded, playing along. "Is there anyone around, I thought you apprentices had mentors or something."

"We do, but I don't think Amberfur is around right now, I think she is checking on Ashpaw, or hanging out with her boyfriend." Tigerpaw said, sitting own.

Redshadow just nodded. "Can you take me to Windstar, Tigerpaw?"

"Sure, Red." Tigerpaw said, not suspecting a thing.

Redshadow wouldn't kill this cat, there was something about her that made him forget his murerous feelings, despite her youth. Instead he would kill Windstar or Amberfur, or and cat he could get his claws on, but not Tigerpaw.

Tigerpaw led him to WindClan's camp, careless as ever. Redshadow wasn't stupid though, he could tell she was alert and keeping note of his every move. This cat wasn't so stupid after all! Even if she had just led him straight to her leader's death.

Redshadow entered WindClan's camp and saw that no one was there, or so he thought. Tigerpaw turned to him and whispered, "Shhh! Everyone is asleep, we sleep in the day and hunt and patrol at night."

Redshadow nodded and prowled after Tigerpaw as she led him to Windstar's den. She didn't even bother to tell him she was there. Instead she pranced right up to him and poked him in the nose. Windstar bolted awake yowling, "Windwaker! Water clashes with air does make any since!" Windstar looked around confused, "What happen-why are you awake Tigerpaw? And who is that?"

Tigerpaw was lauging at Windstar's outburst but he gave her a stern stare and demanded an answer. "Amberfur took me out for training, and this is Red, the Loner. He wants to join WindClan."

"Red, huh? Real funny Tigerpaw. Ha ha! There is no loner named Red, I know every single one of them because all o them seemed to think we were gone." Windstar responded dully. "Red or whoever you are, come here, I want to get a better look at you. Tigerpaw you may leave."

Redshadow watched Tigerpaw leave and a glow of joy spread through him. He could kill Windstar without any interference. "Now tell me who you really are."

(I haven't decided if I'm going to kill WIndstar or not, but I'd prefer not to until the third or fourth book...Because Silverheart will become Silverstar...LOL-fan fcition readers may not have met Silverstar-but those of Silverstar's site-realize why I'm laughing)

"I am Red." Redshadow responded calmly, a dark glint flashing through his eyes.

"No I know who you are and if you don;t admit it yourself, I will kill you right here and now!" Windstar hissed.

"Yes you do know who I am, I'm Red!" Redshadow insisted.

"You are not, Redshadow!" Windstar snarled, leaping at Redshadow and bowling him to the ground. Redshadow was flung out of the den and out into the sunlight. With a loud hiss, he struck Windstar and leapt away and raced towards the entrance of WindClan's camp. Tigerpaw was watching everything with wide eyes nearby.

Before she could even think, Redshadow leapt at her and grabbed her scurf. He raced away dragging the kit with him. Tigerpaw was unable to do anything because a cat is helpless in that position.

"Tigerpaw!" came a loud screech. Redshadow lanced out of the corner of his eye to see another toger like cat leap out at him. Her pelt was like amber red, but there were brown stripes on her fur too.

"Amberfur!" Tigerpaw squealed in delight as she was dropped the the earth by Redshadow.

"You are the Amberfur? The Choosen One of StarClan? Windstar's daughter!" Redshadow hissed, turning to AMberfur. When Tigerpaw was scampering after her mentor, her banged her on the back of the head with his paw, knocking her out-cold.

ShadowClan

Shadowstar approached Heartstar, "I am back to talk about our new name. I figured we could use the name, StormClan."

"StormClan? I like it, it sounds strong and powerful!" Heartstar agreed.

This is easier than I thought. Shadowstar thought with a laugh. "So we will keep it?"

"Yes."

"Good, and if a red warrior comes into your camp, that is my other warrior I brought with me, Redshadow." Shadostar informed.

"Yes I remember you mentioning him, he is one of your post powerful cats, right?" Heartstar asked, looking out at the river.

"Right." Shadowstar answered, "but back to business. Are we both leaders of StormClan?"

"Of course-I would have it no other way!" Heartstar growled.

"Good, good. Now we must stop Lightstar from agreeing to Windstar's propsel."