Sunlit Snowdrift

Summary: Dreampaw, the stubborn and vivacious daughter of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, who's just a bit spoiled. Windpaw, the Shadowclan tom who's driven, and, like Dreampaw, has and attitude. What will happen when these two collide?

Disclaimer: Nada, you know the drill... But Dreampaw and Windpaw are based off my kitty, Cleopatra, and my friend's kitty, Snowflake.

Chapter One: Apprenticeship

Dreamkit set her amber eyes on the mouse in front of her. She was five moons old now, and often was trying to get her first kill. The little she-cat was pale ginger with darker stripes, like Sandstorm, and had a creamy chest and white toes. Her fur was long, like Cloudtail's, and being her parents' only kit, she was quite spoiled.

"Dreamkit!"

She sighed as her mother ran up. Squirrelflight constantly worried about her fiesty daughter, and didn't like her straying too far from camp.

"I told you not to-" Squirrelflight began, but Dreamkit cut her off.

"It'll only be one more moon before I'm apprenticed! It's not like a badger'll eat me."

"You never know."

"Please," A friendly voice said, "You were just like her when you were a kit!"

Leafpool, the medicine cat and Squirrelflight's sister, padded up, her eyes sparkling good-naturedly.

"I'm thinking of taking on an apprentice," She murmured.

"Really?" Squirrelflight said, "But you aren't old at all!"

"Neither was Cinderpelt when she took me on. I just want a medicine cat around if anything happens to me."

"Well... then who?"
"Calicofur. She really wants to become one, and she's already a warrior, even though her ceremony was only three suns ago."

Calicofur, a calico she-cat, was the daughter of Sorreltail and Brackenfur. A sweet natured cat, she never really was suited to be a warrior.

As the two older cats spoke, Dreamkit took her chance and snuck off, slinking low on the ground. That's when a scent came to her nostrils, of... was it Shadowclan?

She was low on the ground when she saw Applebird, the Shadowclan she-cat that had just gotten out of the nursery, and a white tom that was apparently her apprentice, around seven moons old.

Her tail lashed. She wanted to spit at them to get off of Shadowclan territory, when a gray tabby tom lept forward. Oh, good, Birchpelt. He would chase Applebird and her apprentice off.

But though the apprentice spat angrily at Birchpelt, the tabby tom and the ginger she-cat just stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Birchpelt shook his head and meowed, "You should get out of here before a patrol finds you."

Applebird nodded, and nosed her apprentice, muttering, "Move along," as they walked off.

Dreamkit shook her head. There was something strange going on.

000

"And so I have decided to take Calicofur as my apprentice," Leafpool yowled, "We shall be going to see Starclan on the Half Moon."

Dreamkit kneaded the ground with her paws, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. Leafpool watched this from her place up high, and for a fleeting glance, thought she saw stars in the kit's eyes and fur.

"I wonder..." She murmured, and signaled with her tail for Firestar to follow her into her den.

"Have you heard anything from Starclan lately?" She asked. He looked uneasy.

"Well... you wouldn't call it 'lately'."

"When did you hear it?"

"Five moons ago."

Leafpool froze. "Call Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight in here."

A few moments later, the two walked in, and Leafpool nodded toward Firestar to continue.

"Well, it was at Graystripe's death. He said something about Sun and Snow to unite, to drive out black..."

"Dreamkit's pelt is the color of the sun," Brambleclaw whispered hoarsely, amber eyes that matched his daughter's wide.

"This isn't a definite thing," Leafpool warned, "Don't tell Dreamkit. And even if it is, there's no snow-colored cat in the clan but Frostfur and Cloudtail, and I doubt it's either of them."

"Sun and Snow," Firestar murmured, "But what will they defeat?"
000

Windpaw watched his father, Blackstar, speaking to Russetfur, clan deputy. The sleek white cat cocked his head, trying to hear what they were saying. He only caught snippets.

"Russetfur... Thunderclan deputy... leader... weak..."

Huh?

"What are you talking about?" Windpaw thought. The Thunderclan deputy, Brambleclaw, was anything but weak. The muscular tabby was even a bit intimidating.

Russetfur looked uneasy, but was nodding slowly. Windpaw could tell that she didn't like what his father was saying.

Blackstar, though he was Shadowclan's leader, has a shady past, and Windpaw knew it. He also knew that Berrypelt, his mother, was worried about him. She thought he would turn out to be like Blackstar.

Windpaw was tempermental, but he was no Blackstar. His pale green eyes scanned the camp, and he hardly heard his mentor's voice.

"Windpaw, I'm taking you hunting."

He turned. "Yes, Applebird."

He could tell that his mentor was uneasy, and with good reason, he soon guessed.

"Why are we going into Thunderclan territory?" He hissed.

"They have better prey."
But actually, it wasn't long afterward they got caught. Windpaw jerked his head up as a gray tabby Thunderclan lept in front of them, a shocked look on his face. He and Applebird met eyes, and after they exchanged a few blunt words, they went on.

Something was wrong. Windpaw knew it.

000

"Until you recieve your warrior name," Firestar announced, "You shall be known as Dreampaw." He paused.

"I have decided to mentor Dreampaw myself."

Dreampaw could feel the jealous gazes of the other apprentices. It was rare when a leader mentored a cat, and not only that, but it was also rare when a relative mentored a cat, and Firestar was her grandfather. He had even mentored her father.

Gently, she touched noses with him, shaking all over, since she was so glad to be an apprentice at last.

Padding into the apprentice den, she lay down in her nest, happy to go to sleep after a long day.

"Dreampaw..."

She darted around, looking around camp. No one was there. All she saw was... blood. Lots and lots of blood.

"See what may happen?" A sad voice sighed. She whirled around to see a blue gray she-cat staring at her.

"Bluestar."

Bluestar was the famous former leader of Thunderclan, and there were many stories about her.

"What do you want with me?" Dreampaw asked.

"Trust him."

"What?"

"Trust him."

000

R and R, please! Who do you like better, Windpaw or Dreampaw?