Author's Note: This story is in the third person point of view. But it switches a lot, I mean... It switches location a lot.
Clans
Chapter One
The dawn patrol was heading out, consisting of Swiftsong, Skypaw, and Rivertail. They were to patrol the border connecting RainClan with MoonClan, the other patrol, Nightwing, Thunderstorm, Silveryeyes, and Otterpaw, was patrolling the border that connected to WillowClan.
The rest of the cats were in the camp, Clearstar was in her den, thinking of who would come with her to the Gathering that night. Warriors were out hunting with their apprentices, and Dustyfoot, the lone elder, was wishing that he could hunt for his own food.
Out in the forest, Shadowheart and his apprentice, Gingerpaw, were hunting, "Like this Shadowheart?" The young she-cat whispered, as she stalked a rabbit that had no idea the two cats were behind her. Shadowheart nodded, and Gingerpaw pounced, pinning the rabbit down and killing it with a swift bite. She picked up the rabbit, and looked at her mentor.
Shadowheart pounced on a vole, tossing it to Gingerpaw. "Hold that." He meowed, before catching another rabbit, "We'll bring these back, then we can work on fighting."
Gingerpaw picked up the vole, struggling to keep both that and the rabbit in her mouth as they carried them back to camp.
The two cats walked into the camp, bringing their kill over to the pile, dropping them. Crystalheart picked up one of the rabbits, handing it to Gingerpaw, "Take this to Dustyfoot," She purred, nudging the young apprentice. "I'm sure he's starving."
Gingerpaw nodded, picking up the rabbit again, carrying it over to the elder's den. "Dustyfoot?" She mumbled, the rabbit in her mouth muffling her speech.
Dustyfoot looked up at the apprentice, "For me?" He asked.
She nodded, dropping the rabbit in front of Dustyfoot, "Did you catch this?" The elder asked.
Gingerpaw shook her head, "Shadowheart did." Dustyfoot nodded, "Thank him for me."
"Okay," Gingerpaw replied, turning and heading towards the apprentice den. Wakepaw bolted out of the den, tackling Gingerpaw.
Gingerpaw rolled over, pinning Wakepaw down, "What was that for?" She purred.
Wakepaw squirmed out from under Gingerpaw, "I just felt like tackling you."
Gingerpaw purred as she continued play-fighting Wakepaw.
A few moments later, the dawn patrols returned. Silvereyes looked like she was going to faint, and Thunderstorm was trying to calm her. Nightwing walked over to Clearstar, who had just come out of her den, and said, "Clearstar, we found WillowClan stealing our prey."
"I'll speak to Oakstar at the Gathering." The leader replied.
Nightwing looked at Clearstar, "But what if it can't wait, the Gathering is hours away, WillowClan could be stealing our prey as we speak!"
Clearstar looked at the young warrior, "Nightwing, I'm not going to break the warrior code to reprimand someone for breaking it. Two wrongs don't make a right. I'm sure Dustyfoot taught you that when you were his apprentice."
"Yes, he did," Nightwing replied, "But he also taught me that when a cat breaks the warrior code, he should be punished. The offending cat can't be punished unless their leader knows."
"At the Gathering." Clearstar repeated, climbing up Highrock. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather at Highrock."
Nightwing, with an angry look on his face, and all the other warriors and apprentices gathered underneath Highrock.
"Tonight I will be bringing seven of you, besides Swiftsong and myself, to the Gathering." Clearstar said, looking out at her clan, "The seven will be Nightwing, Thunderstorm, Rivertail, Shadowheart, Crystalheart, Gingerpaw, and Otterpaw."
Nightwing was shocked, he hadn't expected to be able to go. "I guess this is her way of telling you to tell Oakstar yourself." Crystalheart teased, licking Nightwing's ear. Nightwing nuzzled his mate, "You know I could never do that." He purred.
"Meeting dismissed," Clearstar meowed, walking down Highrock, she walked over to Swiftsong, "Get a group ready for hunting," She whispered, "If WillowClan really is stealing prey, we need all we can get."
Swiftsong nodded, she walked over to some of the warriors, "Grayclaw, Hailfur, would you like to come hunt with me?"
The two toms looked at the deputy, "It would be an honor, Swiftsong." Grayclaw said, as Hailfur nodded.
"Grab your apprentices and meet me at the clearing," She walked off to find Skypaw.
Grayclaw and Hailfur split, looking for Wakepaw and Breezepaw.
Once the two warriors, and the deputy, found their apprentices, they met at the clearing, "Are you ready to hunt?" Hailfur asked his apprentice.
Breezepaw nodded, she and Gingerpaw were the oldest apprentices, and thought to be made warriors at any minute. "Hailfur?" She asked, looking at her mentor.
"Yes?"
"Is it true that WillowClan is stealing our prey?" She asked, "Otterpaw said he smelled them while he was on patrol."
Grayclaw laughed, gruffly, "Leave it to Otterpaw to spread clan news before anyone is supposed to know."
"He was excited Grayclaw." Swiftsong purred, "His first patrol and he finds something like this. I remember when you went on your first patrol. I think Falconstar almost had to pin you down to stop you from crossing MoonClan's border."
Grayclaw batted at his sister as the six cats walked out into the territory, "Alright, maybe we should split up."
Hailfur shook his head, "I don't think so." He said, "If WillowClan really is stealing our prey, it would be better to stay as a group, it would be easier to handle them."
"Hailfur has a point." Swiftsong said, looking at Grayclaw. "They usually travel in groups of four, with one or two apprentices." She said, "So if we--,"
She got cut off by the sound of cat paws. Breezepaw sniffed the air, "WillowClan!" She hissed, bolting after the scent.
The other five cats followed her. "It's Leafpelt!" Hailfur hissed.
"Leafpelt!" Swiftsong meowed, storming over to the WillowClan deputy, "Why are you stealing prey from us?" She hissed.
The brown tabby she-cat stopped and turned, her neck fur standing on end, "This is a WillowClan rabbit we're chasing." She hissed.
"A WillowClan rabbit bolting through RainClan?" Grayclaw asked, doubt obvious in his voice.
"It's possible." The white tom WillowClan warrior, Purefoot, growled.
Wakepaw sniffed the direction the rabbit had bolted off in, before chasing it, killing it with a swift blow to the neck, "This rabbit's RainClan." The sandy apprentice meowed.
The six RainClan cats looked at the four WillowClan cats, "So," Swiftsong growled, "Why are you stealing prey from us?"
Leafpelt looked at Swiftsong, pouncing on her without even a warning.
"Go get Clearstar!" Swiftsong hissed to the apprentices, rolling over so she had Leafpelt pinned.
Breezepaw and Skypaw bolted back to camp. Hailfur tackled Purefoot, as Grayclaw tackled Sandsong, a tan she-cat warrior.
Wakepaw glared at the black she-cat apprentice with them, he recognized her instantly as Blackpaw, before pouncing on her. The eight cats fought for what seemed like moons, before Clearstar came back with Breezepaw and Skypaw, "What is this!" The leader hissed.
Swiftsong stood up, holding Leafpelt by the scruff. Hailfur had Purefoot pinned, and Grayclaw and Sandsong kept fighting. Wakepaw gave Blackpaw a final bat before standing. "So, WillowClan really has been stealing our prey." Clearstar growled, she looked at Leafpelt, "Pathetic." She hissed, "I'd understand if you were merely fur and bones, but you look as if you've been eating feasts."
Leafpelt glared at Clearstar, "You don't understand." She hissed, "Our elders are starving!"
"Been feeding yourself before the elders?" Hailfur hissed, earning him a kick in the stomach from Purefoot, Hailfur merely bit his ear.
"Let them go." Clearstar replied, "We won't hesitate to mention this little encounter at the Gathering." Swiftsong dropped Leafpelt, Hailfur let Purefoot go. Then Grayclaw and Sandsong finally stopped fighting, Grayclaw had a gash in his stomach, and was limping. Blackpaw had bolted the moment Clearstar said let them go.
Hailfur pulled Grayclaw onto his back, and headed back to camp with Clearstar. Clearstar stopped and turned to Swiftsong, "Keep Breezepaw and Skypaw with you, Wakepaw can come with us."
Breezepaw and Skypaw looked up at their deputy, "Is Grayclaw going to be okay?" Skypaw asked.
Swiftsong nodded, "Amberheart will take care of him." She meowed, she looked at the rabbit Wakepaw had killed, before seeing a fresh one, she licked her lips and chased it.
Breezpaw and Skypaw both stalked some mice. They were destined not to be like WillowClan, they didn't want to have to trespass and break the warrior code.
Meanwhile, back at camp, Grayclaw laid in Amberheart's den, as she put cobwebs over the gash, and gave him some poppyseeds to help ease his pain, she looked up at her leader, "He'll stay here until he's better." Amberheart purred, "It won't be long, he is strong."
Clearstar licked Grayclaw's ear, "I'm sure it won't be long." She turned and left Amberheart's den, and once she exited, she saw Breezepaw, Skypaw, and Swiftsong entering the camp with mouthfuls of kill.
Hailfur walked over to the three and took some of the prey from them, bringing it to the fresh kill pile, he nudged Breezepaw, "Nice job." He purred.
"Thanks." The young she-cat mewed.
Clearstar smiled at the two, not only were they kin, but Hailfur had mentored Breezepaw, and she would be becoming a warrior in the next few moons, along with her sister, Gingerpaw.
The young she-cat leader walked into her den, she needed to rest a while before the Gathering.
Gathering. Next Chapter.