Allegiance

Leader: Bristlestar- light brown tabby she-cat with foggy blue eyes (apprentice Flowerpaw)

Deputy: Jaggedtooth- pure black tom with deep amber eyes

Medicine cat: Snowdawn- pure white, fluffy she-cat with deep blue eyes

Warriors

Leafstorm- brown and white tabby tom with dark green eyes (apprentice Kinkpaw)

Kestrelflight- heavy black and white tom with yellow eyes

Dappledclaw- sleek, golden-speckled tom with bright green eyes (apprentice Smokepaw)

Brownfoot- white she-cat with light brown paws, ears, and tail tip; pale green eyes

Heatherwind- dark tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Cinnamontail- cream tom with a brown striped tail and cerulean eyes

Apprentices

Flowerpaw- small tortoiseshell she with light amber eyes

Kinkpaw- energetic ginger she-cat with slight curly fur

Smokepaw- gray tom with white splotches and soft green eyes

Queens

Tawnyspots- calico and white she (kits: Patchkit, Echokit, Dewkit)

Appleleaf- ash gray she-cat with white splotches and dull blue eyes (expecting)

Meadowleap- nimble flame-point tabby tom with dull green eyes (nursery help)

Chapter 1: Newleaf

Light. It burned her eyes but soothe her cold, damp fur. Newleaf finally reared its beauty, blessing the cats with the warming sun and plenty of prey. The silver she-cat yawned as she purred with her body outstretched. Even as she became an older kitten, she enjoyed serenity from time to time. A murmur stirred the tabby from her restful position. "Echokit, are you ready? The ceremony is almost starting!" muttered her mother, Tawnyspots, from the den. Stretching her paws, Echokit pulled herself from the ground, envying her previous meditation. Life was so quaint in the nursery, and before the great greencough that swept the clan just a few months before. A sullen look deployed on her face as she padded back into the damp dark den. "Ceremony? Already?" she questioned, taken aback a little. Just then, two cats pushed into the cramped den, brushing past Echokit before reaching the calico mother. The darker gray fluff turned around, emerald eyes shimmering under a poppy flower that perched on her head. "Yeah! It has been about 8 moons now!" the gray cat meowed.

Tawnyspots wrestled down a black and white tom kit before unleashing her tongue. "Thank Starclan, the nursery is getting too crowded with you three," she chuckled between grooming, "You, Patchkit, and Dewkit should have been apprentices many moons ago!" Patchkit groaned as his mother's rough tongue brushed against his fur. "Yeah, and we are definitely old enough to groom ourselves now, Tawnyspots." Dewkit let out a mrrrph of laughter before pawing her older brother. Tawnyspots dropped Patchkit, granting freedom. "Well, at least let me groom you for this ceremony. This is my last litter after all." Tawnyspots mewed softly, before being approached by Echokit. "I have no quarrels with you grooming me mom." the smaller tabby meowed before a scratchy tongue slicked her pelt down. Echokit knew how sad Tawnyspots was ever since she lost her other kits and mate Coldfall. It was hard for all of them, and at least every cat in the clan suffered.

"Let all cats old enough to hunt join me under the tree for a clan meeting!" Echokit heard her leader meowed in the clearing. Glancing up, Echokit looked awestrucked at Bristlestar. Young and mighty, the slender, light brown tabby looked mighty and powerful under the new sun, mystical blue eyes watching her clan gather. Feeling a nudge from her gentle mother, she began to walk out to the clearing with her brother Patchkit and dainty older sister Dewkit. The three sat directly in front of the huge fallen tree Bristlestar was on top of, patiently waiting for her to speak.

"We have a pretty important ceremonies going on today, for not have we gained two new warriors, but we are beginning to train three new apprentices!'' She spoke boldly before motioning over Kinkpaw and Smokepaw. The two joined her up on the tree, pelts glistening in the light. "I, Bristlestar, leader of Lonerclan, called upon my lost ancestors to look down on these two young cats. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." Bristlestar turned to face the two. "Kinkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" The wild she-cat nodded her head, eyes filled with determination. "I do." Bristlestar let out a purr and settled her eyes on the other apprentice. "And do you, Smokepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do." Smokepaw spoke loudly. "By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." Bristlestar said. She turned to Smokepaw. "Smokepaw, from this moment you will be known as Smokecloud. StarClan honors your vitality, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Lonerclan." The leader then looked at Kinkpaw. "Kinkpaw, my daughter, you have met my expectations, and your father would be proud." The clan murmured in agreement as the ginger cat glowed with pride. "You will be known as Kinkfur for your vigor, and we also welcome you as a full warrior of Lonerclan as well."

"Smokecloud, Kinkfur! Smokecloud, Kinkfur!" The clan roared to life as they cheered on the two new warriors. Bristlestar smiled, grateful for the warm embrace the clan offered. Echokit looked on in awe, wondering if that would be her future as well. As if the clan leader could read her thoughts, the tabby cat gazed down upon the three kittens. A couple of cats stepped back, letting Tawnyspots sit more behind the trio. "Echokit, Patchkit, and Dewkit," she began, eyes trained upon their mother, "I know this has been a long time coming, and I apologize for your delays. As you become apprentices, may your father, grandfather, and brothers look on in pride." Tawnyspots held back a choke as her dead mate, father, and kittens were mentioned. The grieving mother tried her best to be there for the remainder of her litter while burying so many of her loved ones.

"Echokit, you have passed the age of six moons. From now on until you become a warrior, you shall be known as Echopaw." Bristlestar skimmed the crowd for a suitable mentor for the perky silver tabby. With a firm look, she settled her eyes on a lanky white she-cat. "Brownfoot, I believe you are more than qualified to be Echopaw's mentor. You are known for your kind and patient nature. I expect you to pass on your skills to Echopaw, so she may become an honorable warrior of this clan." Brownfoot walked up to the younger cat, gently touching noses with her. To the younger cat, she smelled of a sweet peony flower. "I hope I can make you proud." Echopaw whispered, pelt bristling with anxiety. Brownfoot let out a chuckle. "No worries, I can see that you will make me proud already."

Echopaw and Brownfoot stepped back as Patchpaw stepped up. "Patchpaw, you have also passed the age of six moons. From now on until you become a warrior yourself, you will be known as Patchpaw." Bristlestar wasted no time finding a mentor this time, as her own deputy stepped up. "Jaggedtooth," she stated swiftly, "I believe your strong and fierce demeanor would mold this tom into a fine warrior someday. I can already tell Patchpaw will be a valuable asset to this clan, and I expect you to pass these skills on effortlessly." The bulky heavyset tom leapt down from the tree and placed himself in front of the smaller tom.

Tawnyspots shifted uncomfortably, and Echopaw did so as well. It was known that Jaggedclaw liked to push his apprentices to reach their absolute best, often coming off as aggressive. However, so many warriors apprenticed through him proved to be very strong and efficient, and seeing that Patchpaw is the grandson of the recently passed leader Runningstar and founder of this clan Echowind, he was more than capable of becoming a fine warrior. 'Or even a leader,' Echopaw thought to herself as she looked on. Patchpaw and Jaggedtooth touched noses briefly, a flame alight in the apprentice's eyes.

The leader looked onto the final kit, motioning the medicine cat to meet with Dewkit. "Dewkit, is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" The gentle she-kit looked up, eyes full of determination. "It is," she meowed, earning a smile from both the leader and medicine cat. "Snowdawn." Bristlestar stepped back and let the beautiful she-cat take over. "StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." Snowdawn shouted these words so that StarClan could hear. The celestial beings replied by sending forth a burst of wind flowing through the medicine cat and apprentice. Bristlestar nodded in agreement.

"Echopaw! Patchpaw! Dewpaw!" The clan roared once again, many approving of these choices. The new apprentices looked up at their respective mentors, excited to start the day. "Meeting dismissed!" Bristlestar commanded before leaping off the tree and bounded towards Kinkfur, gently brushing her cheek against her daughters. Echopaw looked on before her eyes settled on her mentor. Brownfoot stood up and stretched out her hind legs, before motioning Echopaw to follow her. "Come on, let's get this tour started!" she smirked before Jaggedtooth approached her with Patchpaw. "Shall we go together?" the deputy suggested. The she-cat nodded. "The more the merrier."

The four walked past the clan entrance, sun bearing down on them. The territory was full of beautiful shrubbery and low sitting trees. "As your mother may have told you," Brownfoot began, catching the attention of the two apprentices, "Your kin Echowind and Runningstar founded this territory. Legend has it that this was a wedge between the ancient ThunderClan and ShadowClan. After the ancient cats were driven out, StarClan founded Echowind and led him here with a prophecy." The young cats scoped the surroundings, clearly seeing a river that split the territory in half, clan camp leaning more towards the forest than the humid marsh. "Not every loner wanted to settle within our clan." Jaggedtooth interrupted, stepping ahead of the group. "The part of the river that is the most narrow marks our border. We share that with any rogues or loners that may lurk nearby." He said seriously, claws slightly unsheathed. "It is one of our duties to protect and remark our borders to prevent any unnecessary guests. Even if we have to fight them, or worse."

Patchpaw's eyes shimmered as Echopaw looked on hesitantly. 'He's serious…' she thought as she watched the two mentors sniff and remark the territory with their scent. She looked at her all-too-eager younger brother before bounding up to the warriors. "Well, uh, can we hunt there?" she asked curiously. "No," Brownfoot said as Jaggedtooth growled. "We must respect their boundaries as much as they respect ours." Jaggedtooth growled. "If it were up to me, we'd hunt wherever we please! Besides, they decided to not join us and to roam freely, therefore I feel as if they don't deserve to have any excess territory." His black tail swished back and forth. "It's not like they have kits to feed." Echopaw winced. "Jaggedtooth, I know prey has been scarce during Leaf-bare," Brownfoot comforted the brooding tom, "but Bristlestar said not to intrude on any borders she and the rogues agreed upon! Appleleaf will have plenty of prey when she gives birth-" "Now she will!" Jaggedtooth snapped, moving away from the she-cat. The brown and white molly took a step back. "Who knows what the next Leaf-bare could bring. I know one thing: when I am leader I will expand the territory for all of us!" he finished as he began to walk back. "Patchpaw, come with me. We need to get a head start on training." Jaggedtooth grunted as he ushered his apprentice over. "Later Echopaw!" Patchpaw chirped naively, following his mentor, leaving both of the she-cats in disarray.

Brownfoot let out a sigh. "What a stone-head." she snapped as she looked down at her apprentice. "Is he… always like that?" Echopaw questioned, earning a paw on her shoulder, "Mhm. Since we were young he's always been ambitious. His intentions are pure though, Leaf-fall and Leaf-bare are becoming harder to deal with since we shrunk our territory down as part of the new deal between Runningstar and the rogues. And Bristlestar hasn't had the heart to change this deal since he died last Leaf-bare." Brownfoot explained, eyes softening. The silver tabby looked on as the two toms left, trying to understand his aggressive reaction.