Prologue

The smell of fresh dirt and fern leaves wafted into his nose. He could sense the presence of another cat nearby. It was close, judging by the heavy snapping of twigs and the crinkling of dry leaves under padded paws. The young cat crept forward and settled into a crouching position. His ears pricked forward, focusing on the unfamiliar noise. The sound was getting closer and closer. The cat's eyes widened, searching for any signs of movement. Nothing was there, but he could definitely smell another cat.

Suddenly a heap of dark red fur bounded towards him, claws extended and ready to attack. His first instinct was to leap away, but his mentor had taught him to go for the kill. Following his mentor's instructions, the young cat sprang at the attacker, his pupils now slits and his claws unsheathed. In a flurry of sharpened claws and flying tufts of fur, the cat pinned his assailant to the ground, pressing a paw to their throat. His claws slowly extended, threatening to slice the other cat's neck.

The intruder let out a submissive, yet domineering, yowl. "Mr-eoww!"

The young cat let up on his paw and pulled his body off of the other cat.

"Ha! That was a good stance, Autumnpaw!" The red cat praised as he shook his fur free of leaves and dust.

"Thank you, Foxclaw."

Autumnpaw, a half red-half white tabby, began silently grooming his chest, smoothing out his mud-matted fur as he licked. He could hear the stream bubbling nearby, the sound of water rushing over pebbles permanently carved into his mind.

"Come, the Clan will wonder what has become of us if we dawdle any longer." Foxclaw meowed firmly.

Autumnpaw scrambled to his paws and followed closely behind Foxclaw once he started walking back to the Iceclan camp.

The walk back was silent. The two didn't speak, the only noises were the sound of slow breathing and paw steps. Autumnpaw sniffed the crisp evening air. There was the faint scent of a Twoleg, but it was beginning to fade from the storm that was closing in on the IceClan territory. A bright spark of lightning could be seen in the distance every few seconds, past the crowns of the tall oak trees. It was eventually followed by the loud booming of a thunderclap.

"Autumnpaw, tell me, what does it mean when there is a longer pause between the flash and the boom?" Foxclaw quizzed nonchalantly.

"It means the storm is farther away." Autumnpaw answered then turned his face to the side, smelling the air once more.

"Yes, good. It seems your senses are sharper than I anticipated."

The young, half-and-half cat looked over to Foxclaw with proud eyes. This was the first time he truly felt that he succeeded. His fur prickled with excitement and delight. Autumnpaw didn't answer Foxclaw, but trekked onward with a joyful heart.

As they reached nearer to the IceClan camp, Autumnpaw raised his head to sniff the air. His mouth was slightly parted to allow all the earthy smells of leaf-bare to reach his scent glands. He could smell dirt, ice, and the scent of many cats; he was glad he recognized each of the cat-scents.

His feet padded on until he reached the entrance to the camp. It was hidden from prying eyes by a layer of glacial ice that hung above a ravine. The ice was a lasting occurrence that stayed above the ravine year-round due to the cold climate of the region. As Autumnpaw returned to camp alongside Foxclaw, he could see young kits playing in the nursery, elders chatting away, and a few of his friends talking near the Glacierpeak.

"You should see to the elders. They look like they want a word with you." Foxclaw suggested, twitching his tail toward two elder cats.

"Ok, I will, Father." The young cat slowly parted ways with Foxclaw, then trotted over to the elders.

"Good evening, Ambertail, Copperfur." He purred as he bowed his head respectfully.

"Well, if it isn't Autumnpaw. How's the training going? Is Foxclaw demanding too much?" A small, tan cat asked.

"He's one of the best Warriors in the IceClan, I have to learn all I can from him." He meowed shyly.

An orange, bushy-tailed tabby spoke up between the two. "Ah, yes. Good ol' Foxclaw. He's never really been a good spirit, nevermind him asking so much of his kits, he's downright pitiful." She said in a whisper.

Autumnpaw mewled at her childish antics, but he knew she was right. Foxclaw was a pitiful cat. He never talks with anyone but Goldenfeather anymore. Not since his first mate was killed by the leader of the Twilightclan. He never had kits with the she-cat, but he loved her with all his heart.

Autumnpaw was about to fetch a few mice for the elders, but his Father, Foxclaw, hollered across the clearing for him to do it. That made him not want to go hunting anymore, but he knew the elders would like to munch on a few extra mice before dinner. The red-furred apprentice swept his tail across the dirt in frustration, then turned towards the exit. He cautiously padded through the brambles and leapt into the darkness of the awaiting forest.

Hiiii! I'm back! Now, if any of you have taken a liking to my AoT story 'Lighthouse', I'll be updating that soon so be on the lookout for a new chapter. Anyway, I hope there's a few people out there that like Warriors x Bnha. I know I'm not the only one.

Here's this for a key:

Autumnpaw - Shoto

Foxclaw - Endeavor