Here's the first chapter of this story! Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Just like before I do not own Warriors, only some of the cats found in this story are mine.


The light of dawn spread over the Windclan camp, warming each of the cats that slept under the stars. Foxpaw leapt to his paws by the apprentice bush and stretched. He saw his sister appear from the medicine cat den for a moment before disappearing back into it, her amber eyes glowing with excitement.

A purr ran through him as he remembered their mother's promise to them the sun before, that they would get to meet a very special friend of hers. Every possible option went through his head once again. Was it a cat from another clan? Or a rogue or loner? Maybe even a kitty-pet, but he doubted this one the most. She had told them that it was a very big secret and he dared not reveal what he was thinking to any other cat.

"Foxpaw," Crowfeather, his mentor, yowled from the entrance to camp. "Time for the dawn patrol."

Sighing, Foxpaw followed his mentor out into the moorlands. Yes this afternoon his mother would take him to meet this friend, for now he had to do the best for his clan. Whitetail, the clan deputy, joined them and then headed for the Thunderclan border.

Foxpaw's heart raced as he ran over the heather, as fast as any Windclan cat, and wondered how the other clans could live with trees blocking their way and their view of the sky and Starclan. Of course as they closed in on the border the moor turned to the forest that Thunderclan hunt in. Windclan owned part of the forest to a small stream that marked the border. He had been taught to hunt here among the trees but much preferred hunting somewhere else.

"What can you smell?" Whitetail said as she opened her own mouth to scent the area.

Concentrating Foxpaw opened his mouth and instantly caught the scent of the Thunderclan scent marks. Wrinkling his nose because of the foul scent that had a hint of the forest, he replied, "Thunderclan have just finished patrolling this part of the border and they headed towards the lake. Stale fox scent from a few days ago heading towards the Moonpool and plenty of prey on both territories."

"Very good," Crowfeather said, a bit curtly.

The young apprentice was used to his mentor's temper and bitterness so he didn't take any offense. With all the clans on the verge of war with each other due to the sudden distrust that had erupted just before he was born, a lot of cats were stressed and reacted with a sharp tongue when spoken too. At least he'd heard stories of times of peace and happiness, and even a few seasons ago that the medicine cats got together every half moon to go to the Moonpool.

Whitetail looked more impressed. Foxpaw liked the white she-cat, unlike most of the warriors, she had a level head and took everything into consideration before making a decision and she was gentle around him and his littermate if they made a mistake. It was obvious why Onestar had chosen her as deputy when Ashfoot had died of a late case of greencough last leaf-bare.

She led them away from the lake, which shone in the early morning sun of Greenleaf. Grinning, Foxpaw ran ahead before coming to a sudden halt. A sudden feeling of dread had entered him. Something was wrong but he couldn't put his paw on it.

"What's wrong? Did you see anything?" Whitetail stopped beside him, her blue eyes glowing with concern.

"No, just a feeling," he whispered back, his eyes following Crowfeather as the older tom stalked past them and further up the border.

She nodded, "the darkness is growing in the clans and though not much has come of it yet it will soon. I don't think what the clans have to fear is the other clans; something even more sinister is at work here."

She padded away from him. The young ginger tom stared after her in shock. Was what she was saying true? He felt the truth in her words and it scared him.

"Foxpaw are you just going to stand there until you turn into a tree or would you like to continue the border patrol?" Crowfeather asked coldly, pausing to turn to the apprentice.

The dark ginger tom padded after his mentor in a daze, his thoughts far away from the patrol and the cats around him. Whitetail's words reminded him of a dream he'd had a few sunrises ago. He couldn't remember all of it but remembered the scent of the other clans and a darkness descending upon them. Three cats had shone like the stars but he hadn't gotten a good look at their pelts so he didn't know who they were.

He barely registered the rest of their patrol until they got back to camp to report to Onestar. "No sign of Thunderclan crossing the border and we've remarked the boundary," mewed Whitetail. "Has the patrol that went to the Riverclan border come back yet?"

Foxpaw followed her gaze but couldn't see his father's pelt anywhere. Breezepelt had been leading the patrol and they should be back by now. A stab of worry shot through him. The black warrior wasn't a very good father but the young apprentice loved him all the same. A couple of heartbeats later a young light tabby ran over the hill surrounding the camp, one of her ears were ripped and her left hind leg stuck out at an odd angle.

"Riverclan ambushed us," she gasped in pain. "They came right out of the lake and surrounded us. Too many to fight."

"Good work getting back here, Rabbitpaw," Onestar mewed. "Owlwhisker get a patrol together to help against Riverclan. Emberfoot I want to you to gather some warriors and follow Owlwhisker's patrol and attack from a different direction and a little after."

The two warriors nodded and started to gather a few warriors each. "I want to go," yowled Nightcloud.

"Of course," Owlwhisker flicked his tail to let her know to join his group.

"What about me?" Foxpaw demanded.

"We have to guard the camp just in case Riverclan's plan is to attack here with half our warriors gone," his mother mewed.

The ginger apprentice opened his mouth to argue then snapped it shut nodding reluctantly. He wanted to battle to defend his clan but knew that the best way would be to stay out of the warriors' way. By the look of Rabbitpaw, Riverclan didn't care if they killed any cat.

Leaftail, Antpelt and Furzeclaw joined Owlwhisker's patrol while Sunstrike, Boulderpelt and Whiskerfur went with Emberfoot. With a nod at Onestar the light brown tabby bounded out of the hollow, followed closely by his clan mates.

"I'm glad you're not going to fight in this battle," his sister mewed to him, glancing at Rabbitpaw. "She's only an apprentice and they tried to claw the life out of her and even when we heal her she may still die from the wounds."

The black apprentice padded over to join her mentor, Kestralflight, in applying cobwebs and some salve to help prevent infection. Not wanting to move her they created a nest of feathers and moss around her, finally giving her a couple of poppy seeds to aid her sleep.

Foxpaw shook his head as he watched his sister work. He couldn't imagine living a life like a medicine cats. No fighting for your clan and being around stinking herbs all day, he really didn't understand how his sister did it.

Turning his back on the injured apprentice he clawed his way up the highest side of the camp. From here he could see most of the territory to the lake. Emberfoot separated his patrol from the other, the only indication was a small swaying of the heather that only a trained Windclan cat would notice. At the lake cats moved like shadows, fighting for their lives.

Green eyes followed the first patrol of warriors until they were almost on top of the fighting cats, springing out of their hiding spot to join the battle. Barely a few heart beats later the second patrol was in position. For a moment Foxpaw felt relief he hadn't gone, he always had trouble hiding on the moor because of his ginger pelt and would only be a hindrance.

He watched as the second battle patrol entered the battle, turning the tide on their attackers who finally retreated back over to their side of the border. The red apprentice carefully made his way down from his lookout point when the warriors started heading back to camp.

"We sent them wailing back where they came from," Emberfoot yowled as he ran into camp ahead of the other cats. "They'll think twice about attacking a border patrol from now on."

"Who lead the attack?" Onestar asked.

"Reedwhisker," the gruff mew replied from the back of the line.

The warriors parted and Breezepelt padded to stand in front of his leader. Foxpaw looked his father up and down, his dark pelt full of blood though little of it appeared to be his own and his face twisted in hatred that made the apprentice wince.

"More than half their clan must have been waiting for us; they came right out of the lake. Fox hearted fish faces," the black warrior hissed. "Not willing to take us on honourably and trying to kill Rabbitpaw as she ran for reinforcements."

"You did well holding off those Riverclan warriors on your own Breezepelt," Onestar praised as he leapt onto the Grasshill, a small hill on the wall of the camp. "Did they demand territory? Prey?"

Amber eyes narrowed as the black warrior spat, "they wanted nothing other than to kill us and strike fear into our clan."

A wail broke out among the Windclan warriors. "It's the darkness Starclan predicted," yowled one warrior in panic.

Onestar glanced over all his warriors with cold eyes. "We mustn't let this attack dishearten us."

"We should strike back, it's the last thing they'll be suspected."

Foxpaw narrowed his eyes at his father. If they attacked Riverclan back there would be nothing stopping a war between the two clans and he couldn't see a way out without blood being spilled on both sides. He could feel the very tension in the air and his sister pressed her side against his in comfort.

Every cat was looking up at their leader waiting for his response. "That's a good idea. We'll travel tonight just before moonset, for now no apprentice is to leave camp without a warrior."

Foxpaw shifted his paws and looked down as the rest of the clan purred in agreement. This felt wrong, this wasn't the darkness that was predicted he was sure of it but there was no cat that would listen to a young warrior apprentice. He looked up as Blackpaw nudged him.

"Stop looking so downcast, I thought you'd like the idea of going into battle," she whispered in his ear.

"I like defending the clan," he hissed.

"Aren't you defending the clan by putting Riverclan in their place?" Her amber eyes were wide in puzzlement. "They provoked us first so why can't we defend ourselves against future attacks?"

Because it feels wrong, he yowled in his head. He couldn't explain it to the black apprentice and he wasn't sure if she'd understand if he tried. "I guess you're right," he mewed instead.

Whitetail padded over to them at that moment, looking between the two siblings. "You'd both better eat now so you'll be ready for the hunting patrol with me and Heathertail at sun high," the white she-cat mewed with a small knowing look. "You may be a medicine cat apprentice Blackpaw but you still need training in how to catch prey for the clan."

The red tom nodded respectfully at the clan deputy and picked a rabbit to share with his sister. "Do you think she knows our mother's secret?"

The black she-cat shifted uncomfortably, "she shouldn't have a secret. If she's meeting a cat outside the clan it's against the warrior code. I'd never tell any other cat what she'll show us because she's our mother," she added as Foxpaw hissed softly. "That doesn't mean I have to approve."

They ate the rabbit in silence after that and then shared tongues before it was time for the patrol. Heathertail flicked her tail at them when it was time and Foxpaw jumped up in excitement, not even Blackpaw's darker outlook could drown his curiosity.

Whitetail appeared a moment later and bounded over to the patrol and then out of the camp. Foxpaw followed closely behind the deputy as the climbed the moor, slightly angling towards the trees of Thunderclan. He flicked his ears in surprise as they left clan territory behind and continued on for another few fox lengths.

"You came," a mew sounded to their left.

The ginger apprentice jumped around to gaze at a large, broad shouldered golden tabby tom with shining amber eyes. The tom smelt of Thunderclan and Foxpaw realised he's seen this warrior at gatherings before though he'd never spoken to him before.

"We came here to meet a Thunderclan warrior," Blackpaw screeched.

Heathertail ignored her daughter and instead touched noses with the unknown tom as if they knew each other well. The black apprentice bristled and a snarl appeared on her face. Foxpaw cocked his head sideways in confusion but waited for the older cats to explain. Whitetail sat down beside him, wrapping her tail around her paws.

"This is Lionblaze and as you pointed out already Blackpaw he is a Thunderclan warrior," Heathertail explained, exchanging a nervous glance with the tom.

"I've seen you both at gatherings before," Lionblaze mewed filling in the silence.

"You're Lionblaze?" Foxpaw's eyes widened. "Every clan knows about you're fighting skills."

"He can have all the skills in the world, we shouldn't be here meeting with him," hissed Blackpaw.

"Don't you want to meet your real father?" The Windclan deputy mewed.

Both apprentices froze and stared at the white warrior in disbelief. Turning his green gaze on the large golden tom he noticed some similarities between himself and the great warrior, most noticeably his pelt colour. Only one other cat in the clan had ginger fur but as far as he knew he wasn't related to Weaselfur and every cat around the lake knew Lionblaze shared Firestar's blood and that the clans among the trees had more ginger cats.

He noticed that Blackpaw didn't have Breezepelt's darker amber eyes but the lighter yellow of the Thunderclan warrior, almost identical in colour. The only thing that didn't make sense was Blackpaw's pelt.

"Why is she black?"

"Crowfeather was my father," the tom explained calmly knowing what his son was talking about.

"How can you be sitting here calmly asking question?" the medicine cat apprentice yowled. "This is against the warrior code; we are half clan kits that don't belong to any clan and it's their entire fault."

"The warrior code," Foxpaw spat suddenly. "None of the clans even act like they've heard of the code anymore. None of the stories we were told as kits is what life is like now and everyday another part of the code is broken to fuel some mouse brained fear created by Starclan. What difference does it make if we are half clan cats if we are loyal to our birth clan? Besides you heard Lionblaze he's part Windclan too, which means we are three quarters Windclan and only one part Thunderclan."

"If you're really Crowfeather's son why haven't we heard about it?" Blackpaw wailed, glaring at her brother.

"It's a story best forgotten in the next generation," Whitetail answered with her quiet authority.

Foxpaw flicked his ears in surprise, he wondered how many cats knew that Lionblaze was a half clan warrior and what she-cat from Thunderclan would take his prickly bad tempered mentor as their mate. He had always thought it strange that Nightcloud had fought so hard for Crowfeather as well; perhaps she-cats saw something he didn't in the dark gray warrior.

"What kind of clan deputy are you? You should have stopped this long ago," Blackpaw spat at the white she-cat.

Heathertail opened her mouth angrily to reply to her daughter but Whitetail raised her tail to stop her. The deputy mewed, "Every cat knew of Lionblaze and Heathertail's friendship when they were apprentices, it was obvious at gatherings, but something happened and they fought. I didn't even know they were back together until she came to me one night and admitted that she wasn't pregnant with Breezepelt's kits like she told everyone but with a certain golden tabby tom. I didn't like it, like you've said Blackpaw it is against the warrior code, but I was afraid that if I said anything to Onestar or any other warrior that Breezepelt would come after her for betraying him."

"Breezepelt would never do that. He's a loyal Windclan warrior!" she yowled back.

"He never forgave Crowfeather," Lionblaze whispered, for a moment confusion clouded his eyes. "Not just for having kits with another she-cat, which he didn't even know about until we were already warriors, but for not being a great father to a kit he never wanted, a kit he had to prove his loyalty to his clan mates."

It sounded as if he wasn't saying everything and Foxpaw shivered. What was it the golden warrior wouldn't say?

"Your mentor's a sick cat," Blackpaw hissed, turning to her brother. "How could he have a kit just to prove clan loyalty?"

"Leave Crowfeather alone," Foxpaw snarled, surprised how he wanted to defend his clan mate. "He is more loyal than half the warriors in Windclan. He hasn't killed any cat in cold blood like Breezepelt has and he refuses to hunt on other clan's territories."

The black she-cat stared at her brother in disbelief for a few heart beats before turning and running back to the moor. "We have to catch her, she can't tell the clan," Heathertail mewed urgently, sprinting after her daughter.

"She wouldn't tell them would she? It would be admitting she wasn't a pure blooded clan cat."

Lionblaze's eyes clouded for a moment and he exchanged a knowing glance with Whitetail. "Don't be so sure, she reminds me of my lost sister and following the warrior code meant everything to her."

Foxpaw paused, every cat knew Jayfeather the Thunderclan medicine cat was Lionblaze's brother but no cat had ever mentioned them having a sister. Something else that was best forgotten? He shivered, how many other secrets were around the lake and did they have anything to do with the sudden disregard of the warrior code?


Will Blackpaw tell the clans about her heritage like Hollyleaf did?

Yes, both Whitetail and Foxpaw are noticing that something bad is coming. Whitetail because she is just an observant she-cat and knows this sudden violence has to be linked to something and Foxpaw because of his dream.

Hopefully I'll try and update this once every one or two weeks :D