here's chapter one, as promised :3

Chapter 1

Frost crunched under the dark, smoky gray she-cat's paws, though the sound was as quiet as a whisper. Leaf-bare this season was harsh, and she could feel the iciness of it as it seeped up through her paw pads and chilled her to the bone.

Her prey crouched with its back to her, digging around in the snow, its wild pale gray fur sticking up in all directions. For only a moment, envy crawled through her sleek pelt like ants, though she flicked an ear to get rid of the feeling and focus on her original task.

Her heart beat faster as excitement bubbled through her veins, making her want to charge forward. Wait, She commanded herself, steeling her legs to keep from pouncing too early. Not yet…

Now!

She pounced, landing on its back and curling her claws into its fur to stay on as it let out a cry of surprise and jumped underneath her. "Gotcha!" She growled triumphantly, though the next second she was thrown off its back and into a pile of snow with a woomph.

Just as she was about to climb out, something plowed into her side and sent the two of them rolling in a tangle of dark and pale gray fur and flailing legs over the snow.

When they tumbled to a stop, she found herself pinned under the tom she had targeted before. His large front paws pushed into her shoulders and left her feeling breathless.

"Thought you had me, didn'tcha Coal?" Winter meowed playfully, his chest puffed out as he stood over her.

Coal glared at him, but couldn't help but be drawn into his cheerful aura. "Yeah, especially the part where you were squealing like a little kit." She purred in amusement at his hurt expression, getting over her frustration at being beaten. "Now get off me you overgrown fuzzball."

Winter's ears flicked back in indignation as he stepped off her, "I do not squeal."

She was about to retort when a voice called over to them. "Winter! Coal! Come over here you two!"

Coal glanced over at her litter-mate as an idea sprang into mind, then burst into a sprint, throwing up snow behind her. "Race you!" She called over her shoulder, eyes glittering.

"Hey!" Winter yelled as he tore after her, though unlike Coal's sleek coat, he was weighed down by his thick, snow-clogged fur. And she found she no longer felt envious of his pelt.

As she ran, a small red-brown figure caught her eye and she looked over at her other litter-mate who was pressed up against the side of a pretty white-and-gray she-cat, shivering violently from the cold.

Streak was the weakest of the three of them and often stayed beside Tinsel when Coal and Winter would run off to play. She never really understood his timidness, so they weren't as close as Winter and herself.

Coal reached Tinsel first, skidding to a stop in front of them, sending snow flying in every direction. "I win!" She exclaimed proudly, raising her chin as Winter stumbled towards her, breathing heavily from the run.

"Next...time, I'll win...you'll see." He gasped, sending a pointed look her way, which she returned with a confident grin.

"Just look at you two!" Tinsel said in exasperation, and Coal looked down at herself. Her normally sleek fur was sticking up in clusters and frost hung from strands of fur.

She then peered over at Winter, whose naturally disheveled fur looked even more wild with large clumps of snow in its midst. "Rowanheart will be here any moment and you two look like you've been through a snowstorm." Tinsel shook her head, but her whiskers twitched in amusement. "A good bath will fix you right up."

That was the last thing Coal wanted to do, letting out a mrrow of complaint as Tinsel started to clean her with swift licks of her tongue, but soon her fur was snow-free and shiny. I suppose I want to look good when Rowanheart comes...She tried to convince herself, though somewhat grumpily.

"There we go." Tinsel meowed happily as she looked down at her and Winter, who looked ridiculous with tufts of his fur held down by spit. Coal giggled at his appearance and received a grumpy eye roll in return.

"W-when will Rowanheart g-get here?" Streak's frail voice shook as he looked up at Tinsel with droopy copper eyes.

"Yeah, the moon's been out for awhile now." Coal added. It's been quite some time since Rowanheart visited, and she couldn't wait to see him again. I want to show him my hunting crouch. Maybe this time he'll say I'm good enough... She thought, her tail flicking in excitement and anticipation.

"Soon." Tinsel answered, her voice soft, though it was clear she was just as thrilled as her kits to see her mate.

No sooner were the words out of her maw before there was a light scratching at the wooden fence that surrounded their twoleg's nest.

Coal turned toward the sound, unintentionally holding her breath as she waited. Then as a pair of paws thumped on the ground on their side of the fence and a familiar striped pelt came into view, she jumped up, nearly knocking Winter over in her haste.

"Rowanheart!" Coal meowed, eyes wide and gleaming as he came closer. "You're here!"

The handsome tom chuckled in amusement as he bent down to touch noses with Coal and her litter-mates before brushing his cheek against Tinsel's. "Yes, I'm here."

"How is it out there?" Tinsel asked quietly, but Coal could still hear them as she and Winter hopped around Rowanheart's paws.

Rowanheart sighed as he looked back towards the fence, and Coal paused in her excitement at the tone of his voice. "Rough. The prey has gone into hiding and there are fewer kits and apprentices than ever. But," he continued, looking back at Tinsel, his eyes filled with conviction as he spoke, "we're getting though it, just like the other leaf-bares."

Tinsel looked at him with concern, but seemed to hold back her other concerns. "As long as you're safe, then that's all I care about."

"Rowanheart! Rowanheart!" Coal meowed suddenly, jumping between them. She wasn't going to sit there and let them talk the night away.

"What is it?" He asked, looking down at her, his tail flicking lightly in amusement.

"Watch this!" She said excitedly and hopped away, immediately lowering herself into a hunting crouch; her belly close to the ground, her tail stiff and unmoving, and her ears perked as she slowly and quietly crept toward an invisible target.

"Me too!" Winter said, before rearing up on his hind legs and swatting at an invisible opponent, his claws gleaming in the moonlight that filtered down through the thick clouds.

"I see you've been practicing." He purred loudly, pride thick in his voice.

"Um..." Streak spoke up from Tinsel's side, and Coal looked over at him curiously. He peered up at Rowanheart before lowering his eyes to his paws. "I...I'm not as strong as the others…I c-can't...I can't do what they can d-do."

Rowanheart bent his head down until he was eye level to the tiny kit. "You may not be yet, but you'll grow stronger. Just you wait." He said firmly, causing Streak too look up at him again and nod, his eyes seeming a bit brighter than before.

"All of you are going to make great warriors one day." Rowanheart meowed steadily, his copper eyes glittering as he watched them.

Coal flicked her tail excitedly. "Does that mean you're taking us with you this time?"

"Yeah, you said when we grew older we could go with you. We're already five moons old!" Winter jumped in, his ice blue eyes hard and determined.

At that moment, Rowanheart looked extremely uncomfortable as he glanced over at Tinsel, who sighed and shook her head. "Well...you see...it's going to have to be a little longer before I can take you."

"But..." Coal's tail dropped onto the snow dejectedly. But you said so...

Winter didn't say anything, he just watched Rowanheart with the same crestfallen eyes.

"Look, I know what I said, but now isn't a good time. Once the grass fully returns, then I will take you. I promise." Rowanheart tried to convince them, and deep down Coal knew that what he was saying was true, but it was hard to take in.

Over at Tinsel's side, Streak let loose a yawn that shook his entire body and would have tipped him over if Tinsel's tail hadn't swept up beside him and braced him against her hind leg.

"All right you two, time for bed." Tinsel spoke up, and Rowanheart sent her a grateful look. The queen stood and with a sweep of her tail, gathered Coal and her litter-mates and started to herd them towards their two-leg nest.

"No!" Coal dug her claws into the frozen ground, but she could feel her legs start to go numb from the cold and exhaustion. "I want to stay with Rowanheart!"

Rowanheart gave her a sad smile as he looked down at her before lowering his head. He rested his nose on her forehead, his voice deep and calming. "Don't worry, I'll always come back my little warrior." His copper eyes glittered as he pulled away. "Listen to Tinsel now, and go to bed. I'll be back before you know it."

Coal nodded in defeat and retreated back to Tinsel and her litter-mates, who were leaning against each other to stay upright.

Though just as they got halfway to the nest, a furious hiss sounded behind them. Coal looked over her shoulder to see Rowanheart's form stiffen and his fur bristle before he twisted around towards them. The intense look in his eyes sent chills up her spine, though it was his words that froze her entire body. "Run, hurry! Hide!"

Run? She thought. Hide from what?

and now i leave you to begin to hate my existence as a writer c:

haha, well thanks for reading! and please review~! ^-^