Saltstar jumped up onto High Rock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath High Rock!" she yowled. Warriors, apprentices, and elders emerged from their dens, blinking sleep from their eyes. She blinked, remembering it was just barely dawn.

Lionpaw, an apprentice, ran up to the High Rock and sat under it, coat and dark green eyes shining. His mother, Snowyheart, gazed at him with pride. Saltstar looked down at her apprentice proudly.

The cats had gathered beneath High Rock. Saltstar sat up straighter and addressed them.

"Lionpaw is now old enough to receive his warrior name. Lionpaw, step forward."

He attempted to calmly step closer, but almost tripped. Saltstar smiled warmly at him.

"You have been training as an apprentice for six moons now, and it is time for you to receive a warrior name. Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and stay loyal to your Clan at all costs?"

He nodded quickly, then meowed, "I do."

"Then, by the power of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. Lionpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Lionwing." She jumped down and rested her head on his. Lionwing licked her shoulder. She could feel him quivering with excitement.

Saltstar stepped back and dismissed her Clan. Lionwing ran off to the apprentice den, then skidded to a stop, and changed direction, heading toward the warrior den.

Stripedpelt, the ThunderClan deputy, stepped up to her and dipped his powerful head. "Saltstar, congratulations on your apprentice becoming a warrior."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Thanks, Stripedpelt. Now, you should arrange the dawn patrols, right?" He looked up, nodded, and padded away.

Standing, Saltstar padded through the bramble tunnel that led out to the forest. Planning on going hunting, she raced out, going where her nose told her to.

An unfamiliar scent hit her nose and she skidded to a stop, in the middle of chasing a mouse. Wrinkling her nose against the powerful smell, she padded in the direction it was coming from.

Crouching in the bushes, she spotted a strange cat grooming himself in a clearing. She hissed softly and jumped out of the bushes, ears flat.

The cat jumped to his paws and whirled around, hissing. Then he saw her and he hesitated, staring at her with wide amber eyes.

Pricking her ears for a few seconds, Saltstar tilted her head and examined the cat. He was huge, maybe the biggest cat she had ever seen. His pelt was black, and he had deep scars on his chest.

Shaking her head, Saltstar crouched and hissed again, pinning her ears back. The cat gazed calmly at her, not seeming to be bothered by her bristling fur and bared teeth.

"Hello," he meowed nonchalantly. She blinked, surprised. Wasn't he afraid of her?

"Get out of ThunderClan territory!" she hissed at him.

He tilted his head. "What's your name?" he asked, ignoring her threat.

Still surprised, Saltstar sat up, narrowing her eyes at him - he looked like a loner.

"Saltstar," she mewed, suspicous. "You?"

"I am Curse," he stated, looking happier because she told him her name.

She sat up, letting her fur lie flat, and raising her ears. "Didn't you hear me before? I told you to get out of our territory."

Curse nodded. She sighed. "So why aren't you leaving? Other warriors would have ripped your fur off a lot quicker than me," she growled, unsheathing her claws.

He nodded again. "Alright, I'll leave." He turned and padded into the trees.

Sheathing her claws, Saltstar was gripped by an immense curiosity towards the strange cat.

Two nights later, Saltstar sat in her den, thinking about Curse - again. She lifted her head, unable to sleep, and padded out into the camp. The moonlight filtered down through the trees, bathing the clearing in a white light.

The shadows almost hid his black pelt - until he stepped out into the moonlight. Saltstar jumped and hissed softly.

"Curse!" she yelped. "I told you to leave!"

He shrugged. "I couldn't stay away."

She blinked, surprised. "Why?"

"I think you're interesting," he meowed, sitting and gazing at her.

"Me? Or my Clan?" she asked, confused.

He chuckled. "You, of course. I could care less about your Clan."

She tilted her head, curious. "But I already told you, you can't be here. If any other warriors see me talking to you..." she trailed off.

Sandpaw couldn't sleep. Then she heard voices in the clearing. Sticking her head out of the apprentice den, she saw Saltstar talking to a strange black cat. Pulling her head back in, she nudged her friend, Robinpaw, awake.

"Wha?" Robinpaw murmured sleepily, opening one eye. Sandpaw nudged her again.

"Come on, Robinpaw, follow me." Robinpaw reluctantly rose to her paws and followed her friend toward the back of the den.

"Where are we going?" she asked, confused.

Sandpaw chuckled. "Out the back way, of course."

"But you still haven't told me why," her friend protested as they squeezed out from their den. Sandpaw shushed her.

"Shh, you'll see. Now, be quiet." The two apprentices padded around the camp until they came to a bush that would hide both of them, and still give them a good view of the cats talking.

They crouched down to listen.

"If any other warriors see me, they'll rip my fur off. I know," Curse mewed, then stopped, sniffing, ears pricked.

Saltstar looked around, wondering what he was listening to. He growled softly. "I believe we're being watched," he meowed quietly.

She whipped her head around, alarmed. Catching a scent on the wind, she sighed. "It's okay, I know them," she whispered to the loner. Raising her voice, she called out, "Sandpaw! Robinpaw! I know you're there! Come out!"

The two apprentices slowly stepped out from behind a bush. Saltstar hissed at them. "Go back to your dens!"

Robinpaw nodded and immediately ran back to her den, but Sandpaw stayed, gazing at Curse. "How come he's still here?" she asked, flicking her tail at him.

Saltstar hissed again. "I said go to your den, or you'll be taking care of the elders for the next moon!" she threatened. Sandpaw nodded quickly, and raced after her friend.

Saltstar looked back to Curse. "See? You're lucky those were just apprentices. Now go!"

He looked hurt. "But I want to see you again!"

She blinked, then sighed. "Alright, fine. We can meet up... somewhere. Just follow my scent tomorrow, at moonhigh." She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but a part of her felt excited.

Curse nodded happily, then turned and raced off into the night.

I got a random idea, so I decided to make a story out of it. All of the characters in this story are mine, and this story is set in the original ThunderClan territory.