Chapter One


"All cats of ValleyClan join beneath the Elm tree for a Clan meeting!" the yowl of the Clan leader made Asterpaw jerk her head, jolted awake. And she'd been having the best dream, she'd almost caught a mouse..

A furry paw swung over and bopped her nose. She sneezed involuntarily and glared at the slumbering dirty white tabby apprentice, Gorgepaw. He yawned but his eyes remained closed. His sister was much more awake, quickly licking her mussy fur flat. She blinked at Asterpaw in greeting. Flamepaw was nowhere to be seen, likely already in the clearing. She wondered when the rowdy tom even slept. Behind her, she could just see Duskpaw's dark fur and Duckpaw's white pelt curled up in their nests, waking more slowly. Redpaw sat up beside her and walked straight from the den.

Eager to get out of the stuffy, crowded den, Asterpaw started her own quick grooming. She ran her tongue over her paw and combed her ears, simultaneously using her tongue across her chest fur when she wasn't licking her paw. Her work wasn't perfect, but she was more concerned with getting to the Clan meeting to care. She brushed through the tall grass walls and past a few thistle that sprouted around the den during green-leaf. She winced as one tugged at her flank, but it released her in a moment. Half the Clan was already arranged in the clearing, sitting with their kin and friends.

Deciding to sit with her own kin, she found Sweetflower sitting with Dalefeather and his mate and sat between her grandmother and the old tom. Sweetflower purred, giving Asterpaw's ear a quick lick. Dalefeather flicked her side with his tail welcomingly.

"Good morning, Dalefeather. Do you know what the meeting is for?" the apprentice mewed, looking up at him with curious green eyes.

He shook his head, "No doubt something troublesome, kit. I heard Thunderstar and Strathfang were outside past moon-high last night, whispering about- er, big cat things. Let's just wait and listen."

"How did you sleep, Asterpaw?" Sweetflower asked, pulling her attention away from the focus of the meeting.

"Better than the other nights. My nightmares are going away." she mewed happily, although she wanted to shutter. Since the day her parents had left, she'd had terrifying dreams that warped her memory of watching them leave the camp forever.

Sweetflower's face was worried but she purred, "That's great, Asterpaw." The cats gathered became hushed and the last cats found their places. Redpaw dashed over from her mentor's side and sat behind Asterpaw, giving her a nudge in greeting.

"Cats of ValleyClan!" the leader yowled, perched on a low branch in the tree in the center of camp. His bright pelt showed well in the shadows of dawn. The leader sat and cleared his throat. Everyone was already silent. "I have consulted with our medicine cats, and although it was difficult, I have decided to make an addition to our warrior code."

The two cats mentioned glanced at each other, the she-cat glaring back at Strathfang. He flattened his ears, although it was hard to tell, and Rivertail growled, but looked back up at their leader in resolution.

"From now on, when a cat becomes a warrior.." the leader swallowed, seemingly losing his nerve. His brother nodded at him expectantly and he blinked, staring towards him but not seeing anything. "When a cat becomes a warrior, they must promise to-to never abandon their Clan, or duties as a warrior."

Immediately the Clan was in an uproar of whispers and growls, clearly referring to the cats that had already left. Asterpaw looked back at Redpaw, concerned. She didn't quite lik the feeling this new code gave her. Redpaw's eyes only reflected her own worry and she flicked her sister's flank with her tail comfortingly. Thunderstar called for silence and she looked back to the tall oak before her.

"Any cats already named warriors will be exempt from taking a new oath, but will still have to obey it. I know it may be confusing, but if all goes well, we will be able to test out this amendment later today, when Duckpaw receives his warrior name."

Everyone turned to the blind apprentice. His blue eyes were wide and blank, while his ears swiveled uneasily, as if he were trying to sense the stares he attracted from the gathered cats. His mother and father, Valestorm and Rabbitleap, whispered together, their heads bowed closely.

"You may return to your duties." the leader called, and immediately disappeared into his den in the roots of the oak. His mate, Longwhisker, slipped out of the nursery and skirted the edges of the clearing and joined him.

"Darker times are ahead." Dalefeather murmured, and struggled to his paws, grunting at the pain in his back. Sweetflower stood and gave him a bit of support as he swayed on his paws.

"'Paws, why don't you ask Runningwillow if you can help with Duckpaw's assessment? I hate to belittle him, but.. well, be off with you." the elder's smile betrayed her curt words, and she lent Dalefeather her shoulder as they walked back to their den.

Asterpaw took a breath and sighed heavily. Thunderstar must forget he had an apprentice at all, sometimes. She hopped to her paws and turned cheerily to her sister.

"Shall we?" she purred. Redpaw waved her tail and walked with her sister towards the cream-pelted warrior. The tom stood, leaving his brother, Elderpelt, to his own apprentice. He tilted his head at the two she-cats.

"Hm? Do you need something from me?" he asked, his familiar voice warm.

As Asterpaw opened her mouth to speak, Redpaw beat her to it, "Since our mentors are, er, busy, we thought you might need help with um.. Duckpaw's assessment?" her sister shook her head; Redpaw wasn't one for words. The tom looked at the sky.

"No, Duckpaw's almost a warrior. Just because he can't see that doesn't change anything. I think you two should go hunting. I can even stop by during his assessment and give you a little assessment of your own." he meowed, compromising.

"Okay!" Asterpaw replied happily. Redpaw spun on her heels and dashed from the camp through the heather tunnel. Her sister followed more slowly, letting the red she-cat disappear into the trees. She paused on the well-beaten path to scent the air, parting her lips. Duckpaw's scent was fresh, perhaps a few moments old. He was taking his time walking to the practice clearing. Runningwillow won't be assessing us until Duckpaw starts.. she thought, turning her paws onto the path the older apprentice had taken.

It only took a moment to reach the clearing. The tall rotting log that split it caught her eyes a moment before Duckpaw's white pelt took her attention. The pale tom was staring at nothing-although that should have been expected-his ears always moving with the sounds of the forest around him. Asterpaw glanced up at the gap in the tree limbs where the dead log had once grown, tall and beautiful. In its absence, she could just see the tops of the cliffs that surrounded their territory. She shuttered just looking up that high. She couldn't imagine what it felt like to stand up there. She sort of wanted to find out. She wondered if a cat was looking down on their territory now, down at her.

"Gorgepaw?" Duckpaw meowed curiously, his head tilted to the side. His ears swiveled towards her.

She let out a mrow of laughter. "I'll be fresh-kill before I become as arrogant as that furball!" she purred as she approached the white tom, flicking his shoulder in greeting. He ruffled his fur, disgruntled.

"I can't know everything, Asterpaw. I don't know how your blundering badger paws ever catch even a mouse." he purred, butting her shoulder with his head. "Why are you here? Even you've got to know it's my assessment, today." he chided playfully.

"I just.. wanted to wish you luck." she replied, trying to meet his eyes. She knew he couldn't see her, but it was a habit of hers. His eyes gaped blankly at her, wide and unfocused. It interested her more than anything else: he'd never know if she was staring at him or doing something funny with her face. Her whiskers twitched in amusement.

"Thanks, I really need it." he lowered his tail. She took a step closer to him, her flank brushing his to comfort him.

"Nonsense. You're going to make a great warrior, Duckpaw. I know it. I can feel it in my claws." Asterpaw looked down at her paws, flexing her claws and probing lightly into the flattened grass beneath them. He sighed.

"Well you may feel it, but I can feel every cat in the Clan doubting me. If I ever become a warrior, it'll be only out of pity." he muttered. Resent saturated his mew.

"You don't believe that, do you?" she asked, distressed. She touched her tail to his, trying to give him more comfort. "No warrior is perfect. You already said I can't hunt to save my tail. C'mon, you have to know how proud Rabbitleap is of you?"

"He doesn't know any better, though. He's barely been a warrior longer than I've been alive." Asterpaw had forgotten. But it was hard to remember things that had been told to her rather than she remembered. She sighed.

"He's not the only one, Duckpaw. Don't you see how much Gullypaw admires you? She'd follow you to the ends of the living world. Gorgepaw wouldn't know what to do without you." his ears laid back.

"Maybe. But I'll never be able to be a full warrior. I can't fight a battle alone or even get around the territory alone on a bad day." His ears twitched. Asterpaw tried to hear what he did, but she could never focus on too many things at a time.

"But that's what a Clan is for. Clanmates will fight by your side and lend you a paw when you need it. It's the same-"

"Ready for your assessment?" Runningwillow stopped a few paces from the apprentices. Asterpaw dipped her head.

"Good luck, Duckpaw." she meowed, before leaving the clearing quickly. She halted a few pawsteps out of earshot to scent the air once more. Redpaw hadn't been around here since yesterday. She was probably hunting by the stream, it was her favorite spot. Asterpaw preferred by the cliffs, where lots of small furry creatures liked to slip between the rocks. The fluttery sound of birds' wings caught her attention. A thrush hopped around a stray branch lying along the ground. Asterpaw slipped into a crouch, softly letting her breath out as her chest fur grazed the forest floor. Pawstep by pawstep, she crept forward. The little bird hopped up onto the branch, almost turning enough to see the apprentice. She froze in place and almost let out a sigh as it turned opposite her direction. As it pecked a bit at the rotting branch, her haunches wriggled and she launched herself at it. Its cry was quickly silenced as she crushed its fragile windpipe.

"Well done, Asterpaw! I wouldn't have thought you a bird hunter." Runningwillow's praise rumbled in his throat, escaping as a purr. He almost scared her out of her pelt.

"Th-thank you, Runningwillow. I've been trying to get better at catching them." She dipped her head gratefully. The senior warrior's eyes softened with concern.

"Thunderstar hasn't been teaching you?" he asked quietly. She shook her head.

"I don't mind, though. I can do things by myself." she puffed out her chest defensively. The old tom looked at the ground for a moment before he looked her in the eyes and responded.

"After we get back to camp, and hopefully after Duckpaw's uneventful naming ceremony, fetch Redpaw and come see me?" he asked. She tilted her head but nodded. He reciprocated it curtly and stood, loping off to find his apprentice. She watched him go for a moment before she picked up her thrush and found a place at the roots of a birch tree to leave it. She kicked a few pawfulls of dirt over the feathered carcass and continued toward the cliffs.

As she made her way across the territory, she let her mind wonder. She immediately thought of the leader of the Clan. For as far back as any cat could remember, leaders and deputy had been kin, the same blood line leading the Clan for seasons upon seasons. Even now, Thunderstar's eldest daughter, Ravinefall, was his deputy. She wished she herself could be leader. Or even any cat, like Dellsong or Gullypaw. Maybe then the Clan could be improved for the better. It wasn't that she didn't believe in Thunderstar, but he seemed so afraid not to live up to his father's legacy that he forced himself to do everything by himself, or with the unhelpful aid of his brother. Maybe Ravinefalll could do something. No offense to her father, but she seemed to have more of a head for leading. One could only hope, that is.

Reaching the sheer rock walls, she stopped to look up, again. This close, they seemed to touch the sky. It sent a chill down her spine. Again, the sound of prey taunted her not far away. She crouched and began to seek her kill.


The product of her labors was plentiful despite the cool leaf-fall morning. As she took her last catch, a squirrel, to her pile beneath the tree, Redpaw caught up to her.

"Hey!" she mumbled around a vole, "I had some luck at the creek. You?"

Asterpaw purred, "Caught a vole and this at the cliff and a thrush near the practice clearing." Redpaw pricked her ears.

"A thrush? I thought you were terrible at hunting birds. Nice job." she took a step closer to her sister for a moment, brushing her pelt against hers. "I can't wait to see what Duckpaw caught."

Asterpaw nodded, her jaw already tired from talking around her squirrel. They fell into silence as the retrieved their catches, first Asterpaw's thrush and vole and then Redpaw's trout and two mice. Duckpaw and Runningwillow were already in the clearing when they arrived.

"Well done, you two." the warrior praised. They set their kills down and dipped their heads thankfully. Duckpaw's catch made their eyes widen, amazed. The rabbit wasn't the impressive part, but the black adder. Its smooth dark body stood out at the paws of the pure white tom.

"Great StarClan, Duckpaw! I wish I was half the hunter you were! I'd die if I even glimpsed a live adder!" Redpaw gawked, giving the head a tentative swipe. Asterpaw's whiskers twitched. Watch out, Redpaw, or it'll getcha.

The tom's ears lowered, embarassed. "It's not all that hard. I thought so, too, but you can hear everywhere a snake goes, because of its belly always rubbing the ground. It'd be even easier for a sighted cat." Runningwillow purred loudly and nearly knocked Duckpaw over as he swatted him playfully.

"Stop being so modest, 'paw! I'll tell you a secret: you've done better than any cat I've ever assessed." Duckpaw's obvious anxiety finally gave and he broke into a purr along with his mentor.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's tell Thunderstar the good news. Not to mention how well you two are coming along." the cream tom blinked warmly at them. "I'll help you carry all of this."

The three apprentices picked up what they could carry and the warrior took the rest, and together they sprinted back to camp.


"Where is Thunderstar?" Runningwillow called after setting down their fresh-kill at the pile. Duckpaw held proudly onto his adder.

Only the queens and elders remained in camp, along with Glenberry and Rivertail, who seemed to be helping the warrior with a new injury. However, the pretty younger she-cat leaped to her paws and sauntered over to her mate, rubbing her muzzle against his jaw.

"I'm guessing Duckpaw's assessment went well?" she flicked the apprentice's side with her tail. "Congratulations. Thunderstar went on the sun-high patrol, so he should be returning soon. In the meantime, Redpaw, Asterpaw, I'm sure the elders and queens wouldn't mind eating a bit early."

"Thank you, Glenberry. I can help feed the elders." Duckpaw replied.

"Nonsense. You'll be a warrior by moonrise. You should relax, and show off that snake. There's no shame in boasting a bit." the she-cat purred in laughter. "Runningwillow, may I speak to you a moment?"

The look in the blue tabby's eyes intrigued Asterpaw, but none the less she did as she was told and turned back to the fresh-kill pile with Redpaw. She picked up the rabbit and bounded across the camp to the nursery. Brindleflame lie on her side outside, her kits brawling a tail-length away. Longwhisker was just leaving the elder bush that made up their den.

"The rogues are attacking!" Stonekit crowed, his grey pelt ruffled by the breeze. Ravenkit leaped on him.

"That's right, Thunderstar! And you can't stop us, this time! Because I have nine lives, too!" he swiped at his brother's ears.

"I'm a rogue, too!" Creekkit squeaked, dashing towards his dark-furring siblings. Amberkit wrapped his forepaws around Creekkit's hind legs, catching him mid-bound.

"Well I'm deputy, and I say leave my leader alone!" he growled.

"Is that for us? Thank you, Asterpaw." the apprentice jumped at the sudden change in voices. Longwhisker gingerly took the rabbit from her and she dipped her head awkwardly. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Asterpaw saw a patrol arrive, a familiar grey and white figure in the lead. Two more patrols arrived just behind them, each cat laden with prey.

Redpaw dashed back from the medicine den and met up with Runningwillow and Duckpaw in front of their leader. Asterpaw took a few large strides across the camp and skidded to a stop beside her sister.

"Thunderstar," Runningwillow meowed, "I think you'll be pleased with what I have to say."

The leader looked distracted. "Hm? Oh, yes, how did Duckpaw's assessment go?" He sounded as if he hadn't listened at all to the senior warrior.

A bit taken aback, the cream tabby responded, "He did wonderfully. He caught a black adder."

"Wonderful. We can have the ceremony now, if you're ready." he purred.

"Well, I wanted to tell you about Asterpaw and Redpaw-"

"Yes, let me apologize for that. I'll take my apprentice out myself tomorrow. Thank you for taking them both into your own paws for the day."

"That's not what I meant, Thunderstar. I had a bit of time er-after Duckpaw's assessment to evaluate their own hunting skills, and I wanted you to know that together, they easily caught half of the fresh-kill pile today."

Asterpaw glanced at the pile. She realized Runningwillow wasn't exaggerating, much, if you counted Duckpaw's catch. She lifted her head a bit vainly.

"Well, well done, both of you. Maybe your own assessments will come a bit early. Keep up the good work." he dipped his head to the four of them and then slipped around them, leaping onto the trunk of the Elm tree and shimmying the rest of the length up onto the well-scored branch his predecessors perched on. His yowl echoed the well-recited words throughout the camp and the few cats not already in the clearing gathered beneath the tree. Quickly, Redpaw and Asterpaw dashed over to Sweetflower and sat on either side of her.

"ValleyClan, today we gather to welcome a new cat to our rank of fine warriors." the leader paused effectively. "Runningwillow, is your apprentice ready to receive the gift of our warrior ancestors and his new name?" The cream tom's face was lit with pride, and he nodded deeply. The leader leaped daringly from the bough of the Elm.

"I, Thunderstar, call upon my warriors ancestors to see this apprentice and give him your blessing to protect and defend his Clan with his life." the leader took a breath, "Duckpaw, do you promise to honor your ancestors, to follow the warrior code, and to care for your Clanmates weaker than you?"

His blue eyes shone as he asserted, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Duckpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Duckwing. StarClan honors your will and cleverness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ValleyClan." The leader bowed deeply to the white tom, his tail raised towards the stars. Duckwing reciprocated it and then raised his head high.

"Duckwing! Duckwing! Duckwing!" the Clan yowled, Rabbitleap, Gorgepaw, and Gullypaw cheering the loudest. Asterpaw simply purred, although she wondered why her mentor had emphasized the word full during the ceremony. Slowly, the calls died down and the Clan split into their usual groups.

"You know, he's the first white warrior in the Clan since your grandfather joined StarClan." Sweetflower murmured criptically, before getting to her paws and shuffling towards the other elders. Redpaw shrugged.

Recalling Runningwillow's words, Asterpaw touched Redpaw's shoulder with her tail and led her to the tabby tom. He sat beside his brother, Elderpelt, but he quickly stood and left at the arrival of the young she-cats.

"Greetings once again, 'paws. I wanted to talk to you about something." he nodded his head towards the ground, asking them to sit. "I know this moon has been tough on you. Your parents should've never acted so rashly-but I won't criticize them. They were loyal warriors. What I mean to say is-if you ever need something, you can come to me. It's not fair that you be deprived of extra assistance for something that had nothing to do with you." She and Redpaw exchanged a glance.

"Thank you, Runningwillow. We appreciate it. Kin seems to mean a lot in the Clan-unfortunately." Redpaw meowed. Asterpaw stared at the ground. At least her sister shared her thoughts.

"I'm glad I could help." he purred, sounding relieved.

"I'm going to go find Duckwing, if he can escape the praises of Gorgepaw and Gullypaw." the tom purred jokingly. He rose and crossed the clearing towards the young white warrior.

Redpaw sighed, exasperated. "Don't you wish you could go out on the Night of Lavish?" She flopped onto the ground on her belly. Asterpaw rolled her eyes playfully.

"All it is is hunting and acting like kits. We could do that any day."

"Yeah, not the night, though." Redpaw muttered.

"You don't know what goes on, you're in camp all night like the rest of us." Gorgepaw stopped beside the she-cats, looking down his nose at them. It didn't help that he was almost a whole head taller than Asterpaw. She hated being short. And it wasn't even that she was, but Redpaw had longer legs and Gorgepaw was moons older than they were.

"Whatever. Makes no difference to me. Have fun growling about it until you forget about it in two days." Asterpaw meowed muttered to herself and stood, walking to the apprentice den. She wasn't really all that upset about it, but she wasn't very fond of Gorgepaw. She slipped into the den and laid down in her nest. Duskpaw was already curled up.

"Tired of the good mood, too?" Duskpaw said, her quiet voice almost lost in the chatter from outside the den. Asterpaw took a moment to realize she was joking.

"Couldn't get near him?"

"Nope."

Asterpaw sighed along with Duskpaw. She and Redpaw were the only apprentices-now that Duckwing wasn't-who were decent friends with Duskpaw. And she was the only one to know she liked Duckwing.

"I'm sorry."

"S'okay. I can talk to him tomorrow. He'll understand."

"Unless he's caught up in the Night of Lavish." she hated to add. Duskpaw was quiet and Asterpaw hoped she'd fallen asleep. She stretched once, then curled up tighter. The chill of the night seeped into the empty den and she shivered a bit. Thankfully, her fur kept her somewhat warm and she fell asleep pretty easily. She woke somewhat when Redpaw came in, but she purred, appreciating the added warmth and the presence of the only lasting familiarity in her young life. Redpaw purred, too, and the whole world was drowned out by their proximity.