Desertclan

Leader: Tanglestar

Short- haired brown and black she-cat with sapphire eyes

Deputy: Embersoul

Dark red furred tom with a black patched right ear and forest green eyes

Medicine Cat: Darkeye

Solid black she-cat with dark purple (almost black) eyes and light grey stripes on her tail, hind and front legs

Warriors:

Bramblenight

Brown and black she-cat with a white spot on her chin and brown eyes

Owlclaw

Dark grey tom with amber eyes

Nightwing

Jet black tom with a white patch on his left shoulder and fire orange eyes

Lizardclaw

Dusty brown-yellow tom with grey eyes

Leafblaze

Bright red tom with a brown patch on his left eye, grey eyes

Ghostfang

Light grey she-cat with a white face, paws, and tail tip, dark brown eyes

Foxfang

Tan tom with blue eyes

Stonesoul

Grey-bluish she-cat with yellow eyes

Ashheart

Grey-black tom with black paws and a black spot on his chest, green eyes

Hareear

Light brown she-cat with large ears and black eyes

Coalpatch

Black tom with a grey face and patch on his chest.

Willowleap

Tan she-cat

Reedmist

Orange, grey, white, brown tom

Apprentices:

Smokepaw

White and gray she-cat with gray eyes

Turtlepaw

Tortoiseshell tom with blue eyes

Sunpaw

Dark yellow she-cat with black eyes

Snakepaw

Tan tom with gray patches and light green eyes

Treepaw

Light brown she-cat with gray stripes and black eyes

Mistpaw

Silver tom

Larkpaw

Light golden she-cat

Queens: Ghostfang (Expecting Foxfangs kits)

Elders: Stareye

Blind tom with light golden fur

Raintail

White tom with black spots on his tail and orange eyes

Story Start:

Desertclan

Chapter 1 New Apprentice

Relax, Tanglestar, just relax. It's time for the apprentice ceremony that's all… Tanglestar tried to calm herself as she shook off the remnants of a bad dream and left her den to call the clan together.

"All cats old enough to catch prey please gather under the Great Stone for a clan meeting." Tanglestar called out.

Cats quickly gathered around getting settled, once Tanglestar was satisfied she said, "Sunkit, Darkeye would you both please step forward." She could see Sunkit trying not to run she was so excited. Tangle pelt smiled down at her daughter and jumped down from the Great Stone landing neatly in front of Sunkit. "Sunkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Sunkit nodded happily, "Yes! I- I mean yes, I promise Tanglestar."

"Sunkit from now until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Sunpaw. Darkeye will be your mentor."

"Sunpaw! Sunpaw! Sunpaw!" Sunpaw beamed as the clan shouted her new name.

"Sunpaw as a medicine cat apprentice you know you will never be allowed to mate. Our lives are dedicated to the clan and the clan alone. If at anytime, *Sigh* you feel that the path of a medicine cat isn't for you then you may talk to Tanglestar and myself to see about changing apprenticeship."

"Yes, I understand, Darkeye, but I'm going to be the BEST medicine cat Desertclan has ever seen. No offense."

Darkeye let out a short mrow and said, "None taken. Now lets go and check our stock to see what we're in need of."

"Tanglestar?"

"Hmm?"

"When are you going to take an apprentice? I know you've only been leader for a few moons but--"

"I promise Ghostfang if you want me to mentor one of your kits and I don't already have a better cat in mind I will mentor whichever one you choose."

"Thank you, Tanglestar, I knew you'd make a great leader. It's just a shame that Swallowstar died so young. You two had just had kits; they didn't even get to know their father. But Sunki- paw and Treepaw still have you and they'll grow up to be great warriors."

"Yes, thank you, Ghostfang. I was just as startled as everyone else when Swallowstar chose me, his own mate to be his deputy! He's with the Ancestors now though, watching over us as we speak. Now you go back to the nursery before Darkeye gets back and scolds you."

Ghostfang did as she was told and went to the nursery. Tanglestar smiled at her best friend then left the cave to go to the oasis and get a drink. On her way there she spotted a lizard stalking a cricket. Crouching down she checked that the area was safe and she was down wind. Quickly but lightly she dashed forward and pounced, killing the lizard in one swift bite to the neck. Scraping dirt over it she padded along the hard ground to the oasis and lapped up the cool water. Then she headed back to the cave with her prey running into the evening patrol as they were heading out.

"Be careful, Embersoul, I scented owl nearby." She warned her deputy. He flicked his tail signaling he heard and continued out with the patrol.

"Yaaaaaaaaaawn. Aoaf! Who's bouncing on me?" Tanglestar groaned.

"TANGLESTAR! The kits! They're coming!"

"Foxfang, we live in a cave you can't yell. I can't do anything to help Ghostfang now; it's up to her, Darkeye and Sunpaw. Now sit and settle down a little… PLEASE."

Foxfang paced back and forth for what seemed like and eternity before Sunpaw came running over and whispered that the kits had been born and he could go see them now. He shot across the cave and Tanglestar slowly got up, stretching, and went to see her best friends first litter.

"Foxfang you need to back up and give your mate some room." Darkeye grumbled shoving the anxious tom out of the nursery. "But--"

"Out! Give her some room to breathe; you got to see the kits now you need to let them rest. "

Foxfang dashed off to get some fresh kill and Tanglestar took his place.

"Foxfa-- Oh, Tanglestar. I thought you were the over anxious tom."

"Heh, no. I just came by to see the kits and Ghostfang, if that's okay?"

"Yes, you can go in, but be careful, one kit's very sick. Sunpaw is getting a palm leaf for the kit the have a bed in my den. That is… if… it doesn't die first."

"Oh. I can come back la--"

"Tanglestar? Is that you? Come in here and see my new kits," Ghostfang called.

Tanglestar gave Darkeye a worried glance then entered the nursery. The scent of fresh blood, sickness, and newborn kits was heavy in the air. Faintly under it Tanglestar picked up the scent of fear too, a mother's fear for her kit.

"Look at them, Tanglestar, aren't they beautiful?"

Tanglestar nodded and gazed at the kits. One was bigger than the others and solid grey with a long black stripe down its back. The second was average sized with fur the opposite of its mothers; all white with a grey face, paws, and tail tip. Near Ghostfang's hind paws was the smallest one; a black tortoiseshell with red and brown patches. "The biggest one's name is Boulderkit, isn't she strong looking? She'll be great for guarding the smaller cats and taking down owls on patrols. This little guy is Greykit, and the smallest one is Patchkit. Tanglestar, I want you to mentor Patchkit. When he's feeling better I just know he'll grow up to be as swift as you."

Tanglestar gave a quick smile, "Your faster than me any day. You know I'm a climber and swimmer rather than a runner."

Darkeye popped her head in and said the Sunpaw was back and that Ghostfang needs to rest so Tanglestar said goodbye to her friend and went to her den. Ancestors, please watch over Ghostfang and her kits. Don't let them die, please. There's been enough death already. That night Tanglestar had a dream that her mate, the previous clan leader, Swallowstar came to her and assured her that the kits and Ghostfang were going to be okay. She could trust Darkeye to take care of it and teach their daughter Sunpaw well. But he also warned that there was darkness on the horizon. Strange creatures that walk on two legs and had no fur were coming. At first they would leave the clan cats alone but one day in the near future the chosen cats would have to go on a quest for a new home for the clan. Tanglestar asked whom the chosen cats would be Swallowstar told her he didn't know, but she would when the time came. Then he faded like the stars in the morning as she woke up.