CHAPTER 1

Silentpaw's unusual white fur* was now tainted pink at her claws. She looked down triumphantly at her first kill. A mouse. It was small, but it was plump enough to fill at least one stomach. Wildstar would be proud of this prey. The Great Laws* told of how one was to feed others before they feed themselves. Silentpaw's stomach groaned at the idea. She could eat right now, and no lynx would notice. No lynx would notice anything but the blood that would stain her white fur. Silentpaw sighed to herself and buried the mouse for later.

The white lynx padded alone through the forest into an opening in the trees. Sunlight poured onto the tall grass through the clouds above. Suddenly, Silentpaw heard a swish in the grass ahead. A young vole. "Found you," Silentpaw thought.

She crouched instinctively, the tall grass just coming up to her ears. The vole pricked up, sensing movement, but later continued at its business. Silentpaw swished her tail in the grass to the wind. She silently stalked up to the vole, paw by paw. Suddenly, the vole darted away, sensing danger. Silentpaw dashed after it, her paws flattening the grass as she pounced. With one swift movement and a small squeal, Silentpaw swiped at the vole's throat. The vole did not move.

"Well done," said a voice behind her. Silentpaw jumped and looked around. A bracken coloured lynx stalked out of the shadows and into Silentpaw's view. The male lynx's eyes sparkled with interest. "I was surprised the vole did not notice you until the last moment," he said, "your white fur doesn't work well in greenleaf."

Silentpaw sat up and licked her paws that were tainted a light pink from prey blood. "It's not that hard to hunt, even if I have white fur," Silentpaw responded quietly, "Just because most of the other lynxes have brown or grey fur doesn't mean I can't hide just as well." Silentpaw paused in licking herself and picked up the vole in her mouth.

"Wildstar will be proud," the male lynx said, "first kill, after all. I guess it was worth teaching you basic battle moves yesterday before hunting today." Silentpaw's eyes slitted slightly. "You don't have to sugar-coat my excellence, Creektuft. I'm okay." Creektuft huffed. "You're one of the most self-aware lynxes I've mentored. Also, by the way I found your mouse back over in the other direction." Silentpaw stared at Creektuft with knowing eyes.

Silentpaw and Creektuft padded back to the spot where Silentpaw had buried the dug it up in a single swipe of his massive paw. He then picked it up in his jaws and jerked his head towards camp, gesturing their return. Silentpaw made a content noise.

On Silentpaw and Creektuft's arrival, many other lynxes began to stare. Silentpaw led her mentor towards the fresh kill pile, and lay her newest kill down among the several other mounts of prey. Wildstar came out of his den and looked towards Silentpaw's direction. Silentpaw busied herself with grooming the places where her fur ruffled up. From the corner of her eyes, she caught Creektuft mentioning something to Wildstar. Wildstar did not reply but merely smiled.

"Silentpaw!" a loud voice said in her ear, making her cringe. She turned her head and met another apprentice's gaze. "Hey, Smokepaw," Silentpaw replied casually, "how'd patrol go?"

Smokepaw shook his head in anxiety. "Our patrol was split up actually," he said, "Juniperpaw's mentor said that they should follow a rogue scent they found. We were reluctant but we ended up splitting up anyway. I thought they would be back by now because we scouted all the way to the Four Trees."

"That's weird," Silentpaw said, "we wouldn't usually follow a rogue scent for that long." Silentpaw stared at Smokepaw's face. His frozen eyes reflected something behind her. She slowly turned around.

Wildstar was behind her. If Silentpaw wasn't so tired, she would have jumped fifty tail-lengths high. Smokepaw dipped his head towards Wildstar, and Silentpaw followed his example.

"Smokepaw," Wildstar said, his voice startling the lynx behind Silentpaw. Smokepaw looked up. "Please lead us to where you and Juniperpaw split up."

Silentpaw looked at Smokepaw, stunned. Smokepaw looked the same way. Wildstar had specifically addressed Smokepaw to escort him. Wildstar smiled warmly, expecting their reactions. "Silentpaw," Wildstar said, "You and Creektuft may join us."

"O-Of course!" Silentpaw and Smokepaw said, almost in unison. Creektuft came towards them and nodded at Wildstar. Wildstar did not return the gesture. Instead, he looked towards his deputy who dipped her head in acceptance. She began to call more patrols and hunting groups to take place at sundown in the leader's place.

"Let's go. Lead the way," Wildstar said. And so with the camp at their tails, they headed outwards into the wilderness.

*Silentpaw's fur is white and unusal because she is an albino lynx. Albino lynxes are rare, and at the time were stereotyped to be troubled hunters due to their strange fur colour which stood out of most of the environment in most seasons.

*Back in the times of the Great Clans, there was no "Warrior Code". Instead there was the "Great Laws", which in context, were in some ways similar to the now-known Warrior Code. (pls don't kill me with hate, remember this is just a fanfic with made up elements o.o)