-1Chapter One

The heavy morning fog had lifted, given way to a partly clouded blue sky.

The clan was already busy when young Gorseclaw came out the warriors den. He stretched out and yawned, the sun felt so good and warm on his shiny dark brown tabby pelt.

He looked around lazily at his fellow clan mates. Life was good in the forest clan. As Gorseclaw sat there basking in the sun's rays, lost in thought. A sharp yowl made him jump. Gorseclaw looked around and sighed inwardly for walking towards him was Stormtail. He didn't look very happy.

"Gorseclaw!" the smoky black tom growled as he marched up to Gorseclaw. "I want to talk to you."

"Yes? Is there anything you need." Gorseclaw meowed calmly, trying not to get the tom anymore upset as he was. Stormtail sat down in front of him, his thin tail swishing across the ground angrily.

"Yes. Snowstar thinks that your ready to be a mentor," Gorseclaw gasped out loud. Excitement raced through his body, making his fur bristle.

"Really! I'm going to be a mentor!" he asked forgetting that he had cut off Stormtail. He stopped himself when a low growl came from Stormtail's throat.

"I'm sorry." The smoky black warrior snorted loudly at him. "Well, you better be for that. And yes, your going to be a mentor." Stormtail meowed and relaxed a bit. He licked his chest before going on, "The elders think you would be good for young Frogkit. You'll be called when the sun has set."

Gorseclaw nodded, he had heard a lot about the young black and white loner kit who was left behind after a battle which happened five moons ago. One of ThunderClan's queen had nursed and cared for him until Flamingstar, their old leader made a choice of letting him stay and now he was to be trained to be a warrior by Him!

Stormtail stood up and flicked his tail before walking off. "Come on! Your going with Cloudstorm on the hunting patrol." Gorseclaw smiled, Stormtail could be so moody. Nice one minute then hopping mad the next. "I'm coming!" he called and hurried after him, still smiling.

As they reached a group of cats in the middle of the clearing, Cloudstorm, a long haired white tom with blue eyes, opened his mouth to greet them but before he could, a loud yowl cut through the air.

All of the cats turned to look.

Both Stormtail and Gorseclaw stopped dead in their tracks unable to believe what was just happening, pouring out of the camp tunnel was the same band of loner!

Cloudstorm let out a cry and bowled over a thin grey tom who tried run past. They rolled over the ground wildly, yowling and clawing at each other. Stormtail spat out loudly, "Great StarClan! Don't you loners ever give up?!" and with one last hiss he charged at large black tom.

Gorseclaw rolled to the ground when a brown she-cat tried to dig her claws into his back. He kicked the loner's belly hard with both hind feet, blood spilled as his claws cut into her, the she-cat let out a wail of pain before disappearing. A blur of white and red missed him as he was getting up, turning around he was knocked over by Ashface.

The two toms stood starting at each other, trying to make their minds up if they were friend or foe. Ashface after a few moments knew who Gorseclaw was, "Go guard the queens and kits! We'll hold them off!" he meowed breathlessly, then hurried off to aid Stormtail who was still fight the black tom.

Gorseclaw nodded and started towards the nursery, along the way he was joined by his best friend Mosspelt. The tortoiseshell tom had a deep bite wound on his left shoulder and a few claw marks.

"Are you ok?" Gorseclaw started as he stopped and waited for Mosspelt to catch up. The tortoiseshell nodded, "Yes. I'm alright," he mewed and pushed past. "We should check on the nursery."

Gorseclaw hurried after him uneasy for his shoulder hurt after being slammed into by Ashface, "Ashface told me to go," he said as they drew closer to the large tangle of brambles. "Just in case some of loners tried to get at…" he stopped suddenly; Mosspelt who was listening closing to him turned to look at him.

"What?" he asked Gorseclaw sounding suddenly worried. Gorseclaw could only point with his nose, Mosspelt turned to look slowly at the nursery's entrance. His green eyes widen, there fighting in front of the nursery was a large long haired red and white loner and a ginger tabby queen, Sunflower.

Gorseclaw's very own mother!