Chapter Six

Dovepaw couldn't deny the fact that she was enjoying herself. Rowanclaw had ordered her and Ferretpaw to go and find prey on their own. She had asked how he could asses her if he wasn't with her and the ginger tom had told her that just because she couldn't see him didn't mean that he wasn't watching. Dovepaw had a hidden smile on her face when he said that. I can see you with my powers.

Ferretpaw had challenged her to catch four pieces of prey. She had caught three already. She was glad to discover that ShadowClan prey was like ThunderClan prey. She hadn't even spotted a lizard or slimy frog yet.

Pride grew in her chest as she heard Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt whisper to each other in surprise. Rowanclaw watched her closely as if to make sure she wasn't cheating. The two cats were perched up in a pine tree hidden to other cats by the shadows of the branches.

She could hear Ferretpaw scurrying along a stream. He had gotten distracted and was squealing after a large frog. She scrunched up her face in disgust. Soon the scent of a sparrow filled her noise. She could see it picking at a fallen pine cone not knowing she was there. As she crouched she heard Toadfoot mutter "She's picked up another scent already?"

With a single pounce Dovepaw killed the sparrow before it had a chance to flee. She dipped her head in respect to StarClan before burying the bird.

Thump!

Rowanclaw had landed beside her. She looked up at him waiting for his response.

"Impressive." He praised. "I'll admit I didn't expect you to beat Ferretpaw, but I suppose you are older than him."

The scraping of bark was heard as Tawnypelt climbed down. "You must have a sixth sense! I've never seen an apprentice catch prey so fast."

"Thank you." She murmured shyly. She impressed them! Perhaps she could find allies in ShadowClan after all.

"Where's Ferretpaw?" Oakfur glanced at Dovepaw.

"I think he went to the stream." She wondered how far he had gotten in chasing his frog.

"I swear this is the last apprentice." Oakfur muttered under his breath. "I'm getting old, I'm tired of Blackstar giving me all these young cats to watch."

Tawnypelt's eyes shone warmly. "He must think you're good at it. You're a good mentor."

"I've had four." He complained. "This is what gets the younger warriors all riled up. They want a chance to teach the kits."

"You've had four apprentices!" Dovepaw exclaimed in shock. How old was this tom?

As if reading her thoughts Oakfur snorted. "I'm no where near being an elder if that's what you're thinking."

"I wasn't."

"Problem two," Rowanclaw began to meow. "You're extremely easy to read."

With ruffled fur Dovepaw sniffed. "I'm not!"

"I can already tell you're hiding a secret." Rowanclaw's sly words make Dovepaw freeze.

Her eyes widened in horror. Had she been to showy with her hunting skills? Or maybe Tigerheart's father had figured out that she was too close with his son. She could feel her tail begin to tremble.

"Oh, for StarClan's sake." Toadfoot padded up to her and was rolling his eyes. "If you want to hide your secret then you can't let it be known that you have one. You have way too many tells."

"Tells?" Dovepaw meowed.

Tawnypelt gently nudged her. "You're shaking all over." Turning to her male comrades she meowed "Don't tease her."

"We won't press you." Rowanclaw promised. "We all have secrets, as long as they don't get in the way of your training or harm ShadowClan I don't care enough to hear them." Tawnypelt flicked his nose and he snorted.

"I'd listen to them Dovepaw." The she-cat murmured. "It's good to make friends in a new place. And if you ever feel burdened you can always speak to Littlecloud."

Dovepaw nodded, feeling grateful that they pried no further. "It would be nice to have friends here."

"Alright that's your next task then." Rowanclaw declared with a lash of his tail.

Toadfoot snorted before bursting out into laughter. She had rarely heard the tom laugh when she went on the journey with him. "Her next task is to make friends Rowanclaw?"

Rowanclaw shrugged. "It's actually extremely hard to come up with tasks for an apprentice that's basically already trained Toadfoot."

"Alright." Toadfoot's smile turned devilish, turning to Dovepaw he meowed. "How bout you meet everyone in the clan today and try to be friends."

"Meet everyone?" Dovepaw echoed. She wondered why the tom was grinning from ear to ear. This didn't seem like a hard task.

"Oh yes." Toadfoot responded, ignoring both Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw rolling their eyes. "And I mean every cat."

Dovepaw cocked her head. Sure, some of the warriors seemed scary but they couldn't be all bad.

Oakfur poked Toadfoot in the side. "Alright new task; you can join her. Introduce her so she doesn't get shredded on sight."

Toadfoot shrugged. "Sure."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Tawnypelt meowed in agreement.

"You know what would be a great idea?" Oakfur asked rhetorically. "Finding where the dung Ferretpaw is before he almost drowns himself again."

Toadfoot and Tawnypelt shared a smile of amusement while Rowanclaw looked concerned. There was an air of familiarity between them and Dovepaw wished she could share in it. You're still a stranger among them. Making some friends other than Tigerheart seemed like a good idea.

They had found Ferretpaw rolling along the stream. Luckily, they got him just before he rolled in. Dovepaw hadn't told him that she caught more prey than him. He seemed happy enough with the giant frog he had caught.

"What have I told you about hanging around bodies of water?" Oakfur had scolded his apprentice.

"Not to." Ferretpaw whined. "but I only almost drowned once!"

"Yeah only once Oakfur, don't get your tail in a twist." Toadfoot had echoed earning a hiss from Oakfur.

Tawnypelt had announced that they should return back to camp. Dovepaw questioned whether or not a hunting patrol would be coming out and her mentor had explained that the night hunting parties had already caught enough prey that was left for the morning. The next hunting patrols would go out later after midday.

Dovepaw found that the ShadowClan patrol was heading towards a strange path. The grasses were so huge that the apprentice could barely speak. Ferretpaw bounced beside her leaping above the grasses.

"Why this way?" She managed to gasp through the grass entering her mouth.

"We're coming through the other tunnel." Tawnypelt meowed while carrying Dovepaw's prey. The patrol had agreed to tell the ShadowClan leader that the border patrol had hunted and Dovepaw had only watched.

"We have two major tunnels into camp, one to enter and one to exit in case of emergency. Exit tunnel is nearest to the nursery and elders, we're going to drop off prey for them." Rowanclaw explained.

Dovepaw nodded, it seemed like a smart plan to have in case something disastrous like a fire broke out.

"Technically we shouldn't let you enter through here." Oakfur told her. "This is a ShadowClan evacuation route after all, but there are plenty of other ways to get out of camp that you haven't seen."

Dovepaw sat down watching as the warriors took her prey and placed it on the fresh kill pile. Tawnypelt reported to Russetfur who was sitting near the base of the leader's tree. Ferretpaw carried his giant slimy frog to the Elder's den while Rowanclaw carried two sparrows to the nursery.

Dovepaw tried to understand what Tawnypelt was saying but her senses failed her. Why were her senses failing? She growled softly and stood up sniffing loudly. Are my powers disappearing because I joined ShadowClan?

"Hey," Toadfoot's voice snapped her back to her senses. He sat beside her looking a bit creeped out. "Don't draw attention to yourself, it makes a bad first impression."

Dovepaw flattened her ears embarrassed. She saw some of the warriors stop to stare at her, she avoided their gaze.

"Thunder freak." Pinepaw whispered to another cat. "She spaces out like that all the time."

Toadfoot snickered. "Ignore Pinepaw, she was happy being the center of attention before you came."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Toadfoot continued. "You could say she had a troubled kit hood and every cat felt sorry for her because of it. She's used to getting everything she wants from everyone but her mentor, who also happens to be her father." He meowed smugly.

Dovepaw glanced at the black apprentice as she groomed herself. "She doesn't look troubled."

Toadfoot bent down to whisper in her ear. "She's a real prick in the tail. She's also very interested in toms for someone her age, especially the senior toms" He meowed with scorn.

"Oh?" Dovepaw couldn't imagine Pinepaw rubbing up against any tom. The small she-cat had a very…well prideful looking appearance. "So, the chance of her being my friend is…"

"Minimal." Toadfoot said. "I don't consider it much of a loss."

"What about her brother?" The ginger apprentice came into view and was growling something at his sister.

"Serious Starling?" Toadfoot laughed. "Oh, he has issues too, but he doesn't give a rat's rump about his father. He'll be a good warrior.

"Should I…"

"You could try to be friends with him, it'd be tricky though." Toadfoot licked a paw and drew it over his ear. "Just don't weird about it."

Dovepaw watched the dark coated tom groom himself. His dark coat which was almost black had huge splotches of brown around his legs. His mottled coat remined her of Applefur's own fur.

"Is Applefur your sister?" She questioned, Toadfoot seemed ready to speak about the apprentices. She wondered if she could get any information about the tom himself. She never had time to ask him too many questions on the journey to get the water back.

"Yes," He sighed dramatically. "She's scary but quiet. She might be your friend if you interest her enough."

"Who else is your kin?" She meowed looking around for any cats who resembled both Applefur and Toadfoot.

He almost chocked on his own fur. He cleared his throat. "Oh, I mean Tallpoppy's our mother, but I guess Snowbird... nevermind. Don't know who our father is… and my brother Marshfoot died from an infection."

She felt bad for intruding. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a littermate, and she didn't want to.

Toadfoot suddenly pushed away the cloudy expression in his eyes and brightened. "I know who your first friend can be!"

"I have other friends!" Dovepaw replied indignantly. "Besides aren't you my friend?"

"No!" He laughed.

Dovepaw drooped. "Then why are you—

"Grab a sparrow and eat up, ignore the cats who look like they want to kill you because they probably will if you stare at them for too long." Toadfoot nudged her towards the fresh kill pile.

Dovepaw gulped at the warriors gathered around the fresh kill pile. They were bigger than her and scarier too. They glared at her with malice, would she ever be a clanmate in their eyes?

Dovepaw soon decided that the Toadfoot she met on the lake mission was very different from this new Toadfoot.

Simply put this warrior was incapable of being anything but mischievous.

Applefur had seen them and rolled her eyes while Tawnypelt smiled at her encouragingly. Rowanclaw only shook his head.

As he pushed her, yes Dovepaw literally didn't have to move her feet at all, to the medicine cat den she wondered if his idea what to make her friends with Littlecloud. She didn't mind the idea, Littlecloud seemed sweet and understanding.

"Are you done?" Dovepaw meowed dryly. Her rump was covered in dust and dirt. He let her go and she fell onto her back. She sighed. Don't get mad, don't get mad

She got onto her feet expecting to meet the small medicine cat, instead she saw Flametail barely taking notice of the two cats who entered the den. He was counting something under his breath until Toadfoot roughly hit him in the back with his head.

"Ack!" Flametail choked out. Angrily he turned around and Dovepaw saw a flash of claws exit his paws.

"Damn it Toadfoot!" He swatted the tom away. "I've told you to stop…scaring me."

Flametail paused when he noticed Dovepaw with a dusty rump. He looked just past her to see flattened grass leading in a trail towards his den. He snorted, before giving Toadfoot a look that said 'seriously.'

Toadfoot ignored the look. With his eyes looking at Dovepaw and his paw pointed towards the medicine cat apprentice, he grinned. "Dovepaw meet Flametail, medicine cat apprentice with warrior skills and a serious lack of humour."

"What do you mean lack of humour?" Flametail started incredulously.

"He'd be a perfect friend." Toadfoot practically chirped.

Flametail turned to Dovepaw and flashed her a quick look. "I'm sorry about Toadfoot, he's an idiot."

"Hey!"

"Actually, Rowanclaw agreed that it would be a good idea for me to start making friendships." Dovepaw meowed.

"I see…" Flametail murmured, he narrowed his eyes. "So, you want to be friends then?"

Dovepaw's eyes brightened. Could it be that easy to befriend the healer, Tigerheart's brother? "Really?" Her voice was shining with hope.

Flametail flicked his tail before turning back to his herb supply. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Oh.

Toadfoot rolled his eyes. "Flametail's a bit of a loner."

"I'm focused on my tasks." Was the other tom's reply.

"That's good." Dovepaw complimented. "Having focus, sometimes I find that I lose it when…" She paused. Sometimes when she used her powers she could see further but then she was vulnerable to what was around her. How could she express that?

"Are you talking about when you space out and just stare blankly or when you sniff super hard? Or are you more specifically talking about when you're ears stretch as far as they can and when your eyes get super wide like a deer mouse." Toadfoot innocently clicked his tongue after listing all her flaws.

Her hackles raised "I'm no mouse!" She hissed, finally letting her temper show.

"So, the mouse has claws." Toadfoot chuckled.

Flametail turned back to her and placed his tail under his chin in thought. "Sounds as if you're overexerting yourself with trying to hear or spot things first."

"I just… want to prove that I'm good enough." Dovepaw shuffled her feet. She was the first one to hear and spot things first. She wondered if she should tell the medicine cat. He had a connection with StarClan perhaps he could explain what exactly what she was supposed to do in order to protect ShadowClan.

Flametail just nodded before turning to Toadfoot. "Now that she and I are friends…get the dung out."

Toadfoot gasped. "Rude."

Flametail rolled his eyes. "Littlecloud's out collecting more herbs and he wants me to organize the herbs and count how much catmint we have left in stock before he gets back. So, shoo." He nudged Toadfoot towards the entrance.

Toadfoot huffed and as he turned to leave his tail hit Flametail's muzzle. Dovepaw dipped her head respectively to the medicine cat apprentice but before she could leave Flametail had his paws on her tail.

"Flametail?"

The healer's eyes had grown cold and like slits. She could feel his warm breath on her ear. "I know your secret." He whispered.

She flinched then turned to look at him wide eyed. "M-my secret? What are you talking about?" She stammered. Did he mean the prophecy? Had StarClan given him a sign, or was he talking about her secret meetings with Tigerheart?

When he pulled back he had a knowing look of satisfaction on his face. "You best finish your introduction with the rest of the clan."

As Dovepaw was led to the nursery by Toadfoot she couldn't help but be lost in her own thoughts. Flametail knew one of her secrets! How could she keep calm? Her tail began to quiver. No no not now. Calm, gotta keep calm. She decided that she would meet him later and ask questions then.

Even the clan nursery looked tough. It was reinforced with brambles and other types of thorn tendrils. However, once she entered she found that the nursery was softer looking on the inside. The floor was soft and Dovepaw imagined it would be comfortable sleeping here even without moss. The smell of milk reminded her of ThunderClan's nursery. She breathed in for a moment, lingering in the scent.

"Kinkfur, the Thunder Cat is here!" She heard a tiny squeal.

She spotted Kinkfur the Queen she had seen the night she came. The messy furred she-cat growled at her softly. Dovepaw could see two heads popping out from beside the Queen. A tabby brown kit seemed eager to approach her. He wiggled out from his mother's grasp and darted to her.

"Thunder cat!" He squealed again. "Are you a spy?"

A gray she-kit followed bouncing as she came. She sniffed curiously at Dovepaw's feet. Dovepaw couldn't help but purr. No matter where you went kits were the same.

"Sparrowkit, Dewkit." Kinkfur called tiredly. "Come here." As she lifted her plumy tail, Dovepaw spotted a spiky furred pale grey kit. She squeaked in terror as she spotted Dovepaw.

"Kinkfur I'm scared." She wailed and pushed her face into her mother's fur.

"Don't worry kits." Toadfoot announced. "She's a Shadow cat now and she's here to be friends with you all."

Kinkfur merely grunted and Dovepaw wished she could bat the tom over the head.

Dewkit gasped. "Wow! You smell weird though." She continued sniffing at Dovepaw's feet.

Strange one. Dovepaw crouched down to meet the kits. "Hello little ones." She glanced at spiky furred kit who stared quietly at her. She didn't want kits to be afraid of her. "My name's Dovepaw."

"I know!" Sparrowkit hopped up and down in excitement. "Smokefoot brought you here! He's our dad." He added excitedly.

"Uh he's very nice." Dovepaw told the young kit.

"Thank you!" Sparrowkit meowed still bouncing. "We could be your friends if you like." He told her. "So, you don't feel lonely."

Dewkit looked at her sympathetically. "Oh, wow are we your only friends?" She turned to Toadfoot who nodded at her pretending to look very sad. She patted Dovepaw's foot. "Don't worry, we'll be your bestest friends."

Dovepaw choked. "F-Flametail's my friend, and Tigerheart." She meowed to the kits. Their mother let our a mrrow of laughter before catching herself.

"Um Dovepaw right?" Kinkfur meowed at her.

Dovepaw straightened up. "Yes."

Kinkfur stood up. "Ah…we may have gotten off on the wrong paw earlier."

"That's okay!" Dovepaw smiled. "I'd be worried too if a stranger came to my clan while I had kits. They're super cute!"

Kinkfur smiled. "Heh ThunderClan optimism. Guess I'll have to get use to it. We need a little happiness here anyways." Her gaze went to the very back corner of the den to a tortoiseshell she-cat who lay silently facing the way. Her belly was barely rounded but she seemed to carry little joy.

"Is she okay?" Dovepaw inquired as the kits played at her feet.

Kinkfur made an uncertain noise. "I…don't know."

"Do you want me to get Littlecloud to look at her?" Toadfoot offered. "Ivytail might just be a little ill."

Kinkfur shook her head. "I don't think herbs will help her."

And that was that. Kinkfur nor Toadfoot mentioned the she-cat in the corner again. Dewkit had asked for the story of how Dovepaw and Toadfoot brought the water back. So, she had let Toadfoot tell them, she piped in every time Toadfoot changed a few things.

"The beavers weren't that scary." He went on.

"They were huge." Dovepaw corrected. The kits stared at her in awe, they now thought she was a hero like Toadfoot. "Ugly things too with razor sharp teeth."

"I would've scratched their eyes out." Sparrowkit hissed and batted at his sister who rolled her eyes.

"You're tinier than a mouse. I would've made a plan and gotten them to leave their silly logs and then dislodge it." She meowed cleverly.

"What if you guys got hurt?" Came a soft mewl.

Dovepaw's eyes brightened. The little spiky furred kit still sat a bit away, but she too was listening to the story.

"Mistkit!" Sparrowkit mewed. "You came out!"

Mistkit looked around nervously. "Y-yeah. I was just thinking."

"Like always." Dewkit mrrowed. "You never play with us!"

"You two are so rough with her." Kinkfur scolded. "Mistkit is…" her smallest kit stared at her wide eyed. "special, you all are special of course, but Mistkit likes things a bit slower."

"Mistkit." Dovepaw called. "Would you like to be friends?"

Mistkit froze and stared at Dovepaw for a while before nodding shyly. Dovepaw purred, she had the approval of the youngest cats in the clan.

The elders were strange and very interested in Blackstar's nest, especially concerning who was in his nest.

At first, they were grumpy with Dovepaw and Toadfoot especially Snaketail, a brown cat with a striped tail who seemed constantly bitter about something. She noticed that Toadfoot seemed to ignore the dark coloured elder and if he had to speak to him he did it begrudgingly.

Next was Cedarheart, a dark grey tom who Dovepaw quickly realized had a busted leg. He laughed when she asked how old he was. He told her that he was only in here because he couldn't hunt or fight anymore since he was injured by a twoleg while trying to get revenge for a fallen apprentice. He wasn't overly friendly, but he did seem amused at Snaketail and Toadfoot's bickering.

Then there was Tallpoppy, she had also been made an elder early. She suffered from a head injury from when she was hunting one day. Dovepaw could tell from her long graceful legs that she had once been a powerful jumper. She was the most interested in Blackstar's den mate.

"If Blackstar wants more young cats in the clan. He should just make more." Her tone was…um well it made Dovepaw uncomfortable. Tallpoppy had stated that she was in this den too long to care about what she said anymore.

Finally came Whitewater, Dovepaw picked at her pelt for ticks. She was the eldest cat in ShadowClan but apparently, she had been once the most beautiful, a statement which most of the cats in the den agreed with. Whitewater had a long furred white pelt and one working green eye.

"My other eye," the elder had meowed. "was blue. Cats use to think it was a stunning miracle. I hoped I would pass it on to my kits but two of them died before they could open their eyes. Only my little Crowkit survived and he has eyes like his father, such a pretty blue."

Dovepaw didn't have to think hard to figure out that Crowfrost was Whitewater's kit. "Who was the father?"

"A handsome grey tom." The elder responded.

"Last time it was a ginger tabby." Snaketail muttered.

"Really? Whitewater, you said he was a cream furred." Tallpoppy nosed her den mate in concern.

Whitewater merely sighed. "His eyes were so blue…"

After she had picked the ticks from Whitewater's pelt, the elder began to hiss at her for invading ShadowClan. Surprised at her sudden anger Dovepaw took a few steps backward.

"You're an outsider!" Whitewater hissed. "You have no place here and you never will."

"Hush!" Tallpoppy scolded her. "You mustn't say such things. The trials will prove her worth."

"The trials sound interesting, don't they?" Cedarheart asked Dovepaw. "Aren't you nervous for them?"

"I want to join ShadowClan." Dovepaw meowed, ignoring Whitewater's stinging comments. "So, I hope I pass them."

DUNG!

Toadfoot truly was the worst warrior she had ever met. Dovepaw cursed inwardly to herself as Toadfoot pushed her to a pair of cats she did not want to speak with.

Blackstar and Russetfur.

Perhaps if they had approached the pair in a respectful and dignified way she would have felt better seeing them.

But Toadfoot, Foxheart she decided to call him decided that the best way to greet the cats who could banish her with the flick of an ear was to throw her, literally throw her at them.

She screeched as she landed head first by Blackstar's hindleg. She got up as quickly as she could but by that time, dozens of cats were staring at her like she was insane.

"Toadfoot threw me!" She squealed ungraciously.

Russetfur scoffed while Blackstar twitched a whisker. "So he did." The leader mused.

Toadfoot leapt to her side. "You slipped." He purred.

Russetfur not one for nonsense jabbed him in the chest with her forepaw hard. The dark tom squeaked in pain and Dovepaw huffed thankful. You deserved that you foxheart!

"Dovepaw." Blackstar greeted calmly. "How are you finding things?"

She wished she had groomed before she was so roughly handled, her fur was a mess. "I-I'm fine, thank you Blackstar."

"You observed the dawn patrol this morning?"

"Well I…yes." She stammered.

"And Toadfoot is showing you the camp I presume." Blackstar meowed.

"She's making friends." Toadfoot drawled, still in pain from Russetfur's assault on his lungs.

"Making friends?" Russetfur echoed sounding unimpressed.

"Yes." He repeated.

"You truly are an idiot Toadfoot." Russetfur hissed. "She should be in her own camp hunting for her clan or at least if she's staying here, training with Rowanclaw not making friends."

Dovepaw winced, it was clear that Russetfur still believed that Dovepaw didn't belong in ShadowClan.

Blackstar glanced at his deputy. "Dovepaw is a clanmate now." She hissed in frustration and pointedly turned her head away.

Dovepaw's shoulder's slumped. Russetfur's hostility seemed like it would a common thing she'd have to deal with. At least Blackstar seemed all right with letting her stay.

"Carry on with your tour." Her new leader dismissed them with a wave of his tail. Toadfoot and Dovepaw both dipped their heads respectfully before backing away.

Toadfoot bent down to whisper in Dovepaw's ear as he led her towards the warrior's den. "Did you sense it?"

I'm mad at you! "Sense what?" She huffed. "You wanting to embarrass me in front of Blackstar and Russetfur. She hates me." She groaned.

"The romantic tension!" He whispered loudly. "Also, Russetfur hates everyone, don't be worried."

Dovepaw snorted. "Thanks that makes me feel so much better."

Toadfoot's eyes flashed and he nudged her. "I've heard rumours that she shares his nest."

"I've heard enough from Tallpoppy about Blackstar's nest." She meowed. "I don't understand how cats could be so interested about who shares nests with who." Privately she thought about sharing nests with Tigerheart, handsome brave, totally-would-not-throw- her Tigerheart.

"Who shares nests with you?" She remarked teasingly. "She must be really brave."

Toadfoot looked offended but before he could open his jaws to respond Dovepaw bumped into another cat.

She sneezed before looking up to apologize. "I'm sorry! I wasn't looking were I was going."

Redwillow stared hard at her. His green eyes flashed in anger and he curled his lip. He shoved her back hard and she stumbled. "Go back to ThunderClan! We don't need you here to worsen things."

Toadfoot stepped in between them and glared at Redwillow. "Lay off Redwillow, it was an accident."

Redwillow snarled at Toadfoot. "Oh, look it's another one of Blackstar's favourites. Here to steal another apprentice from us younger warriors."

Rage flashed through Toadfoot's gaze. "I haven't even had an apprentice yet Redwillow, stop making problems that don't exist."

Redwillow sneered and turned his back on Toadfoot. "Blackstar can't protect you forever!"

Dovepaw lay on the ground, her hackles raised in fear. The two toms had looked ready to tear each other apart and Redwillow…StarClan he looked like he was ready to sharpen his claws on her corpse. She breathed heavily and from the corner of her eyes she saw the quickest glance from Blackstar.

The leader looked torn.

Congratulations Dovepaw you've met half the clan and met some cat who hates your guts, well more than the other cats do, anyways.

I've always found Redwillow joining the Dark Forest to be strange. What was his reason? Some cats got reasons for joining the Dark Forest but others didn't, I'm guessing it was because they were minor characters and it wasn't of importance to the plot. I'm going to add some meat and potatoes to his reasoning and his character.

I like to think ShadowClan is one of the clans with the most personal issues. Right now, in ShadowClan there is a bit of tension between the older and younger warriors. Also I'm going to try and remove all the incest between warriors in all the clans so for example Dustpelt is not Ferncloud's uncle in this universe. In this universe, there's a whole bunch of warriors who never get mentioned by name but they exist, this fixes the gene pool.

Flametail reveals he knows one of Dovepaw's secrets, something that frightens her. Toadfoot's a terribly obnoxious cat (whom I love).

I also threw in some BlackRusset shipping fuel. Didn't want to add in too much since this is Dovepaw's story but there's just enough to keep me satisfied.

Till we meet again

Double Bless-

XxSelfossObsidianxX