Author's Note: I do not own Warriors or the original SkyClan cats in this story. However, some of these cats are mine, just additions to the original Clan. Big thanks to Petstar who allowed me to use her cats Pebbleclaw and Cloudstorm! *hugs*
Chapter One
The sun grinned down on the gorge, making cats peer out of their dens and starts the day. The stream rushed and gurgled over the rocks down near Rockpile, where everything was calm and peaceful. Soon, though, the silence was broken by the early morning chatter of the rebuilt SkyClan.
"Morning, Snowfeather!" called a voice that belonged to a black and white tom.
A white she-cat, who must have been Snowfeather, rose from her place near the fresh-kill pile and touched noses with the tom.
"Hello, Patchfoot." She purred. "How are you?"
The tom didn't answer, just picked two mice from the fresh-kill pile next to them, and turned to Snowfeather.
"Share?" he mumbled through a mouthful of prey.
The white she-cat didn't respond, just nodded and settled down, while Patchfoot plopped down beside her, their pelts brushing. As the two ate, more cats were being separated into patrols and being sent off to do duties.
"Now, Rockpaw, Tinypaw, and Bouncepaw, you all are twelve moons. If you do well on this assessment, then you will become Warriors when we return." meowed a tabby she-cat, her amber eyes glowing. She was staring down at a black tom, a ginger tom, and a small white she-cat, who were giving her an equal gaze of excitement. "Your mentors, Patchfoot, Sparrowpelt, and I, will give you your final tests. Are you ready?" Eager nods came from the three apprentices who were beaming as if the world counted on it. "Good." With her final word, the tabby turned and padded towards the fresh-kill pile for her morning snack.
On the other side of the camp, a dark ginger tom was staring at a group of cats, looking deep in thought.
"Umm…okay, Pebbleclaw, you take Ashtail and Silverflight on a Hunting Patrol. Clovertail, I'll come with you and we will do a quick Border sweep. Now, let's get going!" instructed the tom.
"Yes, Sharpclaw." meowed the cats before bounding away to go on their assigned duties.
All of a sudden, a fierce yowling broke out from the nursery. Every cat in the clearing whipped around to stare as Echosong, their Medicine Cat, dashed towards the den where the queens rested. Sagepaw, her apprentice, was close behind, Borage clamped tightly in his jaws.
"What's going on?" demanded the brown tabby who had been talking to the apprentices earlier. She strode up to stand in Sagepaw's way.
"Cherrytail is having her kits, Leafstar!" exclaimed the gray tom, obviously excited, to his leader.
Leafstar didn't speak another word, just moved out of the way. Dipping his head in thanks, the apprentice dashed forward and slipped inside the nursery.
The ginger tom called Sharpclaw bounded up to Leafstar, his eyes anxious. "Should I be there?" he asked, working his claws on the ground.
The leader shook her head. "No, Sharpclaw. You will see your kits later."
The ginger tom opened his mouth as if to argue, but decided better of it, and bounded away on his patrol, anxiously looking back to where a screech of pain erupted from the nursery entrance. Petalnose, a pale gray she-cat, hurried out of the Nursery followed by her kit, Frostkit.
"But I want to see!" protested the white tom, who looked exactly like his father, Cloudstorm.
"No, Cherrytail is in a very stressful moment and we can't interfere." replied his mother firmly as she guided Frostkit over to the Warrior's Den.
As another yowl split the air, Sagepaw rushed out of the Nursery and bounded across to the Medicine Cat Den.
"Is everything okay?" called out a cat.
"Cherrytail is doing well. She has one more kit left that is to be born. You can all go back to your duties now – we've got her safely in our paws." meowed the tom before slipping inside the den.
A sigh seemed to ripple among on the SkyClan cats before they pushed themselves back into action again, trying desperately to ignore another screech from the Nursery and push it out of their minds.
******
"Everything is okay over here, Sharpclaw!" called Clovertail, bounded through the undergrowth to join the ginger tom who was sniffing the air.
"No, everything is not okay. I smell fox." growled the tom, his claws scraping the earth. "I have newborn kits to protect, you know, and I can't do it very well with a fox snooping around here."
Almost as if on cue, a sleek ginger figure burst through the undergrowth. A bushy tail swept the ground as a fox charged towards the two cats. Clovertail, who had an encounter with a fox when she had lived alone, bristled and leapt towards the nasty muzzle of the creature. Sharpclaw snarled and pushed his hind legs against the earth, propelling himself forward and over the fox's head. Clovertail lashed out, her claws grazing the muzzle of the fox, while Sharpclaw slashed madly at its hind legs. The fox howled in pain and whipped around to face the ginger tom. Another battle cry split the air as Rockpaw came bounding out, slashing for the fox's eyes. The black tom curled his lip in a vicious snarl as the fox, knowing it was beat, bounded away into the ferns.
"Thanks, Rockpaw." purred Clovertail, resting her muzzle on her kit's head.
The tom just nodded and followed the scent trail of the fox, obviously continuing his assessment. Sharpclaw sighed. "Let's get back to camp and tell them a fox has been sighted." he meowed before charging away, Clovertail hard on his heels.
The two leapt down into the gorge, a sense of urgency filling their paws as they bounded into the center of the camp.
"Cats, gather!" yowled Sharpclaw.
The cats in the clearing were obviously confused, swarming around their deputy in mass chaos.
"A fox has been sighted! Rockpaw, Clovertail, and I gave it a lesson, though we do not know if it will return." yowled the ginger tom. "That is all!" he added before leaping away towards the Nursery to see his newborn kits.