Disclaimer: I based the Clan structure on the Warriors books by Erin Hunter.

Hope you enjoy the story so far. Thanks to everyone for reading it. Don't forget to review; I want to know what you think about my story and the characters.

Now here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 8

Half a moon later, it was one of the first warm days in new-leaf, Falconstar called her Clan together for a meeting. She had had a long discussion with Hawkfeather about the naming ceremony for Hawkfeather's daughter. The kit was almost six moons old already and therefore old enough to start her apprenticeship. Falconstar and her sister had agreed that it was time to give the kit her apprentice name.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come here for a Clan meeting." rang Falconstar's mew through the camp. The warriors and elders emerged from their dens and assembled in the camp opening. Hawkfeather came out of the nursery; Cloudkit bounced happily beside her mother. She would receive her apprentice name now. Behind the deputy, Lilyheart and her two kits left the hazel thicket that held the nursery. Stonekit and Pebblekit dashed forward and immediately started playing with some scraps of moss. Their mother had to call them to order and they all settled among the rest of the Clan. Last to arrive was Grasswhisker, the medicine cat. The old black-and-white tom had groomed his pelt nicely; Falconstar thought he wanted to look his best when receiving an apprentice.

"We meet here today to give a kit of six moons her apprentice name. Cloudkit step forward." The Clan leader continued. The black kit stepped forward and faced her Clan leader.

"Cloudkit, from this day onward you will be known as Cloudpaw. As it is your wish to train as a medicine cat apprentice, Grasswhisker will be your mentor. He will teach you everything you need to know to become a skillful medicine cat."

Grasswhisker stepped forward and touched noses with Cloudpaw. He looked very pleased with himself and Cloudpaw's eyes were shining with joy and pride.

xxx

Hawkfeather had gone to Falconstar's den after the naming ceremony. Grasswhisker and his new apprentice had left the camp. The medicine cat wanted to give Cloudpaw a tour of their territory. The deputy discussed the border patrols with her Clan leader.

"The HedgeClan scents were very strong along their border in the woods where all three Clans have territory. They might want to take our part of the woods. Leafstorm had said for moons that he wants more land for the Clan." Hawkfeather told her sister.

"Well, it's still Rabbitstar who decides for HedgeClan. But he is getting very old. He was sick during leaf-bare; I wonder whether he lost a life. We're going to have problems with them when Leafstorm becomes Clan leader. Let's hope it won't happen soon."

"I feel the same. Leafstorm is bound to cause trouble. He was always been aggressive towards us, Falconstar." the deputy mewed thoughtfully.

"I still remember his behavior when I announced that you had kittened. He was so hostile." The black-and-ginger she-cat's neck fur bristled as she remembered the pale gray tom's comments about Hawkfeather. He had said that she-cats are not meant for leading a Clan because they were busy looking after their kits. Hawkstar, ForestClan's leader had to shut him up. She had had her kits while being Clan leader.

"Anyway, I am glad I have you back as my full-time deputy, Hawkfeather." Falconstar wanted to change the topic to something more pleasant.

"It's good to be back out of the nursery. Although, I must say that I enjoyed it a lot." The black she-cat mewed.

"It was quite amazing to see how fast Cloudkit grew. And she was always a lot of fun. I don't think I have been to nursery that often before." Falconstar said.

"Why don't you find yourself a mate and have kits of your own?" Hawkfeather mewed. "You know, Whiskerheart has been padding after you all leaf-bare."

Falconstar felt uneasy. While she watched her sister raise her kit, she had sometimes longed to be a mother herself. But she was Clan leader, she couldn't have kits. Not so soon after Hawkfeather anyway. And Whiskerheart? She had noticed the brown tabby padding after her.

"I don't know about Whiskerheart. He seems scared by me."

"You are his Clan leader." Hawkfeather replied.

"I don't want a mate who is afraid to look me in the eye because I am his Clan leader. I know that Whiskerheart has feelings for me. But he doesn't dare talk to me."

"Maybe you have to make the first step." Hawkfeather suggested.

"For your information, I tried that. I asked him to go hunting with me; just the two of us. He stammered something and when we left the camp he ruined the hunt with his clumsy behavior. He scared off he sparrow that was sitting right beside his paws. I don't see how this would ever work out."

Hawkfeather nudged her sister gently and gave her a comforting lick. "You'll find a mate, Falconstar. You're a lovely cat."

"Thank you, Hawkfeather."

But Falconstar remained skeptical. She had noticed that all the younger toms who didn't have mates behaved awkwardly around her. Whenever she shared tongues with them she could feel them tense as if they were afraid to put off their leader.

xxx

Cloudpaw had been an apprentice for almost two moons. The fields on their territory were a lush of green and the woods were alive with prey. Green-leaf had come early this year. As the night became warmer, Hawkfeather and Talonwing started to secretly meet again at night. Falconstar urged her sister to be careful not to be seen and also not to have kits again. Hawkfeather had promised her to be careful.

Falconstar was out in the woods to stretch her legs. She needed to decide on Pebblekit's and Stonekit's mentors. Lilyheart's kits were ready to be apprenticed and the Clan needed more apprentices as well. Falconstar found it easier to make such decisions away from the noise of the busy camp. She was certain that she wanted to give Mousepelt her first apprentice. Her littermate Whiskerheart had trained Hawkfeather. Mousepelt deserved to prove herself, too. Falconstar had to decide whether Grayfeather or Mudheart should mentor Pebblekit. Falconstar knew it would be better to let Mousepelt mentor Stonekit. The pale brown warrior was better suited to mentor the little tom. But who was best for his sister? Suddenly Falconstar's paws slipped away painfully and she lost her footing. She felt herself slither down a slope, tail and paws slapping into the air. Falconstar cursed under her breath: she had tripped into a rabbit hole and fell down into HedgeClan territory. She tried to stand up but one of her paws was wrenched and she had to hop on three legs.

"Are we being invaded by MeadowClan?" A voice sounded from behind Falconstar. She turned around and saw a huge dark gray tom watching her with twitching whiskers.

"Bouldertail, one cat is hardly an invasion. I am sorry I trespassed; I tripped and fell down here." She explained to the HedgeClan warrior. Falconstar remembered the dark gray tom who had been given his warrior name when she was an apprentice.

"Yes, I know. I saw you falling down. I was out here hunting, but I think I have to go look somewhere else now. The racket you made scared all the prey away." Despite his strong words, his mew was still light-hearted.

"I am terribly sorry, Bouldertail. I will leave right away." Falconstar tried to move up the slope, but fell down again. She couldn't climb it with her injured paw.

"Lay down and let me see that paw." The tom ordered her. "We have rabbit holes all over our territory. Cats get strained paws all the time."

Falconstar let herself lie down, relieved to rest her paw. It was hurting bad. She hoped she hadn't broken it. Bouldertail sniffed at her injured paw and carefully nudged it to see if something was broken.

"I think you are lucky, Falconstar. Nothing seems broken. Wait here while I fetch you some comfrey to wrap around."

The dark gray tom was only gone for a heart beat when he returned with the herb. He chewed it up into a poultice and carefully placed the pulp on Falconstar's paw. Then he wrapped a beech leaf around it to hold everything in place.

"I think this should be enough for now. Have your medicine cat see to you properly when you get back. Now try to get up and lean on my shoulder. I'll take you back to your camp." He mewed sternly.

"Thank you, Bouldertail, but I am perfectly able to get back myself."

"Nonsense, Falconstar. You cannot walk back on your own. What if you trip again?"

"Okay. I guess you're right." she mewed defeated.

Falconstar heaved herself up and then leaned on Bouldertail. Glad now that she hadn't turned down his offer. Her paw still hurt badly. The gray tom was much bigger than Falconstar and he could support her weight without any problems. Slowly they made it back up the slope into MeadowClan territory.

"This will be a story the elders will gossip about until I am old and gray." Falconstar mewed under her breath.

"Imagine I hadn't found you and you had lost a life out here. They would tell this story to generations of kits." The warrior's whiskers twitched. "And kits remember that time our great leader lost a life after she tripped into a rabbit hole." He mewed with an elderly voice. Falconstar let out a mrrow of laughter.

"What were you doing here anyway?" Bouldertail asked.

"I was thinking about the mentors for some of the Clan's kits."

"While patrolling?" he replied confused. "Did you reach a decision?"

"Funny enough, yes."

Continues soon...