A/N: Hey guys, here's chapter 1 of Exiled. I hope you enjoy it!

…

"Good morning Batpaw," Mintfeather purred, her calico fur sleekly groomed. Three wriggling forms sat at her feet.

"Hi mom!" Batpaw purred, padding over to his mother and siblings.

"Good morning Batpaw!" Bramblekit meowed, "Can you play moss ball with us?"

"Yeah!" Pinekit added, "I want to play with you."

"No, you mouse-brains," Dapplekit shook her head, "He has to go do apprentice duties. Right Batpaw?"

"Yeah, sorry guys," he purred, "But Darkpaw has the day off, he might be willing to play with you."

"Can we go find him mom?" Bramblekit asked, cocking his black head, "Please?"

"Sure," she purred, "But come back soon and don't wander far. If he's not in camp you can't go looking."

"Okay!" Bramblekit purred, bounding off with Pinekit on his tail. Dapplekit remained sat at her mother's paws, looking at Batpaw admiringly.

"When you're done with your duties, can you teach me some battle moves?" she asked, swatting at the air with little kitten claws, "Please?"

"Of course," Batpaw licked his sister over her tortoiseshell head affectionately.

"Yay!" she cheered, green eyes happy, "Thanks Batpaw!"

"No problem sis," he purred.

"Batpaw!" Sheepfoot called from across the clearing, "Let's go!"

Standing beside him was Batpaw's father, Blackstorm, and his apprentice Sorrelpaw. As Batpaw looked her way, the sorrel she-cat purred and swished her fluffy tail.

"Bye guys!" he called to his sister and mom, padding away from them and to the exit of camp.

"Everything good with your family?" Sheepfoot asked him as he neared the group of cats.

"Of course," Blackstorm, Batpaw's father, answered for him, "What would be wrong? I have two healthy litters of kits, nothing could be better."

"Right," Sheepfoot nodded, glancing at Batpaw out of the corner of his eye with amusement displayed on his features, "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Blackstorm led the way out of camp, his tail in the air. Sorrelpaw sighed and padded after her mentor, but not before rubbing her muzzle against Batpaw's.

"What are we doing today?" Batpaw turned to his mentor, cocking his head.

The agile tom leaped over a rabbit burrow before replying, "Battle training. You versus Sorrelpaw, and then the winner versus Blackstorm."

Batpaw gulped, his father was not necessarily gentle during training – and he was harder on Batpaw, as he was his son.

"You'll be fine," Sheepfoot laughed, swatting his apprentice with his fluffy tail affectionately.

Batpaw shrugged, speeding up so he was padding alongside Sorrelpaw.

"Hey, after training do you maybe want to go hunting with me?" she asked sheepishly, turning her pretty green gaze on Batpaw, "If not, it's fine...I was just wondering."

"I'd love to," Batpaw purred, "But I've got to teach Dapplekit a few battle moves first- I said I would. After that though!"

"Okay!" Sorrelpaw purred, curling her fluffy tail over her back, "I can help with that, if you'd like."

"Sure," he purred, nudging her, "I know you love my sister."

She laughed slightly, and was about to say something, but Blackstorm cut them off.

"We're here," he announced, padding down the slope into the mossy-floored training hollow. He sat down on the edge of the moss, wrapping his slim tail around his paws.

Sheepfoot trotted down the hill, sitting down on the side opposite of Blackstorm. Batpaw grinned, padding to one side of the moss and flexing his claws. Sorrelpaw narrowed her eyes aggressively, but her slight purring showed Batpaw that she was just playing around.

"First one pinned looses," Sheepfoot declared, "Good luck- go!"

Sorrelpaw sprung at Batpaw. He feigned to the side, causing her to trip and stumble. He turned on his heels, leaping at her and pushing her over. She pushed him off of her with her forelegs and then sprung to her feet, running at him and then rearing up, slamming her paws down on his shoulders. He crumbled under the impact and laid on the ground as Sorrelpaw stood proudly on him.

"Three...two..." Sheepfoot counted the seconds until Sorrelpaw would be declared the winner.

Batpaw lurched up, catching Sorrelpaw unaware and knocking her over. She yelped as he pinned her down with his black paws on her chest.

"Three...two...one," Sheepfoot finished, standing up, "Good job both of you."

"Fox-dung!" Blackstorm roared, "Sorrelpaw, never be so confident that you just let your opponent catch you like that. You had him!"

The sorrel she-cat's smile faded and she shook slightly under Batpaw's paws as she was scolded.

"If you act like that you'll never be a warrior!" he exclaimed, "Four moons of training and you still fight like a kit! My kit Bramblekit can fight better than you!"

Sorrelpaw let out a small whine and Batpaw growled at his father, "She's still learning. Give her a break."

Sheepfoot nodded, glancing at the large black tom, "She tried her best."

Blackstorm just huffed, turning away. Batpaw stepped off of Sorrelpaw gently, helping her up.

"I'm sorry," he murmured in her ear. She shrugged, staring at the floor.

"I say we go home for now," Sheepfoot shrugged, "Batpaw can fight Blackstorm tomorrow."

Batpaw nodded. The whole group was enveloped by an awkward silence on the trek home, Batpaw padding beside Sorrelpaw with Sheepfoot behind them, and Blackstorm leading.

"Sorrelpaw, I expect you to train extra hard tomorrow to make up for today," Blackstorm growled as they entered camp, slipping off to eat.

Sheepfoot just glanced sympathetically at the apprentices before padding over to his mate, Skystripe to share tongues.

"Well, let's go play with Dapplekit!" Batpaw said, trying to take Sorrelpaw's mind off of the earlier events.

"Okay," Sorrelpaw purred, swishing her plumy tail.

The pair padded over to the nursery, where Mintfeather was pacing.

"Mom," Batpaw sped up, trotting up to his mother, "What's wrong?"

Turning to him with an expression of pure horror on her face, she said quietly, "I can't find Dapplekit anywhere."

…

A/N: Whoop! So it begins.

Behind the Scenes of Blackstorm:

The reason he's so harsh on Sorrelpaw is because when he was an apprentice, his mentor pushed him just that hard and he turned out a great warrior. He wants the best for Sorrelpaw, and even if that means pushing her to the point of tears at times. He knows the harder she trains, the better of a warrior she'll be in the end.