Chapter 1

"The elder's are worried."

"Mousefur's always worried!" Jayfeather heard Rosepetal and Toadstep walking just outside his den. He angled his ears to find out just Mousefur what was gossiping about now. Toadstep and his sister were the newest warriors but not for long. Graystripe and Millie's kits were close to getting their warrior ceremony. Specially now since Squirrelflight's kits were out of the nursery and under mentor supervision. He stiffened. That's what had Mousefur worked up! He was certain. He had felt the same dread seep through him and Lionblaze the day the kits stumbled out of the nursery. "Besides, Brambleclaw looks like his father and he's not evil!"

"Yeah but –"

"Do you doubt your deputy?" Lionblaze's calm voice came unexpectedly. Jayfeather could picture him sitting calmly his tail wrapped around his paws. His eyes focused on the young warriors. Toadstep laid his ears flat, embarrassed.

"N-no Lionblaze. Its just Mousefur said –"

"Ignore her this time. She's simply stuck in the past. Ashpaw and Wingpaw are your everyday apprentices. They have done nothing to prove other wise and don't deserve the lack in trust." He's eyes narrowed dangerously and the siblings nodded before slinking away. Jayfeather felt mixed emotions in his brother. He didn't completely believe what he had just said. He was worried about the war they were expecting. The war no one else knew about. A shiver coursed through him.

Suddenly a stronger emotion took over him. Determination flooded him so strong his body ached. He walked out of his den and turned his head in the direction of the fresh kill pile. Ashpaw stood there and his whole body was tense. His brothers were nowhere around but it was painfully obvious by now some of the clan were cautious with only two of them. Wingpaw and him just happened to look like their father. Ashpaw exactly. Wingpaw lucked out; He had his mother's green eyes. The luckiest of all was Echopaw.

Echopaw was dark ginger. His coat burned every once in awhile like Firestar's. His amber eyes were full of thought and calculation. No one had any problems with him. None they couldn't stomach at least.

Again more thoughts took hold of Jayfeather. This time he was flashed in to a memory. Vivid colors surrounded him and he was in a place he didn't know. He realized he was in the old forest. He was in Firestar's mind. Before him was two kits. Bramblekit and Tawnykit, his sister. The emotions overwhelmed him. Firestar felt like he was being sent back in to the past. He couldn't blame the clan because he had done the same thing before. He had been afraid and uneasy with Brambleclaw, his former apprentice, and now his deputy. Secrets just kept surfacing.

"Brackenfur," Ashpaw had stopped hunting and his mentor hadn't noticed until after he brought down a blackbird. The golden brown tabby looked at his apprentice. Ashpaw shuffled his paws anxiously and then steeled himself. "Why does the clan hate me?"

"Ashpaw, they don't –" He paused. He could not lie to the apprentice but he refused to push him away. "Listen to me carefully. There are things, that some of the clan cannot let go. These things that have affected us deeply and they scare many of us."

"You're talking about the tales Longtail used to tell me, the ones about Tigerstar and Hawkfrost." Mousefur always avoided him and Wingpaw. Longtail, blind however, did not. Ashpaw wondered if he would still speak with them if he saw what they looked like.

"Yes. You look just like your father who resembles his father to a whisker. They will get past it."

"How do you know?" He snapped and the ducked his head in apology. Brackenfur didn't scold him though. He fixed him with a thoughtful look before smiling softly.

"Because your father is Deputy, is he not?"

"Yeah but he went on the great journey. He was part of a prophecy. He's practically a legend!" Brackenfur laughed at Ashpaw and began to walk away to continue hunting. He called back over his shoulder however, the perfect end to the conversation.

"Brambleclaw was trusted far before he left for the great journey."

"I will like to lead this patrol, Brambleclaw." The deputy looked at his leader and dipped his head. Firestar looked at the cats as Brambleclaw nudged his kits in the shoulder before walking away. In the group were Wingpaw, Echopaw, Ashpaw and their mentors Lionblaze, Cinderheart and Cloudtail. Firestar felt a rush of surprise to find all of these cats, except the one she-cat in the group, were related to him. He was about to lead them out when Sandstorm pressed against him.

"I'm going out to hunt with Foxleap, Dewpaw, Icecloud and Owlpaw. We're going near the Windclan border, mind if we walk with you?" The fiery leader purred contently. His show of approval caused a ripple of laughter through the warriors. The apprentices looked a bit put off.

"Ready?" He called before pelting off and out of the camp. The warriors all called out that he cheated and raced after him. Lionblaze lingered with the apprentices. His cousins glanced uneasily at him. They had learned recently about the lies surrounding his heritage but he held his head high.

"This is your chance to impress our leader and Brambleclaw would love for him to give a good report about you all." He said his eyes soft. He knew very well why Firestar had given him Echopaw. He looked least like Brambleclaw but he still wanted a strong warrior to help him. He didn't trust many cats to mentor them.

Ashpaw crept around in the undergrowth. Brackenfur's talked had helped him a bit and he was able to focus on the squirrel his mentor sent him to find. His ear flicked forward as he saw the furry creature nibbling on something only a few tail lengths before him. Then something else shifted in the corner of his view. The prey froze and then bolted. He knew he could have caught it before it reached the nearest tree but instead he opened his mouth and inhaled deeply. He caught Windclan scent but it wasn't surprising being so close to the border. Then he smelled something else. It was cat but no cat he knew. It carried no clan smell. He growled deep in his throat and bolted forward.

The cat heard him coming and tore away. He heard paws behind him and knew he was now also being chased. The first intruder was running right for his clan mates so he spun to face the one behind him. A she-cat barreled in to him and tore away after the tom. He sprang to his paws and called out. Then he realized he was just over the border by three tail lengths and Windclan scent was getting strong.

"Thunderclan!" The snarl of Breezepelt tore through the air. He ran as fast as he could away from the vicious warrior. He was just about at the border when Breezepelt broke from chasing him and collided with Lionblaze. Their yowls and howls filled the air. For a brief moment he forgot all about the cats he was chasing until Firestar showed up.

"There was enemy cats and –"

"Cinderheart is guarding them with Wingpaw. Come on more Windclan is coming." Brackenfur and Echopaw burst in to the fray, claws out and lips drawn. "Stop!"

A hesitation swept through his clan mates but it was obvious Windclan would not obey. Ashpaw didn't wait any longer. He leapt on to the nearest apprentice he saw. His name was Boulderpaw and his attitude was just as bad as his mentor who was being clawed by Lionblaze. The apprentice outsized him though and he felt himself becoming trapped. He looked around desperately but there was more Windclan cats coming. He sighed deeply and prayed for help.

Then claws were ripped from his fur as the apprentice was knocked away by a skinny jet-black tom. A white tip tail lashed in anger as he clawed at the cat. Boulderpaw fled first chance he got. Echopaw was struggling and Ashpaw had no clue who the newcomer was but he knew his brother needed him. Figuring the tom was on their side he ignored him to help his brother. Leaping on the back of Owlwhisker he bit down on his ear and ran his back legs down his back.

"Stop!" Firestar called again. Sandstorm's patrol had showed up and Windclan noticed. They released the cats they were fighting and slipped back over to their border. "What is the cause of this?"

"He crossed our border!" Breezepelt glared at Ashpaw and Lionblaze growled. Sandstorm shot her grand kit a glare that silenced him. Knowing he should not mention the strange cats, Ashpaw lowered his head.

"I'm sorry Firestar. It was an accident. It won't happen again. I was follow a strange smell and didn't realize I crossed. I came back as soon as I did and I took no prey!" He spoke rapidly. He glanced at his leader and saw he understood. He nodded firmly and looked back at Breezepelt.

"There is no reason to attack after I ordered the fighting to cease. Both clans would have been a lot better off."

"Forgive my kit Firestar. He's a little hot headed lately. I will let Onestar know of this, all of it." Crowfeather's dark gray pelt was flat against his body. He appeared calm but his eyes portrayed his real feelings or his thoughts at least. Ashpaw watched his eyes lock on Lionblaze but the older cat purposely avoided his gaze. Crowfeather dipped his head to the Thunderclan leader and lead the patrol away. "One more thing, stay off our territory!"

"You did well Ashpaw. All of you did." Firestar said and then his attention shifted to the black cat that had helped Ashpaw to begin with. "Ravenpaw."

"Firestar." The tom purred lightly before stepping forward. He touched noses cautiously with the battle weary leader. "Old friend, I know I said I didn't think I'd ever be with the clan again, but I ask you a favor."

"Yes?"

"Those are my kits you found. Two of them at least." As the black cat spoke Firestar's eyes shinned in surprise. "My mate didn't want them. I convinced her to feed them until they were weaned. Firestar Barely is dead. I have nowhere else to go."

"Oh Ravenpaw… I'm so sorry. You are Thunderclan blood. Pure to the core, not even Shadowclan can argue that. You are welcomed. As are you're kits."

They traveled back to where Cinderheart sat with Wingpaw. Between them was the tom and she cat Ashpaw had chased himself. Before them sitting stiffly was another she cat.

"This is Daypaw." Ravenpaw touched his tail tip to the black ears of otherwise white cat. The black was like a mask dropped over his ears that covered his face like you would see at a masquerade ball. Next Ravenpaw flicked the tense she cat. She was solid black with gray eyes unlike her blue-eyed brother. "This is Moonpaw."

Lastly he nudged the smaller she cat forward. She had bright blue eyes that shinned like stars. Her gray and white pelt looked like it'd be beautiful and shiny once it was cleaned. Her paws were small and her claws retracted.

"This is Skypaw."

"How do they have clans names?" Echopaw asked before anyone else could speak. "They were not born in to a clan, isn't that not possible? At best they're names aren't recognized by Starclan!"

"What do you know of Starclan? Have you seen the starry cats? Have you tasted their scent?" Skypaw sat softly. Her eyes narrowed at the larger tom. "Starclan knows of us, Bluestar named us after all."

Silence. Complete and utter silence greeted the end of her speech. No one moved. Nothing stirred. All things seemed to have ceased. A squirrel dropped an acorn from a tree and suddenly life jumped back together. The cats of Thunderclan gazed around at each other in shock. Ashpaw stepped forward with a glance at Firestar.

"I am honored to be the first to greet Thuinderclan's newest apprentices then. I am Ashpaw, apprentice to Brackenfur." Slowly the cats introduced themselves and then gingerly, wounds now remembered, made their way to camp.