Greetings! I just finished Chapter 3! It's another short chapter, but that's because chapters two and three were more there to introduce the characters. The chapters will be longer when we get past introducing everyone (well not everyone but some of the important cats I mean!) BTW you will find who the white and ginger cat is in Chapter 4. Here's your question for the chapter:

Who should the next POV be about?

Chapter 3:

ShadowClan's territory was quiet. Thunderpaw stalked his prey, his paws silent as moss on the ground. He licked his lips in hunger. The fresh-kill pile would soon be one vole bigger, and Thunderpaw's hunger would soon be satisfied. His crawled forward once more, his black belly fur barely rubbing against the ground.

Then, he pounced, snatching the vole and killing it, instantly. What a catch! He thought triumphantly. I better go show Nightclaw!

He padded over to his raven black mentor, mouth full of vole. He dropped the plump vole at Nightclaw's paws. "Is this good enough, Nightclaw?" he asked.

Nightclaw leaned over the vole and sniffed it snobbishly. "Your...er...becoming a fine hunter, Thunderpaw," he meowed grudgingly. His tail lashed quickly as he tried to think of something to critize him about. "However, we still need to work on your battle training."

Thunderpaw bowed his head respectfully, thanking the warrior for his praise. He actually got a compliment out of Nightclaw! Thunderpaw leaned forward to bury the vole, but his mentor stopped him. "You've hunted quite enough for today, Thunderpaw," he said, "you deserve to relax."

Thunderpaw secretly agreed with him, but if he ever hoped to become leader someday, he needed to be as useful as possible. Then again, if he wanted to become leader someday, he also needed to respect his mentor's chocies...

"Thunderpaw, are you coming?" said Nightclaw. Thunderpaw blinked in surprise. His mentor was already padding towards camp, thrush in his jaws. "I said," he reapeted, "are you coming?" His blue-eyed stare bore into Thunderpaw, chilling him to the bone.

Thunderpaw nodded and picked up the big vole. His mouth watered as it touched the juicy animal and he had to restrain himself from eating whole. As he padded over to Nightclaw, he winced at the sight of his stare. "Let's go," meowed Thunderpaw as he ran through the territory, his black fur sticking to him from the heat.

On the way back to camp, he uncovered the rest of his prey. A rabbit, a starling, and a mouse. Nightclaw helped him carry the prey and they bounded toward the camp at speedy time.

The ShadowClan leader, Darkstar, welcomed them into camp with a curt nod. "I assume hunting has gone well," he observed seeing Nightclaw struggle to carry Thunderpaw's prey and his own combined.

"Yes, Darkstar," Thunderpaw bowed. Nightclaw did the same. "Did you hunt well, Darkstar?"

"No," he calmy stated, "I have been doing other leader duties, like organizing patrols. Would you like to come on Dawn patrol?"

Thunderpaw nodded eagerly, but before he could say anything his mentor cut in, "Sorry, Darkstar, but I have plans to take Thunderpaw out for battle training tomorrow." Thunderpaw tilted his head in disappointment. He would not be coming on Dawn patrol. Darkstar simply nodded in acknowledgement and headed toward his den with a piece of fresh-kill.

Nightclaw and himself padded toward the fresh-kill pile to drop the prey in. Thunderpaw's pelt prickled with suspiscion. "Nightclaw," he began, "why can't I go on Dawn patrol?"

Nightclaw dropped his thrush in and replied, "I already told you and Darkstar. We have battle training tomorrow." His ear twitched with annoyance.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" said Thunderpaw curiously. He saw Nightclaw's eyes blaze with anger.

"Quite," he said and stalked off to share tongues with another warrior. Thunderpaw sighed. He wasn't sure that was the only reason.

A silver she-cat came over to him. It was Willowpaw, another ShadowClan apprentice. Her pelt was nice and smooth, and immediatly Thunderpaw knew she had been sharing tongues with Deadpaw.

"Hi, Thunderpaw," she said. "I have a huge squirrel over there." Thunderpaw could tell she was embarassed because she looked down at her paws. "I thought maybe we could share?" she continued.

Thunderpaw sighed. "Okay, Willowpaw," he mewed, "we can share." Willowpaw jumped in delight and immediatly hurried him over to the spot where she had been eating. "You can sit next to me," she said delightfully.

Thunderpaw obeyed and sat at her side. His pelt touched with hers and he could feel a prickly sensation sweep over her. Thunderpaw could obviously tell Willowpaw fancied him, and that was fine with him, but he just couldn't help but not feel the same way. Willowpaw was his friend and that was the way it was supposed to stay. He tried to feel a sensation in his pelt when his pelt touched hers, but he just couldn't.

He gobbled up the juicy squirrel, savoring all the flavors. He loved the taste of fresh-kill immensly and was sad when it was gone. "I think I'll be going to bed now," he said to Willowpaw. She nodded and let him through.

Thunderpaw trodded off to the apprentices' den cheerfully. After all, his stomach was full and his training was going well.

He settled in his nest with his fur nice and warm. His little nose gently stuck out of the moss bedding and his breathing was slowed. He fell asleep quickly.

In his dream, Thunderpaw was alone. He could tell it was leaf-fall because his paws would crunch everytime he walked. There was a chilly wind and his bones shook. Why am I so thin? He wondered. Then, he heard the breathing of a massive creature.

It's fangs glittered and it's long muzzle glistened in the moonlight. It's muzzle was drenched with blood...cat's blood. Thunderpaw leaped back in fear. What was that thing? His claws were unsheathed and his eyes were red coals. Thunderpaw tried to run, but for some reason, he was frozen to the spot. The amount of fear in his eyes, however, was no match for the amount of fury in the monster's eyes.

The creature lumbered forward viciously. Thunderpaw screamed inside his head as the monster picked him up, tearing his pelt apart with it's long, killing fangs. It's claws raked at him, spilling blood upon the forest floor. Thunderpaw wailed in agony. He heard a scream. Then, he realized that the scream he heard was coming from himself.

Thunderpaw, then, awoke in his nest. It was still dark outside and he must have not have been asleep for long. His fur was still there and his eyes were not clawed out.

That's when he realized...the scream from his dream was not his own.