Chapter 1: (Duskstar)
"Duskstar!" mewed a voice. Can he ever get a break? "Come in," Duskstar meowed tiredly, "What is it Amberclaw?" "I brought you fresh-kill." the pale ginger she-cat meowed. "Oh, thank you," he replied thoughtfully, "could you get me Cloudfur please?" Amberclaw nodded and padded away. "Yes Duskstar?" Cloudfur mewed. "I would like you to organize patrols, you need to make that a daily task as deputy." Duskstar meowed firmly. "Yes, I know but it's not easy though. It's tough here in this new place." Cloudfur meowed carefully. "That may be true, but we must adapt to clan life. I don't have nine lives like the next leader of Rainclan will; I'm just here to secure the clan." Duskstar stated. "B-but we've only been here for almost a moon. Surely you're not leaving us yet?" Fear edged Cloudfur's mew. "It's not my choice Cloudfur. We must get used this. Now, go and organize the patrols, I'm going hunting." Duskstar meowed. He got up and padded from his den in the rock cleft looking out into the grass-filled clearing. Rainclan's camp was on an island surrounded by a stream. A fallen tree in the water led to the entrance of their camp. The first den was the warriors, they slept in thorn bushes. Then at the other side of the tree trunk, was the apprentice den, which was under a small bush. Then, further into the camp were the nursery and elder's den where Torneye slept. The elder's den and nursery were connected, both under a short tree and bushes. Duskstar's den was in the middle of the clearing in a large crack in a rock. Their medicine cat, Fogpath, slept in the same large rock. However, her den was in more of a hole in the rock and was much larger. Their dens did not connect, so he had to walk around the rock to talk to her. Duskstar stopped looking around the camp and padded past Torneye, who was sleeping in the sun, out of camp and over the tree trunk into the open past the bramble-tunnel at the other end of the tree trunk. He could smell the freshly marked Cloudclan borders, unlike theirs. Duskstar knew the territory well, considering he was usually stuck in camp tending to Rainclan's needs. Somedays he wished he could be a normal warrior. But in reality, he had to serve as clan leader and set up the clan. Then suddenly, a flicker of movement flashed in the corner of his eye. Squirrel! Automatically, he dropped into his hunters crouch and crept up on the squirrel. When Duskstar got close enough, he leaped onto the squirrel, killing it with a quick bite to the neck. He stood up and his mouth watered with the squirrel in his mouth. Duskstar remembered he was hunting to feed his clan, not himself. Then a familiar scent bathed his tongue, Amberclaw. "Hi!" she meowed happily. "Hello." Duskstar replied. "H-how are you?" "Fine, Amberclaw, you're here because?" "I-I thought you'd like someone to um hunt with. Two is better than one right?" Duskstar realized suddenly that Amberclaw liked him. Did he like her back? Yes. "Oh, uh sure!" He purred. "Cool, shall we?" She asked coolly. "Yes, let's go." Duskstar touched his nose to her ear and followed her to find a good hunting place. So is this is are we mates, Duskstar thought. No, I have to ask her. Later tonight, Duskstar concluded.
Duskstar and Amberclaw had hunted all day and fell asleep under an elderberry bush. They returned to camp later that day with Amberclaw. The warm day that he spent with Amberclaw was actually very nice. When Duskstar sat in his den, a thought struck him. The gathering! He got to his paws and leaped up to the Rock. "All cats of Rainclan, gather around to hear my important words." The clan began to file out of their dens. "As you all know, tonight is the very first gathering. To it I shall take Cloudfur, Fogpath, Darkgaze, Amberclaw, Palestripe, Sleekpaw, Dawnpaw, and Torneye." Duskstar meowed. "The rest of you will stay and guard camp." He leaped down from the rock and flicked his tail for the Rainclan to follow.