Here we go with a new story! I hope you guys like it! It would really help if you guys would leave a review after reading. It'll show me that at least someone out there enjoys my writing. Again, Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter/HarperCollins Publishers.

A soft, easy breeze stirred the leaves on the trees, creating a whistle, high-pitched and rhythmic. A gentle, sweet song that had been committed to memory long before any cat touched paw near the lake. It seemed strange to me how something so sweet and nurturing as a gentle breeze could form after such a tragic storm had befallen us.

Absentmindedly, my paw skimmed the water of the lake. So many cats had touched this water as I had, felt the current rush through their claws and wet their fur. Some cats embraced it. Others feared it. I neither longed for nor feared it.

The lake had been many things to me. A life source. A bringer of disaster. A place to look to when the future seemed hazy and hard to see. Now? It was a cross between all three.

I thought my troubles were over when the flood receded and ThunderClan returned home.

I was stupid to think that.

Or was I? The Clans were at peace. Not a single battle had been fought between cats since the end of the flood. But worse things had happened, one after the other until I was sure no cat could handle any more. First, ThunderClan lost our crippled hero, Briarlight, to a short bought of greencough this past leaf-bare. Not much of anything, if you compare one life lost to the lives left intact. Then, after realizing he was growing too weak to fulfill his warrior duties, Spiderleg retired into the elder's den. In newleaf, a pair of foxes broke into the camp, killing two elders, Graystripe and Sandstorm. A warrior, Brackenfur, later died of his wounds. While trying to drive out a badger, Sorrelheart and Fernheart, daughters of Lionblaze and Cinderheart, were killed, and another warrior, Snowwhisker, was badly hurt. The badger ended up returning a moon later, invading the camp and killing our second to last elder, Purdy, along with our nursery helper, Daisy. And most recently, Dovewing was killed during the storm that ravaged the Greenleaf Twolegplace.

"Bramblestar?"

Fur brushed against fur as my mate found me. I smiled a bit when my eyes met her's, reflecting every hidden emotion buried within me. She was the reminder that not everything was lost. I had a family to live for. I entwined my tail with her's before looking out across the lake. Along with my family, I had a Clan to lead. We both did. We weren't just mates, we were leader and deputy of our beloved Clan. I knew she would fight to the death for ThunderClan, and I had to make myself believe that I would do the same.

For what we had lost these past few seasons, we matched in gain. We had two different families of apprentices in the apprentices' den right now. The first were our kits. Firepaw, Barkpaw, Thornpaw, and Sunpaw had been apprentices for two moons now, and were coming along nicely. Alongside them were the kits of Rosepetal and Bumblestripe. Daisypaw and Smokepaw at one point had a brother, Oakpaw, but he left ThunderClan to join Smokey at the horseplace during his apprenticeship. Our nursery was also overflowing. Amberheart, Whitewing, and Cherryfall all had their own kits, and Cinderheart was expecting. Amberheart's kits were due to become apprentices today, a very exciting time for them.

My tail brushed lightly against Squirrelflight's stomach. "Are you ever going to let me tell them?"

She smirked. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction." She purred. I nuzzled her gently. "It won't be long before cats start noticing, Squirrelflight. You're starting to get big."

"Are you calling me fat?"

I shook my head. "Wouldn't think of it."

She pressed herself against me. "I can't believe our kits are apprentices already." She murmured.

"Feeling nostalgic?"

"A little bit." She confessed. "It's not easy, living with all of this death and destruction."

"I know." I agreed. "But we must focus on the future. ThunderClan is shaken, but still strong. We will bounce back from this, as we always have."

She pulled away from me. "We should get back to camp."

Her voice sounded shaky and a bit forced, as if she was trying her hardest to fight her emotions. I tried to step close to her again, but she moved away before I could. I noticed her movements were slower and heavier, the opposite of the movements I had come to expect out of my ginger mate. Her fur, normally fluffy and beautiful, was dusty and messy. Her ears were flattened against her head like she had done something wrong. I wanted so badly to comfort her, but could not. Despite all that had happened, her hotheaded personality was still intact, and it would not do me well to try and comfort her.

When we returned to camp, a quiet murmur of excitement had risen to combat the normal melancholy that hung over this camp. Everyone was gathering around, eagerly awaiting the apprentice ceremony of Amberheart's kits. The cats parted to let me pass. I ascended Highledge, but refrained from calling together the Clan. Instead, my eyes took an assessing sweep of my Clan, committing to memory what was left.

Ivypool, Dovewing's sister, had taken the death of her sister quite hard. She had been a hollow, empty shell of her former self since, roaming around camp with a sullen look on her face. I had thought giving her Daisypaw as an apprentice would lift her spirits, after she had done such a fine job with Snowwhisker, but I see that I was wrong. Along with her, Hollyheart was also fairly depressed. She had lost both of her sisters, Fernheart and Sorrelheart, at the same time. She tried to be happy sometimes, but it was half-hearted. She was still dedicated, but the deaths of her sisters had left a crack in her heart that in time would heal, but would leave behind a scar that would never fade.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!"

Not many cats were left to call, but some had yet to make an appearance. Spiderleg, the father of the apprentices-to-be, padded out of the elder's den, looking stiff but proud. Leafpool and Jayfeather emerged from the medicine den and settled outside. Amberheart came out of the nursery last, her kits walking in front of her.

Like Lionblaze and Cinderheart's kits, all of Amberheart and Spiderleg's kits were named after fallen warriors. Dustkit and Fernkit had been named after Spiderleg's parents, while Shrewkit had been named for Spiderleg's littermate, who had died during the destruction of the forest. I was just as proud of them as their parents were. New apprentices meant new life. Three new journeys were about to begin.

"Cats of ThunderClan, today we will name three new apprentices. Dustkit, Fernkit, and Shrewkit, come forward, please."

I waited as Amberheart nudged her three kits forward. They tried to look dignified, but the attempt was ruined by the brightness in their eyes and the excited looks on their faces.

"Dustkit, from this moment on you shall be known as Dustpaw. I call upon StarClan to guide your paws on the path to becoming a warrior, and to keep you as safe as possible during your apprenticeship. After much thought, I have selected Cloudtail to mentor you. Cloudtail, you are one of our most respected warriors, trained by the legendary Firestar, and I expect that you will not disappoint us."

The aging white warrior nodded. "I have no intent to do so, Bramblestar." He padded forward and touched noses with Dustpaw before ushering him over to the other apprentices, who welcomed him warmly.

"Fernkit, from this moment on you shall be known as Fernpaw. I call upon StarClan to guide your paws on the path to becoming a warrior, and to keep you as safe as possible during your apprenticeship. Bumblestripe, you have not had an apprentice since the death of Seedpaw. You mentored her well until the time of her death, and I expect you to do the same with Fernpaw."

The grey warrior dipped his head. "I won't let ThunderClan down." He promised. Once he had touched noses with Fernpaw and led her away, I nodded to Shrewkit.

"Shrewkit, from this moment on you shall be known as Shrewpaw. You were named for Spiderleg's littermate, and in honor of him, I have chosen his former mentor, Thornclaw, to mentor you. Thornclaw, you were a fine mentor not only to Shrewpaw, but to Sootfur, Poppyfrost, and Briarlight as well. I have no reason to doubt your ability to train a fine warrior."

Thornclaw nodded and stepped forward to touch noses with Shrewpaw.

"Dustpaw! Fernpaw! Shrewpaw!" The Clan chanted.

I smiled as the cats of ThunderClan chanted the names of the new apprentices. Despite all we had been through lately, there was still kindle left to light the fire of hope. We still had reason to believe that what we had worked for was worth it. But no matter how bright the future seemed at that point in time, I still felt a flicker of doubt- kind of like a rain cloud that refused to leave, even when under the pressure of the strongest wind. Deep down, I knew the truth still stood.

A dark time was coming for the warrior Clans.