(Just getting to know the clans a bit, I hope. Translations are at the bottom of the chapter. Enjoy ^^)

Mudfur pounced out of the bushes and snapped the neck of an unsuspecting blue jay. She picked up her prey and walked towards the camp of her companions, digging up the small vole she buried previously on the way. 'Oh what a beautiful night,' she thought as she looked up at the sky, staring at the claw shaped moon. In another week it will be the half moon and she wondered if her clan was Ok, if they were fairing well and if her grandkits were paws yet. She wondered if Torntail, her son and the Sandclan medicine cat, had gotten the message from Skyclan like her mysterious friend had told her he would. Then she wondered about Torntail's mate, guessing when the queen was due to have her kits. Mudfur shook her head. She had just wondered whether Torntail's apprentice, Pinepaw, earned her medicine cat name. Knowing that fiery little she cat, she probably didn't.

As she dropped her prey in he middle of the small camp her companions made, Longclaw lazily looked at her. "What took you so long Mudfur? Bones finally catching up to their age?"

Mudfur chuckled as she sat beside the rusty colored she cat. "No, that won't happen for moons to come." Autumnspot snorted as he dropped his bird and plump mouse in the prey pile.

"I won't be surprise if she has nine lives. She clearly doesn't expect to being retiring to the elders den any time soon."

Mudfur lashed her tail. "You bet your fur I won't. Its the fact that I can't actually. I promised a friend I won't retire until I see her kits."

Whitethunder looked up from licking his fur and narrowed his eyes. "Didn't Rustlerīdā say two moons ago that Sandclan had two expecting queens?" Mudfur nodded and Whitethunder groaned. "If the are as crazy as you then your clan needs to stop growing."

"And if your clan's queens have kits as stubborn and arrogant as you then I don't think they need to be a clan period," Mudfur countered. Whitethunder gave the seasoned she cat a warning growl before continuing to clean his fur. Autumnspot shook his head.

"You clean your self like humans clean their fluffy kittypets. Its really annoying." Whitethunder glared at him.

"A future leader needs to keep up his looks. In case you have forgotten, Autumnspot, Moonclan cats are know for their well kept pelts and ruthlessness. It doesn't surprise me that Sunclan cats are messy, mangy rogues." Autumnspot bristled and growled lowly at Whitethunder, but the white tom ignored him. He didn't expect the younger to know about being a deputy. He wasn't fair for the job anyway.

Mudfur sighed and lied down,tucking her paws under her chest. "I think that we should share some things about ourselves, or clans." The cats bristled and glared at her. Longclaw growled.

"We will not share our clan secrets. I will not share my clan's secrets! I'm no traitor!"

Mudfur flicked an ear in amusement. "I didn't say share secrets, more like sharing a bit of clan news, what our clans are. We can start out with our clans' reputation. Sandclan is the Wisdom of the clans, known for us being the wisest, negotiable and peaceful of the clans. Start like that."

Autumnspot snorted. "I don't know WHO gave you guys that title." He sat up and purred, eyes half lidded. "Sunclan is knowing for their bravery, honor and loyalty. We are the Heart of the clans, and we are the Courageous."

"And you are thieves."

Autumnspot smirked, glaring at Whitethunder. "And that."

Whitethunder lifted his head high, eyes ferocious but proud. "We Moonclan cats are the most fiercest, merciless, bloodthirsty, cunning and strongest of the clans. We use our savagery to weaken our enemies and we crush all foes. Moonclan is and forever will be the Strength of the clans."

Longclaw's tail lashed as she stood. "We are the stealthiest cats and the most agile. We hide in the shadow away from our enemies. We know everything about our enemies and we have the intelligence needed and point out their weak points. We are the Knowledge of the clans, the Mind."

Mudfur purred as she looked around at them. "And that makes us warriors."

Whitethunder gave Mudfur a curious look. "Why did you make us say this Mudfur?"

Mudfur grinned. "I am sure you know how our clans came to be?" All but Whitethunder nodded his head and Autumnspot hissed at him.

"You are a deputy and yet you don't know how the clan came to be?! Some leader you will make!" Whitethunder snapped at him. "Yelloweclipse never told us." Mudfur closed her eyes.

"Well then youngsters, sit and let me tell you."

They all sat, Longclaw and Autumnspot still giving Whitethunder disbelieving looks. Mudfur stayed quiet for a while, gathering her thoughts. When she opened her eyes, the yellow orbs seem to shine. "Moons upon moons ago there lived four cat who were once best friends. Sun was a orange furred tom with green eyes as bright as the grass, the leader of them and the bravest. Moon was a creme colored she cat, her eyes as blue as the big waters, the strongest. Dark was a black she cat, eyes yellow as the flames, the intelligent and Sand was a light brown tom with miscolored eyes, both blue and brown, the wisest."

"They grew up with the humans, but as they got older they grew tired of the human ways and ran into the wilds. They met up in the forest where our clans live in now and played and had fun together. In fights they protected each other, using their wits and talents. Moon was always the first to attack, throwing her enemies off balance and shortening their numbers, or weakening them. Dark was the one who found the weakness of the enemies and exploited them to her friends. Sand would try to reason with the enemies first, offering them their chance to escape, though when they chose to fight it was Sun who called out and encouraged his friends. They were really a unstoppable group, very close to each other."

"It was one day when their strong friendship started growing dull. They ventured out and looked for other cats like themselves. When they returned they realized how different they were, and pointed them out. Sun didn't like the fact that Moon was so bloodthirsty and Dark didn't like the fact that Sand was so, how you kits say it these days, looney, that he always wanted to talk. The cats grew farther apart and separated. Hatred, jealously and greed started to set into their hearts. They recruited cats of their own and made themselves leaders, calling themselves rīdā and training their warriors their way. They fought for territories and prey, killing cats who trespassed. They called themselves a clan."

"It wasn't until the she cat that was to be mated with Sand left him for Sun and was heavy with his kits did Sand wage war against Sun and his cats out of jealousy and heart break. In the battle Sand killed the she cat, slashing open her stomach and killing her unborn kits as she died of blood loss. In his grief Sun attacked and killed his friend. Moon had secretly fallen in love with Sand, even though they were enemies, so when Sun killed Sand, Moon killed Sun. Dark had fought Moon then, since there was only two clans left and both killed each other."

"The clans wailed at the lost of their rīdā and vowed never to fight against each other again, and if they were to fight that it would not be major nor deadly. They named their clans after their founders and found out about Skyclan later on, when two cats from each clan dreamed of their first fallen leader. Sand, Moon, Dark and Sun talked to their clan through the chosen cats. The cats who dreamed of ancestors were chosen as medicine cats, and any kit who had their talent or shared their interest was to be a medicine cat's apprentice. Rules about mating and leadership was given to them, along with other rules. Bonding Under The Stars was created moons later, and it was then that the clans was completely whole. That how the clans were made."

Whitethunder blinked and looked down at his paws. Autumnspot rose to his paws and stretched. "I like the mating rules. Can you tell us that story Mudfur?" Autumnspot silently glared at Whitethunder as he requested this.

Mudfur smiled. "Ah yes, the Mating Laws. That is an interesting story. A mated pair, Goldenclaw and Dapplefur, granddaughter of Dark. They were not a stable pair. Goldenclaw abused his mate, then abandoned her. He did not know she was with kits, until that day she ran away. When they found her a moon later she had been dead, ripped apart by a fox and her stomach had been shredded, along with two newborn kits. Three other kits were found under a bush. It was assumed that Dapplefur had tried to hide her kits before the fox found her, but was too late. Goldenclaw took his kits home and raised them."

"Goldenclaw trained his own kits after he had begged his current leader to let him. He hated his two daughters, because they reminded him of their mother and he thought they were utterly useless. He took them out secretly and killed them, then blamed the crime on a fox that ran away. Goldenclaw was then convinced that all she cats were weak, and killed every she kit the clan had. His son, Spottedpaw, knew of his father's doings and as he grew up he planned and planned in his mind to reveal his father and his crimes ,to revenge his sisters and the other she kits. Spottedpaw did whatever he could to earn his father's favor, and when he earned his warrior name Spottedclaw, he strived to become deputy. When he became deputy, he did his best to earn his clan's approval, and when the time came and the previous rīdā died, he became rīdā and his mate, Grassfeather became the deputy. They told the clan of Goldenclaw's crimes, Grassfeather saying that she only survived because her mother hid her. They had him marked and shunned as a Mesuneko Kirā. They then let him die in a badger attack."

"The rule was passed through Spottedrīdā at Bonding Under The Stars that every she cat was to be treasured and taken care of, and the she kits to have a guardian, a cat the parents could trust to protect their daughters. It also became another rule of the Mating Law, never abuse your mate, especially the female. Always protect them and be with them. This is a law that Skyclan agreed with readily, and from Skyclan Dapplefur warned that if these rules rules were to be broken that she would punish both mates."

Longclaw nodded. "A fair consequence. I'm not ashamed to say that some of us she cats aren't as innocent as we seem."

Autumnspot flattened his ears. "True that, but it is still most of the males fault. Haven't you notice we don't have as much she cats as we do toms?"

Mudfur dipped her head. "Yes, I've noticed, and I'm sure we are not the only ones. If this keeps up, we won't have a clan period. But I think this is enough talk for tonight. We must rest for tomorrow."

They ate andmurmured their good nights and went to bed. As Whitethunder sat at the edge of their camp to take first watch Mudfur padded over to him. Whitethunder frowned. The brown she cat's eyes looked hazier than usual. She bared her fangs at him and growled. Her voice sounded distant, and her eyes sparkled like the stars.

"You have failed, Kittosatsujin. Skyclan has taken your precious things away and you still don't repent. Right your ways soon or perish."

Whitethunder tensed. Had Mudfur just insulted him, had she just called him a kit murder? He has done no such thing! He bared his fangs to snarl at Mudfur, but the she cat had already padded away over to her nest. Whitethunder closed his eyes and shook his head. He would question here about it later. He frowned. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen to him.

(Translations:
Mesuneko Kirā- she cat murder
Kittosatsujin- kit murderer)