Shadow trailed around the den and clearing unhappily. She was unhappy because her mentor Twigclaw had stopped coming to visit. Her father told her that it was because he was mentoring another cat, a tom named Hawkpaw. Shadow growled annoyed and decided that if Twigclaw couldn't visit her, she would visit him.
" Mom! Dad! I'm going to go visit Twigclaw!" Shadow yowled as she slipped out of the clearing. She heard no answer so she guessed that she was allowed to go. There was only one problem, Shadow didn't even know how to find the Thunderclan camp, much less find Twigclaw. She quickly solved that problem by finding her father's scent and following it straight to a large clump of brambles and thorns. Shadow followed the wall until she found a hole in the camp entrance and slipped in.
Immediately a cat leapt on her and began scratch her. Shadow didn't allow the cat to feel accomplished as she quickly flung her opponent upwards, flinging them farther than a normal moon old kit should be able to. Shadow lifted her head and gasped in amazement. She saw a large camp surrounded by brambles for protection with a lot of room in the inside. There were cats all around her more than she had ever seen in her life, and all of them were looking at her amazedly. A light sandy colored she- cat stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing in the Thunderclan camp?" "Looking for Twigclaw." Shadow answered. The she-cat paused and finally said, " Fine, but you have to tell us who you are and how you are so strong and well trained." "After I find Twigclaw." Shadow promised. She left before they could say a word.
Shadow slipped through the forest in search of her old mentor. Soon she heard the sounds of a scuffle by the river, she darted through the trees and gasped as she saw a patrol of umm Stream? No, Lake? No, wait River! Riverclan warriors attacking two warriors by the river. She raced toward them and began to claw at the Riverclan warriors. Soon she saw a brown speckled gray tom calling orders to the Riverclan warriors. Shadow flattened her ears and slashed her enemy on the forehead effectively blinding the tom and sprinted at the tom and leapt pinning him to the ground. "Stop!" Shadow yowled all cats Riverclan and Thunderclan stopped their battle to look at her, "Riverclan, if you don't leave Thunderclan territory right now I will kill this cat." Shadow saw emotions rolling through the Riverclan cats eyes, first fear then stubbornness and finally determination. The Riverclan cats paid no heed to her and hauled the two cats that they had been fighting to the front of their line. Shadow gasped as she saw that one of the cats was Twigclaw, his pelt was ripped and he swayed on his paws as he tried to stay upright, the other cat was a dark brown tom who seemed to be trying to keep Twigclaw from falling down. Shadow guessed that this was Hawkpaw, Twigclaw's new apprentice. "If you don't release Troutstar we'll kill these two cats. Just give up kit!" that was the last straw for Shadow, sure she was only three moons old but that didn't mean that she was a kit! She sunk he teeth down into the cat's throat until she felt blood trickling onto her paws. Then she turned to meet the astonished and terrified gazes of the Riverclan cats
" I am Shadow, a warrior of Thunderclan. Come back across that border and I will kill more than just one cat." the Riverclan cats murmured terrifiedly amongst themselves for a while then they released Twigclaw and Hawkpaw. Just then Shadow heard a rasping cough coming from behind which was impossible because she had killed the Troutstar cat, wait Troutstar how could she have been so stupid. A leader had nine lives, she had only killed one of his lives. Shadow made her decision on what to do with Troutstar. She fastened her teeth into his scruff and dragged him to his clanmates who dipped their heads and began to help him get back to their camp. After they left Shadow ran toward her old mentor and meowed, "Are you ok Twigclaw?" then a heavy thing slammed into her and she flipped and slashed at the cat who had just attacked her. She had Hawkpaw pinned and immobile. "Stop trying to injure me and start helping my- our mentor to camp." Hawkpaw blinked in surprise then dipped his head in agreement.
When Shadow and Hawkpaw stumbled into camp with Twigclaw the cats immediately sprang into action, the medicine cats took Twigclaw to their den and began treating him then they drew Hawkpaw away to ask him about what had happened and oh of course, they threw Shadow out of their camp! Really! After all she had done to help the two warriors! Shadow tried to shake it off and focused on getting back to the clearing and telling her father about what had happened to his deputy.
When Shadow went back and told her father about what had happened he immediately ran back to check on his deputy saying that he would be back soon. Shadow curled into her nest and fell asleep still worrying about her mentor.