"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Clanrock for a meeting!" Hollystar's call rang out as Icepaw stood underneath the tall rock, nervously awaiting as her new Clan gathered. Blazepaw, Goatpaw, and Frecklepaw gave her encouragement as they smiled at her. Beside them, Tinypaw glared at her while keeping her tail on Silentpaw's shoulder. His expression gave nothing away.
Hollystar continued, "We have found a young apprentice far from her old Clan who is willing to join us. From now on, Icepaw is a ShadowClan apprentice."
"We don't need some outsider! Just look how thin she is!" A white-muzzled brown tabby tom yowled up at his leader, yellow eyes filled with disgust.
"Mothjaw is right," a green-eyed tortoiseshell she-cat spat. "Can't the other Clan take care of their own cats? What if they try to steal her back? I'm not risking my life for a WindClan cat!"
"Enough, Brindlehawk!" Hollystar hissed at her and gave Mothjaw narrowed eyes. "Icepaw is our apprentice now. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Hollystar."
They bowed their heads to their leader, but Icepaw didn't miss the way they glared at her. Two more cats on her list to ignore. They were warriors and she was an apprentice.
"Until this apprentice gets her warrior name, she shall remain as Icepaw. Mablewing step forward. You had an excellent mentor in Pikeheart and I hope you will pass down his wisdom and determination."
"I will, Hollystar," A tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes madded over to Icepaw with a friendly face, filling Icepaw with relief. Clawnose hadn't been excited when she was named to him. Icepaw touched noses with her new mentor as the Clan cheered on her.
I'm finally a ShadowClan cat!
"Come on, Icepaw," Maplewing purred at her new apprentice. "We have one more thing to see."
Icepaw nodded at her mentor, legs wobbling a little as she had never been out of camp for that long. Maplewing was supportive of her the whole time. She was happy as her apprentice and finally felt appreciated.
"What is that?" Icepaw asked when they arrived to a long stretch of black stone. She placed a paw on it, surprised by how cold it was. The strange path rumbled under her as a flash of light blinded her.
She jumped back with a yelp as a shiny monster raced past her like it was after a rabbit. She turned to Maplewing with fear, "What in StarClan was that?"
"This is a Thunderpath," Maplewing explained, placing her tail on Icepaw's shoulder. "Don't worry. The monsters never leave the Thunderpath. But don't go near the Thunderpath whenever you are alone. Many cats have met their end on one."
Icepaw shivered as they walked back home. The trees around her were oddly comforting. It was as if they guarded her and the rest of ShadowClan from threats like monsters or Twolegs. As she followed Maplewing through the territory, she felt a sense of belonging. She knew that Maplewing was no Clawnose. She had been born outside of the Clan, but the tortoiseshell treated her like any ShadowClan born apprentice. She couldn't help but thank Hollystar for not giving her Brindlehawk or Mothjaw.
Two sunrises later, Blazepaw, Goatpaw, and Frecklepaw invited her to eat with them as they observed the warriors in camp sharing tongues.
"Hey, Heavysnow!" A gray tabby she-cat ran up to a huge white tom, her blue eyes excited. "I heard from Russetflame that Sunwatcher is having kits. You must be excited for your first litter."
"That's right, Wolfsong," Heavysnow's blue gaze was soft. "I can't wait to meet ShadowClan's newest members. I know you've always wanted kits of your own."
"Of course," Wolfsong purred. "I absolutely adore kits! Ever since Russetflame and I became warriors, I've wanted to be a mother. I still don't have a mate yet."
"Russetflame is a good mate," Heavysnow nodded at her. "Tangleflower was a good choice for her. You're young. You've got plenty of time. Have you considered Softfur or Webwillow. They would be good mates."
"Softfur would be a better option," Blazepaw said to Icepaw. "But every she-cat loves him. His fur is sooo soft."
"Which is why he's called Softfur," Frecklepaw remarked.
"Nah, it was for his short tail," Goatpaw replied.
"Besides," Blazepaw ignored the two. "I've seen Brindlehawk and Webwillow spend more time together."
"That doesn't make them mates," Icepaw tilted her head. "Toms and she-cats can just be friends."
"Exactly," Goatpaw purred. "If that wasn't the case, Frecklepaw and I would be Blazepaw's mates."
"I'm not Blazepaw's mate?" Frecklepaw gasped. "But I gave you the rest of my mouse yesterday!"
"You gave me the bones, frog-brain."
The other apprentices kept up their playful banter while Icepaw studied the prickly Brindlehawk from the distance. She had interacted with Webwillow a few times since she met the flirty gray tabby. She couldn't see Brindlehawk accepting his advances since she seemed to have a no-nonsense air about her.
Mothjaw and Brindlehaw ignored her completely, while Tinypaw hissed whenever she was near. Silentpaw nodded at her a couple of times. Whenever Tinypaw didn't pull him away somewhere. The small gray she-cat seemed protective of the quiet black tom. Icepaw wasn't surprised that Tinypaw was Mothjaw's apprentice. She seemed to have gained his snarkiness. The mute Silentpaw had been given to the deputy, Tangleflower.
"Morningheart's looking better today," Blazepaw noted as the black she-cat strolled from the medicine cat den. The white-pawed black she-cat motioned to Wolfsong and Heavysnow with her tail and they left camp on a patrol.
"I didn't even notice she was sick," Icepaw admitted.
"No cat is going to blame you," Goatpaw told her. "You'll know all of us eventually."
"Besides, it looked like only a strained paw," Frecklepaw yawned.
"We're lucky for the medicine cats we have," Icepaw remarked. "So much better than Marshleaf."
"That crazy cat you told us about?" Blazepaw asked.
"Yes. It's all her fault that WindClan hated me. Her, Silverfang, and Swanpaw."
"Swanpaw has always been a pile of crowfood," Frecklepaw huffed. "I can't even begin to imagine sharing a den with her."
"I never really shared a den with her," Icepaw shook her head. "I've spent most of my apprenticeship in medicine cat dens."
"Maybe you're destined to be a medicine cat," Goatpaw blinked at her. "But we'd miss you if you became one."
"I want to be a warrior. I need to prove that I'm not weak."
"You are strong, Icepaw," Blazepaw shoved a paw at her. "You can't let those mean cats win."
"ShadowClan warriors are better than WindClan warriors," Frecklepaw puffed up with pride. "They don't stand a chance against the four of us."
ALLEGIANCES
SHADOWCLAN
LEADER: HOLLYSTAR- black she-cat with amber eyes
DEPUTY: TANGLEFLOWER- long-furred white tom with yellow eyes
APPRENTICE, SILENTPAW
MEDICINE CAT: CHERRYSTEM- ginger she-cat with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, FALLENSNOW- sleek white she-cat with amber eyes
WARRIORS:
SOFTFUR- handsome long-furred white and ginger tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, GOATPAW
BRINDLEHAWK- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
MAPLEWING- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, ICEPAW
WEBWILLOW- gray tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, BLAZEPAW
HEAVYSNOW- huge white tom with blue eyes
FAWNSTEP- light brown she-cat with green eyes
APPRENTICE, FRECKLEPAW
WOLFSONG- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
MORNINGHEART- black she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes
MOTHJAW- brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white muzzle
APPRENTICE, TINYPAW
ROBINMASK- dark ginger tom with a white belly and amber eyes
APPRENTICES:
BLAZEPAW- ginger she-cat with amber eyes
GOATPAW- gray tabby tom with green eyes and a nicked left ear
FRECKLEPAW- gray tabby tom with green eyes
SILENTPAW- black tom with a white-tipped tail and pale blue eyes
TINYPAW- small gray she-cat with golden eyes
ICEPAW- white she-cat with icy blue eyes
QUEENS:
RUSSETFLAME- ginger she-cat with green eyes (Mother of Darkkit: dark ginger tom with yellow eyes, Sleekkit: long-furred white tom with green eyes, and Yellowkit: ginger she-cat with yellow eyes)
TWIGFLOWER- black and white she-cat with green eyes and a long tail (Mother of Spottedkit: black and white she-cat with amber eyes, Dawnkit: brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, and Eaglekit: gray tabby tom with amber eyes)
SUNWATCHER- light ginger she-cat with blue eyes
ELDERS:
PIKEHEART- gray tom with blue eyes
FINCHSHINE- ginger she-cat with a brown belly and green eyes
DUCKFLIGHT- brown tom with amber eyes
WINDCLAN
LEADER: DOVESTAR- gray she-cat with a white chest and pale yellow eyes
DEPUTY: RUNNINGWHISKER- lithe brown tom with amber eyes
MEDICINE CAT: MARSHLEAF- black she-cat with green eyes
APPRENTICE, SPARROWPAW (small brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes)
WARRIORS:
AMBERFUR- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, BEETLEPAW (long-furred black tom with amber eyes)
SANDNOSE- light ginger tabby tom with amber eyes
LICHENPELT- black she-cat with green eyes
APPRENTICE, SWANPAW (small white she-cat with blue eyes)
CLOUDWING- white tom with blue eyes
SILVERFANG- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes
WASPTAIL- black tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, HAWKPAW (brown tabby tom with green eyes)
BIRDLEAP-brown she-cat with green eyes
NEEDLEDUST- gray tabby tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, THISTLEPAW (dark ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes)
IVYHEART- ginger she-cat with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, POPPYPAW (black she-cat with amber eyes)
CLAWNOSE- scarred ginger tom with blue eyes
QUEENS:
BLOSSOMTAIL- white and ginger she-cat with green eyes (Mother of Ratkit: gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes, Bluekit: white tom with blue eyes, and Sunkit: ginger she-cat with green eyes)
PALEFLOWER- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Grasskit: silver tom with green eyes, and Weaselkit: ginger tabby tom with blue eyes)
ELDERS:
SHELLDAWN- light gray she-cat with blue eyes
STAGFUR- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes
THUNDERCLAN
LEADER: SEEDSTAR- dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
DEPUTY: CROWSONG- sleek black tom with amber eyes
MEDICINE CAT: OLIVEPELT- dark gray tom with green eyes
WARRIORS:
DAWNSHINE- golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, ROSEPAW (black she-cat with green eyes)
MUDLEAP- light brown tom with green eyes
FIREFOOT- dark reddish-brown she-cat with amber eyes
LITTLESTEP- small ginger tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW (gray she-cat with amber eyes)
EAGLEFEATHER- gray tabby tom with blue eyes
SAGEBERRY- white she-cat with green eyes
BRAMBLEFROST- white tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAW (black tom with amber eyes)
SANDTAIL- light ginger tom with amber eyes
QUEENS:
SORRELSTRIPE- light brown she-cat with green eyes
GOLDENFUR- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes
ELDERS:
BROWNBURR- dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes
RIVERCLAN
LEADER: TROUTSTAR- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
APPRENTICE, RAGGEDPAW (long-furred ginger she-cat with amber eyes)
DEPUTY: WASPWING- golden tabby tom with green eyes
MEDICINE CAT: HONEYPUDDLE- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes
WARRIORS:
SWALLOWSONG- gray tabby she-cat with a white belly and blue eyes
LAKEBIRD- gray she-cat with a white muzzle and amber eyes
APPRENTICE, SNEEZEPAW (tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes)
BARKFROST- small brown spotted tom with green eyes
FROSTSTORM- huge white tom with green eyes
QUAILFOOT- dark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes
LIGHTNINGTAIL- black tom with amber eyes
APPRENTICE, BOUNCEPAW (white tom with blue eyes)
KINKTUFT- long-furred ginger tom with amber eyes
BEETLELEAP- light gray tom with blue eyes
QUEENS:
WEEDSTEM- ginger she-cat with green eyes
MISTSPLASH- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
ELDERS:
REEDTAIL- ginger and white tom with green eyes
BUZZARDSKY- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes