Apprentice Queen

Prologue
They were in the cavern.

Smokepaw looked at Rushingpaw, her one true love. Three simple words whisked out of her mouth.

"I love you."

"Me too." Rushingpaw purred back. His dark gray pelt glimmered in the moonlight.

"But- we're only apprentices!" Smokepaw protested, stretching her long, silver body.

"It doesn't matter. Just because Reedstar won't let us become warriors doesn't mean we're not old enough..." Rushingpaw looked serious.

"Mates, then?" Smokepaw asked, scared to death but with a strong voice.

"Mates. Forever."

Rushingpaw's words faded away as the two apprentices settled down on the warm, mossy floor of the secret cavern.

Sleep.

Chapter 1
Smokepaw was on a rock in the river. A frog croaked. She sunned there peacefully.

Suddenly, the usually calm river started to rush. The clear water turned white as the fast water washed over the rock.

Smokepaw was swept away. She struggled to keep her head above the water.

''What are you doing? You're a RiverClan cat! Swim!'' A voice inside her mewed impatiently.

Smokepaw could do nothing. She fell underneath the water, and slipped away...

"Smokepaw!"

StarClan?

"Smokepaw!" A paw prodded her side.

Just a dream.

She opened her eyes to see Mossyfur, her mentor, shaking her awake.

"Battle training!"

Smokepaw sighed. It was always battle training!

Ever since Reedstar, their leader, started to find fish scales on WindClan's side of the border, he could think of nothing else, even the making of new warriors...