All Is Lost

• Allegiances

Chapter One

Pinepelt raced toward the camp, her mouth full of prey and a full patrol behind her. She could never get enough of the open moor, the freedom, and exhilaration of being a warrior. Being a warrior was all she had ever wanted and she couldn't believe that she was lucky enough to be one. Not every cat had that chance, there were loners, rogues, and even some crazy kittypets out there. But it seemed that soon her life as a warrior would be ending, Rosefur, the Clan's medicine cat, had just told her that she was expecting kits. She was of course overjoyed, but she was scared to death of the uncertainty that laid ahead of her. Dustytail, her mate, had already tried to convince her to move to the nursery, but she refused. She wouldn't until her belly was so big that she couldn't physically do her job anymore.

"Pinepelt!" her brother, Spikefur, called from behind, "Wait up, we can't keep up with this pace you've been setting."

Without noticing, Pinepelt had broken into a full sprint and was now almost two tree-lengths ahead. She slowed and looked back on her patrol, Spikefur, Hootowl, and Crowpaw were sprinting behind her, and by the time they caught up, they were app out of breath.

"Whew, I'm tired!" Crowpaw exclaimed, tossing the moorhen he was carrying to the ground and collapsing to his side.

Hootowl nudged her apprentice with a dark gray paw. "Get up you lazy kittypet," his mentor jokingly prodded.

"Sorry," Pinepelt mewed, embarrassment pricking at her pelt, "I didn't even notice I'd picked up the pace."

Spikefur purred, "Even when we were in the nursery, Lakeripple could barely keep you close to her, you were running when you weren't even a moon old, she used to worry sick about you!"

Pinepelt rolled her eyes, "Come on, we need to get this prey back to camp."

She picked up her lapwing, Spikefur snatched up a mouse and a rather skinny hare, Hootowl grabbed her lapwing, and Crowpaw grabbed his moorhen and once again they were off. This time Pinepelt set the pace at a quick trot and soon they arrived back at camp. They all threw their prey down and Pinepelt notices a plump dove on the top of the fresh kill pile. She remembered that dove was Lakeripple's favorite and snatched the prey up, trotting to the elder's den.

As Pinepelt's eyes adjusted to the gloom of the dark den, a voice called out, "Pinepelt, is that you?"

"Yes, Oatstalk, it's just me, I brought a dove for Lakeripple," Pinepelt replied.

"Good," the tom replied, "Maybe now we'll get some peace, all last night she was talking, and she's still going."

Pinepelt purred, her mother had always been a talker and even blindness couldn't steal that trait from her, "Is she awake?" Pinepelt mewed around the dove.

"Nah, she and Mintleaf are taking a nap, but you can leave that tasty bit of prey here with me," Oatstalk mewed with a flick of his tail.

Pinepelt purred. "Fine, I can catch a dove for Lakeripple later." She set the prey at the tom's paws and backed out of the den into the blinding sunlight.

"And what do you think you're doing?" a deep voice said from behind Pinepelt.

Pinepelt jerked around, the voice startling her. She purred when she saw it was only Dustytail, "I was gonna take a dove to Lakeripple, but she's taking a nap."

"Well are you tired, hungry, do you need anything? Shouldn't you be lying down? I'll take you off all of your patrols, Havenheart and Stagfoot can take them on." The worried soon-to-be father shot out in a rush.

"No, Dustytail, I'm fine, I wish you'd stop worrying about me, Rosefur said there's no reason why I can't still do my duties for awhile," Pinepelt mewed defensively.

"Well, still, you were out all morning hunting and I'd like it if you would take the rest of the day off. Maybe build a nest in the nursery, I know Graystream will be ecstatic to have another full-grown cat to talk to after being cooped up with her kits for two moons."

Pinepelt sighed, slightly annoyed at Dustytail, he was so bossy! "Fine," she mewed in a huff, I'll go build a nest for when the kits come.

"Good," her mate mewed, "I'll put Havenheart and Hatchpaw on dusk patrol in your place."

As her mate walked away, Pinepelt couldn't help but wonder why she had ever wanted kits. The life of a warrior was much better and suited her more than the boring life of a queen.

Chapter Two

"Let all cats who are old enough to catch their own prey join here for a Clan meeting!" Mallowstar's yowl rang through the camp. Pinepelt pushed her way from the nursery and sat by the other queen, Graystream.

"Hush," Graystream mewed sternly to her kits who were squeaking with excitement, "If you don't be quiet, you'll ahve to go back to the nursery."

The kits quickly became quiet at their mother's threat, but Pinepelt noticed that Lizardkit kept pawing at Lilackit's tail.

"Today, is a notable day in the life of two cats," Mallowstar began, his ginger-patched pelt glowing in the green-leaf sunshine, "It is the day that two cats become warriors, Crowpaw, Foxpaw come forward."

Pinepelt watched as Foxpaw, a small ginger tabby, slowly stepped forward, her tail held high, Crowpaw followed, but in a less graceful way.

"I, Mallowstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and commend each of them as a warrior in their turn. Crowpaw, do you promise to uphold the Clan and protect it even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Crowpaw mewed, barely containing his excitement.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name, Crowpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Crowrunner, StarClan honors your determination and skill."

Crowrunner did the ceremonial lick on Mallowstar's shoulder, and backed away as the Clan yowled his name, Pinepelt figured that ThunderClan could hear the Clan from their camp,

"Foxpaw," Mallowstar's voice echoed, jarring Pinepelt from her thoughts, "Do you promise to upold the warrior code and your Clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," the tiny ginger she-cat mewed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Then from this moment on you shall be known as Foxpounce, for your enthusiasm and kindness." Mallowstar finished, looking at his kit with all of the pride a father could have. Foxpaw was all the proud leader had left after Rainlily, his mate, and Fennelkit, his other kit died, and Pinepelt's heart broke to see their leader go through heartbreak, but she knew that this was probably the best day of his life.

The Clan called out Foxpounce's name and she and Crowrunner padded over to sit by Featherwind and Lilysmoke.

"Now, as you all know ThunderClan has taken back the woodland stretch of our land," Mallowstar continues on a more serious note, "I have decided that it's time to recapture what's rightfully ours!"

Many of the cats called out, agreeing with their leader, but Pinepelt noticed some cats, Slighfoot, Grassfur, and Featherwind didn't look very happy about it. She wondered why but listened attentively as their leader started assigning patrols.

"Lilysmoke, Havenheart, Hootowl, Hatchpaw, and Crowrunner will come with me in the first patrol. Dustytail will lead the second with Spikefur, Slightfoot, Foxpounce, and Stagfoot backing him up. Pinepelt, in your condition, you will be in charge of the camp while we're away, Grassfur, you'll stay behind, too."

Pinepelt seethed at being left behind just because she was carrying kits, but she simply nodded, knowing Dustytail had something to do with that decision. She watched through narrowed eyes as both patrols sped out of camo and onto the moor, ready to fight for their Clan.

Chapter Three

coming soon