Lakeclan's Beginning

The Forming of Lakeclan
Preceded by: None	Lakeclans Beginning	Succeded by: Lake and Flame Meet

This page contains a fanfiction written by Aquamarine1212. This page contains the opinions of the original author(s), and is not patrolled for factual accuracy. Remember that this story is non-canon. It may contain false characters, plots, or locations. Responses, comments & other feedback should be made on the comments section below.

Box title	Lakeclans Beginning
Row 1 title	Summary
Summary	For season upon season, the cats living around the lake have lived apart and alone, fending for only themselves. But when a tom named Lake rises to power and begins to build a clan, nothing will ever quite be the same. Bitter feelings arise, and Lakeclan may just find that it has already made a vicious enemy.
Row 2 title	Main Characters
Main Characters	Lakewater- blue-gray tom with blue eyes Mistwind- light gray she-cat with light blue eyes. Viperfire- brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Row 3 title	Supporting Characters
Supporting Characters	Dustbreeze- brown tom with gray ears, paws and tail tip. Fireflame- red she-cat with orange ears, paws, underbelly and tip of tail. Flameclaw- reddish tom with green eyes
Row 4 title	About the Author
About the Author	Aqua is a girl who loves reading, writing, drawing, and spending time with her pets. She also enjoys swimming and dancing.
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Allegiances

Lakeclan:

Leader: Lakewater- blue-gray tom with blue eyes.

Deputy: Mist- light gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Medicine Cat: Cloudsky- gray she-cat with a white left paw and blue eyes.

Warriors:

Air- orange tom with green eyes.

Dust- brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Fire- reddish orange she-cat with amber eyes.

Mud- brown she-cat with green eyes.

Streak- white she-cat with gray tabby markings and blue eyes.

Snow- white she-cat with amber eyes.

Grass- dark gray tom with white underbelly and tip of tail and green eyes.

&-!Amber - golden she-cat with blue eyes.

Rice - pale yellow tom with one twitchy green eye.

Crow - black she-cat with alluring green eyes.&-!

Flameclan:

Leader: Viperfire - brown tabby tom with sharp green eyes.

Deputy: Flameclaw - orange tabby tom with green eyes.

Medicine Cat: Tinyfrost - blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Warriors:

Gorgefur - black tom with green eyes

Grassclaw - gray tom with green eyes

Applefang - ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Nightpelt - black she-cat with green eyes

Raccoontail - black she-cat with white paws and amber eyes

Treeflower - brown tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Stormfang - gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Blackpaw - black she-cat with amber eyes

Rabbitpaw - white tom with green eyes

Badgerpaw - black and white tom with amber eyes

Map

A/N: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!

I am currently going over this and fixing it up, so there may be some changes and confusion. I will mark where I am currently with my editing and any large changes I've made with this symbol: &-!

Prologue

The forest was silent. Trees rustled in the wind and the grass blades rubbed against each other, creating a sound you could only hear if you were listening for it. Suddenly there was a rustling from the bushes, and cats began to slip out of the bracken. Cats of all types were congregating around a large rock in the middle of a clearing. Excited murmurings began to spark up between the cats as they shuffled impatiently, their nerves at an all time peak.

A brown tabby sat near the edge of the crowd, his green eyes flashing with frustration and his large muscles flexing. He threw around nervous glances as he extended his claws, then slid them back in, then extended them again.

"Viper!"

A blue-gray tom with a cheerful disposition made his way through the crowd towards the brown tabby. His lips were curled back in a smile as he practially bounced up the the tom.

"Isn't this exciting Viper? We're going to start a clan! A real clan! I remember my mother telling me nursery tales about them. Leaders and battles and glory!" the blue-gray tom meowed, bubbling with excitement.

"Yes," Viper meowed in his deep tone, his voice cool and guarded.

"Guess what?" the blue-gray tom meowed, ignoring Viper's unfriendly tone, "The cats have voted for me to speak for them tonight? Isn't that awesome?"

"I'm so...happy for you," Viper said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Well, I have to go. See you later!" the tom meowed, choosing to pretend he hadn't heard the sarcasm in Viper's voice as he trotted off.  Viper watched with narrowed eyes and flattened his ears as the blue-gray cat scrambled up onto the large rock rather awkwardly. That should be me, he throught venomously, All I've ever done is help these pathetic cats, yet they choose that idiot over me!

"Excuse me," the tom on the rock stammered, "Um, if I could have your attention?" The clearing immediatley hushed in silent respect.

"You all know why we have gathered here tonight," the tom meowed, his voice cracking as he tried to speak louder, "We, the cats of the lake, want to start a clan. The elderly will be fed, the queens will have cats to protect them, and there will be no more fights over prey and territory if we all unite." Cats murmered in agreement as he paused. "But if we are to do this, we need to choose a leader. Would anyone like to volunteer?"

There was a moment of silence, then suddenly Viper stood up, raising his tail proudly. "I would like to offer myself as a canidate," he meowed boldly, "If you choose me as your leader, I promise our clan will be strong. We will be well fed and we will stand tall and proud. Other cats will fear the very name of our clan!" There were a few cheers and a few resentful mutters, but the response was mostly good as Viperfire sat down again, his green eyes gleaming.

"Thank you Viper," the blue-gray tom meowed somewhat stiffly, "Anyone else?" Silence engulfed the clearing, like a cloud hanging over their heads. Suddenly a brown she-cat jumped to her feet. "I think you should be leader Lake!" she crowed.

"Me?" The blue-gray tom started, "But I don't know the first thing about running a clan!"

"We would guide you," a light brown tom nodded, "I have traveled far in my life, and I have met other clans. I know what makes a good clan and what makes a bad one."

"Lake for leader!" a light gray she-cat piped up.

"Hush now," Lake meowed, blushing deeply, "You're embarassing me." After a moment of thought, he added, "Well, if you really think I could do it....alright. I'll volunteer." The light gray she-cat beamed with joy.

"If that's all of us, then it's time to vote. All cats who would like me to me leader, gather by the brambles. All cats who want Viper to be leader, gather by the ivy." The cats in the clearing quickly began to move, scurrying to either side of the clearing while Viper and Lake watched from the mid ground.

"It's going to be close," Lake murmered. Viper only nodded, a hungry look filling his eyes. Soon the cats settled on their respective sides.

"Who should count the votes?" the brown she-cat suddenly yowled.

"Lake would do it fairly," a tom on Lake's side of the clearing meowed.

"Lake will cheat!" a she-cat yowled from Viper's side, "Viper would count the votes the correct way!"

"If you count lying as the correct way, then I guess you're right," the tom retorted sourly. The clearing erupted in arguements, the tension increasing by the second. Lake watched with wide eyes.

"Calm down everyone, please!" he meowed, running from one side to the other but failing at accomplishing anything, "If you just settle down we can find a way to do this fairly-"

"Silence!" an old black tom yowled, jumping onto the rock. His amber eyes flashed with annoyance, "You're all acting like a bunch of newborn kits!" The clearing immidatley quieted, a few cats looking downward with embarassment.

"Now, since I won't be joining the clan, I couldn't care less who is leader," the tom growled, "I will count the votes." He jumped down from the rock, approaching Viper's side of the clearing. Lake quickly trotted up to him, his blue eyes concerned.

"Are you sure you don't want to join Shadow?" Lake meowed.

"This is my decision Lake," Shadow meowed in determination.

"If you ever change your mind, there will always be a place for you in the clan," Lake meowed, his voice sounding a bit hurt. Shadow ignored him and began to weave through the cats near the ivy.  After a moment of tense anticipation, there came a yowl of "Seven!" There were some head nods and smiles from the cats on Viper's side. Shadow trotted over towards the brambles, and Lake could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Even though he hadn't even considered being leader before, now that he had a chance he realized just how badly he wanted this.

"Nine!" Shadow yowled. Cheers erupted from Lake's side, and Lake let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. I'm leader of a clan now, Lake thought, his head spinning, I'm actually going to do this.

"Congratulations," Viper meowed remorsefully, his seven followers gathered behind him.

"You're all welcome in my clan you know," Lake meowed, snapping out of his trance and glancing apolegetically at the cats.

"No thanks Lake," Viper meowed, holding back a growl. Then, turning to face his crusade of followers, he said, "Who's coming with me to the outskirts?"

"We will," a black tom meowed, stepping forward with a blue-gray she-cat and a gray tom. The she-cat's blue eyes were wide with fear and she glanced up at the black tom with nervousness.

"You can count on me," a young black and white tom stepped forwards, his expression hard and cold. Now there were only two cats left; a brown she-cat and an orange tom.

"Mud, Air, will you join me?" Viperfire growled, sizing them up with his eyes.

"Sorry Viper," Mud meowed, her eyes boldly matched with Viper's "I'm staying with Lake. I agreed to be part of the clan no matter who won."

"Air?" Viper snarled, growing more and more angry.

"I'm sorry..." Air meowed, casting his eyes downwards, "But clan life sounds good..."

"Traitor," Viper spat under his breath, "Just remember that if you ever come crawling back to me, you won't be welcome." Air cast him a terrified glance, then scurried over with the rest of the cats, disappearing into the crowd. With a dramatic swish of his tail, Viper turned around, stalking into the bushes. Just as he approached the edge of the clearing, he glanced back, locking his eyes on Lake. The blue-gray tom was laughing as he spoke to Air, who was looking more cheerful than ever before.

"This isn't over," Viper hissed quietly, "You think that you and your clan are safe? I will come back for my revenge." Then with a final growl, Viper disappeared into the bushes with his followers, a sickening plan already brewing in his mind.

Chapter 1

Lake woke up slowly, his eyes cracking open. He was in his familiar bramble bush den, the branches winding around him and creating a feeling of security and safety. He yawned, showing off rows of white teeth and uncurling his pink tongue. Smacking his jaws and pawing the sleep out of his eyes, he went over last nights events in his head. I'm going to be leader of the new clan. He almost doubted that it had even been real. But no; it was much too clear in his mind for it to have been a dream.

Lake stretched out his long legs, splaying out his paws and extending his claws. After a moment, he slipped out of the bramble den, emerging into the sunlight. He shook out his pelt, little bits of the bush flying out of his fur. As he soaked up the sunlight, he began his morning ritual by washing off his fur. As he ran his tongue over his paws, picking out leaves and other small bits of nature, he enjoyed his view of the lake. The colors of dawn were shimmering in the water and making the entire lakeside seem surreal and calm.

“What should our clan be called?” he murmured to himself, “Dawnclan? No, not right.”

“Good morning Lake.” Lake nearly jumped out of his pelt as a light gray she-cat materialized out of the bushes. Her clear blue eyes shimmered with mystery and her feathery tail swished behind her.

“Mist!” Lake meowed, smoothing out his fur, “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Mist apologized, but her mind was obviously elsewhere. With a sigh, she turned her eyes towards the lake. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to start a clan,” she said softly, “I’ve always lived on my own, depending on myself for prey and shelter.”

“Mhmm,” Lake rumbled, his own thoughts troubled. He turned his head to speak, but was suddenly dumbstruck by Mist's beauty. Her light gray pelt was being struck by the sun at just the right angle so that it almost appeared to be shimmering and her light blue eyes were reflecting the dawn. He sat there, speechless for a moment, before she suddenly turned to face him.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, her pelt bristling.

“Ahem, uh, nothing,” Lake mumbled, dipping down his head to hide his blush. Mist rolled her eyes, but her face was also turning rather red. They turned their heads away from each other, trying not to reveal their embarrassment.

“Have you thought about what we're going to call our clan?” Mist asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Yes,” Lake meowed, shaking out his fur, “I've thought about it. But nothing good has come to me. Would you let me know if you think of a good name?”

“Of course,” Mist purred.

Just then a dusty brown tom emerged from the bushes. His green eyes were excited. “Hey Lake, I-” he paused midsentence, glancing from Mist to Lake “Am I...interrupting...something?” he asked with a sly smile.

“No!” Mist and Lake meowed simultaneously, their voices loud.

“Alright, if you say so...” the tom said, a huge grin plastered on his face.

“Um, what did you want Dust?” Lake choked out stiffly, clenching his teeth to keep from growling. I don't want people assuming things about me and Mist...

“Oh, right!” Dust said, his eyes brightening, “Have you decided where camp is going to be?” He leaned forwards with anticipation, his eyes growing wide.

“No, not really...” Lake meowed nervously. Was I supposed to figure this out? Oh, I don't anything about running a clan!

“Good!” Dust said, practically bouncing on his paws, “Because I found the perfect place!”

“Is it far from here?” Lake meowed, sharing a glance with Mist.

“Nope!” Dust said happily, “I'll show you where it is!” He jumped to his feet and began to trot away, his tail held high with pride. Lake and Mist shared a smile. Dust was always so optimistic and energetic, his brown fur just a streak when he was at his fastest. Lake began to follow the brown tom into the woods, the leaves under his paws crackling. Leaf-fall was in full blast. The trees were all shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. He admired the foliage as they weaved between trees and through brush, Dust's brown pelt blending in perfectly with the leaves.

“Who's all joining the clan?” Mist meowed softly, her voice as smooth as silk.

“Dust for sure,” Lake smiled, glancing at the tom trotting happily ahead of them, “Air and Mud too. They voted for Viper, but they seemed pretty sure that they were going to join. And wherever Dust goes, Rice isn't far behind.”

“You mean that tom with the twitchy eye?” Mist asked, trying to hide her distaste.

“Yes,” Lake said firmly, “He will be a valuable member, I'm sure. Those three she-cats that live in the moor; Streak, Mud and Snow; are all joining as well.” This time Mist's face brightened.

“I like those she-cats,” Mist meowed with a smile.

“Fire, Crow and Cloud are still deciding, but I'm sure they'll like what they see,” Lake said, “Then there's Amber....she's pretty skeptical. I hope we can show her that we're worth joining.” Now Lake's voice was laced with worry.

“I'm sure that they'll all be convinced that you're the cat for the job,” Mist said softly, her eyes sympathetic.

“Thanks,” Lake meowed, flashing her a small smile.

“We're here!” Dust chirped, his tail twitching with excitement. Lake glanced around, his expression confused. They were on the beach of the lake. The sand was soft against his paws, but he saw no place for shelter.

“Dust...?” Lake began, but Dust had already started wading into the water.

“See that island over there?” Dust meowed, pointing his muzzle at a small patch of land in the water, “It's perfect!”

“How do we get there?” Mist asked skeptically.

“We wade over of course!” Dust said happily. Mist's muzzle screwed up in distaste. Her long silky fur wasn't made for the water. It absorbed water quickly and dragged her down, then took forever to dry off.

“What, afraid to get your paws wet?” Dust jeered.

“No!” Mist growled, her fur bristling, “It just takes a while for my fur to dry off, that's all.”

“Oh, boo hoo,” Dust scoffed, rolling his eyes, “Toughen up, or you're not going to last a day in a clan.” Mist's fur was standing on end in indignation, but she kept her muzzle shut. Slowly, the three cats began to wade into the water. Lake shivered as the water lapped at his belly fur. The chilly leaf-fall air was cooling off the lake water considerably.

Lake titled up his head to keep his nose from going underwater. The water was lapping at his ears now and his paws scrambled for the bottom of the lake.

“I can't touch anymore Dust!” Lake meowed in panic.

“Ok,” Dust said, his expression falling in disappointment, “I guess we'll turn back.” The threesome quickly turned around, emerging from the lake. Lake shivered, his teeth chattering as water shed off his fur. He sighed with relief as his paws pressed into the warm sand.

“We probably could have made it to the island if we had swam for a little bit. I don't think that the deep portion lasts very long,” Dust meowed, shaking out his fur and looking just as perky as before.

“What about when there are kits and elders?” Mist pointed out, “They'd never make it there.”

“I guess you're right...” Dust sighed, his ears folding back and his eyes going downwards. Lake felt his stomach twist. He hated to see Dust so pitiful looking.

“Hey. We'll find another way to get there, alright?” Lake said gently, “I think that we can do it.”

“Really?” Dust said, his eyes hopeful.

“Of course I do,” Lake purred.

“Then let's keep going!” Dust purred, his tail flying into the air. He bolted off into the bushes, his legs a blur. Mist shook her head, but she was smiling.

“That cat has issues,” she meowed, her voice affectionate.

“Don't we all though?” Lake snorted, “Come'on, let's go help that furzeball.” Lake trotted into the swampland, his paws squelching in the damp ground. He paused, looking over at a fallen tree.

“Hey, Mist,” Lake meowed. Mist immediately appeared next to him. “What if we used this tree as a bridge to the island?” Mist padded up to the tree, her nose twitching.

“No,” she sighed, “If we pushed it into the water, it would just sink to the bottom. Then we'd have a bridge to the bottom of the lake.”

“Oh,” Lake meowed in disappointment.

“But...” Mist meowed, her eyes suddenly glowing with an idea, “If we could find a hollowed out tree, then it would float, and we could get it to the island easily!” She suddenly dashed into the brush, her tail giving a final flick before it disappeared into the leaves.

“Wait up!” Lake said, racing after her. He followed the light gray tail that was bobbing above the brush. The brambles were scratching at his eyes and he could feel them beginning to water. Mouse dung! He suddenly emerged into a clearing. Mist had stopped. Before Lake could stop himself, he had crashed into her with a yelp. The two cats tumbled along for a few seconds, then suddenly Lake found himself looking down at Mist, their noses almost touching. His face immediately turned red as a tomato. It was horribly embarrassing.

So of course Dust showed up.

“Is this love?” Dust laughed, melting out of the bushes, “Oooh, I see kits in the near future! Can I help name them Lake, huh?”

“Shut up!” Lake snarled, quickly backing up off of Mist. He sent Dust a glare that immediately shut his muzzle, but nothing Lake did could stop Dust from continuing to send them sly looks. Mist got up, shaking the dust out of her fur and coughing, half from the dust and half from embarrassment.

“Well, I found a hollowed out tree,” Mist said, trying to change the subject, “We can drag it into the water.”

“Ah, good job,” Lake meowed, not being able to bear to make eye contact with the she-cat, “Come'on, let's get to work.” The three cats rushed over to the tree. Dust and Mist were discussing how they would get the tree the beach, but Lake couldn't concentrate. Mist sent him a glance, and Lake blushed.

As much as I hate to admit it, she's really nice and really pretty. What if this is love?

Chapter 2

It wasn't until the sun had already disappeared behind the horizon that the three cats finally got the bridge into place. Several times they had feared that the log was going to sink, but at the end of the day the bridge was standing tall and proud. They had secured it by placing heavy rocks inside the log at each end to keep it from rolling into the water. The rocks weighed down the ends, making the log too heavy to move easily. Lake stood back and looked at the bridge with pride.

“Now that,” Mist panted, “Is a bridge.”

“Thanks for finding our camp Dust,” Lake purred, “I'll make sure to mention that when the clan gathers for a look at our new home.” Dust smiled, puffing out his chest and standing up a bit taller.

“You're welcome. Also, you being leader and all, I figured I should teach you a few things about clan life,” Dust said, “Back in the clans I've met, the top ranked cat is the leader. They make all the decisions, and their word is law.” Lake swallowed nervously. That's me.

“Then there's the deputy. The deputy has an important place in the clan. They do some of the smaller tasks, like organizing patrols; those are groups of cats who go out to hunt or protect the territory. When the leader dies, it is the deputies responsibility to take their place,” Dust meowed, “You'll have to choose a deputy later on.” Lake nodded vigorously, taking in every word.

“This deputy cat...they sound pretty important,” Lake meowed, “I'd better be careful with my choice.”

“Your deputy is your most trusted and loyal cat,” Dust said in a serious tone, “All of the normal members are called warriors. They hunt and fight for the clan. Then are apprentices, which are young cats that are training to be warriors. Every apprentice needs a warrior mentor to teach and guide them.” Lake's head was spinning. There was so much to remember about clan life!

“Queens and kits...well, you already know their role,” Dust said, flashing Mist a smile, “We don't have any of those in the clan...yet.” Mist quickly looked in another direction. Lake wanted to whack that stupid grin off Dust's face, but he had to keep his cool right now.

“Ahem, anyways, elders are retired warriors. They get respect and they don't have to do any work for the last few moons of their life,” Dust meowed, “It's to honor their service to the clan.” Suddenly Dust leaned in very close.

“The last type of cat is the medicine cat,” he said softly, “They collect herbs and heal the cats in their clan. But that's not the strange thing about them. Back in the clans I met, the medicine cats had dreams. Very strange dreams. Supposedly their ancestors would give them advice through signs and prophecies.” Dust shuddered, “Creepy, huh?”

“It's a load of rubbish,” Mist spat, “Dead cats giving advice? What kind of nutcases are they?”

“You might change your mind if you saw them,” Dust said, giving her a glare, “There was something really off about them...like only half of them was in this world.”

“Well, our medicine cat will just collect herbs and heal, nothing more,” Lake meowed confidently, “We won't have any of that nonsense in our clan.” Mist nodded in agreement, and Lake couldn't help but feel a flash of happiness. Mist's approval made him ten times more sure of himself.

“Alright,” Dust meowed, but his eyes were filled with doubt, “If you say so.”

“Dust, Mist, could you lend me a paw?” Lake asked, “I need to gather the clan at sunhigh tomorrow. We're going to set up camp. Would you bring them all the to island shore?”

“Can do,” Dust meowed, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Of course,” Mist meowed with a whisk of her feathery tail.

“Thanks,” Lake said with relief, “It means a lot to me.”

“Don't mention it,” Dust said, “Well, I'll be off now. Gotta get a good night's rest for tomorrow!” He gave a cheerful wave of his tail before he dove into the brush, disappearing. Lake turned to Mist, his eyes apologetic.

“I'm really sorry about earlier,” Lake grimaced, “I really didn't mean to run into you like that, and then Dust came and-”

“Sssh,” Mist whisked her tail over his muzzle, “It's fine.” She gave him a small smile. “I mean, we both know that we're not really...you know...in love, right?”

“Right,” Lake said as her tail drifted back to the ground.

“Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Lake,” Mist said in her soft voice, “I know you'll do great.” She gave him one last glance before she melted silently into the foliage, her tail giving one last flick before it disappeared. Lake stared at where she had disappeared for a moment, then turned around, starting to trot for home. But no matter how excited he was for tomorrow, he couldn't shake off a heavy feeling in his chest that had appeared as soon as Mist had gone. Before he even realized it, he had reached home. Slipping into the bramble bush, he turned in a circle, then settled down onto the mossy ground, curling his tail over his nose and letting sleep engulf him.

. . . . .

Lake yawned, opening his bleary eyes. What time was it? There was light flooding into the bramble bush and shining directly into his eyes. He turned away, grumbling to himself. I was never much of a morning person. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind, something he felt was important.

Crap! The clan!

Lake jumped to his paws. They were supposed to meet at the lake island shore at sunhigh! He scrambled out of his den, not caring that the brambles were digging into his fur. The sun was nearly at it's peak. Lake charged into the swampland, his paws skimming over the ground. A cold spray of water hit his face as he ran through a puddle, drenching his fur. Gotta make it, gotta make it...

He burst through a wall of brambles and skidded to a halt, sand flying up underneath his paws and blinding him for a moment. Spitting out grains of sand and wiping off his eyes, Lakewater looked around to find that he was the first one there. He could feel his heart slow down in relief.

What kind of leader would I be if I was the last cat to show up?

Suddenly Mist came through the brush with a band of cats behind her. In all she had five cats in her group, including the three she-cats from the moor. Mist came to a halt as she looked at Lake, her eyes wide.

“Hi Mist,” Lake meowed cheerfully.

“Umm...” Mist bit her lip to hold back a laugh, “You look...interesting.” Lake felt his face grow warm as he looked down at himself. He was sopping wet and covered with sand and leaves. His blue-gray pelt was hardly discernible underneath the muck.

“Here, let me help you,” Mist said, letting out a small snort escape her lips. She trotted over, her eyes bright with laughter. The other cats began to spread out and look around, trying not to stare out of respect. Lake was stunned. These cats knew nothing about him, yet they showed him respect just because he had a title.

“What on earth did you do to yourself?” Mist laughed, using her paws to pick leaves out of Lake's fur.

“I just wanted to get here before any of the clan did,” Lake murmured in embarrassment, “I may have gotten a bit messy in process...”

“A bit? More like you took the entire swamp and plastered in onto your fur,” Mist said teasingly, “Here, you're going to need to go into the lake and wash it off if you want to get it all out. I can't pick out all those tiny sand grains.”

“Into the lake?” Lake said in disbelief, “But the water is so cold-”

“Would your rather make a speech to your new clan looking like this?” Mist cut him off. With a grumble, Lake shook his head.

“Then get in,” Mist meowed, giving him a gentle nudge. Lake sighed, walking up to the shore. The cold water lapped hungrily at his paws. Miserably, he waded into the lake, plunging himself into the icy water. After a awful few minutes, Lake decided all the muck had been washed off. Shivering violently, he came back out of the water, his fur soaked. By now Dust had arrived with the rest of the clan. As Lake began to lick the water out of his fur, he looked around at his new clanmates.

A ginger tom was talking to a reddish ginger she-cat. After a moment of thought, he recognized them as Air and Fire. Air, the ginger tom, had voted for Viper, but he knew that Air's loyalty lied with him and the rest of the clan. Fire he had only met briefly. She was snappy and, well, fiery. Her name fit her personality perfectly. A group of she-cats passed by, laughing and chatting. The three she-cats from the moor, Lake thought. One was brown; that would be Mud; the second was white; definitely Snow; and the last was white with gray tabby markings, which meant she must be Streak.

Mist interrupted him as he tried to place names to each of the clan cats. “You're dry enough,” she meowed, “It's time.” Lake swallowed nervously, trying to get the fur out of his mouth. Mist gave him a encouraging smile, and he returned it with a rather shaky one.

Here goes nothing.

Lake bunched up his legs, then sprung up onto a large rock at the edge of the beach. The beach immediately fell silent. Lake found himself growing queasy as he stared at the many faces looking up at him. Just concentrate. You can do this.

“Hello everyone,” Lake meowed, taking a deep breath, “My name is Lake, and as many of you know, I am your leader. I promise I'll try my best to live up to my title. Today we begin a new chapter in all our lives. Today we become a clan.” There were a few cheers and Lake felt his confidence growing.

“Our good friend Dust has found a suitable camp for us,” Lake meowed, pausing to allow a few meows of congratulations, “We are going to live on the island. Yesterday Mist, Dust and I secured a bridge across the lake to the island. Let's cross over and explore our new home.” As he leapt down from the rock the beach was filled with cheers. He felt himself awed by his new status.

“Good job,” Mist meowed, trotting up to him. The cats were already beginning to file over to the bridge. Dust was first to jump onto the log, his face bright with enthusiasm.

“See? It's easy! Come'on everyone!” Dust meowed, trotting across the bridge with ease. One by one, the cats began to cross. Lake watched as cats of every shape, size and color crossed over to the new camp.

“Wow,” Lake breathed out as he sat beside Mist, “That's a lot of cats to lead.”

“You're up to the challenge,” Mist said confidently. Lake gave her an envious glance. Sometimes he wished he had her confidence and clarity. Suddenly angry meows from the bridge caught his attention. He swiveled his head to see the source of the problem.

A gray she-cat with one white paw was standing on the shoreline. She was next in line to cross the bridge, but she remained frozen in place, her blue eyes glittering with fear. Her claws were dug deep into the sand and her breaths were fast. Lake shared a concerned glance with Mist before he trotted over to the she-cat.

“Is something wrong?” Lake meowed, tilting his head as he approached the she-cat.

“I'm afraid of water,” the she-cat whispered, her ears flattening against her skull.

“What's your name?” Lake asked softly, resting his tail across her shoulders.

“Cloud,” she meowed softly.

“Well Cloud, I know you can do this,” Lake said quietly, “One paw at a time, right? I'll be right behind you, alright? If you stumble, I promise I'll catch you.”

“Promise?” Cloud whispered, her huge blue eyes looking up at Lake.

“Promise,” Lake purred. Cloud stared at him for with a moment, then with a deep breath, she jumped onto the log. Her claws dug into the bark as the log wobbled a bit, but it quickly balanced out. She was breathing fast and her eyes were panicked.

“Ok, just take one step forward,” Lake meowed. Cloud lifted up one trembling paw and placed it in front of her.

“Good! Now, I'm coming on, so hold still-” Lake jumped up onto the log behind the she-cat, causing the bridge to wobble. But Cloud had already taken another step forward, and her paws were unsteady. The bridge shook, and she panicked. With a screech, she tore forwards, her paws slipping on the wood as she raced across the bridge.

“No! Cloud! Stop!” Lake screeched in horror. But before she could take his advice, her paw slipped out from underneath her. With a scream, she fell down onto the bridge with a thunk, then started to slide off. She clawed at the wood with her front paws as her back paws dangled dangerously close to the lake.

“Cloud! Hold on!” Lake trotted forwards as fast as he dared. He was getting closer, closer...for a split second he thought that he would reach her in time and pull her back onto the bridge. But her claws suddenly lost their grip in the wood, and with a bone-chilling yowl, she plummeted downwards, falling into the icy water with a splash and disappearing beneath the waves.

Chapter 3

Without a second thought, Lake dove into the water. He plunged underneath the surface and forced his eyes open. Cloud was sinking fast, her fluffy gray pelt dragging her down as she desperately clawed upwards, trying to reach air. Her blue eyes sparkled with fear as a tendril of seaweed wrapped around her hind paw, pulling her down. Lake kicked his back legs and churned his paws, making his way over to Cloud easily. Cloud's eyes locked with his like a lifeline. Lake grabbed her scruff in his jaws, then began to swim upwards. They were getting closer, closer closer...

Lake broke through the surface of the water, taking in a large breath through his nose, as his jaws were clamped shut around Cloud. Cloud gasped, coughing up water and blinking rapidly to get the moisture out of her eyes.

“We're going to die!” she screeched, flailing her paws and writhing in his grasp. More water came out of her mouth as she began to cough again.

“Not, we're not! Hold still!” Lake spat through a mouthful of fur. Lake began to swim towards the island, his paws aching with the effort. Cloud wasn't helping at all; she continued to writhe and make things more difficult. He could feel himself starting to sink downwards. I can't do this much longer! He thought in panic. The water lapped at his neck hungrily, dragging him further down, further and further...

Suddenly his paws touched sand. He planted all four of his paws firmly on the ground and began to crawl up to shore. Cloud had gone limp and he was forced to drag her while trying to keep her head above water.

“Cloud!” A black she-cat raced into the water, kicking up a spray. The water was freezing cold, but she didn't seem to notice as she ran out to meet Lake. By now Lake had almost reached the island, and the water was only up to his paws.

“She's fine,” Lake croaked as the she-cat raced up to him. Her green eyes were filled with concern as she flitted around Cloud.

“Oh, are you sure?” the she-cat meowed in worry. Cloud let out a wheeze as Lake dropped her onto the sandy shore, then collapsed next to her. By now the entire clan had gathered around the two cats. Mist trotted up to Lake and crouched down next to him.

“Are you ok?” Mist meowed in concern. Her feathery tail was whipping back and forth in worry. Lake looked up into her clear blue eyes and let out a cough.

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” Lake meowed hoarsely.

“Wow, that was really brave of you,” a white she-cat whispered in awe.

“I just did what I had to,” Lake meowed, standing up on shaky legs, “Any cat would have done the same.”

“Did you see the way he swam right through the water?” Lake heard some cat whisper, “Incredible!” Lake felt uncomfortable with all eyes on him, so he turned to help Cloud, trying to divert the clans attention.

“Are you going to be alright?” Lake asked, his eyes filled with worry. His voice was becoming stronger now, and slowly his pelt was drying off from the wind.

“You saved my life,” Cloud whispered, looking up at him with big eyes, “How can I repay you?”

“You don't owe me anything,” Lake reassured her, “I'm glad to have helped.” Cloud just continued to stare at him, dumbfounded.

“Come'on, you need to get up and walk around a bit,” the black she-cat meowed, nudging Cloud, “Or your paws are going to get stiff.” Then she turned to Lake, her eyes grateful. “Thank you for saving her. She's my best friend,” the she-cat purred, her tail held high.

“You're welcome...” Lake trailed off, realizing he wasn't sure about the she-cat's name.

“Crow,” the she-cat meowed, dipping her head, “My name is Crow.”

“Well, you're welcome Crow,” Lake said, shaking out his fur, “Hopefully this won't happen again.” The clan began to softly murmur amongst themselves as Lake trotted over to Dust.

“Dust, you told me you've explored the island?” Lake asked.

“Oh, yes!” Dust said, perking up a bit, “I found dens for everyone! There's a huge tree right in the center of the island, with a hole in it that a squirrel or something must have made. That's where you can sleep, since you're the leader. You can also make announcement from the lower branches. Then there's about three caves around the edges of the islands. Those can be dens for the warriors, apprentices, and the medicine cat. There's a nice patch of brambles for when we have queens and kits, and a hollowed out log where elders can sleep.”

“Good job Dust,” Lake purred, giving him a grateful lick on the ear, “You've been a huge help.” Dust straightened up with pride, his eyes bright and energetic.

“If I could please have your attention!” Lake yowled. The clan immediately hushed, turning their attention to him.

“If everyone could please follow me. I'm going to lead you all to your new den. As warriors of the clan, you will all share one large den,” Lake meowed, “Dust has found a suitable cave that you should all fit in.” There were a few excited murmurs as Dust and Lake walked side by side along the shoreline. Lake trotted with confidence and poise.

Maybe I really am suited to be leader.

. . . . .

“I'm starving!”

A black tom groaned as he trotted along next to four other cats. He was the largest of the group, but a brown tabby tom came in as a close second. A gray tom trotted alongside a small blue-gray she-cat, who was much smaller than an average cat her age would be. And finally, a young black tom and white tom brought up the tail end of the group.

“Why can't we hunt?” the black tom growled, turning to face the brown tabby.

“Because we need to get as far away from the lake as possible!” the brown tabby hissed, his green eyes flashing angrily, “Honestly, all I've ever done was help those lakeside cats, and how do they repay me? Choosing that imbecile Lake over me!”

“Who needs them anyways?” the gray tom piped up, “They're just a bunch of losers, right Viper?”

The brown tabby named Viper nodded, looking pleased. “Exactly Grass,” he growled with pleasure, “That's why we're going to start our own clan.”

“What?” the black tom came to a halt, staring at Viper, “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Why not?” Viper meowed, his green eyes burning, “Lake may have won over those cats who live near the lake, but there are many more felines to be found if we just look further away. I even know of a few cats who lived out in the outskirts. We can start our own clan.”

“Brilliant!” Grass said, bouncing on his paws, “You're a genius Viper!”

“Ah Grass, you're such a flatterer,” Viper meowed, looking pleased.

“How are you going to pull of this one Viper?” the black tom said doubtfully, “I've known you for a long time, and I've seen the things you can do, but starting an entire clan with only four cats-”

“Don't underestimate me Gorge,” Viper snarled, “I've escaped twolegs, survived fire, lived on my own since I was only five moons old.”

“I'd never doubt you Viper!” Grass meowed, butting in, “If you think making a clan in a good idea, then you have my full support!”

“Thank you Grass,” Viper purred, “See Gorge? Grass doesn't doubt me. He's grateful that I rescued him from that shell of a life he was living. You could learn a thing or two from him. Don't forget that you too were nothing, a nobody, before I found you.”

“Of course Viper,” Gorge rumbled, but his green eyes flashed with indignation.

“We should find somewhere to spend the night,” the black and white tom at the back meowed, pointing his muzzle up at the sky, “The sun is starting to set.”

“Good observation Badger,” Gorge meowed in his deep tone, “We'll need shelter for the night.”

“I know just the place,” Viper meowed, raising his tail up in pride, “Follow me!” The five cats trotted through the forest as the shadows grew longer and the darkness began to creep in. The little gray blue she-cat near the back was looking around nervously, her eyes wide.

“Are we almost there Viper?” she meowed quietly.

“Yes Tiny,” Viper meowed, “Don't be such a scaredy-mouse.” Tiny flinched, her blue eyes snapping downwards. Gorge immediately drew closer to her, his muscles tensing.

“Don't be too hard on her Viper,” Gorge meowed, “She's not used to life in the forest.”

“Of course,” Viper meowed, flicking his ears, “I understand. I was once a kittypet too.” Tiny looked up gratefully, her tail rising up a bit off the ground.

“But you'll have to learn sooner or later, alright?” Viper meowed, looking back at the pretty she-cat, “You can't live your life in fear of the forest. The forest is your home. Here, you are the hunter, not the prey.” Tiny nodded vigorously, taking in every word.

“Thank you Viper. Perhaps you can teach me how to fight,” Tiny meowed cautiously, “I'd feel a lot safer if I could defend myself.”

“Of course,” Viper purred, his eyes growing sympathetic for a moment, “Fighting is one of the most important lessons a cat can learn. I wasn't as lucky as you when I escaped the twolegs. I have many scars to prove that it was a fight for survival. But I learned how to fight, how to kill, and soon I became a master of combat.”

“I hope I can learn to fight like you Viper,” Tiny meowed quietly.

“I'm sure all of you could learn a thing or two from me,” Viper said proudly, “I've been fighting much longer than any of you. Look how the times flies! We're already here.” Viper stopped at the crest of small gorge, his tail held high. The four others lined up beside him, looking down into the pit. Caves of all shapes and sizes were hollowed out on the gorge's sides. There must have been at least twenty of them.

“Wow!” Badger breathed out, “It's amazing.”

“What did I tell you?” Viper purred, “Come'on!” The five cats skidded down the steep hill, dust and dirt flying up from underneath their paws. Viper came to the bottom first, jumping up gracefully and landing without a sound. Gorge's landing wasn't so graceful. He tumbled down and came to a halt by landing on his belly. Grass and Badger managed to halt, but not exactly in a graceful way. Last was Tiny, who slid down the steep hill on her paws, then came to a halt gracefully and still on four feet.

“Good job Tiny! You're already getting the hang of this!” Viper meowed. Tiny's face shone with pride. “Well, let's all get some sleep,” Viper meowed, yawning. The five cats split up, finding suitables caves for each of them. Viper leapt into one of the higher ones, where he could look down at everyone. As he curled his tail around his paws, he realized that he had enjoyed leading these cats more than he had realized.

I am meant to be a leader. It's my destiny. Our clan will be strong, proud and feared among all. Our clan will burn like a fire, engulfing the forest with our power. Our clan will be called....Flameclan.

Chapter 4

Viper yawned, his green, snake-like eyes opening up. He curled his paws in and out and looked around the cave with bleary eyes. The brown and gray cave walls surrounded him, creaking a bleak but comfortable setting. Viper slowly stretched out his legs, shaking the dust out of his fur. Then, feeling confident, he trotted out of his den.

The sunlight struck his fur the moment he stepped out of the cavern. The sun had just crested over the edge of the gorge, filling the crevice with a warm light. Viper paused for a moment, soaking up the beautiful scene. This had to be a good omen; it sure felt like one.

“Good morning Viper!”

Viper looked down to see Tiny trotting out of one of the lower caves. Her blue eyes glittered happily, her poise much more confident than the day before. Her blue-gray pelt was groomed immaculately, not a speck of dirt on it.

“Morning Tiny,” Viper purred, sliding down the slope of the gorge to meet up with the she-cat.

“Are we going to do any battle training today?” Tiny asked eagerly, her claws flexing in and out.

“Not yet, but we do have a big day ahead of us,” Viper meowed, puffing out his chest, “We're going to find cats for our new clan.”

Tiny bounced on her paws, her bright blue eyes shining. “Awesome!” she purred, her tail flicking back and forth in pleasure. Gorge stumbled out of a den nearby, blinking his amber eyes sleepily.

“Everybody, wake up!” Viper yowled, trotting up and down the gorge and sticking his nose into the dens. There were quite a few grumbles and protests, but soon the five cats had all gathered outside. Badger licked his paws casually, grooming his fur, while Grass's paws twitched impatiently. Gorge yawned, showing off rows of white teeth, and Tiny's tail flicked back and forth impatiently.

“Today we're going to find and recruit cats for our clan,” Viper said, pacing back and forth, “Now, in order to get the most cats possible, we'll need to split up. Badger and Grass, you two head off to the east. Gorge and Tiny, you go west. As for me, I'll go north solo. Understood?” The four cats nodded, their eyes bright and eager.

“Find as many felines as you can and meet me back here at sundown,” Viper purred, looking at all his friends proudly, “You'll do great, I know it.”

“Thanks Viper!” Tiny meowed as she trotted off with Gorge.

“Good luck!” Grass meowed cheerfully as him and Badger headed east.

“I'll see you all here at sundown!” Viper howled as the cats disappeared. Suddenly he found himself very alone in the gorge. It was silent, almost spooky. He shivered and began to trot northwards. I'm glad that my friends decided to stay with me, he thought miserably to himself, I think I'd go insane if I were forced to live alone. With that thought, Viper disappeared into the underbrush, heading out into the woods.

. . . . .

“Shut up!”

“No, you shut up!”

“No, you shut up!”

Grass and Badger snapped at each other as they padded through the forest, their fur bristling with annoyance. Badger bared his teeth, laying his ears flat.

“We're supposed to be quiet!” Badger hissed, his eyes burning with anger.

“I know!” Grass growled back, “You're the one talking!”

“No I'm not!” Badger yowled back.

“Are too!” Grass meowed, “Are too are too!”

“You're acting like a kit-” Badger began, but suddenly an black streak flew out of the bushes and barreled into him. Badger meowed in surprise, landing the ground with a loud thud. He gasped and looked up to see a black she-cat with amber eyes staring down at him venomously.

“Intruder,” she spat, “Identify yourself.”

“Wait, what?” Badger meowed in confusion, his eyes flicking back to Grass, who was slowly creeping up behind the she-cat.

“Name, occupation and age,” the she-cat growled, pressing her paw against Badger's throat.

“Um, I'm Badger,” Badger meowed with a note of uncertainty, “I'm, er, a loner and I'm nine moons. And you are...?”

“State your business,” the black she-cat hissed.

“Who are you and why are you talking like that?” Badger meowed, trying to break free of her iron grip.

“Answer the question!” the she-cat spat, sliding out her claws. Badger tensed as he felt the tips of her nails digging into his fur. This she-cat was obviously dangerous.

“Please, I don't mean any harm,” Badger meowed pleadingly, “If you'd just let me up-”

“Ha! You think I am that stupid?” the she-cat snarled. Badger tensed up, exchanging glaces with Grass. One two three...now! Badger suddenly sprang up, sinking his teeth into the she-cat's shoulder. The she-cat screeched, swiping out at him, before Grass leapt onto her back and began to claw out patches of fur. She swiped frantically for a few moments more, then promptly collapsed on the ground.

“I give up,” she wailed, “I am your prisoner.”

Grass jumped off the she-cat's back, giving her a strange look. “What a weirdo,” he mumbled to himself.

“Who are you?” Badger asked, looking down at the she-cat somewhat sympathetically. She was confident and frightening when she had the upper hand, but her expertise was obviously in stealth, not strength.

“My name is Black,” the she-cat said, shaking the dust out of her fur and standing up, “I am also a loner and a young feline. I am ten moons of age and I regret to inform you that I will have to report your intrusion to Storm.”

“Why do you talk like that?” Badger meowed.

“Like what, praytell?” Black meowed defensively, her fur bristling, “I believe my pattern of speech is both informative and straightforward.”

“You're doing it again!” Badger mrrowed, “You sound so...official.”

“Well you sound stupid,” Black hissed, “And unlearned. You sound lazy, arrogant and careless with your words.”

“Sharp-tounged, isn't she?” Grass meowed in amusement, padding up to the two of them, “It's kinda funny.”

“Did you hear her?” Badger growled his fur on end, “That little piece of mouse-dung just called me lazy!”

“You deserved it,” Grass snickered. Badger shot him a glare, but their attention was suddenly diverted to a large gray tom coming out of the underbrush.

“Black, what's going on here?” he meowed in a deep tone. Grass and Badger exchanged a glance. Here goes.

“Hi, I'm Badger,” Badger meowed cheerfully, “We're just here because we were wondering if you'd consider...”

. . . . .

“So you think you'd like to join?”

“Are you kidding me? I've been waiting for a chance like this my entire life!”

Tiny and Gorge looked at each other in satisfaction. The orange she-cat in front of them was practically bouncing with excitement.

“I've always wanted to be part of something like this,” the ginger she-cat meowed enthusiastically, “I tried to join a clan once, but they chased me out of their territory without even letting me have a word in edgewise.”

“Don't worry, in our clan you'll be respected and treated well,” Gorge meowed kindly.

“Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me!” the she-cat said, bubbling with excitement.

“I'm sure you'll make a great warrior,” Tiny added in quietly, “But may we know your name?”

“Of course,” the she-cat said, puffing out her chest, “I'm Apple.”

. . . . .

Viper padded home alongside a brown tabby she-cat with white paws, a black she-cat and a small white tom. All three had been eager to join, so Viper decided today had been a success. The brown tabby she-cat, also known as Tree, padded up alongside him.

“So, have you and your friends decided on a name for your clan?” the she-cat asked.

“Of course,” Viper purred, “We're going to be called Flameclan.”

“Flameclan,” the she-cat murmured, “I like it. It sounds strong, sturdy. The type of clan immune to corruption and defeat. I hope our clan will live up to it's name.” Viper nodded, and Tree fell back in with the others as they chatted in excitement. Viper felt himself growing nervous. He hoped he could live up to the name of the clan; he wanted their clan to be strong and immune to corruption as well. There would be no Lakeclanners crawling back to poison their clan.

As Viper slid down into the gorge, he saw that the other cats had also returned with new clanmembers. Gorge and Tiny sat next to a tabby ginger she-cat and a black she-cat with white paws. Grass and Badger had done well: a black she-cat, a stormy gray tom and another black she-cat. Viper trotted in, his party of three following him.

“Greetings, Viper,” Gorge meowed, dipping his head.

“Greetings Gorge,” Viper meowed, returning the bow. Then he turned to the two cats behind him, “And these fine cats are...?

“This is Apple,” Gorge meowed, pointing his muzzle to the ginger tabby she-cat, who threw him a wide smile, “And Raccoon.” Now Gorge motioned to the black she-cat with white paws, whose face was set into a serious expression.

“Viper,” Raccoon meowed, dipping down her head, “Our leader.”

“Thank you for letting us join,” Apple meowed, dipping her head as well, “It was very generous of you.”

“I'm sure that you won't disappoint me,” Viper purred, licking each she-cat's head. Then he trotted over to Grass and Badger.

“And who have you brought?” Viper asked, looking at the three cats behind them. Badger looked at them and jerked his head, motioning them to step forward. The three cats quickly killed off their conversation and stepped forward.

“Black,” the small black she-cat said, giving him a nod.

“Storm,” the gray tom meowed in a rather deep voice.

“Night,” the tall black she-cat said. Viper studied the three of them through narrowed eyes. Black was young, but still small for her age. She would need a bit of beefing up. Storm was already nearly as bulky as Gorge, and he looked like he had the disposition of warrior already. Night was a striking she-cat, her green eyes alluring and her figure the very definition of feminine.

“Good job,” Viper meowed to Grass and Badger, “And all of you, welcome to Flameclan.” Grass and Badger exchanged excited glances at the word Flameclan, obviously thrilled that their clan had a name they could say with pride. As Viper began to walk away, Grass quickly placed out a paw, stopping him.

“Wait,” he meowed, “There's something you may want to know.”

Viper perked up his ears. “What?” he meowed, looking back at the skinny gray tom.

“I know a few things about the clans that live far off. They always had strange words stuck after their names, things like Tigerclaw and Oakheart. It seems strange, but it actually has a nice ring to it. The ending of their name was a symbol of their warrior spirit.”

“Really?” Viper meowed, “And you think our clan should do the same?”

“Well, yes,” Grass said, “The warriors names end in anything; apprentices end in paw, kits end in kit, and the leader's ended in star, but that was to honor their 'ancestors', Starclan, who supposedly live in the stars.”

“Hmm,” Viper meowed, “I think that's a good idea too. I'll let the clan know.” Grass was practically bursting with pride as Viper leapt onto one of the ledges on the gorge and yowled for silence.

“Tonight is a night for celebration!” Viper yowled, “But first, you will all receive your full warrior names. Cats above twelve moons step forward.” Quickly a group of cats came forward.

“Gorge, you are a loyal friend and a strong warrior. I know you will live up to your new name. From now on you will be known as Gorgefur!” Viper meowed. There were a few cheers. Viper raised his tail, silencing the clearing, then continued.

“Tiny, your sweet and gentle spirit will serve you well in our clan. You will make a strong and clever warrior. From now on you will be known as Tinyfrost.

“Grass, your loyalty is unwavering and your courage unbreakable. From now you will be Grassclaw.

“Apple, you have not made a mistake in joining this clan. May the rest of your days be used in service to the clan. From now on you are Applefang.

“Night, your skills will serve you well in Flameclan. From this day on you will be Nightpelt.

“Raccoon, you are swift and agile, a cat clearly suited for life with our clan. You will be known as Raccoontail from this day on.

“Tree, may your days in this clan be filled with joy and peace. From this moment on you are Treeflower.” The clan erupted in cheers as the warriors stepped back, congratulating each other. Catching on quickly, the three cats below twelve moons stepped forwards, their fur fluffed up in excitement. Viper looked down with pride and continued his speech.

“Badger, you are commited and loyal. Both skills will serve you well in the clan. Until you receive your warrior name, you will be Badgerpaw.

“Black, you are agile and a quick thinker. From this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be Blackpaw.

“Rabbit, you are kind and loving, a gentle spirit. Until you earn a full name, you will be known as Rabbitpaw.” The three cats stepped back, bouncing around in crazed joy as they tackled each other playfully. Viper allowed them a few moments of controlled chaos, then padded up to the edge of the ledge. The clearing quickly hushed in respect.

“As a leader, a mentor and a warrior, I will do my best to guide you all. Through tough times, through good times, we will be strong. We will do justice to our clan. Our clan will continue to burn through the ages, never dying out!” Viper yowled. There were a few cheers before Viper continued, “As a leader, I will need a new name as well.” Viper closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He knew exactly what he wanted his new name to be. His eyes shot back open, reflecting moonlight.

“In honor of our clan, Flameclan, from now you will know me as Viperfire.”

Chapter 5

Lake awoke to the sound of birds. Eyes still closed, a smile cracked the tom’s lips. He took their cheerful song as a good sign for the day. After listening for a few minutes and taking in their elaborate twitters, Lake finally forced himself awake. Looking blearily around the dark den that smelled of tree sap and maple leaves, Lake yawned and stretched out his front legs, causing the leaves coating the bottom of the den to rustle. Sunlight was peeking through the entrance of the den above him. The old squirrel’s nest was perfect. The trunk of the tree split off into two about halfway up, and in the crook between them the squirrel had dug downwards to make a cavern. At about sunhigh the den was brightest, for the sun shone from directly above and flooded through the hole.

“Hi sleepyhead.” A light gray she-cat’s head appeared in the hole above him, her blue eyes sparkling. “Guess who’s not the first one up.”

“That’s hard...maybe...me?” Lake yawned.

“Got any life-changing announcements to make today?” Mist asked teasingly, poking her head into the den.

“Not really,” Lake said, his voice tainted with amusement. “I’ve got patrols figured out though. Dust told me about them yesterday, how groups of cats go out at certain times to remark borders and to catch prey.”

“How does Dust know so much about clans anyways?” Mist asked, fully slipping into the den.

“He used to be a traveller, remember?” Lake yawned, “He’s been all the way the the sun-drown place and back. He made good friends with one of the clans down there called Riverclan. Whenever he went by he’d stay with them for a few days.”

“So, how do patrols work?” Mist asked, licking her paw casually. Lake could feel himself warming up as he watched the she-cat. The den was small, so their fur was nearly brushing and he could taste her breath in the air.

“Um, well, border patrols will be in the morning,” Lake meowed, “There will be two of them, and each will have three cats. One will go around the edge of the swamp and the pine forest, and the other will go around the edge of the moor and the forest. Then in the evening, two hunting patrols will go out with three cats in each. When they return we’ll eat, and any leftover prey will be saved for the following morning.”

“Have you told the clan yet?” Mist asked.

“I told Dust and a few other cats to spread the news,” Lake said. “But there is something still bothering me...our clan doesn’t have a name.”

“We’ll fix that!” Mist meowed, “Come’on, time to get out of bed.” Lake smiled and followed the she-cat out of the den, the sunlight striking his fur. The clan was awakening, cats crawling slowly and blearily out of the cave that was the warriors den.

“Clan meeting!” Mist yowled, jumping down to one of the lower branches. Lake followed, grateful that the she-cat had taken charge. He still wasn’t sure about this whole leader thing, whereas Mist seemed to be a natural. Quietly the clan padded over to the tree and gazed up the the two cats in the branches.

“As a clan, we need to be unified. We need to not be individuals, but a whole. We will all work towards the same cause, and that cause is to protect and love one another. The first step to doing this is having a clan name that we can all say with pride,” Lake meowed, trying to sound as sure and as confident as Mist. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

“Leafclan, in honor of our forests,” a brown she-cat meowed loudly.

“Sandclan, in honor of the sandy shorelines around the lake!” Dust yowled.

“Lightclan, to symbolize our clan’s purity,” a golden she-cat said.

“Reedclan, in honor of our swamp!” a black she-cat meowed, who Lake quickly recognized as Crow from the day before.

“Wait!” Mist meowed, causing the suggestions to stop, “I have the perfect one. We should be Lakeclan.” The clearing fell silent and Lake wanted to just sink down into the ground. Why Mist? he thought mournfully. You just had to embarrass me, didn’t you?

“I like it,” a white she-cat meowed boldly, “Not only does it honor our leader, it represents our entire territory, not just one chunk of it. We live around the lake; we are Lakeclan!” There were meows of agreement from all around.

“But...no,” Lake meowed, shaking his head, “It would be selfish to name the clan after myself-”

“It wouldn’t be after yourself,” a ginger tom pointed out. “It would be honoring the lake itself; it is a symbol of our clan. It’s what makes us unique. Our lake.”

“Lakeclan! Lakeclan! Lakeclan!” the chanting began to grow louder and louder ringing throughout the island. “Silence!” Lake yowled, and quickly the clearing hushed. Sighing, he gave in. “Our clan will be Lakeclan.” The clearing immediately filled with excited chatter. Mist walked up to the blue-gray tom, her eyes sparkling.

“Look how excited everyone is!” she purred, nudging him. “You should be proud.”

“More like mortified,” Lake said mournfully, “I can’t believe the clan just got named after me. Anyone outside the clan will think that I’m a self-centered brat.”

“Who cares about them?” Mist meowed, “You have your clan’s approval, and that’s all that matters.”

“I wish I had your confidence Mist,” Lake sighed. “Can you go tell Amber, Air and Fire that they’ll be doing the swamp-pine forest patrol and Snow, Dust and Rice they’ll be doing the forest-moor patrol?”

“Can do,” Mist purred, jumping off the tree and leaving Lake alone on the perch. Silently, he watched the the cats assigned to their patrols left the camp, talking with each other excitedly. He couldn’t catch their words, but the tone was enough to tell him they were more than eager. Everyone had such high hopes for the clan.

What if I’m not good enough?

. . . . .

The evening sun filtered through the autumn leaves. Lake paced back and forth, his paws pressing against the soft dirt. Why wasn’t she here? He had told her to meet him here. A leaf drifted across his path and he snapped at it in irritation.

It’s only been a few minutes since I asked her to come. Calm down, calm down…

“Hey Lake!” the pretty misty gray she-cat materialized out the brush, her light blue eyes bright, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Well, um, you see Mist, the clan needs a deputy…” Lake began, but was promptly cut off by the she-cat.

“Oh, you need help deciding a deputy? Why didn’t you say so! As your best friend, I’ll help you in any way I can!” Mist meowed promptly.

“No, I’ve already made the choice,” Lake meowed, his voice cracking a bit.

“Oh really? Who?” Mist asked.

“Well, I haven’t told them yet…” Lake meowed, shuffling his paws.

“You’d better get to it then!” Mist meowed, “I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.” Was that a hint of...jealousy? Lake almost wanted to laugh at the irony, but his voice was too strained to even consider it.

“Well, the thing is...the cat I want to be deputy...is you,” Lake meowed, looking up at the she-cat, “Ever since we got here you’ve been such a huge help...sometimes I think you’re better suited to be leader than I am. You’re so confident, so bold...I know that you’d make a great leader, probably a better one than me. Would you consider being deputy?”

“Would I?!” Mist screeched in joy, tackling her blue-gray friend. Lake let out a yelp of surprise as he fell onto the ground, the she-cat giving him rapid licks on his forehead. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

“I guess that’s a yes,” Lake meowed, holding back laughter. The she-cats tongue was rough, but he couldn’t help loving every stroke that landed on his fur. As much as he hated to admit it...he was forming a crush on his best friend, although he wasn’t sure the feeling was mutual.

“Oooh! Caught red-pawed!”

Lake froze.

Curse. Him.

The dusty brown tom was carrying a mouse in his mouth, but despite it he still managed to smirk. His green eyes were glittering with mischief as he glanced from Mist to Lake.

“So, when do you think the kits will arrive?” Dust asked mischievously, “How many do you suppose there will be?”

“Dear stars Dust, we aren’t….mates!” Mist screeched, quickly backing away from Lake, “He’s my best friend, not my lover!”

“De-nial,” Dust said, still smirking, “You two can’t stay away from each other, or so it seems.”

“We’re not having kits!” Mist said frantically.

“You two are soooo in loooove!” Dust said, sending us sly looks.

“Dust. Stop,” Lake rose to his paws and gave Dust a cold glare, his eyes dark. “You know nothing about our relationship. We are friends, and that’s it. You are being a bad clan member and an even worse friend.”

Dust’s smirk dropped as Lake approached.

“You breathe a word of this, tell anyone that me and her are an item, you are dead. Understood?” Lake hissed. Dust nodded, his eyes flickering downwards.

“Now get. Out,” Lake snarled. The brown tom quickly scuttled away, jumping into the bushes and disappearing. Lake’s hackles slowly fell down as the tom disappeared.

“What was that?” Mist asked, her eyes wide, “I’ve never seen you like that before Lake. It was kind of...terrifying.”

“I’m sorry,” Lake sighed. “I just couldn’t take any more of his ridiculous taunting….he was making you upset, and he was making me upset. I figured it was time for it to stop.”

“Alright…” Mist meowed, her voice still a bit unsure as she eyed her friend nervously.

“Let’s just go home,” Lake meowed, his tone lightening. “After you, deputy.” Well, that put a smile on Mist’s face in nearly two seconds flat. She began to trot lightly on her paws, emanating happiness. Lake followed, trying to share in her enthusiasm, but his mind was elsewhere. The outburst he had made against Dust hadn’t been violent, but he had been so...intimidating. He had been scared of even himself. None of these troubled thoughts left his mind as they plodded home in the evening light.

Chapter 6

What just happened?“Cats of Lakeclan, gather beneath the tree for a clan meeting!” Lakewater yowled from the branches of the tree in the center of the island. Cats began to emerge from the undergrowth surrounding the clearing. A certain misty gray she-cat caught Lakewater’s eyes as he watched the cats converge. Her light blue eyes were bright with excitement and her feathery tail twitched behind her impatiently. Lakewater quietly admired her from his perch, careful not to stare too long.

“Cats of Lakeclan,” he began, clearing his throat as the hundreds of eyes turned to look at him. “As you all know, as leader it is my duty to appoint a deputy in the case of my death. Today I have chosen a cat who is loyal, true and brave. Mist, please step forward.” There were mutters of approval as the she-cat trotted through the crowd, her head held high and her tail twitching back and forth. She stopped just in front of Lake, her poise emanating confidence but her eyes giving away her fear.

“I am proud to name Mist the new deputy of Lakeclan. Her valor and strength will be a guide for all of us. Mist, do you accept your new role?” Lake asked, looking up at her as she was a bit taller than himself.

“I do,” Mist said, her face hardening with resolve.

“Then may your paws tread on safe paths, and your heart and mind lead you to great things my friend,” Lake said with a warm smile. The words flowed off his tongue so naturally that he knew they were the correct ones.

“Mist! Mist!” The crowd suddenly broke out into cheers and swarmed around the leader and the new deputy. Lake watched proudly as pelts of all colors brushed against Mist’s light gray one.

“A good speech,” a gray she-cat with one white paw trotted up next to him, her eyes soft. “Your words will be an inspiration for years to come, I’m sure of it. You may have just created a new ritual.”

“It just felt...right,” Lake admitted with a small shrug. He looked over at the she-cat. “You’re that she-cat who fell of the bridge...Cloud, right?”

“Ah, yes,” she said, blushing slightly. “I’m sorry about that. I panicked a bit, you see.”

“It’s all right, we all have fears,” Lake meowed, looking up at the stars. “I fear...that I might not be good enough for our clan. That I’ll fail.” He dipped down his head, staring at the ground. “That my clan will fall apart, like leaves off a autumn tree.”

“It’s a fear all leaders have to face,” Cloud said with a sigh, closing her eyes. “I know.”

“I suppose I’ll just have to keep going, in spite of it,” Lake said with a small smile. “And now I have a deputy who will stand by me no matter the hardships, I’m sure of it. Mist is a good cat.”

“She will serve you well,” Cloud said, shaking out her fur. “Well, I’ve got to be off. Hunting patrol is beckoning!” She laughed, standing up. “And...thank you. For earlier. I never got to say that properly,” Cloud meowed, pausing for a moment before she gave Lake’s head a swift lick. Lake blinked rapidly, but before he could respond the she-cat had leapt away to join two toms in a patrol.

“Who was that?” Mist trotted up to Lake, glancing over at the gray she-cat as she left camp.

“Just the she-cat who fell off the bridge, Cloud,” Lake meowed, clearing his throat. “She was saying thank you.”

“Oh,” Mist said, cocking her head. “Alright.”

“Mist, come’on!” A ginger she-cat beckoned her from the other side of the clearing. “We’re gonna throw a feast in your honor, so get your fluffy butt booking!”

“Alright, alright Fire!” Mist laughed, “And my butt isn’t that fluffy!” She turned to Lake, a soft smile filling her lips. “Join us?”

“No thanks, I have...things to think about,” Lake meowed, distracted for a moment by a bit of silver in his vision. He turned to look at it, but it disappeared as quickly as it had came. Strange, Lake thought with a frown.

“Oh, ok,” Mist said, her shoulders sagging a bit. “Maybe next time.” She gave him a quick smile before she trotted over the ginger she-cat, and immediately laughter erupted from the rest of the gathered crowd. As the festivities continued, Lake wandered over to his den. His chest was feeling rather tight, and he just couldn’t focus at the moment. With a sigh, he turned his face to the moon.

Back in the clans I met, the medicine cats had dreams. Very strange dreams. Supposedly their ancestors would give them advice through signs and prophecies. Dust’s words came back to Lake, and he snorted somewhat sadly.

“What I wouldn’t give for some advice from magical ancestors,” he meowed softly shaking his head. “I could use some guidance.”

“Head upriver tonight.”

Lake yelped and backed up in a fear as a voice suddenly cut through the air. The wind carried it off and it died down. Lake’s chest heaved, each breath fast and deep. It had to have been his imagination-

“Follow it until you come to a group of rocks. Touch your paw to them when the moon is at it’s peak and it strikes the rocks, making them glow.”

“Oh my stars,” Lake said, his voice coming out high pitched and squeaky. He felt dizzy and lightheaded. “This can’t be real.”

“We’ll see you tonight Lake.”

Lake cringed as the voice gushed around him, filling his ears and surrounding him like a bubble, then died away. Trembling, his legs buckled and he fell onto the dirt, his claws sinking in as if to hold him onto solid ground. As terrified as he was, he knew that there was only one thing to do.

Listen.

. . . . .

Lake looked up at the moon, swallowing nervously. It was nearing the peak, and still the yowls of the feast being held outside were loud and clear. If anything, they had gotten more riotous. He’d have to try to slip out of camp unnoticed in the midst of the party. Just play it cool, Lake thought, taking deep breaths. With that in mind, the blue-gray tom slipped out of his den.

From his perch in the tree, Lake could see the entire clearing. Cats mingled in the moonlight and laughter reached his ears. A ginger she-cat was having a heated discussion with Dust that Lake could hear from the other side of the clearing.

“Mist?” the she-cat meowed. “Nah, I’ve known her for quite a few moons. She wouldn’t fall for any tom. That’s just not her style.”

“I don’t know, her and Lake have been having some rather interesting moments recently,” Dust giggled.

He’s loopy, Lake thought in disgust. Where on earth did he find catnip?

“Look here,” Fire said, leaning over. “Mist has never had a real boyfriend in her life. Any tom who’s ever been interested in her has been rejected and thrown in the dirt.” Lake felt his stomach twist.

“Really?” Dust asked, his voice somewhat slurred.

“Yeah, there was this one time…” Lake tuned out their conversation, taking deep breaths. They were loopy, probably talking nonsense. No need to listen to them. Carefully, the tom slid out of the tree and landed  in the clearing. He weaved his way through the crowd, passing by a dark gray tom and a black she-cat curling their tails together and exchanging intimate looks and a pale yellow tom with a twitchy eye who was chewing a piece of catnip in his mouth.

“Honestly,” Lake muttered under his breath. He had never really liked the ‘feasts’ that had seemed to become tradition around the lake. Silently, Lake cursed the cat who had first discovered the rather interesting effects of catnip.

“Hey, the party pooper finally decided to crawl out of his cave,” A brown she-cat suddenly appeared next to him, smirking.

“Oh, um, hello,” Lake said rather uncomfortably, edging away from her.

“Want some catnip?” she asked, tilting her head. “It’s over there, next to the fresh-kill. Cloud found it for us. That she-cat’s got a thing for herbs, I’m tellin’ ya.”

“Ah, no thanks,” Lake said with a weak smile.

“I’m Mud, I don’t think we’ve been properly interaduced,” she meowed.

“It’s introduced,” Lake muttered under his breath. Then, louder, he said, “It’s been nice meeting you, but I’ve got somewhere to be-” Before she could respond, he slipped off, sighing in relief. What a night.

Suddenly a flash of silver caught his eye and he looked over to see Mist, surrounded by a group of she-cats. A smile adorned her face and several flowers had been piled around her, as well as one or two stuck in her fur.

“You’re all too kind,” she meowed, “I hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“Of course you will Mist!” A white she-cat with gray tabby stripes meowed. “You’re the best! THREE CHEERS FOR MIST EVERYONE!” The clearing erupted into a chorus of badly timed cheers. Mist looked around, her eyes shining, until suddenly they rested on Lake. Lake froze as their eyes met for a moment, and time seemed to slow down. Her blue eyes beckoned him, begged him to come join her, but he quickly snapped out of the trance and turned away, hurrying out of the clearing.

He could feel Mist’s gaze on his pelt as he left.

. . . . .

Lake sighed, trotting along the river side. He could only imagine what Mist must be thinking after he rushed out like that. But he had to come here. Whoever or whatever the voice was, it wasn’t natural, and he didn’t like the sound of it. He had to figure out what was going on and put an end to it...and yet to be honest he had also been afraid of going up next to Mist, standing in front of his daft clan. He knew that if he had went that route, he would have ended up getting off on the catnip, and who knew what sorts of things he’d do in that half-aware state of mind.

He didn’t like those feasts, not one bit.

Suddenly he found himself walking straight into the stream, his paws treading into the water. With a slight squeak, he shimmied backwards out of the water and looked up. The river had divided in two here, fanning out to either side. In the center there was a stretch of land, and there he saw a group of rocks. They were large rocks, not anything supernatural, but still pretty. They were as white as snow and looked smooth even from a distance.

“Of course I’d have to swim to reach them,” Lake muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he plunged himself into the icy water and churned his paws as fast as he could until he reached the other shore, crawling out of the water and shivering like crazy.

“This had better be worth it,” he meowed through chattering teeth as he shook out his pelt. Briskly, he trotted over to the rocks and eyed them critically. “When the moon is at its peak it strikes the rocks, making them glow,” he said to himself, remembering the voices words. Glancing upwards, he watched as a few clouds drifted across the moon. Come’on…

Suddenly the moonlight burst from behind the cloud and Lake gasped, stepping backwards in fear. The light made the rocks glow alright; they were suddenly turned into a spectrum of glowing colors, like a rainbow. It almost burned his eyes to look at it. Green and red and blue hues all flashed off it, filling the entire clearing with the unnatural light. Lake trembled. This was not right. Not at all.

“Touch your paw to the rocks,” he stuttered to himself. “Oh stars, what have I gotten myself into?” Despite his terror, the tom slowly drew closer to the rocks. The light burned him it was so bright, but he gritted his teeth and endured it until he was within paws reach of it.

“Here goes,” he meowed, laughing nervously. Then, painstakingly slowly, he lifted up his leg, stretched it out until it trembled just centimeters away from the smooth surface. Lake, you’re an idiot, he thought to himself, then pressed his paw forward and met it with the glowing rock, all the while closing his eyes. For a moment it burned his pad, but then it faded away.

Carefully, he opened his eyes and to his surprise found himself in an unfamiliar field. The blades of grass glowed as if they were dusted with stars and the flowers almost seemed to dance in the breeze. Lake stood still, not daring to move. Suddenly swirls of colors began to race around the field like snakes, sometimes jumping out of the grass into the air and twirling around gracefully before diving back in. Lake choked on the air, closing his eyes. “Not real, not real,” he meowed to himself frantically. But upon opening his eyes the color swirls were still there, and now they were all converging in the center of the landscape, twirling together to create a sort of whirlwind. Lake screamed and ducked, covering his head. In a few moments, there was a blinding flash of light, and then all the colors flew up into the sky, disappearing. In their converging place, Lake found to his horror ten cats had appeared.

“What in the name of the stars is going on?!” Lake yowled, flattening his ears and backing away from the cats in fright. Remains of the color swirls wrapped around their legs and danced under their paws.

“Lake.” A blue gray tom stepped forward, his green eyes firm. Blue swirls wrapped around his legs. Lake paused, his eyes widening.

“....dad?” he whispered in disbelief. “But you’re dead. I must have eaten some of that catnip at the feast and not remembered-”

“You are very much sober, my son,” A white she-cat approached, her eyes dancing with amusement. The swirls around her legs were purple in color.

“Mom?” Lake choked on the word. He glanced around at all the cats in the clearing, realization dawning upon him. “I know all of you.” he exclaimed. “But you...you all died!”

“We died on Earth yes, but we were born in the skies,” a gray and white tom meowed in a deep tone. Lake instantly recognized him as his brother, who had died from a wound inflicted by a dog years ago.

“Lake, we are all very proud of you,” a fluffy ginger she-cat purred. “And that’s why we have summoned you here. To grant you with a gift.”

“But...but if you lived on in the skies, why didn’t you speak to me sooner?” Lake asked, his voice hurt. “I...I’ve missed you. All of you.”

“It took us years to find a way to connect our worlds,” Lake’s father said harshly. “And the connection is still weak. It only works in short intervals. But at those rocks it is the strongest, and will last as long as the moon causes them to shine with colors.”

“Are you...ghosts?” Lake meowed uncertainly.

“...in a sense, yes,” Lake’s mother meowed.

“But enough of this! Our time is limited! It’s time to present you with your gifts!” the ginger she-cat exclaimed, pushing her way in front of the group. “We’re here to grant you ten lives, so that you may serve your clan long and well.”

“Ten lives?!” Lake yowled, his pupils dilating. “But I thought one was long enough!” The clearing erupted into a chorus of laughter.

“I don’t think you quite understand,” the ginger she-cat chuckled. “When you lose a life, you won’t be reborn again. You’ll just...not die. And then continue on living.”

“Oh,” Lake meowed, blinking. “Alright Ginger.” Ginger shook her head with a smile.

“Lake, in life I was your teacher and mentor. Now in death, I grant you with the gift of intelligence. Always remember that brute force is not the only way. If you have a sharp mind, sharp claws will not be needed to resolve conflict,” Ginger meowed. At the end of her words, the yellow swirls dancing around her legs suddenly jumped off of her and struck Lake directly in the chest. He screamed, gasping for breath and stumbling backwards.

“Are you trying to kill me?!” Lake yowled, looking down at his chest, where remnants of the yellow light remained.

“Did you think earning ten lives would be easy?” Ginger stepped back and the cat who had spoken, a black and white tom, came forward. White swirls wrapped around his paws.

“Fisher. Good to see you too,” Lake meowed sarcastically.

“Lake, as your best friend, I grant you with the gift of harmony. Remember that a clan united will always stand strong against any foe,” Fisher meowed, closing his eyes. The white swirls uncurled off his legs and danced over to Lake, climbing up his paws. Lake shivered as they brushed against his fur, before they crawled underneath his skin. He whimpered at the feeling. Fisher stepped back and a gray and white tom came forward.

“River,” Lake purred weakly.

“I give you the gift of endurance. The side that lasts longest is the side that wins, my brother,” River meowed in a deep tone. The red swirls around his legs twirled into the air and then wrapped around Lake, curling tighter and tighter around his body until he couldn’t breathe, then suddenly soaked into his pelt, disappearing. When Lake looked up, in place of River there was a golden tabby she-cat. Rita.

“With this life, I give you love,” Rita meowed in a slightly trembling voice. “Remember that love is always better than hatred. Love will heal and hate will destroy. Never let hate engulf you.” Lake cringed at the meaning of her message. She had learned that lesson all too well. The pink swirls around her feet came at him so fast he hardly saw them before they were striking him, pain shooting through his body.

This time a small blue-gray tom approached, a smirk on his face. Ah, my good little cousin. Lake thought with a smile

“Long time no see, Lakey-doo,” he laughed. “I’m giving you strength. With it you will guide your clan and keep it safe. Multi-purpose!” Lake shook his head at the tom before the orange swirls came at him and slipped into his mouth. He could feel them slide down his throat and choke him for a moment before they were gone.

“I give you the gift of responsibility,” An old black she-cat came forward, her eyes clouded. Lake instantly recognized her as his grandmother. “Being a leader will not be easy Lake. You will be tested time and time again.” The green swirls drifted through the air off her legs almost lazily, before they shattered into tiny shards and stuck in his pelt, covering him. Lake let out an earsplitting scream. The shards were stuck in his body, and he was bleeding, being covered in blood. The pain was unbearable, and red clouded his vision. Just as he thought he might collapse, the shards suddenly exploded into little fragments of light and reigned down on him, washing away the blood. Now a gray tabby she-cat stood in front of him.

“Excuse me, I’m not sure I recognize you,” Lake coughed out, still recovering.

“I am Star, Mist’s mother,” she meowed quietly. “And I grant you the gift of kindness. As a leader you will need to be stern at times, but remember that kindness will make you not only a good leader, but a loved one.” The indigo light floated off her paws and engulfed Lake like a blanket but also suffocating him. He clawed for air desperately, desperately, until suddenly the light disappeared, going inside him.

“Please, watch my daughter,” Star asked. “Take care of her.”

“She will be safe in my clan, don’t worry,” Lake purred with a smile. Star’s eyes flashed with a certain knowing look, before she left to join the ranks of the others. This time a white she-cat with a grin on her face.

“As your most awesome friend, I give you the gift of laughter!” she chirped, almost bouncing she was so excited. “When things are looking down, remember that a little laughter will always brighten not only your situation but the lives of those around you! Life doesn’t always have to be so serious.” The light blue light around her legs uncurled and sped into Lake’s mouth, going straight into his stomach and bubbling up until he thought he might explode. Then suddenly, it died down and disappeared. Lake took deep breaths. When he looked up, his mother and father stood in front of him.

“With this life I give you courage,” his father meowed in a deep tone. “You will need it for the journey ahead.” The dark blue swirls immediately shot into Lake’s chest and he stumbled backwards a few paces, biting back a cry of pain. His father walked backwards, leaving only his mother.

“Lake, with the ten lives you receive, you must prove that you would sacrifice anything for your clan. Only if you prove your dedication will you join us here in the sky realm. With this last life I give you hope. Hope will always be a light to follow. Never lose it.” The purple swirls came off her and began to spin around Lake, faster and faster until it was a tornado of light that lifted him up into the air. It spun him around and around until it suddenly struck him from all angles. Lake let out a yell, so loud and clear that he could hear it ring in his ears. Light was everywhere, and it blinded him. Slowly, it faded away and he floated back down the ground, gasping and collapsing onto the ground. His entire being burned with pain.

“Lake, as leader of your new clan, you receive a new name,” The voice that boomed was that of his father, and Lake forced himself to stand up and look at him.

“To honor our legacy, the leader’s name shall end in water, the name of your father,” Lake’s mother meowed loudly, standing with an air of poise and confidence.

“And in honor of your mother, Sky, the medicine cat’s name shall end in sky,” Water meowed, glancing over at his mate lovingly.

“From this moment on, you are Lakewater, leader of Lakeclan!” Sky yowled, slamming her paw into the ground. The ground began to glow and strange symbols began to etch themselves into the dirt. Lakewater watched, dumbstruck. The chorus of voices of the ten cats who had granted him lives blended together, creating an eerie song.

“Hear the wind sing, and hear the waves crash. Hear the flame burn, and hear the earth gnash. Just down the river, you can find us. Singing about hate and love. Four in one, one in four. United, they will end the war.”

Lake watched as the four symbols in the ground glowed, and then with a final earsplitting yowl everything turned white and Lake suddenly found himself standing by the rocks again, gasping for breath. The moon had become hidden behind the canopy of trees and the rocks no longer glowed with colors. Lake swallowed deeply, trying to calm himself down.

What just happened?

For a moment he almost panicked, but the burning in his paw snapped him out of his crazed trance. Slowly, he stumbled down to the river, then submerged his burning paw into the icy river. There was a hiss as steam came off, a reaction of the searing hot paw coming into contact with the freezing water. Trembling, Lake lifted up his paw out of the water to lick it, but nearly screeched at what he saw.

There, etched into the pad of his paw, was one of the symbols.

Chapter 7

Lakewater breathed in and out heavily, staring at his trembling paw, willing the mark to fade away. But it just continued to glow dimly on his pawpad, not emitting light like the rocks had but still letting off a soft, nearly undetectable glow. There was no explanation for this. Slowly he could feel dread building up in his stomach.

I’ve been marked.

The symbol was simple, three curved, smooth lines that resembled water and three swirls atop them, looking like waves in an ocean. It was small, not something you’d notice right away, but upon looking at his pawsteps he could see that the symbol had made a mark in every single paw print in the wet mud. Lakewater stifled a cry of fear.

“What did you do to me?!” Lakewater suddenly yowled, turning his head towards the starry sky and glaring at it accusingly.

“A gift.” The voice in the wind reminded him, whisking past his ears.

“Oh, yes, I feel really grateful. Because, y’know, being nearly killed by ghosts and getting my paw permanently scarred is such a GIFT!” Lakewater screeched, clawing up tufts of grass angrily. “Kin of a badger-”

“You have ten lives,” the voice rushed around him, surrounding him like a room. “That is more than any cat has ever dreamed of.”

“I’m going insane, that’s it,” Lakewater whimpered. “I’m going totally insane.”

“Lake.”

Lakewater turned around in surprise to find a gray she-cat with one white paw standing by the rocks, her blue eyes glowing and her pelt ruffling in the wind. “I thought I might find you here,” she meowed solemnly.

“Cloud?” Lakewater asked, dumbstruck. “What are you-?”

“You saw the rocks?” she asked, not letting him finish. Slowly, she placed her one white paw onto the stone and a shiver ran up her spine. “You saw them glow too? Shine like a rainbow after a storm?”

“Yes, but I thought I was mentally incapacitated,” Lakewater meowed shakily, still trembling. “And then…”

“I know,” Cloud said with a sigh half full of fear and half full of hope. “I saw my parents. And yours. And my childhood friends and my relatives. And they were all so real, so...alive. I don’t understand how this is possible, but...somehow I’ve known all along. Known they weren’t gone.”

“What did they tell you?” Lakewater asked, still shaking. “They put me through the most painful initiation I’ve ever faced.”

“They told me about leaders, and ten lives, leader’s names ending in water and medicine cat’s names ending in sky. And then...then they told me that...I was going to be the first medicine cat of Lakeclan. They gave me a ceremony, and there was light and color everywhere, and then when I came back it burned,” Cloud meowed, her eyes taking on a dreamy, far-off look. “Did you get a marking on your paw?!” Lakewater asked frantically, shoving his paw in Cloud’s face. Cloud’s ears flattened and her eyes widened, tracing the swirls with her eyes.

“I-I don’t know…” she stammered. Slowly, she lifted up her own paw, and sure enough on the base of her pad was the same marking as on Lakewater’s.

“What in the name of the stars?!” she screeched, backing up fearfully. “How did they manage to alter us in the physical world? I thought they could only bring our spirits up with them, not our bodies.”

“This is all insane,” Lakewater cried out, starting to pace frantically. “And it’s not natural, and I don’t like it at all. We’ve survived long enough without the help of ghosts; why do we need them now? We should just forget this ever happened, never speak of it again, ban this area from any cat-”

“Lake-well, Lakewater now,” Cloud corrected herself. “Are you really going to deny our ancestors? Deny that you just saw that, went through that? You are the leader of Lakeclan now, you are a part of something bigger in this world!”

“What about this?” Lakewater protested, shoving his paw forward. “Why would they mark us like that?”

“Maybe it has to do with the omen they told us at the end, about the the air, water, fire and earth. Maybe there are other cats with the other symbols in their paws. I don’t know,” Cloud sighed. “All I know is that we cannot deny the existence of our ancestor spirits. They’re watching us, guiding us. They are part of us.”

“The rest of the clan will think that we’re crazy,” Lakewater shook his head. “Cloud-”

“It’s Cloudsky now,” the she-cat said briskly. “And the clan will believe you.”

“Why would they? You saw how Mist was so quick to deny spirits of any sort,” Lakewater meowed. “They’ll never believe us.”

“You have to trust me Lakewater,” Cloudsky meowed gently, placing her paw on top of his. “The clan will come around.” Lakewater’s fur tingled as her one white paw brushed against his and he looked up into her huge sky blue eyes. That look in her eyes… something in his stomach flipped. He knew that look.

“Cloud…” Lakewater began, but the she-cat quickly drew back her paw, ducking her head and hiding her face.

“We’d better get back,” she coughed, staring at the grass as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Lakewater studied her for a moment. He had seen a glimpse of something there other than respect. Something more personal. You’re just seeing things Lake. He thought to himself. Don’t go looking for trouble when it’s not there.

“Right,” he meowed. “I have a clan to lead.”

. . . . .

By the time Lakewater had returned to camp, dawn was already breaking the horizon. Padding across the log and hopping down onto the island, Lakewater could already see that the feast from last night had taken its toll. Rice, the pale yellow tom with the twitchy eye, was muttering in his sleep and still halfheartedly chewing a green stalk in his mouth. Disgusted, Lakewater smacked his muzzle, sending the catnip flying away. Rice just mumbled something about ‘those nasty pigeons’ and turned over onto his back. Sighing, Lakewater took in the damage.

The black she-cat ; that was Cloudsky’s friend, Crow; was draped over top of a gray tom named Grass if Lakewater was recalling correctly. Her long sleek black tail brushed against Grass’s nose in his sleep. Flowers littered the camp floor and in the midst of it all half the clan was snoring like kittens out in the open. What if it we had been attacked? he thought furiously. All these delirious cats wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“Get up,” Lakewater growled, pushing a white she-cat with gray tabby stripes over. She groaned and opened her eyes blearily, the third white eyelid still half closed.

“Wha?” she muttered, smacking her jaws and looking around in confusion. Lakewater sighed and trotted over to his den, planning on curling up and sleeping until the rest of the clan sobered up, but then a golden yellow she-cat suddenly appeared from the warriors cave, her eyes flashing with fury.

“HEY!” she shouted, and several cats jerked awake. “What in the name of the stars is going on?”

“Where were you last night Amber?” the gray striped she-cat meowed. “You missed out on the feast. It was totally great.”

“You’re all total idiots!” Amber snarled, pushing Crow off the gray tom distastefully. “Getting strung out on the catnip; you’re clan cats now!” She emphasized her words by smacking Fire, the ginger she-cat, across the face with her paw. “I don’t know what sort of wacked up traditions you have, but as a warrior we’re all responsible for each others lives now! If anything had attacked us during the night we’d all be dead! Maybe when you were a loner it didn’t matter because you only had to look out for yourself, but now you are responsible for this entire clan! If they die it’s on your shoulders.” Cats began to stir and crabby mutters echoed throughout the clearing.

“Who made her leader?” Crow growled angrily. Grass half opened his eyes and slumped against her, turning his face to lick her cheek. Crow snorted and pushed him away.

“Our feasts are tradition around the lake,” Mud protested. “It’s part of what we are.”

“What you were,” Amber meowed cooly. “Now you’re a clan cat.”

“We shouldn’t have to give up our traditions!” Crow yowled, jumping to her paws and glaring at Amber. “You have no right-”

“Your traditions are stupid,” Amber countered. “So toughen up.” Lakewater knew that as leader of the clan he should stop the fight, stand up and tell the clan that Amber was right and the feasts couldn’t continue. To his own shame, the blue-gray tom left the argument to resolve itself as he slunk into his den, scaling the tree silently and settling in the nest in the ‘v’ of the tree. Sighing, he curled his tail around his body and laid down. This leader thing was turning out to be more than he had bargained for.

. . . . .

Viperfire’s green eyes snapped open and he found himself in a forest full of shadows. The shadows were constantly drifting and leaping around, as if they themselves were something alive. The brown tabby tom tensed up and growled, his spine-fur bristling.

“What is this place?” he snarled.

This is your home.

The voice was one voice and one thousand voices at the same time, and it rushed around him, menacing and filled with foreboding. Viperfire snarled and looked around frantically for the source, snapping at bushes with wild eyes.

Your future is filled with blood. Blood staining the forest, the grass, the fur of your own kin.

Viperfire’s breath came out in gasps as red liquid, thick and warm, began to flow out of the darkness towards him from all directions. The trees that the shadows jumped between began to bend, their branches growing out and twisting in unnatural ways. Viperfire screeched, a horrid and terrified noise, as the blood lapped at his paws and the branches suddenly lunged forward, wrapping around his body and beginning to squeeze all the breath out of him. A small branch twisted lazily in front of his vision, then reared up like a snake before striking forwards and turning into the very thing he had been named after; a viper. The huge snake hissed with a maniacal smile and began to wrap itself around him. He shuddered as its scales rubbed his fur the wrong way. It’s head drifted in front of his face, the rest of the long body wrapped around him. The snake smiled as they faced off, nose-to-nose.

“You are blood. You are death,” the snake hissed, a pink forked tongue coming out and touching his face. “Embraccce it.”

“What are you?” Viperfire spat, snapping at the snake, who dodged his attack with ease.

“Don’t you know?” The snake’s face melted and in its place the face of a beautiful calico she-cat appeared. She opened her mouth and showed off a pair of snake fangs. Her green eyes were slitted as she smirked. “How could you forget me?” Viperfire couldn’t breathe. He choked and then his heart began to pound like a drum in his chest, the blood racing through his veins. Anyone but her. Anyone.

“You bring death wherever you go. It is in your nature,” she hissed, flicking out her tongue. “You brought death to me, and here you will do the same. You belong in this place of blood and shadows. This is your home.”

“No! NO!” Viperfire began to screech uncontrollably. “You’re wrong! It was the battle that took you, it was never my fault!”

“Don’t deny it, you killed me,” the she-cat laughed. “And trust me, what goes around comes around. Sweet dreams.” The she-cat’s jaw unhinged like a snakes and she rushed at him, swallowing him whole like a piece of prey.

Viperfire screamed and scrambled to his paws, the leaf and moss nest beneath him scattering all over the cave. His breathing was labored and heavy as his eyes flickered around the room. Everything was peaceful in the cave, and a cricket chirped just outside, in the camp. Slowly, the large muscled tom began to relax, settling back down into his nest and taking deep breaths. The image of the half cat, half snake calico flashed through his thoughts and he exhaled deeply. A demon from his past. Nothing more. The image of the pretty calico, lying bloodied and lifeless was imprinted in his memory, but more potent was the remembered feeling of every muscle in his body shutting down and submitting to the grief that had taken him for two years.

Never again. he vowed. Never again.

&-!

Chapter 8

Lake jumped into the high tree. "Clan meeting!" he yowled. Soon all of the cats had gathered. "I have had a dream..." he began. "I dreamed about Waterclan. They are our ancestors. They have told me that the leaders name should end in water, and the medicine cat's name ends in sky. Which reminds me that we have to do the naming ceremony. Warriors, please step forward."

After all of the Lakeclan warriors had stepped forward, Lake began to speak. "Mist, from now on you will be known as Mistwind. Air, from now on you will be known as Airwind. Mud, from now on you will be known as Mudpelt. Streak, from now on you will be known as Streakfur. Snow, you will be known as Snowtail. Grass, you will be known as Grassfur. Dust, you will be known as Dustbreeze. Fire, you will be known as Fireflame." The clan erupted in cheers as cats called each other by their new names.

"Cloud will be known as Cloudsky." Lake said. A few more cheers were yowled out. Then Lake took a deep breath and said,

"And from now on, I will be Lakewater."

---

Lakewater came back into camp from a patrol with Fireflame and Snowtail. He looked at the fresh-kill pile. There was a lot of fresh kill. Lakewater took a deep breath and approached Mistwind.

"Want to share a piece?" Lakewater said nervously.

"Sure." Mistwind purred. Lakewater looked at her as she took a bite of the rabbit. There was some feeling that he couldn't quite name. What is it? I can't put my paw on it... it is a good feeling, a feeling like somthing is tugging me over to her... could it be?...is it love? Do I love Mistwind? Lakewater thought. He looked into her eyes. Now he knew. They had been best friends for a long time, and now Lakewater was realizing that he wanted to be more than friends.

What about Mistwind? Does she love me? he thought. She looked up and their eyes locked. Lakewater could see that she had the same feelings.

"Let's go for a walk, ok?" Lakewater said.

"Ok!" Mistwind purred, and they walked out of camp, their tails intertwined.

---

Lakewater stretched. Today looked like a great day to go hunting! He was filled with a warm glow of happiness as he thought of the walk they had gone on a few nights ago. Mistwind had agreed to be his mate. Now nothing could tear them apart.

Lakewater went out of his den. Cats were just getting up. Lakewater went over to Mistwind. He gasped.

"What? What's happening?" Mistwind said frantically. "Is there something on me? Is it my fur?"

Suddenly a huge smile appeared on Lakewater's face."Your having kits! My kits!" he said as he beamed.

Mistwind looked at her belly. "I thought I was just eating too many squirrels!" she gasped. "But...you're right!" Mistwind purred. "I'm so happy!" she said.

"I love you Mistwind." Lakewater purred.

"I do too" Mistwind purred.

---

After a half moon of being in the nursery, it was about time for Mistwind to have her kits. Cloudsky was nervous about her first time helping birth kits. "I need a medicine that can help a queen with her milk..." she thought. Maybe a bit of rest would help her. She layed in her nest. Soon she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Cloudsky woke up to a groan from the nursery. Mistwind! She ran over. What should she do? Then a voice whispered in her ear, "Stroke her belly." it whispered. Cloudsky started to stroke her belly. A huge groan split the air, and a kit popped out.

Cloudsky looked at it. "A healthy tom." she proclaimed.

"Now lick the kits fur the wrong way." the voice whispered.

Cloudsky started licking it's fur the wrong way. Soon it was warm and was meowing for milk. Mistwind let out another groan, and another kit popped out.

"A healthy tom." Cloudsky said again. She felt Mistwind's stomach while she licked the kit. "Only one more to go." Cloudsky said.

Just then another kit popped out. "A healthy she-cat." Cloudsky said. Mistwind started licking the small kit. Just then Lakewater came crashing through the nursery entrance.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"Yes, and she had two toms and a she-cat." Cloudsky said. Then she pushed all the kits towards their mother. They began to suckle.

"What should they be named?" Mistwind said.

"The gray tom should be...Pebblekit!" Lakewater said.

"And the yellow she-cat with orange spots should be Sunnykit." Mistwind said. "And the blueish-gray tom should be...Wavekit!"

After a bit Pebblekit and Sunnykit finished. Wavekit was trying to suckle, but Mistwind had run out of milk. Wavekit meowed in protest, but soon Mistwind put him to sleep.

As Cloudsky walked out of the nursery, she became worried again. How could she get Mistwind more milk? Wavekit had at least got some. She laid in her nest. She fell again into a peaceful sleep, and woke up in the field.

Voices started whisper, but Cloudsky couldn't tell what they were saying. "I need you! I need something to help Mistwind get milk!" Cloudsky said. Then the she-cat's voice became loud and clear.

"Look for the leaves shaped like stars, they will help you. They are borage leaves, find them in the woods..." the voice began to fade.

"Thank you so much!" Cloudsky said. Then she woke up.

She ran out into the forest in the middle of the night. She looked everywhere but couldn't find the star shaped leaves. She laid down and started to cry. Just then the moon shone on a plant, and Cloudsky looked up. There it was! The star shaped leaves, borage leaves! Cloudsky ran over and collected as many as she could, then raced back to camp.

She looked for Mistwind, but she was gone! Then she realized that she must have gone out with Lakewater for a walk. Snowfur was watching the kits till they came back. Well, she'd just have to wait.

---

"It feels so good to smell fresh air!" Mistwind exlaimed. "Let's go over to the mountains!"

"That sounds great!" Lakewater said. Soon they were there.

"Wow, it sure is amazing, isn't it?" Mistwind said.

"Yep, sure is." agreed Lakewater. Just then he heard a rumble. He looked up to see rocks rolling down the mountainside. "Avalanche!" he yowled, then dashed for dear life.

. . . . . Lakewater dashed as he watched the mountains whiz past. Mistwind was just behind him. The rumbling was getting louder by the minute. The avalanche got closer, and closer, till it was nearly at the end of the mountain. Lakewater realized they couldn't outrun the rocks.

"We can't outrun them!" Lakewater shouted to Mistwind. "We'll have to climb a tree!" Mistwind nodded and they both dashed towards a large pine tree. Mistwind desperatley clawed at the trunk, but she couldn't get high enough to reach the branches. Lakewater locked his eyes with hers for a moment, as if to say goodbye. Then he pushed her up with all his strength. Mistwind dug her claws into the branch and watched the horrible scene unfold.

Lakewater was quickly covered by rocks. She wanted to throw herself there and die with Lakewater, but she knew her kits needed her. She sat there crying, wondering how she would go on without Lakewater, when she remembered his ten lives. He isn't going to die!

He would soon wake up, so if she could get him out before he woke up, then he would be out and only lose one life! She waited for the avalanche to be over, then leapt down onto the rocks. She dashed over to the rubble where Lakewater was buried, ignoring the pain in her paws as she stepped on the sharp rocks. 

She dug through the rubble, slowly uncovering Lakewater's bloodstained body. Mist stared at him with horror. He had a deep cut on his right back leg, and his ears were covered in nicks. His eyes stared blankly into the distance.

She quickly got him out and carried him to a clearing. What should she do?! Well, she had to stop the bleeding. She looked around for something to put on the wounds. Cobwebs! Cobwebs were strong and would stop the bleeding! She gathered as many as possible, then placed them on the wounds. As she was putting them on Lakewater started to move.

"Lakewater! Are you awake? Lakewater!" Mistwind said frantically. Lakewater opened his eyes. "You're ok! Thank Waterclan!" Mistwind said.

"What about you?" Lakewater said. Mistwind stared at her bloody paws. "Just some cuts on my paws." Mistwind said. "But you need to get back to camp." Lakewater struggled up and Mistwind let him lean against her as they walked back to camp.

"I just lost a life." he thought. His father had told him he had lost a life in his sleep (or whatever happens when you lose a life) He still had nine lives though. As they staggered into camp, they heard heard gasps of shock.

Cloudsky ran out. "Mistwind I fond an herb that-" she stopped when she looked at Lakewater. Her eyes got wide.

"I found cobwebs and they stopped the bleeding." Mistwind said.

"Oh, good! I already found a plant called comfry. It helps make sure the wound doesn't get infected." Cloudsky said. "Fireflame, will you go get me some fresh cobwebs?"

"Sure" Fireflame said.

"Um, I also cut my paws on the stones." Mistwind said as she lifted one of her paws.

"Oh!" Cloudsky said.

"If you don't have enough comfry, you don't have to do mine." Mistwind said.

"No! I've got plenty of comfry!" Cloudksky said hurriedly, and with that she dashed into her den.

---

Lakewater stepped out of the medicine cat's den. He felt much better. Cloudsky had discovered a leaf that helped give queens milk. It was called borage. Lakewater was glad Mistwind had enough milk now. He walked over to the nursery. When he entered the kits were suckling.

Wavekit was sucking eagerly. Sunnykit and Pebblekit finished, but Wavekit kept going on. When he finally stopped, he layed down and burped. Mistwind and Lakewater laughed together. Wavekit now had all the milk he wanted. Wavekit was the smallest of them, but he sure did drink a lot of milk!

Suddenly Sunnykit opened her eyes. She blinked to get used to the light of the world, and looked at her mother. She immediatly started sniffing around. Then he looked at Pebblekit. He liked to relax a lot. When he looked at all his kits, he knew that each one of them would become a great warrior.

Lakewater settled down next to Mistwind for a nap. When he fell asleep, he opened his eyes to see himself in the clearing of Waterclan. His father came out of the bushes.

"Son!" he smiled.

"Hi father! Why have you brought me here?" Lakewater asked.

"A big war is coming up, and you need to be ready. I will visit you every night to teach you battle moves and give you advice. Show your clan my moves, so they will be ready too. Let's begin." Smoky said. Lakewater learned five battle moves that night, and practiced them. At the end he was very tired.

"You are doing good." Smoky said. Lakewater smiled. Soon he would have all the battle moves down, and be ready for this big war. But who would he be fighting against?

Chapter 9

Viperfire walked through the forest. Today he was going to relax. But just today. He needed to train his new apprentice, Blackpaw. He thought about Flame, his old best friend. I wish he were here. Viper had named his clan Flameclan. Mostly because flame's were powerful and strong, like his clan, but also because he missed his old friend and vaugely hoped that he would come back. Suddenly he heard a rustle in the bushes and a orange tom came out.

"Flame!" Viper purred, very suprised. "Is it really you?"

"Viper!" Flame purred back.

"Where have you been?" Viperfire demanded. "I searched all over for you, and I thought you had left the forest!"

"Just hanging around." Flame shrugged. "You know me, wandering here and there. Well, what did you want?"

"I wanted you to join Flameclan. I am the leader. and I thought that it would be nice to have you in my clan. We're strong, powerful and I'm sure that all my clanmates would love to have you in my clan." Viperfire said proudly.

Flame looked at Viperfire, looking amazed. "You really want me to be in your clan!?" Flame said.

"Yes. I also want to you to be my deputy, which means you will become leader after me. So, did you want to?" Viperfire asked.

"Would I like too?! I'd be honored!" Flame said. "But are you sure I would make a good deputy?"

"Flame, you are the strongest, cleverest cat I know. I'm sure that when you're leader you will lead this clan into victory and triumph!" Viperfire said. "Now follow me back to camp."

The two toms talked to each other as they made their way back to camp. Viperfire was happy. The two toms had met each other and become friends long ago. Flame was strong. Powerful.

Flame will be very useful when we go to war...

---

"Clan meeting!" Viperfire yowled. Soon the clan had gathered.

"I have one more addition to our clan; this is Flame. He and I go back a long ways. I have decided he will join the clan and be our deputy. From this moment on he will be known as Flameclaw."

"Flameclaw! Flameclaw!" The clan cheered.

Viperfire looked around at his clan proudly. Flame, no, Flameclaw, was a great addition to his clan. Flameclaw would be a great leader someday. He was strong and brave. And I will help Flameclaw become a sucessful leader someday.

Like me.

Chapter 10

Lakewater walked towards the nursery. He wanted to look at his kits again. As he approached the nursery, Sunnykit, Pebblekit and Wavekit came tumbling out of the nursery, tripping over their own feet. Lakewater purred. "Hi Daddy!" Sunnykit said.

While Pebblekit and Sunnykit chatted away, Wavekit snuck behind Lakewater, then pounced on his tail, his tiny claws unsheathed.

"Oww!" Lakewater yowled. He whipped around just in time to see Wavekit scampering away. Lakewater smiled. Wavekit was so good at sneaking up on cats.

"Oww!" Lakewater yowled again. He turned agian to see Sunnykit and Pebblekit running into the nursery, laughing. He licked his feet. Now his paws and his tail hurt. He snuck into the nursery, and jumped out at the kits and yowled, "Where are my kits? I want to see my kits!"

"We're here!" they all sqeaked, and ran to him.

"I think that my kits scratched my tail and paws!" he said.

"Oh no! He's gonna get us!" they squealed. They dived underneath a leaf. Lakewater could hear them giggling.

He put a paw under the leaf and scooped them all out. "Ahh!" they squealed. He tickled them till they all squealed "Please!  Let us go! We won't scratch you again!" Lakewater stopped, although he knew they would scratch him again.

After a game of play fight the kits went to sleep. Lakewater walked to give out patrols. His kits should become apprentices soon. As he walked to the tall tree, he smiled to himself. Yes, they would be apprentices very soon.

---

"Sunnykit, Pebblekit, Wavekit, do you all accept the path of a warrior? And do you accept being an apprentice, which means that you accept to follow the leaders word, and protect this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Lakewater said.

"I do" Sunnykit said.

"I do" Pebblekit said.

"I do" Wavekit said.

"From this moment on you will be known as Sunnypaw, Pebblepaw and Wavepaw!" Lakewater yowled. Pebblepaw was smiling. Wavepaw's eyes were gleaming, and he was smiling. Sunnypaw was smiling, her eyes were gleaming, and she was bouncing up and down. "Sunnypaw! Pebblepaw! Wavepaw!" everyone cheered. Lakewater watched happily.

Suddenly he saw gleaming green eyes. It was Viper. Time seemed to slow down as Lakewater heard him whisper four words, four words that made Lakewater frozen with shock.

"We are at war."

Like this book? Then read the next one, Lake and Flame Meet

Please comment if you like this! It feels great when I know that people are reading this!