One Change (Book One of Mountains Series)

Book Summary: *COMING SOON*

Allegiances Of MountainClan

Leader: Smokestar, grey she-cat with deep blue eyes. (Apprentice: Mountainpaw)

Deputy: Hawkwing, brown tabby tom with blue eyes.

Medicine cat: Yarrowtail, elderly, golden she-cat with green eyes and a ringing orange tail. (Apprentice: Flowerpaw)

Warriors:

Lionfur, a young golden-brown tom with green eyes.

Greywing, a silver she-cat with amber eyes.

Badgerscar, a one-eyed black tom with amber eyes and brown stripes.

Firepelt, a ginger tom with amber eyes and a ringed tail.

Mouse-ear, a tiny grey she-cat with small ears and blue eyes. (Apprentice, Runningpaw)

Tortoisefur, a tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes.

Goldendapple, a golden she-cat with green eyes. (Apprentice, Tawnypaw.)

Robinwing, a red tom with amber eyes. (Apprentice, Lynxpaw.)

Sunstreak, a bright yellow tom with green eyes. (Apprentice, Stonepaw.)

Apprentices:

Flowerpaw, a orangy-pink she-cat with golden and white ears and green eyes. (Mentor, Yarrowtail.)

Mountainpaw, a light brown tabby tom with green eyes. (Mentor, Smokestar.)

Lynxpaw, a tan-brown she-cat with forest green eyes. (Mentor, Robinwing.)

Runningpaw, a white and black tom with blue eyes. (Mentor, Mouse-ear.)

Tawnypaw, a light golden she-cat with blue eyes. (Mentor, Goldendapple)

Stonepaw, a grey tom with black paws and blue eyes. (Mentor, Sunstreak.)

Queens:
Willowface, a grey she-cat with blue eyes, her own kits died, so she stays in the nersury, providing milk for Sweetfrost's kits when her milk didn't come.

Sweetfrost, a elderly pink-grey she-cat with amber eyes, kits born.

Honeyfur, a golden tabby she-cat with green eyes, expecting kits.

Kits:
Kits of Sweetfrost:
Smallkit, a small, weak silver tom with unopened eyes.

Duskkit, a brown-grey tom with unopened eyes.

Longkit, a black and white tom with unopened eyes.

Elders:

Thorn-ear, a patchy grey tom with green eyes, and many small holes in his ears from prior battles.

Whisper-wind, a almost mute she-cat with grey fur, amber eyes, and a muzzle silvered with age.

Crookedstep, a small black and white tom with blue eyes and a twisted right-frontleg.

Allegiances Of DarkClan

Leader: Clawstar, a ragged furred brown tabby tom with one amber eye.

Deputy: Smogfur, a dark grey tom with lime green eyes.

Medicine cat: Torchpelt, a bright ginger tom with gold eyes.

Warriors:

Tornscar, a grey tom with green eyes and long, jagged scars.

Mothswarm, a grey she-cat with black flecks and blue eyes.

Greyfang, a brown tom with a long, jagged fang, greyed with age and amber eyes.

Smallfoot, a black tom with a tiny white deformed paw and a white ear, and amber.

Darkmoon, a dark tortoiseshell tom with green eyes.

Apprentices:
Crowpaw, a black tom with green eyes.

Redpaw, a dark ginger she-cat with green eyes.

Frostpaw, a pretty white she-cat with blue eyes.

Queens:
Nightwind, a blue-black she-cat with green eyes, kits born.

Brightflower, a black and white she-cat with amber eyes, kits born.

Kits:
Two unnamed kits of Nightwind.

Three unnamed kits of Brightflower.

Elders:
Hawk-eye, a brown and grey patched tom with long scars and amber eyes.

Snowpeak, a white she-cat with blue eyes.

Allegiances Of StreamClan

Leader: Pondstar, a blue-grey tom with brown eyes.

Deputy: Foggyclaw, a silver tom with amber eyes.

Medicine Cat: Reedtail, a muddy brown tom with green eyes.

Warriors:
Quickleap, a blue-silver tom with blue eyes.

Shortfur, a dark grey tom with almost no fur and amber eyes.

Fishstrike, a sleek black she-cat with green eyes.

Streamripple, a blue-grey tom with silver stripes like ripples in his fur, and amber eyes.

Frostpelt, a snowy white she-cat with brown patches and blue eyes.

Stoneclaw, a dark grey tom with amber eyes.

Apprentices:
Salmonpaw, a cream tom with green eyes.

Swiftpaw, a blue-grey tom with amber eyes.

Queens:
Dewdrip, a grey and silver she-cat with blue eyes, unknown status.

Kits:
Unknown.

Elders:
Starkfeather, a hairless cat with green eyes.

Allegiances Of BreezeClan

Leader: Swiftstar, a light brown tom with amber eyes.

Deputy: Lightbreeze, a golden she-cat with green eyes.

Medicine Cat: Driftingleaf, a brown and white tom with yellow eyes.

Warriors:

Snaketooth, a stonge grey warrior with overlapping canine teeth and blue eyes.

Rushstep, a wiry black and white tom with green eyes.

Volefur, a brown tom with amber eyes.

Apprentices:
Featherpaw, a silver tabby with blue eyes.

Queens:
UNKNOWN

Kits:
Four unknown kits.

Elders:
UNKNOWN

Allegiances Of RogueClan

Leader: Clawstar, a black and white tom with amber eyes.

Deputy: Vole, a pale tan tom with a white tail and chest and green eyes.

Medicine Cat: Pine, a reddish-brown tom with green eyes.

Fighters:

Tawny, a golden she-cat.

Grass, a tortoiseshell tom.

Pool, a blueish-grey she-cat.

Sharplook, a brown tom with wide amber eyes.

Reflection, a silver tom with black stripes and grey eyes that reflect anything.

Larkfur, a reddish-brown tom with amber eyes.

Minx, a light orange tom with white paws.

Queens:
Unknown.

The Clans Code (Newer rules then the Warrior Code)

1. Defend your Clan even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but you may only meet with them during the Full-Moon Gathering, or a Sun-High Ravine gathering.
2. Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
3. Elders and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders.
4. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
5. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
6. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
8. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies or retires, unless the leader wished otherwise prior to death.
9. After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
10. A Full-Moon Gathering of all five Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
11. A Sun-High Gathering is only acceptable within the ravine, and not anywhere else.
12. Apprentices must be at least 8 moons to participate in a Sun-High Gathering, and must be accompanied by his or her mentor, or two warriors, and at least one warrior from each clan must be there to moniter the conversations.
13. A full warrior must give notice to the leader, or the deputy, if the leader is not available, before leaving to the Sun-High Gathering.
14. Kits and Medicine Cats or their Apprentices may NOT be used as hostages.
15. Challenge all trespassing cats who dare enter your territory.
16. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.
17. The word of the Clan leader is law, and is to only be challanged if the law is in direct violation of the code.
18. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense.
19. A warrior may only mingle with Kitty-pets and accept their noureshment if it is vital to the cat's survival.
20. The Sun-High gathering must disperse before the sun is set.

Medicine Cat Rules

1. A Medicine Cat may not accept a mate or bear kits.
2. A Medicine Cat MUST share any Omen with the Leader, unless otherwise instructed by StarClan.
3. Only the Medicine Cat may go to the Heart Tree to speak with Starclan.
4. Apprentices will be taught an even amount of battling and herb knowlage.
5. A Medicine Cat may NOT be attacked, unless for self-defense.
6. A Medicine Cat MUST share supplies with other clans during outbreaks of Greencough, or Whitecough.
7. A Medcine Cat may not speak with the Dark Forest.
8. A Medicine Cat may not speak of the Dark Forest with the other clan cats.
9. A Medicine Cat may not speak of Skyclan with the other clan cats.
10. A Medicine Cat may only store up to four Deathberries at one time.
11. At the Medicine Cat gathering at the Heart Tree, the medicine cats are to bring important herbs, such as Catnip, to the gathering and pool it, and then devide it evenly for all of the clans.
12. Medicine Cats may not be used as hostages.

Prologue

It was dark... very dark... The only light was the sickly growing of fungus on the trees, and a pair of yellow eyes, leering out from the darkness...

My jaw tightened. I should have never come here... I should be under the stars, watching my kin in the forest.... I tried as hard as I could, but when I tried to access the forest within my head, all I could see was a dark, swirling fog...

"It gets easier, in time..." the yellow eyes meowed.

I felt a prickle of unease. "If you can read that, I suppose you know my purpose here...."

"Of course I know.. I know many things you don't, my.. friend..." A dark, rumbling chuckle escaped from the yellow eyed one in the shadows...

"But do you know what I truely want? I think not. Search harder." I mewed, slightly pleased he could not hear all my thoughts.

He cocked his head, and began to focus.. He tensed, and then after a moment that could have been days, or seconds, he relaxed again.

"No.. you have it.. too hidden... It is like hunting for me... I can only catch the prey out and about, not the ones in their burrows.." He laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"I see." I replied dryly. "Though even if you know what I want, weather or not you will comply is a different story, isn't it?"

"Ah, you know me well, Firestar." The shadows moved, and then a massive shape prowled out into the small clearing..

"very... well..." He said, eyeing me speculativly.

"Just a good guess. I've known you for many moons, Tigerstar." I mewed curtly.

"I know." He purred as he circled me.

"The Clans are going to face a great danger... They will not survive without you... It will be just as bad as the last time... Perhaps worse... The... Silent Ones...I doubt they will let anyone escape this time.. The secret is of great importance..."

"I must say, I have no need, or want, to help you. The clans below have no meaning to me..."

I clenched my teeth to stop a growl from slipping out.

"Of course, Tigerstar... Starclan is ready to give up some things for this...I'm sure you could use.. some new... additions to your clan?" I mewed quietly.

His eyes brightened now, curious.

"Ah... Well, that could change things.. Do not get me wrong, Hawkheart is well trained in medicine.. quite a fighter too..." A purr escaped his throat.

"but... Spottedleaf... ah, Spottedleaf.. She would make a even better Medicine cat... As you see..." his voice turned reluctant, carful...

Of course he would not want to expose any weakness in Tigerclan...

"Hawkheart doesn't see the same as other medicine cats..he is.... limited... he has diffucultly predicting things.. often they turn out wrong.. But Spottedleaf! She.. her visions are beyond perfection..." His eyes turned greedy, fantasizing... pondering...

"Not that." I hissed. "Spottedleaf goes where I go, and I will never go there." I spat.

I shuddered inwardly as I remembered Sandstorm's face as I chose my true love... hurt.. anger.. disbelief... she had fled, far away, into the skies unknown...

I snapped back to reality as Tigerstar spoke again.

"She could change her mind.. you cannot make her desicions for her..." He growled.

"Fine. I will pass it on." I hissed.

"Good, good.." he purred. "now what were you proposing?"

"We need you to train them. Teach them what only you know. In return for training these cats for the battle ahead... you may pick one.. to..." I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat, and forced the words out.

"to keep.. as your own warrior... He will fight until the battle is over, and then... he is yours."

it felt wrong, using a cat like that.. to bargain for a cat's will... to give him up, to make him serve such a cat..

Tigerstar's eyes gleamed. "Ahh.. I see... Any cat?" He mused.

his amber eyes bore into mine, searching, trying to find any indication that I did not speak the truth. He found nothing.

"very well.. I see how hard this must be... I accept. I shall begin his training soon... at eight moons..." Tigerstar purred.

"I will train every apprentice I see fit. And perhaps a few warriors..." he said.

I nodded. "A Starclan cat will be present at all times, to watch the training.

"Very well. Send... Thistleclaw. He will not judge our battles..." Tigerstar meowed.

"Fine. And Addarfang and Dustpelt." I added.

"Good... Now I must return to my clan, as you must too. Goodbye, Firestar.." The massive tabby turned away from me, and hurdled off into the forest.

I turned in alarm as I saw a lithe shape creep from the shadows.

"Relax." he grumbled. "I am only here to escort you back.."

and I followed Darkstripe, through the shadows.. to the stars...

Pre-Story Part One

"Shh, Runningkit. Mountainkit is still asleep." Goldendapple murmured to her kit.

"No he's not!" Flowerkit mewled in protest.

Mountainkit shifted in my nest, and flicked my ear in agreement. He most certaintly was not asleep. At least, He guessed he wasn't. He hoped this wasn't sleep, because the other kits, Runningkit, Tanwykit, Lynxkit and Stonekit seemed to ordered to do it often, and it was quite boring being in darkness.

Flowerkit, Mountainkit's bolsterous sister, was already awake, and trilling loudly in his ears.

"Mother, when will Mountainkit wake up?"

Feeling a prickle of irritance, like when his fur had been rubbed the wrong way, he forced my eyelids to pull up along with his jaw to speak.

He was left speechless though, as all he could see was blinding, searing light. He blinked his eyes, trying to make it go away. How do they see anything??

But surely enough, the light faded to a softer degree, and he began to notice the shapes of things. There were many, small strange shapes all around him. And there were bigger shapes, much bigger shapes, sitting atop the smaller shapes. These were bulky, and varied more in shape, but they all had similarities.

They had feet, and tails, and heads and ears. But the colors were different. Greywing, Mountainkit's mother, was a beautiful, slight silvery tabby with blue eyes. And Goldendapple was thick pelted, with fur the color of the blinding light that filled the nersury. Sweetfrost stood out more, her belly was rounded gently, and her fur color was that of a faded rose petal. Mountainkit also caught a glimpse of the small Mouse-Ear, who was grooming a single, large black-and-white spotted kit with a sleek pelt and gleaming eyes.

As he heard the stifled gasp of the queens, he recovered my voice, and was eager to be in the spotlight. "I have been awake! I just.. Didn't have my eyes open!" he mewled indiginantly.

Sweetfrost purred, "what a cute little kit."

Mountainkit felt embarresed. Didn't he look like a warrior, like them? But as he looked into my mother's eyes, he saw the reflection of a fuzzy, brown kit with wide green eyes.

But as he saw the other kits head towards me, he noticed that Flowerkit, Stonekit and Lynxkit particularily, looked very much like him. Though their fur was washed, it still had the fluffy look of a new kitten.

"Yay!" Flowerkit squealed, "cmon, momma said that you can come with us to see the camp, where all the warriors and leader and other cats are!"

He pulled myself to my paws as fast as I could, and bounded towards his mother.

"Can I? Really mama?" he felt excitement tingling from my tail his my toes.

"Okay, okay, alright. As long as Runningkit goes with all of you."
Runningkit puffed out his chest with an air of great importance, and looked solemly at Mountainkit's mother.

"I'll take care of them."

She purred a purr colored with amusment, "I'm sure you will, especially from the foxes!"

The proud kit did not seem to notice anything but sincerity, and bounded out the opening of the leafy den.

"C'mon kits!"

Mountainkit mrrowed with laughter as I heard Lynxkit mutter, "Foxes? Really? In camp?"

As he padded into the light, he expected another large confine, much like the nersury. But he was shocked to see that he now stood in a large dip in the ground, stretching so far he could hardly see the slopes that lead up to the normal ground level.

"Wow.." he murmured, trying to make his eyes reach the boundary of the camp.

Lynxkit's tail lashed back and forth anxiously, her eyes wide as a startled owl's.

"What about the foxes?" She whined at the top of her voice.

"Foxes?" rumbled a deep voice.

Mountainkit and the other kits all turned towards the growling voice, bristling.

A huge brown tabby stood before them, his blue eyes hostile.

He smelled vaguely of the scents that were brought in on the prey their mother ate in the nersury. On him Mountainkit could smell the trees, the ferns, the deep, musky scent of wet, rotted mulch, and most prominently, the scent of prey-blood.

"Thats a bunch of lousy foxdung you heard," he snarled the curses, leaving the kits wide eyed, "I can assure you that the best warriors in the forest are guarding this camp, and to think that a fox would enter is an insult to our training!" He finished with a menacing rumble from deep in his throat, and then stalked away in anger.

The silence was broken by Flowerkit.

"What a grump!" She mewled.

Mountainkit was oblivious to the loud murmurs of my friends and sibling.

Mountainkit was focused on the brown cat's menacing gaze which he aimed at him, his eyes never left Mountainkit until he disapeared into a rocky tunnel.

"Mountainkit, look out!" Came Flowerkit's squeal.

Before he could react, a ball of moss hit him in the side of my face, wet and disgusting.

"Hey," Lynxkit hissed, "do you have bees in your brain?"

"No." he mumbled, still taken aback by the brown cat's harsh words and stoney gaze. "I'm gonna go explore on my own."

Runningkit stepped into Mountainkit's path as he turned for the leader's rock.

"Where do you think your going?"

"umm," he mewed, "the camp?"

"No way!" He squeaked, annoyed. "I'm in charge, and you have to-"
He broke off as Mountainkit made a quick dart between his legs, and into the shelter of a sprig of grass.

Mountainkit heard his angry yowls behind me, but once he was through the grass, he kept running, right into a croud of cats, which to him seemed to be mostly made of legs and paws, until he found myself under the shelter of a large bush.

He sat there, panting, and gazed out through a gap in the leafs.

Runningkit darted around the clearing, sniffing. Once or twice he got close to the bush, but eventually he gave up the search and retired to the antics of the kits, where he batted a ball of moss clear over their heads.

Mountainkit sighed, and then turned, only to find himself facing four sets of curious eyes, and he froze.

One of the pairs of eyes stepped forward into the light, his fur a blazing orange.

"Hi!" He mewed in a friendly tone.

"h-hi." He murmured, watching anxiously as the other three sets of eyes melted in beside the orange tom.

One was a large golden tom with a thick ruffle of fur around his face, and the other was a golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes, and the last one was a beautiful dark tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

"I'm Firepaw," introduced the orange tom, "and this is Lionpaw" he motioned to the golden tom, "Honeypaw, and Russetpaw."

"Hello." Mountainkit said lamely, not knowing what else to say.

"Who are you?" Asked Firepaw, his amber eyes shining with interest in the darkness.

"Mountainkit." He responded, shifting his weight to his other paw.

"Hi Mountainkit!" Mewed Russetpaw in a friendly tone, looking enthused to meet the young kit.

"Hi Russetpaw." He said, liking the energetic aura that emminated from her.

"I see you met Hawkwing." said the golden tom, with a voice that seemed too young for such a huge cat.

"H-hawkwing?"

The golden tabby rolled her eyes, and Russetpaw rebuked her with a sharp nudge.

"Big tabby, short temper, creepy stare?"
"Oh.. Oh yeah, I met him." He said, trying to look brave, though he was sure his expression looked terrified.

"Don't worry," meowed Firepaw, "he's grumpy with everyone, even kits. Though he's probably in a even fouler mood today then usual."

"Why is that?" Mountainkit's interest piqued.

Lionpaw's eyes flashed in grief, and he hid his head.

"our previous leader, Cedarstar, died of a snake bite." Firepaw mewed, and his strong voice betrayed the sadness in his blue eyes.

"How?" the kit sqeaked asked, wide eyed. How could a snake kill the leader of Mountainclan? He has nine lives!"

"He was out on hunting patrol with Hawkwing, and Hawkwing told Cedarstar that there was a crow in a big old tree, and he went up to get it, but he was bitten by a snake. It was so venomous it took his last three lives all at once. Hawkwing tried to bring him back to camp, but he was on the brink of death, Yarrowtail couldn't save him."

"So Hawkwing is sad?" Mountainkit wondered.

"No, strangly enough, our old deputy, Snaketail, died early that morning in his sleep, he was very old. Cederstar asked his old friend Hawkwing to come with him on a hunting patrol to greive, and think about who could replace Snaketail as deputy. Hawkwing thought that he would become leader, with Smokefur as his deputy, as he was popular with the clan, but when he brought Cedarstar back to camp, he announced that Smokefur would be leader."

Mountainkit's eyes widened. "Wow, poor Hawkwing and Cederstar..." he murmured.

Honeypaw continued to stare at Mountainkit curiously, and he began to shuffle his paws in embarresment.

"You.. Your one of Smokestar's kits, arent you?"

"Y-yeah. My mother is Greywing." he mewled.

"Wow, thats really cool." Purred Lionpaw.

Honeypaw nodded in agreement. "My father, Badgerscar, said that he was Smokestar's mentor," she then lowered her voice "he told me Smokestar was a big troublemaker!"

"Was I?" A deep voice purred.

Honeypaw's face paled, but Mountainkit ignored her.

Russetfur suppressed a mreow of laughter at Honeypaw's frightened expression.

"Father!" Mountainkit mewled, scampering forward to look up into his face.

He purred, "hello, son, and what exactly are you doing in the apprentices' den? Last time I checked, you were still a kit." He affectionetly flicked him with his tail tip.

"S-smokestar!" Honeypaw stammered, "I.. I was just telling Mountainkit about some of your adventures of when you were a apprentice, the ones Badg-"

Smokestar cut her off smoothly, "Its okay, Honeypaw. Badgerscar is right, I was always one for trouble." He purred in amusement, and turned to his kit.

"Do you want to hear some of them?" He mewed.

"Y-yeah!" Mountainkit mewled, feeling his eyes go wide.

"Okay, come on." He turned to pad out, flicking his tail in a motion to signal that he should follow.

"Bye Mountainkit, Smokestar!" Meowed Russetpaw after us.

"Bye!" Mountainkit squeaked back to the friendly she-cat.

"Flowerkit, Lynxkit, Stonekit, Runningkit, come here." He yowled out to them, his tail waving back and forth.

The four kits ran for the leader and his kit, tumbling and giggling all the way, until Flowerkit finished with a roll right into Smokestar's foreleg.

"I win!" She crowed happily.

Smokestar picked her up, kicking and struggling, and set her down with our denmates.

She licked her ruffled fur, and gave Smokestar a peeved look.

Smokestar ignored her, and looked down at them.

"I'd like to share a story with you all.. Would you like to accompany me to my den?"

Runningkit's eyes grew wide, but he answered calmly.

"Yes, that would be great." Runningkit stretched so far on his toes to try to look tall, it seemed as though he would topple any moment.

"Follow me then." And Mountainkit padded right after him, his pelt bristling with excitement.

I'm going to see the leader's den! he thought, his tail lashing uncontrollably.

Smokestar picked up a plump water vole that was laying outside his den, and padded under the overhang that jutted out from the side of the rock, and curled down slightly, providing a small, cool shadowed cave.

"Now," said Smokestar, settling into a mossy nest, and taking his first bite into his vole, started his story.

"Now," he said again, brushing a tuft of fur from his whiskers, "this story is a long, long time ago, when I was a apprentice. I think this story will be very educational-"

Stonekit whined slightly, "educational?"

"Now, don't worry, there's some action too." He assured the grey kit, and started again.

"So lets see, how old was I? Oh yes, I was about ten moons. I was an apprentice alongside Mousepaw, Sunpaw, Greypaw, Yarrowpaw, Hawkpaw, Sparrowpaw."

"Who's Sparrowpaw?" Lynxpaw mewed, trying the new name on her tongue.

"Hawkpaw and Yarrowpaw's sister." Smokestar replied, slicing off the leg of the vole cleanly, and offering it to Runningkit.

"Thanks." Runningkit murmurred, his voice muffled by the sound of him cracking the bone in his mouth.

"Where was I? Oh yes, when I was ten moons, I was in camp, sharing tongues with Greypaw. It was green-leaf, and the clan was well..

Sparrowpaw, who was a pretty brown tabby, padded up to me and sneered;

'still sharing tongues with the half-clanner?',

for Greypaw," here he looked at me and Flowerkit, "your mother, was half Streamclan. Her father was Pondtail, now Pondstar, and her mother was Silversong, now known as Whisper-wind."

I was suprised. Mother was Half-clan? I looked at my own pelt, which was of medium length, and for once I noticed my build, which was much larger then any of the other kits, even my sister Flowerkit was smaller-set, and she was larger then the other kits too.

"I suspect that Sparrowpaw's grudge ran deeper then blood, for she always padded after me as a kit before Greywing was born," meowed Smokestar, "and she always hated Greypaw, even when she died... But one day, Sparrowpaw and the rest of us came of age to go to a sun-high ravine gathering, and at the time apprentices could go on their own."

Stonekit turned to me, looking excited, and mewed, "I wonder if we'll get to go to a sun-high gathering soon!"

"Not until we are eight moons though." I purred to the friendly grey tom.

Stonekit's eyes widened. "But I want to go now!"
Here Lynxkit cuffed her brother's ear, and growled, "shut up, Smokestar is telling us about Sparrowpaw!!"

I snapped my attention back to my father, who was still talking.

"So Sparrowpaw fell in love with Nightpaw, of Darkclan, and but she didn't see the evil that lurking in his every gaze, feel the burning hatred for Mountainclan beneath his pelt. He took advantage of Sparrowpaw, and since no warrior was present to supervize, Nightpaw had Sparrowpaw spy for him, telling her that Darkclan was the noblest clan of them all, and so they

needed to destroy Mountainclan, and be with her."

Runningkit lept to his paws, his fur on end, and his lip curled, exposing sharp fangs.

I flinched back at the kit, who looked more like a large apprentice at smallest, and I flinched more still when he growled,

"I wouldv'e shredded them both!" He lept into the air, and slashed an invisible enemy in front of him, until he landed, his eyes still gleaming.

"Not everything requires violence," Smokestar warned, "sometimes words can win over claws."

Runningkit snorted, but didn't reply.

"So when the day of battle came, and Darkclan came, led by Pinestar, a evil cat, Sparrowpaw realized her mistake, and attempted to stop them, and she whirled around, and met the patrol with fangs bared.

"It was then that Nightpaw turned on her, and used his claws to rip the life out of her," Smokestar's eyes became glazed with horror and disbelieve as he relived the scene,

"and I saw this, and I ran back and told Cedarstar, who brought a larger patrol, and we brove out the Darkclan patrol."

Flowerkit eyes widened, "wow, your like, the bravest cat in the clan!"

"Of course he is," Mountainkit purred, "he's the leader!"

Smokestar smiled, and continued, "Greypaw tried to h

elp Sparrowpaw back to camp, but she only spat at her, and told her it was her fault the Darkclan attacked, because she took me away from her. Then she died, right in front of us."

He mew was sharpened with sorrow, but then he strengthened and added, "and that is how the rule came to be, that a warrior must accompany the apprentices."

Mountainkit nodded, pondering Sparrowpaw's death. How did she betray her clan like that? Was her hate for Greypaw that deep? He shivered, and flicked his head back over his shoulder, and saw a glint of icy blue eyes staring at him from the shadows.

Chapter One

Mountainkit was overjoyed, so much that his paws were trembling with eagerness.

Flowerkit was beside him, her eyes wide, but standing still as stone, "D'you think that Yarrowtail will take me as a apprentice?"

"Of course," he replied, though a bit sadly, "but don't you want to be a warrior? We can share the same den!"

She shook her head, "I don't want to fight, I want to heal! And Yarrowtail can teach me about herbs and things!" she leapt up, her fur puffing out.

"Flowerkit!" Greywing scolded lightly, "Your messing up your fur, I just groomed it."

Flowerkit nodded, "Sorry mother."

Willowface, who was curled around Rosefrost's kits, nursing them, purred, "I remember how excited I was to be a apprentice."

The old pinkish queen, Rosefrost, purred, "I can remember too. I was nervous as a vole being stalked by a whole patrol of cats."

Willowface nudged Rosefrost, "Ah, when was that? Before we arrived at the mountains?" she said teasingly.

Rosefrost shoved her a bit, "I'm not that old!" she purred.

Willowface purred, "But, you were around before there were so many flying twoleg things over the Thunderpath!"

Mountainkit felt a touch of fear, "Do I have to go near them?"

Willowface lapped at a ruffled part of Mountainkit's head, "It depends where your mentor will take you. If you do, don't worry, they will just fly over you."

Flowerkit twitched her ears, "I heard that cats used to get hit all the time on the thunderpath by ground monsters."

"Not all the time," Honeyfur said, the pregnant queen stirring from her nap, "Just sometimes. That one riencarnated cat, Cinderpelt, got her paw twisted on the thunderpath, so Starclan let her have a second chance."

Mountainkit pricked his ears, "Where was that?"

"A long time ago, in the ancient clan, ThunderClan." Greywing answered, peering out of the den.

Mountainkit turned, and spotted Smokestar climbing up the Mountain Rock.