Warrior Cats of the Future: Book 1

[lakeripple]

Prologue
A dark ginger tom stood on a rock and looked down at many cats on the hard, wet ground below him, his coat mussed and full of bristles. The cats below him cowered from his gaze, their noses touching the ground in fear. A white she-cat stood on the rock next to him, with her pretty green eyes wide open in sorrow, a kit pressed up against her, whimpering. The she-cat’s eyes, full of fear, complete loathing, and grief and she would not meet the ginger tom’s cold, gray eyes. A sob broke from her and she lowered her head.
The tom raised his head and called out, “Bring them before me!”
A black tom and a dark brown tom stepped out of the ranks, pushing a small ginger tom and a little ginger kit to the foot of the rock then backed away, snarling at the two. The tom on the rock looked down at them, his eyes glittering.
“Twitch,” he addressed the older cat. “You have been brought to the foot of Death Rock for suspected weakness. What do you have to say?”
Twitch locked his gray eyes with the cat’s. “Nothing!” he growled. “Nothing at all Thorn, brother.”
Thorn recoiled at the mention of their kinship and growled. “Then the punishment will go through, weakness or no weakness. Watch carefully Lily dear,” he cooed to the white she-cat.
Thorn leapt from the rock and landed in front of Twitch. Unsheathing his claws, he raked them across Twitch’s throat and stepped back. The little ginger tom let out a gurgle then was silent and slumped across the ground.
Now Thorn called to the cats. “The rules of The Dark Stars decree that a punishment given to a male warrior will be carried out to every male descendent of his.” Thorn gazed around at the sea of shocked faces. “As it happens,” he continued, “Twitch managed to produce one male descendent from his linage.” Thorn set his gaze on the tiny ginger kit. “It just happens to be Slip, brother of Light and son of Lily and Twitch.”
The white she-cat on the rock let out a wail of pure agony and tried to plead with Thorn. “Please no!” she begged. “My son, my only son!” She sobbed and begged and pleaded. “Take me, take me! Just don’t take either of my kits!”
Thorn let out a small purr. “Yet if I took you dear Lily, I would have to take Light as well. For The Dark Stars laws say that a punishment given to a female warrior is to be carried out in every female descendent of hers. Would you rather loose both or just Slip?”
Lily cried hopelessly, but sat on top of Light so that the ginger tom could not get her. “He’s just a kit!” she sobbed. “I wish that the Tribe of Dark Deaths would just take you now!”
The ginger tom ignored the white she-cat. “Shadow,” he called. “I shall not waste my energy on this kit. Find an apprentice to do it.”
The black tom who had brought Twitch and Slip to the Death Rock turned and looked at the apprentices. He nodded one of them, eyes cold and thirsting for another kill to be made.
A huge black tom with the same cold gray eyes of Thorn stepped out of the ranks and in front of Slip. The ginger kit trembled, but faced his enemy with the same bravery that his father had shone. The apprentice unsheathed his claws and brought them down on the back of Slip’s neck. It broke. Slip slumped to the ground, dead.
Lily let out a wail and raced off the rock and to the body of her son. The little white kit, Light, followed and bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. The apprentice walked back into the ranks of his Clan, and looked at the sight before him, eyes cold and unmoved. Thorn gazed at it the same way.
“Wave, Sight!” he called. “Take the two she-cats away and treat them for shock.” The Healer and her assistant did as they were told. “As for the rest of you,” Thorn’s gaze traveled over the rest of the Clan. “We have some planning to do…”

[lakeripple]

Chapter 1
Lakestar trudged into the SnowClan camp after a dawn patrol, followed closely by Brooksplash, Irispetal and Irispetal’s apprentice Sunpaw. Her own apprentice, Ripplepaw, raced up, bouncing on her paws. “Wolfpelt is going out with Slitherpaw for battle training at sunhigh!” Ripplepaw announced, sounding like a new apprentice and not the apprentice that Lakestar had been training for five and a half moons. “Can we go? We haven’t done battle practice in ages!”
Purring, Lakestar nodded. “It’ll do you some good to run off that energy. Perhaps Irispetal and Sunpaw can come too?” Out of the corner of Lakestar’s eye she saw the white she-cat nod and felt Sunpaw’s pelt bristle with excitement behind her. “Brooksplash, go find Woodtail and ask him if he wants to bring Sharppaw too.”
After a few quick heartbeats Brooksplash ran up to Lakestar, her tail streaming behind her. “Woodtail says he is coming,” she mewed quickly. “He says he has been meaning to give Sharppaw some battle practice.
“Good,” Lakestar mewed. “This way we can have a two on two practice fight. It’ll do these apprentices some good.”
“Yippee!” Ripplepaw mewed, leaping into the air. Then she paused. “May I get some fresh-kill from the pile now? I want to keep my energy up for practice.”
Lakestar looked at her apprentice. “Have you fed the elders, searched their pelts for ticks, changed the moss, contributed to the fresh kill pile, and brought some food to Rippedfur and Berrypaw?”
“Yes!” Ripplepaw meowed impatiently. “All the apprentice chores are done!”
“Then you may.” Lakestar mewed. “After you are done, you can take a mouse to Iciclewing and the other queens. They need to keep up their strength.”
Ripplepaw was already moving away, but she flicked her tail to show that she had heard. Lakestar stared at her as she left, feeling pride in her apprentice. Ripplepaw was a good young cat.
Sighing, Lakestar stared around her. The SnowClan camp was completely underground. The main area was a wide, naturally dug tunnel with other tunnels branching away to the dens. In the very center was an ancient stump known as High-stump, which for some reason grew underground. On the right side were four dens, starting with the warriors den nearest the entrance, then going on to the apprentices, the nursery, and finally the elders den. On the opposite side were three dens, Lakestar’s own, closest to the entrance, then the lightly sick or wounded den, were cats were kept if they were sick or wounded, but not so that their lives were threatened. Finally was the medicine cat den, where Rippedfur and Berrypaw slept, their herbs were stored, and cats whom had life threatening diseases or wounds slept. It was the smallest, but most protected den.
Looking behind her, Lakestar saw the familiar entrance tunnel. It was the most important tunnel, and it was wide and well dug, yet trampled by paw prints made by many generations of cats and it smelled very strongly of SnowClan. That wind-blown, frosty scent that was so familiar to her cats was always comforting to Lakestar. Comfort was exactly what Lakestar needed. For many nights her dreams had been haunted by small, but malicious cats with abnormally long teeth and claws. The same vision… and the same words always haunted it. Those words, a prophecy, Lakestar realized. They are coming… Silent and Darkness will fight, then join… Howls shall rule. What did it mean?
Unbidden, Lakestar’s paws turned to Rippedfur’s den. She needed the wisdom of a medicine cat. If anyone knew what the dreams meant, it would be the cats closest to StarClan in SnowClan, Rippedfur and Berrypaw.
Letting out a call of greeting, Lakestar stepped into the smooth tunnel. Moss covered the walls of the tunnel and it opened into a sheltered cave. Water streamed into a little pool in the back of it. Sunlight drifted in through a peephole and melted snow supplied the water for the pool from it. Herbs lined the walls and were fitted into little cracks. By the entrance there was a small nest for the little white medicine cat apprentice Berrypaw, and closer to the herbs was a larger nest for Rippedfur, the actual medicine cat. By the pool there were five moss nests laid out in preparation for any patients with life threatening diseases or wounds. In the one closest to the pool lay Riverpool, the youngest warrior in SnowClan. She had been attacked by a fox. Thankfully, she looked a lot better than she had earlier that moon. Berrypaw was applying marigold to her wounds and feeding her poppy seeds to make her sleep. The young cat certainly had been taught well.
“Yes Lakestar?” meowed a voice by the herb wall. “Anything we can do for you?”
Looking around, Lakestar saw a silvery-white she-cat with foamy sea-green eyes, and light gray paws. She was checking the stocks of herbs and noting which leaves and berries needed collecting. Lakestar had a sneaking suspicion that Rippedfur had not looked at her the entire time she had been here.
“Yes Rippedfur. I had a dream, well actually several dreams. All the same, but for several nights now.”
“Be right with you!” Rippedfur mewed, her voice suddenly interested. “I just need to finish this, ah yes, there. I’ll send Berrypaw out to collect some marigold and juniper later.” She turned around. “So, about these dreams. Any words spoken? Message? What sort of vision?”
Lakestar took a deep breath. “As I said, it’s always the same. In it are cats, most of them abnormally small, but some as large as ancient LionClan. Their teeth and claws are the longest and sharpest I have ever seen, and they glitter like the cats’ eyes, maliciously and cunningly and horribly evil. Next it always sounds like a prophecy.” Taking an even deeper breath, Lakestar narrowed her eyes. “They are coming… Silent and Darkness will fight, then join… Howls shall rule. What do you think?”
A hazy look came into Rippedfur’s eyes. “Interesting. Very interesting. You are right, it is a prophecy, one from StarClan. The other medicine cats and I have heard whisperings of Silent and Darkness in our dreams at the Moon-tree, but never a prophecy. I wonder… ‘They are coming’ must refer to the Darkness. ‘Silent and Darkness’ are the Clans, Silent for SilentClan, and these other cats, Darkness. ‘Fight then join’ is obvious. Fight is fight and join is come together, most likely in battle. I don’t know what ‘howls shall rule’ means. We must wait until StarClan shows us more.”
This made sense. Lakestar nodded and mewed her approval. “Thank you Rippedfur,” she meowed. “This was most helpful.” With that Lakestar stepped back into the medicine cat tunnel and padded back out to the main tunnel.

Lakestar watched as Sunpaw and Ripplepaw took on Slitherpaw and Sharppaw in the Combat Clearing. She watched Ripplepaw leap up in front of Sharppaw and bring her paw down on his head. Sharppaw quickly spun around and kicked her with his powerful back legs, balancing on his front legs expertly. Ripplepaw gave him a quick nip to the ear and he hissed, falling into defensive position. Suddenly Ripplepaw and Sunpaw fell into partner fighting style, their tails brushing, backs to each other, moving in a circle and fending off the toms with quick and elite jabs and nips. Both teams were quite good.
“Enough!” Lakestar called, ending the practice fight. Ripplepaw and Sunpaw fell apart, looking up expectantly. The two toms walked over to their mentors and purred heartily. Ripplepaw glanced over at Slitherpaw. The black and silver tom looked over at her. Ripplepaw ducked her head, but Slitherpaw padded quietly over to her and the two brushed fur and purred.
Purring amusement when she saw the two together, Lakestar drew all the apprentices close. “Very good all of you!” she praised. “Well done to your mentors for teaching you so well! You’ll be ready for any surprise attack!” The apprentices purred happily and puffed up their chests in pride. “Yet,” Lakestar mewed. “Let me show you how it’s done.” She nodded to the other mentors, who surrounded her.
Ripplepaw gasped. “She is going to take on all three at once!”
Wolfpelt, the most senior of the mentors, leaped first. Lakestar dodged quickly but hung out her claws in his path so that her defense move was also an offence move. Then she spun around like she had wings on her paws and nipped Wolfpelt’s tail. Wolfpelt spun around with his teeth bared, but Lakestar dodged behind him. Now Wolfpelt tried to kick her like Sharppaw had done on Ripplepaw, but Lakestar stepped away from the kick, tunneled into his front legs and unbalanced him. He fell and she pinned him down.
Now Woodtail sprang forward. As he tried to claw her from behind, Lakestar kicked his paws away with one of her back legs and spun on him, baring her teeth threateningly. Woodtail backed up, thingying his head and looking for an opening. Then he lunged for her side, but at the last moment turned to her head. Lakestar saw right through it. She took a step back, then lunged forward herself and knocked him over, now holding him down.
Finally Irispetal came forward, purple eyes popping out of her head, what she always did to threaten enemies. Lakestar refused to be daunted. She leaped onto Irispetal’s back and hung on, using her greater weight to push Irispetal to the ground. Then Lakestar leaped off and spun the white warrior over, holding her down with a paw on the chest.
The apprentices gaped at their leader. Never had any of them, except Ripplepaw, seen Lakestar fight, and never had they imagined that she was so fast, so cunning, so amazing at battle. They were sure that no cat in the mountain could match Lakestar in combat.
Tucking her tail neatly over her paws, Lakestar stared approvingly at the apprentices’ amazed faces. All cats who had never seen her fight before ended up like this. It was just a fact of her life.
Suddenly she saw movement in the shadows. Flicking her tail, Lakestar gathered her cats to her. Just beyond Combat Clearing was the border with StreamClan, behind some trees and near the place where Frozen-stream thawed. StreamClan cats were wily and clever, they were known for their precision and quietness, and were skilled fighters when threatened. Also, StreamClan was the only Clan who enjoyed swimming, even ShoreClan, the Clan by the waterfall could not boast that.
“Lakestar!” called a voice. “I know you are there, I just want to talk.”
“Stay here,” Lakestar told her Clan members. “It’s just Crystalstar. She is alone.” Lakestar couldn’t smell any other scents on the breeze, just Crystalstar’s, mixed with confusion and anxiety.
The normally calm white she-cat’s short fur was standing on end, and her blue eyes were clouded. Lakestar immediately had a feeling that she knew what was going on, but held her tongue so that she could make sure. Crystalstar turned to her, and then looked relieved to see that she was alone.
“Thank StarClan you trusted me!” the white StreamClan cat gasped. “I have been all agog with worry and confusion, and Streamfoot and Silentpaw can’t seem to explain anything to me. Not that they really have time, they are quite busy with their patients, this being Leafbare, the time of greencough and all, but it truly is urgent. I - I wanted to know if you have had any - any strange dreams lately.”
Lakestar looked at Crystalstar. Her suspicions had been correct. “As a matter of fact I have,” she meowed. “Yet Rippedfur was able to explain it to me. I would be happy to help you understand your dream, if indeed it is the same.”
Nodding, the StreamClan leader mewed, “I hope it is. I dreadfully hope it is. Yet I wonder why to us leaders and not the medicine cats? It seems so strange, yet I guess that’s StarClan for you. I wonder if the other leaders have had it too.”
“Wait a moment,” Lakestar commanded. “Who says it is the same dream? You haven’t told me of it.”
Crystalstar’s gaze grew hazy again. “No I haven’t, have I. Well, there are these cats, small and large, and fearsome. They have dreadfully long claws and fangs, and evil, glittering eyes. Then the words come: They are coming… Silent and Darkness will fight, then join…Howls shall rule. Dreadful, isn’t it?”
Lakestar nodded. “It’s the same dream all right. Rippedfur said the words were a prophecy…”
“That much I figured out,” Crystalstar mewed impatiently. “I’m not daft.”
“Of course you aren’t!” Lakestar purred. “I’m just stating the facts. So anyway, Rippedfur believes that the first part of the prophecy talks of the cats that are shown. The cats are ‘they’. ‘Silent’ is believed to mean all five Clans, as just before we separated at the mountain, we were one, SilentClan. ‘Darkness’ Rippedfur thinks is the same as ‘they’, the cats pictured in the dream. Obviously ‘fight then join’ means to fight, then to join, my medicine cats believe to most likely be in battle. Rippedfur has no idea about the last part.”
Crystalstar bowed her head, contemplating this. Then she fixed Lakestar with her clear blue gaze. “I will prepare my Clan to battle this unknown foe, and I hope you will do the same. At the gathering, I should think we should share this news with the other leaders. Keep safe Lakestar, you are too valuable a cat for the mountain to loose.”
Nodding her head, Lakestar turned away. “I wish the same for you Crystalstar,” she meowed before padding back to her own Clanmates. “Now,” she mewed to them. “Where were we?”

[lakeripple]

Chapter 2
Lakestar woke up at soon after she dosed off to a paw prodding her side. Then a voice mewed in her ear “Wake up Lakestar, you wanted to talk to the senior warriors so here we are.”
Blinking open her eyes she recognized her sister Embertail’s ginger fur and brown eyes. She quickly got to her feet and shook the moss off her blue-gray pelt. She stared around at her senior warriors: Embertail, Wolfpelt, Eagletalon, Amberpelt, Woodtail, Windleaf, and her deputy, Brooksplash. Her gazed lingered on Eagletalon the longest, burning inwardly with a strong emotion. Then she sighed, not liking what had to be done.
“You have all been told or were there at the time that Crystalstar asked to speak with me. Every cat here is familiar with this happening and knows about when it happened.” This brought forth a series of nods. “She wanted to speak about a dream, one that I have had as well.” This met looks of surprise. “We believe that the other leaders have had it too. What I am about to tell you concerns all Clans.”
“Lakestar,” Embertail meowed. “Whatever you have to say, don’t make it so suspenseful. You know how worried I get.”
“I know, I know,” Lakestar mewed. “Yet even Sleetstar would have had reason to be scared, as well as confused. It is that strange and frightening.” Stunned silence followed. Sleetstar had been leader before Lakestar and she was widely known as the most fearless cat ever to have walked along the mountain.
“The overall purpose of the dream is a prophecy. It goes as such: They are coming… Silent and Darkness will fight, then join…Howls shall rule. With it is a vision of evil cats, dark and malicious. They are overall cruel and frightening.
“No!” Windleaf mewed, trying to believe that this wasn’t true. “We are in a time of peace. How can this happen?”
“StarClan prophesied it Windleaf,” Woodtail mewed. “It will come true. The fighting, the joining, the blood wash of all this misery that those things bring will all come.” He hissed quietly. “We’ll have to join with the other Clans,” Woodtail growled. “That will bring trouble.”
Embertail nodded. “We must start preparation immediately if we expect to have a chance, even joined with the rest of the mountain Clans.”
“At least there is a gathering tonight,” Wolfpelt pointed out “We can discuss the matter at Gatherrock.”
Lakestar nodded. “But we must tell the Clan. I will be out in a while.” Then she waved her tail and the senior warriors padded away.

Once again Lakestar’s dreams were haunted by this ominous prophecy and the horrible vision. Yet this time there was more. A she-cat’s wail of grief, a kit’s cry of emotional pain, a choking sob of a dying warrior. Was this a sign? Was her Clan doomed to loose every one of its warriors? Did StarClan mean that there was no hope. Then a pair of dark, cold, malicious, gray eyes stared at her from the darkness of her dream. A throaty chuckle came from the direction of the eyes. Fangs sharp as thorns gleamed at her.
“We will capture the mountain,” mewed a razor sharp voice, commanding and clear. “The Tribe of Dark Deaths has decreed we will, or we will die. Dark Star Laws commend us to do their bidding. If the mountain is not ours soon… we will all die.”
Then the she-cat’s wail came again. “I wish the Tribe of Dark Deaths would take you now!” she sobbed. “Take you now, take you now…” Then the voice faded off leaving only those cold eyes, that sharp-toothed mouth, that piercing voice.
Lakestar woke up, gasping. Why did the dream change? Who was that cat? The questions burned in the leader’s mind, relentless. She felt more tired than she had when she had dozed off.

“Let all those older then kits gather for a Clan meeting,” she mewed, her voice loud but wavering. As her Clan collected beneath her she felt a jolt of fear for them. They all were too good to lose to StarClan yet. They must defeat these strange cats!
“Cats of SnowClan, a great evil is coming to the mountain! Some evil and malicious cats wish to invade and fight us! These cats are being called, by StarClan who prophesied their arrival, Darkness. Will they win against us?”
“No!” yowled the Clan. “They won’t!”
“Then we must fight with the other Clans to keep the peace! All warriors and apprentices will practice their fighting moves double time. Brooksplash, see to it!”
“Yes Lakestar,” Brooksplash mewed waving her tail in emphasis. “All cats’ battle fit will be so good soon that the Darkness cats will turn tail and flee!”
“Good Brooksplash,” Lakestar meowed, nodding. “Rippedfur, will you and Berrypaw be able to manage?”
“I’ll need another apprentice to help me collect herbs, but they’ll be able to battle once I’m set up.”
“All right,” Lakestar meowed. “You can have Ripplepaw to do your chores. Sunpaw may help too. Now, the kits will need a safe place to hide with the nursing and expecting queens just in case we are ambushed. I do not expect them to come very soon, but better be safe than sorry. Embertail and Wolfpelt, you’ll be in charge of scouting the surrounding territories for a good, safe place. Elders will also be moved there. This place will be shared by the other Clans if they wish.”
“I want extra patrols along the border with the Moon-tree and by Twolegplace. Watch for any strange cats. Keep friendly with the other Clans; they may be our only hope. Brooksplash, as usual you’re in charge of patrols. Now, for the gathering tonight, I will take Brooksplash, Rippedfur, Embertail, Eagletalon, Windleaf, Wispycloud, Irispetal, Moonlitpaw, Slitherpaw, Sunpaw, Berrypaw, and Foxbreath. I want to leave a good fighting force if these cats come earlier then expected. Wolfpelt and Silversong, you’re on guard duty. Woodtail, you’re in charge. Dismissed!”
As her Clan dispersed talking quietly among themselves, Lakestar had a sense of foreboding. Which of these wonderful cats would not make it past the battle? She knew Iciclewing, her other sister and Ripplepaw’s mother was safe, she was expecting kits and would therefore be sent to the safe place. But what about her eager young apprentice and niece, Ripplepaw? Or her other sister, Embertail? What about her trusted deputy and former apprentice, Brooksplash? Her senior warriors? The other apprentices? The younger warriors? She was safe with the nine lives of a leader. Yet her Clan members….
She was startled out of her gloomy thoughts by Brooksplash. “Lakestar?” Brooksplash meowed. “The cats you’ve chosen are waiting for you. We don’t want to be late for the gathering.”
“No, no. We don’t,” Lakestar mewed, shaking her head to clear it. Then she padded up to the front of the clump of cats and padded out into the gathering dusk.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 3
The SnowClan cats paused at the top of a huge hill leading downward into a humongous clearing with a large boulder in the center. Lakestar tasted the air. “Only HollyClan and LeafClan,” she murmured. “I wonder what could be keeping the others.” Then she signaled with her tail to her cats and they ran down they snow cloaked hill into the clearing.
Lakestar padded delicately up to a gray tom and a light tortoiseshell she-cat. She nodded to each of them then sat with her paws tucked gently under her tail. “Autumnstar,” she mewed to the she-cat. “Featherstar,” she nodded to the tom.
“Greetings Lakestar!” Autumnstar mewed, bowing her silky, long-haired, tortoiseshell head. “Featherstar and I were just discussing a most peculiar dream. You know of what we are talking about?”
“As a matter of fact Autumnstar, Crystalstar and I spoke of it when we saw each other at the border between our territories. We think we pretty much worked out the meaning, with the exception of the last part, ‘howls shall rule’.”
Featherstar gave a low growl, shaking his head. “Drat, we were hoping you could help us with that part, Rippedfur being the amazing medicine cat she is.”
“Yet it is the same dream! Featherstar, I told you,” Autumnstar meowed excitedly. “I also assume that Rippedfur believes that Darkness means the cats? Also that Silent means us?”
“Yes, yes, all true,” Lakestar nodded.
Featherstar looked up at the slope that led to ShoreClan territory and the bridge that peeked into StreamClan’s. “What is taking them so long?” he growled.
“My, my!” Autumnstar purred. “Someone’s in a bad mood.”
“No teasing!” Featherstar snapped. “I mean it! Some dumb apprentice thought it a good idea to put thorns in my bedding just before I took a break to catch up on some well-needed sleep. I’m pretty sure it was Leopardpaw. She is always getting into trouble.”
Autumnstar let out another teasing purr, but got to her paws as Flamestar, ShoreClan’s leader bounded in with her Clan. Her amber eyes gave nothing away as she ran had the head of her Clan, but she headed straight to the other leaders. As she got close, Lakestar could see that her ginger fur was standing on end and her scent was laced with the same mixture of confusion and anxiety that Crystalstar had smelled of. Yet she said nothing as she sat down. Confused, Lakestar watched her as she exchanged a glance with Autumnstar and guessed that the ginger leader had met with the tortoiseshell one at the border.
Lakestar walked to the foot of Gatherrock. She beckoned to the other leaders. “We should wait for Crystalstar and StreamClan up here,” she mewed. Bunching her muscles, Lakestar leaped up top the flat rock and waited for the other three to join her. Then she started to stare at the StreamClan entrance.
Before too long Crystalstar and StreamClan joined the already large thong in the clearing. The glossy white leader’s mumbled apology was drowned out by the sounds of cats greeting each other in the grassy clearing below. Lakestar let her gaze wander over the crowd.
Eagletalon was talking about previous battles with Whiteleaf of HollyClan and Shrewtail of StreamClan. Rippedfur and Berrypaw were sitting with the other medicine cats and their apprentices, but Berrypaw stuck close to Silentpaw, Juniperpaw, and Silverpaw. Sharppaw was engrossed in a playful argument about whether water prey or ground prey was better with Burdockpaw of StreamClan. Sunpaw went over to join them, heartily agreeing with Sharppaw. Brooksplash was talking about deputy duties with Birdsong, the ShoreClan deputy and Snowfang, the LeafClan deputy came over to talk with them. Young Moonlitpaw was listening close as Shellpaw of ShoreClan shared with her the best way to get toms to notice you.
Finally deciding that the cats below had been mingling for long enough, Lakestar threw back her head, looked up at the stars and the full moon, and let out a long, loud yowl.
Quickly, the clearing quieted down. The deputies bounded over to sit near the rock, and Lakestar stared down at the upturned faces. While her gaze had been wandering, she had heard the other leaders agree not to mention the prophecy at the gathering and go on as they normally would. Lakestar believed this to be a wise decision.
“I will start,” she announced, flicking her tail to the other leaders to make sure that they would let her. None objected. “Prey is running as well as it ever does in SnowClan territory. We have a new warrior this moon, Riverpool, who unfortunately was wounded by a fox and couldn’t make the gathering.” She paused while the gathered cats chanted Riverpool’s name, not caring whether she was here or not. She glanced over at Flamestar. “We chased the fox as far as the border with ShoreClan. I hope no ShoreClan warriors were wounded by it.” Flamestar indicated her head to show that none had. “I have nothing more to report.”
Autumnstar stepped forward. “LeafClan has a new apprentice, Blossompaw, mentored by Shadeclaw. Being so young, she is not here this time. Prey is running well and there is little illness. Nothing else.”
Flamestar padded calmly up to the front of the rock. “ShoreClan has two new kits, Opalkit and Glimmerkit. Sunstorm is their mother. Lakestar mentioned that a fox had crossed the border. A patrol saw it run over and it was quickly dealt with. We chased it into Twolegplace. Hopefully no other Clan shall see that brute again.” The ginger she-cat licked the fur flat on a relatively fresh wound, and Lakestar assumed that the fox was responsible. “Other than that, ShoreClan has no news.”
Crystalstar made to step forward, but Featherstar brushed her aside, clearly meaning that he had waited long enough to share his news. “HollyClan has three new kits this moon, Goldenkit, Lightningkit, and Dottedkit, kits of Blackspots. We are healthy, and doing quite well for Leafbare.” He stepped back and let Crystalstar take his place.
The pretty white she-cat gave him an icy glare and padded to the front. “We have two new apprentices, Lynxpaw and Starlingpaw. Their mentors are Volewhisker and Bronzeflower. We also have a new warrior, Leopardleaf. The stream is running and we are well fed for Leafbare. Though greencough has come to our camp, we are all strong and not badly wounded.”
Crystalstar made to step back, when a piercing voice and two hard, gray eyes came from the darkness. “Yet soon, you will be,” the cat said.
Instantly recognizing the cat from her dream, Lakestar padded forward. “Who are you?” she hissed. “What do you want?”
The eyes moved forward and soon a large, dark, ginger tom stepped out of the shadows, followed by two humongous toms, both white. The ginger tom raised his head. “I am Thorn!” he announced. “These are some of my warriors, Tooth and Fang. As for what I want…” his gaze traveled around the clearing. “I want the mountain.”
The cats in the clearing leapt to their paws. “Never! Never!” came the cats’ shout. “The mountain is ours, by the will of StarClan!”
Thorn glanced at the moon. “Ah, but by the will of my ancestors, the mountain belongs to The Dark Stars. Can you argue with that?”
Apparently they couldn’t, so the Clan cats just continued to glare.
“I thought so,” Thorn mewed, smacking his lips evilly. “Yet, I assume, that still you would never leave the mountain if you had the chance to go peacefully?” He glanced over at Gatherrock, obviously intending this question to the leaders.
Lakestar glanced behind her, to four heads shaking. “No, we would never. The Clans will keep their home, or die trying to protect it.”
Thorn narrowed his eyes. “Very well. In a moon, at this very time, moonhigh, when the moon is full, I will bring my Clan to take over. If you have not left by then, my Clan will fight you. Tooth! Fang! Come, we must get back.” With those final words, Thorn and his warriors turned from the clearing and vanished into the shadows.
“What are we to do?” Autumnstar asked from behind Lakestar. “You saw those warriors, they are so strong. If there are many more cats than just those three, then we will be pounded to the ground. What of our kits, queens, and elders?”
“I thought of that when I had the dream explained,” Lakestar mewed quietly. “Embertail and Wolfpelt are scouting out the surrounding territories for a good place to hide them. In three dawns I am taking my weak to it. Meet us here, at Gatherrock and you can come with us.”
Featherstar glanced down from the rock. “What of those who must go to the battle?” he asked. “Can we just sit back and wait for Thorn and his monsters to take them, one by one?”
Sighing, Lakestar followed his gaze. “Can we truly do anything about it? This is our home; we know what happens when we need to find a new one. If we don’t fight, we might as well be dying on the battlefield anyway.”
The HollyClan leader glanced up. “I will do this, but only this time. HollyClan is different than the other Clans because we don’t rush into battles on a whim. This is exceedingly dangerous. My Clan is peaceful, but for the mountain, we will fight.” The gray tom leaped off the boulder and gathered his Clan to him.
Flamestar sighed. “Typical HollyClan!” she mewed. “The old, ‘battles are nothing compared to peacefulness’. I don’t think he realizes that he will have all the Clans backing up his. My Clan is always ready for a battle, if necessary. I bet he let’s his get fat and lazy. Typical HollyClan!” Then she too bounded off Gatherrock, and had her Clan follow her to her territory.
Lakestar looked around at the remaining leaders. “See you in three dawns. Try to bring all of your kits, no matter how young. If any cannot make the trip, I will be back here with my own in half a moon.” Then Lakestar stepped off the rock and left the clearing with her Clan.

Lakestar trudged through her snowy territory. She led her warriors over Frozen-stream and past Watch-rock. She nodded to Silversong who was on guard there then turned unto a well worn path. This led to a large hole with paw prints leading into it. It smelled strongly of SnowClan. She nodded to her cats and had them go in two at a time. She went at the end with Brooksplash who looked mildly confused.
“What’s the matter Brooksplash,” Lakestar mewed quietly. “You look as if a badger just outsmarted you and a band of our warriors.”
“I just don’t understand it,” Brooksplash murmured. “Why would anyone want to leave their home, the mountain and all communication with StarClan? Some cats looked unsure about the decision of you and the other leaders.”
“It wouldn’t be away from StarClan, our ancestors would come with us wherever we went. Yet StarClan obviously want us to stay and fight off The Dark Stars. This is our place, on our mountain, on StarClan’s ground. Why should we leave it?”
Brooksplash nodded. “That is a strong argument. I’m sure you are right Lakestar, you are a strong leader, and if anyone can lead us through this it’s going to be you. Yet I didn’t like the look of those cats, they were heading for the Twolegplace, they probably live somewhere beyond.”
“Their poor kits,” Iciclewing meowed, overhearing. “I wonder if they’ll grow up just like their parents.”
“If they do grow up just like the cats we saw, they’ll be cruel cats, blinded to the wonders of StarClan and all the miracles like the buds blooming and leaves changing their color,” Brooksplash mewed lightly. “We are so lucky.”
“Brooksplash,” Lakestar meowed gently. “We only see those things because we travel next to the other Clans territories on our way to the gathering.”
Brooksplash dipped her head in embarrassment and started licking her chest fur roughly. Iciclewing mewed in sympathy then disappeared into the nursery, mumbling something about needing to be in the nursery to get her daily borage from Rippedfur, mewing amusedly while going. Brooksplash looked up and let out a hiss of anger.
“Why must I always make a fool of myself?” she mewed bitterly. “Anyone would think that I am still an apprentice!”
“You’ll always be my apprentice,” Lakestar pointed out. “First as a warrior apprentice, now as an ‘apprentice’ training to be a leader. Everyone is a mousebrain sometime or another, don’t take it personally.”
“How am I supposed to take it?” Brooksplash was almost yowling in suppressed despair. “I am a fool in a Clan of the best cats anyone will ever know! You should never have chosen me as your deputy!”
Lakestar shook her head; she knew she would just have to wait for Brooksplash to get over her brief self-unfaithful spell. She looked around at the cats gradually stirring around her. Irispetal was stepping out of the long tunnel that led to the warriors den and shaking moss off her pelt. Bearkit and Dirtkit were scuffling in front of the nursery, their sister, Soilkit jumping on each of them in turn and their mother, Flowersong, watching them apprehensively from the entrance. Her apprentice, Ripplepaw was practicing her hunting crouch on a blue jay’s feather while Slitherpaw was locked in a fierce mock-fight with Sharppaw. Foxbreath and Knowledgeheart were snapping at Sunpaw as she angrily slapped mouse-bile on their ticks, holding her breath, her body convulsing in ripples of disgust, muttering angrily. It was like nothing had changed.
Then she looked again. Irispetal was shaking in fear while stepping nervously out of the tunnel that led to the warriors den. The kit’s scuffle was halfhearted, their eyes round while Flowersong, stared at something past them, her mouth gaping in distress. Ripplepaw was really just poking lightly at the feather and Slitherpaw and Sharppaw were simply batting at each other. The elders were snapping less then usual and Sunpaw was carefully putting on the mouse bile, her body convulsing in fear, not disgust. Lakestar shook her head; they must drive out the Dark Stars if anything was ever going to be the same.
Lakestar sensed Brooksplash’s clear blue eyes on her back. “What is it,” Lakestar whispered.
“You’ve felt it to,” Brooksplash mewed. “It’s not the same.”
Lakestar sighed, her sides heaving in despair. “Why does it have to be like this?” she hissed. “They don’t deserve this, even the kits are affected.”
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Brooksplash pointed out. “They know that and wonder if our ancestors would have been able to cope. The answer is that they probably wouldn’t. Before Sleetstar, SnowClan was a Clan full of fear of greencough and the endless winter, living here only because there was no other place for us. The elders and most of the warriors remember the constant fear, and the apprentices know of it from the stories. They wonder if this fear will drive us back into that state of constant worry. The kits notice their mothers’ unease and are scared. To them the queens are the sun, the moon and the stars. Don’t expect our Clan to forget that our ancestors died of their fear. You were there Lakestar, you remember.”
Lakestar bowed her head. She could well remember the fear before Sleetstar’s leadership. Lichenstar had led her Clan well but lost her ninth life to the fear that spread thoughout all the SnowClan cats. Sleetstar had changed that, making SnowClan a fierce Clan, constantly doing what was best for the Clan, and had given up all her lives making sure various parts of the territory were safe for the Clan. As it was, Lakestar had become leader three moons after Sleetstar.
“Lichenstar was a great leader,” she murmured. “Just to worried that her Clan would perish. She chose well in choosing Sleetstar as her deputy, that’s one good thing to be said.”
Lakestar jerked her head, startling herself out of her memories. “If the Clan is worried that they will perish out of fear, they are wrong. I will squeeze the fear out of them, just like Sleetstar did. I remember that day well.”
“You mean how she hissed and spat, the fury that her Clan was going to die trembling on each of her words?” Brooksplash mewed.
“No!” Lakestar growled. “You’ll see.” Then she leaped onto High-stump, strode forward, her attitude strong and commanding and mewed the familiar summons.
“Let all those older then kits gather for a Clan meeting!” Slowly the underground tunnel filled with cats. There were Foxbreath and Knowledgeheart, their eyes flicking back and forth. Forestfur and Grassyeyes came up, deeply engrossed in a conversation. Spotfur and Dovefeather approached the stump, their bellies swollen with their coming kits while Iciclewing followed, not so deeply expecting. Flowersong appeared at the entrance to the nursery while the great friends, Ripplepaw and Sunpaw, walked swiftly up, their bellies brushing the ground. Soon the entire Clan had gathered, even the kits, though they were too young to attend.
Lakestar paced the length of the stump, a growl embedded deep in her throat. When she reached the middle for the third time, she stopped and stared out at her frightened Clan. Then she opened her jaws and spoke.
“Our ancestors found this land uncountable seasons ago. They were then one Clan, SilentClan. They found the mountain with everything they could ever want, but realized that not all of them could do some of the things that each territory required. So they split. HollyClan took the forest because they could silently stalk prey through the undergrowth. LeafClan took the leaf covered plains for they felt safe among the open grass. StreamClan chose the forest near the stream for they could swim easily and ShoreClan chose the waterfall for they can block out the loud noise of rushing water. But the cats that did not fit in any of these territories were left with the snowy top of the mountain. They didn’t know how to survive; they just knew that they couldn’t live in any of the other Clans.”
“We eventually began to adapt. Our fur grew, our pads hardened to walk on the icy snow. But we still had no idea how we were going to survive the endless winter. SnowClan was panic ridden, always scared that we would not live through the night. Our leaders died faster, the deputies would vanish and kits would die of the cold. Life was not what we wanted.”
“Then a leader came with a plan that would make us strong. Sleetstar knew that if she did not set a strong path for us we would all perish. Does any cat remember what she said?”
Of course, every cat knew what Sleetstar had said, the elders, queens, and warriors had seen to that. But the words seemed to stick in their thoughts; they were the words that had changed the fate of the Clan.
Lakestar walked a paw step to the front of the stump, her eyes glittering with cold blue-green flame. She sat and wrapped her tail lightly over her paws. Her gaze swept through the crowd, stopping on certain cats that were shivering in fear. Everything that Sleetstar had done.
“Cats of SnowClan look at your selves!” Lakestar spat, repeating the exact words that had made SnowClan the way they had been for moons. “You are sniveling in fear, hiding from what is good, and wallowing in evil, a swamp you cannot escape for it will not willingly relinquish its hold on you. But why? You have everything you could possibly need to be a great Clan, why do you not embrace it? The snow makes us strong. Our fur is thick, so thick that enemy claws struggle to pierce it. Our paw pads are hard and strong, we can travel on rocky or icy ground without hurt. The snow makes enemies shrink from attacking us, but still you fear.”
At this Lakestar glared out at the cats looking uncomfortably at their paws. They knew this speech was meant for them.
“You fear for losing your lives in battle, for not surviving the cold, for the ice breaking through our pads and making them bleed. You worry that you will die at the hands of the ice or the paws of cats that wish to harm us. Yet your fears are needless. Can’t you see that you make SnowClan a Clan of fear instead of the strength that StarClan destined us to be? You are betraying StarClan, betraying the mountain, betraying SnowClan, betraying yourself!”
Lakestar stared out at her cats, her breaths coming out in sharp puffs, eyes glaring and neck fur rising in anger. Many cats looked away. Good, thought Lakestar just like Sleetstar.
“We have everything we need to fight off any foe that crosses our path, and yet you ignore that, insisting to be frightened till your death.” Here she did just as Sleetstar did but changed her wording. “Knowledgeheart, have you ever wavered in believing that no matter what happens SnowClan will prevail?”
Knowledgeheart bowed her head. “Not since Lichenstar died,” she admitted.
“As I thought,” Lakestar growled. “And Woodtail, have you ever forgotten what Sleetstar said?”
Woodtail’s gaze shifted to his Clanmates uncomfortably. “No,” he meowed finally.
Lakestar nodded. “Forestfur,” she meowed. “Have you ever thought that the snow is an enemy, shying away from shadows?”
Forestfur shook his head. “Not till now,” he mumbled.
Lakestar’s ears twitched in triumph. She scanned the crowd for her next victim. “Iciclewing,” she hissed, her blue-green eyes burning into her sister. “Have you ever thought for one moment that your kits would be born into a world of fear and war?”
Iciclewing’s gaze traveled down to her belly. “Not till Thorn came and gave us his message,” she mumbled.
Lakestar then chose an apprentice. “Berrypaw,” she hissed. “Have you ever thought that you might have to treat horrible wounds so early in your apprenticeship?”
Berrypaw quickly shook her head then looked away.
Then Lakestar stared at the kits. She might as well include them, seeing as they were here. “Soilkit,” she mewed, her voice soft as to not scare the tiny she-cat. “Have you ever felt fear as badly as now?”
“No,” Soilkit mewled. “Mommy says that bad cats are coming and that cats will die!”
“That’s true,” Lakestar admitted. “But you and your mommy will be safe, Soilkit. I do not take queens, kits or elders into battle.” Then her voice became harsh once again. “So, none of you have ever thought for one moment that SnowClan won’t survive, until now.”
The Clan nodded their, eyes wide in unconcealed unease.
“So it’s safe to say that the arrival of an enemy that is as strong and as fierce as we are, and nowhere near as faithful as even the rouges, turned you into a bunch of sniveling kittypets!” The Clan stayed silent.
“Well I am not here as your leader to watch my Clan get torn apart just because they are to afraid to fight a bunch of rouges who do not have enough loyalty on them to do anything other than fight. This is not the Clan I know we are, the true SnowClan is hidden deep within.” Then Lakestar calmed down and began to speak of a time well past.
“I was born many moons ago to a queen called Silenteyes. I had a sister, and a brother. Iciclekit was a gentle cat, always looking after the younger kits. Thistlekit was brave and easily bored, always ignoring the rules and running wild in the nursery. I was a kit who had constant mood swings, often quiet, yet cunning and clever, sometimes sharp and fiery with a dangerous temper. We were always happy in our first couple moons, unaware of the pain and suffering around us, believing Lichenstar to be a strong and wise leader. But our happiness was not to be.”
“Soon after our birth an outburst of greencough spread through the camp, infecting Thistlekit. He died on the eve of his third moon. My father, Sharpthorn died as well. Iciclekit and I learned the feeling of loss to early in our lives. Thistlekit’s death was too much for poor Silenteyes, she died that night. I and my sister were left to the less than gentle care of Foxheart, a queen who died as she lived, tussling with a border patrol on their own border. The Clan did not mourn her.”
“I was made an apprentice half a moon early, I had begged Lichenstar to get me away from Foxheart before I learned fighting myself and murdered my foster mother. Oceanpeak was my mentor, a kind senior warrior who died in a thunderpath accident soon after my warrior ceremony. I was made a warrior long before Iciclewing who had become weak after a greencough outbreak much like the one that had claimed my brother’s life.”
“My warrior name was Lakeripple. Many cats respected me because I was so strong and loyal since I had been through so much. I was soon rewarded an apprentice, Brookpaw, and become a SnowClan legend, coming in a close second to the deputy, Sleetfur.”
“I had done nothing extraordinary, just the idea that a cat could feel so much grief yet still hold up her head and face the mountain amazed my Clanmates. So, when Lichenstar died, I was the obvious choice as deputy. Sleetstar wanted a strong deputy so she could make the Clan she loved a strong Clan. She chose me and I became her deputy, Brookpaw long made a warrior. She made the Clan great with the same words I just spoke and together we made SnowClan the most respected and loyal Clan. Sleetstar died three moons later, having driven out a badger threatening the safety of the kits and let her last life leave her in her exhaustion.”
“I have now been your leader for several moons. I have not lost a single life and I hope to lead you for many more moons to come. I have felt loss and guilt and love more strongly then any of you probably ever will. None of those feelings have ever left me. I know all of you will feel grief before this is over, but remember, you are SnowClan cats, you may fear but you must not show it. Shown fear is the surest way to lose a battle. Remember this and StarClan will always be with you.” Then Lakestar jumped off High-stump and slinked into her den.
The clearing came alive with the mewing of many cats. Their eyes were bright with the fire that had always made SnowClan different. Lakestar’s speech had inspired even the kits, life seemed so much better.
“Lakestar is right,” Embertail meowed. “We are becoming kittypets. Why are we letting our fear get the better of us? Let’s get back to our duties. Wolfpelt and I are supposed to be finding a place for the kits, queens and elders. We only have two sunrises!” And with that she stalked out of the tunnel with Wolfpelt sprinting after her.
Flowersong glared down at her kits. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “This meeting was not for kits!” And she ushered them into the nursery, ignoring their mews of protest.
The remaining cats were left to murmur to themselves. “That’s it!” Grassyeyes hissed. “Lakestar’s finally lost it! There is no way being afraid will lose us a battle!”
“You’re wrong,” Ripplepaw mewed admirably. “Lakestar is wonderful in battle and has been through a lot. She knows what she’s saying.”
“Just because she’s your aunt-cat,” Grassyeyes growled.
“That’s enough,” Iciclewing meowed. “Grassyeyes, what loyalty do you have? Any truly loyal warrior would support their leader. All Lakestar said was true. So, shut your lose mouse tail!”
Grassyeyes looked as if he was going to pounce on the queen, but thought better of it just in time. Iciclewing sighed. “Mousebrain,” she whispered. Then she turned into the nursery.
Ripplepaw purred lightly and followed her mother. Her voice could be heard asking eagerly, “Can I name one of the kits when they come?” Iciclewing’s gentle, amused purr echoed through the tunnel and as if that was a signal, every cat clustered around Brooksplash for a job. No one noticed the pair of blue-green eyes staring out at the Clan from the leader’s den. A tiny purr of satisicfaction could barely be heard above the clamor. The real SnowClan was back.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 4
Embertail and Wolfpelt walked proudly into the tunnel. Their tails were up and their eyes were glowing. They made for Lakestar’s den and vanished into the shadowy tunnel.
Excited mutters broke out among the Clan. Embertail and Wolfpelt must have found a place for the kits, queens and elders! Lakestar would be pleased.
Lakestar bounded out of the leader’s tunnel. She leaped onto High-stump and proudly surveyed her cats. Her blue-green eyes glowed with warmth and relief. Every cat knew that she was glad that Iciclewing would be out of harms way. She and Ripplepaw were both breathing great sighs of relief.
“Cats of SnowClan,” she meowed. “Embertail and Wolfpelt have found the perfect place for our young, old and weak! Just beyond the Moon-tree lies a hollow hidden by huge leafy trees. Behind a bramble thicket is a tunnel that leads safely down to the hollow were there are caves roomy enough to make nests in. There is moss growing on the sides of the hollow so our cats will not be without comfort. We have decided that one warrior will stay from each Clan for protection and Berrypaw will stay for medicine cat knowledge. In two sunrises we will transport those staying at the hollow along with the other Clans’ hollow goers. Do I have any volunteer warriors to go with our kits, queens and elders?”
The cats stared at each other, and then Amberpelt mewed, “I’ll go. I wish to stay with Iciclewing.”
Lakestar nodded. “You may go. It is understandable that you would want to stay with your mate. Dismissed!” Then Lakestar jumped off the stump, gathered together a patrol (Woodtail, Sharppaw, Wispycloud and Forestfur) and left the tunnel.

Soon after Lakestar left a rustling came from the nursery. Ripplepaw barged out of the tunnel that led to it and yowled, “Rippedfur, come quick! Dovefeather’s kits are coming.”
Suddenly the tunnel came alive with the pounding of many paws. Dovefeather’s kits couldn’t be coming! She was supposed to go to the hollow in two dawns!
Rippedfur bounded into the nursery with a bundle of herbs, Berrypaw closely following. The Clan stopped moving and listened to Dovefeather’s labored breathing and Rippedfur’s coaxing voice.
“That’s it Dovefeather,” Rippedfur mewed. “You’re doing very well. Keep steady; try not to jolt like that. Calm down.”
“I…” Dovefeather croaked, “Need…Rockfur. He…should…be…here.” Then she began yowling in pain.
Rockfur sprinted into the nursery to be with his mate. His gentle voice could be heard trying to calm the young she-cat.
Suddenly the wailing of a kit broke the air. Dovefeather gasped and another kit’s voice rang out. Then two more! Then all was silent except for Dovefeather’s ragged breathing and Rockfur’s overjoyed mews.
Out of the entrance tunnel came Lakestar’s patrol. “What happened?” Lakestar mewed.
“Dovefeather’s kits came,” Rippedfur meowed calmly stepping out of the tunnel. “Three toms and a she-cat. She and her kits will not be able to move in two sunrises, that’s for sure.”
“In a half-moon?” Lakestar mewed hopefully.
“Maybe,” Rippedfur mewed. “If they are strong enough.”
Lakestar bowed her head. When she raised it again her eyes were determined. “Make sure that Dovefeather gets all the prey she could ever need,” she meowed. “We must move them as soon as possible.” Then Lakestar stalked into the nursery to see the new arrivals.
The Clan burst into excited whispers. Every cat wanted to meet the kits, but knew they must wait for Lakestar to be through. No one remembered that it was not the best time for the kits, but even if they had their excitement would not have been quenched.
When Lakestar stepped out of the nursery tunnel her eyes were softer. The Clan stared eagerly at Lakestar, all holding their breaths in tension.
“Dovefeather indeed has four kits,” she purred. “Two toms are dark gray like Rockfur and the other tom and the she-cat are light gray with darker stripes. Obviously, their eyes aren’t open yet. They look like fine, strong kits.”
The Clan purred lightly and clustered around the nursery tunnel, going in a few at a time and waiting for the cats in the nursery to come out. The kits were tiny and mewling quietly in hunger. One of the dark gray ones was the biggest, crawling over the others and getting the most milk. The other dark gray tom was the smallest and cried out in faint protest, angry that his brother was getting all the milk. The light and dark gray striped tom was dozing quietly, he had probably already eaten and the she-cat was a frisky kit, moving quickly from teat to teat so too keep away from her larger brother’s greedy milk path.
They were letting off a light milky scent, having not yet picked up the faint frosty scent of SnowClan. Dovefeather was staring protectively out at the Clan, daring them to come close to her kits. It was understandable that she felt so strongly about these kits, after all, they were her first litter.
Rockfur padded in and stood at Dovefeather’s side, staring out at the cats. He gently licked his mate and kits and growled whenever he thought one of his Clan mates was to close.
Only the elders held back. Foxbreath could barely leave his nest and Knowledgeheart did not like to leave him. The shady tunnel near the back of the main tunnel was never vacant. Sure the elders would sometimes venture warily out to the front of their tunnel to listen to the meetings and let the apprentices search their pelts for ticks, but they usually were far back in a dark cave. All the tunnels had these caves, but they were often vacant, and all of them let some sunlight in. The elders were faintly puzzled. Their hearing wasn’t the best and they had not heard the announcement, so they called their favorite apprentice, Slitherpaw, over.
“Young one,” Knowledgeheart managed to croak. “Why is their so much commotion?”
Slitherpaw waved his tail happily. “Dovefeather had her kits!” he meowed. “Why don’t you come see?”
Foxbreath gave a faint purr. “The kits would be frightened if they smelled such old cats so young. We will meet them when they come to listen to stories.”
“But they’re going to come to the hollow with you in a half moon. But of course, you are going in two sunrises.”
“What do you mean Slitherpaw?” Knowledgheart asked. “We are staying here, same as always.”
“Knowledgeheart, surely you knew. Embertail and Wolfpelt found a hollow in which all the Clans are placing their kits, queens and elders. You are leaving in two sunrises.”
“Old cats can’t go far,” Foxbreath hissed shaking his head angrily. “You go and tell Lakestar that we won’t make it to any hollow. If we did, we wouldn’t make it back. We’re not leaving.”
“But you have to,” Slitherpaw wailed. “You’ll be safer!”
“Young one,” Knowledgeheart purred. “We don’t care for ourselves. We just want to know that you are safe.”
Slitherpaw scuffed his paws on the dirt. “It’s nice you care Knowledgeheart,” he mumbled. “But I can take care of myself. It means so much to me to know that you will still be here when I come back.”
Knowledgeheart purred. “Just tell Lakestar that we won’t be able to make the journey. If she doubts that, tell her to see us herself.” Then Knowledgeheart waved her tail, a sure sign that Slitherpaw should leave.
Slitherpaw bowed his head in defeat and backed out of the tunnel. He padded slowly away from the elders and towards Lakestar’s den. He dreaded the time when his paws would step into the perfectly dug tunnel and into the roomy cave with the small holes in the top, little pinpricks of light made by all the previous leaders, Lakestar’s was the one nearest the entrance. His tongue seemed slick and unable to move as he approached his leader. Lakestar looked expectantly up at Slitherpaw, her blue-green eyes glittering with curiosity. He gulped.
“Well Slitherpaw,” Lakestar mewed. “You look as if you need to tell me something.”
Slitherpaw nodded slowly.
“I don’t bite,” Lakestar mewed amusedly. Then she paused, “My own Clan members I mean.”
Slitherpaw breathed in deeply. “Knowledgeheart and Foxbreath don’t want to come to the hollow. They say they won’t make it and refuse to see reason. Lakestar, don’t punish me, I tried!”
“Is that what my speech made you think?” Lakestar meowed, struggling to hide a purr. “I didn’t mean for you to be scared of me! I respect Knowledgeheart and Foxbreath and wouldn’t dream of making them leave if they didn’t want to. The kits and queens have no choice, but the elders have ultimate power over me. I was an apprentice too once. I wouldn’t make them do anything that they think would put their lives at risk. They told me that they didn’t wish to go anywhere earlier and I told them they didn’t have to. They were probably dreadfully confused when you told them they were leaving.”
Slitherpaw stared forward. “The elders have complete power over you?” he mewed bluntly.
“The power of our elders is great, Slitherpaw. Everyone knows to respect them, no matter their status in Clan life,” she mewed. “It is built into every apprentice. You learn it through humiliation and trial. Once the elders have beaten the respect into you, you never lose it. Gosh, I sure haven’t.” Lakestar winced. “It’s good you have Foxbreath and Knowledgeheart instead of the old elders. You sure are lucky, Slitherpaw. The old elders were ferocious! If you didn’t do what they wanted they would swipe unsheathed claws over your ears. You’d be lucky getting out with both of them.”
Slitherpaw bowed his head. “I’m sorry Lakestar,” he meowed. “I didn’t know that you had talked to the elders already. I suppose I should go now.”
Lakestar nodded slowly. “Just remember what I told you. Oh, and you might want to apologize to the elders. A lie out of ignorance is almost as bad as a lie on purpose.” Slitherpaw nodded and backed out of the tunnel.

Lakestar stared at her paws. She stood lightly up, padded out of the tunnel and turned into the nursery to talk to her sister.
The nursery tunnel was the longest and slanted slightly downward leading to a naturally collapsed cave with moss growing all over the walls. The moss served as padding so that the kits were never harmed and making nests was easy. A large stone sat in a corner of the cave and the queens taught their kits caution while climbing it. On the top of the cave was a hole that provided sunlight for the queen to bask in and water when it snowed and the snow melted. A shallow alcove held the naturally made water and the rest of the cave was shady and gentle to the kits eyes.
Basking in the weak sunlight was Iciclewing. She looked up at her sister. “Hello Lakestar,” she meowed.
“The same to you Iciclewing,” Lakestar purred. “The nursery a little busier then usual?”
Iciclewing nodded. “Rockfur won’t leave Dovefeather’s side. He growls whenever we try to get close to the kits. Dovefeather’s asleep now. Four kits are a lot to handle.”
Lakestar nodded. “It’s understandable that Rockfur is feeling protective of Dovefeather and the kits. After all, he lost his mother, father, brothers, and sisters already. These are the last family he has.”
“He could go about it in a different way,” Iciclewing growled. “He’s pushing Dovefeather to her limits. Stonekit takes the rest of her sanity.”
“Stonekit?” Lakestar mewed, thingying her head.
“They already named those kits, more power to them. The big one is Stonekit, the smaller dark gray is Stormykit, the other tom is Streakkit, and the she-cat is Pebblekit.”
“Oh,” Lakestar meowed. “How are Bearkit, Soilkit and Dirtkit doing with the new arrivals?”
“Better than we expected. Soilkit’s very gentle and she makes sure that the boys are as gentle as her.”
Lakestar purred. “It sounds like Soilkit will make an excellent queen,” she acknowledged. “That’s good. They will be ready for apprenticeship soon.”
Iciclewing nodded. “Ripplepaw sure is inquisitive,” she mewed, changing the subject while licking her fur. “You never would have guessed it when she was a kit.”
“You’re right,” Lakestar meowed thoughtfully. “So, will you let her name one? After all, she will be a sister.”
“She already is a sister,” Iciclewing hissed. “If we don’t forget him, Boulderkit will never die!”
“Boulderkit’s spirit should be left in peace in StarClan,” Lakestar mewed calmly. “The Clan will never forget him, but you should find another way of remembering him. Let Ripplepaw name one of the kits. It’ll do her good.”
Iciclewing opened her mouth as if to protest, then snapped it shut again. “Maybe you’re right,” she meowed carefully. “Ripplepaw will name the third kit if there is one.”
Lakestar nodded approval and turned to see Dovefeather and her kits. Dovefeather was indeed asleep, her tail curled gently over her kits. The kits were snuggled next to her, snoring quietly. Rockfur was sitting at Dovefeather’s side, staring at all the other queens. Lakestar thingyed her head slightly and padded up to Rockfur.
“Rockfur,” she mewed. “You must get some rest.”
Rockfur shook his head roughly and went back to staring.
“You won’t be any help to Dovefeather if you’re exhausted.”
Rockfur lifted his head. “They’re the only family I have,” he mewed hoarsely.
Lakestar shook her head lightly. “Do you want to join the rest of your family?” she hissed. “Dovefeather and the kits need you; they can’t cope if you die! Now I command you to go to the warriors den and get some rest!” She watched as Rockfur stumbled out of the tunnel, nearly running into Rippedfur. The young medicine cat carefully carried borage leaves into the cave. She held several clumps of the bitter leaves off the ground. The slightly minty smell soon flooded the nursery.
Smelling the herb, Dovefeather blinked awake. She purred gratefully at the medicine cat as Rippedfur dropped some of the borage at her paws.
“Eat as much as you can,” Rippedfur meowed lightly. “Four kits need a lot of milk.”
Dovefeather nodded and quickly ate the leaves, swallowing down the bitter taste. Soon all the queens except Flowersong had been dosed, the older kits didn’t need milk, and Rippedfur left the cave. Lakestar glanced around at the queens and left as well.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 5
Lakestar led a small band down to the Gatherrock. Behind her were Embertail, Wolfpelt, Amberpelt, Iciclewing, Spotfur, Flowersong, Berrypaw, Soilkit, Dirtkit, and Bearkit. As she padded into the clearing, Featherstar came up with a small band of his own. His fur was smooth and well groomed, and the five little kits held up by the queens and warrior, were much bigger than the SnowClan kits. Featherstar ran a keen eye over the SnowClan cats and looked surprised.
“Where are Dovefeather and your elders?” he asked. “Surely they are well.”
“Dovefeather had her kits two sunrises ago,” Lakestar mewed calmly. “She will be joining the other queens and kits in a half-moon. As for the elders, they refused to come, and I respected that.”
Featherstar nodded. “I just hope the other Clans come soon, the kits grow cold.” Lakestar was about to mew her agreement when Autumnstar and Crystalstar brought their cats down the slope. Flamestar and ShoreClan soon followed. Everyone looked expectantly at Lakestar.
“Okay Embertail and Wolfpelt,” Lakestar mewed. “Show us the hollow.”
The two SnowClan cats turned tail and bounded into SnowClan territory. Lakestar beckoned with her tail and her cats padded into the snow, their paws spreading expertly the keep them up, even the kits’. After brief hesitation, the other Clans followed, the snow making them sink to their bellies. It was all they could do to stop the kits from getting wet.
The SnowClan cats purred in amusement, and bounded back. They picked up the other Clans’ smallest kits and the SnowClan kits showed the older ones how to spread their paws.
Soon the cats were well on their way to the hollow. All of them looked more or less comfortable, though the snow-covered SnowClan cats were enjoying themselves more than the other Clans, who were constantly shaking the snow from their pelts. Though every cat had eaten before setting off, the troupe was soon hungry and irritable. None of the other Clans would admit they were hungry, stealing food was unthinkable, but the SnowClan cats were well aware of their own discomfort.
Without a second thought, they rolled in the snow, covering their pelts in the cold white blanket. Then they pressed their bellies against the ground and pulled themselves swiftly across the snowy floor, sniffing in the scents with their powerful noses. At a signal from Lakestar, Amberpelt and Flowersong halted, taking positions around a bush. They lowered their ears to their heads and hissed; a sound carefully practiced and made to sound like the wind blowing over the snow. A few young mice poked their noses out of the bush, scurried into the SnowClan cats’ waiting claws and were soon killed. The SnowClan cats proudly bore their catch over to the other Clans.
“We can catch more,” Lakestar mewed. “You are not used to catching prey in the snow. Your nursing queens need food. You’d be mouse-brained to refuse the mice.”
After brief hesitation, the other leaders took the mice and dropped them in front of the kits and queens. Before the mice had completely disappeared, the SnowClan cats were back with two squirrels and a woodpecker. All the prey was scrawny and small but were huge meals in the SnowClan cats’ eyes. The meat was soon devoured and the cats were again on their way.
The troupe padded slowly through the rest of SnowClan territory and crossed over the scent markers to the snowy slope that led to the Moon-tree. The kits and queens looked at it longingly but the leaders padded quickly past it. The tree seemed to them a dark figure of a deadly prophecy. A short way beyond it, on the other side of the mountain, was a leafy tree that, as Embertail and Wolfpelt had said concealed a bramble thicket.
Behind the bramble thicket was a wide, downward tunnel which led to a roomy hollow with many caves and moss growing up the side. Warily, the queens looked around for caves which they felt would protect their kits from the cold. They soon settled on the cave farthest from the entrance, one with a large boulder protecting the entrance of the cave and moss growing on the sides, just like the SnowClan nursery.
The elders that came chose a shady cave near the nursery with a leafy barrier, protecting them from the harsh light of the outside. They made their nests out of the smallest leaves and kept to the back were there were dirt ledges away from the cold rock.
The warriors who were staying chose a cave by the front and would be the first to know if the make-shift camp was under attack. They chose a rocky den with only dry grass for nests, proving their strength. The cave had nothing shielding the entrance. They let the moon shine in and always had a clear view of things going on.
Berrypaw and her supplies found a small cave near the elders’ den with a comfortable bed of moss and small ledges for her supplies. She could be heard calculating how much borage she would need for the next moon and shooting worried glances at the small bundles she had been able to bring with her.
The leaders blinked lightly at the Clan members who would be staying behind. Each of them was losing one precious warrior. None of them would see them soon, only those, like Dovefeather and her kits, would be coming before the Dark Stars attacked. They shuddered at the creeping feeling of leaving these cats at a place which isolated them from Clan life and, though the hollow cats would be safer, an unsafe home.
Lakestar shook her fur. She turned her burning blue-green gaze on the makeshift nursery and licked her white paw gently. She waited until it was sunhigh and the other leaders were inpatient and anxious to get back to their Clans. Shortly, Iciclewing stepped out of the nursery and turned her own blue-green gaze on Lakestar. The young queen shook each paw and set off towards her sister.
“Lakestar,” she meowed. “I just need to tell you, that I’m going to miss you. We’ve never been a day apart since Thistlekit died and I never thought to start, ever. I wonder why you are making me stay here, with no proof that you or Ripplepaw are safe. I love you both, I’ve lost so much and gained so little, but I want you to know, that even if StarClan themselves came down and begged me to lose you to them, I’d make them take me instead.”
Lakestar nuzzled her sister gently. “I’ll keep Ripplepaw safe, no matter what,” she mewed. “Don’t worry; StarClan will have to wait a long time for us.” Then Lakestar broke away, beckoned to the other leaders and lead the way through the snow.

“No, no. Not like that! I had time to think! Try again.”
“Sorry Lakestar,” Ripplepaw mewed sadly. “I just can’t seem to get it.”
“I promised your mother that I would take care of you. How are you supposed to survive battle if you can’t master a basic move? All you need to do is dodge out of the way and rake your claws over my ears. A simple counter-move.”
“I know Lakestar, but I can’t keep my mind off Iciclewing. What if she has her kits?”
Lakestar let out an exasperated hiss. “I can see there is no point trying to get you to focus today,” she growled. “Go hunt and be back by sunhigh.”
Ripplepaw bowed her head and backed away from the Combat Clearing. She hadn’t meant to get so distracted; it’s just that she missed Iciclewing to much. Her mother seemed to gaze at her from each snow clump, and the gray mice seemed to wail, “You wouldn’t kill your mother would you?”
She sighed and rubbed the snow into her fur, coating her grayish-blue fur with a distinctive camouflage. Then she lowered herself until her belly brushed the ground and narrowed her eyes so that the strange color could barely be seen. She used her powerful, well trained nose to detect the prey scent from the snow and pricked her ears to hear the scurry of little feet. As soon as she saw the bush move and smelled the prey scent, she crouched and flattened her ears without a second thought. Then she sniffed again and smelled an cat scent, but not a familiar one. She hissed, ready to pounce, when…
“Please don’t hurt us,” mewed a lilting, gentle voice. “Light and I have traveled far for help.” Out of the bush stepped a small white she-cat, shepherding an identical kit in front of her. Ripplepaw gaped at the cat and stepped backward, landing with a bump on her tail.
“Who are you?” she managed to sputter. “Where are you from?”
“I am Lily,” meowed the she-cat, “and this is Light. We are former members of the Dark Stars. I left late last moonhigh after deciding that I didn’t want Light to be raised in the dark shadow of evil which Thorn casts. I wish to join your, err, Clan.”
Ripplepaw’s gaping disbelief turned to surprise as Lily finished. “Are you serious?” she mewed. “Even knowing that we are soon to be under attack from your old Clan members?”
Lily nodded. “I feel nothing for the Dark Stars. My mate and son were killed for suspected weakness and I have no kin left except for Light. I don’t want her to be harmed needlessly and turned brutal like most of the cats become after kithood.”
“But why SnowClan?” Ripplepaw gasped. “Our Clan is always covered in snow, prey is small and scrawny!”
Lily shook her head. “I like it here. My fur is thick like your fur. My pads are hard like your pads. The snow makes me strong and someday it will be the same for Light. Please, take me to your leader.”
Ripplepaw stared at Lily for a second more than turned around and bounded toward the camp. Lily followed, Light bouncing from her jaws. The small queen never stopped or lost step. They sped past Watch-rock where Wolfpelt opened his mouth as if to tell them something but closed it quickly. The she-cats bounded up to the entrance hole. Lily paused for a moment, sensing that she might not be welcome but quickly made up her mind and followed Ripplepaw into the shadowy tunnel.
Curious eyes followed Ripplepaw, Lily and Light as they made their way through the tunnel to Lakestar’s den. As they began to turn into it, a voice cut them short.
“Halt!” Brooksplash growled. “Ripplepaw, you must let me come with you. Lakestar is a little down-hearted at the moment, something about Iciclewing not being with her for the first time in her life. Any visitors must have a good procession.”
Ripplepaw nodded slowly. “Thank you Brooksplash, I appreciate that. Come in here Lily.” Ripplepaw led the other she-cats into the leader’s den, padding quickly, the sooner Lily could put down Light the better.
Lakestar came quickly into view. She looked up with curiosity shining in her eyes. “Ripplepaw,” Lakestar mewed. “Who is this?”
“This is Lily and her kit, Light. They are former members of the Dark Stars. Lily doesn’t want the life of the Dark Stars for Light so she left.” Ripplepaw took a deep breath. “They wish to join SnowClan.”
Lakestar stared at Lily. “Are you sure?” she asked, barely breathing.
Lily nodded and stared lovingly down at Light.
“Then we will hold the ceremony immediately so you can move as soon as possible. You will go to the hollow with the other queens and kits; you will probably go with Dovefeather in a half-moon. Yes that will do. We can’t have the queens in the territory when it’s not safe.”
Lakestar ushered the cats out of the tunnel and into the main tunnel she leaped onto High-stump and called out the summons.
“Let all those older then kits gather under High-stump for a Clan meeting!” An exhausted Dovefeather stumbled to the front of the nursery tunnel. The elders poked their heads out of their tunnel, their old ears pricked. A large clump of warriors padded lightly into the main tunnel, and a few stragglers came bounding quickly from the warriors tunnel. The apprentices came together in a small, whispering bunch. Pretty soon, every cat was below Lakestar and looking expectantly at her, snatching a few glances at the new arrivals every few moments. Lily licked Light gently over the ears, conscious of the stares.
Lakestar blinked comfortingly at the white she-cats and stared out at the Clan. “Cats of SnowClan,” she yowled. “I’m sure all of you have noticed the cats that stand here before you. They are Lily and Light and they come from the Dark Stars.” The Clan began to murmur among themselves and a few of them glared at the she-cats.
“They mean us no harm,” Lakestar hissed. “How could they, seeing that one of them is a kit? Lily decided that she didn’t want Light raised in the Dark Stars and came to us. She wishes to join SnowClan.”
The murmurs became surprised mews. Lily ducked her head lightly, acknowledging the response.
“Cats of SnowClan,” Lily mewed. “I have traveled far from a place called the Swipe. It is a marshy terrain with no undergrowth and no end to the endless swamp. On one side is twolegplace, on the other, a shadowy wood which no cat has ever returned from. Most of the Dark Stars inflict pain because that is all they have ever known. The kits are born knowing the constant fear and wallow in it, some of them never leaving kithood. What mother would want their kits raised in that?”
“So, when I heard of you, I thought that Light would have a second chance. I stole away from the camp at midnight and traveled nonstop. My only hope was that some of you might be friendly and give us a place to stay and a home to live in, a real life. I will leave if I must, but please, let us stay!” With that she wrapped her tail around Light and stared out at the Clan.
The Clan burst forth with uneasy mutters. No cat seemed prepared to make a decision. While the warriors struggled to choose, Dovefeather padded slowly up, glaring out at her Clan members.
“Mouse-brained fools!” she spat. “Fox-dung! Who do you think this poor cat is a disguised badger? If I came from a less than decent place and you had never seen me before, would you turn me away? I should hope not! This queen wants nothing more to ensure her kit’s safety, something you toms would consider maybe even, soft. I know what our answer is right now. Let her stay.”
Collective mews of agreement rang from all the cats. Lakestar flattened her neck fur and beckoned Lily and Light forward. Her voice hung in the air gently for several dawns after.
“Warriors of StarClan, I ask that you look upon this young cat. She has been trained in another way but will always respect and nurture the ways of a true warrior in her heart. From now on she will be known as Lilybud. Her Clanmates will help her learn the ways of your noble code and teach her what true faith means. Protect her as you would a Clan born warrior.” She leaped off the stump and laid her muzzle on Lilybud’s, as was customary in warrior ceremonies. She felt relief as Lilybud’s tongue raked her shoulder; this cat was not all indifferent to Clan manners.
Next Lakestar turned to Light. “This young kit is not ready yet to take on training as an apprentice but we welcome her as a member of the Clan. From now on she will be known as Lightkit, until she takes on the name of ‘paw’. I ask that you follow her through her life as you would to for any other kit and make sure that she becomes the wonderful cat she should.”
Lakestar placed her muzzle on Lightkit’s, and felt the same customary lick. Drawing herself back up, she looked gently at each she-cat.
“SnowClan will always welcome you as if you have always been one of us. Go and make yourselves comfortable in the nursery and be ready to tell us more of your story at sunrise. Any questions you may ask Dovefeather, as long as she is awake.”
“Excuse me,” mewled a tiny little voice. Lakestar looked down, and found her staring down at the unblinking gaze of Lightkit. “Does this mean that I am not going to be the only kit anymore?”
Lakestar looked gently at the small kit. “Yes Lightkit,” she meowed. “There are seven other kits, though the older three are in a safe hollow, where even if the Dark Stars do attack, they’ll be safe. The younger kits are too young to make the journey yet; they were born not even a half-moon ago. They will be leaving in a half-moon, and at that time you will be going with them. I have a feeling that you will like Soilkit when you meet her.”
Lightkit nodded. “When will I become an apprentice?” she asked.
“When you are six moons. How old are you?”
“Five moons and a quarter,” Lightkit mewed.
Lakestar looked surprised. “You are the same age as Soilkit, Dirtkit and Bearkit! But they are so much bigger!”
“The kits were held as low priority when being fed. Thorn said that there wouldn’t be any prey if the warriors weren’t strong enough to hunt. The kits, queens and elders were fed last,” Lilybud mewed quickly while Lightkit’s eyes stretched wide with horrible memories.
“I see,” Lakestar growled quietly. “Thorn didn’t care if the kits were healthy, just that the warriors were healthy enough to feed him.”
Lilybud shook her head quickly. “Oh no! Thorn was doing what he thought was best! The kits barely ever survived anyway!”
“That is no excuse! Oh, and you can stop making Thorn sound kind out of fear. You are free of him, that’s what matters.”
Lilybud bowed her head in embarrassment. “Thank you Lakestar, it’s just that I might never lose the habit of fearing speaking ill of him. The punishment for an ill-speaker was to either watch their kits die before them, or die themselves. When you died you went to a horrible place filled with the stench of death and decay and your kits would be treated like a traitor. I shall always fear the place.” She wrapped her tail gently around Lightkit and stared in horror at nothing.
“Well, in the Clans, when you die you go to another Clan called StarClan and watch over the cats you left behind. Silverpelt is StarClan’s hunting ground, the dapple of stars in the sky which you see at night. The warriors of StarClan give the leaders their nine lives, and…”
“You have nine lives?” Lilybud interrupted.
“Yes,” Lakestar meowed, surprised. “Doesn’t Thorn have nine lives granted to him by his warrior ancestors?”
“No!” Lilybud mewed. “He only has one!”
“Really?” Lakestar meowed, intrigued. “That could help us in battle.”
“Mommy!” Lightkit wailed. “I wanna go in the nursery, NOW!”
“Where did you learn such manners?” Lilybud scolded. “Certainly not from me! Oh, all right. Let’s go into the nursery and get settled. Err; which one is the nursery, Lakestar?”
“Third closest to the entrance on the right side,” Lakestar meowed matter-of-factly. “You can use the boulder in the corner to teach Lightkit how to carefully climb; and there is water in the shallow pool by the basking-spot. The basking-spot is for queens only, the kits may only use its weak light if they are being rewarded, and that is the highest reward possible. Dovefeather will show you how things are done.”
Lilybud nodded her thanks and led Lightkit into the nursery tunnel. Lakestar watched them go into the sheltered cave, and then and walked out of the main tunnel and into the calming snow.

Many, many days later she was walking down an unfamiliar path. There was no snow anywhere and the air held a ghostly silence. Trees shadowed against the dark sky, trees with branches that swayed ominously in the breeze. The dirt path seemed to never end, meanwhile, the sky grew steadily darker, and although there were no clouds in the sky, no stars shone.
Out of the shadows stepped two she-cats, an orange and white one and a blue-gray one. Their pelts were matted and hung limply from their shoulders, but their teeth were bared and their ears shone with the light of battle.
Let me pass, Lakestar tried to mew, but only a thin wail parted from her lips. As quickly as they had come, the she-cats vanished, becoming thin wisps of smoke. Undaunted, Lakestar padded forward, feeling as though she was close to her destination, whatever that may be. Quickly, the path vanished, instead becoming a thick, murky swamp. Lakestar held up her nose in disgust, but continued on her way.
Out of the gloom came a jagged rock, on which stood a slightly familiar figure. Around him were clusters of the sorriest looking cats Lakestar had ever seen. If anything they looked worse then the vanishing she-cats, their ears were flattened and their heads held low in exhaustion. Their eyes and pelts were dull and their figures were small and bony, only a little more than skin and bones. The cat on the rock looked better, but not much, his eyes were bright, that was the only difference.
“No, don’t give up hope!” he yowled. “We’ll defeat them! Shadow, make sure that we kill all prey, next moon; we will become kittypet fat. Snake, did your patrol find Lily?”
Lakestar gasped and did not hear the cat called Snake’s answer. These cats must be the Dark Stars! She took a better glance at them, and saw that they were well muscled and their pelts showed the marks of the most feeble clawing. Their eyes grew brighter at the prospect of a battle and their tails twitched in anticipation.
Out of the shadows appeared the cats that had become smoke and vanished. They padded purposefully toward the cat on the rock, who, Lakestar realized, must be Thorn. They jumped onto the rock and whispered intently into Thorn’s ear. The big ginger cat twitched his ears and stared out at Lakestar’s hiding place.
“An intruder,” he hissed. “Near the forest entrance. She knew our secret passing wail. According to Dark Star binding rules, Flash and Sea had to let her pass.”
“There’s more,” the blue-gray she-cat growled. “She had Lily’s scent on her and she had a blue-gray pelt. Her eyes were the color of the sea. One paw of hers was white and she smelled like snow and prey and looked as if she knew no hardship. She acted better then us and had large, harsh fangs.”
Thorn let out a sharp hiss. “Sounds like a mountain cat from one of those Clans. And a leader by the attitude. She sounds familiar, I probably saw her at the Gathering of Clans. There is a blue-gray cat whose leader. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was her.”
The ginger leader closed his eyes for a moment before again resuming his surveillance of his cats. His large ginger ears twitched, as if he knew he was being watched by more than just his thin cats.
“Shadow,” he hissed. “She is here.”
A completely black tom stood up and flicked his tail. Two of the other cats, which Lakestar recognized as Tooth and Fang, moved up to Shadow’s ominous figure like two white kits following their mother. Lakestar held her breath and backed slowly away.
Then, at a safe distance, Lakestar broke into a run, not noticing the cliff that was in front of her and time seemed to stand still as she plunged head first to her doom…
Lakestar jerked awake, her breath coming out in sharp puffs. She knew she must talk to Lilybud and tell if her dream had really happened. Her dreams usually meant something and she doubted that this was an exception. Quickly shaking scraps of moss off her fur, she set out of her den and into the nursery.
Dovefeather was asleep with her kits nuzzled gently next to her and Lilybud and Lightkit were sharing tongues, but in an unusual way. Lilybud had pinned Lightkit on the floor and was roughly grooming her belly while Lightkit was grooming Lilybud’s belly. In between licks they exchanged words and purred gently. Lakestar stared in a disbelieving manner at the two she-cats, but shook her head to clear it and let out a rumbling purr.
Lilybud looked up in surprise and took her paw off Lightkit’s chest, thingying her head gently. “Yes Lakestar,” she mewed. “Is there anything you want?”
“Yes,” Lakestar meowed slowly, still in shock about the she-cats’ idea of sharing tongues. “I want to ask you a few things about your past life.”
The small white she-cat sat down slowly. “All right,” she mewed hesitantly.
“Is there any way that your old Clan could appear to vanish into wisps of smoke?”
Lilybud nodded slowly. “I don’t see how it’s relevant, but we were trained to kick up the dust and flee into bushes when ever someone mewed the secret passing wail. The dust looked like smoke.”
“Can you do this wail now?”
Lilybud nodded. She let out a high pitched wail that sounded exactly the same as what Lakestar had mewed when she tried to say let me pass. An eerie shiver ran down Lakestar’s spine.
“Odd,” she mewed. “Very odd.”
“What’s odd?” Lilybud mewed. She looked at ease, obviously this blast from the past was not bothering her, and she was very well settled into the Clan.
Whilst Lakestar explained her dream to Lilybud, Lightkit padded silently over to Dovefeather and the little kits. She walked to each of the kits in turn, sniffing them and nuzzling them to keep them warm. She stopped on Pebblekit and drew the little she-cat’s milky scent over her scent glands.
With a slight mumble, Lightkit nudged Pebblekit to her paws, waking her in the process. “Open your eyes Pebblekit,” Lightkit mewed gently. “You are ready.”
Pebblekit stopped mewling for a second and lightly, blinked. When she stopped her rapped blinking she looked up at Lightkit who saw the most beautiful green eyes, the color of the ferns.
“Lightkit?” Pebblekit squeaked. “Why can I see? I was told I would have to wait a while. Though most kits open their eyes earlier, mommy says that our Clan almost always opens about a moon late. Though I don’t understand that.”
“You were ready,” Lightkit mewed. “I could tell by your scent. Streakkit is almost there, but still wavering. The other two are nowhere near.”
“Can I show mommy?” Pebblekit mewled, shaking in excitement.
“Yes, wake her up now and show her your lovely green eyes.”
Pebblekit wriggled up to her mother’s ear, took a deep breath and mewed, “Mommy, open your eyes.”
Dovefeather blinked open her own eyes and let out a mew of alarm, looking up at the pale green eyes that were Pebblekit’s.
“Pebblekit!” she meowed in surprise. “How could your eyes be open? You aren’t even a moon!”
“Pebblekit is very special,” Lightkit mewed gently. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she became leader one day.”
Dovefeather gaped at Lightkit. “How in the name of StarClan do you know if Pebblekit is special? She is exactly the same as all the other kits, just that she opened her eyes a half-moon early.”
“Well it’s a good thing she did,” Lightkit mewed calmly. “She will be able to walk herself to the hollow today. Lakestar is excited, she will see her sister, and I will see Soilkit and her brothers for the first time. From what I’ve heard, Spotfur probably had her kits; she was almost as expecting as you.”
Dovefeather stared for awhile at the former Dark Star kit, and then meowed, “That’s all very well, but how did you know that Pebblekit was ready?”
Lightkit looked serenely at Dovefeather and mumbled, “I smelled myself the day I opened my eyes. I realized that I smelled different than usual, Pebblekit smelled the same.”
Dovefeather looked suspiciously at Lightkit, and then looked back at Pebblekit. “You do have the most beautiful eyes,” she murmured. “Green, the same shade as my mother’s eyes. I thought I would never see that fern green in an eye again.”
Pebblekit wriggled in delight. Then she stopped and stared into her mother’s eyes. “Mommy,” Pebblekit mewled. “Why do you have amber eyes and I have green?”
“I already told you Pebblekit. My eyes are amber like my father, Grazepelt, but you inherited my mother, Ferneye’s, eyes. You got very lucky, I have often wished for those eyes, and I doubted that any of you would get them. Your brothers will probably get either Rockfur’s ice blue eyes or my amber ones. I never guessed that you would be any different.”
Lakestar padded lightly over. “Dovefeather, it’s time to…” Lakestar stopped short when she saw Pebblekit. “Ferneye’s eyes,” she mewed. “She was an amazing warrior. I wonder if some of her has found its way into Pebblekit.”
“Me too,” Dovefeather mewed happily. “Pebblekit has the most beautiful eyes doesn’t she?”
“She does,” Lakestar stammered. “But why are they open?”
“Ask Lightkit,” Dovefeather mewed quietly. “She said that Pebblekit smelled different.”
Lakestar looked sharply at Lightkit. “I think you should talk to Rippedfur before we go.”
Lightkit bowed her head and padded out of the nursery. She didn’t see that she had done anything wrong; she had simply helped a little kit open her eyes, what was so wrong about that?
As she walked toward the sheltered tunnel that was the medicine cat den, her head was reeling. Would Rippedfur force her to eat deathberries? Make StarClan send her to the evil place instead of their own hunting grounds? Exile her mother?
The silvery-white medicine cat seemed surprised to see Lightkit. “Lightkit!” Rippedfur mewed in surprise. “Why are you here? Are you sick?”
“Lakestar told me to come see you,” Lightkit meowed quietly. “I helped Pebblekit open her eyes, but she shouldn’t have for a while yet. She smelled the way I did when I opened my eyes. Why is it so wrong that I should have helped an innocent kit open her eyes for the first time?”
“Nothing is wrong about that,” Rippedfur mewed slowly. “It’s just that not the everyday cat can smell a kit that is ready to open their eyes.”
“It’s not just that. I could tell somehow that she would be special. Something told me that, I don’t know why or how, I just knew.”
“Hmmm,” Rippedfur meowed. “That leads me to a diagnosis. You are made for special things, not a warrior, oh no, something much more special. StarClan speaks through you and you will be blessed with the most powerful litter ever. A medicine cat, a leader, and a respected senior warrior all in your first litter. In your lifetime you will see amazing things.”
Lightkit bowed her head; speechless in delight, but when she looked up again there was a change in Rippedfur’s demeanor. The beautiful young medicine cat’s fur stood on end, her lips drawn back in a snarl. Her eyes stared into nothing, and her tail lashed through the air. When she calmed, her green eyes grew dull and an unearthly voice issued from her seemingly empty shell, vibrating eerily through the musty air.
“From far and wide an evil will spread, entering the souls of the cats of the Mountain and poisoning them to their death. Snow, Moon and Sky will come together and save the Mountain from its tomb.”
Lightkit gaped at the medicine cat and started to back away from her. Rippedfur shook her head vigorously and looked up, completely back to normal.
“Lightkit, wait!” she meowed in despair, but the little she-cat had already fled into the main tunnel.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 6
Lakestar stood at the top of the hollow, looking down eagerly at the cats below. She could just make out a blue-gray blob sunning herself in front of the make-shift nursery. Twitching her ears in a warning to the other cats, she padded serenely down the tunnel.
Behind her came Lightkit who hadn’t quite been the same since she saw Rippedfur. Lakestar knew she would have to talk to the medicine cat later. Pebblekit padded excitedly behind Lightkit; poking earnestly at all the clumps of snow she came across. Lakestar peered farther around her through a mouthful of kit, Stormykit gave an angry wiggle. There were Dovefeather and Lilybud, staggering underneath the weight of the bigger kits. Lakestar turned sharply away from them, causing another wriggle from Stormykit, and led the group farther down.
Out of the shadows came Amberpelt, a snarl showing through his lips. Seeing who the visitors were, he instantly backed away. Bright eyes glinted at the SnowClan cats from the caves and shadowy figures walked, their ears alerting the others of the presence of visitors.
From the sunny spot Lakestar had noted came a blue-gray blur, running as fast as a LeafClan cat to reach Lakestar.
“Sister!” Iciclewing gasped. “I am so glad you are here” Iciclewing looked around Lakestar. “Oh,” she mewed. “I was so hoping Ripplepaw would have come.”
“Believe me, she wanted to. But sadly her mentor had enough on her paws then to watch over an excited apprentice.”
“Who are the white kit and queen?”
“Oh! Iciclewing, this is Lilybud and her kit Lightkit. They are previous Dark Star cats. I’m sure she will explain everything when she is settled.”
“Okay,” Iciclewing meowed brightly. “Spotfur is so close to kitting, and Flairfur of LeafClan did have her kits. The elders are so have so many complaints, you’d think that the warriors did nothing, and holy StarClan!!!”
“What?” Lakestar mewed, puzzled.
“Is that, Pebblekit?”
“Yes.”
“Why are her eyes open?”
“I’m sure Lightkit and Dovefeather will tell you everything once they get in the nursery.”
Iciclewing opened her mouth as if to demand information immediately, but thought better of it and whisked around, her tail twitching angrily. Lakestar motioned her cats to follow and padded off to Berrypaw’s den. The white she-cat was anxiously counting borage leaves and twitching her tail in obvious anxiousness.
Lakestar gave a fake cough and Berrypaw growled under her breath, “I don’t have any tansy, so don’t come to me asking for a cure for your cough.” The young apprentice looked up irritably, but her eyes widened when she saw who she had spoken so rudely to.
“Oh, Lakestar!” she mewed in surprise. “I didn’t know it was you! Those warriors are coughing so much; I’ve run out of tansy, I do hope you understand why I was cross.”
“I’m not mad Berrypaw,” Lakestar mewed calmly. “I just wanted to see if I could get Amberpelt to help me gather some herbs for you.”
“Thank you Lakestar,” Berrypaw meowed, sounding relived. “I need some tansy, catmint, lavender, marigold, yarrow and borage leaves. You don’t know how hard it is to treat kit’s colds when the warriors are complaining of unimportant things, and refusing to hunt anymore until you cure their cough, or put cobwebs on their torn claw. It takes precious herbs away from my stocks for the kits and queens.”
“I will have a word with them. Are you sure that’s all you need?”
“Certain,” Berrypaw mewed confidently.
“All right then,” Lakestar meowed. “I will go get Amberpelt and start searching.”
Berrypaw nodded, turned to a hairy bundle of borage leaves and bounded lightly out of the cave.

Ripplepaw stared angrily at her paws. It was unfair that Lakestar hadn’t let her come to the hollow; she wanted to tell Iciclewing her choice for the kit’s name. A name that would fit both a tom and a she-cat. Sprinklekit. She had always loved the rare break from snow when rain would gently patter on the top of the tunnel. Sprinkling, her mother had said, shy rain’s way of saying hello.
She jerked her head up at the sight of a golden blur streaking toward her. Lowering her head she mewed gloomily, “hello Sunpaw.”
Sunpaw looked mischievously down at her friend. “Why so glum?” she asked, still happy. “It’s a lovely day, the sun’s even out!”
“Lakestar didn’t take me to the hollow. I don’t think she trusts me after what I did during combat practice, but this is a harsh punishment. My mother is there.”
“So?” Sunpaw meowed. “My mom is here and in danger of being killed, but I’m not moping in the apprentices’ den. Come on, Irispetal is taking me hunting, she wouldn’t mind taking you with us while Lakestar is away.”
Ripplepaw reluctantly got to her paws. She followed Sunpaw to the entrance hole and beyond to the Squirrel tree. Irispetal was waiting for them there, her tail flicking in impatience.
“There you are,” she growled, but with warmth in her voice. “You really shouldn’t keep me waiting, Sunpaw. Next time be punctual. Ah, I see you’ve brought Ripplepaw, glad to see you’ve stopped moping. Disguise your pelt and follow.”
The two young apprentices dropped and rolled in the snow, their fur becoming sodden, yet whiter. When they finished they bounded after Irispetal, keeping low to the ground speaking only in quiet hisses. Pretty soon Irispetal flicked her ears in a silent warning. Sunpaw and Ripplepaw both brought the scent through their noses, using their powerfully trained scent glands. Quickly detecting a thrush, they pressed their bellies to the ground and waited for Irispetal to make the catch.
To their surprise, Irispetal lifted up her head and gave a loud growl, not the proper hunting technique at all. The bush wriggled and the fat bird hopped out, gave a frightened look at the she-cats and took off.
“Irispetal!” Ripplepaw growled angrily at her better. “What did you do that for? That was an easy catch!”
The white she-cat glared at Ripplepaw with her burning purple eyes. “Surely Lakestar has taught you to look beyond the prey? There is another scent.”
Ripplepaw brought the air through her scent glands again and guiltily lowered her head. She should have smelled Embertail and Moonlitpaw; they were just on the other side. Irispetal had growled to alert them that if they pounced, they would have pounced on her.
“Now you do,” Irispetal hissed. “It was Embertail and Moonlitpaw’s catch; we were here to block the thrush’s retreat. I noticed that they were getting dangerously close to us and would land on us, so I let out a warning call, sadly getting the bird out of the way too.”
Ripplepaw shrank to the ground in embarrassment, then went around the bush to say hello to Moonlitpaw, the newest apprentice, and such a beauty that all the toms were under her paw. Except for Slitherpaw, Ripplepaw thought matter of factly. Slitherpaw was so faithful to her, they were nearly mates already. The one tom Moonlitpaw wanted she didn’t get.
The pretty gray and black she-cat was sitting angrily by the bush, seething. Her gorgeous pale amber eyes that had earned her name were alight with an inner fire that Ripplepaw had never seen. Sure she had seen sadness there when her beautiful mother and handsome father (Polarheart and Leafpelt) had died, but never this angry light.
“Mouse brains!” she hissed angrily, her beautiful light amber eyes flashing. “We had that thrush, if only you had gotten out of the way.”
“We aren’t as fast as LeafClan cats,” Sunpaw snapped at the younger she-cat. “We could have never gotten out of the way in time. It’s a good thing Irispetal warned you or I would have really clawed your pretty little ear.”
Moonlitpaw glared at her fellow she-cats then flopped down dramatically. “Well, I would have gotten you far better,” she sniffed angrily. “Embertail says I’m way ahead of you common cats. I am related to the great Sleetstar, she was my mother’s sister.”
“That’s no better than me,” Ripplepaw growled, her fur bristling. “My mother is Lakestar’s sister and everyone knows that Lakestar shares the same power that Sleetstar did so hah. And you can’t be ahead of us, you were made an apprentice only a couple moons ago, we were made apprentices way before that.”
Moonlitpaw growled angrily then glared at a snow drift. She flexed her perfectly sharpened claws and let out a hiss that even sounded pretty.
“Well,” she said in her usual gentle misty voice. “How about a little contest Ripplepaw? Sunpaw may not compete. We need a judge and her blood is completely common,” Moonlitpaw spat out the last word.
“You’re on,” Ripplepaw snarled. “Hunting and fighting with sheathed claws. Tomorrow at the Combat Clearing for fighting and at the Squirrel tree for hunting.”
“First cat to catch ten pieces of prey wins,” Sunpaw piped in cheerfully. “And first to pin down their opponent in wins the fighting.”
“If I win, you will refrain from calling Sunpaw common and you will not fight in the big battle, but instead look after the queens, kits and elders in the hollow and become Berrypaw’s personal herb-gatherer.”
Moonlitpaw thought for a moment then opened her mouth triumphantly and mewed, “And if I win I get Slitherpaw and you two will call me queen Moonlitpaw, leader of all before her.”
Sunpaw and Ripplepaw exchanged appalled looks but agreed to the deal, certain that Ripplepaw, often known as best of everything, would win.
“I’ll see you at the Squirrel tree,” Ripplepaw mewed lightly. “Don’t chicken out just because you’re pretty.” And with that the two older she-cats stalked away.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 7
Lakestar awoke early, without knowing why. Then she remembered that Brooksplash had wanted to tell her something. She stretched and shook the moss from her pelt, then padded quickly out of her den.
The pale gray she-cat was pacing in front of the tunnel, her breath coming out in sharp puffs. She looked up at Lakestar who could see the fear in those beautiful blue eyes. Lakestar took a look at Brooksplash’s matted fur and twitching tail and sat down and stared at her deputy. “Talk,” she meowed gently.
“I remembered something,” the gray she-cat mewed, her gaze shifting back and forth. “In the prophecy, I remember something that didn’t seem to fit.”
Lakestar looked up, instantly more interested.
“In the prophecy it says ‘Howls shall rule’. But cats don’t howl.” Brooksplash shivered. “Wolves do.”
Lakestar stared at Brooksplash. “I’m sure that it’s nothing,” she mewed slowly, though she did not believe her own words. “I will tell Rippedfur but I don’t think that it means anything. I’m sure it is simply for affect.”
Brooksplash nodded, looking unconvinced. “Yes, you could be right.”
Lakestar nodded vigorously, “I’m sure it was just a mistake. Go back to sleep Brooksplash, dawn has not yet broken.”
Brooksplash slowly padded away, shooting back the words, “I hope you’re right.”
Lakestar stared at her paws. StarClan never made a mistake. They were always completely sincere. They would not lie now when the Clans needed the absolute truth.
As if the leader’s thoughts had summoned her, the silvery-white she-cat bounded out of her den. Seeing her leader’s distress, Rippedfur angled her approach to her.
“Rippedfur!” Lakestar gasped. “I must ask you something to put Brooksplash’s mind at rest.”
“Anything,” Rippedfur mewed, looking surprised.
“The prophecy it speaks of howls. Surely StarClan meant yowls that the cats’ yowls would rule.”
“No,” Rippedfur meowed. “They said exactly what they meant.”
The breath caught in Lakestar’s throat. Staring into space, she nodded lightly. “I’m sure it means nothing,” she whispered. “Yes,” she mewed louder. “All a load of fox dung.”
Rippedfur thingyed her head and nodded slightly. “If you say so. Now if you’ll please excuse me Lakestar, I need to take this marigold to Hawkpelt.”
Lakestar watched Rippedfur go with a sinking feeling in her stomach. StarClan had meant howling. Wolves were the howlers.
Maybe, a little voice reminded her. Cats can howl to if they really put their minds to it.
Satisfied, Lakestar turned around to see Ripplepaw and Moonlitpaw engrossed in a heated argument. She moved closer to the apprentices and perked up her ears. The young she-cats did not notice.
“I’m telling you, your bet is way too much!” Ripplepaw growled. “Slitherpaw would never chose perfect little Moonlitpaw over me!”
“But you just said it,” Moonlitpaw hissed. “I’m perfect; Slitherpaw would be a fool to not take me.”
“Then I’m a fool,” Slitherpaw mewed, stepping out of the shadows. “I will not be the surface of any bet; I’d choose Ripplepaw over you anytime Moonlitpaw. Your perfect little head, perfectly shaped shoulders, perfect light amber eyes and perfect little ruff around your neck will never stand up to Ripplepaw’s perfect soul.”
“Slitherpaw,” Moonlitpaw whispered. “Why? Sharppaw isn’t nearly so kind. You’re the one I want.”
Slitherpaw gave Moonlitpaw a withering look, and then turned back to Ripplepaw. “Now that I am out of the picture, I assume you’ll still be doing the contest. I’ll be rooting for you.” And with that Slitherpaw stalked away, leaving Moonlitpaw looking crestfallen.
Lakestar turned away. Just an apprentice spat. It would soon be over. She had more pressing matters on her mind at the moment.
“Ripplepaw!” Lakestar yowled at her apprentice. “I will see you at the Combat Clearing as soon as possible.”
Ripplepaw hesitated for a moment. “Can I please be back by sunhigh? I have a prior commitment.”
Lakestar twitched an ear in exasperation, but nodded.
“Thank you Lakestar,” Ripplepaw mewed. “Thank you kindly.”
Lakestar thingyed her head; Ripplepaw had something on her mind. “Be there at halfway to sunhigh, we are going to work on your fighting for the battle.”
Ripplepaw shuddered a bit, but nodded. “All right.” She then turned pointedly away.

Ripplepaw waited with Sunpaw by the Combat Clearing. Moonlitpaw would be here at any moment, then they would start combat.
Waiting was not an easy thing. Ripplepaw glanced at the sun and saw that it was nearly sunhigh. Moonlitpaw still had time.
Then she saw a movement in the bushes.
Moonlitpaw stalked out into the clearing, followed by Sharppaw who looked overjoyed at Moonlitpaw finally noticing his efforts to get her attention. Her fur was licked smooth and shone in the weak sunlight, her eyes glistening like pools of amber. She looked calm and easygoing, like she had already won the contest. Ripplepaw glared at her.
“Ready to lose, Moonlitpaw?” Ripplepaw hissed. “An apprentice training for barely three moons, against an apprentice who has been training for more than five moons? Hah! You are as mouse brained as you are beautiful. Don’t think that Sharppaw will drool over you so readily when you are pounded into the ground.”
“Think again Ripplepaw,” Moonlitpaw growled, but somehow still managed to put some beauty into her words. “I heard Lakestar say that you are terrible at fighting, I doubt your hunting skills are much better. Yet Embertail praises my skills, and realizes my true potential, not constantly reminding me of my beauty, but rather somehow knowing that all I want to be is a good warrior and someday a queen.”
Ripplepaw stared at Moonlitpaw out of narrowed blue-green eyes. “Lies,” she mumbled under her breath. “All lies. Moonlitpaw is nothing but a petty, pretty she-cat with knowledge of how to make cats feel like they have done wrong. She’s the culprit. My cause is good, stop her teasing of Sunpaw. She just wants my tom.”
“Lakestar did not say I was terrible at fighting,” Ripplepaw mewed icily. “She just wants me to work on my clawing technique. As for my hunting, I can out hunt any of the other apprentices; there is no reason that the newest apprentice should be any different. Embertail does not praise you, she merely gives you compliments to keep you going, all mentors do it in the beginning. Let’s say you just let a starling escape you, your mentor would then say, ‘that’s okay, why don’t you try again?’ If she openly said ‘that was horrible, I don’t think you are worth training’, there goes your self esteem.”
Moonlitpaw’s eyes filled with anger. “You are going to pay for that one Ripplepaw,” she yowled, setting herself at the older she-cat with her claws unsheathed. She let out a vicious battle cry and the competition began.
Moonlitpaw’s initial attack didn’t land on Ripplepaw, but rather on a stump were she scraped her pads horribly. Letting out a yowl of pain, she aimed again at Ripplepaw.
Ripplepaw was ready for her. Crouching low to the ground, she met Moonlitpaw in mid-leap, knocking her out of the air and clawing one delicate ear. Moonlitpaw yowled in rage and retaliated with a strong kick to the head. Ripplepaw gasped as everything went dark. She landed on her side and knocked the wind out of herself, but managed to get to her paws in a heartbeat.
Blood welled from Moonlitpaw’s ear and Ripplepaw’s head was spinning, but the battle went on. This time Ripplepaw aimed the blow. She ran at Moonlitpaw, already prepared for the dodge. Though Moonlitpaw’s dodge was perfectly timed, Ripplepaw changed direction like a lightning bolt and swiped a well-aimed blow to the beautifully angled head. Moonlitpaw gasped and fell on her side. Ripplepaw held her down with one of her powerful paws, winning the fighting competition.
Moonlitpaw hissed in frustration, and flopped angrily on her side like a fish on land. Sunpaw cheered while Sharppaw growled menacingly and helped Moonlitpaw up. Ripplepaw delicately licked the blood off her paws.
“Cheat!” Moonlitpaw hissed. “Ugly cheat!” Then she sobbed into Sharppaw’s fur.
Sharppaw nodded his gray head to Moonlitpaw’s words and glared at his den mate, who he normally would be taking sides with. All the apprentices liked Ripplepaw, and she found his anger at her a betrayal. Moonlitpaw would dump him if she won, and take to badgering Slitherpaw until he fell subject to her charm. It just didn’t make sense!
As Moonlitpaw looked up, the water marks making her look like a heroine who had just lost a loved one, her beautiful light eyes filled with hatred. Sniffing delicately, she padded angrily past the older she-cats. “Filth,” she spat at Sunpaw. “Common filth!” Then she gathered Sharppaw to her. “So what if you beat me at fighting? Hunting comes more naturally to me anyway. I will show you and Slitherpaw that I am better then any cat, even that of Lakestar’s kinline. Sleetstar’s memory will stay much longer. As for Sharppaw, I’m keeping him. It turns out that he is Windleaf’s son, which means he is related to Brooksplash. Our kin will know that they must pick cats with un-common blood to mate with, or not at all. I will punish any of my kinline that thinks differently. I will meet you at the Squirrel tree halfway to dusk.” With that Moonlitpaw and Sharppaw vanished into the bushes.
Sunpaw hissed as the younger apprentice disappeared. “Now that is one cat that is not right in the head. I know she lost both her parents and her brother early in her life and Spotfur didn’t much like her, but still you would think that looking like StarClan themselves gifted you would count for something.”
“I don’t understand Moonlitpaw any more then you do, but I know that there is something more then she is letting on. Something is really bothering her and I don’t know what. She was doing so well at fighting, then all of a sudden it was like she let me win. Moonlitpaw just went limp and still and did not fight back. I wonder if she will do the same thing for hunting. It’s unnerving.”
Sunpaw grunting in agreement, then mewed, “Those scratches on your head look nasty. You should let Rippedfur take a look at them.”
Ripplepaw licked her paw and rubbed it over her scratches, getting out all of the grime left from Moonlitpaw’s claws. She sighed and let Sunpaw lead her to Rippedfur.

Lightkit scratched her ear vigorously. Yawning, she looked around the hollow. It felt like she had examined every bit of the massive stone and dirt walls. Everything was the same. True the other kits were fun, Soilkit especially, but still, the SnowClan camp had been so much more interesting.
“Come and play Lightkit,” Elmkit, a HollyClan kit mewed. “Soilkit says that you’ve never done Clan-play. Come on, you’ll love it!”
Lightkit nodded and followed the little tom. He was smaller and more easygoing then she was, and she respected that in him, but thought that Clan-play needed some cat a little more serious.
“All right Lightkit,” Tidekit meowed cheerfully. “We are just picking our roles. What do you want to be?”
“Leader,” Lightkit mewed. “I’ve always wanted to play leader.”
“All righty then!” Blackkit purred. “Choose your deputy.”
“Oh pick me!” many voices mewed. Lightkit already was popular among the other kits.
As she scanned the row of hopeful faces of the older kits, she noticed something. Pebblekit was there.
“Pebblekit!” she hissed. “You know perfectly well the Clan-play is a game for older kits! It’s rough and you could get hurt!”
“That’s what Dovefeather says,” Pebblekit yawned. “But I wanna play.”
“No!” Lightkit mewed forcefully. “Go and look after your brothers.”
With her tail drooping, Pebblekit padded slowly to the nursery. When she looked back, her pretty green eyes were filled with tears. “I’ll see you Lightkit,” she murmured. Then she scuffed away.
The other kits seemed to not have noticed anything. They crowded around Lightkit mewing “pick me!” to anyone who could hear them. Only Soilkit looked as if she had seen the conversation.
“She respects you,” Soilkit meowed. “That’s more than any cat has ever done for me.”
“They will respect you,” Lightkit purred. “I have chosen my deputy. Soilkit will be the next deputy of KitClan.”
“Soilkit! Soilkit!” The other kits mewed.
“Lightkit,” Soilkit meowed. “Who will be the medicine cat?”
“Let’s see,” Lightkit mewed, sweeping her gaze over the assembled kits. They all tried to look calm, knowing that Lightkit would choose a medicine cat based on how calm he or she looked. Lightkit’s eyes rested on each kit in turn. “Fogkit, you have proved yourself calm and ready to take on the responsibility of the role of medicine cat. You will from here on be the medicine cat of KitClan.”
The little gray kit looked delighted. “Thank you Lightkit!” he squeaked. “I won’t let you down!”
“Fogkit! Fogkit!” yowled KitClan.
Looking around at the older kits, she mewed, “Elmkit, Dirtkit, Moonkit, Gingerkit, Riverkit, Faintkit, Tidekit and Fadekit will be warriors!” The kits she had called squeaked in excitement and gathered into a group. “Bearkit and Blackkit will be apprentices. Their mentors will be Elmkit and Soilkit. Spottedkit will be a kit.”
“What about Heatherkit and me?” Streamkit meowed.
“Hmmm,” Lightkit mewed. “You two will be queens.” The last kits fell into place. Lightkit looked satisfactorily out at her friends. She knew she had chosen well.
“Lightkit!” Soilkit mewed excitedly. “They are not complaining if they are apprentices or kits! That’s never happened before! You are a good leader!”
“Yes, yes!” The other kits yowled in agreement.
“All right!” Lightkit hissed, waving her tail for quiet. “Elmkit, Gingerkit, Bearkit and Riverkit, why don’t you patrol the hollow. Soilkit, train Blackkit. I will get to the rest of you shortly.”
As Lightkit looked at her new friends, she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. She would someday have to fight these kits, those that were in different Clans at least. She already liked these cats; they had so much in common. Why couldn’t the warriors see that?
She looked at them carefully, willing herself to see into what they really were. Elmkit was goofy and easygoing, always seeing the joke in something. His sister, Tidekit, was calm and gentle, helping out the younger kits and taking even minor problems seriously. HollyClan was lucky to have them.
The LeafClan kits, Fogkit, Moonkit and Streamkit, were as different as siblings could possibly be. Heatherkit was also of LeafClan, though she was not a sibling of the others. Fogkit was calm and sweet with a personality so caring it was hard to believe he was a tom. Moonkit looked innocent enough, but she truly was wild and fiery with a strong will and claws that you would not want to have even touch your fur. Streamkit was quiet and gentle at most times, but would lash out at anyone who harmed a young kit. Heatherkit was sweet enough, but behind that innocent face was the makings of a good warrior. LeafClan should be very proud of them.
Now she turned her head toward the muscle-made ShoreClan kits. Spottedkit was more then just a pretty little she-cat, her demeanor was fierce and feisty, with not an inch of the makings of a queen anywhere in her. Fadekit was a fast runner with muscles already battle-fit. His eyes shone with the light that came from winning a battle everyday. Faintkit was small and quiet and did not much enjoy watching the warriors do things she thought “too dangerous”. She would have been Lightkit’s second choice for medicine cat.
Riverkit, Gingerkit and Blackkit had all the makings of good warriors, it seemed amazing that they were in StreamClan. Both of the girls scoffed at the very idea of becoming queens, they believed that it was soft to stay in the nursery when you could be leading patrols. Their brother, Blackkit, loved watching the apprentices’ play-fight so much that he had already began to copy their every move. Yes, Lightkit would not like to meet them in battle one day.
As for the SnowClan kits, the pain was not for them. She would see them everyday, until the day she left for StarClan. They were all formidable enough, that’s all that mattered at the moment.
Turning away, Lightkit suddenly felt a strange feeling. She saw herself crouching before a tree she had passed on the way here, yet something was different about this tree and she didn’t know what. Ready to jump into its branches, she suddenly saw a golden tom, bright as a flame, sleeping there.
Puzzled, she dropped down with a thump. As if she had woken him, the tom sat up and shook his golden coat. Looking down at the white kit, he purred.
“Hello Lightkit, daughter of my blood,” he mewed. “I am Gingerstar.”
Lightkit stared up at him. “Huh?” she managed to mew.
“I am your ancestor, a warrior of StarClan and once leader of ThunderClan. Brownstar led the cats of ThunderClan until Silentstar took over and the Clans morphed into one.”
“You can’t be my ancestor because I am not related to the Clans,” Lightkit meowed. “I come from the Dark Stars and have no roots in the Clans.”
“Ah,” Gingerstar mewed. “I thought that we might get to that. Your great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-queen was my daughter, Mousepelt. Your great-great-great-great-grand-queen was stolen by the Dark Stars as a young kit. So there you are.”
“Whatever,” Lightkit mewed impatiently. “Why have you brought me here?”
“You must come here to the Moon-tree at moonhigh and nestle in the branches. You will find two of your Clan members there, but do not mind them. We of StarClan will send you dreams. Do not be afraid. All will be explained at moonhigh.” With that, Gingerstar vanished.
Lightkit stared at the spot were the tom had been. Suddenly overwhelmed by nausea, she fainted.

Lakestar stared unenthusiastically at the dirt wall of her den. Ants trailed in through a crack in the top. She hated ants. Knowing that she would have to do something about them later, she tucked her nose under her tail and fell asleep.
She was at the foot of a hill. Everything was big and covered in snow. At the top was a tree. Sighing, Lakestar started to climb the hill.
Wrapping her tail around her paws, she stared up at the tree, waiting, her eyes fixed on a blue-gray bundle of fur at the top.
The fur bundle moved. There stood a cat with ice-blue eyes. A very old cat, but with youthful splendor about her.
“Lakestar,” the cat purred. “You’ve come at last.”
“What do you want with me Seastar,” Lakestar mewed exasperatedly. “All I wanted was a refreshing sleep and StarClan just has to but in.”
Seastar shook her head, as if amused. “Always the feisty one Lakestar,” she mewed. “Challenged every StarClan cat that gave you one of your nine lives. ‘Why did you die Silenteyes? Thistlekit, why are you still so small?’ So feisty.”
Embarrassed, Lakestar looked at her paws. She could feel the ice blue gaze scorching her fur, but she did not let the StarClan cat see that she was making her shiver. Seastar let out a tiny mew of amusement.
“Well daughter of my blood, are you still wishing for that refreshing sleep?”
“No.”
“Good, for I have an order for you. You must come here to the Moon-tree at moonhigh and nestle in the branches. You will find two of your Clan members there, but do not mind them.”
“These Clan mates will be?”
Seastar stared at Lakestar with her piercing eyes. “Don’t be angry, Lakestar,” Seastar murmured. “But they are not warriors. Either of them.”
“Yes, and who might these lucky cats be?”
Seastar stared at Lakestar. “I will not tell you. You would be angry with StarClan for calling them.”
“Fine,” Lakestar mewed pointedly. “If that’s it then I’m going.” With that she bounded away.

Ripplepaw had only meant to close her eyes for a moment when unexpectedly she was fast asleep. Somehow managing to hold on to the fact that she needed to be awake for the hunting contest, her head drooped and fell onto her paws. Soon her breathing was regular and soft, a sure sign that she was asleep.
She was walking up a hill she had never seen before. At the top a tree was framed, a dark silhouette against the light sky. Intrigued, Ripplepaw walked up.
At the foot of the tree, a blue-gray she-cat sat. Ripplepaw stopped, she had never seen this cat before and she did not smell of any of the Clans. Instead she smelled of forest and trees. If Ripplepaw had not known better, she might have thought the cat to be of HollyClan.
A purr echoed from the she-cat’s throat. “Hello Ripplepaw,”
“Who are you?” Ripplepaw growled. “I do not know your scent and you are on Clan territory. Leave or I shall make you.”
“My, my, someone has their aunt’s attitude!” The she-cat purred. “I see that much of my kin is alike. Thistlekit drove me mad when I was asked to care for him.”
Ripplepaw stared at the she-cat. “Are you Foxheart?”
“StarClan’s will no!” she mewed in surprise. “Didn’t I say kin? Anyway, Thistlekit died before Foxheart got to Silenteyes’s kits. My name is Mistleaf, and I am a cat of StarClan.”
Curiosity overwhelmed Ripplepaw. Sitting down, she stared at the StarClan cat. “You look like me,” she finally mewed.
“Yes I would say so,” Mistleaf meowed. “I always liked blue-gray fur.”
Ripplepaw hesitated before saying, “Me too. Well, StarClan would not have brought me here without a reason.”
“Quite right,” Mistleaf mewed. “You must come here to the Moon-tree at moonhigh and nestle in the branches. You will find two of your Clan members there, but do not mind them. We of StarClan will send you dreams. Do not be afraid. All will be explained at moonhigh.”
Ripplepaw started to say, “But why?” but Mistleaf had already vanished in a shower of stardust.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 8
Lightkit awoke from her faint to find herself being examined by Fogkit. The little tom looked anxious and behind him she could see the rest of the older kits. Soilkit was settled not far from Lightkit’s head and was staring avidly at her.
“She awakes!” Lightkit heard Fogkit meow. A gathered sigh of relief came from the rest of the kits.
“Thank you Fogkit,” Lightkit mewed, “for all your support and healing help. I must have passed out.” She did not mention the Moon-tree and Gingerstar.
Fogkit bowed his head in reply and gathered up the moss that he had been pretending were herbs. “It was all I could do,” he squeaked happily.
Getting to her paws, Lightkit jerked her head at Soilkit. Gazing up at the waning sun, she remembered Gingerstar’s order, “You must come here to the Moon-tree at moonhigh and nestle in the branches. You will find two of your Clan members there, but do not mind them. We of StarClan will send you dreams. Do not be afraid. All will be explained at moonhigh.” Sighing, she stared up at the sun, not breaking her gaze, even when Soilkit came to sit by her.
“Lightkit?” Soilkit mewed. “Is there something that you aren’t telling me?”
“Yes,” Lightkit whispered. “Of course there is.”
“What?” Soilkit meowed. “It’s really bugging me, just like the stench of mouse bile.”
“I’m sorry Soilkit,” Lightkit sighed. “If I understood it, I’d tell you. Just,” she hesitated for a moment. “Just know that if I’m not in the nursery tonight, I’ll have nipped out for a breath of fresh air and will be back when I’m ready. Don’t come looking for me.”
Soilkit bowed her head, knowing that she would get no more and padded silently away. Lightkit stared up at the steadily setting sun. StarClan, what do you want with me? She thought sullenly. First Rippedfur’s prophecy, now a meeting at the Moon-tree at moonhigh. What destiny do you have planned for me? Why me?
Continuing her watch on the sun, the little, white she-cat was left alone to her thoughts. Her mind traveled back to that day, two sunrises ago when she had gone into Rippedfur’s den. Bending down to lick her tail she thought it over.
“From far and wide an evil will spread, entering the souls of the cats of the Mountain and poisoning them to their death. Snow, Moon, and Sky will come together and save the Mountain from its tomb,” Lightkit mewed quietly. “But what does it mean? What are Snow, Moon, and Sky?”
Then she remembered Rippedfur’s ‘diagnoses’. “A medicine cat, a leader, and a respected senior warrior all in your first litter,” she murmured. Then it came to her. She was to have three kits, and the prophecy mentioned three items. “Snow, Moon, and Sky,” she whispered. “Snowkit, Moonkit, and Skykit. But why give my children’s prophecy to me?” Lightkit remained confused as she headed back to the other kits.

Ripplepaw stretched as she stepped out of her nest. She delicately licked all the moss from her fur and took deep breaths of air. Padding lightly out of the apprentices’ den, she looked around for Sunpaw. Noticing the golden she-cat crouched over the fresh-kill pile, she set her course there.
“What time is it Sunpaw?” Ripplepaw asked as she picked up a squirrel. “We mustn’t be late and it looks as if the fresh-kill pile could do with some filling.”
Sunpaw glanced at Ripplepaw. “We have plenty of time; Moonlitpaw just skulked out with Embertail. In fact, we still have a while to go if you would like to get some more sleep.”
“Well I couldn’t sleep a wink more. Let’s go to the Squirrel tree to wait.” With that Ripplepaw scraped dirt over the squirrel’s remains and stalked out of the main tunnel with Sunpaw in close secession.
As she stepped into the sunlight, she glanced up at its source. Sunpaw had been right; they had at least time to take a good run to loosen up. Padding delicately out onto the thick snow, she paused to take a deep breath, and then set out with powerful legs in a quick jog. Hearing Sunpaw’s wheezy breaths and remembering that her friend was not a very fast runner, she slowed to a lighter pace.
“What if Moonlitpaw doesn’t show?” Sunpaw gasped. “Does that automatically mean that you win?”
“Of course!” Ripplepaw mewed, surprised. “I won fighting, didn’t I? I clawed her ear till it bled, didn’t I?”
“Well,” Sunpaw meowed slowly, “some cats would say different.”
“What do you mean?” Ripplepaw hissed sharply.
“Moonlitpaw has been making it out to the warriors like she clawed her own ear to get battle scars and that you…”
“That I what?” Ripplepaw growled.
“That you cheated and told her that Embertail was watching. She said that she looked around to hear some praise and that you took advantage of her distraction to flip her over and win.”
Ripplepaw lashed her tail and hissed. “What mouse-brain would believe that? Honestly, Embertail was nowhere near! And like I would take advantage of my other aunt-cat like that! Despicable! I knew I never should have trusted that lying piece of fox dung!”
Sunpaw sighed. “I knew you would take it like that.”
“Well how should I take it?”
Sunpaw flinched. “Well, for one thing, maybe you shouldn’t yell at your best friend like she had something to do with it. I didn’t do anything.”
Ripplepaw glared for a moment longer at Sunpaw, and then she looked sharply away. “Moonlitpaw had no right,” she growled, flexing her claws. “I won fighting, fair and square.”
Sunpaw murmured an agreement, sweeping her tail in what she hoped was an angry fashion, earning a pleased look from her comrade.
“Thank you Sunpaw,” Ripplepaw whispered. “I needed to know this information.”
Sunpaw nodded contentedly. Yes, Moonlitpaw would pay for her lies, of course, Ripplepaw would see to that. And she, Sunpaw would make sure that everyone knew what a lying piece of fox dung Moonlitpaw was, oh yes. Moonlitpaw would deserve every nasty comment and jibe the other apprentices would throw at her, and hopefully she would learn from being Berrypaw’s personal assistant.
The two trudged on in complete silence, Ripplepaw fuming at the knowledge at what Moonlitpaw was doing, Sunpaw not wishing to but into Ripplepaw’s anger. They padded on, on to the Squirrel tree. Lifting her nose to the air, Ripplepaw noted that Sharppaw was here and waiting.
She skirted the roots of the ancient tree and found herself nose to nose with Sharppaw. The gray and black tom drew back his lips in a snarl. Ripplepaw stared into his amber eyes calmly and continued around him.
“So,” he hissed. “The cheat has returned.
“I am no cheat,” Ripplepaw growled. “Moonlitpaw just can’t believe that I beat her. She is the cheat.” Ripplepaw turned away from the snarling tom.
“So you think,” Sharppaw mewed, unsheathing his claws. “My sweet Moonlitpaw will come, and then you’ll see who the better she-cat is.”
“Really, Sharppaw, there is no need to compliment me!” Ripplepaw mewed in mock surprise. “Don’t let Moonlitpaw know that you know that I am the better she-cat.”
Sharppaw angrily lunged at Ripplepaw, who dodged quickly out of the way. “You think I meant you?” Sharppaw choked out. “Moonlitpaw is the better.”
“Now really Sharppaw, save it for a border spat, sooner or later ShoreClan will realize that they really are the well muscled Clan.”
Sharppaw made to claw Ripplepaw, when a pretty voice called out, “Now that’s enough!”
“Moonlitpaw!” Sharppaw shrieked, breaking away from Ripplepaw.
But the cat he had heard was not Moonlitpaw, but rather a pretty cream she-cat just over the ShoreClan border. “Who’s Moonlitpaw?” she mewed, looking confused. “Oh yes, the pretty little tabby at the gathering, she is so cute!”
“Oh no, she’s no one,” Sharppaw meowed, staring up at the newcomer. “I’m Sharppaw, who are you?”
“Shellpaw,” the she-cat purred, shaking water droplets from her body so her pelt shimmered. “I am pleased to meet you.”
“Same with me,” Sharppaw stammered.
“Uh, excuse me Shellpaw,” Ripplepaw mewed. “But you really shouldn’t be talking with us. Moonlitpaw and I have a contest in a little bit, and, if I’m not mistaken, Sharppaw has sworn loyalty to Moonlitpaw as long as they both shall live. She makes all of her tom-friends do it.”
Shellpaw stared down at Ripplepaw as though she were a tick in her fur. “Well….”
“Ripplepaw.”
“Ripplepaw. I’m sure that is between Sharppaw and Moonlitpaw. Goodbye Sharppaw, I’ll see you at the gathering.” With that Shellpaw lashed her tail once and turned to leave.
“Wait!” shrieked a voice. “What were you saying to Sharppaw?” Moonlitpaw ran down a hill and stopped inches from the border. “Tell me Shellpaw!”
Shellpaw paused. “Well Moonlitpaw,” she spat. “You might want to get yourself a new tom, Sharppaw’s mine.” Then she bounded away.
Moonlitpaw looked stunned, then she collapsed right there at the border and started to sob. “You win Ripplepaw,” she stammered. “I’ll go to the hollow. I’ll serve Berrypaw. I’ll go back to the nursery. I’ll do anything just so I don’t have to fight with her.”
Ripplepaw thought for a moment. “All right Moonlitpaw, I’ll take you to the hollow. I’m headed that way anyway. But you must promise me that you will cease spreading lies about me so that everyone thinks that I am a bad cat, or cheated or something.”
Moonlitpaw nodded slowly, then stood up and shook the snow off her body, something that most SnowClan cats would never do. She walked over to Sharppaw and twined herself hopefully around his body. He stared angrily at her, hissed, and reclined from her loving touch. Moonlitpaw’s breath caught in another sob and she dutifully took up position at Ripplepaw’s back. Nodding approvingly at the heartbroken Moonlitpaw, Ripplepaw started to walk.
“Ripplepaw, wait!” Sunpaw mewed. “Can I come?” The golden she-cat looked hopefully at her friend.
Ripplepaw glanced back. “No,” she meowed slowly. “I’m sorry, but no. I must do this alone.”
Leaving Sunpaw looking crestfallen and Sharppaw still staring at the spot that Shellpaw had so recently vacated, Ripplepaw and Moonlitpaw padded slowly to the hollow.

Lakestar led her patrol quickly through the territory. Brooksplash was bounding next to her on her right, whilst Wolfpelt ran at her left. Behind her came Slitherpaw, whose shorter legs caused him to be almost sprinting at Lakestar’s breakneck pace.
They were coming upon the StreamClan border and vision was limited. Here the mist from the rushing stream carried over the border and the cats relied on their sense of smell to keep them from banging into the jagged pebbles that many paws accidentally kicked over. Instinctively following the stream, frozen over where they were, Lakestar’s patrol gained ground fast.
Mewing a warning, Lakestar skidded to a halt just before the patrol crossed the border. Breathing in the waterlogged air, Lakestar noted that Volewhisker and his apprentice Lynxpaw had recently been here. The scent markers from StreamClan were fresh; the deputy had obviously been resetting them.
At a nod from his leader, Wolfpelt set out along the border, marking every five paces with his own distinctive SnowClan scent. Slitherpaw followed eagerly, making the scent stronger by adding his own markers. Wolfpelt looked approvingly at his apprentice, but did not stop to comment.
“Brooksplash,” Lakestar mewed to her deputy in a whisper. “I’m going to have to leave tonight to visit the Moon-tree, StarClan has called me. Do not stop anyone else from leaving tonight; I have reason to believe that two apprentices will join me.”
Brooksplash looked surprised, but did not argue. “Will you wish an escort?” she merely meowed.
“No, I shouldn’t think so,” Lakestar mewed, turning to mark Wolfpelt and Slitherpaw’s progress. “The journey is as safe as possible at the moment, safer even then simply taking a patrol to the icy Thunderpath in current circumstances.”
Brooksplash stared icily at her leader for a brief moment, and then nodded. Lakestar, looking pleased, returned to her avid supervising of Wolfpelt and Slitherpaw. They were almost out of sight now.
She let her gaze wander thoughtfully over Slitherpaw. “Ripplepaw has a thing for Slitherpaw,” she mewed to Brooksplash. “I’m sure he’ll make her a great mate. His mother was my mother’s sister you know.”
Brooksplash nodded. Slitherpaw’s mother, Patchcreek, had been hit by a monster shortly after Slitherpaw had been apprenticed. Every cat had mourned her death, Patchcreek had not only been Silenteyes’s sister, but also the mother of several litters of completely loyal SnowClan warriors. Though everyone knew that the kind she-cat was not to live forever, she just somehow had seemed everything that SnowClan had ever meant, a loyal, trustworthy, kind, and fierce cat whose last kit was thought to turn out much the same.
Lakestar continued staring at Slitherpaw. “He stuck up for Ripplepaw yesterday, saying to that pretty Moonlitpaw that he would never take her over Ripplepaw. He certainly deserves my little niece.”
Again Brooksplash nodded. Moonlitpaw, in her opinion was a stuck up and enormously irritating young apprentice. She thought with a sigh how her nephew, Sharppaw, seemed to fancy her, and feebly hoped that he’d find another she-cat.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 9
Lightkit heaved her body up yet another ledge in the hollow. Glancing desperately up at the setting sun, she sighed. Maybe she should have waited till the change of watch, but that would have been too late. She looked anxiously around for another ledge, on which she hooked her forepaws over and scrambled up.
She was almost there now; she could see the top of the hollow. Lightkit gave a final heave and pulled herself on top. Sighing, Lightkit turned around and abruptly halted. She was face to face with an orange she-cat. The she-cat’s lips were drawn up in a snarl, and behind her Lightkit could see a gray tom and two older kits.
“Please don’t hurt me!” Lightkit mewled.
“Silly kit, we aren’t going to hurt you,” the she-cat mewed, relaxing. “We are just wondering what a Clan kit like you is doing out of the hollow. We’ve noticed how you seem to have claimed our home.”
“This is your home? I’m sorry; they just want us evacuated so that we don’t get hurt by the Dark Stars.”
“Kid, you’re talking gibberish to me,” the gray tom growled. “All I know is that Moonrise and Burning need a place to stay, and you Clan fools are using our hollow as a mini camp!”
“Calm down Cole,” the orange she-cat hissed. “It’s not the kit’s fault.”
Lightkit stared at the strange cats. “You seem to know what I am, but who and what are you?”
The she-cat looked surprised. “Never seen a rouge before?”
Lightkit shook her head and continued to stare.
“Well, a rouge is, well, one of us. It’s a rather foul name that the Clans gave cats that don’t care much for ‘Clan life’. They say we care for nothing but ourselves, but that isn’t true. As you can see, Cole has stuck with me even though my kits have already been weaned and I can hunt for myself. We are a family,” the she-cat paused for a moment. “As for whom we are, my name is Sunset, and this is my mate, Cole. The kits are Burning,” she nodded to an orange tom, “and Moonrise,” she pointed with her tail to a gray she-cat.
“Rouge,” Lightkit mewed. The word felt sticky and cruel on her tongue. “How strange.”
Sunset nodded. “Yes, we thought so too when we first heard it. Now, may I ask where you’re going?”
Lightkit stared at her paws. How white they were. “The Moon-tree,” she finally said. “I’ll have to be there soon. Moonhigh is not so far away.”
“Ah, that mystical tree that Clan cats go to so that they may exchange greetings with the dead,” Cole mewed. “That is so cool!”
Lightkit glared at the sarcastic tom. “For your information Cole,” she spat, “StarClan has called me. I am to speak with the deceased leader of one of the Clans of old.”
Cole nodded serenely. “And that really is going to happen little one, don’t let a filthy rouge like me tell you different.”
Sunset cuffed the gray tom. “Hush, just because we don’t believe it, doesn’t mean that it’s not true for the Clans. Who knows, maybe StarClan will tell the kit to give us back at least a part of out hollow.” She looked hopefully at Lightkit, who nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do about your hollow,” she murmured. “But now, I really must go.” And with that the white she-cat set off into the darkness ahead.

Ripplepaw led the heartbroken Moonlitpaw onward to the hollow. She looked around, finding landmarks that Embertail had mentioned so that she knew that she was on the right track. All through the journey, Moonlitpaw had not said a word. Ripplepaw didn’t mind that at all, in her opinion, this was better than Moonlitpaw’s usual snooty self.
“We are almost there Moonlitpaw,” Ripplepaw mewed ecstatically. “Then I’ll be rid of you till after the big fight. Whoopee!”
Moonlitpaw merely nodded and continued trudging on after Ripplepaw.
As the two climbed up a rather steep hill, Ripplepaw noticed something. There was an outline of a tree at the top, the same tree that she had seen in her dream. Ripplepaw quickened her pace, excited that she was so near her final destination. But as she approached it, she noticed a small figure at the roots of the holy tree, staring up at the moon which was slowly climbing its way into the sky.
Moonlitpaw was still near the base of the hill, climbing slowly up. With a final glance at the younger apprentice, Ripplepaw padded up to the figure sitting on the roots. As Ripplepaw drew near, she recognized the white pelt and small stature.
“Lightkit?” she mewed.
Lightkit whirled around to look at Ripplepaw. The little white she-cat’s eyes bulged at the sight of the SnowClan apprentice. “Ripplepaw?” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Ripplepaw decided to lie to Lightkit. “Just taking Moonlitpaw to the hollow. She’s going to be Berrypaw’s personal assistant because I won a contest.” Well, thought Ripplepaw, it’s partly the truth. “What are you doing here?”
“You don’t know what it’s like being with so many little kits,” Lightkit growled. “I can’t stand it. So I slipped out for a while, just to be alone.”
“Would you like to come back with us?” Ripplepaw suggested. “It’ll be really dark soon…”
“With all these stars? You’ve got to be kidding!” Lightkit purred. “No, I’m not ready to go back yet. I’ll only be here a moment longer, and SnowClan scent isn’t hard to follow, particularly when I’m covered in it myself.”
Ripplepaw nodded slowly and turned to see how much progress Moonlitpaw had made. The tabby apprentice was nearly to Lightkit and Ripplepaw now.
“What’s wrong with Moonlitpaw?” Lightkit asked.
“Her heart has been broken,” Ripplepaw mewed. “Sharppaw fell for another she-cat, and not just any she-cat, a ShoreClan apprentice.”
Lightkit winced. “Does this ShoreClan apprentice like him?”
“Yes, that’s what makes it all the worse. We haven’t had a cross-Clan mating in so many moons, no one remembers it. And if Sharppaw and Shellpaw really like each other as much as I saw today, there might be one this season. Of course, both cats in question are forbidden to have kits because of their age anyway, but how would that stop two cats in love?”
Lightkit shook her head sadly. From what she had seen of Sharppaw, she had very much liked him. Yet could she think him a good cat if he and his love were both traitors to their Clans?
Moonlitpaw was now standing next to Ripplepaw. She took no notice of Lightkit, but instead just turned her head to the ground. All life seemed to have drained out of the sad she-cat, but she was still beautiful.
Ripplepaw gave a last nod to Lightkit, and started to lead Moonlitpaw away from the Moon-tree and towards the hollow. Moonlitpaw dragged herself steadily onwards behind Ripplepaw without a single glance back at the little white kit. Looking at Moonlitpaw’s sorrowful face, Ripplepaw wondered if Moonlitpaw even realized that they had not been alone.
Soon they came upon two leafy trees. The lowest leaves stretched nearly to the ground, and looked innocent enough. Yet Ripplepaw knew that they were hiding a bramble thicket, behind which there was a tunnel that led to the hollow.
The two apprentices pushed through the leaves and squeezed under the bramble thicket. There Ripplepaw noticed a rather well worn dirt tunnel, and the steep, ragged sides of the make-shift camp. She heard the squeals of young kits too energetic to go to sleep and exhausted queens trying to hush them up. Vaguely Ripplepaw wondered if she would be able to see Iciclewing before she had to leave to go back to the Moon-tree.
Moonlitpaw gave Ripplepaw a little nudge, reminding her of the reason why they were here. Startled, Ripplepaw placed her paws on the hard-packed dirt and started down.
The tunnel was dark and dirt rained down on them in some places, but the apprentices never looked back. With Ripplepaw in front and Moonlitpaw trudging sadly behind her, they didn’t stop until a ginger she-cat smelling strongly of StreamClan made them.
“Who are you and what purpose do you have?” the she-cat hissed roughly. “My job is to protect these cats and I sure ain’t going to let a couple of half-grown midgets go by me until I have full confidence that you are Clan-born. What are you, rouges?”
“Ha!” Ripplepaw snorted. “I always knew StreamClan didn’t have half a nose when they needed it. Sniff away stream-swimmer, and then you tell us if we are Clan-born or not!”
The guard gave a good, long sniff, and looked up surprised. “So sorry apprentices I just haven’t seen a SnowClan cat other then the ones in here in a while. Now that I think about it, you,” she pointed with her tail at Ripplepaw, “look like that Iciclewing and that Lakestar. Don’t suppose that you are related though. My mother always said that blue-gray fur is getting much too common.”
Ripplepaw glared at the StreamClan warrior, but continued on her way. Soon she and Moonlitpaw stepped out onto cold, hard stone. Not only that, but everyone was staring at them.
A shriek went up from a she-cat that Ripplepaw couldn’t see. Before she knew it, her own mother was attacking her with licks and gentle cuffs. Glancing quickly at her mother’s belly, Ripplepaw assured herself that her mother had not had her kits.
“Why are you here?” Iciclewing panted. “Is everything alright? Is Lakestar okay? Have they come yet?”
“No, nothing has happened. They haven’t come, and Lakestar is fine. A little distracted of late, but that is to be expected. As for why I am here, Moonlitpaw is going to be Berrypaw’s personal assistant. She can’t bear fighting beside Shellpaw, a ShoreClan apprentice. You could say that they had a disagreement over something that I’m sure that Moonlitpaw wouldn’t like me repeating in present company.” Ripplepaw glanced over to the ShoreClan queens, her gaze falling on Creamyfur, Shellpaw’s mother. The beautiful ShoreClan queen looked away sharply.
“Ah, so you do have an excuse to come here, other to see me. Good,” Iciclewing mewed warmly. “Will you be spending the night?”
“No, I mustn’t stay long. Lakestar’s expecting me in the morning for training. So mom, has Spotfur had her kits? The whole Clan wants to know.”
Iciclewing nodded. “A tom and a she-cat. Darekit and Starkit. Darekit is black and Starkit is white and silver spotted. They haven’t yet opened their eyes.”
“Hmm. Darekit and Starkit. Interesting names.”
“Yes, we all agree. Well, if you really don’t intend to stay long, you’d better get Moonlitpaw into Berrypaw’s den and get the journey over with. It’s almost moonhigh!”
Ripplepaw gave a little start, nodded and backed away.

Moonhigh was approaching fast. Glancing angrily at it, Lakestar ran the rest of the way to the Moon-tree. As she bounded the last steps, she noticed two cats already there. Breathing in their scent, Lakestar satisfied herself as to knowing that they were of SnowClan.
“So, now StarClan will let me see the lucky young cats!” she murmured. “Good.”
As Lakestar approached the figures, her cheery attitude changed to one of anger and shock. “Ripplepaw?” she growled. “Lightkit?”
The two she-cats whirled around. Seeing who had seen them, they guiltily looked at their paws. “Why are you here Lakestar?” Ripplepaw managed to get out. “Did StarClan come to you too?”
“As a matter of fact they did Ripplepaw,” Lakestar snorted. “I can barely get a wink of sleep without them butting in. And it’s always Seastar! Why can’t some other cat come to me? And they make me come to this wretched hill, instead of giving me the message while they have me trapped in my dream!”
Lakestar glared down at the two cowering cats. How dare StarClan drag her own niece into this! And Lightkit, she wasn’t even an apprentice yet! Glancing up at the moon, almost moonhigh, she sighed.
“Well, if StarClan called you two, we’d better get it over with,” she hissed. With Lakestar leading the way, all three SnowClan she-cats leaped into the Moon-tree’s snow covered branches.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 10
The moon shone brightly overhead and the tree glimmered with the light reflecting off the snow. Nothing stirred or disturbed the three she-cats as they slept. Nothing in the real world anyways. But then again, nothing is quiet in the world of dreams.
As the cats left their bodies below in the Moon-tree, their minds went wandering far above to a place full of stars. Three cats crouched there, awaiting them. One was Gingerstar, Lightkit’s flaming ginger ancestor. Also there were the identical Seastar and Mistleaf, their blue-gray coats shimmering in the starlight. All of them had the wisdom of many moons shining like twin stars in their eyes, and stars gleamed from their fur. They were there, watching.
“Welcome Lightkit,” Gingerstar purred.
“Welcome Lakestar,” Seastar mewed.
“And welcome Ripplepaw,” Mistleaf finished. “We have been awaiting you.”
“What do you want?” Lightkit squeaked. “It was hard getting away from the hollow, and I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do.”
Ripplepaw nudged the snowy white kit. “Shush, this is StarClan you are talking to. Do you want to be struck by a lightning bolt for rudeness?”
The StarClan cats purred amusement and Ripplepaw looked taken aback. “Would we really Ripplepaw?” Mistleaf purred. “We’d strike a kit with a lightning bolt?” Ripplepaw stared at her paws.
“Well,” Seastar meowed lightly, shaking each of her paws, “I think we’d best get it over with.” Gingerstar and Mistleaf nodded gently and looked pityingly at the three she-cats.
Then with a little gust of wind, Seastar and Mistleaf vanished, leaving only the bright ginger tom. Gingerstar stared out at the cats before him, then whipped around and beckoned for them with his tail. With a glance at each other, the she-cats followed.
They ran. They ran through star-filled meadows and moonlit lakes. They stumbled through shining swamps and starry forests. They bounded through gleaming, snowcapped mountains. But still they ran.
Everywhere around them there were cats. Starry eyed, gleaming furred cats. All of them smelled of stardust and snow. Of meadows and lakes. Of swamps and forests. But each of them also bore a different scent, some scents familiar, others strange and foreign. And even though there were vast numbers of these starry cats, all of them seemed to know each other.
Gingerstar finally stopped by a large tree, so high that even sharp-eyed Lakestar could not catch a glimpse of the highest branches. Great gusts of wind caused the tree to shake and rain nuts upon the she-cats. Yet Gingerstar was not interested in the tree, instead he beckoned them into a hole in the roots. The inside had a sweet, starry scent that sung of life and happiness. But something did not seem right about it.
The hole and the tree were real enough, that at least was obvious. It was where the hole went that was puzzling. It became a cavernous tunnel sparkling like tiny stars and moons within it, strangely alive, beautiful, yet terrible.
And beyond that horrible tunnel lay a cavern large enough to hold an entire living Clan, yet not big enough for the vast ranks of StarClan. In the very center of the cavern was a cropping of rock from which was issuing a lovely feeling of warmth, hope, and happiness. Yet here was also the start of the terror that lurked behind the lovely pelt of all these feelings, and though they greatly wished to drown themselves in the wonders of this pelt, the she-cats stayed away.
Gingerstar stared with hatred at the rock, but the she-cats could detect a long since ignored feeling of longing deep within his green eyes. “Nothing like greed,” the ginger tom hissed, “to make a cat destined for good and greatness fall far short of what he should be.”
“What do you mean?” Ripplepaw mewed. “Whatever feeling lurks in that rock, it is not greed. Far from it, the feeling behind all the love and warmth that it has always hid behind is nothing other then loathing.”
“You are correct Ripplepaw,” Gingerstar nodded. “But think, what is loathing birthed of? Loathing does not simply come, it is made. It is brooded in our hearts behind other, much more kind feelings, until we finally let it out, still hidden, but now tumbling angrily behind many feelings, all of them less then desirable. Feelings that had always been there, just not out in the open, feelings such as jealousy, prejudice, longing, murderous, and above all, greed. I once heard of one cat who felt it all. Someday I shall tell you of him, but that is not today. Not now. All you need to know of him now is that he brought into the original forest some cats so treacherous, so horrible, that to this day we cats of StarClan shrink from speaking of them unless we absolutely need to. This is one of those times.”
Lightkit buried her head in Lakestar’s fur. She was not usually one to be frightened, she always had been the bravest kit, but something about the call of the feeling in the rock frightened her. Somehow, she seemed to be the most sensitive to the welcoming calls of the “pelt”, but she knew that if she let it draw her in, she would most certainly drown in the horrible loathing within. Greed, she thought. Gingerstar is right, it is the one thing that can make a great cat go astray.
Lakestar stared down at the little white kit. “Gingerstar,” she hissed lightly, “if what is in the cropping is all that bad, then why is it within StarClan land? Surely all things that StarClan walks must be laden with good.”
“Not so Lakestar,” Gingerstar growled, aiming all his force at the cropping. “It has been placed here by The Tribe of Dark Deaths, otherwise known as the Dark Stars’ ancestors, as a punishment for daring to try to keep them in order. If they catch a single StarClan cat trying to stop their realm of killing from unleashing itself into the alive world, they will poor the feeling into the mountain, poisoning it till its death. We have tried to destroy it, but it is impossible.”
“Wait a moment,” Ripplepaw burst out. “What does this have to do with us, and how does it help us? If I got off topic during a training session with Lakestar, she’d have me licking mouse bile for a moon!”
“It would be your own fault,” Lakestar hissed.
Gingerstar purred. “Quite right,” he meowed. “Then let me show you what this has to do with you.”
He beckoned them over closer to the rock. From here they could see magnificent rainbows of light protruding from the very center of the cropping, beautiful; yet poisoning the air and turning it fowl. A closer look showed them that the rainbows had wicked black undersides, and smelled of crowfood.
Gingerstar’s bright golden pelt looked pale and drawn, the starlight faded from his eyes. They realized that the light dimmed as they came closer to the rock and the only thing that seemed real was the terrible loathing. Its protective pelt had vanished.
“This is as far as we go,” Gingerstar meowed. “To go any farther would mean submitting yourself to loathing’s mercy.” The she-cats stopped abruptly.
“Now,” Gingerstar breathed, “we shall talk.”
Lakestar again looked down at the little kit shivering next to her. “I don’t see why you had to drag Lightkit into this mess,” she growled. “No kits should have been chosen in the first place, and you picked the one that was just getting used to the flow of things. You brought her here where evil reigns and made her go so close that even I am uncomfortable. Why Gingerstar, why?”
“She is the most important part of this discussion,” Gingerstar mewed calmly. “Also, she is my kin and will be able to stand it. I know she will.” He looked down at Lightkit with a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
“But that is not the point,” he acknowledged. “Though I am exceedingly proud of all my kin in the Clans, now is not the time to talk of that. Now we are to talk of why you are here, and quite certainly Lakestar, I will make sure to especially explain why Lightkit is here.”
“Many seasons back, the Tribe of Dark Deaths had been the ancestors of not the Dark Stars, but of a rouge Clan called BloodClan. A brave cat called Firestar fought BloodClan as a young leader, and triumphed, but as spirits they were much quicker witted. When BloodClan was destroyed, they were scattered among twolegplace, and their ancestors reduced to roaming far away, each to their own small territory. But the Tribe of Dark Deaths found a new residence. Many seasons ago, when this thing was first brought onto StarClan grounds, a fight broke out between the cats of StarClan and the Tribe of Dark Deaths. Obviously we were trying to keep the loathing from reaching its permanent home, but we did not know that the Tribe of Dark Deaths had a new weapon.”
“Their weapon was so horrible, so powerful, that even StarClan could not divert it from reaching its target. The weapon was called fear.”
“All of the current Clans had already been established, and the mountain was thriving. Yet it had only been a single season. It was the perfect time for the Tribe of Dark Deaths to strike. They sent their fear down to the mountain. We of StarClan stopped most of it, but some of it still landed. The most force of the feeling landed on the top, and we all know what Clan resides there.”
Lakestar looked with horror at Gingerstar. “So, all that fear, was sent by your rival ancestors, and ruled in my territory, until Sleetstar and I stopped it.”
Gingerstar nodded. “Yes.”
The three she-cats looked stricken, especially Lightkit, who was realizing that the spirits of her kithood were the cause of SnowClan’s hard past.
Gingerstar looked sadly at the she-cats. “I know that this must be hard for you, but I still have things to tell you.” He shivered, “horrible things.”
Lightkit moved closer to Lakestar’s comforting body. She did not like the sound of these things, and wondered for the millionth time, why she was here.
Gingerstar closed his eyes for a brief moment. “This will be hard to understand, but I guarantee you, that when you wake, this will all make sense.”
Now even Ripplepaw was crouched close to Lakestar. The light in the room started to dim even more, and Lightkit was whimpering. Gingerstar looked around at them, took a deep breath, and started to mew.
“Many moons ago, when Firestar was leader of ThunderClan and the Clans still lived in the original forest, an evil cat called Tigerstar lived. He was born into ThunderClan, but he had not one drop of good in his body. Maybe he did once, but when Firestar met him, he was evil through and through.”
“He did many horrible things. For starters he killed the deputy, Redtail, hoping that he’d be made deputy. But he wasn’t. Lionheart was named deputy, but he was soon killed fighting ShadowClan’s tyrant leader. Then Tigerstar was made deputy.”
“But that wasn’t enough, he wanted to be leader. He set a trap for Bluestar, the leader before Firestar, by the Thunderpath, but an apprentice fell into it instead. She was crippled for the rest of her life. Then he led a gang of rouges into the ThunderClan camp and tried to kill Bluestar again, yet failing and being exiled from ThunderClan.”
“Yet ShadowClan did not see him as an evil tyrant. In fact, they did not even know about his criminal past. When their leader and deputy died of sickness, Tigerstar turned up. To them he was like a ray of light in the darkness, a chance for their Clan to once again be great. So Tigerstar became leader of ShadowClan and made his new Clan great once more.”
“But still that wasn’t enough for great Tigerstar. He wanted revenge on the Clan that dared to refuse him as their leader. And not just that, he wanted to rule the entire forest, be the complete leader of all the Clans. You can guess how that went over.”
“Leopardstar of RiverClan joined Tigerstar immediately. She thought that Tigerstar was the strongest cat in the forest, and that it would be wise to ally her Clan with him. He stuffed her head with lies, telling her that they would be joint leaders and other fantasies. Tallstar and Firestar tried to tell her that it would only be so when hedgehogs flew, but she wouldn’t listen. Tigerstar took over RiverClan and started killing or trying to kill half-Clan cats, just to make a point that he was now the supreme ruler of what he called TigerClan.”
Now Gingerstar paused, gazing into the darkness with an expression showing that he had tried, and failed, several times to forget this. He stared at each she-cat in turn, took a deep breath, and returned to the tale.
“He was desperate enough to even ask WindClan and ThunderClan to join him, spreading the same lies to us that had so sorely tempted Leopardstar. But Tallstar and Firestar saw right through them. They refused, and prepared themselves to fight TigerClan.”
“But when Tigerstar asked them again and they refused, they found themselves facing not just TigerClan, but a rouge Clan from the twolegplace, BloodClan as well. Tigerstar had bribed them with half the territory for their services, probably intending to kill the leader, Scourge, later. Yet it didn’t work like that.”
“Firestar told Tigerstar’s story to Scourge, hoping that he would leave. Yet he merely said that he would think about it and would not give his cats the order to strike when Tigerstar wanted. Tigerstar turned on Scourge, but he had underestimated the rouge Clan leader’s power. Scourge ripped the nine lives out of Tigerstar with a single wound, and Firestar watched his greatest enemy die nine times.”
“I suppose he should have felt joy, but instead watching Tigerstar die filled Firestar with horror. Scourge just sat there, licking the blood off his paws, not feeling anything that the Clans felt just watching the ShadowClan leader die. When Tigerstar finally grew still for the last time, Scourge told them that he’d be taking over ShadowClan’s territory, and that they had three days to leave, or they would fight his Clan. Tallstar and Firestar reconciled themselves to fight the Clan, and they eventually convinced RiverClan and ShadowClan to join them. That day dawned cold and hard.”
“Leading his Clan into battle against BloodClan was must have been horrible for Firestar, I don’t know, though he is here I have never asked him. No matter how many he killed, more came over the crest of the hill. They just kept coming and coming, no end to the flow of evil, cold-hearted cats. His first deputy, Whitestorm, died and he lost his first life, but they won, after we of StarClan figured out Scourge’s only weakness. I believe that Thorn has the same weakness.”
“And what is that?” Lakestar breathed, her gaze fixed on the rainbows protruding from the cropping.
“Scourge only had one life, Thorn only has one life, but you as a leader have nine,” Gingerstar mewed. “They do not believe in StarClan, but instead they fear their ancestors, The Tribe of Dark Deaths, who grant them nothing. They may be leaders, but they are leaders stripped of the most important thing a leader has, their faith.”
Gingerstar paused, “that is what I am saying. It may be the only way to defeat Thorn, and if you defeat Thorn, you defeat the Dark Stars. Now go. You are all needed where you would be otherwise.”
And with those words, Gingerstar, the cavern, the tree, and the cropping, all vanished, Gingerstar in a ball of stardust, the others in evil smelling puffs of smoke. Amazed, the she-cats watched as the ground of StarClan beneath their paws vanished and they woke up on the tree. They stared at each other, Ripplepaw and Lightkit at loss for words, Lakestar completely calm for she had done this many times.
“He still didn’t say why I had to be there,” Lightkit mewed.
“He didn’t say it,” Lakestar meowed. “He implied it. You were there because of your past, your life in the Dark Stars. You could prove his words, but only if you heard them.” Now Lakestar’s voice became thoughtful. “You and Flowersong’s kits are well past six moons now, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Lightkit meowed.
“Well then, you will all come back to camp, and we will hold the ceremony tomorrow,” Lakestar announced. “You will not fight in the battle, instead you will return to the hollow, but you will be there to protect the young kits. I’m sure we could squeeze in one training session before you must return.”
Lightkit squealed in excitement. “Thank you Lakestar!” she caterwauled.
“And speaking of apprentices,” Lakestar mewed, raising herself up. “Where is Moonlitpaw, Ripplepaw?”
“She lost a challenge and has been taken to the hollow to be Berrypaw’s personal assistant,” Ripplepaw mewed quickly.
“Ah, so that’s what Sunpaw wouldn’t talk about,” Lakestar nodded. “Challenges are well enough, so I’ll let it slide. This time.” Lakestar’s eyes bored into Ripplepaw’s identical blue-green ones. “We are kin Ripplepaw,” she acknowledged. “But this is the only time I will make special allowances.”
Ripplepaw nodded, seeing the fairness in it.
“Now, we are all do at the hollow,” Lakestar mewed, turning around. “We’d be wise to leave immediately.”
So turning their backs on the Moon-tree, the she-cats ran towards the hollow.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 11
Lakestar led the way into the hollow camp. There was a strange gathering of cats, mostly queens staring worriedly about. In the front was Lilybud, her face a rivet of slimy tears, her body shaking like an earthquake. Iciclewing had her face pressed against the white she-cat’s, comforting her gently. They looked up as Lakestar approached.
“Where is Lightkit?” Lilybud wailed casting herself at her leader’s feet.
“Calm down!” Lakestar mewed, “she’s right here.”
Lightkit came out from behind Lakestar and sat down next to her mother. “StarClan called me, mom,” she whispered. “And I had to answer.”
Lilybud stared down at her daughter. “Don’t you ever run away again without telling me,” she hissed her voice suddenly dangerous. “I was so frightened, and worried that you would never come back.”
“Well, she did come back,” Lakestar meowed calmly. “She is back, and is safe. Also, I have exciting news. Lightkit, Soilkit, Bearkit, and Dirtkit are well past six moons. They are to come to the hollow and become apprentices, before coming back here to guard the camp. They will not be trained enough to fight in the battle, but Lilybud and Flowersong will be welcome additions to the forces.”
Flowersong gasped and squealed with joy, her kits had been bugging her and she was grateful that they’d finally be apprentices. Yet Lilybud felt misgivings. She wasn’t sure that she was ready to fight the cats that she had grown up with.
“Before we leave though,” Lakestar mewed decisively. “I must speak with Iciclewing.” She dismissed the other queens with a flick of her tail, and beckoned to her sister. The queen came forward, her belly swollen to overflowing with the kits she would bear.
“Yes sister?” she mewed, nodding.
“I just want you to know that I am still here for you, even though I am not here. You mean more to me then I can say. I simply wish circumstances could be different.”
“They are fine,” Iciclewing purred. “Just take care of my Ripplepaw.”
“She’s here,” Lakestar mewed. “Do you want to speak with her?”
“No,” Iciclewing meowed firmly. “We spoke earlier.”
“All right, if you’re sure. We’ll be off then, I will see you soon, I hope.”
“As do I,” Iciclewing mewed, her eyes full of meaning. “Come back alive, all of you.” Iciclewing knew better then to ask her sister what she had been doing so close to the hollow. She most likely would not have gotten a strait answer.
“We will,” Lakestar meowed to her sister. “Flowersong and Lilybud bring your kits and follow me. Ripplepaw, you too.”
Ripplepaw tore herself away from Berrypaw, and followed Lakestar. They headed out of the hollow, towards the SnowClan camp. All that Lightkit could do was jump for joy and follow her mother’s nervously twitching tail. Everything was as it should.

Lakestar jumped onto the High-stump as soon as she got into camp. “Let all those older then kits gather for a Clan meeting!” she yowled. Slowly, the recipients of the call gathered, and Lilybud and Flowersong proudly walked their kits in. Lightkit’s white pelt was gleaming and fluffy, and beside her walked Soilkit, her brown fur shining. Dirtkit and Bearkit padded along behind the she-cats, both of their brown pelts winking like little twin stars. Lakestar knew that she had chosen well as to their mentors.
“From this day forward, until he receives his warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Bearpaw,” she announced, looking down at the dark brown tom. “Forestfur, you are exceedingly loyal and fierce, the qualities that separate SnowClan from the other Clans. You will mentor Bearpaw.” Lakestar watched as the young brown and black warrior came up and touched noses with his new apprentice. Bearpaw looked up, his deep brown eyes shining with excitement, as he accepted his mentor happily.
“And this young cat,” she turned to Dirtkit, “Will be known as Dirtpaw. Grassyeyes, your skill in hunting and strong fighting techniques are greatly valued in this Clan. I trust that you will pass them on to Dirtpaw.” Now Grassyeyes came up to the High-stump. Dirtpaw eagerly lifted his head. Lakestar could tell that the enthusiastic young tom would be a handful.
“Next,” Lakestar looked at Soilkit. “This apprentice will be known as Soilpaw. Windleaf, your calm demeanor and gentle touch are rare and very important for Clan life. I hope that you will hone these personalities in Soilpaw and teach her the ways of the warrior.” Windleaf calmly walked up to her new apprentice. Soilpaw stretched up her snout with equal calmness and the two touched noses.
Lakestar looked at Lightkit, the only remaining six moon old kit. She had spent the entire journey thinking of the kit’s personality and wondering who would do best to bring it out. The answer was now on the tip of her tongue. “From this day forward,” she began, “until she receives her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Lightpaw.” Lightpaw shivered as the Clan looked on. “Eagletalon, you are fierce in battle, yet gentle in truth. You will mentor Lightpaw.” She watched as the brown tom reached forward to touch noses with his new apprentice. He had been the apprentice of her own father, Sharpthorn, and was a great warrior. Lightpaw would do well under his mentorship.
Lakestar watched as Lightpaw walked into the crowd with her mentor. SnowClan now had four more apprentices, and more kits were on the way. The Clan would definitely stay strong.
Suddenly the tunnel was filled with light. The sun was rising, and with came the start of the Clan’s day. Dirtpaw hopped eagerly around Grassyeyes’s legs, begging to be taken out into the territory. Soilpaw followed Windleaf obediently her tail held high.
“I’m going to have a hunting lesson!” she yowled to Lightpaw.
“Great!” Lightpaw mewed back. “Eagletalon is teaching me how to dodge in Combat Clearing!”
Bearpaw bounced happily after Forestfur, squealing to anyone who would listen, “I’m going to Frozen-stream!”
Lakestar turned to Brooksplash. “Tell the older apprentices to meet me in Combat Clearing,” she mewed. “I will asses their training. Gather their mentors as well.” Lakestar turned away. Any apprentice she found whose battle training was not up to par would be sent to the hollow for their own protection, seeing as they could not protect themselves.

Lakestar sat with her tail wrapped around her paws, staring at the oldest apprentices. There was Ripplepaw, Sunpaw sitting next to her, and Sharppaw and Slitherpaw crouching close by. Behind them sat their mentors, all except Ripplepaw’s seeing as Lakestar was in front of them. From behind they could hear Eagletalon patiently teaching Lightpaw how to dodge. Yet Lakestar’s lesson was silent.
“All right,” Lakestar mewed, pacing in front of the apprentices. “I’m sure you all know why you are here.” She spun around and looked each in the eye. “I do not tolerate cats that chose to act selfish, weak, or ‘amusing’. As Ripplepaw will tell you, I’ll have you licking mouse bile for a moon.”
The apprentices fidgeted uncomfortably. Ripplepaw blinked encouragingly at Sunpaw and Slitherpaw, yet stared harshly at Sharppaw. Lakestar resolved to figure out why later.
“I will start with Slitherpaw,” she mewed, picking the oldest apprentice. “Let’s see if you can fight me.”
Slitherpaw’s ears twitched and his muscles tensed. His eyes flicked from side to side and he jumped with a well aimed leap that looked to be aimed for Lakestar’s back. Lakestar stepped back quickly, and the young tom landed on his paws. Quickly recovering, he lashed out with a sheathed paw. Lakestar blocked easily and flipped over the apprentice. Slitherpaw battered Lakestar’s stomach with his hind paws and managed to flip back onto four paws. Lakestar nodded gently.
“Very good Slitherpaw,” she meowed. “As long as you keep away from Thorn, you should be fit for the battle. You have done well with him, Wolfpelt.”
Wolfpelt nodded and draped his tail over Slitherpaw’s shoulders. “After six moons of training, he’d better be good,” he growled, but it was clear that he was proud of his apprentice.
“Six moons, has it really been that long?” Lakestar muttered. “You must be expecting your warrior ceremony soon.” She looked at the black and silver tom, whose amber eyes where glowing happily.
“Sunpaw, you’re next,” Lakestar mewed briskly. Sunpaw just happened to be the youngest of the oldest apprentices, but Lakestar knew that Irispetal had been a good mentor to her.
The golden she-cat padded nervously forward, her tail twitching. Irispetal meowed some soothing words behind her, and Sunpaw calmed slightly. She thingyed her head and muttered under her breath, “Look for anything that may be an advantage to your opponent, as well as their disadvantage.” Lakestar recognized Irispetal’s fighting secrets, and knew that the white warrior must be proud. Secretly, Lakestar started listing her advantages and disadvantages compared to Sunpaw’s. She was bulkier then the small she-cat and the apprentice would have the advantage of speed. Yet Lakestar had more practice and hadn’t been named leader for nothing.
Clearly Sunpaw had decided on her tactic, for she was backing up a bit. Lakestar mimicked the move; nothing made an opponent more daunted then a copy cat. Sunpaw Quickly, Sunpaw bucked her leader off, and ran around her, fake nipping the older she-cat’s tail. Satisfied, Lakestar flicked her tail and Sunpaw halted.
“Very good,” Lakestar meowed. “Yet what I said to Slitherpaw is the same for you. Keep away from Thorn. Also, I’d advise you apprentices to work as pairs, teaming up against the larger warriors of The Dark Stars. Nice job with her, Irispetal.”
Irispetal beamed, Sunpaw was her first apprentice. “Thank you Lakestar,” she purred.
“Slitherpaw and Sunpaw, you two should mock battle each other. Wolfpelt and Irispetal, watch them. I will continue with Sharppaw and Ripplepaw.”
The four cats moved away towards Lightpaw and Eagletalon and Lakestar turned to Sharppaw. “Let’s see how well Woodtail has trained you,” she mewed. “Ready, attack me!”
Sharppaw’s gray and black fur bristled gently as he swayed his head, looking for an opening. He bared his sharp teeth and crept silently forward, like he was stalking prey. Lakestar immediately saw a strategy and she leaped forward, starting the fight herself. Sharppaw sprung upwards as well and they collided in the air. Yet Lakestar had the advantage of weight, and she managed to stay on top. Sharppaw, being rather small for an apprentice slipped out of her grasp easily by hooking his claws in the ground and pulling himself downwards. He whipped around and bared his teeth threateningly.
“Bravo,” Lakestar mewed. “I’m glad that we were only doing mock battle. You have some really good moves there. You are going to be fine for the fight.”
Sharppaw visibly relaxed as he walked over to Woodtail, who gave him a warm purr. Lakestar looked at them, not kin, but as close to kin as possible without actually being kin. Brooksplash would be pleased to hear how well the young tom had done.
“You two may join the other training sessions while I asses Ripplepaw,” Lakestar meowed. “Sharppaw may need to work on his initial attack, never let your opponent start if you can help it.” Sharppaw nodded and followed Woodtail to the center of the clearing.
“All right Ripplepaw,” Lakestar hissed. “You are my apprentice and I expect you to be really, really good. I will let you start simply because this is an assessment. I could already tell Sharppaw’s tactic and knew that to be able to see how good he is, I would need to start it, but you are different. Give your best shot.”
Ripplepaw nodded and walked calmly forward. Her blue-green eyes flicked back and forth and her tail twitched. Then she pounced landing squarely on Lakestar’s back. Lakestar flicked her off and Ripplepaw landed heavily a rabbit’s length away. Quickly, she was back on her paws and pretending to nip Lakestar’s tail, nearest the spine where it could hurt very much.
Lakestar gave the command to stop. “Very good, Ripplepaw, your techniques are much like Sunpaw’s. Now I see what you two have learned from your friendship. Go get Brooksplash and tell her to help you with your landing; you slightly misjudged that leap making it easier for me to buck you off. After that, I need to have a word with you and the other older apprentices.”
“Yes Lakestar,” Ripplepaw mewed. She ran off to camp to fetch Brooksplash, glancing back and wondering why Lakestar wasn’t going to help her with her landing.
Lakestar turned to watch the apprentices practice their moves, and sighed. In this battle how many cats would die?

Lightpaw leaped onto Eagletalon’s back. Hearing her mentor’s grunt of approval, she felt the warm glow of pride engulf her. They had been practicing basic dodge and tackle since the ceremony. Yet this was the first time that she had gotten it right completely.
She slid off the brown tom’s gleaming pelt and onto the snowy ground. Turning her attention to the older apprentices, she saw how they ducked and attacked easily with their mentors. Someday, she vowed, she would be just like them.
“Alright,” Eagletalon mewed. “Since I see that you have mastered that, how about we find Windleaf and Soilpaw and see if we can join in on the hunting lesson?”
Lightpaw nodded enthusiastically and fell into step behind Eagletalon as he made for the Squirrel tree. The land all looked pretty much the same to Lightpaw, all snowy and barren, yet Eagletalon easily found his way around. She wondered if she would ever be so confident.
Soon they came to a tall tree covered in snow. Lightpaw was instantly reminded of the Moon-tree, yet this tree did not have the mysterious feel about it. She immediately smelled Soilpaw and Windleaf. Looking around, she saw them practicing the hunter’s crouch near a root with a large pile of squirrels next to them.
As Lightpaw’s scent reached Soilpaw, the brown she-cat’s ears flicked, but she did not break her concentration. Lightpaw secretly admired her friend’s dedication, but she as well did not call out. She watched as Soilpaw pounced and pulled a dead squirrel out of a knot in the roots. Windleaf nodded gently and licked Soilpaw’s ears in approval.
Lightpaw let out a gasp of amazement. It seemed that Soilpaw had already mastered catching squirrels! She padded up to her friend and purred.
“Nice catch!” Lightpaw meowed. “Is it hard?”
“No, not at all!” Soilpaw mewed. “All you have to do is listen to your mentor and use your instincts. Past that, hunting squirrels is easy!”
Lightpaw looked at Soilpaw’s pelt. Her usual pale brown fur was even more muted then usual, coated from top to bottom with a caked on layer of snow. Even more confusing, Soilpaw made no effort to flick it off!
“Why do you have so much snow on you?” Lightpaw asked.
“It’s to confuse the prey,” Soilpaw explained. “My brown fur stands out in the snow. Prey would see me coming from a while a way. So, cats with darker fur, or fur that isn’t completely pale, must coat it with the snow. You wouldn’t have to, Lightpaw, since your fur is white. Yet it weighs you down and teaches you better balance, so Eagletalon might have you do it anyway.”
“Correct,” Eagletalon meowed gently. “SnowClan cats with non white fur or white fur with darker splotches cover themselves with snow to blend in. As well as that it teaches good balance, therefore teaching apprentices good battle skills, as well as reminding warriors. Yet a topic that you didn’t cover, Soilpaw, is that it gets you used to the cold faster, so that you can stay out longer. Up here on the freezing mountain top, the snow never melts, but your body heat melts the snow on your pelt rather quickly, also giving you a good supply of water. It also disguises your scent from the prey. Snow-covered pelts are very helpful to everyone who uses it. So, camouflage yourself, Lightpaw.”
Obediently, Lightpaw dropped and rolled in the snow, coating her already white pelt with the powdery substance. Instantly she felt cooler, and she shivered, though already her body was warming her. She felt heavier, as if she was being pulled to the ground, but she did not complain. Soilpaw nodded and bounded towards Windleaf. Lightpaw followed her movement, finding it much easier then she expected. The wind ruffled her neck fur, but it lay flat, stuck down by the cold flakes. Lightpaw knew that this would be a plus, seeing as the prey would not be able to see her fur flapping. She began to like the snow lying rest on her body, it made her feel as if she could walk her snowy territory and no cat or prey would ever spot her. This seemed like power.
Eagletalon wrapped his tail over Lightpaw’s shoulder. He too was covered in flaky snow. “Now, we hunt,” he mewed.
Lightpaw jumped up and down enthusiastically. She knew that she looked ridiculous, but she was excited. Surely Eagletalon would let her be kittenish for a while.
Sure enough, Eagletalon looked with amusement at the young apprentice. “Be careful not to scare away all the squirrels!” he purred.
Lightpaw playfully batted her mentor’s ear; she already knew that she liked him very much. The senior warrior was funny, intelligent, and gentle, just like Lightpaw had always envisioned her mentor. She followed happily as he led her to the roots of the tree, and crouched where he showed her.
“Now, Lightpaw, the best place to find prey is in the roots of trees. Sniff the air, do you smell anything?” Eagletalon probed.
Lightpaw lifted her nose and took in a deep sniff. A watery, stringy scent came to her. She nodded. “I can smell squirrel,” she mewed. “And I can smell you, Eagletalon, and Soilpaw, and Windleaf. I can smell myself, and I can smell stale scents of Moonlitpaw and Ripplepaw and Sharppaw. Sunpaw too. Over there,” she pointed with her tail to a strong smelling clump of grass with a watery scent, “is the border with ShoreClan, I can smell that and remember the ShoreClan kits. A patrol of three cats has recently passed by. Also, over there,” she pointed to a sheltered path by a snowdrift, “is the direction where we just came from, Eagletalon. Our scent there is fresh and we passed there together.” She looked up expectantly at her mentor, who was looking at her with wonder.
“You can smell all that already?” he asked.
“Well, yes!” Lightpaw meowed. “It’s simple! All you have to do is observe everything you smell, and then you can smell all kinds of things.”
Eagletalon gaped at her. “Well, can you tell where the squirrel is?” he asked.
Lightpaw nodded. “Over there,” she mewed, twitching her tail in the direction of a particularly sheltered root. “An old one, it smells musty.”
Eagletalon nodded absentmindedly. “Yes, now I must teach you how to crouch and hiss,” he mewed, partially to himself. “It’s quite simple really, the crouch, it’s the hiss that is difficult.”
Lightpaw leaned forward to show that she was listening. Feeling the snow melting on her, she rolled a fresh dusting onto herself.
“First you lower yourself onto your belly like this,” Eagletalon mewed, flattening his belly to the ground with one paw stretched forward, the other nearly tucked completely beneath him. Lightpaw copied the move.
“Then you raise your haunches and lower your tail as so,” he mewed, his bottom perking up and his tail lowering enough to slap the ground. Lightpaw quickly did the same.
“Next you bring yourself forward slowly and hiss like this,” he pulled himself forward with his front paw and let out a carefully controlled hiss that sounded like the wind over the snow. Lightpaw easily copied the rest of the crouch, but her hiss came out wrong. Instead of sounding like the wind over the snow, she sounded like a thunderstorm crackling. The squirrel, startled, ran out of the nook and up the tree. Lightpaw stared sadly after it.
“That’s all right,” Eagletalon meowed. “It’s hard the first time. Try focusing on it and making it softer and more gentle. Aim it towards the snow, and it will come out right.”
Lightpaw tried again, this time making a strangled sound somewhat like the wind over the snow. Yet it was better, at least.
Eagletalon gave a quick nod. “Good,” he mewed. “You’ll get it in time. It’s the hardest thing about catching prey in snow. The other Clans go without it and loose most of their prey. What they don’t know is that it makes the prey think that it’s downwind, and will come out of hiding. A very good technique, if I do say so myself.”
Lightpaw meowed agreement and tried again. This time it was a little better, sounding like a windstorm, but still wind. She looked up at Eagletalon who nodded.
“Let me try!” Soilpaw meowed, bounding up. She fell into the crouch, getting it almost completely right and brought herself forward paw step by paw step. Then she lowered her head towards the ground and let out a hiss that sounded like a gentle breeze over snow at the beginning, then a coughing fit at the end. Soilpaw managed to stop coughing for a moment, long enough to glance sadly up at Windleaf, and then the wet coughs took over again.
“Oh no!” Windleaf mewed. “Soilpaw’s been out too long. She’s catching a chill. I think we’d all best go back to camp. It’s nearly sundown and we left at dawn. That’s too long a training session for two apprentices barely out of kithood.”
Eagletalon looked at Soilpaw, who was still coughing. “Quite right, it will take a while for their bodies to get used to the constant snow from the underground camp and the sheltered hollow. We’d best be getting them back and some herbs for Soilpaw before it turns into a full blown cold.”
Soilpaw looked up at them sadly and nodded. She started towards the squirrel pile, and picked up two small squirrels to carry for the journey. Lightpaw watched as she shook off the snow.
Lightpaw copied the shake and bounded over to the pile. She grabbed two of the mouth watering squirrels and leaped back to Soilpaw. “You okay?” she asked through a mouthful of squirrel.
“Fine,” Soilpaw murmured. “I just wish we could stay out longer. We are going back to the hollow tomorrow! And you know what that means we will be treated like kits for a while.”
Lightpaw stopped in her tracks and groaned aloud. “All our friends in the hollow are still kits, even if they too are older then six moons. We’ll probably be stuck back in the nursery and watched by the queens, just like we have been.”
The two friend’s tails drooped as they walked back to the camp.

Ripplepaw leaped onto Brooksplash’s back and pretended to claw bits of the deputy’s fur off. Brooksplash rolled onto the ground and squashed Ripplepaw into the ground, quickly stepping off and pinning the apprentice down before she could recover. Ripplepaw pushed off with her legs, forcing Brooksplash off of her, but the deputy was prepared for that. She landed easily on her paws, and puffed out her fur. Ripplepaw rolled into the deputy’s legs, intending to trip her, but Brooksplash jumped and landed on Ripplepaw instead.
“Very good,” Brooksplash mewed. “You have succeeded in mastering what Lakestar assigned you. She will be pleased. During the battle, though, you and Sunpaw should team up, it would do you good.”
Ripplepaw nodded, and wriggled away the deputy. “Thank you Brooksplash,” she mewed, “for everything. I don’t know why Lakestar did not review this with me, but I’m glad that you were so willing.”
“Of course I am willing!” Brooksplash meowed. “It is rather boring, not having an apprentice. I’m actually thinking about asking Lakestar for one of Dovefeather’s litter, Pebblekit is very keen. But that’s moons away.” Brooksplash sighed. “At least there is hope.”
Ripplepaw felt sorry for Brooksplash. “But just think,” she mewed. “There will be plenty of opportunities for apprentices in about five moons! There is Dovefeather’s litter, then there is Spotfur’s litter, and Iciclewing’s should be coming soon!”
Brooksplash nodded. “Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities, given that the litters survive. SnowClan kits always have the highest risk of dying; let us pray that none die this time. Flowersong’s litter got lucky, they are all strong cats, and they all made it through kithood. I hope they continue to be lucky.”
Ripplepaw mewed her agreement and yawned. “Maybe we should be getting back to camp.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Lakestar mewed, coming out of the shadows. “All older apprentices come here!”
Slitherpaw and Sunpaw walked towards their leader, Wolfpelt and Irispetal following. Then Woodtail and Sharppaw padded on over. Lakestar nodded her head at each of them.
“I have exciting news for each of you,” Lakestar mewed to the apprentices. “If you all pull through the battle you will have had enough experience to become warriors.” The apprentices exchanged excited glances, while the mentors puffed up proudly. “Yet,” Lakestar continued. “If you wish to become full warriors, all of you must travel to the Moon-tree. Tonight, when I take the newest apprentices to the hollow, all four of you will accompany me and spend your night in the branches. This will test your endurance. You will keep watch while I exchange dreams with StarClan. Keep in mind that if you fall asleep, I will know. I can keep you from your warrior ceremony if you cannot stand the night. Am I understood?” A series of nods followed her words.
After it was clear that Lakestar was done speaking, Sharppaw nearly jumped five foxtails in the air, while Sunpaw and Slitherpaw looked excitedly at each other. Only Ripplepaw did not seem to like the idea. “StarClan,” she mewed so that only Lakestar could hear, “scares me at the moment.”
“Same here,” Lakestar admitted. “But we both have to get over it.”
Ripplepaw nodded quietly. “What will it be like?” she asked.
“You will stand watch underneath Silverpelt and guard the tree from invaders as I sleep.”
Ripplepaw nodded. “Alright, that doesn’t sound too bad. I’m all for it.”
Lakestar nodded, “You’d better be, because you have to do it.”
Taking a deep breath, Ripplepaw looked Lakestar in the eye. “I will do it, but StarClan has some explaining to do. I didn’t see why I had to be there last night, or what I can do to help. My thinking is that perhaps StarClan will reveal the reason tonight.”
Lakestar looked down at her apprentice. “Perhaps, but you must know that StarClan is all about secrets. They might tell you why you attended last night, but it is more likely that they won’t. Don’t get your hopes up.” Now Lakestar addressed the entire group. “We must go to the camp and prepare. Follow me!”
As Lakestar led the cats to the camp, the apprentices strutted proudly. Behind them came their mentors, Wolfpelt, Woodtail, and Irispetal, proud that their apprentices were soon to be warriors. Yet Lakestar just led on, lost in thought…

[lakeripple]

Chapter 12
Lakestar led her cats towards the hollow. Behind her walked Ripplepaw, Slitherpaw, Sharppaw, Sunpaw, Soilpaw, Lightpaw, Dirtpaw and Bearpaw. The younger apprentices looked unhappy, while the older ones were jumping with joy. They were almost there when a piercing wail could be heard in the distance.
“What was that?” Soilpaw shrieked.
“Sounded like a cat,” Lakestar growled, and she quickened her pace. The rest sped up without complaint, their fur brisling. What if someone was hurt?
Lakestar’s troupe burst into the tunnel. Inside the hollow they where beseeched with a horrible sight. The queens were gathered around a gray she-cat who was sobbing before a lump of dark gray fur. Beside her were three kits, all gray, pressing their muzzles to her legs comfortingly while tears cascaded down their faces too. As Lakestar approached, she noticed with a sickening feeling that Dovefeather was the she-cat and she was crouched at a kit’s body.
“What happened?” Lakestar asked.
“Stormykit,” Dovefeather sobbed. “Fell off a rock and broke his neck. He hunts with StarClan now.” She let out another chilling wail and buried her face in her dead kit’s fur.
Lakestar looked down at the dark gray kit, his ice blue eyes staring sightlessly up. “Dovefeather,” she mewed. “We are all dreadfully sorry about Stormykit, but you still have Stonekit, Streakkit, and Pebblekit to look after, you cannot ignore them in your grief. Cats die; it’s a fact of life. And Stormykit will be well looked after in the land of our ancestors.”
Dovefeather looked up. “But I lost him,” she whispered. Then she lowered her head. “I am a bad mother.”
Lakestar drew herself up. “Nonsense,” she hissed. “It wasn’t your fault!”
“It was!” Dovefeather moaned. “It was, it was, it was!”
“Stormykit was always the weakest!” Lakestar pointed out. “And you know as well as I that SnowClan kits have more of a chance of dying than the other Clans’! That’s why we need you to look after the rest of your litter, they need you.”
Dovefeather sniffed. “He won’t even be laid to rest in his territory.”
“He will!” Lakestar insisted. “We will take his body for burial after we finish the ceremony at the Moon-tree. Hold your vigil now, and the Clan will mourn him when we get back.” She bowed her head. “How am I ever to tell Rockfur?”
Dovefeather whimpered. “He was so proud of his little son.”
“I know,” Lakestar whispered. “But he has every reason to be proud of the kits he has left. Stonekit, Streakkit, and Pebblekit are all wonderful kits, and they need you. So unless you want to be mourning four kits, you better watch over them.”
The gray queen looked down at her other kits. “You will all make fine warriors,” she whispered. “But you need me if you are going to make it that far.” She looked back at Lakestar. “All right, I will try to get through my mourning. But please don’t ask me to forget him.”
Lakestar looked at Dovefeather. “I would never do that.” Then she paused and looked around. “Where is Iciclewing?” she asked when she could not see her sister.
Spotfur poked her head out of the nursery. “In here, with Berrypaw.”
Ripplepaw gave a little gasp. “The kits!” she shrieked, and she ran forward. Lakestar followed more slowly, hoping that these kits would not suffer the same fate as Dovefeather’s young son.
Suddenly a small mew split the quiet air. From her vantage point just outside the nursery, Lakestar could hear a ragged gasp escape her sister. She winced. Though Iciclewing had done this before, she knew that she would never fully be expecting the pain that came with bringing kits into the world.
Yet obviously Iciclewing was still giving birth, for another pitiful mew joined in with the first. Lakestar breathed a sigh of relief. The blue-gray queen was making it through the pain.
Just as Lakestar thought that her sister was through, a wail of pain escaped the blue-gray bundle, and another thin mew broke out. Then there was silence.
Lakestar stepped hesitantly into the make-shift nursery. There was her gentle sister, crouched protectively over three small, wet bundles. Amberpelt stared around challengingly, daring anyone to approach his mate. Ripplepaw was gazing proudly at her siblings as if they were her own kits, while Iciclewing stared lovingly at her. Joy suddenly surged in Lakestar’s chest. This was her kin, and they would be strong.
“Three kits,” Iciclewing murmured, “one for each of us to name.” She nodded to Ripplepaw, who was crouched over a little gray short-furred tom. “That one is yours. As a proof of how much you mean to me, the first-born.”
Ripplepaw stared down at the wet lump of fur. “Will you give me a moment?” she asked, suddenly wondering if the name she had chosen would be strong enough for this tiny tom.
Iciclewing nodded. Then she nudged the other tom, a long-furred, white and gray small one, towards her mate. “Here is the next one, the second born, give him a name of pride.” Amberpelt nodded and looked down at his miniature son.
Now Iciclewing looked down at the third kit, the only she-cat, a reddish-gold tabby. “This kit shall take on the name of the second leader of SnowClan, may it give her strength.” The queen stared down at her daughter. “For her name shall be Cherrykit, and she will serve SnowClan well.” Then she touched her daughter’s nose, blessing her better then the whole of StarClan could.
Ripplepaw looked up from the larger of the two toms. “This young tom shall carry the name of Cedarkit,” she announced. “He shall be strong like the branches of an overhanging cedar tree, and steadfast like its trunk. May he bear it well.” Now Ripplepaw placed her tail over her brother’s body.
“Cedarkit,” Iciclewing murmured. “Perfect.”
Amberpelt know looked up from the final kit. “And this kit shall take on the name of the snowy birch. Birch is well known throughout the Clans as being the Moon-tree, and now my son shall walk proudly bearing the name of the most sacred of anything the Clans posses. For his name shall be Birchkit, and StarClan shall make him strong.” Amberpelt licked his son over the ears, and whispered to him, “I shall always be here for you.”
Lakestar nodded her sister’s family. “These kits shall have a wonderful future ahead of them. SnowClan will always support and encourage them, and they shall live to know wonderful lives. Cherrykit, Cedarkit, and Birchkit will always be welcome.”
Iciclewing stared at her sister. “They’d better,” she growled. Then she turned back to the little mewling lumps of fur and her gaze softened. She tucked them into the crook of her belly and started to suckle them. “SnowClan shall always support you,” she whispered to them. “Every single one of you.”
Lakestar looked on approvingly as her apprentice nudged Cedarkit back to Iciclewing. The little gray kit mewed a quiet protest, but greedily started suckling when he caught whiff of Iciclewing’s milk. Lakestar nodded. They would be strong apprentices.
Amberpelt looked proudly on as his son, Birchkit, stumbled slightly forward seeking out his mother. The little gray and white tom already had sturdy legs; he just couldn’t quite see where he was going.
Iciclewing drew them towards her with her hind leg and gave them a rough wash, licking off the residue from the birth and making their soft kit-fur fluffy. Cherrykit batted at her mother in protest, her mouth gaping in silent anger, but Iciclewing calmed her with a gentle lick over the head.
“There now Cherrykit,” she murmured. “You are fine. Drink and be happy.”
The little red-gold tabby gave a small yawn, exposing her soft pink tongue and latched onto Iciclewing’s belly. The blue-gray queen gave a tired purr and rasped her tongue over each of her kit’s heads.
Lakestar laid her tail on Ripplepaw’s back. “You may stay till moonrise, and then we must go,” she whispered. Ripplepaw only nodded to show that she heard.
Now Lakestar turned to Spotfur. The white and silver spotted she-cat looked up at her leader proudly. “My kits,” she mewed, nuzzling two little bundles of fur, “Darekit and Starkit.”
Lakestar nodded. “StarClan welcomes them, and I am sure that Forestfur is very proud.”
“As he should be,” Spotfur purred. “Darekit, Starkit, wake and greet your leader.”
The two sleeping kits both yawned and looked up. Darekit’s eyes were pale amber that shone boldly in his black fur, while Starkit’s light blue ones matched almost perfectly with her washed out white and silver spots. Darekit’s gaze was curious and questioning, while Starkit’s was merely respectful.
“Hello,” they said together, mirror images of each other in voice.
“Hello Darekit,” Lakestar blinked. “Hello Starkit.” Lakestar felt a prickle of unease. These kits shouldn’t have their eyes open. They were far less than half a moon.
“Do you know our father?” Darekit asked eagerly.
“I do,” Lakestar nodded. “I shall tell him what strong and fine kits you are.”
Darekit and Starkit looked excitedly at each other. “His name is Forestfur, right?” Starkit asked.
Lakestar nodded. In her mind she pictured the sturdy black and brown tom. “He is a very good warrior.”
The kits nodded. “He must be so brave,” Darekit mewed proudly.
“Yes, so brave!” Starkit echoed.
“All the warriors are brave.” Lakestar mewed. “Forestfur, your mother, even the apprentices, like your cousin, Sunpaw!”
The kits stared at Lakestar. “I thought that Berrypaw was our cousin,” Darekit finally mewed.
“Well, she is,” Spotfur put in. “Yet so is Sunpaw. My sister, Spottedflower is their mother.”
Starkit blinked. “Really?” she mewed. Then she looked over at Iciclewing’s nest. “We aren’t the youngest anymore, are we?”
Now Ripplepaw walked up. “No, my siblings are,” she mewed proudly. “When they are all dry, you can say hello.”
Darekit looked up. “We were the youngest when we were born. Flickerkit and Cloudykit like to tease us about it.” The black tom flicked his tail to a ginger queen and two kits snoring next to her, a ginger tom and a gray she-cat.
“But still they are good friends,” Starkit added.
Lakestar nodded. “I will tell your father all about you when I get back to camp,” she promised. “Now I must talk to Dovefeather.”
Spotfur blinked her blue eyes at Lakestar. “She is over there,” she mewed, tucking Darekit and Starkit close to her and nodding to a sodden gray bundle with three smaller gray lumps next to her. Lakestar sighed, it was obvious that Dovefeather was still whimpering over Stormykit.
“Dovefeather?” Lakestar mewed, padding cautiously up to the gray she-cat. “Are you all right?”
The dark and light gray she-cat looked up with tear tracks running down her face. “No,” she mewed. “His spot at my belly feels so… empty.”
Lakestar looked sadly at the queen. “You’ll get used to it,” she whispered. “Stormykit will be happy in StarClan.”
Dovefeather sniffed. “But he had so much to give SnowClan,” she whispered.
The blue-gray leader gently stroked Dovefeather’s head with her tail. “And the rest of your litter does as well. Let go of the past, and move towards the future. For we are SnowClan!”
Dovefeather looked up. “All right,” she mewed. “The past can stay in the past. Stormykit will be happy in StarClan.”
Lakestar nodded. “Let his memory lie in peace,” she whispered. “Someday he might visit you in dreams.”
The lithe gray she-cat sniffed and nodded. “All right Lakestar,” she mewed. “I will try to be strong.”
Nodding, Lakestar turned to Ripplepaw. “Say your goodbyes and then go out to the clearing. I need to talk to the warriors.”
Ripplepaw inclined her head to show that she had heard and padded over to her mother. From where she was Lakestar could hear her apprentice mewing a gentle goodbye to her mother, licking the kits and rubbing against her father. Amberpelt gently rasped his tongue over his daughter’s head, murmuring a few words of strength while Iciclewing quietly purred. Lakestar felt her insides swell with happiness. No matter what, Ripplepaw had a kind family.
Her quick paws led her out of the nursery and into the moonlit clearing where Stormykit’s body was arranged so that it shone silver. Lakestar walked up to him and lowered her nose to touch his kitten-soft fur. Her gaze then looked up to where the first stars of Silverpelt were shining. Keep him safe, she whispered in her head to her warrior ancestors. He did not deserve this fate. As if in answer, one of the stars let out a bright twinkle, and then dimmed suddenly. Lakestar blinked. Could this be a sign?
She looked over to the other side of the hollow, where a pair of pale amber eyes shone dimly in the bright starlight. Moonlitpaw! Lakestar thought. The young she-cat was sitting alone outside of Berrypaw’s cave, looking sullenly across the clearing at Creamyfur, a ShoreClan queen. Had the beautiful she-cat done something to upset the young apprentice? Lakestar shook her head. She had more important things to worry about.
Turning towards the warriors’ den, she let out a call, “All warriors meet in your den for a meeting! Soilpaw and Sharppaw, keep watch while they are gone!”
She sat just inside the entrance, watching as the warriors stirred in their nests or bounded from the clearing. Even Amberpelt stepped out of the nursery to attend, though Lakestar would have excused him. Soon, five warriors stood in front of her.
“Tell me your names,” she mewed, realizing that she did not know these warriors.
Amberpelt bowed his head. “Amberpelt of SnowClan,” he mewed, looking up at Lakestar with his amber eyes, his yellow-brown fur gleaming palely in the moonlight.
A bright ginger tom smelling of HollyClan looked at Lakestar now. “Loudpelt, warrior of HollyClan,” he mewed, his bright amber eyes staring into Lakestar’s blue-green ones.
Now a big black tom with large yellow eyes looked up. “Rapturedlight of LeafClan,” he announced. He flicked his short little tail gently from side to side, as though it gave him pleasure.
Lakestar nodded. “And you?” she turned to the next cat.
“Tangleheart of ShoreClan,” he yawned. Turning from side to side, he showed off his gleaming golden fur. Opening up his eyes, Lakestar saw that they were a disturbing yellow color.
Now, finally, the StreamClan cat spoke. “I am Leopardleaf of StreamClan,” she mewed, turning her ginger head this way and that. “I am the only she-cat warrior here.”
Lakestar looked at each of them in turn. “So, now I know who you are, and I can get on with it.” She stared at each in their eyes. “We need more fighting force in the upcoming battle, and some of the newer SnowClan apprentices are here, as well as the queens. I am going to take all but one of you with me to return to your Clan. I want the youngest of you to stay here. Who has been made a warrior most recently?”
Leopardleaf bowed her head. “I have,” she mewed. “I have only been a warrior for a moon.”
Lakestar let her eyes fall onto the dark ginger she-cat. The StreamClan warrior was delicately made, with strong muscles. She was made for battle, and her ears twitched with apprehension, her paws needing the ground before her. The young warrior was practically begging to be allowed into the battle.
Deciding that she wanted Leopardleaf to fight, Lakestar swept her gaze over the other cats. Tangleheart, the ShoreClan cat, was still yawning and looked bored. Further gazing proved him relaxed and obviously unprepared if an attack was launched at this very moment. Lakestar sniffed. This was not the type of ShoreClan cat she was used to. His mentor had obviously taking no seriousness to the young cat’s training.
“Leopardleaf,” she mewed. “You seem ready for battle, so I will take you back to Clan territory.” She felt pleasure well up inside her when the pretty ginger she-cat looked up happily. “But I must leave some cat here to help the apprentices,” she continued. “My instincts and senses have told me that one of you is not battle ready, instead bored and only thinking of his tiredness, and not of the well being of the group. I shall leave Tangleheart behind.”
Hearing his name, Tangleheart whipped up his head. “What? No!” he hissed. “I am much older than Leopardleaf!”
Lakestar twitched her ears. “Are you back talking me?” she asked. “You should know better than to back talk a leader.”
Tangleheart flattened his ears to his head. “Yes Lakestar,” he meowed bitterly.
Lakestar looked down at the golden tom. “I will expect no back talk in the future, even though I am of a different Clan.”
The handsome golden tom crouched even lower to the ground. “Yes Lakestar,” he nearly whispered the words.
The blue-gray leader gazed down at the tom. “This is not what I expected of ShoreClan. They are known to be strong and faithful, always battle ready. You are none of those things. I will be speaking to Flamestar about you.”
He was now basically kissing the ground. “Yes, of course,” he croaked.
The leader looked up. “Sleep now, all of you. After the ceremony, the apprentices and I will be returning to carry Stormykit’s body and to take you back home. Lightpaw and Tangleheart will keep watch.” She stared with emphasis at the warriors. “Do not disappoint me like Tangleheart did.”
She watched as the formidable warriors shrank back from her stare. Her lips curled with satisfaction. They would listen to her, though Amberpelt was the only one of them truly under her command.
Now she stood and looked around. Stepping lightly out of the warriors den, she padded into the center of the hollow and stretched under the light of the moon. She noted anxiously that it was almost full. The fight would soon come.
Letting out a quick call, she summoned Ripplepaw, Slitherpaw, Sharppaw, and Sunpaw to her. Then she beckoned them onward through the tunnel. Setting a quick pace, she aimed for the hill ahead.
The moon was almost to the top of the sky when two cats wandered into the Clan cats’ path. Lakestar called an abrupt halt and sniffed cautiously. Relaxing, she realized that these were only kittypets from twolegplace.
“Hello!” mewed a pretty brown tabby waving her tail in a friendly way. “Glad to see some other cats, not just those mangy dogs!”
Lakestar stepped forward, her manner practically reeking of power. “Hello,” she meowed. “I am Lakestar, the leader of SnowClan. These are some apprentices, Ripplepaw, Sharppaw, Slitherpaw, and Sunpaw.” She flicked her tail to each apprentice in turn. “Who are you?”
The tabby blinked in confusion, but answered cheerily. “I’m Chelsea,” she mewed. “And this is my brother, Lucas.” She nodded to the other cat, a silky white tom. “We are from the houses up that-a-way.” She flicked her tail in a vague sweep.
Lakestar nodded slowly. “Kittypets,” she mewed, “How, obvious.” She looked back at the apprentices and gathered them to her. “Well Chelsea, Lucas, we really must be getting on. It would be interesting if we meet again.” She swept her gaze over the little tabby and the lithe white tom. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye!” Chelsea meowed happily. “I’d be glad to see you again too!” Evidently she was unaware that Lakestar did not wish to see them again.
Lakestar twitched her ears as if she was flicking off snow. The little brown tabby was a little too cheerful for her taste. Perhaps a demonstration of the apprentices’ fighting moves would sodden her mood? But no, she was no savage. Attacking a defenseless cat would go against everything in the warrior code. She wasn’t about to do that.
Flicking her tail at the apprentices, Lakestar once again set a course for the Moon-tree. She glanced up at the moon and noticed with a sickening feeling that it was almost moonhigh. They had barely any time left!
Suddenly running and trying to beat the moon to its position high in the sky, she hissed an impatient growl at the apprentices. Suddenly the tree came into view. Letting out a sigh of relief, she slowed and leaped into the branches. She nodded to the apprentices, telling them to spread out and guard the tree. She gazed at Ripplepaw who was staring up at the tree with a mixture of awe and guarded uncertainty. She could easily imagine how she felt.
Lakestar glanced up at the moon and settled down to wait for moonhigh. Suddenly, the moon finished climbing and the tree lit up as if on fire. She tucked her tail over her nose, and started to sleep.

[lakeripple]

Chapter 13
Ripplepaw glanced over at Sunpaw, sitting delicately on a snowy root. Then she turned her gaze over to Slitherpaw, who was staring up at the moon with determination. She watched as he flexed his muscles, his silver and black fur shining like the ocean, rippling and bunching in the most beautiful ways possible. Finally she looked over at Sharppaw. The tom’s amber eyes were fixed strait ahead, but looked dreamy. Sighing, Ripplepaw knew that he was thinking about Shellpaw.
Turning away, she again focused her eyes on the snowy landscape, trying hard to concentrate. But her mind started to wander to a little pale gray body, nuzzling her paws with his pink nose. Cedarkit she had named him, and like the mighty cedar he would be. Shaking her head, she vaguely recalled that she was to be a warrior soon and by the time her siblings were old enough to be apprentices, she would be experienced enough to mentor one of them.
Again glancing at Sharppaw, she envisioned the face of Moonlitpaw as she stared in a horrified trance at the beautiful Shellpaw. At the time Ripplepaw had felt smug, happy even, but she knew that Sharppaw had been Moonlitpaw’s last chance at love. The beautiful tabby she-cat had lost so much, her parents, her sibling, even the chance of getting Slitherpaw. Surely she had suffered enough.
Shuffling her cold feet, Ripplepaw fluffed out her constantly leaf-bare thick fur. Though she was used to the snow, rarely did she ever have to stand outside in it all night. Yet she stood strong and gazed bravely into the frozen landscape. This was the crossroads. By the end of the full moon, she would have her warrior name. A shiver ran through her body, making the tip of her tail twitch nervously. The question was if she would make it through the battle.
A flicker of ginger in the distance caused Ripplepaw to nudge Sunpaw and nod. The small golden she-cat narrowed her blue eyes, and flicked her tail. Ripplepaw whispered into Slitherpaw’s ear that they were going to investigate, and when he gave a small nod, the two she-cats stalked off into the distance.
Ripplepaw walked silently to the orange dash with her friend by her side. They padded up to the dark ginger pelt of a tom-kit snuggled next to a gray she-kit. Letting out a little hiss, Ripplepaw drew in the scents of the kits through her strong scent glands.
“LeafClan,” she mewed quietly to Sunpaw. “And I know these two. They are Flairfur’s kits, Flickerkit and Cloudykit. They must have snuck out after us; they were sleeping when we were at the hollow.”
Sunpaw raked the snow with her claws. “They must be taken to the Moon-tree and kept warm; we will take them back when we go for Stormykit’s body.”
Ripplepaw nodded. “Sensible enough. Yet I can’t help thinking that they need herbs, they are too cold, and LeafClan is not used to such extreme temperatures. Berrypaw should look at them as soon as possible.”
Sunpaw looked at Ripplepaw. “When we go back for Stormykit’s body is the only chance we have. It will have to be then.”
Sighing, Ripplepaw nodded. But she rubbed the kits’ fur the wrong way to warm them up and kept them off the snow by picking up the larger one, Flickerkit, and motioning for Sunpaw to grasp Cloudykit. She wouldn’t be seen as the cat that left two kits out in the cold to die.
As they walked back to the Moon-tree, Ripplepaw sensed Slitherpaw and Sharppaw’s surprise at the arrival of the LeafClan kits. But they kept the silence and continued to watch the landscape, anxious now that they had two kits on their paws.
Looking up at the tree, Ripplepaw noted a hole in the trunk, wide enough to hold three warriors comfortably. She guessed that an owl had used to live there, but there was no owl scent now. Preparing to jump, she grasped Flickerkit harder; enough to have him emit a small squeal of protest in his sleep. This made her misjudge the leap, but her claws hooked into the bark and she clawed up to the hole. Inside was proof that an owl had once made this its home. There was a firmly interlaced nest covered in leaves and feathers, and Ripplepaw felt grateful that owls got cold as well, the little kits would not freeze.
She placed Flickerkit in the nest, covering him with leaves and twigs to give some warmth to his shivering body. Then she leaped back down and took Cloudykit from Sunpaw. The little gray she-kit was shivering and making faint mews of distress. Ripplepaw felt worried. What if this kit wouldn’t get to warmth of the nest in time?
This time Ripplepaw’s jump was well judged, and she landed on the edge of the bark surrounding the hole. Flickerkit had stopped shivering and now was in a more peaceful sleep. She wondered if Berrypaw would think this a good or bad sign.
As she snuggled Cloudykit in with her brother, the dark ginger kit opened his green eyes and fixed them on Ripplepaw.
“You are from SnowClan!” he gasped, ignoring any formalities. Then he looked guilty. “Very sorry, Cloudykit and I am. It was all my idea…. You won’t tell Flairfur that we snuck out, will you?”
“Of course I will!” Ripplepaw mewed. “Following us like that! You almost got yourself and Cloudykit killed!”
Anxiously, Flickerkit sniffed his sister. “She smells like snow,” he commented, wrinkling his nose in a type of disgust.
Ripplepaw started to get irritable. “Of course she does! You two fell asleep in snow. We are surrounded by snow. It would be odd if she didn’t smell of snow.”
Flickerkit flinched. Then he looked around. “Where are we?” he asked.
“You are inside the Moon-tree,” Ripplepaw answered curtly. “Once Lakestar is done speaking with StarClan we are going to take you back to the hollow. Flairfur may decide on your punishment then.”
Now Flickerkit shrank back. “Mommy’s punishments are harsh!” he wailed.
“You should have thought of that before you followed us. Now guard your sister. I am needed below.” With that, Ripplepaw flicked her tail and leaped out of the owl hole.

Lakestar blinked open her eyes and looked around herself comfortably. She was in a starry clearing, the same that she had visited with Ripplepaw and Lightpaw. Yet instead of three cats waiting there, there were rows of them, all with stars in their fur and the wisdom of the moon in their eyes.
“Welcome Lakestar!” yowled a voice that seemed to come from all of the cats, yet also seemed to be one voice. “We of StarClan greet you!”
Lakestar stayed were she was, seated delicately on a knoll. “And I greet StarClan in return,” she answered. Then she got to her paws and stared up at the starry sky. “I wish to call upon Sleetstar. Once again I ask what is to befall my Clan with the making of these new warriors!”
A large, long haired, white she-cat with gently sparkling brown eyes stood up from the ranks of SnowClan and walked to her former deputy. “Lakestar,” she whispered. “You have called, and I will grant your request.”
Murmurs broke out from StarClan. “Now StarClan will choose a representative to answer your questions as well as Sleetstar,” the voice announced. The ranks parted and a dark ginger tom padded up to the center of the clearing. “Daughter,” he announced. “I have been called, and I too will grant your request.”
Lakestar nodded. She twined her blue-gray tail with her father’s dark orange one. “I will be happy to accept your help Sharpthorn,” she mewed.
Lakestar felt joy ripple through her father’s pelt. No leader had ever called on him to predict the warrior ship of the apprentices soon to elevate to the next rank. Even though she had not called on him, it was obvious that Sharpthorn was happy to help.
Now Lakestar felt long pelts brushing her on both sides. She inhaled their familiar scents, now covered with a refreshing tang of stars. She looked around and noted a small, gray body in the very front row. He was tussling with some other kits; his youngness vanished in the presence of StarClan, his muscles seemingly fully developed. He rolled up to Lakestar’s feet, making a thick fur ball with another tom, this one blue-gray with one black paw and dark blue-green eyes. They broke apart, looked up, and then leaped upon Lakestar with squeals of joy.
Lakestar purred, but kept her dignity and yowled at the two, “Stormykit! Thistlekit! OFF!” They bounced off, gave the leader respectful nods, than went right back to their tussle. Another blue-gray kit, and an orange one awaited them, and they walked up to a blue-gray queen at her sharp command. Joy ran through Lakestar’s body. The other two kits were Swiftkit and Boulderkit, her kin. Swiftkit had a lithe orange body, much like Embertail, and had been born in Embertail’s litter. Boulderkit was Ripplepaw’s brother, and had died when he was three moons old. Yet the queen made the thrills of joy even more buoyant. It was her mother, Silenteyes.
Again Lakestar gave her attention to Sleetstar and Sharpthorn. Brown and green eyes sparkled at her. “With whom should we start?” Sleetstar asked, licking her paw gently.
Lakestar thought for a moment, and decided to start with the oldest of the four. “Slitherpaw,” she mewed, picturing the large silver and black tom. She noticed a black and white she-cat in the second row look up, her amber eyes flashing excitedly. Patchcreek, Lakestar thought.
Sleetstar and Sharpthorn gazed up at the moon, their eyes glinting as they read the signs of the young tom. Looking up too, Lakestar thought she could see a lithe, well muscled, black and silver tom with dark amber eyes running through the snow. She could see his entire life played back, it would help the spirits of StarClan determine what he was to become.
For Slitherpaw it started in the nursery cave, mewling next to a light gray and white she-cat and a dark gray tom. Lakestar vaguely remembered that the other two had been called Gentlekit and Riverkit. Then she saw them bouncing out excitedly away from their mother in the second row of StarClan to watch.
Lakestar watched as the young tom opened his eyes and took his first steps. She saw him begin to tussle with Riverkit to the disgruntlement of his sister, Gentlekit. Then she saw him crouched sadly over an unmoving dark gray shape, his sister, mother, and father, Wolfpelt, pressed against him, mourning. She glanced over at the StarClan kit that was Riverkit and watched him shrink back from the sight and look away, his sister nuzzling him sadly.
Now it was the cold leaf-bare, colder than the rest had been. Slitherpaw and Gentlekit were shivering next to Patchcreek, but it was too much. Gentlekit let out a last “meow” and then curled up and died. Glancing over at Gentlekit, Lakestar saw her look at her paws and whisper calming thoughts to herself.
Then came a scene that was very familiar to Lakestar. She was standing on top of High-stump and Slitherpaw was before her, his pelt groomed to shining in the dim light, Patchcreek watching him proudly from behind. She listened as her own voice boomed out. “Now we will show that SnowClan continues to be strong. Tonight we make a new apprentice!” Lakestar heard the yowls and watched as Slitherpaw’s tail twitched in excitement. “Slitherkit, from now until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Slitherpaw.” Again Lakestar heard her Clan, this time yowling words, chanting the new apprentice’s name. She watched herself turn to a dark, large silver tom. “Wolfpelt, you say that once again you are ready for an apprentice. You shall mentor Slitherpaw.” Then the two touched noses.
Next came scenes of training, his first assessment, falling in love with Ripplepaw, these scenes were particularly interesting as at first it seemed that Ripplepaw had no interest in him. She felt his every emotion, love, fear, pleasure, hate. The scenes flashed before her eyes in increasing speed. The final scene was happening at this moment. He was crouched on a snowy boulder in front of the Moon-tree. Ripplepaw was seated in a small dip in the snow next to him. Their pelts brushed and they kept sneaking glances at each other. Yet Lakestar could see that they were taking their jobs seriously. It was obvious that they loved each other more than ever they had before.
Then, as one, Sleetstar and Sharpthorn blinked, and the scene vanished. The two gazed at each other for a heartbeat then looked at Lakestar. “We know how Slitherpaw is to be, what he will become, and who will be his mate. We know what will benefit his Clan when he is a warrior, and what SnowClan would be better off without. Most of our news is good. Only some is bad.” They blinked again, and Lakestar was reminded uncomfortably of Starkit and Darekit.
Sleetstar began. “Slitherpaw is a cat of honor and independence. He shall walk proudly as a warrior of SnowClan, with his head up high as all SnowClan know to do. He shall be a warrior that SnowClan can be proud of. With Ripplepaw he shall mate, and with Ripplepaw he shall stay, being loyal only to her and dismissing all other she-cats when they try to catch his eye.”
Now Sharpthorn stood. “He will benefit SnowClan in many ways. His loyalty will rival even his father’s. He is, and will always be, a skilled fighter and hunter. He will be a good addition to your Clan. Yet he also will have fierce rivalry with Sharppaw. You will find out why when we talk about that tom.”
Lakestar felt curiosity prickle her pelt like bramble thorns, but did not press. She instead glanced again over at Patchcreek again, and saw her move to mingle her black and white fur with her sister’s blue-gray pelt. They looked at each other, amber and blue-green eyes staring unblinkingly. Gentlekit and Riverkit frisked over to the other former SnowClan kits, and they all tussled gently. Lakestar felt a pang of loss for these kits, most of them her kin, and what they should have given to SnowClan.
Now Sharpthorn pressed his ginger fur against his daughter’s. “Which one next?” he asked, twining his tail with hers.
Lakestar thingyed her head. “Sunpaw,” she decided. She watched as Sleetstar and Sharpthorn raised their eyes to the moon again, and Lakestar too gazed up and saw the small, lithe, golden she-cat, blue eyes flashing determinedly, tail flicked, chest puffed out in pride.
It began with the same as with Slitherpaw, the first thing that the young cat could remember. For Sunpaw, the beginning was every bit as peaceful as it had been for Slitherpaw, the opening of her eyes. She watched as Spottedflower nuzzled two she-cats, one Sunpaw, bright golden with large, determined blue eyes, the same as her mother’s, and the other Berrypaw, white with the bright green eyes of her grandmother, Moonspots. She watched as Spottedflower patiently suckled them, and Sunpaw mewed quickly, the same fast paced mew that most cats in SnowClan still had trouble deciphering.
She watched as Sunpaw ran across the nursery, her first steps, running steps, not the usual unsteady padding. Lakestar noted in amusement that Berrypaw irritably calling her back, her face scowling and her steps carefully measured. Also, she saw that Sunpaw was much slower than she was now, even though the golden she-cat was still an excruciatingly slow runner.
Lakestar watched Sunpaw’s first time out of the nursery cave, an experience that she had not seen for Slitherpaw, as it had been unimportant to him. Yet for the little golden she-cat and the pure white she-cat, the main tunnel was a bustling new world full of new sights and smells, as well as feels. The two looked at each other, and then split up, Sunpaw making a course for the warriors’ den, following the strongest scents, while Berrypaw made a beeline for the medicine cat den, already feeling a calling pulling her to it. Berrypaw vanished from Lakestar’s view as Sunpaw drew father away from her sister, leaving her side for the first time.
The area around the kitten Sunpaw was sweetly familiar to Lakestar. She had spent her first moons as warrior, and then deputy life in the warriors’ den, and the large cavern was relaxing and soothing. But Sunpaw was looking around in awe, her blue eyes bulging out at the sight of such a large den. The nursery cave was smaller to keep in the warmth, but the warriors gave each other warmth. Sunpaw was aghast. She was so surprised, that she backed out and ran back to Spottedflower, mewing faster than ever about what she had seen.
Next was Sunpaw’s apprentice ceremony. Lakestar again watched herself glow down at her Clan, yet this time two kits stood at the foot of the stump, Sunpaw’s pelt looking like a ray of the sun in the shadowy tunnel, while Berrypaw’s white fur was puffed up, her paws already berry stained from lack of wash and the time she spent in the medicine cat den. She watched herself puff out her chest, and yowl to the Clan, “Spottedflower’s kits have reached their sixth moon!” The Clan yowled, but the apprentices, Ripplepaw, Sharppaw, Slitherpaw, and even then Hawkpelt and Riverpool, yowled the hardest and longest. She remembered how she had waited for the ruckus to die down, and then had started again. “This young apprentice,” she had looked down at Berrypaw, “will henceforth be known as Berrypaw. Rippedfur, you and Berrypaw have shown a good connection with each other, and Berrypaw welcomes the world of StarClan as medicine cat apprentice.” The Clan gave a gathered murmur of congratulations. “And this young cat,” now Sunpaw had fidgeted and licked her fur self consciously, “will be known as Sunpaw. Irispetal, you have shown yourself to be a worthy and capable warrior. You will mentor Sunpaw.” She watched as the mentors stepped up to their apprentices and touched noses. The Clan started yowling the new apprentices’ names, “Berrypaw! Sunpaw! Berrypaw! Sunpaw!” and Lakestar felt waves of exhilaration come from Sunpaw. Then the scene changed.
Once again the scenes now flashed by quickly. Lakestar watched Ripplepaw and Sunpaw’s friendship grow and the assessments that Irispetal give her flash by so quickly that Lakestar could barely mark the progress. She felt loss as bitter as mouse bile flake from Sunpaw as her sister drew slowly away from her and closer to the starry ancestors. She noticed the energetic young kit mature into a strong willed young cat, skilled in battle and with a nose for hunting. Finally the moon displayed the most recent of the scenes, what was happening now. Sunpaw sitting on a knot in the tree’s root, listening to the air, all her senses alert and focused on the job before her.
Once again the StarClan cats blinked as one. Then they turned their eyes on Lakestar. “Are you ready to here what we have to say?” they asked together.
Lakestar narrowed her eyes. Then she looked up at the two StarClan cats. “I am,” she announced.
The two cats before her again looked at each other and blinked at the same moment. Sharpthorn began this time. “Sunpaw will be a warrior of kindness and bravery. Her demeanor will shine like a ray of sun in a snowstorm, and many cats will be friends with her, and not just cats of her own Clan. She will mate, yet we do not know to what tom, and she will be a mother of many litters.”
Stepping back, Sharpthorn made room for Sleetstar, who looked calmer than the ginger tom. “Sunpaw will also be a great benefit to her Clan. Her attitude is strong willed and brave, these traits will make her trustworthy and loyal. Though she is rather small, her battle techniques are excellent and the fresh kill pile will swell under her eye. She is determined to succeed and will never waver off a task after it is assigned to her. Yet these will also make her quite a perfectionist, so never give her a task that she cannot complete fully and perfectly.”
Satisfied, Lakestar nodded. “Ripplepaw next,” she mewed.
Sleetstar and Sharpthorn nodded together and raised their gaze to the moon again. There Lakestar could see her niece, long, blue-gray fur puffed out, snarling, her sharp fangs bared and her tail curled in, front right paw raised to protect herself.
Though knowing that most of this story would be familiar to her, Lakestar still decided to watch. She saw Boulderkit jerk away from Silenteyes and bound up to watch Ripplepaw’s growth. Her pelt glowed with warmth for him.
Ripplepaw’s beginning was just as peaceful as for the others’. She woke up to Iciclewing grooming her gently, pressed up against the blue-gray shape of Boulderkit. Lakestar gazed up at her and saw her bright blue-green eyes, excited and persevering even then. Boulderkit’s eyes were a translucent blue, skeletal and staring, cold and thoughtful, but intelligent and kind. Together the three cats looked like a humongous mound of blue-gray.
Amberpelt walked into the picture, his tabby fur seemed strange against his family’s paler pelts. Prey was dropped at Iciclewing’s paws and she purred thanks. Ripplepaw and Boulderkit stepped up on unsteady paws, then padded over and sniffed the fresh kill. Iciclewing pushed it away from them and explained that it was for older cats. The two slunk away.
Now Lakestar watched as Ripplepaw climbed the big boulder in the nursery. Her claws hooked into the soft rock and she heaved her little blue-gray body up to the flat top. She flicked her plumy tail down at her brother, who was hissing up at her from the bottom. Then he too brought himself up. Iciclewing glanced their way, and then tucked back in to a sparrow. Boulderkit and Ripplepaw frisked around on the large, flat rock. Then they leaped down and scuffed their paws on the ground. Their mother walked over to them and led them away, asking Spottedflower to look after them. Then she left.
Little Moonlitpaw padded up from the nest she shared with her brother, and mother. She beckoned for Boulderkit to follow her. Though Moonlitpaw was younger, Boulderkit was so taken by her beauty that he followed her. Then Littlekit, Moonlitpaw’s brother, joined them. The three leaped onto the boulder, then out into the peephole and out of the nursery, ignoring Ripplepaw’s squeals of protest. They too vanished from the scene.
The next scene showed Ripplepaw, Iciclewing, and Amberpelt bent over a small, unmoving blue-gray body. Next to them Moonlitpaw, Polarheart, and Leafpelt cried over a small white tom, also unmoving. Lakestar remembered the day well. Moonlitpaw had come back, with the two toms, who had been badly wounded. Their wounds smelled of fox. Moonlitpaw was just only very frightened. She convinced the two that they didn’t need to see Rippedfur, they’d be fine. So they went back to the nursery and slept, but never woke up. Moonlitpaw, as punishment for suggesting the whole matter had been kept from her apprentice ceremony for two and a half moons.
Now Ripplepaw’s apprentice ceremony came. Lakestar began with the typical, “This young kit is ready for her apprentice ceremony! From this moment on, until she receives her warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Ripplepaw.” The cheers came, “Ripplepaw! Ripplepaw!” After they receded, Lakestar watched herself speak again. “As Ripplepaw is my sister’s daughter, I will take on her training.” The entire Clan gasped, and then they murmured their congratulations. It wasn’t every kit that got to be apprenticed to a leader!
Now again the scene changed. Ripplepaw was chasing after a young squirrel, her hunting instincts obviously all ready. Then Ripplepaw suddenly veered off the path. The squirrel, believing itself to be safe, slowed. Suddenly, Ripplepaw appeared from in front of it, and quickly took the squirrel’s life. Lakestar felt her young niece’s pride as she carried her catch through the snow. The fluffy squirrel tail laid a thin track as she walked on to camp.
Once again the pace picked up. Ripplepaw warmed up to Slitherpaw, and became fast friends with Sunpaw. Her disdain for Moonlitpaw grew, and she matured into a sweet, calm, kind young she-cat. At this very moment, she was staring out at the snowy land, pulling in her success and twining her tail with Slitherpaw’s. Lakestar knew that Ripplepaw had a wonderful future in SnowClan.
As the StarClan cats blinked, the scene winked out. Before they could speak, Lakestar set her piercing blue-green gaze on them. “I’m ready,” she announced.
Sleetstar nodded. “Ripplepaw has a great belief in what’s right. She will brush aside the warrior code like cobwebs in wind whenever she believes she needs too. This will often get her in trouble with those above her, but do not be too hard on her. Under her nose nothing is impossible to fix. This will make her a warrior that SnowClan can be proud of.”
Stepping forward, Sharpthorn glanced up at the moon. “Ripplepaw will have barely any faults while helping her Clan. Many cats will turn to her in times of need. She will be calm and confident even in times of war, and because of that she will be admired. Her fighting techniques are almost unrivaled at her age, and she will be a warrior of conquest. Like Sunpaw, Ripplepaw is determined to succeed, no matter what. Yet unlike Sunpaw, she is not a perfectionist. All Ripplepaw cares about is that her job was done right. Also, Ripplepaw will never fully trust Moonlitpaw, though Moonlitpaw’s future is well in StarClan’s paws. Though the two shall never truly be friends, try to keep them together on important assignments, they will learn to work more fluently together than any other pair of warriors you have.”
Lakestar took this all in and then looked away. “I suppose that Sharppaw is next,” she murmured, slightly worried what the StarClan cats would say about the headstrong young apprentice.
For a few moments the StarClan cats stared at Lakestar. Then they again lifted up their gazes to the moon. There was the gray tom, covered in black smudges. His amber eyes were alight with love and hope, and his sharp fangs were tucked into his lip, something unusual for him.
Sharppaw was born to Windleaf and Slashfoot. Windleaf was well known amongst her Clan for being Brooksplash’s sister, while Slashfoot had been the most respected senior warrior. Sharppaw had been born as a single kit, and had been relatively spoiled during his kithood.
Sharppaw’s first memory was not peaceful like it had been for the others. He had blinked open his eyes to hear his mother wailing. Slashfoot had been killed by a badger. After this tragic incident, Windleaf turned to Sharppaw, the spitting image of his father, and had loved him more than ever. Sharppaw, at this moment, felt grief, and smugness. Now he was the only thing his mother cared about.
Sharppaw was quite spoiled during his first few moons, yet was well cared for. The queens all doted on him, being so handsome, and Windleaf seemed to have eyes only for her son. Lakestar remembered all this. Brooksplash had often expressed concern about how her nephew was being raised. She had eventually used force to push Windleaf back to how she had been before Slashfoot’s death.
After his mother was back on track, Sharppaw’s life became pretty much miserable. Windleaf was determined to fix what havoc she had bestowed on her three moon old kit, and was now harsh with him. He found himself besotting his time with Slitherpaw.
At Slitherpaw’s apprentice ceremony, Lakestar watched Sharppaw, then Sharpkit, slink away angrily. Yet his turn came soon enough. Lakestar had always been able to tell how much Sharppaw and his mentor, Woodtail liked each other. They also worked well together.
Once again, the scenes sped, viewing almost exactly the same things that the other life stories had shone. Yet now, the scene was slowing. Confused, Lakestar continued to stare. She felt a fierce emotion jolt from the tom, the feeling he was feeling at the scene that was showing now. Shock and anger enveloped Lakestar as she watched.
Love was the emotion, and the target was to a pretty cream colored she-cat. A she-cat Lakestar knew wasn’t of SnowClan, Shellpaw, the ShoreClan apprentice. In the scene was Moonlitpaw, looking horribly wretched and Shellpaw looking smug. So that was why Moonlitpaw had looked upon Creamyfur with such hate! Lakestar shuddered to think what would come of this love.
The scene winked out. Both StarClan cats looked at Lakestar. “I think the scene said all that is needed to say,” Sleetstar mewed.
“What will you do with the apprentice?” Sharpthorn asked.
Lakestar contemplated this. “I will keep an eye on him, but say nothing. Let us hope that this rights itself. If not…I will approach him. Yet in the meantime I will do nothing.”
Then the leader lay down and covered her nose with her tail, preparing to wake.

Lightpaw looked around at the tall, stone walls of the hollow. She longed to be curled up in a nest in the apprentices den, back at the SnowClan camp. She wanted Eagletalon and his patient ways, teaching her the warrior code and pacing her through tackle and dodge moves. Now she was back, with the kits. Anger seeped through her body. Sighing, Lightpaw turned to Soilpaw.
“Well,” Lightpaw mewed, already bored. “Do you want to go see Iciclewing’s kits?”
Soilpaw flicked her pale brown tail, thinking. “Why not? After all, they are related to Lakestar.”
A shiver of intimidation ran through Lightpaw’s body. These kits were already born at a higher level than any apprentice, except Ripplepaw. They were even born higher than some warriors! Lightpaw shook off the feeling. They were newborn kits, not even a day old, and certainly not open eyed.
As she padded into the nursery cave, Lightpaw picked up a new scent, light and milky and soft. She knew this must be the new kits, letting off this scent.
“Oh!” gasped Soilpaw. “They are so cute!” She raced to Iciclewing’s side and stared down at the three little balls of fur. “Come look Lightpaw! This little tabby looks like a fighter, and this gray and white looks kind of like Dirtpaw, that kind of attitude, and the little silvery-gray one looks like he will grow up to be so strong! Just think Lightpaw, we used to look like this!”
Lightpaw didn’t think that she ever looked so cute. Dark Star kits were usually covered in brambles to keep them warm while their mothers were forced to hunt and fight off dogs. She remembered how her pelt had been scratched and how Wave and Sight had doted over her and Slip, hoping that the scratches were not infected. From what Lightpaw saw here, the Clans didn’t do things this way.
“Hello Soilpaw. Hello Lightpaw,” Iciclewing meowed wearily from her nest of moss. “Have you come to meet the kits?”
Padding forward to stand next to Soilpaw, Lightpaw nodded. She ran her gaze over the three little bundles of fur. Yes, they were cute.
“Well,” Iciclewing purred. “It’s nice to see that young she-cats have an interest in kits. The tabby is the only she-cat. Her name is Cherrykit. The bigger tom, the silver-gray one, is Cedarkit, and the smaller tom, the long-furred gray and white one is Birchkit.”
“Cherrykit, Cedarkit, and Birchkit,” Soilpaw murmured. “Someday they’ll be apprentices.”
Iciclewing purred. “In six moons, they will be. There is no rushing the time. I want them to have a full kithood.”
“Six moons,” Lightpaw whispered. “Soilpaw, we will most likely be warriors by then.”
“You’re right!” Soilpaw mewed in a high pitched voice. “A lot will happen for us.” She looked pityingly down at the three young kits. “For them, barely anything will.” She looked up. “Come on; let’s go see Tidekit and Moonkit.”
As she walked into the moon-washed clearing, Lightpaw thought about the three kits. Yet she thought more about their mother than them. Someday that would be her, with three kits of her own. Shivers ran down Lightpaw’s spine. She didn’t even have a choice in naming, and she knew just how many there will be. All the surprise was taken out. She felt like yowling to the stars, why StarClan, why? Was her life completely laid out already?

[lakeripple]

Chapter 14
Ripplepaw yawned and stepped out of her mossy nest. She had gotten back early in the morning from the hollow, and was overwhelmed with exhaustion. The blue-gray apprentice padded out of the apprentices’ tunnel, and was surprised that the usual quiet of the early afternoon had been replaced with purposeful noise. Striding up to Sunpaw who was working with the other older apprentices making the fresh kill pile deeper, she decided to find out what the ruckus was about.
“Hey Sunpaw!” she called over the mews. “What’s the rush?”
“Don’t you remember?” Sunpaw asked, sounded worried and slightly excited. “The full moon is in five days, Lakestar has ordered a precautionary stay in!”
Ripplepaw paused in mid step. “A stay in?” she gasped. Stay ins were only for the most urgent of times, when the outside was too dangerous for usual circumstances. Fresh kill was gathered immediately by patrols of warriors and some older apprentices, in patrols of eight, and once enough fresh kill for the amount of time the stay in has been issued for, no more fresh kill would be collected. Then, for the rest of the stay in, patrols of nine would check the territory twice a day. These patrols would be made up of exceedingly good warriors and would be accompanied by one apprentice each.
“Oh look,” Sunpaw mewed, her voice back to normal level because the tunnel had quieted. “Lakestar’s going to announce the hunting patrols.” Indeed, the leader had gone upon High-stump. In times like these, the leader organizes the patrols.
“I will be sending out two patrols at this time. As you know, hunting patrols must stay together at times of stay ins. No wandering away. The first will hunt around squirrel tree, the second near Frozen-stream. No other places except on the way there. Rippedfur will accompany whichever of her choosing to collect herbs.” Lakestar surveyed her audience. “The first hunting patrol will be led by Amberpelt. He will take Windleaf, Smokeleaf, Lilybud, Forestfur, Tigermoon, Rockfur, and Sunpaw.” The called patrol immediately clumped together, Sunpaw leaving Ripplepaw’s side. Lakestar looked at the remaining cats. “The second will be led by Brooksplash and will consist of Woodtail, Flowersong, Hawkpelt, Irispetal, Silversong, Grassyeyes, and Ripplepaw.” Ripplepaw walked towards Brooksplash, who was singling to her patrol to gather.
“Wait,” Brooksplash muttered. “She is going to name the other jobs, and ask for volunteers. You may each choose one, as you are already on for hunting.” Ripplepaw turned back to High-stump, and wondered which stay in job she would receive.
“Now,” Lakestar called out. “We have some vacancies for some jobs. First of all, I will be teaching the apprentices some moves in the lightly sick or wounded den, which has been cleared out for this purpose. I will expect Sunpaw and Ripplepaw back for that halfway to dusk. Lilybud, you might benefit from joining us.” Ripplepaw looked over at the white she-cat and saw a slight nod. “Good,” Lakestar mewed. “Don’t forget, all of you.”
“Next, the jobs. Let’s start with three senior warriors for fresh kill monitors. This job involves making sure that each cat only gets their fair share, and that all cats eat. Warriors can’t fight on an empty or stuffed stomach.” She looked around at the raised tails. “All right,” Lakestar murmured. “The fresh kill monitors will be Eagletalon, Embertail, and Wolfpelt. The next job is for five warriors and an apprentice. This job is to help Rippedfur collect herbs.” Ripplepaw raised her tail to this job. The cats that got it would get to go out of camp! She watched hopefully as Lakestar’s gaze traveled over each cat with a tail raised high. “Rippedfur’s helpers will be Rockfur, Silversong, Grassyeyes, Forestfur, Smokeleaf, and Ripplepaw.”
Yes, Ripplepaw thought. I get to leave camp!
“For this next job, I will need two warriors and an apprentice. They will clear an area at the back of this tunnel to be used for fighting practice. I will get to the fighting practice later, but for now, who will clear out a practice area?” Several tails were raised and Lakestar’s gaze was slightly indecisive. Yet she did come to a decision, “Wispycloud, Starfoot, and Slitherpaw will clear the space. Thank you other volunteers, no matter that you didn’t get the job.”
Ripplepaw glanced over at Slitherpaw. He was sharpening his claws on a small rock near his paws, getting ready for his job. The black and silver tom looked up at her and she could hear his purr travel through the air. Purring herself, Ripplepaw looked back up at Lakestar.
“This next job is very important, and for it I will need sixteen warriors and two apprentices. They will be doing the stay in patrols. One group will do dawn for one day, then dusk the next, and vise versa for the other group. Do I have volunteers for patrols?” Almost all the cats raised their tails here, all those that didn’t already have two jobs. Lakestar barely glanced at them, she seemed to already know who she was going to pick.
“The first patrol group will be Eagletalon, Embertail, Irispetal, Wispycloud, Starfoot, Tigermoon, Hawkpelt, Flowersong, and Sharppaw.” With the mention of Sharppaw, Lakestar stared at the young tom almost angrily. Ripplepaw shivered and also looked at him. He was staring at Lakestar defiantly, but his eyes showed that he wasn’t thinking of the meeting. Lakestar looked up from him, remembering her task, with the fierce anger still burning in her blue-green eyes. “I will lead the second patrol and will take, Wolfpelt, Amberpelt, Windleaf, Spottedflower, Lilybud, Woodtail, Brooksplash, and Slitherpaw.”
Ripplepaw noted that some warriors hadn’t been assigned any patrol. Obviously Lakestar didn’t want to leave the camp unguarded under any circumstances. With a jolt, the apprentice realized that by this schedule, she wouldn’t get much time with Slitherpaw.
“The final job is for a warrior and two apprentices. They will travel to Gatherrock accompanied by me, where we will meet the other leaders and their warrior and apprentices. You will serve as my guards, as no cat, even the leader, should go out alone. These three cats will be Spottedflower, Sunpaw, and Sharppaw, as all three of you only had one job but this. We will be leaving at halfway to sunhigh tomorrow.”
Now Ripplepaw looked at Sharppaw again. His face was lit up with joy, obviously thinking that he’d get to see Shellpaw again. I hope he gets disappointed, Ripplepaw thought with a growl. She knew that Lakestar was staring at him too, and wondered what StarClan had shared with her about the tom. Surely they would leave his love private? But Ripplepaw wouldn’t put anything past StarClan at the moment; she still remembered the evil stone and the tempting song of greed.
“Next business is fighting practice. As already noted, I will take on the apprentices and Lilybud, I will also practice with Riverpool and I will decide if she will go to the hollow before the battle, or fight.” She glanced over at the gray she-cat. Riverpool still looked frail, though better. She would probably be going to the hollow. “I will meet with above cats in the lightly sick or wounded den every day at half past sunhigh, except for tomorrow when I will be meeting with the other leaders. As for the warriors, Brooksplash will give each of you a partner and a time to practice. Three groups at a time. You will start tomorrow, after the space is cleared.” Lakestar took a deep breath and stared around. “Dismissed!” she yowled, hoping that what she was doing was going to help some cats survive.
“All right,” Brooksplash mewed above the already deafening noise. “Are we all here?” Her blue eyes flicked to each of the other seven cats. “Okay, let’s go then, we need a lot of prey and have little time. Meet outside, next to Watch-rock.” Then Brooksplash flicked her gray tail and padded towards the entrance, being ambushed by warriors on the way.
Ripplepaw pushed her way through the crowd. Her tail brushed Slitherpaw on the way out. Instantly, she felt hot underneath her fur. She turned her head to see his gorgeous amber eyes staring at her with the same hot love that she felt. She purred lightly and brushed him with her tail again; loving the hot sensation it gave her.
As she stepped out into the cool wintry air, she didn’t ease like she had thought that she would after the crowded tunnel. Instead, her muscles involuntarily tensed. Every hair on her pelt puffed up, not to keep out the cold that she was used to and loved, but to keep her skin safe from any cats that might ambush her. Ripplepaw desperately tried to calm herself, but her body refused to be soothed.
Quietly, she padded over to Watch-rock. Flowersong and Grassyeyes were already there, talking quietly, and looking perfectly natural save the twitching of their ears, revolving quickly to hear the quiet paw steps of intruders. Ripplepaw sniffed in deeply, but couldn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. She quickly walked towards them and planted herself next to Flowersong.
The brown she-cat glanced at her. “Disguise yourself, quickly,” she mewed quietly. Ripplepaw noticed that both the warriors already wore a coating of thin snow. This was odd, usually SnowClan cats waiting until they could smell their prey before disguising themselves. Disturbing the snow closer to camp was a sure sign for enemies… but Ripplepaw did as she was told and rolled quickly in the cold powdering.
By now Hawkpelt and Silversong had come up, talking quietly. Once they reached the Watch-rock, they both rolled in the snow, and then they split quietly, Hawkpelt stepping over towards Grassyeyes and whispering anxiously in his ear, and Silversong padding quietly to Flowersong and draping her tail over the she-cat’s shoulders. Ripplepaw leaned in closer to hear what the two she-cats were talking about.
“… and you’re worried about them!” Silversong was hissing deftly. “Trust me, they are a lot safer up there then we are down here. They’ll be worried about you if I’m not mistaken… you and their father. Great StarClan, you know the queens up there, those three will do fine.”
Ripplepaw didn’t bother to listen to Flowersong’s response. She didn’t need it to know what they were talking about. Flowersong and Woodtail’s kits were perfectly safe up in the hollow, as long as they didn’t take an itching to do something mousebrained like the little half-moon old miscreants of Flairfur’s.
Instead she leaned inconspicuously toward the two toms, who had stopped whispering, and were now instead speaking in an undertone. Surely their conversation must be more interesting then worrying about three apprentices.
“… five days left, Grassyeyes, five days!” Hawkpelt moaned. “I was never the best fighter… always a better hunter, but I’m not worried about me, not yet at least. Flowersong has just gotten out of the nursery; it usually takes queens a while to get back into the swing of things, no matter that she was always the fighter of the litter…”
“Calm down Hawkpelt, I’m sure that there is no reason to worry for your sister. She is strong, like your mother…”
With that, Ripplepaw stopped listening to both groups. It was all worry, worry, worry, nothing interesting, obviously they were going to worry at a time like this, and she could have guessed the while matter.
Ripplepaw waited semi-patiently for the rest of the hunting patrol to arrive while ignoring the worried exclamations from Flowersong. They got quite annoying after awhile, she noticed. Instead, she focused her thoughts on her younger siblings and wondered what her mother was doing now.
Eventually, Brooksplash emerged from the tunnel looking slightly frazzled, dropped in the snow, then nodded. Her gaze traveled over the group, making sure everyone was there, which they were. Then she started to run, and the group followed.
It was unimaginable, Ripplepaw thought, completely amazing that the wind was the one thing that she had missed from being outside. The warm, cramped tunnel, no matter how short her time had been in there for the meeting, had been stuffy and completely windless. The feel of the wind rustling her fur was just what she needed, and her spirits lifted considerably. She had to restrain herself from shaking off the snow from her fur to let the wind blow against her all the more. Yet she had been told to disguise herself, shaking it off wouldn’t be the best idea in current circumstances.
Soon, too soon, Frozen-stream came into view, and the StreamClan scent markers came into the patrol’s noses. Expertly, the patrol skidded to a halt just before the border line, their paws kicking up loose snow.
Ripplepaw’s nose twitched with the tempting smell of water vole and mouse. But she looked to Brooksplash, who would give the command to begin. Her paws itched to dash out and snag the fat water vole that she saw nosing about the edge of the icy river. She began to feel that Brooksplash would never give the command, when she saw what the deputy was waiting for.
Two sets of voices sounded in argument over the StreamClan border. One was raised in desperation and near panic; the other was deep with anger and a certain tone of sadness. All of the cats on the patrol had their ears trained toward the voices, and Ripplepaw quickly swiveled hers forward to listen. The anti-smell sensitive StreamClan cats hadn’t yet had whiff of the snow covered SnowClanners.
“But I’ve told you!” a she-cat wailed from the border. “There are rules against it! I feel the same way you do, but how can I when the warrior code says no!”
“You aren’t a warrior, and you’ll never be. And I’m not a warrior yet. So why shouldn’t we follow our hearts?” came a tom’s voice. “You used to not care, what changed?”
A sob broke from the she-cat. “Burdockpaw, you know it is wrong, there are all kinds of rules against it, and Streamfoot found out. She’s sick you know, and I’ll be taking her place soon. How can I betray her trust now when I just got it back?”
“You used to follow your heart more. It made you who I fell in love with. Now I don’t know. You aren’t Silentpaw anymore,” Burdockpaw said woefully.
“Of course I still love you, and it is hurting me too, but what do you expect? It took me forever to gain my Clanmates’ respect, I’m not StreamClan born! And then you started to notice me, how did me becoming Medicine Cat Apprentice make you want to suddenly talk to me?” Silentpaw sounded confused now instead of just upset.
“It didn’t,” Burdockpaw muttered. “I always liked you; I just had to gather my courage.”
“But I decided on a different path, I can never fall in love, can never mate, and can never have kits!” Silentpaw was nearly screaming now. “And I love my place in our Clan, and I love helping cats, but how can I when all I think about is you! It hurts me inside, knowing that to stay loyal to what I have decided to do with my life; I have to give up the one cat I will forever love.”
Burdockpaw stayed quiet for a long time. “Why not quit then?” he finally asked. “We could be together, you could love without pain and you could have kits like your mother.”
A stiff silence followed this. Then Silentpaw growled. “How dare you suggest such a thing? Streamfoot is sick; I will take her place in the Clan soon. The whole Clan will be my kits, like they are for Streamfoot. And never, ever talk about my mother. She left me at the border with my StreamClan father, Darkheart; she made me and Gladepaw half-Clan, half SnowClan.” She spat the word out like it was filthy. “I would have had a home where no one questioned me. I would have never had a forbidden love. But my mother just had to love across borders, and because of her she had me and my brother. And how could she? Because of her I’ve had to fight she cats to like me, to trust me. And to think, she never told her Clan! That doesn’t make me hate them any less. They had me in their nursery, and then I was just gone, and nothing else matters! They didn’t look for me, they didn’t care! So here I am, fighting myself. It just hurts!”
Ripplepaw flinched at Silentpaw’s angry words. She saw the other cats recoil as well, but none as much as Irispetal did. She saw the white warrior’s eyes narrow angrily, and her body shake with tears. Ripplepaw saw Brooksplash take one look at the warrior and narrow her own eyes with sudden anger. A jolt bumped in Ripplepaw’s stomach. It just couldn’t be!
Brooksplash didn’t look surprised, just angry. “What we have heard today will not be repeated to any cat. We will forget all about it ever being mentioned. Let’s hunt”
Ripplepaw turned her eyes away from Irispetal’s distraught face. It hurt to look at. Instead, she focused on that fat vole she had spotted.
She caught it easily, the fat on its thin bones made it slow, and her mouth salivated at the smell of it. She dragged it over to a small pile that had formed, and scraped snow over it to keep the prey fresh. Yet her mind was not in the simple chores. She was thinking about Silentpaw’s rage-filled voice, and Irispetal’s pained eyes. Could Irispetal really be Silentpaw and Gladepaw’s mother? Ripplepaw had never known Silentpaw to hold any grudge against SnowClan; at gatherings she was always perfectly nice and sweet, to all Clans.
So why now was the hatred suddenly showing? Ripplepaw could easily picture her pretty gray face distorted in distress and hatred. Never had anything Ripplepaw had seen in the gatherings had suggested a maternal connection between Irispetal and the two StreamClan apprentices. Certainly Silentpaw’s fur was a perfect blend between Irispetal’s white pelt and Darkheart’s midnight black fur. According to Iciclewing, Gladepaw had the dark ginger russet pelt of Laureltail, Irispetal’s mother, and Iciclewing’s mentor. Yet there had never been anything that suggested something more than just being Clan cats.
Certainly, Irispetal had always smiled when Silentpaw walked by, as if she were glad that the Medicine Cat Apprentice was doing so well. When Silentpaw and Gladepaw had been announced as apprentices at the gathering, Irispetal had yowled long and hard in congratulations, but so did every other cat in the clearing. Things had always been a little stiff around Darkheart and Irispetal, but then StreamClan and SnowClan never had been the best of friends.
Then there was Brooksplash’s anger when she stared at Irispetal to take into account. Brooksplash would have remembered Irispetal’s two kits, would have seen their pelts, and would have known their scents. She also would have known what the two had been named, and wondered who the father was. Brooksplash would have mourned with the rest of the Clan when the kits mysteriously ‘vanished’. When the two had come to their first gathering, she would have felt the familiarity, and recognized the names. There was never any proof, though, that Silentpaw and Gladepaw were Iciclewing’s missing kits. This was all the proof that she needed, coming strait from Silentpaw’s mouth. Yet, Brooksplash just let it go and told every cat who had heard it never to speak of it again. She knew that it must be Irispetal, why wasn’t she framing her?
Ripplepaw was so involved in her thoughts, that she didn’t hear the call to come in. So she was very surprised when Brooksplash leaped in front of her with two mice hanging from her mouth by their tails.
“I said, it’s time to head back,” she hissed wearily. “We have enough prey, and it is nearly time for your lesson with Lakestar. You wouldn’t want to be late for that and make Lakestar think that something went wrong.”
Ripplepaw quickly shook her head and ran back to the group, desperately trying to clear her mind and focus on the walk back to camp. Yet her head was still spinning with the picture of what was happening on the other side of the border. Irispetal’s face swam in and out of her consciousness. How could she love a StreamClan cat? Why would she have given up her two precious kits? These questions ran in a daunting line through her mind.
Soon the entrance to the camp came back into sight. Ripplepaw breathed in the familiar frosty scent, and thought about Sunpaw, Irispetal’s apprentice. Surely she had a right to know… Yet Brooksplash had told her to never mention it again, never was a powerful word, and she was the deputy. Of course, Brooksplash would most likely tell Lakestar, so if she broke her word, why couldn’t Ripplepaw?
She shook her head vigorously to clear it of these thoughts. It was unlawful to go undermining the deputy like that. Unlawful and punishable by the warrior code. The only way to steer past a deputy’s order without breaking the warrior code was if the leader said differently. Since Lakestar had said nothing about it, she couldn’t just go telling cats about Irispetal’s folly.
Her paws slipped lightly into the paw prints lacing the tunnel as she followed Brooksplash underground. She immediately felt closed in as she stumbled into a stream of warriors carrying out their duties. Ripplepaw walked as quickly as possible to the lightly sick or wounded den, and stumbled into the smooth tunnel happily. Taking deep gulps of air, she proceeded into the cave.
Lakestar was already there, with Lilybud, Riverpool, Sunpaw, and Slitherpaw. Ripplepaw looked around for Sharppaw, but couldn’t see his gray pelt amongst the cats. The den had been cleared of moss, and the dirt floor was a relief to Ripplepaw’s small feet. Powdered snow had been sprinkled down to make it softer, and the coolness was soothing after the rough floor of the main tunnel. Normally, the main tunnel had this affect as well, snow had been brought down from above and sprinkled over it to relieve the paws from the dirt and keep the dirt from being kicked up. This was normally an apprentice duty. Yet, seeing as nearly everyone was in the main tunnel at once, the apprentices couldn’t reach the ground enough to shake the snow onto it.
She padded quickly up to Sunpaw, and leaned over. “I’ve been told to say nothing, but something interesting happened just now,” she whispered rapidly. “Just so I can leave you hanging.” Then she straitened up and prepared for the lesson.

Lakestar sat lightly on the floor of the cave. She looked up at Ripplepaw walked in, and relief filled her to the brim. Her mind clouded with silent fury. Where was Sharppaw? He should have been one of the first, for he had no job to do outside of the camp.
She noticed that Ripplepaw was whispering discretely in Sunpaw’s ear, and curiosity tickled her ferociously. Yet just as she was about to pad over and investigate, Ripplepaw had pulled away, and it looked like nothing had gone on except for Sunpaw’s bemused expression. Rolling her eyes, Lakestar turned away and fixed her eyes on the tunnel once more.
Sharppaw came in at a running pace, his gray fur plastered to the skin in wet snow. Lakestar narrowed her eyes threateningly. He had been out of the camp.
“Well Sharppaw,” she mewed silkily. “Where might you have been to be so wet and so late?”
Sharppaw tripped up his step. His amber eyes opened wide in terror, and he cast pleading glances to the other apprentices, who looked pointedly away. He kneaded his gray paws on the ground with increasing speed. “O-out,” he stammered.
“Well, that much I had guessed,” Lakestar mewed, her voice starting to hiss. “Seeing as you have obviously been out in the snow, no matter that I have declared a stay in, unless specified otherwise!”
Sharppaw visibly relaxed. “Oh, I followed one of the patrols, and got lost.”
“Got lost?” Lakestar echoed, knowing perfectly well that he was lying. “But am I correct in assuming that during your apprenticeship that Woodtail has shown you the entire territory?”
Sharppaw looked uncomfortable again. “Yes, but I forget things on a whim.”
“Really,” Lakestar mewed. “Then should you be exempt from the battle due to forgetfulness?”
“No!” Sharppaw gasped.
“Then be on time next time, and stay inside the camp! Now, let us see how good you have become.”
Lakestar very nearly laughed at his startled face. Despite him being a very good fighter, he obviously was still frightened at the thought of battling his leader. Well, she thought. If I was him and he was me, I’d be frightened too.
“So,” she mewed softly. “Are you ready Sharppaw? Let us see your moves, so that I may better know what to work on.”
Sharppaw nodded gently, and tensed his position. His front paws bunched with his back, and his muscles rippled lightly. Lakestar saw his eyes fixed on her, but could tell that they were faraway and daydreaming.
Lakestar watched and knew immediately when the apprentice was going to spring. She sprung out of the way at the last moment and was behind him in a flash.
“Tsk, Tsk,” she mewed. “Bad momentum, you just let your opponent know when you are jumping.”
Sharppaw was getting angry now, Lakestar knew it, and she knew, as a fact, that he would perform better now. She purred lightly.
“Come on Sharppaw, I know you can do better. You’re holding back!” she growled.
Sharppaw quivered, and jumped again. Still, it was easy for Lakestar to dodge. “Think of my advantages against yours! I have size weight, skill, speed, all against you! But you are small enough to fit through tiny spaces! Use that as your key factor, and try harder!”
Lakestar could now tell that Sharppaw’s head was in this. His eyes were narrowed and his fur on end. She gave a light nod. This was how cats fought well in battles. This was the image that she and Sleetstar had created for SnowClan. Other Clans should fear the bad side of SnowClan. After all, they were mostly the decedents of wily ShadowClan and mighty ThunderClan.
Sharppaw lunged again, this time for the floor underneath Lakestar’s paws. Lakestar leaped high enough so that he would get to his destination, but not too high so that she would land on his back. He realized what she was about to do just in time, and rolled out of the way.

*More Coming Soon!*

[Spottedshadow]

Um, I'll rate it now!!

*****

That's Five Stars!!

[lakeripple]

Wow thanks!

[leopardshadow]

yeah thats definetly 5/5 stars! wow my fanfictions are definetly much shorter. maybe i should work on making them longer. that is really well written!

[Spottedshadow]

I have one too, but it's no where near as good as yours...