Author's Introductory Note: So, I have a lot established for this story in terms of plot-line, and decided I should post it here for motivation/opinions/criticism. Hopefully having readers will help encourage me to write more of it. Maybe, if there's enough readers, I might make a discussion thread for this story where people could ask questions, discuss theories, and vote on things like kit names.
Also, this is an AU if youre wondering why Bloodclan, the Northern Kingdom, and the Tang Empire exist. This takes place about five years after A Vision of Shadows. (The AU that caused all this is my interpretation of if Rusty never joined the Clans, and it has Sand(storm)star ending up as leader of ShadowClan)

~ Index ~
Prologue - Posted 4/12/18
Chapter One
Chapter Two

Le Blurb~ (TBA as soon as I come up with one...)

Allegiances:
Bloodclan
Leader: Azure the Cold, a dark silver-blue tom with a black tail-tip and ice blue eyes. He has a black tooth collar.
Deputy: Ace, a dark gray tom with ice blue eyes. He has a dark green tooth collar.
Unranked: Cinder
Loyals:
Ember, a dark ginger she-cat with dark green eyes.
Unranked: Hawk
Burn, a ginger tabby tom with green eyes.
Stallion, a black bi-color tom with yellow eyes.
Crusher, a large dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes.
Spike, a spikey-furred white tom with gray paws with golden eyes.
Tanner, a dark brown tom with gray eyes.
Rhino, a dark colored tom with peppered gray and black fur with light blue eyes.
Unranked: Nightshade
Storm, a dark gray she-cat with silver paws and dark blue eyes.
Frost, a white she-cat rimed with black fur with ice blue eyes.
Shard, a black she-cat with green eyes.
Low Regiment:
Viper, a light black tom with green eyes.
Vixen, an orange she-cat with green eyes.
Dog, a mottled brown tom with amber eyes.
Rick, a gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Pitch, a sooty black tabby tom with amber eyes.
Wren, a light tan tabby she-cat with brown eyes.
Swallow, a light brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes.
Spite, a silver tabby tom with dark blue eyes.
Street Cats:
Hank, a dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.
Ella, a smoky-gray she-cat with dark brown eyes.
Ted, a dark brown tom with white paws and muzzle with blue eyes.
Han Solo, a tan tom with light brown eyes.
Chewbacca, a large shaggy brown tom with amber eyes.
Mary-Kate, a gray-brown tabby she-cat with hazel eyes.
Unranked:
Cinder, sandy-colored she-cat with yellow eyes. She has a yellow tooth collar.
Hawk, a brown and white bi-color tom with ice blue eyes.
Nightshade, a white and shadowy-gray bi-color she-cat with blue eyes.
Queens:
Cinderella, a silver-gray tabby with white paws and chest and green eyes. Mate is Azure the Cold. Expecting kits.
Joyce, a silver she-cat golden eyes. Mate is Burn. Kits are Prince, Diamond, and Bullet.
Nora, a long-furred white she-cat with dark green eyes. Mate is Hank. Kit is Meg.
Kits:
Prince, a ginger tom with silver paws and golden eyes.
Diamond, a silver she-cat with green eyes.
Bullet, a dark ginger tom with silver ears and hazel eyes.
Meg, a mostly white she-cat with patches of brown tabby and green eyes.
Northern Kingdom
Royalty:
King Orainos, a large jet-black tom with yellow eyes.
Queen Gaia, a sleek red tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes.
Prince Kyros, a red tabby and black tortoiseshell tom with green eyes.
Princess Vanessa, an ebony black she-cat with red ears and yellow eyes.
Court:
Ieremias, a silvery tom with a graying muzzle and golden eyes.
Stavroula, a black she-cat with yellow eyes. Pupil: Kratzan
Alexander, a white tom bespeckled with ginger with amber eyes.
Hypatia, a light-ginger she-cat with white patches and amber eyes.
Guards:
Takis, a golden tabby tom with light green eyes.
Sabastian, a fiery red-orange tom with amber eyes.
Yolanda, a dark brown she-cat with green eyes.
Arsen, a black tom with half blue half brown eyes. Pupil: Kara.
Kiki, a sooty black tabby she-cat with gray-blue eyes.
Xander, a light golden tom with bright blue eyes.
Hunters:
Ioanna, a gray-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Alessandro, a white and tan bi-color tom with light blue eyes. Pupil: Sofia
Savvas, a dark gray tom with green eyes.
Marigold, a light orange tabby she-cat with hazel eyes. Pupil: Xena
Kassia, a golden-brown she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Pupils:
Kratzan, a dark ginger bi-color tom with hazel eyes. Court Pupil.
Xena, a gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Hunter Pupil.
Sofia, a light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes. Hunter Pupil.
Kara, a cream-tan she-cat with dark sooty markings, partial stripes, and blue eyes. Guard Pupil.
Mothers:
Evangeline, a dark brown tabby she-cat with yellow-green eyes. Mate: Alexander. Position: Hunter. Kits: Catherine and Pan.
Thelma, a silver she-cat with gold eyes. Mate: Alessandro. Position: Guard. Expecting kits.
Kits:
Catherine, a white and brown tabby bi-color with light yellow eyes.
Pan, a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Elderly:
Theodore, an orange tabby she-cat with hazel eyes.
Timotheus, a ginger tabby tom dark hazel eyes.
Riverclan
Leader: Lilystar, a gray she-cat with a half-white tail and a white underbelly and golden eyes. (2 lives)
Deputy: Driftleap, a silver tom with white paws and green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Crowstripe, a dark gray tabby tom with brown eyes.
Warriors:
Willoweaf, a fluffy white she-cat with brown speckles and dark brown eyes.
Flameripple, a red-gold tabby tom with blazing green eyes.
Skystorm, a light gray tom with white legs and dark yellow eyes.
Apprentice: Sprucepaw
Frosteyes, a silvery-gray tom with white paws, tail, muzzle, and ear-tips with frosty blue eyes.
Suntooth, a golden tom with yellow eyes.
Reedstrike, a large dark brown tom with forest green eyes.
Apprentice: Ripplepaw
Wavestreak, a sooty gray tom with blue eyes.
Silverclaw, a dark silver she-cat with a white line from her nose to the tip of her tail and blue eyes.
Dewshine, a light silver she-cat with white paws and light blue eyes.
Streamcloud, a gray-blue she-cat with a black blaze down her muzzle and gray eyes.
Webwhisker, a dark gray-blue tom with black ears and hazel eyes.
Apprentices:
Ripplepaw, a dark gray tom with amber eyes.
Sprucepaw, a dark brown tom with amber eyes.
Queens:
Creekblossom, a light gray she-cat with white paws and orange eyes. Mate is Suntooth. Expecting kits.
Misteyes, a light blue-gray she-cat with aquamarine eyes. Mate is Wavestreak. Kits are Troutkit, Sootkit, Poppykit, and Splashkit.
Kits:
Troutkit, a muddled gray-brown tom with brown eyes.
Sootkit, a sooty gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Poppykit, an ashen she-cat with aquamarine eyes.
Splashkit, a light blue-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Elders:
Maplecloud, a calico she-cat with light brown eyes.
Whitetalon, a pure white tom with three ginger stripes down his back and light green eyes.
Stagfleck, a dark brown tabby tom with a white flecks and orange eyes.
Shadowclan
Leader: Ivystar, a gray bi-color she-cat with swampy-green eyes. (6 lives)
Deputy: Smokesting, a light silver-grey tom with creamy streaks on his tail and ears and yellow eyes.
Apprentice: Witherpaw
Medicine Cat: Spottedblossom, a dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with light yellow-green eyes.
Warriors:
Spiderleap, a black tom with thin, long legs and tail and white ear-tips and hazel eyes.
Thrushclaw, a large white tom with piercing amber eyes.
Pebblescorch, a light gray tom with a large white mask and white stockings and amber eyes.
Nettleclaw, a light brown tom with yellow eyes.
Lizardfang, a dusty brown tom with gray stripes and green eyes.
Apprentice: Barkpaw
Boulderstep, a large dark gray tabby tom with brown eyes.
Applefur, a dark ginger tom with brown eyes.
Blossomdawn, a dilute calico she-cat with ice blue eyes.
Apprentice: Pebblepaw
Flashfire, a dark ginger tom with red-brown eyes.
Lionroar, a long-furred golden tom with amber eyes.
Batears, a black tabby tom with unusually large ears and purple eyes.
Weaselnose, a sandy-brown tom with light brown eyes.
Apprentices:
Barkpaw, a light brown tom with green eyes.
Witherpaw, a white tom with thin black stripe across his back and one black forepaw and yellow eyes.
Pebblepaw, an off-white tom with black stockings, black stripes on his tail, back, and back of his neck, and golden eyes.
Queens:
Sunflower, a golden-brown she-cat with green eyes. Mate is Nettleclaw. Kits are Pineconekit and Goldkit.
Pinebloom, a red-brown she-cat with a white diamond on her chest and amber eyes. Mate is Applefur. Kits are Newtkit and Flarekit.
Kits:
Pineconekit, a brown she-cat with spikey fur and green eyes.
Goldkit, a golden-brown she-cat with smudgy gray ear-tips and soft brown eyes.
Newtkit, a dark reddish-brown tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes.
Flarekit, a ginger tom with white toes and green eyes.
Elders:
Lightripple, a dark golden tabby she-cat with brown eyes.
Frogwater, a muddy-brown tabby tom with a white chin and toes and green eyes.
Tang Empire
Empress: Fiona, a fiery red she-cat with black paws and ear-tips with one amber and one blue eye.
Emperor:
--Deceased
Heirs:
Opnus, a ginger tom with white flame-shaped markings on his paws and amber eyes.
Gyta, a white she-cat with black tabby markings and blue eyes.
Thunderclan
Leader: Brightstar, a shadowy-black she-cat with white stockings, tail, and muzzle and amber eyes. (9 lives)
Apprentice: Sunpaw
Deputy: Mistystripe, a silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.
Medicine Cat: Lightningthroat, a blue-gray tom with a golden streak down his neck and golden eyes.
Apprentice: Adderpaw
Warriors:
Juniperfang, a dark grey-blue tom with a black stripe over his nose and blue eyes.
Tinysplash, a small tortoiseshell she-cat with on blue and one green eye.
Redpatches, a dark red-brown tom with white patches on his back, neck, and tail with yellow eyes.
Lynxears, a light gray tom with tufted ears and brown eyes.
Branchfall, a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
Ivoryspots, a mostly white calico she-cat with blue eyes.
Smokeygaze, a white, gray, and black smeared tom with gray eyes.
Apprentice: Daypaw
Mottledface, a handsome black tom with white speckles and green eyes.
Sparkfur, a sooty gray she-cat with ginger flaming markings on her paws, tail, and muzzle and amber eyes.
Foxbite, a flaming ginger tom with sooty stockings and tail-tip and amber eyes.
Blackfrost, a black tom with a white striped tail and amber eyes.
Deerheart, a light creamy-beige she-cat with white and brown spots on her flanks and hind legs and dark brown eyes.
Apprentices:
Daypaw, a light gold she-cat with blue eyes.
Sunpaw, a dark gold she-cat with dark blue eyes.
Adderpaw, a dark brown tom with black legs and green eyes.
Queens:
Lilypetal, a white and brown tabby bi-color she-cat with blue eyes. Mate is Lynxears. Kits are Shadekit, Owlkit, and Featherkit.
Kits:
Shadekit, a sooty gray tom with a brown tail-tip, muzzle, chest and underbelly, and paws with soft brown eyes.
Owlkit, a brown tabby tom with white legs, tufted ears, and blue eyes
Featherkit, a light gray tabby tom with white paws and chest and brown eyes.
Elders: Sprucestorm, a dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes.
Windclan
Leader: Fleetstar, a muscular and wiry brown tom with gray eyes.
Deputy: Ferretclaw, a cream Siamese tom with seal point and green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Brindleheart, a faint gray she-cat mottled with white and black with amber eyes.
Apprentice: Seedfur
Warriors:
Waspnose, a spikey-furred beige-colored tom with dark green eyes.
Apprentice: Harepaw
Barkstripe, a light brown tabby with hazel eyes.
Sticktail, a brown tom with pine brown eyes.
Snowdrift, a white she-cat with gray stipes up her legs and blue eyes.
Apprentice: Buzzardpaw
Sparrow-wing, a red-brown tom with yellow eyes.
Heatherface, a striking light ginger tabby she-cat with soft brown eyes.
Apprentice: Swiftpaw
Eaglescreech, a spruce brown and white bi-color tom with green eyes.
Mosslight, a gray she-cat with a white tail and green eyes.
Thistletooth, a dark gray ticked tabby tom with blue eyes.
Stripetail, a light gray tom with black stripes on his tail and yellow eyes.
Swanfeather, a cream-furred she-cat with black stockings and green eyes.
Apprentice: Wolfpaw
Apprentices:
Seedfur, a cream-furred she-cat with light green eyes.
Wolfpaw, a dark gray tom with a white chest and amber eyes.
Buzzardpaw, a black tom with a white muzzle and chest with amber eyes.
Swiftpaw, a skinny tan-brown tom with blue eyes.
Harepaw, a light gray-brown she-cat with brown eyes.
Queens:
Fawnstride, a fluffy brown she-cat with dark speckles and brown eyes. Mate is Barkstripe. Kit is Mudkit.
Sheeptalon, curly-furred white she-cat with green eyes. Mate is Thistletooth. Kits are Cloudkit and Specklekit.
Kits:
Mudkit, a dark brown tabby tom with light brown eyes.
Cloudkit, a white tom with blue eyes, partially deaf.
Specklekit, a white she-cat with speckles of dark gray throughout her fur and green eyes.
Elders:
Blazewing, an orange tabby with one ginger paw and amber eyes.
Bluestream, a blue-gray she-cat with a light silver underbelly and chest and blue eyes.

Author's Note: Technical difficulties transferring this over. None of the apostrophes or quotation marks wanted to carry over

Prologue
An agonized cry rent the peaceful air of the night. A black she-cat who would have blended in with the darkness if not for her white markings perked her ears and signaled her patrol to move in the direction of the call.
Their pace increased with urgency as more yowls went up, along with the occasional yelp.
The patrol of cats burst into a clearing where a large tom and a starving fox were locked in a mortal battle.
The black she-cat furiously attacked the wounded fox and swiftly chased it off. They would send a patrol to finish it off later.
She turned to the tom, the leader of her clan, who was being helped to his feet by the other two cats of the patrol. He stumbled and collapsed, a deep wound in his throat slowly causing his demise. The she-cat, the toms deputy, rushed to his side.
"Wildstar!" She gasped. "Don't go! I still need you!" She knew he had but one life left.
Wildstar smiled at his deputy, and daughter, and shook his head gently as his life bled out onto the forest floor.
"You'll be a great leader... Brightstar," he choked out in a hoarse voice before falling limp on her paws. She let out a choking sob.
As the familiar glow faded from his loving green eyes, she heard his voiceno longer fragile but strongin her ear; like a gentle whispering breeze. Six wolves with amber eyes will bring great death and change, and the fox is not to be trusted.

The forest was calm and filled with birdsong as the hunting patrol set out. Lynxears split off from the group when he heard a rustling in the bushes. He crept up silently and launched himself onto the source of the noise.
He smiled as he finished it with a quick bite to the neck. A juicy mouse.
He buried the creature and was a about to head back to the patrol when a strange noise startled him.
It was a small squeaking sound. Any other warrior would have thought it to be a mouse, but Lynxears knew better.
His mate, Lilypetal, had recently given birth to kits. And they sounded similar when they begged for milk.
Lynxears cautiously crept towards the noise, wondering why a newborn kit would be out in the forest. He poked his muzzle in the ferns and saw a tiny gray and brown kitten mewling helplessly.
"Smokeygaze!" He called to his clan-mate, "Come here!"
Smokeygaze bounded through the ferns, "What is it-oh, where'd he come from?"
Lynxears shrugged, "Dunno. I just found him here, mewling for milk."
Smokeygaze frowned, "Where's its mother? He scented the area, I don't smell anything unusual."
"Well we cant just leave him here," Lynxears pointed out, "We'll have to take him back to camp and hope his mother shows up."
Smokeygaze nodded in agreement and gently picked up the tiny tom-kit by his scruff. They padded back to camp in silence, and Lynxears was puzzled to why to mother of this kit would have abandoned it. Especially in clan territory. Other cats knew how protective the clans were of their territory.
On their way to camp they were met by Brightstar and her new apprentice, Sunpaw, who were on their way back from a training session.
"Who's this?" Brightstar asked, surprised, as she greeted them. Lynxears shrugged, "We found him in the forest, Brightstar. Were not sure where he came from."
Smokeygaze nodded, confirming Lynxears statement.
Brightstar frowned, "Were you able to find any trace of his mother?" She asked, peering at the tiny kit, who was mewling for food again.
Lynxears shook his head, "None."
"Well," Brightstar began, "The code says we cannot abandon a kit in need. Thunderclan will take care of this kit," she stated authoritatively.
"Lynxears," she turned to him, "Will Lilypetal be willing to take care of him?"
Lynxears nodded, "I'm sure she will."
Brightstar nodded decisively, "Good, I am sure you both can name him as well."
Lynxears dipped his head as she left, "Yes, Brightstar."
They entered the nursery and Lilypetal looked up at Lynxears, who was now carrying the kit. "Hello love. What is it?" She frowned upon noticing the kit, "Who's this?"
"Well," Lynxears started, setting the kit down. "I found this kit in the forest alone, and Brightstar wants you to take care of him."
The white and brown tabby nudged the kit gently and smiled, "How could I say no?" She corralled him towards her belly so he could eat, "Does he have a name?"
Lynxears shook his head, "She wanted us to name him."
Lilypetal smiled, "How about Wolfkit?"
He smiled in response. "It suits him."
Brightstar poked her head into the den, "May I enter?"
Lilypetal nodded. "Of course."
Brightstar stepped inside, nodding in greeting to Sprucestorm, an elderly she-cat who was the mother to Adderkit. She padded quietly over to Lynxears and Lilypetal.
"Have you named him?" She asked, her voice quiet as Wolfkit was now asleep due to his full belly.
"Yes, we have," Lilypetal replied, "We named him Wolfkit."
Brightstar blinked, "Wolfkit?" She repeated incredulously.
Lilypetal nodded, "Yes, Wolfkit." She repeated, a confused look in her eyes. "You don't think it suits him?"
Brightstar shook her head disapprovingly, "No, no. I think Shadekit. Yes, Shadekit suits him much better," she meowed quickly.
Lynxears blinked, confused at why his leader was so against the name when she had instructed them to pick one. "Alright," he meowed, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes.
Brightstar nodded, "Good. I will announce Shadekit's arrival to the clan," she said briskly, before swiftly exiting the den.

Author's Note: Apparently it is going to kill all my apostrophes and quotation marks from now on, so let me know if you catch any error so I can correct them!

Chapter One

The newleaf sun shone on the lids of Shadekit's eyes. He yawned before blinking his soft brown eyes wearily open. He arched his back and felt a tingle down his spine as he stretched. He turned to see his brother Owlkit, with his blue eyes gleaming, watching him.

"Finally, you're awake!" Owlkit exclaimed, smiling. "Mother said we couldn't go to the elders den until you were awake, and that we shouldn't wake you up," the brown tabby explained.

"Come on," Featherkit, a light gray tabby with a white belly and paws, nudged him from behind, nearly toppling him over. "Let's go!"

Shadekit chuckled, following them as they sped out the nursery entrance. The sooty gray tom bounded into the clearing and ducked into the elders den.

"Ah, hello kits. What story have you come to hear today?" The single elder, Sprucestorm, looked up smiling.

"I wanna hear about the Northern Kingdom!" Owlkit exclaimed and Shadekit nodded in agreement. Featherkit looked a bit sullen, but padded up to hear the story nonetheless.

"Ah," the dark brown elder rasped, "The Northern Kingdom, the Clans' first non-Clan rival that has begun to flourish, under the reign of King Orainos."

The elder grinned down at the kits, happy to be telling her favorite story, "There once was a young cat that came to the clans with his small group of followers. They asked to lay claim to the area between WindClan and the Highstones, a vast stretch but mostly unused by the Clans. This young cat, who called himself a Prince of Etria, knew of their half-moon customs and assured the clans that their medicine cats would safe passage." Sprucestorm let out a light cough to clear her throat before continuing. "The clans agreed. Prince Etria led his group to the land and set out to build an underground cavern--as he and his cats were natural-born diggers--and built his group an underground fortress!"
Shadekit's eyes grew wide as he listened, imagining great caverns and mazes of tunnels.

"Two moons later, at the Gathering, Prince Etria arrived with his mate and three of his most loyal warriors. He said that he was now King Etria and his group should be known as the Northern Kingdom. The Clans were surprised at his conviction, but were wary of the number of cats he was amassing. He assured them that they only wanted peace, and that they would not attack those who had so generously given the land on which his newly founded kingdom rested. The clans decided to take his word for it, knowing that they, together, could easily drive him out if need be, and they have lived in harmony ever since." She twitched her ear, "That was when I was but a young apprentice, and now King Etria is dead, with his son, King Orainos now ruling."

"Now be off with the lot of ya! These old bones need their rest." Her words were fierce, but Shadekit saw the friendly twinkle in her yellow eyes and knew she meant no ill-will.

Shadekit bounded out after his brothers into the main camp area. He noticed his father, Lynxears, leading a patrol towards the camp entrance. Shadekit recognized Smokeygaze and his apprentice Daypaw, and he knew the last cat was Deerheart--she had often played with them.

His father, a light gray tom with tufted ears that matched Owlkit's, gave him a twinkling smile before they padded out of camp.

"Hey guys!" He heard Sunpaw's voice from behind him. He turned and saw the dark golden she-cat trotting up to them. She was much larger than the three of them, being a little more than four moons older.

"Betcha cant wait for- whoops! Not supposed to tell you, sorry!" She meowed, quickly bounding away.

Owlkit cocked his head, "What was all that about?"

Featherkit just gave Owlkit a look, "Seriously? You can't figure that out? Wow, you really are mouse-brained."

Shadekit wasn't sure what Sunpaw had been talking about either, but he wasn't about to be called a mouse-brain.

"Then tell me, oh smart one," Owlkit mocked.

"We're getting apprenticed today, duh!" Featherkit huffed, ignoring Owlkit's sarcasm.

"Yeah, Owlkit," Shadekit agreed, trying to seem as if he knew.

Owlkit blinked and Shadekit could see the realization creeping over his face.

"Yes!" Owlkit exclaimed, pumping his paw into the air as he leapt straight up.

"I hope my mentor is Juniperfang, or Sparkfur. They're so fierce!" Owlkit meowed excitedly.

Featherkit rolled his eyes, "Well I hope my mentors Branchfall, hes great at strategy and techniques."

"Blech! Who cares about strategies? They're no use if you cant fight!" Owlkit objected.

Shadekit suppressed a laugh at his two contrasting brothers, "I think I'd like Mistystripe, she is the deputy after all. But Ill be fine as long as I don't get Blackfrost." He shuddered.

Featherkit and Owlkit nodded.

"Yeah," Owlkit squeaked, eyes wide, "He's cold-hearted!"

Featherkit poked him. "Don't say that out loud, you'll get us into trouble!" he hissed.

Lilypetal came up behind them, "Come here you three, time for a grooming." The bi-color she-cat bent down and began swiftly grooming the three of them, keeping them from escaping with her tail and paws.

After a thorough washing and multiple objective groans, Lilypetal let them free. "Now stay clean," she instructed them, "At least for the time being."

Shadekit twitched his whiskers in amusement. If Sunpaw hadn't spoiled their ceremony, they would've thought their mother was crazy.

They did not have to wait long, for after their father's patrol padded back into camp with prey-filled jaws, Brightstar padded out of her den.

"May all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath High-Rock!" she called as the cats gathered.

"Three of our young cats are of apprenticing age. Owlkit, Featherkit, and Shadekit, please come forwards." Shadekit padded up with his brothers, his heart thumping in his chest so loud he was surprised his Clan-mates couldnt hear it.

"Owlkit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Owlpaw. Sparkfur, you were trained well by Juniperfang and I trust that you will pass on all you learned to Owlpaw."

The fiery-furred she-cat stepped forwards, "Thank you, Brightstar."

"Featherkit," Brightstar continued as the two touched noses, "From this day on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Featherpaw. Branchfall, you did well in training Blackfrost, and I trust you to do the same with Featherpaw."

The dark brown tabby dipped his head, "It is an honor, Brightstar."

Shadekit felt his legs tremble as he prepared for what would come next.

"Shadekit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Shadepaw." Shadepaw glanced around excitedly, wondering who she would choose to mentor him.

"Tinysplash, you have shown great spirit and skills, and I trust you will pass on all you know to Shadepaw."

The calico she-cat let out a loud purr, "Of course, Brightstar. I'd be delighted!"

Shadepaw padded over to touch noses with Tinysplash, who looked about as eager as he was.

After touching noses, he quickly glanced back at Brightstar. His pelt prickled when he saw the hostility in her gaze. He followed it to... Foxbite?

The fox-resembling warrior was one of the most loyal in the clan. Shadepaw was slightly surprised that he hadn't gotten an apprentice. But why would the leader look at him like that?

He glanced back up at Brightstar only to find that she had disappeared into her den. He shrugged it off, assuming he had misread her look.

"Come on, slow-paws! Do you want to see the territory or not?"

Shadepaw turned to see Tinysplash waving her tail to him. The small warrior was waiting beside his brothers and their mentors, who looked eager to be off.

"Coming!"

Chapter Two
The Northern Kingdom was flourishing, but now as much as hoped.
At least that was what she had overheard the some of the court members saying.
She wouldn't know, of course, she was only a pupil, and a new one at that.
She was training to become a guard. When she completed her training, she would be assigned to either protect the High Court or the hunting parties. But, if she was the of the best of the best, she would be assigned to guard the royal family.
Since she was the only guard pupil currently she would spar against less-experienced court-level guard at the end of her training.
Being in the Northern Kingdom, her trainer had already picked who that was to be. The most recent guard graduate: Xander.
She felt a bit of heat in her ears when she thought about him.
She glanced across the cavern to where him and one of his friends were chatting during their break.
She smiled as she looked at him. He was a light golden tom with the brightest blue eyesshe sighed rather dreamilyhe was also very handsome.
Her on the other paw? Kratzan said she was pretty and Xena said she would kill to have her coat, but she was convinced they were lying. Or blind.
She glanced into the drip-water pool beside her.
Her fur was a creamy-tan she-cat, broken by sooty-gray markings. Her paws, ears, and tail tip were that terrible gray color, and her legs and rest of her tail were zigzagged with tabby-like stripes in the same color.
She glanced into her own blue eyes and frowned. Her pelt just couldnt make up its mind! Was it white or tan? Was it solid or tabby?
She huffed, some may have found the contrast pretty, but she despised it.
"Kara! Time for training!"
Kara looking up from the puddle and looked back towards the calls source: a pure black tom with unusual half blue, half brown eyes.
"Coming, Arsen!" she called back, rising to her paws.
"What will we be working on today?" she inquired upon approaching her mentor.
"Today were going to guard a hunting patrol, I figure youre old enough to get some real experience in," the tom responded, glancing down at Kara.
Kara grinned, her first real assignment! She was about six-and-a-half moons now.
The Northern Kingdom started training their kits at five moonsold enough to be weaned and eating whole food. But, for the first moon or so, they trained only in the village training area, not out in the fields.
After that they got a tour of the kingdom and were formally introduced to the royal family in a full initiation ceremony.
But, until their mentor deemed them ready, they continued with regular trainingsuch as learning fighting moves.
But, of course, this was different when it came to court pupils and the royals.
Karas chain of thought was broken as some-cat trod on her tail. "Ow!" she cried.
"Oh, sorry, Kara. Just wanted to make sure you weren't falling asleep on your paws! Isn't it great were going out on patrol together?"
Kara turned and smiled amusedly at her energetic friend.
"Hi Sofia."
"Well? Aren't you excited."
Kara chuckled, "Of course Im excited, silly, thisll be my first real guard training!"
"Oooh, right! I keep forgetting that youre a whole moon younger than me. Probably because you act so mature."
Kara rolled her eyes, compared to the light gray tabby, just about anyone could be considered 'mature.'
"Come along, kitties, theres work to be done," chuckled a white and tan bi-color. Alessandro, Sophie's mentor.
Alessandro was Sophies same and opposite; while he shared her sense of humor, he was much more calm and laid-back than the jittery she-cat was.
Karas mentor, on the other paw, was known for his great skill and was chosen to hopefully pass it on to her.
After waiting a few moments longer for Kassia to join themshe was Xander's sister and shared his golden pelt to a darker and more brown-tinted degreethey set off from the village.
They padded on towards the usual hunting grounds, nearer what the clan cats called 'Highstones'called The Peaks by the Kingdom catsand their border with a small group of wild cats that called themselves the Tang Empire.
As the group split up, Arsen had her follow Sophie and Alessandro, so, if they were attacked, there'd be more cats in total.
She followed them diligently, walking as quietly as possible so she wouldn't disturb their hunting.
As they neared the border the two must have scented something because they both crouched down.
Kara froze where she was and watched the two, briefly envying their grace. She parted her jaw to scent the air and detected a whiff of rabbit in the direction the two were headed.
She flicked her ear as she detected something from the direction of the border. She turned her gaze from the hunters and peered at the grass for a moment.
She was about to look away and dismiss it as nothing when she spotted a patch of light ginger moving in the grass.
She scented the air, but could only smell the rabbit upwind.
Not wanting to ruin the hunt on a false alarm, Kara crept towards where she had seen the fur. As she tried to get close her tail flicked in warning as a hiss sounded from deep in the tall grass.
"Intruders!" She yowled, instincts taking over as she was too fearful to think rationally.
An angry growl sounded and, before she could react, she was tackled by a stocky ginger tom.
He attempted to pin her to the ground but she wriggled out of his grasp quickly.
She leapt back to her paws as her opponent whirled on her.
"Mangy kingdom scum!" The tom growled as he snapped at her ear. He successfully bit into the tip of it, but she wrenched it away before he could take advantage of it.
She blinked as a bit of blood trickled into her eye, "Get back where you belong, savage!" She hissed, finally unsheathing her claws and swiping at his muzzle.
The tom took the swipe and barreled into her chest, knocking the wind out of her as he pinned her to the ground.
Out of the corner of her eyes she briefly spotted Alessandro scoring his claws into the side of a tabby she-cat while Sophie sunk her fangs into her leg.
Her eyes widened as she spotted a third cat slinking towards Sophie. Even though not trained in fighting, the two hunters could hold their own against a fighter together. But Sophie wouldn't be able to handle herself against a full-grown cat alone.
She clawed at the tom's underbelly with her hind legs as she tried to cry out in warning.
The ginger clouted her upside the head, making her vision swim. She fuzzily saw the tom grin as he opened his fangs for the finishing blow.
Suddenly he was gone in a black blur.
Kara rolled to her paws, head throbbing, and saw that Arsen and Kassia had joined the fight.
Arsen easily beat back the ginger tom and Kassia raced to help her fellow hunters as the tan tom burst out of the undergrowth at Sophie and Alessandro.
She tried to rise to her paws to help, but collapsed again as bright spots filled the edges of her vision.
"Yes! Did you see that, huh? We beat back those mangy savages! Kara? Kara are you okay?" Sophies voice sounded in her ears as if from a distance.
Black paws were in front of her now, "That ginger bashed the side of her head pretty hard, we have to get her back to the village."
She barely felt the sensation of teeth in her scruff as the world faded into black.