Chapter 1 - Mischief Managed

Phatompaw gazed blankly past the hollow in which ThunderClan made its camp. He often wondered what lay just beyond the borders of Clan territory that Firestar wouldn't want them to see. He flicked his green-banded tail impatiently as he waited to hear who Firestar would take to the gathering tonight. As the ginger leader called off the names Phantompaw's fur bristled, he heard: Brambleclaw, Graystripe, Spiderleg, Jayfeather, Lionwblaze, Honeypelt, Foxpaw, Icepaw, Longtail, Millie, Sandstorm, along with his parents Whitewing and Birchfall but his own name was never mentioned.

"Looks like your getting left behind..." said the shy voice of Cinderbrush, "That makes two of us anyway..."

Phantompaw laughed at Cinderbrush's akward smile, she just looked so darn cute. Her tail swished oddly as she turned her gaze back to him.

"Yeah I guess," mumbled Phantompaw.

"You know you've really grown" she mewed shuffling her paws uneasily.

Phantompaw sighed he knew she liked him but he had always thought of her more like an older sister than a potential mate. He shook his head dismissingly, "I'm sorry Cinderbrush I have to go um Squirrelflight wants me to go hunting with her tonight"

With his body low to the ground Phantompaw crawled out the camp exit nearest where the cats made dirt. The undergrowth was frosted which means leaf bare was coming. Phantompaw knew he must be careful because frost was not enough to hide his snow white coat. His jaws parted as he scented the air. He could pick up a stale scent of a dog and its twolegs which had passed by the day before but other than that there was no sign of any life on this side of the territory.

Suddenly something rustled in the bushes. The stench of rogue flooded Phantompaw's nose. But before he even had time to think Phantompaw found him self wrestling in the brush with a spiky ginger she-cat.

Despite her small size the attacker put up quite a fight. The claws on her front-left paw were reinforced with teeth, cat teeth! He noticed as she raked her claws across his flank that her collar was also covered in teeth. Was this cat completelty savage?

But then just as quickly as the fight had begun the tiny she-cat seemed to become completely docile. The spines on her back lay flat and her red eyes faded to reveal a welcoming blue gaze. She smiled at Phantompaw with an approving dip of her head.

"Wow Forest, I never expected such a fight out of you!" her voice was suprisingly melodic.

"My name is Phantompaw!" he growled a small trickle of scarlet still dripping from the wound on his shoulder.

"Well Phantompaw, son of Whitewing and Birchfall, may I say that I Flare would like to extend you an invitation you have only dreamed of?"


"Wait how do you know my parents, and invitation to what?"

"Why do see outside your Clan's borders of course!"

Phantompaw's ears pricked with interest, "Flare you have my attention!"

Flare nodded and beckoned with her tail for him to follow. As he followed this strange little rogue he couldn't help but feel satisfied with himself. He would now be able to realize his most coveted dream and it was all thanks to this Flare who seemed to be more attractive with every moment that passed, could it be that he'd finally found someone he could love? Or was this just another case of Kitten-Crush as Jayfeather called it.

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