Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Nightpaw's Life

Chapter 1--- She had come to the Clan of the Mountains not four moons ago, she was a kit, after leaving her clan that had been demolished and joined with the other clans by a power lusting cat known as Deadstar, she came upon a mountain that held a cave camp. She was asked to join by Shadestar, and readily agreed. There had been four clans in her previous home, but as she realized later, there were actually five clans in the forest.
Nightpaw paced around the gray stone cave, her black fur melting now and then into the shadows. She had been out hunting on the mountains, and carried an ermine in her jaws, its creamy white fur standing out against the gray stone. She came into the clearing in the cave, and deposited her catch on the fresh-kill pile, and paused to wash her face. Several small cave tunnels branched off, leading to the nursery for kits and queens, and the warriors den, elders den, and apprentice den. The leaders den was located out in the stone clearing, with scraggly vines to hide the entrance.
When she had first come to Mountainclan, she had been ordered by Shadestar to stay in the nursery. After about a moon, she had been apprenticed, and was given the honor of having Shadestar, the leader, as her mentor. Nightpaw appreciated this life, like a second life, much better than her life in the joined clans. She looked up as she heard Shadestar call for her.
“Coming Shadestar!” she licked her paw once more, then padded over to the leader’s den, and leapt onto the outstretching cliff that led inside. She waited at the entrance, as Shadestar walked out and greeted her.
He touched his pink nose to hers, his gray pelt shining to match her black one. Silently, he flicked his tail, a sign for Nightpaw to follow, and he led the way out of the cave in the mountain, where the clan Mountainclan resides. He kept walking, with Nightpaw following, until he reached a soft grassy clearing with a small bubbling brook cutting through it. He paused and whirled around to face her, his amber eyes gleaming.
“Attack me, anyway you can.” his shoulders bunched for the attack, and his eyes flickered over her face. Nightpaw smiled roguishly, and circled him, noting that her mentor had not yet taken his gaze of his apprentice.
She leapt swiftly onto his back, getting a square hit, but he rolled with the attack, and flipped over, pushing his feet into her stomach lightly and barreling her off. She crashed down to the earth about a tail-length away. She arose huffily, and shook her ruffled fur, annoyed.
Shadestar purred, “You’ve got to be more quick, and intelligent in a heating battle.” Nightpaw glared at him, but he smiled. Nightpaw circled him again, and Shadestar instantly dropped into a crouch. Nightpaw watched him warily, her electric hawk-like gaze never leaving his form. She made the move to leap onto his back again, and watched as Shadestar got ready to roll with it. She changed tactics, and did a little sidestep, and barreled into his turning flank. He flew across the clearing, his legs splayed out, before landing several fox-lengths away. Nightpaw rushed over to him, and peered at his body aghast.
“S-Shadestar? I didn’t hurt you did I?” she mumbled hurriedly. Shadestar let out a mmrow of laughter and got to his paws. He flicked Nightpaw’s ear with his tail and proceeded to wash his paw.
“Quite a move you had me on.” he winked teasingly and settled down into another crouch. Nightpaw filled with relief, and continued the battle training with her mentor.
It was sunhigh, and the two cats were still at it. Stonestar had been teaching the small apprentice different stalking techniques and other battle moves when he stopped abruptly and raised his nose to the passing wind. Nightpaw looked around and sniffed the air, catching a faint scent of cat.
“What is it Shadestar?” she hissed quietly. She looked around the small grassy clearing, noticing that they were boxed in, the scent coming from the direction of their clan camp.
Shadestar stiffened, “Oceanclan” he spat softly, “What are they doing in our territory?” he growled deep in his throat. Nightpaw tilted her head, utterly confused. After all the time she had spent in Mountainclan, she still didn’t know many things.
“What do you mean, Oceanclan? I thought Mountainclan was the last of the clans!” she raised her voice a little, but brought it back down by a stern glance from her mentor. He flicked his tail for her to follow, for the scent had died down. They raced back to camp, their paws flying through the moorland grass.
Shadestar continued running full tilt as he gave a flying leap onto the protruding rock ledge that located outside his den. He yowled, loud and clear, so that his voice echoed down the deepest cave tunnel, “Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge!” Cats froze in their doings, and streamed until everyone was gathered beneath the ledge.
“My apprentice and I have scented Oceanclan warriors near our battle clearing. I think they might be trying to scout our land for any means of attack.” his eyes burned with anger and venom. Nightpaw shivered, this was not the cat she was used to, and anyway, how did they know what the Oceanclan cats were doing? They could be running away from a threat! Nightpaw shuddered again.
The whole clan muttered to each other, some angry, while others, excited about meeting Oceanclan warriors. Most of the excited ones were new apprentices and had never been to a gathering like Nightpaw and had never met an Oceanclan warrior. Even the gatherings she had wondered about. If Mountainclan happened to be the only other clan besides the joined one in the old forest, were there other clans out there she still didn’t know about?

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