A Clear path (book 1)

"BrownTooth!" A Tom growled, baring his teeth at the medicine cat. "He killed StonePaw and BrackenPaw, I saw him while he was out of camp with the two. He brought them back lifeless and limp." NightStar murmured, her tone seemed mockingly upset and angry. "What?" BrownTooth hissed, "you brought them back to me lifeless." A She-Cat slipped from her spot, claws unsheathed, "you!— you killed my kits!" The She-Cat cried out with such pain in her voice. NightStar nodded, "such actions will never be allowed in my clan, BrownTooth from now on, you are exiled." The clan yowled with agreement, rising to their paws as if they cousins wait to chase the Tom out of camp. BrownTooth didn't respond, but instead spat at them before rushing out of camp. NightStar watched as BrownTooth left, and waited before he was fully gone before continuing, "if you catch that Tom on our territory, you can chase him off." NightStar's gaze then flicked to another cat in the crowd of cats under the stone, "From this moment on, SagePaw will be our medicine cat, next Half-moon, StarClan will give her, her own full medicine cat name." The cats murmured with agreement, "SagePaw! SagePaw." The cats yowled, "We'll have a medicine cat that isn't a blood thirsty killer!" BluePaw sat and watched as the cats erupted with triumph, they believed NightStar so easily, BrownTooth didn't even kill the kits, yet he was still exiled from DarkClan. If anything, NightStar probably killed the kits. *do you understand now.* a whisper in the wind told her, She spun around, hoping to see FlameStar still waiting for her on the tree, but the She-Cat was gone, only her scent still remained. "I do." BluePaw mewed, BrownTooth didn't deserve to be exiled out of DarkClan for nothing. "Good." The forest was fading into black as the yowls turned into cats murmuring in a distance, still happy that they exiled what they thought was a cat who killed the kits.

Her eyes flicked open, her fur fluffed out and warm. It seemed to be dawn since HoneyPaw, and BirchPaw remained in their dens, their repeated breaths warming the den. She slipped out of the den, the cool breeze swept across the clearing, the clearing was busy with Kits squirming around, getting under apprentices and warriors paws. BluePaw even saw FeatherFur's litter of kits explore around the nursery with FeatherFur watching proudly. SorrelKit was dapping at a tiny puddle while DappleKit and CloudKit tumbled after a Butterfly. "BluePaw, we need you for a border patrol." SnowWing called out to her from the camp entrance. Rising to her paws, she hurried over to the Tom, paws itching to pounce for prey. "A patrol would be nice for you, since you slept all sun-high yesterday." Her ears burned with embarrassment, she did sleep at Sun-high yesterday while the other apprentices hunted or went on patrols. Amused meows erupted in the patrol, "it's fine SnowWing, she has all the time to today to do duties." ThrushTail told him, before brushing past him. The patrol was SnowWing, ThrushTail, ThornEar, and even the queen, BriarFlower joined. "BriarFlower, your going on patrol?" BluePaw's question was surprised, "It's been some time since I've been on patrol since I've been helping out the other queens." She explained, her tabby grey tail swept across the clearing ground. "We're gonna leave out now." ThrushTail yowled, with a flick of the tom's tail, the patrol rushed after him into the forest. ThrushTail lead the patrol towards the Thunder path, bounding down the slope onto the warm surface. As she stepped down onto the flat surface, a rumble in the ground made her freeze in her spot, "A Monsters coming!" SnowWing hissed out. The rumbling came close and harder as the Monster sped across the thunder path, roaring before disappearing into a distance. The monster's roar made her ears ring uncomfortably, "TwoLeg's." ThornEar spat, padding past her to mark scent borders on an oak tree. She opened her mouth to taste the air, "DarkClan scent." She commented, spitting at the reeking smell. BriarFlower padded past BluePaw, closer to the Thunder path, "is that.. DarkClan?" The queen murmured. "Yes, that's DarkClan territory BriarFlower." SnowWing grunted impatiently from afar. "No," BriarFlower flicked her tail across the Thunder path, "Their are DarkClan cats approaching." Every cat's gaze flicked across the Thunder path, she was right. Three DarkClan cats began to reveal themselves from the shadows, "BeamClan!" One of the cats yowled out to the patrol. ThrushTail and SnowWing leapt to the edge of the forest, lashing their tails. "What is it?" SnowWing growled. "We're not looking a battle right now," another DarkClan cat grunted. BluePaw squirmed her eyes to see who the three cats were, she then began to make out who they were. NightStar, her long brown haired deputy, and a brown Tom with a white belly who seemed to be a warrior. "What do you want then" SnowWing growled, pacing back and forth on the edge of the forest. NightStar stepped forward, "One of my warriors told me you've had an exiled clan mate of mine." NightStar grunted. BluePaw narrowed her eyes at the She-Cat, *you exiled him! For no reason.* "Are you Talking about BrownTooth?" BriarFlower tilted her head to one side. "Yes, he was exiled for a reason—" NightStar was interrupted by ThrushTail, "what reason?" Instead of sounding hostile, ThrushTail sounded more worried and demanding. NightStar narrowed her eyes, "He killed two of my apprentices, StonePaw and BrackenPaw, you surely don't want that cat around your apprentices, and especially your kits." A gasp escaped BriarFlower's lips. "He's still back with our kits!" ThornEar hissed before spinning around and bounding up the slope. NightStar and the other two Tom's glanced at them one last time before leaving into their forest. SnowWing and BriarFlower quickly followed behind ThornEar, their paws angrily beating against the earth as they bounded up the slope. "No— wait!" ThrushTail clawed his way up the slope as well, and BluePaw followed.
In camp, her mind flooded back to the memory FlameStar showed her. ThornEar and StoneFoot were yanking BrownTooth by the tail as the Tom hissed and swiped a paw at them. BriarFlower was tucking FeatherFur's kits close to her while CherryTail's kits hung by IceNose by the medicine den. Just as StoneFoot was about to attack, ThornStar appeared out of his den, fur fluffed out and tail lashing. "What's going on?" ThornStar growled. "Ask your warriors!" BrownTooth Spat, lashing his bitten tail. ThornStar's gaze flicked over to his deputy, "What happened." He demanded. "DarkClan said that BrownTooth killed two of their apprentices!" SnowWing told him, lashing his bushes out tail. Cats began to appear from their dens, and the queens rushed out, gaze flickering across the clearing before guarding FeatherFur's kits. ThornStar glanced over at BrownTooth, eyes clouded with something she couldn't make out, "BrownTooth was a medicine cat, do you really think a medicine cat could fight against two apprentices and kill them both. And why believe everything DarkClan said, they've attacked us, and killed our deputy." ThornStar explained, the crowd murmured in slight agreements, but ThornEar and StoneFoot didn't seem convinced. "But he scared PoppyKit away by growling at her." StoneFoot hissed. "PoppyKit, was pouncing on my tail." BrownTooth pointed out. "I only growled at her to make her go away, I didn't lay a paw on her." The crowd's murmurs grew louder and some nodded in agreement. "DarkClan could be lying!" An elder rasped. "They're leader killed our deputy!" Another yowled. "DarkClan's tricking us!" Another hissed. "They probably killed their own apprentices." BluePaw froze in her spot, the voice was IceNose's *did she know?* BluePaw brushed it off, She, couldn't know. "don't hurt BrownTooth," ThornStar ordered. "We can't trust what DarkClan has to say." ThornStar murmured.
She squinted her eyes, watching for any sudden movement of the Black bird. Just as she got close, a twig snapped under her paws as she slumped harshly to the ground. Before she could leap back up, the black bird flapped its wings and cried out as it retreated into an oak tree, "Fox Dung!" She hissed, that was the second bird she missed. She rose to her paws, straightening up, "That's the second bird you missed." ThornStar pointed out, "Is something distracting you, your usually a better hunter than that." ThornStar's tone was soft and concerned, BluePaw's pelt flushed with embarrassment, *yes.* "No," she lied, "But Ill go try again." She suggested, turning to face her mentor. "No need." ThornStar craned his neck to pick up two voles she'd caught. "This is enough for now." ThornStar spun around, facing where camp was many Tail-lengths away. "I insist, I'll go and try to catch another bird." She told ThornStar. The Tom seemed unsure for a moment but then nodded before bounding off. She raised her nose to sniff the air, "mouse... squirrel... Bird!" She spun around, twitching her nose to track the prey down, then she spotted the grey feathers with black spots picking at something she couldn't make out below barren trees. She padded forward, steadily watching her step as she sunk into a hunting crouch, she twitched her nose, searching for the scent, the scent was getting fresher and fresher as she approached. She crept forward, her gaze hardened on the Thrush, and with a quick leap she launched for the Thrush. Before she could sink her paws into the bird, it flapped its wings, making her paws spring back, it set off a yowl of alarm, "Not again!" Before the bird flew off, She launched off her hind legs and sunk her claws into the bird, dragging it down. She landed a sharp blow on the neck of the bird, ending it with one strike. She sighed with relief, "Birds are getting harder and harder to catch." She twitched her nose, *catching another mouse wouldn't hurt,* She raised her nose, sniffing the air, but a strong scent caught her attention, and it wasn't a mouse, nor prey at all, a cat! She sprung to her paws, baring her teeth, "who's there!?" She hissed, "DarkClan? Intruders?" She growled, Trang to make herself seem like a warrior, when she was truly scared inside. A twitch in a bush made her stare intently as she waited for the intruder to reveal their self. Slowly, she watched as a patch of black and white fur revealed their self, their tail hung low and their ears folded against their head. "I—I didn't mean to intrude." The Cat mewed, seeming to be more terrified of her than she was of it. She narrowed her eyes, inspecting the cat, the cat was black and white with fearful, soft yellow eyes, and a golden collar that hung loosely across their neck. The cat was familiar, She recognized the plumpness, yellow eyes, and black and white fur, *chess?* before she could speak, the cat sprang up, "Diamond? Is that you?" The She-Cat meowed, "chess?" She asked. The She-Cat's eyes brightened happily, "it is you." Chess rushed over and pressed her nose to BluePaw's fur, she took the time to breathe in Chess's familiar Kitty pet scent. "You've gotten much skinner since I've seen you." Chess meowed, "how has the wild cat life been?" BluePaw gazed away, "I've loved it." She meowed, "how has kitty pet life been?" BluePaw asked. Chess flicked her tail towards TwoLeg place, "I caught a mouse for the first time." Chess's meow was proud but BluePaw couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for her old friend, Chess will never know how to be a real cat, catching her own prey, living the Hardships of Warrior life. "Have you been catching mice?" Chess asked. BluePaw nodded, "I've been catching more than mice, I've caught birds, mice, voles, and even squirrels." She murmured. "Squirrels?" Chess's mew was astonished, "but their so fast, and they climb into trees." BluePaw gazed back at her, "Training to be a warrior can help you do things you'd never think you could do, that's why I can catch multiple preys." BluePaw meowed, she knew lately she hadn't been able to catch as many birds as she liked or chase enough squirrels, but Chess didn't know that. "Really?" Chess seemed unconvinced, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Uh, yeah." BluePaw narrowed her eyes, "of course I can catch a lot of prey—" She thought back to the thrush she caught, she twisted and clamped the bird in her jaws, "look." Her boast was muffled by the prey, "I caught a thrush." She held her nose high proudly.