• The bright moon hung in the night sky, blazing beams of moonlight falling on the MistClan camp. Shadows flitted about in the light as cats headed towards the Great Rock, where Shadowstar made his announcements.
    The cats gathered nervously beneath the big rock, as it had only been several moons ago since their final break with the other Clans, back in the forest. Now they were alone, no other Clan cats to talk to besides their own Clanmates.
    A large black tom leaped to the top of the Great Rock in one bound. He turned to face the cats gathered beneath him, his shining green eyes like pinpricks in the gloom surrounding the rest of the camp, broken only by moonbeams shining down on the center of the camp.
    Shadowstar surveyed his cats. He yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Great Rock for a Clan meeting!"
    His call sounded through the silent camp, and the cats who weren't already there slunk into the shadows by the Great Rock, their eyes bright in the darkness.
    "We have reached our new home!" he yowled. "No other cat would dare follow us! We only follow StarClan now!"
    His words were met with yowls.
    "Now it is time! We must learn our new surroundings! We must defend our borders to out last breath!"
    There came more yowls from the assembled cats.
    One cat stood up. It was Skyfur, a white she-cat with glowing green eyes. "It is time for Fangpaw's assessment!" she called.
    Shadowstar nodded. "Good. He can have his assessment at dawn tomorrow. If all goes well, we can hold his warrior ceromony at sunhigh."
    Skyfur nodded, looking satisfied.
    Brackentail, MistClan's medicine cat, stood up. "It is time I had an apprentice." he meowed. "And I have chosen."
    Shadowstar nodded. "Who?"
    Brackentail beckoned a little tabby kit out of the crowd, meowing, "Leafkit."
    Shadowstar jumped down from the Great Rock, beckoning to Leafkit. "Come forward."
    She padded forward, her eyes shining and her paws trembling.
    "Leafkit, from this moment until you recieve your warrior name, you shall be known as Leafpaw. Brackentail," he said, beckoning to the medicine cat, who stepped forward, "You have intelligence and courage, as well as a head for herbs. I pray you will pass these skills on to your apprentice."
    Padding forward, the two touched noses, while the Clan yowled, "Leafpaw! Leafpaw!"
    After the noise had settled down, Shadowstar asked, "Is there any other news?"
    Most of the cats shook their heads, and Shadowstar nodded. "Tomorrow Brackentail and Leafpaw will journey to the Moonstream. That is all. You may all return to your dens now."
    Leafpaw followed Brackentail to his den, making a nest for herself with the extra moss piled at the edge of the den.
    She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come...Leafpaw's eyes snapped open. She stood in a small clearing blanketed by the light of the full moon. Starry shapes watched her from the sides of the hollow.
    "StarClan?" she whispered softly.
    One of the starry cats stepped forward. "Leafpaw." he rumbled, "Welcome to StarClan. We have been waiting for you."
    "Am I going to die?" asked Leafpaw, horrified.
    "No." the StarClan cat purred. "You must know this." He padded forward, his paws making no sound on the soft mossy ground, touching noses with Leafpaw.
    Images swirled through Leafpaw's head: waves of water looming over her, two, maybe three cats watching from the shadows, trees cracking and falling to the ground, a star blazing through the sky to land at her paws, a wolf and a fox, unfamiliar cats staring at her...
    She shook her head, dazed. "How am I supposed to do this?" she asked, overwhelmed.
    The StarClan cat touched her shoulder. "You will not have to do it alone." He promised, flicking his tail towards a shape at the edge of the clearing. "Featherfire will join you." The silver-gray she-cat's gaze locked on Leafpaw's, and Leafpaw found herself blinking awake in Brackentail's den.
    Leafpaw winced at the bright sunlight streaming down through the thorny brambles sheilding the rocky cleft that served as the medicine cat den from the elements.
    She remembered today was Fangpaw's warrior ceromony! She had forgotton!
    Just then Shadowstar's summons sliced the cool morning air. Wriggling out of her nest, Leafpaw shook off the accumulated moss.
    She raced into the clearing just as Shadowstar began.
    "I, Shadowstar, leader of MistClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."
    He turned to Fangpaw. "Fangpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
    Fangpaw said solemnly, "I do."
    "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Fangpaw, from this moment you will be known as Fangstrike. StarClan honors your bravery and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of MistClan."
    Shadowstar rested his muzzle on Fangstrike's head as he gave Shadowstar's shoulder a respectful lick before he sat down beside Skyfur.
    Shadowstar meowed, "Since Fangstrike's ceromony was at sunhigh, his vigil will not begin until sundown. Fangstrike," he said, turning to MistClan's newest warrior, "You may make yourself a nest in the warrior's den." The leader of MistClan flicked his tail toward the low-hanging thorn bush that served as the warrior's den. "That is all." Shadowstar yowled, and disappeared into his den.
    Spottedfur, the Clan deputy, was circling around making patrols. Leafpaw spotted Featherfire over by the fresh-kill pile. If there was any time to speak to the warrior about her dream, it would be now.
    Trying to act casual, she padded over to the silver warrior.
    Featherfire looked up as Leafpaw approached. "Congratulations," she purred, her blue-green eyes warm.
    Leafpaw thought, How do I say this? Did you meet StarClan last night? No, that'd sound like she'd died, and that's definitely not what I mean!
    Leafpaw realized Featherfire was waiting for an answer, she mewed quickly, "Oh, thanks." and settled down next to Featherfire.
    "So how;s your day been going?" asked Leafpaw casualy.
    "Not bad. But I didn't sleep well." said Featherfire. "Why not? You must have been tired after Shadowstar's announcements." Leafpaw meowed.
    "It was just a dream...but you were there." Featherfire mewed, her eyes narrowing, trying to remeber what she'd seen.
    "I know what you mean." Leafpaw whispered.
    Then, suddenly, an alarm yowl rose from the entrance.
    Leafpaw scrambled to her paws, her teeth bared in a snarl to meet the oncoming danger...Leafpaw watched the entrance, her eyes narrowed.
    There was yelping from the entrance, and suddenly a small red fox barreled into the camp, its eyes wide. Featherfire leaped on it and it tumbled to the ground.
    It rapidly barked, "Are you MistClan?"
    Suddenly all activity in the camp stopped.
    Shadowstar emerged from his den and walked over to the fox who lay panting on the ground.
    "What do you know of MistClan?" Shadowstar's mew was cool and cold.
    "If you don't believe me, then believe your StarClan!" the fox gasped, then passed out.
    The MistClan warriors looked at each other in confusion.
    Shadowstar muttered to Brackentail, "See what you can get out of him."
    Brackentail whispered to Featherfire, and she dragged the limp fox across the clearing and dumped him unceromniously at the entrance to the medicine cat's den.
    Leafpaw scurried to the medicine cat's den, closely followed by Brackentail, who grabbed the red fox and dumped it in a nest. He settled down opposite it, Leafpaw next to him.
    "Talk," he meowed.
    The fox opened his eyes and sighed. "My name is Redfur." he barked wearily. "I come from the eastern woodlands, where the other Clan cats lived. I stumbled upon their 'Mooncrystal' and I was so tired, I fell asleep next to it. I met with some dead cats, who told me to find the Clan that disappeaered, MistClan."
    Brackentail spat, "You're lying!"
    Redfur shook his head ruefully. "If I was, would I have dragged myself here to get ambushed?"
    Leafpaw meowed, "Do you have any proof?"
    Redfur sighed. "Does anyone know a cat called Dreamtail?"
    "Dreamtail? She told you this?" gasped Brackentail. He sighed. "Leafpaw?" he mewed.
    "Yeah?" she asked.
    "We will have to believe him. Dreamtail doesn't lie." Brackentail sighed. Redfur slowly got to his paws, and Leafpaw noticed he was limping.
    "What's wrong?" she asked, worried
    Redfur glanced at her. "Oh this?" he asked, revealing a long gash on his right hind leg, "That was done by the other Clan cats."
    "They did that?" asked Leafpaw, horrified.
    "Yup." Redfur nodded.
    Leafpaw muttered, "How could they do that?" but Redfur still heard her.
    "They attack foxes, remember? Now it's time I be going."
    The red fox limped out into the camp, bluntly ignoring the death glares the other cats were giving him. He made his way towards the fern tunnel leading out of camp, stopping for a word with Shadowstar, and then disappearing through the tunnel, his bushy red tail the last Leafpaw saw of him that day...Leafpaw turned to Brackentail. "What was that about?" she asked, glancing at the tunnel long after Redfur had gone.
    Brackentail sighed, and said, "Let me think about it. You just go gather herbs or something."
    "Okay, I'll ask Ravenpaw to come with me!"
    She trotted over to the apprentices' den, calling for Ravenpaw.
    The black tom poked his head out, moss still clinging to his whiskers. "What?" he asked
    Leafpaw giggled. "Moss!" she muttered, and then said, "Brackentail wants me to gather herbs. Want to come with?"
    Ravenpaw shrugged. "I guess."
    He followed her out of the apprentices' den, heading out onto the territory.

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Leafpaw smelled goldenrod. Sniffing it out, she piled it on the clump of herbs by Ravenpaw. Slowly she piled them om him until he was nearly buried. An annoyed voice issued from the pile. "You know, you just buried me."
    Leafpaw chortled, then her ears pricked up. "Ravenpaw!" she hissed. "I smell fox!"
    "Oh yeah? Get me out of here and I can smell it too."
    Leafpaw cleared out a pathway for Ravenpaw. He leaped out and scented the air.
    His eyes swiftly widening in alarm, he hissed at Leafpaw, "We can creep up on it from behind!"
    Leafpaw nodded, crouching and stepping lightly forward, keeping her head low. As Ravenpaw hissed, "NOW!" Leafpaw suddenly recognized the red fur, the distinctive black muzzle, the scarred hind leg...Redfur!!
    "Stop!" she yowled and intercepted Ravenpaw.
    "What was that for??" asked Ravenpaw crossly.
    "He came to see us yesterday! Remember?"
    "So? He still lives on our territory!"
    "We only just got here! How was he supposed to know?!"
    Leafpaw's leaf-green eyes flashed, boring into Ravenpaw's angry gold eyes.
    Redfur spoke up. "Are you two going to stand there all day arguing, or are am I going to have to remind you someone lives here?"
    Leafpaw sighed. "Fine, let's go." She pointedly turned her back on both Redfur and Ravenpaw, and headed back towards camp. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ravenpaw shoot Redfur a look, then he was scrambling after her.

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Leafpaw raced back to camp, nearly bumping into Featherfire.
    Featherfire's blue-green eyes stared down at Leafpaw. "What is it, young one?" she purred.
    Leafpaw looked up. "I saw that fox. I think we need to talk to him. He seems to know more then he's letting on."
    Featherfire nodded. "Very well. We shall go see the fox."Leafpaw scrambled through the thick glades of the misty forest, Featherfire limping behind her.
    She stopped by the hollow tree, so shrouded in mist from the river she had to squint to see it. She saw a flash of red fur and suddenly Redfur was standing in front of her.
    He twitched his ears. "So you came." It wasn't a question. Leafpaw nodded and indicated Featherfire. "Featherfire came with me."
    Redfur nodded, growling, "Good."
    The fox turned away from Leafpaw, meowing, "Come." He entered the hollow tree and vanished from Leafpaw's sight.
    Leafpaw slowly crept in after him, surprise flitting across her face at the tunnel that stood before her. Redfur's voice floated up to her. "Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle!"
    Featherfire's voice from behind her said, "Go on. I'll always be behind you."
    Leafpaw's paws echoed on the tunnel floor. She shuddered and continued, eventually emerging into a large cavern. Her ears perked up at the sound of running water. She realized water was licking at her paws. Glancing down, she saw she stood at the edge of a huge underground lake. She thought, How in the name of StarClan did that get down here??
    The sound of Featherfire's claws rattling on the pebbles brought her attention to Redfur, sitting on a small rock sticking out of the lake in front of Leafpaw.
    "Redfur? Why did you bring us down here?" asked Featherfire, her bold blue-green gaze settling on Redfur.
    Redfur nodded, as if this were the question he'd been waiting for all along.
    "You see this place?" he asked, flicking his tail at the lake, "This was created when a waterfall broke through the soil in a ditch near the river."
    Leafpaw nodded; that made sense.
    Redfur nodded, "Here is a safe place to talk. No cat, or any other animal for that matter, know of this place."
    Featherfire dipped her head. "That is good."
    Leafpaw glared at Redfur. "What else do you want to tell us?" she said, her eyes narrowing.
    Redfur nodded, swishing his tail over the pebbles, and barked, "Come."
    Leafpaw scrambled after him as he vanished into a tunnel............... To be continued........