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Chapter Text

THUNDERCLAN

Leader - Firestar - Ginger tom with green eyes and a flame like pattern to his pelt.

Deputy - Longtail - pale tabby tom with dark stripes and an unusually long tail.

Medicine cat - Tigerfoot - brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a long scar across his muzzle.

Camp Caretakers - Warriors in charge of keeping the clan in top shape.

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Cinderpelt - dark gray she-cat with blue eyes and a twisted outwards hind leg.

Warriors - Hunters and Fighters

Goldenflower - tall pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Willowpelt - pale gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Mousefur - small dusky brown she-cat with mismatched eyes and a thin tail.

Sandstorm - pale ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes.

             Apprentice - Tawnypaw.

Swiftfrost - scarred black-and-white tom with a single amber eye and missing tail.

            Apprentice - Sorrelpaw

Snowchase - white tom with blue eyes, deaf.

Cloudtail - massive white tom with blue eyes.

            Apprentice - Rainpaw

Brackenfur - golden brown tom with green eyes.

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes.

            Apprentice - Sootpaw.

Ashfur - pale gray tom with darker flecks and blue eyes.

Apprentices - Cats still in training

Tawnypaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

Sorrelpaw - pale calico she-cat with amber eyes.

Rainpaw - dark gray tom with blue eyes.

Sootpaw - light gray tom with amber eyes.

Queens and Den Dads - Cats expecting kits or taking care of kits.

Frostfur - white she-cat with gray specks and blue eyes. (Permanent Queen)

Ferncloud - pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes.

            Kits - Shrewkit and Spiderkit

Brightheart - scarred white she-cat with ginger patches and a single blue eye.

Elders - Retired cats who are in charge of keeping the clan lore.

Dappletail - pale tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

Speckletail - pale tabby she-cat with amber eyes

One-eye - pale gray tabby she-cat with a scarred left side face and a single amber eye, virtually blind and deaf.

SHADOWCLAN 

Leader - Blackstar - large white tom with massive black paws and amber eyes.

Deputy - Russetfur - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes.

Medicine cat - Littlecloud - small tabby tom with blue eyes.

Camp Caretakers - Unknown.

Warriors - Hunters and Fighters.

Oakfur - Small brown tabby tom

            Apprentice - Bramblepaw

Darkstripe - dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes.

Apprentices - Cats still in training

Bramblepaw - dark brown spotted tom with amber eyes.

Queens and Den Dads - Unknown

Elders - Retired cats who are in charge of keeping the clan lore.

Runningnose - thin gray and white tom with amber eyes, former medicine cat

WINDCLAN

Leader - Tallstar - black-and-white small lithe tom with a long tail and amber eyes.

Deputy - Mudclaw - mottled dark brown tom with yellow eyes.

Medicine cat - Barkface - short tailed brown tom.

Tunnelers - Cats in charge of maintaining the tunnel system underneath the territory and the camp.

Webfoot - dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes.

Ashfoot - gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Whitetail - small white she-cat with green eyes.

Moor runners - Hunters and fighters.

Tornear - gray tabby tom with blue eyes.

Tawnyfur - golden brown she-cat 

Runningbrook - light gray she-cat

Gorsescorch - White tom with reddish brown patches and green eyes.

Queens and Den Dads - Cats expecting kits or taking care of kits.

Morningflower - tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes (Permanent Queen)

Hopfoot - dark gray tom with blue eyes and a limp front paw, former deputy.

            Kit - Crowkit

Elders - Unknown.

RIVERCLAN

Leader - Leopardstar - unusually spotted golden she-cat with amber eyes.

Deputy - Mistyfoot - blueish gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Medicine cat - Mudfur - brown tom with amber eyes.

River Caretakers - Cats in charge of keeping the camp and fishing spots in top shape.

Stormfur - gray tom with amber eyes.

Shadepelt - dark gray she-cat with green eyes

Warriors - Hunters and Fighters.

Blackclaw - smoky black tom with amber eyes.

Heavystep - brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Feathertail - light gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Queens and Den Dads - Cats expecting kits or taking care of kits.

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat.

Sasha - pale she-cat with a dark mask, tail, ears and blue eyes.

            Kits - Hawkkit, Mothkit and Redkit.

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

Barley - black-and-white tom with blue eyes that lives with Ravenpaw in a farm close to the forest.

Ravenpaw - black tom with violet eyes that lives with Barley in a farm close to the forest, former Thunderclanner.

Smudge - friendly black-and-white kittypet that lives in a house by the edge of the forest.

Hattie - small and pretty brown tabby kittypet that lives Firestar's former house.

Chapter Text

The green ferns parted as the pale she-cat moved through the forest. Her ears pressed flat against her head while her paws carried her carefully through the darkness.

Step, pause, step step, pause .

In front of her just a fox length away, a lean, tortoiseshell molly with a fluffy tail stalked through the bushes, her green gaze fixed on a bird a few tail lengths away. Her stance was perfect, low to the ground as if blending herself under the long grass and leaves, body tensed preparing for the hunt. The pale tabby leaned forward, trying to get a better view, and just as she did the tortoiseshell molly spun around and pounced in her direction! Bodies crashing down to the forest floor and startling the bird who fled, its cries certainly alerting all the prey that was still up.

A paw was pressing down on her neck, claws sheathed. The warrior took a gulp of air as the other cat pressed her whole weight down, the awkward position pinning one of her legs down, she tried to kick with the free hindleg, but the fall had left it beneath her body, her forelegs didn’t fare much better, both pressed on the ground by the molly’s own.

For a moment, the shape above her was not made of mostly black fur, but rather white, and the green gaze was amber. The expression that greeted her was not of expectation but rather the cold uncaring gaze of Spottedstar. Barely, for just a moment, then it became the shape of her apprentice, the young cat that was waiting for her, slowly releasing the pressure from her neck.

“Time” she gasped, and just as fast, the apprentice moved away from her, fluffy tail curling around her paws and nodding to her mentor. Who stood and shook the dirt and leaves clinging to her pelt off as she regained her stance.

A hopeful voice reminded her of where she was,“Did I pass?” The excitement barely contained like she was trying to put a stoic facade that didn’t really work, and Sandstorm couldn’t help but purr.

“Yes Tawnypaw, you did” she ruffled the fur of the other’s head, smiling proudly at her apprentice “Don’t know how you knew I was there, be honest, is Bramblepaw giving you advice in secret?” 

Bramblepaw, Tawnypaw’s brother, had moved from Thunderclan to Shadowclan before the battle with Bloodclan, almost two seasons ago now. Tawnypaw had not taken it well at the time, and while the siblings were cordial with one another during gatherings, Sandstorm knew the rift would only be mended by effort.

Judging by Tawnypaw’s grumble and neck fur standing, she knew that said effort was not there yet “You wish, you’re just louder than a toad in leaf-fall”

“Wow, how insulting, mayhaps you need to be an apprentice for another moon, apparently I still have to teach you how to address senior warriors” both stayed quiet for a moment, before bursting out laughing “Yeah yeah, come on, let’s get you back to camp, you’ll need to rest for your vigil tomorrow”

Tawnypaw’s excitement was infectious. She would have never guessed the little kit that clung to her father’s shadow and hissed at any passerby’s would grow into a warrior she was proud to have mentored, and most importantly, still had that hopeful gaze from all those moons ago.

In her thoughts, she wondered if Whitestorm, her mentor, was proud of her like she was with Tawnypaw, and her heart ached for a moment thinking of him. Eyes shifting to the path as she remembered, ‘Five moons now’, and his loss still stung her. 

Willowpelt especially took it harder than anyone, but recently she had recovered from her grief, losing not just her mate but their first son in such a short time would halt anyone. No one could blame the warrior for taking a long break from most duties.Not Sandstorm though, she knew how to handle loss very well.

Her ears twitched, head tilting upwards and halting when she heard the distinct rustle of something from the foliage, Tawnypaw noticed she wasn’t keeping pace with her, and she stopped to follow her mentor's gaze upwards towards the trees.

Tawnypaw asked quietly, “Did you hear something?” 

She turned to her apprentice in surprise “You didn’t hear that?” Tawnypaw had always had the better ears of the two of them,it shocked her the other even needed to ask.

“What?” She looked puzzled and her green eyes searched through the trees for any movement,her ears moved quickly trying to catch any sound. Eventually however, she turned back on her mentor and let out an amused purr “Should I fetch Cinderpelt to check on your ears? Maybe I overdid on the shove and they are just ringing” 

Sandstorm’s pelt felt warm, and she shot her apprentice a glare that quickly made Tawnypaw’s expression shift to an embarrassed one “Stop that,” she hisses “she’s not a medicine cat, that’s not her duty!”

A faint whisper from Tawnypaw, that nearly unheard ‘yet’ made her pelt bristle, but her apprentice quickly covered it with another question “So you are well, then?”

She scanned the treeline, searching fruitlessly for whatever could’ve caused the rustle, but eventually sighed and lowered her head “Yes of course, just…thought I’d heard something…” she was tired, but not tired enough to chat among clanmates, the tiredness came from somewhere else “...Go on ahead, I need to clear my mind.”

The apprentice kneaded the ground with her paws for a moment, and walked over to her before putting her tail over her back,a quiet gesture of support. Sandstorm blinked, confused and looking at Tawnypaw. The she-cat didn’t meet her eyes.

“I just…” she began, pausing while searching for the words before continuing “...Want to say I’m sorry for-”

“No” she hissed, shaking the tail off her “You will not apologize to me Tawnypaw, you earned this, no, you never needed to earn this okay? I’m proud of you, I really am. Never apologize for anything you didn’t do, okay?”

While her words were true, she wasn’t sure if Tawnypaw believed them. If there was a way to make her believe them, it escaped Sandstorm. The apprentice merely nodded and left walking back to camp.

With Tawnypaw gone now, her attention was drawn once again to the tree line.

Nothing. Empty. The wind was the only abnormality; gently swaying the leaves and grass of Greenleaf all around her, by this time of the season wind should only come later in the night, after moonhigh, so it was strange to see it rustling the leaves, so early in the night.

Still, she searched again, for the outline of something, anything, until the emptiness of the branches only allowed her to see the moonshine and star filled sky. Her ancestors were awake, but they were not here.

There is a very sharp cut of disappointment in her chest, but she quickly shook it off.

She can’t let this disappointment consume her. Rather, she walks over to a tree and jumps up. Digging her claws into the bark,climbing higher and higher, until she can perch comfortably on one of the branches by the top. Laying down and resting her muzzle on her paws; she gazes across the forest.

Sandstorm has taken to this little habit, what she decides to call ‘ Forest watching ’ whenever free times comes around. Up there, the ground was small and insignificant, and around her there was another forest mostly unexplored. Birds and squirrels that made their nests and den undisturbed by the busy life below, some untouched by clan life.

Not that anyone would know, or at least, not that she lets anyone know, but she has even managed to keep up with a family of squirrels that live just by the tall pines close to the twoleg place.

Right now though, her attention was focused further ahead. High in a tree huddled together in their nest, two sparrows were sleeping, no doubt covering a nest full of eggs or sleeping chicks.

Further from her, beyond a few branches, the faint rustle of leaves shook her from the watch, her body suddenly tensed as she stood up on the branch.

Her ears moved to where she heard the sound, head following. Between the foliage, further ahead, a light gray figure with white patches was perched on a branch, nearly hidden by the darkness of the night. Clouds covered whatever moonlight could help her to see better.

She blinked slowly, the figure unmoving. Her fur stood on end, bristling, ‘a rogue?’ she thought. 

 Carefully, with all her moons of training, she began walking from branch to branch towards the figure, who in turn started to get further and further away. Soon, they were chasing each other as carefully as she could across the trees.

‘Starclan, they're fast!’ She had never met a cat that could jump through branches like that, as if they were a path of solid ground instead of buckling and jumping under their weight, threatening to give up.

Eventually, she lost the gray figure to the foliage, the rays of moonlight breaking through the leaves and letting her know how further ahead the cat had gotten. Chasing them was becoming a more exhausting option, she should probably return to camp and let Longtail and Firestar know of her encounter, they could organize a patrol to search for the intruder later.

As she jumped down from the tree, however, the gray stranger was nose to nose with her staring. She arched her back and hissed, claws unsheathed and ready to pounce, but hollowed eyes and see through pelt made her realize just what she had been chasing.

“You’re… You’re from-” she whispers, almost in recognition. 

But the gray ghost does not reply, merely tilts their head to the side. Now she could see clearly the patterns in their fur, white cloud-like patches that cut through their gray pelt, shorter than the average cat, and the most curious appearance was the thin mist and starless pelt that accompanied them.

No, they were not a Starclan cat.

“ Who are you?”

The gray cat’s expression shifted from indifference to a calm smile, but before she could hear their reply, voices from the woods interrupted, pulling her attention away from them for just a moment. 

When her eyes returned to the ghostly figure, they were gone.

From her side, the rustling bushes brought familiar cats into her sight, the golden pelt of Goldenflower and scarred face of Swiftfrost came through the bushes. Followed closely by the small frame of Mousefur, the three cats halted their patrol, shocked by her presence.

Goldenflower was the first to speak, almost gasping “Starclan! Sandstorm! What are you doing at this time alone in the woods?”

It wasn’t openly said by anyone in the clans, but it was heavily discouraged to wander alone in the forest following the battle these past few moons. The paranoia that any rogues  from Bloodclan that decided to take vengeance on an unsuspecting cat could still linger in the edge of the forest, despite the reassurances from local kittypets that the survivors had moved deeper into two-leg place; the fear persisted.

Sandstorm shifted under his paws, lowering her ears “I needed a break, Tawnypaw finished her assessment” 

“Did she pass?” Swiftfrost wondered, an excited glint in his remaining eye.

Sandstorm purred fondly, the mention bringing her back to earlier that night “With flying colours.” 

“The clan will all cheer her name tomorrow then!” Goldenflower purred, raising her head proudly, "if you want to accompany us in the patrol you’re welcome to.”

“I’ll head back to camp myself, but thank you Goldeflower.” The giant she-cat nodded, pressing her side to the other warrior before walking away with the patrol, Mousefur meowed a goodbye as she passed her, and Swiftfrost nodded his goodbye.

She searched again for the gray pelt of the ghost for a while, waiting to see if her clanmates leaving would bring them back, but couldn’t find it in the moonlight and star-filled night.

Camp was quiet when she returned, only a few cats were still up finishing their tasks, letting their tired voices carry conversations or lazily sharing tongues while getting ready to go to their nests.

Snowchase and Brackenfur were having a conversation by the warrior’s den, the white furred cat shaking his head to something his former mentor had signed before moving his paws and tail quickly, they were too far away and too quick for Sandstorm to understand the meaning, but judging by Brackenfur’s smirk and Snowchase’s slightly too loud laugh it must’ve been good.

By the nursery, Ferncloud was sharing tongues with Frostfur, curling around each other; the new queen beamed, she was probably talking about her kits; Shrewkit and Spiderkit. Sandstorm was happy for her and Dustpelt, her longtime friend had been a doting father so far, and she knew both loved each other very much.

The cat she was interested in however, was tending the walls of the apprentices’ den while Rainpaw helped. Cinderpelt’s unmistakable gray pelt and friendly chatter was impossible to miss.

The tip of her tail flickered, an itch in her paws to go help her as well.

A voice brought her away from her thoughts, “You have to talk to her.” and made her jump. Turning her head towards the familiar brown pelt of Dustpelt, his eyes mischievous and sporting a smirk, “Are you shy now? The Great Storm is shy! When are you bringing her flowers? Maybe wool for her nest? Do you need help growing the courage to do it?”

“Stop it”! She hissed, swatting his ears playfully as the other chuckled, “We’re just friends, and besides look who’s talking, it took you a whole moon before confessing to Ferncloud.”

She couldn’t see it, but she could swear his ears reddened as he shifted his gaze away and grumbled, “My point still stands, you wish you were more than friends.” Sandstorm’s pelt bristled, glaring back at the warrior. “Don’t glare at me, she’s very nice, what are you afraid of? You’ve got nothing to lose, worse she can say is no.”

‘Worse she could say? I can think of one; she's decided to be Tigerfoot’s apprentice, you idiot’, but she couldn’t say that, because that was not the Cinderpelt she knew, or at least, hoped she knew. The stubborn, energetic Cinderpelt that tried her hardest always… but she was afraid that maybe it was an option the other would consider. ‘And unless you talk to her you won’t know’ her own voice reminded her.

Either way, if she was thinking of that, Sandstorm didn’t want to be the reason for the other to have to choose between that path and her, maybe she wasn’t even an option. It was selfish to think she even was.

That’s what hurts as well.

Huffing and rolling her eyes, she swatted Dustpelt’s ears again before walking to the warrior’s den.

She passed by Snowchase and Brackenfur, the former meowing in greeting while Brackenfur just gave her a quiet nod. Inside the sleeping warriors were as separated as the den allowed, the heat of new-leaf forcing even the most affectionate of clanmates to sleep alone. Most notably, she couldn’t see the large and fluffy body of Cloudtail around; ‘Must be in the nursery with Brightheart’.

Circling around her nest and laying down, she let out a long sigh of tiredness. The faint glow of the moon was covered by clouds and barely illuminated the warriors’ den. But through her sleep blurred eyes she could see the faint silhouette of the ghostly gray cat standing by the entrance observing her.