Snowing Hard



= Dedication = Dedicated to Dragonpelt. You were my friend, even when I kept abandoning Fandom.

= Prologue = It was snowing hard and a huge white fox was moving through the night. Bears were chasing the fox, and the fox ran by a dead black fox. A smaller silver fox was sitting by the body, crying. “I’ll keep you alive, Snow, no matter what!” the white fox growled, as she picked up the silver fox cub. She ran by a cave, and dropped her in there. Snow watched as huge bears killed her mom, and she bolted away, her heart beating faster than a rabbit.

= Chapter 1 = Snow awoke with a start. It was three moons after that life-changing night, and it was snowing hard outside of the cave that she slept in. Snow’s stomach growled. I think I should hunt. Snow never hunted before, but she could try. Three moons of living off snow and grass weren’t exactly the best for a hungry fox. She left the cave, and spotted some white shapes moving around not far from where she was. Rabbits! Snow snuck up on one farther away from the group, and then, suddenly, it kicked Snow with his front legs! It then lifted Snow up, and smashed her down. “You want more?” asked the rabbit, pausing for a second. “N-no…” Snow managed to choke out. “Fine. I’ll let you go if you promise not to eat me or my kind ever again.” said the rabbit. “I-I do promise.” Snow promised. “Ok. What’s your name?” asked the rabbit, sitting down and letting Snow go. “Snow.” “Ok. Hi Snow! My name is Lithe.” replied the rabbit. “Bear!” screamed one of the rabbits. “Where, Sleek?” Lithe replied. “Chasing the rest of us!” Sleek screamed. “Then why bother—“ Lithe paused, seeing that the bear just bit Sleek. Sleek screamed and kicked the bear. The bear, evidently deciding that Sleek wasn’t worth the trouble, started eating all the rest of the rabbits. Soon, as Snow, Sleek, and Lithe watched in horror, they were the only ones left. “Sleek! Ride on my back! Lithe! Follow me!” Snow said. “Ok!” Sleek leaped onto Snow’s back, and then Snow and Sleek ran.

= Chapter 2 = Snow, Sleek, and Lithe ran like lightning away from the bears. They soon stopped in a snowy clearing. “Is it just me, or are those paw prints?” asked Sleek. Sure enough, they were small paw prints leading to a hole in the ground. “It’s not just you,” squeaked Lithe. The group followed the trail of paw prints. It led to a hole. A small ginger lynx kitten came out of the hole. “How dare you disturb the lair of Gingerstar, leader of the hole?” growled the kit. “We mean no harm. We are the bear defense team, and we are looking for a place to live.” Sleek said. “Bear defense team? Are you defending against the bears or for the bears?” asked the ginger kitten. “Against. My name is Sleek. The fox is Snow, and the other rabbit is named Lithe.” “Hi, Sleek! My name is Owl, and my ginger friend is Ginger! Moon is the one in the hole,” a gray flecked kitten came out of the hole, and meowed this to the group. “Owl, be quiet!” Ginger meowed. “First of all, yes, hi Sleek! Second of all, we would love to join your bear defense team! How about we do it in the style of warrior cats?” asked Ginger. “Sure!” Snow wowwowed. “I vote for Snow to be the leader!” said a small black lynx kitten that poked her head out of the hole. “Me too!” Ginger and Owl said together. “Snowstar! Snowstar!” chanted Sleek and Owl. “I guess that settles it,” said Snow with a laugh. “If I'm the leader, Lithe will be the deputy. Lithe, you are now Lithestep. Sleek, you are now Sleekheart. Ginger, you are now Gingerpaw. Lithestep will mentor you. Owl, you are now Owlpaw. Sleekheart will mentor you. Moon, you are—“ “I don’t want to train as a warrior,” Moon interrupted. “You don’t?” asked Sleekheart, confused. “I want to train as a med apprentice!” Moon meowed excitedly. “Very well. Moon, you now are Moonpaw. Your mentor will be yourself. I will bring some medic cat from LizardClan to train you.” Snow wowwowed. “Moonpaw! Gingerpaw! Owlpaw!” Sleekheart started chanting. “Moonpaw! Gingerpaw! Owlpaw! Sleekheart! Lithestep!” Owlpaw joined in. Soon, the rest of the clan was saying it. “Moonpaw! Gingerpaw! Owlpaw! Sleekheart! Lithestep! Moonpaw! Gingerpaw! Owlpaw! Sleekheart! Lithestep!”

= Chapter 3 = Snow and Moonpaw trekked through the snow for a long time. They reached a cave. “Let’s rest here for the night.” Moonpaw meowed. “I’m thirsty.” Snow said, looking at the small pool by a flower glowing in the moonlight. “Me too.” Moonpaw said. They both took a drink, and fell asleep.

“Hello, Snowkit.”

A lithe white fox greeted Snow. “Mom?” Snow remembered her from her dream. “Yes, Snow, it is me.” The fox said. “Who are you exactly?” asked Moonpaw, confused. “I am Bright Berry, of WildClan. I am Snowkit’s mother.” the fox said. “Oh. You’re her mom.” Moonpaw meowed. “Yes, I am.” said Bright Berry. “Why are we here again?” asked Moonpaw. “For Snowkit to get her nine lives, of course!” Bright Berry replied. “Oh. Ok.” Moonpaw said, and sat down. “Snowkit, you are a loyal member of SnowClan, and you are worthy of your nine lives, to officially start your clan. I give you a life for dignity. It has never been your strong point.” Bright Berry said, as she booped her daughter. Snow winced a bit. A fox with jet black fur, and amber eyes the color of starlight came forward. “My name is Midnight’fur. Snowkit, I am your father.” he said. “I feel sorry you didn’t even get a second of life with me. I give you a life for loyalty. You must be loyal to your Clan, no matter what happens.” Midnight’fur booped Snow, and she flinched. A light blue cat came forward. “My name is Baystar. I know what it’s like to start a Clan. I wish you luck.” Baystar booped her. “I give you a life for hope. Remember, it’s always the darkest before Dawn.” as Snow got this life, she had a vision. ''There was fighting animals and blood was everywhere. Snow gasped as Lithestep died. When it seemed it couldn’t get any worse Gingerpaw got a really bad wound. Just then, a sleek dawn colored she-cat frightened all the animals fighting on the enemy side.'' It’s always the darkest before dawn! Snow thought. Snow snapped out of the vision. A silver cat appeared. “Oh, there you are!” meowed Baystar. “Just in time! I just finished giving Snow a life!” “What’s going on?” asked the silver cat, clearly confused. “Who are you guys?” she asked, turning to Snow and Moonpaw. “I’m Snow, and this is Moonpaw.” Snow explained. “I’m getting my nine lives.” “Foxes can get nine lives!?” asked the silver cat. “Hey, we told you our names, now you tell us yours!” said Moonpaw, annoyed. “Fine. My name is Silverpaw.” the silver cat replied, grumpily. “I’m training to be a medicine lynx!” Moonpaw meowed proudly. “What’s a lynx?” asked Silverpaw. “A lynx is a cat from the Arctic. Our fur is specially designed for cold environments.” Moonpaw explained. “Oh. I’m just a normal cat.” Silverpaw meowed sadly. “Wanna be friends?” asked Moonpaw. “Sure! I’m also training to be a medic lyn— cat!” Silverpaw said. “That is why I brought Silverpaw here,” said Baystar. “Moonpaw, Silverpaw, you shall train together. Remember, listen to Dawn.” Baystar sunk into the shadows. “Huh?” Moonpaw and Silverpaw said together. “Well, enough chit-chat.” a purple leopard appeared. “Snow, you are not the first non-cat to lead a warrior clan. I give you a life for life.” “How do you know my name?” Snow asked the stranger. “Oh, I know everything. My name is Leopardstar.” said the leopard, as she too disappeared. Another cat stepped forward. “My name is Bluestar, of WildClan.” Bluestar was a lithe gray-blue cat, with silver ear tufts and sky-blue eyes. She looked slightly like a lynx. “I give you a life for trust. Always trust in your instincts.” Bluestar booped her. A spotted calico cat appeared. “My name is Spotted Pelt. I give you a life for knowledge. Use it wisely.” Spotted Pelt’s golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “Silver Fur! It’s your turn.” Spotted Pelt meowed. “Wait… what?” Moonpaw said. “Don’t worry, Half Moon. It will be your turn next.” “Um… my name is Silverpaw.” Silverpaw meowed, confused. “And I’m Moonpaw.” Moonpaw added. “Ah, names! Who cares your name, it’s your spirit that counts!” Spotted Pelt said. “Um… okay?” Silverpaw meowed confusedly. “Snow, I give you a life for forgiveness. You must always be able to forgive the cats who you need to forgive the most.” Silverpaw looked like her eyes were made of stars. Moonpaw stepped forward. “I give you a life for noticing the small joys of life. Nothing is ever completely hopeless. There will always still be the bees buzzing by the beautiful flowers, unlimited sunny days, and naps forever!” “You sound like a kittypet!” Silverpaw meowed. “What’s a kittypet?” asked Moonpaw, turning her head. Snow chuckled a bit under her breath. She does sound a bit like a house pet. “Never mind.” Silverpaw sighed. “I think that maybe you should go to my Clan! I’m learning how to be a medic cat on my own, and you clearly need some help.” Silverpaw said. “Sure I’ll come!” Moonpaw meowed excitedly. “Not yet.” Another cat appeared. “Who are you?” asked Silverpaw. “I am Half Moon.” replied the new cat. “Aren’t you a tribe cat?” Silverpaw questioned. Half Moon sighed. “I am waiting for Jay’s Wing.” she turned away. “Though, I didn’t come here to tell you about my life.” Half Moon booped Snow. “This is your ninth life. I give you a life for knowing that nothing truly ends. It just goes on forever.”

Snow saw the world stretching out from all around her. The world is so big! It just goes on forever!

All the StarClan cats cheered. “Snowstar! Snowstar! Snowstar!” But soon, all the StarClan cats faded away. Silverpaw and Moonpaw disappeared, going clearly to where Silverpaw lived. I’m alone now… Snowstar thought. Then, she too went away from StarClan territory.

= Chapter 4 = ''Snowstar missed Moonpaw. She padded out'' of the cave, ready to get back to her Clan. I wonder how I’ll get back on my own… she glanced at the rising sun, wistfully wishing someone else was here with her, to help her survive the wilderness. She walked towards a frozen river, knowing that the trail of winter led to her home. She sensed something behind her, turned around, and stiffened. A wolf! The wolf was silver, with shockingly bright green eyes, and was about the size of Snowstar. “W-who are you?” whimpered the wolf. “Snowstar.” Snowstar was surprised at how frightened the wolf was. “I-I-I never heard of a ‘Snowstar’ before. Is it a new animal?” the wolf replied nervously. Snowstar purred. “No, I meant my name is Snowstar. I’m a fox.” The wolf looked shocked. “A-a-a-a fox!? Are you gonna eat me!?” “No! Are you gonna eat me?” “Of course not! I’m only a pup!” the wolf replied. “Oh. You’re a baby. That explains it.” Snowstar sat down. “Maybe we should introduce ourselves better. I’m Snowstar, leader of SnowClan. You?” the wolf blinked. “I-I-I don’t have a name.” “Oh. Can I name you?” Snowstar asked. “Sure.” “I’ll name you Sleet.” “Sleet?” The wolf considered the name. “I like it!” the wolf said, his eyes shining. “Snow?” Sleet said, after a pause. “Yes?”

“May I join your Clan?”

“Sure!” Snowstar said. “If you want to join my Clan, you need a Clan name. How old are you exactly?” “Five moons and fourteen sunrises.” Sleet answered. “Then you’d be about kit age. Your new name is Sleetkit.” Snowstar said. “Ok!” Sleet said. “Let’s go then!”

= Chapter 5 = Snowstar looked at the wolf pup beside her and smiled. I never imagined wolves could be so friendly! Sleetkit then pressed Snowstar’s nose. “Wha-“ “Boop!” the gray wolf pup with a white underbelly exclaimed.

= Chapter 6 = “Come on, we’ve got to get back to SnowClan!”

Sleetkit pawed at Snowstar. “Yes, we do.” Snowstar ruffed. She started padding through the grass. “When you see a frozen river, we are near.” The silver-and-black-pawed vixen leaped over some boulders, with Sleetkit following.

After they had walked a great distance, Sleetkit woofed, “Look! Snow!” Snowstar scanned the ground. There was in fact, snow. “There’s the river, in the distance!” Snowstar added. Then, a huge black wolf towered over Snowstar and Sleetkit. “What are you doing in our territory?” the wolf growled. “W-w-we’re just passing through.” Sleetkit stammered. “No one but my family and I can pass through this area.” he growled. “We don’t mean any harm. We are just getting home, to our kits and friends. You see, I’m Snowstar, leader of SnowClan. My friends Lithestep, Sleekheart, Gingerpaw, and Owlpaw will all be waiting.” Snowstar said calmly. “A community of friends and family… can my family join?” the wolf asked. “Sure!” Snowstar said as a white wolf and two spotted wolf cubs came out of a small hole in the snow. “Who are these animals?” the white wolf asked the black wolf. “Apparently, the white fox is Snowstar. We are joining her pack.” he replied. “Who’s the little one?” “I don’t know.” the black wolf turned to Snowstar. “Maybe we should say all of our names. My name is Midnight Sky.” “My name is Winter.” the white wolf said. “I’m Owl’s Wing!!” a brown-and-white spotted pup squealed. A calmer gray pup woofed, “I’m Small Puddle.” “Well, if you're joining the Clan, I have to give all of you Clan names.” Snowstar looked at all the wolves. “Midnight Sky, you will be Nightpaw. Winter, you’ll be Winterpaw. Owl’s Wing, I’m afraid we already have an Owlpaw, so you’ll be Wingkit. Small Puddle, you’ll be Puddlekit.” Winter glanced at Snowstar, shocked. “We have to change our names?” “Yes, you do.” Sleetkit said. “Who might you be, little one?” Winter asked Sleetkit. “I’m Sleetkit. Before I joined SnowClan, I was Sleet, because Snowstar gave me a name.” “Well, that’s different. You got your name, and since you weren’t used to it, you could easily change it. If I’m changing my name, I want it to be something cool, like Winterclaw or Winterwind.” “All in good time. You need to learn our ways before getting your full name.” Snowstar said. “Fine.” Winter said. “I’ll be Winterpaw.” “Come on, Puddlekit and Wingkit, let’s play!” Sleetkit said. “Okay!” Wingkit leaped by Sleetkit and the two started wrestling each other. Puddlekit chuckled in amusement. “That’s Owl’s Wing, for sure.” “Snowstar is the leader of SnowClan, so we should get used to her leading.” Nightpaw turned to Snowstar. “Where should we go?” “Just follow me, my heart knows the way,” Snowstar replied. “Wingkit, Sleetkit, Puddlekit, I trust you can walk?” “Yes, I can.” Puddlekit woofed. “Yes!” Wingkit squealed, and Sleetkit nodded. “Come on then.” The group trekked through the snow, until they reached a frozen river. A rabbit nibbled on some grass nearby. Winterpaw dropped into a hunter’s crouch, she snuck up onto it, careful not to let her fur brush the snow, and then leaped. “Quick! Run!” Snowstar yowled. “Snowstar!? '' The rabbit froze. Winterpaw, at the shock of the rabbit knowing Snowstar’s name, tumbled into the snow. “This is Sleekheart.” Snowstar explained. “He’s a member of SnowClan. What are you doing out here, Sleekheart?” “W-w-well, I’m clearly patrolling the borders.” Sleekheart stammered. “O-O-Owlpaw just passed his assessment, along with Gingerpaw, by the way.” “Okay, we’ll give them warrior names when we get back to camp.” Snowstar said. “Come on, we’ll go home.” The group used a log to cross the frozen river, and they headed to camp. “Clan meeting!” Snowstar yowled. SnowClan gathered, along with the new members. “I, Snowstar. leader of SnowClan,call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn.

Gingerpaw, Owlpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Snowstar said.

“I do.” Owlpaw said. Gingerpaw gripped the ground with his claws in excitement, and nodded.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Owlpaw and Gingerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Owlfeather and Gingerclaw. StarClan honors your loyalty, Owlfeather, and your strength, Gingerclaw, and we welcome you as full warriors of SnowClan.” Snowstar said. “Gingerclaw! Owlfeather! Gingerclaw! Owlfeather!” Lithestep and Sleekheart yowled. The wolves, a bit confused, didn’t really know what to do. “Um, congrats, Owlfeather and Gingerclaw?” Nightpaw said. “Also, new wolves have joined the Clan.” Snowstar continued. “The white wolf is Winterpaw. I will be mentoring Winterpaw. The black wolf is Nightpaw. Sleekheart, you have proved again and again yourself a trustworthy warrior. You’ll mentor Nightpaw. The black and white pup is Puddlekit. Puddlekit will remain here, as a kit. So will his brother, Wingkit. This gray wolf is Sleetkit. He will be with Wingkit and Puddlekit.” “Snowstar, I have something to tell you.” Lithestep said. “Remember when I was in a rabbit group? Well, I had a mate. She wasn’t in the bear attack, and she just came here. She is expecting kits, and they are coming tomorrow, so I let her in camp. Her name is Wild.” “Wild? That’s a very cool name. Yes, she can join. Wild, you are now Wildstorm.” Snowstar said. “Meeting dismissed.” Snowstar leapt down from highrock. “Hey, Snowstar, since I’m your apprentice now, can we go train?” Winterpaw asked. “No. You have to learn how to be patient. It’s nighttime, after all.” Snowstar pointed towards the sky, where the stars were twinkling above. “Oh, alright.” Winterpaw said. While SnowClan fell asleep, Snowstar looked at the stars. “I feel something is gonna go wrong, and I don’t like it.” Snowstar said, as she curled up and went to sleep.

= Chapter 7 = “Lithestep, wake up!”

It was morning, and Winterpaw had just woken up due to a scream. It was very hard for Winterpaw to adjust to a “normal” sleeping schedule, as wolves are nocturnal. Winterpaw went to check what was going on. Lithestep was lying on the ground, and Wildstorm was sitting by, crying. “Please… please… WAKE UP!” Wildstorm pleaded. “He’s not going to wake up, I’m afraid.” Puddlekit said softly. “Look, he’s been badly wounded by something.” Winterpaw looked at Lithestep’s neck, and sure enough, there were very deep wounds there. “Lair!” Wildstorm snapped at Puddlekit. “Wolves are always liars… liars and thieves, never to be trusted, wolves are…” she muttered. “In fact, it was probably you who killed him!” Wildstorm snapped at Winterpaw. “M-me?” Winterpaw said confusedly. “Look, there’s white fur by the wounds!” Wildstorm growled. “Your fur.” Winterpaw’s eyes widened in shock. I didn’t do it! Then, Wildstorm fell over with pain. “Your kits!” Puddlekit said. She turned to Snowstar, who had just padded into the area. “You get a stick, and bring it to me, okay?” “Okay!” Snowstar ran and got a stick. She dropped it. “Okay, Wildstorm, bite this when you feel pain.” Puddlekit said. Winterpaw, having no desire to see a birthing scene, left the area. She licked herself for a few moments. “Winterpaw! Wildstorm had her kits!” Puddlekit woofed. Winterpaw rushed in. One of the rabbit kits were brown, one was gray, one was white, and one was patched black with white fur. The brown kit ran over to Winterpaw, checking her out. “This one is Rushkit.” Wildstorm said. “One cat here can each name a kit of their choice.” “I like this one.” Winterpaw looked at the gray one. “That one’s a girl.” Wildstorm said. “I think I’ll call you Stormkit.” Winterpaw said to the black rabbit. “Snowstar, you pick next.” Wildstorm said. The SnowClan leader walked over to the white one. “You’ll be Daisykit.” “She’s a girl.” Wildstorm let her know. “I know.” Snowstar said. “I guess I’ll have the patched one.” Puddlekit said. “That one’s a girl.” Wildstorm said. The patched kit squeaked, and fell over to the snowy floor, covering herself with snow. “Well, I have no choice but to call you Frostkit!” Puddlekit said. “Then it’s settled. Rushkit, Stormkit, Daisykit, and Frostkit.” Wildstorm said, looking at her new kits. “Rushkit looks very much like his father.” Winterpaw said to Wildstorm. “He also acts very much like his father, too.” Wildstorm said. She turned to Winterpaw. “I think you should leave the kits alone. You’d give them bad ideas, like ‘wolves aren’t bad’ or ‘killing is okay’. Stormkit then said, “If you're saying I can’t go talk with Winterpaw, I’m leaving! '' She turned to Winterpaw. “You’re the mother of Puddlekit and Wingkit, right? Can you adopt me?” “Sure!” Winterpaw said. “Okay!” Stormkit said. Winterpaw then padded away, with Stormkit following. “Hello, Winterpaw.” Owlfeather said. “You okay?” “Yes. Wildstorm accused me of murder and doesn’t want her kits to see me. Stormkit wanted to be my kit.” “Oh.” “Clan meeting!” Snowstar yowled. As the clan gathered, Snowstar said, “Wildstorm said that Winterpaw killed Lithestep.” SnowClan looked shocked. “Surely she wouldn’t do that?” Sleekheart asked. Snowstar just looked at Sleekheart. “Wildstorm says that this happened, and we can’t let a Clanmate murderer stay. I’m sorry, Winterpaw, but you are exiled. You may ask cats to come with you, but I don’t think they would.” “I’ll come!” Stormkit squeaked. “I will come as well.” Owlfeather said. “I will mentor you, if that’s okay with Snowstar, I’ll also give you a warrior name.” “Yes, it is okay.” Snowstar said. “Now, out!” Wildstorm yowled. Snowstar nodded. “Goodbye, Winterpaw, Stormkit, and Owlfeather. If you think you could come back, you can come back.” Winterpaw padded out of camp, Owlfeather and Stormkit trailing after.

= Chapter 8 = Snowstar felt bad for exiling Winterpaw. But she knew Wildstorm would never let her hear the end of it if she didn’t. “Hey, Sleekheart. Let’s train.” Nightpaw told Sleekheart. “Okay.” Sleekheart agreed. “Sleekheart? Could you lead a patrol with Gingerclaw and Nightpaw? Our clan is pretty small without Owlfeather and Winterpaw, but we still need food.” “Sure. Also, tomorrow, can you assess Nightpaw? He’s mastered all the stuff he needs to know already.” “Sure.” Snowstar said. Sleekheart walked over to Gingerclaw, and they padded out of camp to patrol. After they were pretty far from camp, Wingkit rolled into Snowstar. “Oh! Sorry!” Wingkit said. “Puddlekit told me to tell you he wants to be a medic wolf, and I want to tell you Puddlekit, Sleetkit and I are old enough to become apprentices!” “Yes, you are. But I’m waiting for Sleekheart to be available. I want the best mentors for the best apprentices!” Snowstar purred. Then, Gingerclaw ran into camp. “Bear!” he yowled. “Oh no!” Snowstar turned to Wingkit and Gingerclaw. “You two stay here and guard the camp. I’ll go and battle.” Snowstar ran out and found Sleekheart and Nightpaw. “Attack the bear!” Snowstar yowled at them. The three leaped into battle. Sleekheart scratched the bear so hard that it bleed, and then the bear bit Snowstar. The last thing Snowstar saw was Nightpaw killing the bear, and then it went black.

= Chapter 9 = “I know it’s hard, but we’re not in the Clan anymore!”

Owlfeather looked at Winterpaw and Stormkit. They were thousands of fox-lengths from SnowClan territory. Then, a small gray-blue mini lynx leaped onto Stormkit. Then, it blinked. “What? What are you doing? This is a rabbit.” it pointed to Stormkit. “You eat it.” “No, this rabbit is my adopted kit.” Winterpaw said. “Oh. That’s weird.” it sat down. “My name is Bluepaw. What’s yours?” “Winterpaw. The rabbit is Stormkit, and the lynx is Owlfeather.” Bluepaw blinked. “Were you exiled from a Clan, like me? Maybe you're from WildClan. I heard they take in all sorts of creatures!” “No, actually we’re from SnowClan.” Owlfeather replied. “SnowClan? Must be new. Never heard of it.” Bluepaw meowed. Winterpaw noticed that she was fat. “Are you expecting?” Winterpaw asked her. Bluepaw looked down. “Yes.” “I’ll pretend to be the father, if that’s okay with you.” Owlfeather meowed. “Yes!” Bluepaw purred. Then, she started kitting. “Um… what?” Winterpaw looked away. Owlfeather grabbed something and gave it to Bluepaw. “Bit—“ “I know what to do, I’m a medic cat!” Bluepaw hissed. “Oh, okay.” Owlfeather then nodded towards Winterpaw and Stormkit. “Look, a mouse.” While they watched Stormkit try to catch the mouse, Bluepaw then said, “I’m done. Want to help name them?” “Sure.” Winterpaw turned around and looked at Bluepaw’s new kits. One was blue with black stripes, one was ginger with black-and-white patches, and one was white with black stripes. “The blue-striped is a she-cat, the ginger is a she-cat, and the white with black stripes is a tom.” Bluepaw meowed. “The blue should be Skykit.” Owlfeather meowed. “The white with black stripes should be Twigkit.” Winterpaw said. “The ginger will be Marigoldkit.” Bluepaw said. “Yay! Playmates!” Stormkit squealed. “No, Stormkit, they are too young.” Winterpaw told the kitten. “But…” Stormkit looked down. “Maybe we can make a Clan of our own. After all, this is just the beginning.” Bluepaw meowed. “This is the middle, not the beginning, not the end, of my story.” Winterpaw said. She turned towards the snow. “Just as the snow melts, life can have hardships. But then new snow comes and covers up the melting snow, just like how all problems can be solved.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Bluepaw asked. “I think it means ‘no’.” Stormkit commented. “Yes, it means no.” Winterpaw woofed. “Wow! Winterpaw is so wise! I think she should be a warrior!” Stormkit said. “I agree,” Bluepaw meowed. “Alright then.” Owlfeather leaped onto a rock. “I, Owlfeather, leader of this group, call upon StarClan to look down on this young apprentice. Winterpaw, do you promise to protect the clan and obey the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?” “I do.” Winterpaw woofed. “Then, by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Winterpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Wintersnow.” “Wintersnow! Wintersnow! Wintersnow!” Stormkit led the chant. Soon Bluepaw joined in. “Wintersnow! Wintersnow! Wintersnow!” Owlfeather turned to Bluepaw. “Do you want a full name, too?” “No. I am a medic cat app. But I have heard that your group has two, from Stormkit.” Bluepaw glanced at stormcloud-grey rabbit. “Well, sorta. Puddlekit is really good at herbs, but he’s only a kit. Moonpaw’s our medic cat apprentice, and she’s away. But when they both are here, if you're a medic cat, there would be three medicine cats!” Wintersnow said. “Oh, alright. I'll train as a warrior.” Bluepaw said. “I’ll mentor you.” Owlfeather meowed. “Thanks.” Bluepaw replied. “Your welcome.” A pause. “Should we set up a camp?” Wintersnow asked, breaking the silence. Bluepaw glanced around. “I think this is good.” Bluepaw gestured towards the land, which had a valley in the middle. “We can dig holes in that for dens.” “Yes, that’s a good idea.” Owlfeather replied. Owlfeather marked a circle on the wall of the valley, then made a crack to allow balance. “This will be Wintersnow’s den, as she is younger and can jump higher.” Owlfeather then leaped deeper into the crater. He started digging around a crack in the walls. “The crack helps you hold on,” he explained. “This is a good thing, especially for the nursery.” “I’ll help you dig your den.” Stormkit said to Owlfeather. “Me too.” Bluepaw carried Stormkit over to where Owlfeather was digging. “I think we should call this the leader’s den.” Bluepaw meowed as she and Stormkit started digging. “Alright.” Owlfeather said. Wintersnow picked up Skykit, Twigkit, and Marigoldkit. “Want to help me dig your den?” Wintersnow asked the kits. “Yes!” Skykit mewed. “Alright then.” Wintersnow leaped to the bottom of the valley. “Oh, look! There’s a creek here!” she meowed. “Cool!” Marigoldkit said as Wintersnow dropped she and her littermates. Wintersnow walked to the wall, slightly to the right of where the dirt pile for Owlfeather’s hole was. She drew a circle that was about the size of a fox. She carved out a tunnel within the circle, then started making it bigger, like a cave. “Ok, come help!” Wintersnow woofed. The kits started tumbling over to help. “Okay, carve it out like this.” Wintersnow demonstrated how she was carving out the hole to be wider, and the kits copied. When they got the hang of it, Wintersnow started letting them dig on their own. She dug on the other side of the cave, while the kits dug out their new home. “We are done!” Stormkit announced. “I’ll be right back.” Wintersnow said to the kits as she leaped onto the crack and climbed into Owlfeather’s new den. “Wow!” Wintersnow said as she looked around. “This looks great!” “Thanks!” Bluepaw purred. “It was mostly with the help of Stormkit. I don’t know how such a tiny thing can dig so fast!” Stormkit hummed. “Um… what’s that noise?” Bluepaw asked, trying to check if there was a new kind of fox or something. “It’s the noise us rabbits make when we’re happy.” Stormkit explained. “Oh.” Bluepaw said. “How about we work on Wintersnow’s den next?” Owlfeather added. “It’s only fair, after all. She’s working on your nest, Bluepaw.” “Sure.” Bluepaw agreed. Then, they leaped to the circle that was going to be Wintersnow’s home. Wintersnow went back to the new nursery. She was amazed when she stepped in. Skykit started speaking. “We widened it a lot, and Twigkit even made a—“ Marigoldkit shoved her paws into her mouth. “A place to store moss balls.” Marigoldkit finished. She shot Skykit a look, and Skykit looked at her apologetically. “Wow! Then we are done!” Wintersnow said. “Cool!” Skykit meowed. “I’ll gather moss for bedding.” Marigoldkit meowed. “Can I help dig another den?” Skykit asked. “Not now. It’s time for you two to sleep.” Wintersnow said to the kits. “Oh, well. Goodnight.” Skykit meowed. “‘Night.” Wintersnow leapt into the den that the group made her, and curled up to sleep.

= Chapter 10 = Snowstar woke up to find herself buried under the ground.

“Wait… what?” she said. She dug deeper into the ground, trying to make more room for herself. Then, she fell into a tunnel. A tunnel? She padded deeper into the tunnel. The further she walked, the more the ground seemed to lighten up a bit, like it was warmer. Then, she poked her head out. She was in some sort of den. A ginger cat with black and patches was curled up in a corner, along with a white kit with black stripes and a blue kit with black stripes. This must be some sort of nursery… she softly padded out of the nursery, and stepped out into a frozen valley. A forest was in the south, and the frozen stream close to SnowClan camp was far away. The sun rose. “Wake up!” a voice announced. “It is the morning!” “Skykit, do you have to do that every single morning. Let us sleep for once!” another groggy voice said. Then, a brown lynx leapt out from a high den. “Owlfeather!” Snowstar gasped in surprise. “Snowstar?” Owlfeather said confusedly. “How did you get here?” “I got buried in a tunnel,” she explained, “and I explored it and found this place.” “Tunnels?” a small voice squeaked. Snowstar turned her head and saw the white kit with black stripes yawning as he came out of the den. “Twigkit, this is Snowstar.” Owlfeather explained. “She's the SnowClan leader.” “Oh, cool!” the ginger kit stepped forward. “I’m Marigoldkit.” The blue and black kit stepped forward. “Skykit.” a blue cat stepped forward. “Bluepaw.” “You already know me, Winterpaw, but I’m Wintersnow now.” Winterpaw came out of a den from the top. “Is this a new Clan? I’m impressed.” Snowstar woofed. Wintersnow shook her head. “It’s just a living space.” “I think you deserve to go back to SnowClan.” Snowstar glanced at Bluepaw and her kits. “Do you want to come too?” “Yes.” Marigoldkit, Skykit, and Twigkit all said. Bluepaw nodded. “Let’s go home then.” a gray rabbit kit then poked his head out of the place Wintersnow came out of. “Can I come, too?” a small leopard cub padded forward. “I’m not part of their group, but from what I have heard of Clans, they are wonderful. May I join? I am Swiftcub.” “Sure. How old are you?” Snowstar asked the cub. “Five moons, about to turn six tomorrow.” “We’ll call you Swiftpaw. I’ll assign you a mentor when we reach home.” The group then walked to SnowClan camp. “Snowstar!” Nightpaw greeted the fox. “I have bad news. Wildstorm and her kits died.” “Oh…” Stormkit looked down at the ground. “I’ll be your friend.” Swiftpaw said to the kit. “We are about the same age, after all.” “Okay.” Stormkit looked a little happier. Then, Snowstar leapt onto a Boulder. “Clan meeting!” Snowstar yowled. When SnowClan gathered, she said, “Nightpaw, Winterpaw, step forward.” Nightpaw stepped forward, a bit surprised. “Winterpaw, Nightpaw, do you promise to protect the clan and obey the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?” “I do.” Wintersnow said. “I do.” Nightpaw repeated. “Then, by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Winterpaw, you shall now be known as Wintersnow. We honor your loyalty and wisdom, and we welcome you as a full member of SnowClan. Nightpaw, you shall now be known as Nightheart. We honor your strength and skill, and you are also welcome as a full member of SnowClan.” “Wintersnow! Nightheart! Wintersnow! Nightheart! Wintersnow!” SnowClan chanted. “Stormkit and Swiftkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw and Swiftpaw. Your mentor will be Gingerclaw, Stormpaw, and yours will be Sleekheart, Swiftpaw.” “Swiftpaw! Stormpaw! Swiftpaw! Stormpaw!” SnowClan cheered. Snowstar turned to Sleekheart. “Sleekheart, I say these words before StarClan, so they can hear and approve, you will be the new deputy of SnowClan. Dismissed.” Snowstar leapt off of the rock. “Wait! What about me?” Sleetkit called. Snowstar lept back onto the rock. “Sleetkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Sleetpaw. Your mentor will be Owlfeather.” “Sleetpaw! Sleetpaw! Sleetpaw!” “THE BEAR!” Gingerclaw yowled. “It’s back!” A whole pack of bears rushed into the camp. It was like a storm. Gingerclaw fought against a big white bear with a black patch on its shoulder. The rest of the clan scattered and fought each bear with a pair of two. Snowstar leaped into battle with Gingerclaw. “Sleekheart is dead!” announced Stormpaw, who was fighting with the brown buck. “What?” Snowstar glanced at Stormpaw. The body of the deputy was sitting on the ground. The bears, clearly satisfied with their kill, carried Sleekheart’s body away to eat. Snowstar yowled into the night. “Why do the bears kill our most trusted warriors? They killed our kits, destroyed our future, took away one of my lives, ruined our present, and now they take away Sleekheart, our past!”

= Chapter 11 = Wintersnow glanced at Snowstar. The gray fox was looking down at the snowy floor, shaking her head. “What’s wrong, Snowstar?” Sleetpaw asked. “Just leave me alone, so I can die and join StarClan!” Snowstar snapped. “That’s harsh, Snowstar.” Stormpaw commented. “Now the apprentices torment me? I said, ‘leave me alone!’” Snowstar growled. “What’s with you? Fine, I’ll leave you alone.” Stormpaw padded away. Sleetpaw, with one last glance at the gray vixen, followed. Wintersnow looked at the rising moon, high in the sky. “Snowstar?” Wintersnow asked. “Yes?” Snowstar said wearily. “It’s Moonhigh, you should appoint a deputy.” “Alright.” Snowstar leapt onto the highrock and yowled. “Clan meeting!” as SnowClan scrambled below the highrock, Snowstar announced, “The new deputy of SnowClan shall be Wintersnow!” Snowstar turned to Wintersnow. “Lead the Clan with honor and respect.” Lead? Wintersnow wondered why Snowstar said lead instead of… what’s a word for it? Deputize? “Another announcement.” Snowstar said. “I am going to look for my kin. I keep losing my closest friends, and I want to find something else that remains. Wintersnow, I have already gone to the Moonflower and removed my remaining lives. Eight new ones are waiting for you. Good luck.” “But Snowstar—“ Sleetpaw started. Snowstar interrupted. “Do not call me Snowstar anymore. I will still keep the warrior traditions, so call me Snowstorm.” “I’m going with you!” Sleetpaw announced. “No, you should stay here, where it’s safe.” “Fine, Snowstar. But please remember me when you are gone.” Sleetpaw said. “I will.” Snowstorm said. “Goodbye now.” Snowstar padded off the rock, and out of camp for what would probably be the last time. “But… Snowstar!” Gingerclaw meowed. “We need you!”

= Chapter 12 = Wintersnow sat on the highrock. She watched over her Clan. “Wintersnow?” Gingerclaw said, standing below. “Yes?” Wintersnow replied. “Isn’t it time to go to the Moonflower?” Gingerclaw replied. “I want to wait.” Winterstorm then yowled, “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come gather for a clan meeting!”

As the creatures gathered, Wintersnow said, “I know I haven’t earned my leader name yet. But I would like to announce a deputy before I do. Gingerclaw, you will be the deputy of SnowClan.” “Gingerclaw! Gingerclaw! Gingerclaw!” SnowClan chanted. “Wintersnow! Wintersnow!” Swiftpaw rushed into camp with Nightheart. She was carrying a small gray fox with black paws and black ears. “Can we keep him?” Swiftpaw asked, dropping the little dog fox. “Sure.” Wintersnow woofed. “I’ll name you Stemkit.” Swiftpaw meowed to the fox. “Welcome, Stemkit.” Wintersnow said. “Hi, Stemkit!” Twigkit said, jumped up and down. “I’m Twigkit!” “I’m Wingkit and this is Puddlekit!” Wingkit said, pointing to the black wolf pup. “Speaking of that…” Wintersnow started. “Hey, what did I miss?” a sleek black lynx padded into camp. Whose that? Wintersnow asked herself. Owlfeather’s eyes widened. “Moonpaw!”

= Chapter 13 = “Moonpaw!” the ginger lynx said excitedly. “Gingerpaw!” the lynx who was evidently Moonpaw meowed. “Actually, I’m Gingerclaw, and the deputy.” Gingerclaw said proudly. “Where’s Snowstar, Sleekheart, and Lithestep?” “Dead.” Gingerclaw meowed sadly. Stemkit rushed up to Moonpaw. “I’m Stemkit!” Stemkit said. This cat is odd, but I should get to know everyone better! Stemkit thought. Moonpaw purred. “I’m Moonpaw.” “From what I heard, you’re Moonpaw, the ginger lynx is Gingerclaw, the white wolf is Wintersnow, the black small wolf is Puddlekit, the white spotted wolf is Wingkit the white and black striped kitten is Twigkit and the leopard is Swiftpaw.” Stemkit said. “Wow, thanks for the information.” Moonpaw said. “Can I be a medic cat, Winters—“ Puddlekit started, but Wintersnow wasn’t there. “Oh, wow.” Wingkit said. “Our leader is gone.” “It’s nighttime.” Twigkit meowed. “Let’s go to sleep.” Marigoldkit mewed back. Stemkit curled up in the nursery with them, and went to sleep.

In the morning, Stemkit opened his eyes to see Wintersnow and Moonpaw padding into camp. “Clan meeting!” Wintersnow yowled. As the clan gathered, she started, “during the night, Moonpaw and I went to the Moonflower. I am now Winterstar, and Moonpaw is now Moonpath, to symbolize the path that she follows, the path of the stars, the path that leads to her destiny, the path of the moon.” “Moonpath! Winterstar! Moonpath! Winterstar!” Puddlekit ran forward, with Wingkit. “Winterstar? Can we be apprentices?” Wingkit asked. “Sure. Wingkit, you are now Wingpaw. There are a lot of cats in this clan, so I’m afraid you are sharing mentors with Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Gingerclaw. Swiftpaw, as your mentor is dead, your mentor will be Nightheart. Puddlekit, you are now Puddlepaw. Your mentor will be Moonpath. Dismissed.” As Winterstar leapt down from the rock, Swiftpaw was pawing the ground uncomfortably. Stemkit walked around the camp, checking out everywhere. “Hey, Stemkit.” Nightheart padded towards the dog fox cub. “Yes, Shadowwolf?” Stemkit replied. “My name is Nightheart.” Nightheart said. “Is that all?” Stemkit questioned. “I was going to tell you that this is an awkward situation.” Nightheart woofed. Suddenly, there was a yowl of pain. A bear was attacking Winterstar!

= Chapter 14 = Gore warning, skip to second paragraph if you don’t like severed eyeballs and cats throwing up

Winterstar clawed the bear, streaks of red running down both the bear’s and Winterstar’s white fur. “Should we help?” Sleetpaw asked Nightheart. Nightheart was about to reply, when Swiftpaw shot at the bear. “Consider this revenge for Sleekheart!” Swiftpaw growled, while clawing one of its eyes out. Winterstar, though shocked, resumed clawing the bear. “Is this the same one that killed Sleekheart?” Winterstar asked Swiftpaw. “Yes, I remember Sleekheart scarring that ear.” Swiftpaw clawed at the bear’s left ear, which had a scar on it. After Swiftpaw had removed the bear’s left eye, it fled. “Well, at least we won a battle trophy.” Swiftpaw looked at the bear’s eye. “What in StarClan-“ Stormpaw looked at the eye. Stormpaw then started gagging. Moonpath ran over to Stormpaw. “Stormpaw, are you ok?” Moonpath meowed. Stormpaw then threw up.

“Everyone, leave camp RIGHT NOW.” Moonpath yowled. As SnowClan scattered, Winterstar ran. Where, not even she knew. But her instincts told her where to go. Sleetpaw, Puddlepaw and Gingerclaw followed her. She ran over rivers, over fields and moors, until she reached the Moonflower cave. “What are we doing here?” Sleetpaw asked. “I… don’t… know.” Winterstar panted. Swiftpaw then came out of the Moonflower cave. “Swiftpaw, what are you doing here?” Winterstar asked. “I could ask the same for all of you.” Swiftpaw looked at Puddlepaw, Sleetpaw, Winterstar, and Gingerclaw. “W-we h-had to leave camp.” Sleetpaw stammered. “Why?” Swiftpaw questioned. “Stormpaw was throwing up.” Swiftpaw replied. Then, something black-and-white caught Winterstar’s eye. She followed it. Who, or what, is this? Winterstar wondered. When she got closer to it, it appeared to be a… black and white cat ghost. “Who are you, and why are you here?” Winterstar growled. “Easy there, Wolf. No one but you can see me right now.” it sat down and licked its paw. “I am Mewstar. I am dead, technically, but I have eight of my lives left.” the ghost then started rubbing his paw on his head. Is that how cats clean themselves? Winterstar wondered. “For one thing, Mewstar, hi. I have no idea what you mean by ‘I am technically dead but I have eight lives still’. For another, my name isn’t Wolf, it’s Winterstar.” Winterstar told it. “Sorry, Winterstar.” Mewstar meowed apologetically. “Anyway, an evil cat named Turtleleap stole my Clan. I need your help to get it back.” Winterstar was confused. “What do you mean by he stole your Clan?” she asked the black-and-white tom. Mewstar sighed sadly. “I was attacked by my own Clanmate, turned rogue by Turtleleap. His name was Mudpaw. Mudpaw killed me, and then said that I died and made him deputy. He calls himself Mudstar now, but he doesn’t even deserve the warrior name he gave himself, Mudclaw!” Mewstar growled as he said the last half. Winterstar just nodded, a little unsure of what to make of the almost transparent leader. “Could you help me get my clan back?” Mewstar said in a small voice. Winterstar felt bad for him. “Sure.” she agreed. “I think I can figure out a way…”

= To be continued… =