Warrior Cats: The New Clan Rises. (Book One: Completed!)

Chapter Two

Shadow woke up to the sound of rapid pawsteps. She jumped up in alarm. Wait, I rememeber... Mistpaw is coming for my decision.  Her fur relaxed on end as she peeked out from the tree. Mistpaw was gently padding towards her, a long with another brown tabby with a white chest. "This is her?" the tabby questioned, tilting his head. Mistpaw nodded. "Yep. Shadow, meet Mudstripe, my mentor" he mewed, giving Shadow the signal to dip her head in respect. Mudstripe studied the she-cat carefully, circling around her. "Bad hunter, but a good fighter. I think she would be helpful to Sandclan" he stated, licking his paw. Shadow grit her teeth. He just called her a bad hunter! Well, she was a bad hunter. She either waited too long to pounce, or the prey would hear or smell her coming and would flee. "Shadow, are you willing to join Sandclan and to serve the Clan well?" Mudstripe asked, narrowing his ice blue eyes. Shadow nodded. Mudstripe dipped his head and trailed off into the forest, Shadow and Mistpaw behind him. "I've never been through this part of the forest" Shadow mewed to Mistpaw, gazing at her surroundings.

"That's because Sandclan chose a hidden territory from the other clans. You come out of their forest- and go into ours" Mistpaw explained, his green eyes shining. "Our warriors studied the clan cats on where each camp was- Fireclan, Leafclan, Darkclan and your clan. It took many moons to find a good place to go into hiding, but we managed it and found a great place for our camp". Shadow was outstanded by the way Sandclan was so determined to pull themselves together and make their own clan- and then to wait many moons until they found a place where the clan would be safe. "Is you're clan life the same as ours? Do you worship Starclan?" she mewed, wanting to ask so many questions.

"You know, instead of asking Mistpaw so many questions, you could ask an experienced warrior such as me" Mudstripe meowed, grinning behind him. "Yes, we worship Starclan. When our leader, Bloodstar, found the moonstone, she was able to somehow speak with Starclan- and they accepted her and her clan". Shadow's mind was confused. An outside clan? Accepted by Starclan? Did Bloodstar recieve her nine lives, or did Starclan not approve? Mistpaw perked his head up and smiled. "This is it" he mewed, looking at the tunnel ahead. It was some sort of rock cave. Shadow padded after the two Sandclan cats and followed them through the tunnel. She shyly poked her head into the camp to see a large clearing with trees above to protect it. Brambles and thick bushes surrounded it, obviously working as the camp walls. "Wow..." Shadow gasped, studying the camps area. It looked much better than her old clan, and more welcoming. Although the atmosphere looked pretty, many cats gave Shadow an unfriendly stare. "Why are they all looking at me..." Shadow hissed into Mistpaw's ear.

"Well duh, they're not used to newcomers" Mistpaw replied a sharper tone to his voice. "Mistpaw, you can go hunt for the elders. Shadow- follow me to Bloodstar's den" ordered Mudstripe, pushing his way through the mass of cats. Shadow followed feeling uneasy by all the stares and glances. Bloodstar's den was a small cave at the end of camp, bushes surrounding the sides. Mudstripe stopped at the entrance and glanced back at Shadow. "Go in here. Make sure you're respectful towards our leader". Shadow nodded, and padded in. A she-cat with a beautiful white coat with grey-stripes was curled up on the floor of the cave. She opened her eyes at the sound of Shadow's presence and yawned. "You must be Shadow. Mistpaw told me about you" she mewed, her tone calm. Shadow nodded. "That's right. And you must be Bloodstar" she mewed happily. Bloodstar flicked her tail and studied the black she-cat before her. "You will make a fine warrior. But we'll have to put you into training first" she explained, sitting down.

"May I please keep Shadowpaw as my name? Since it's the name my mother gave me..." Shadow asked, her eyes going cold. Bloodstar nodded, and led Shadow out her den. She climbed onto a tree just outside the den onto a tall branch. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the high-branch for a clan meeting!" yowled Bloodstar. Shadow sat herself next to Mistpaw who had returned from hunting and waited for the announcement. Many cats sat as far away as possible from the newcomer she-cat. "Today we are taking in an outsider. Mistpaw found this she-cat to be kicked out from her clan, and as you know, we need more warriors to strengthen our clan" Bloodstar explained, seeing the uneasy glances shoot onto Shadow. "We will welcome her with kindness, not hostility. Now, Shadow, step forward". Shadow got up from where she stood and went straight beneath the high-branch. "Do you promise to server Sandclan well as an apprentice?" Bloodstar asked, looking down upon the young she-cat. Shadow nodded, "I do".

"Then from now on, you will be known as Shadowpaw, apprentice of Sandclan" Bloodstar stated. "Darkpelt. It's time for you to recieve you're first apprentice. Dragonfang passed many of her excellent skills down onto you. I hope you will help Shadowpaw learn those skills". A black tom with white paws, chest, and tail-tip stepped forwards towards Shadowpaw. He touched noses with her whilst Shadowpaw blushed slightly. A sudden yowl interrupted the ceremony. "A loner has taken Bladekit!" a she-cat shrieked, tears in her eyes. Shadowpaw turned to see a light-grey she-cat with jet-black stripes grabbing a silver kit in her jaws. Everyone only got a glimpse of the loner before she ran off. But Shadowpaw DID see something- the cat looked exactly like her mother. But it wasn't her mother... it was her lost sister.