Warriors: Beyond the Stars - Book one

Chapter 1

Cinderkit flopped from her nest and padded towards his mother. "Hey mom? Can you tell me the story of the great Clans?"
Smokyfoot purred. "Of course, dear."

Long, long, ago, when I was expecting you, there were these great Clans. ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, SkyClan and WindClan. They all lived in the lake territory in harmony. All Clans had their territories best suited for them. WindClan owned the moors, RiverClan had owned the rivers and streams, ShadowClan had the marshes, SkyClan had the trees, and ThunderClan, the forests.

Now no Clans are without their arguments. Although united under StarClan, these cats could never get along with one another and would fight constantly along their borders for prey, borders, you name it. These fights were fairly insignificant. Well, until Gore came along.

He was a whisperer, a carrier of deceit and lies, spreading rumors and fears among the cats of the Clans. He proclaimed himself the prophet of StarClan. He had great gifts.

He lied to the Clans, and caused great death to them. He made us battle to the death just over prey mis-haps and border skirmishes. Too many cats had died in that era. He made intent on destroying the Clans, and nearly succeeded if we weren't given the omen to leave our territory.

When we had found our new home, we knew we were punished for breaking the warrior code. But some say, one day, the Clans may return again.

Cinderkit puffed out her chest. "I will find us new territory for our Clans, mama!"
Smokyfoot let out a snort. "Don't be ridiculous, Cinderkit! The Clans are gone. This is no territory for us."
Cinderkit huffed. "There is! I betcha! You will see! I promise!"

"Cindercloud, you alive?" A tail bumped her and Cindercloud jolted awake from her thoughts.

She gazed toward her best friend, a dappled tortoiseshell tom with white splotches grinned at her. "Don't forget we're on the dawn hunting patrol!"
Cindercloud stood up and shook out her pelt. "Alright, alright, I'm coming!"

As they padded to the gorse tunnel, they met up with a black-and-white tom with emerald eyes. Ravensmoke was waiting for them. "What took you guys so long?" he let out an amused snort.
Splashheart gave a sideways glance at Cindercloud. "Cindercloud was daydreaming, again."
Cindercloud playfully wacked the back of his head with the tip of her tail. "Oh hush, you."

As they padded out of camp, and into the moor, Cindercloud let out a deep breath as the sun rays hit her pelt. She always enjoyed the sunlight.

Ravensmoke raised an eyebrow at Cindercloud. "So, what were you daydreaming about this time?"
Cindercloud shrugged. "Just..stuff." I still haven't forgotten my dream..

She, Splashheart and Ravensmoke have been best friends since the moment they opened their eyes, she felt like there were no other cats like them or could be close with her like them.

She pushed her way past the heather walls. Heather fronds swished over her pelt as she and her patrol emerged onto a patch of windswept grass.

The moor rolled away on all sides, sloping up beyond the camp and dropping below where they stood. Gorse sprouted here and there, yellow against the green heather, clumping in thick swathes like patches of sunshine.

Splashheart glanced to Ravensmoke. "So where to?"
Ravensmoke's eyes narrowed. "The Tallrock should be good for now. I hear rabbits are running during green-leaf," he mewed.
Bossy rabbit-brain, thought Cindercloud. But she couldn't help but admit that Ravensmoke was right. The rabbits there were plump, good for the group.
They started running towards the great Tallrock, since it was a long way down.

Ravensmoke chose a wider course, skirting the bushes and charging the stretch of grass beyond.
Cindercloud raced after Ravensmoke. Her paws skidded in the dew as she swerved around the heather.
Splashheart exploded from the bushes beside her as she veered onto Ravensmoke's trail. He whisked past her with a yowl of triumph.
Cindercloud dug in her claws and pushed on harder.

The ground sloped steeply ahead of them.
Splashheart pounded over the grass but he couldn't match Ravensmoke's strength. Ravensmoke streaked higher.
Wind streamed through her whiskers as Splashheart ran past. Splashheart was now a tail-length ahead.
The top of the moor loomed above her, the blue sky stretching out endlessly beyond.

As Cindercloud drew closer, the Tallrock came into view. It's tall, sturdy rocky shape cast a shadow in the middle of the mound of trees. Ravensmoke began to run down the slope. The slope gave Ravensmoke an extra burst of speed.

Cindercloud lengthened her leap, but Ravensmoke was pulling farther ahead. As the slope flattened out beneath the treetops, Splashheart leaped beside Ravensmoke.

Cindercloud was the last one to go down the slope and she let pants and huffs. "Why..do we.. always have to.. run?"
Ravensmoke let out a grin, "because it's fun seeing the look on your face at the end."
Cindercloud batted him by the ears playfully.

Splashheart stretched his hind leg. "So where should we look?"

Cindercloud sniffed the air, catching the faint of scent of heathery prey. "Over there." She flicked her tail over to the other side of the Tallrock.

The patrol crouched down and caught sight of the rabbit under the shadow of the Tallrock, quietly munching on grass. With a glint of unsheathed claws, Cindercloud launched herself at the rabbit. The rabbit let out a shriek of terror and bolted, running over the grass.
Cindercloud dug her claws, putting on a burst of speed for her catch.

The rabbit skidded across the slope and leaped towards the other side of a small river, quickly leaving the moorland behind.
Cindercloud stood frozen. What's out there? What territory is there?

Can I save my Clan?