Warrior cats #1 these broken shadows

Chapter 1

Splinterpaw yawned luxuriously.. The memory of his Mother and father flashed briefly through his head. The memories were faint and almost nonexistent in some ways. Soon there wouldn't be anything else to remember about that night, However he had a better chance now with a new father, a strong father. Why would he need his old father when he had a better strong father who would never make a mousebrained mistake like that? In fact he barely knew his father, He had been casted out to the outskirts because of what had happened All those many moons ago, not that Splinterpaw wished to meet him under any circumstance. But he did wander what his birth father was like, if he was anything like him. He barely thought about his old parents very much, they didn't mean a lot to him except the fact they had birthed him. Splinterpaw shook out his black and cream pelt and drew a paw over his ear, He hopped gingerly out of his nest and walked drowsily over to the fresh kill pile and decided to bring a fat brown vole for his littermate Dawnpaw. Dawnpaw was basking in the early morning sunshine, a soft purr rumbling from her throat as he approached. Dawnpaw purred happily as he dropped the vole in front of her, her blue eyes glowing with gratitude. "Thank you Splinterpaw.." Dawnpaw meowed, gulping down the vole in quick, swift bites. "You're welcome. Where is Oakpaw?" Splinterpaw hissed, glaring around the camp, hoping to catch a russet pelt crawling around sneakily like he thought no one was watching, But of course Oakpaw was nowhere to be found, here or there. Probably Sneaking off with cherrypaw again. Splinterpaw thought grumpily, flattening his ears to the sides of his head. Cherrypaw was the young Willy, incredibly mousebrained apprentice Oakpaw mooned over, anytime he was near her he would scrape the ground and push up against her, whispering lovey-dovey phrases in her ear. It made splinterpaw horribly embarrassed, and want to throw up his fresh-kill he had consumed previously all over them. his clanmates would stare at him incredulously, whispering petty things to each other making Splinterpaw quickly evacuate the area so he wouldn't be the object of their contemplative comments. For some reason they would always sit beside him and it made Splinterpaw very mad. Splinterpaw waived that thought aside and settled down reluctantly beside Dawnpaw, As his paw were aching to creep up on them and scare the ever living out of them. But he forced that idea down and decided that was a very very stupid idea. As he new he would end up plucking ticks out ofthe elders fur. "Oh I think he went to ask mother a question. I'm sure it's very Important." Dawnpaw mewed dubiously. rolling her eyes.

"sure." Splinterpaw scoffed, looking down at his paws. His troublesome brother was always being a restless nuisance. Dawnpaw began to lick Splinterpaw's back. He closed his eyes as her rough pink tongue went up and down his back. He heard someone padding slowly across the clearing to them. He opened his eyes slowly And saw Oakpaw and his mother walking towards them. Oakpaw dancing on his paws. Splinterpaw stifled a growl. "You two seem to be getting along again.." Cindertail their mother purred. Dawnpaw nodded. "Father wants to see you Splinterpaw.." Oakpaw Mewed cheerfully. Splinterpaw growled softly, barely audible, he loathed every visit with his father, even though he had so generously taken Splinterpaw and his siblings under his wing. There was still something about him that wasn't right. Something Splinterpaw couldn't exactly put a claw on but there was something his father was hiding from his mate and kits. Cindertail nodded and Splinterpaw rose reluctantly to his paws. Before Splinterpaw made a step his mother came over to whisper softly in his ear. "You'll do fine, I'll be right here if you need me." Splinterpaw stared into her big, bright blue eyes, and nodded rubbing his muzzle against Cindertails. He threw one more quick nod over his shoulder trying harder to conceal his apprehension. But it was impossible as his father was the leader of the clan.
His father Hickorystar was laying outside his den, in a slat of early morning sunlight, breaking through the cracks in the cavern. His cream and gray pelt glowing luxuriously. his golden eyes followed splinterpaw's every movement. He always looked at Splitnterpaw as if he was made of glass. Surveying every fault and censure. It made Splinterpaw want to hurl at him. But of course that was the most mousebrained idea splinterpaw could ever think of. Splinterpaws eyes narrowed slightly as he padded over to his father. Hickorystar rose to his paws and beckoned splinterpaw to follow him inside his den. "Greetings splinterpaw we need to talk about something important." His father mewed. Splinterpaw dipped his head respectfully, even though splinterpaw didn't like him very much, he still had respect him since he was the leader. He followed Hickorystar into his sunlit cave. The only cave in the camp that got this much flowing warm sunshine. Hickorystar gestured with his tail for Splitpaw to sit down. Splinterpaw stiffled a growl but slowly sat down, curling his cream tipped tail over his paws. "You have trained very well, Splinterpaw.. you have trained hard and learned the ways of Stemclans loyal code, in order to become a warrior. It is finally time to make you and your littermates warriors. The clan will have a warrior naming ceremony tonight for you and you all. at moonhigh. You deserve this more than anyone Splinterpaw." Hickorystar said, looking into his son's bright green eyes. Splinterpaw felt a hiss forming in his throat but he quickly shoved it back down.

Splinterpaw nodded. "May I be excused?" He half growled.. Hickorystar nodded slowly and licked Splinterpaw behind the ears, a rare gesture of affection especially from his father. Splinterpaw drew back his ears begging to lie flat. But he quickly rushed out of the den. Splinterpaw felt his fur starting to bristle but forced it to lie flat. He made his way over to the water puddle that always seemed to be plentiful and lapped a few drops up, the water cooling his burning throat.. He turned to go back to his littermates.. However before he could a yellow ball of fur came barreling towards him. He tried to jump out of the way in time, but the cat hit him like a missile. He growled and began to tumble on the hard ground scratching and clawing and this new cat. He jumped back, his eyes burning with anger, he saw a slim pale yellow and white she cat get up from the ground faking a limp.

"Sorry I didn't know you were there." The young cat said insincerely apologetic. "You better watch where you're going." Splinterpaw growled scathingly, A trickle of blood ran down his ear. "Where Im going?" The she-cat sneered.. "And Who are you anyway? And how come I don't know you?" Splinterpaw growled. "I'm Bronzepaw and you must have puny little bees for brains. I've always been here.. Again I am so sorry I ran into you. And now for your name?." Bronzepaw said glaring at Splinterpaw expectantly. "Oh I am the clan leader's son Splinterpaw." Splinterpaw jeered, puffing out his chest, to accentuate further. "Oh wow that's...that's just so awesome." Bronzepaw said with a tinge of acid in her voice.
Splinterpaws eyebrows pulled down and he glared at Bronzepaw. "You should really watch your tongue kit." He really was proud to be the clan leader's kit., but this kit didn't seem to see it the same way he did. But am I? Splinterpaw thought for a second. But before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, bronzepaw let out a growl. Her eyes narrowed, and her ears flattened against the sides of her head. "Don't call me a kit, fox-heart.". Bronzepaw spat curling her claws into the sodden earth. Splinterpaws growled deep in his throat. Bronzepaw answered with an even more threatening growl. "What's going on here?" Mintleap, splinterpaw's mentor interrupted pushing herself between Splinterpaw and Bronzepaw. Bronzepaw rearranged her features immediately and replaced her scathing expression with a bright cheery look.
"We just had a bit of a disagreement, but everything is fine we worked it out!" Bronzepaw mewed cheerily. Mintleap looked dubiously between Splinterpaws and bronzepaw's faces. "Hmm we'll get this cleared up." Mintleap meowed in a clipped tone.

"Well nice to meet you Splinterpaw!!" Bronzepaw meowed brightly, already bounding away with her blue glare promising revenge. "Nice to meet you too." Splinterpaw growled sourly. "stupid inferior she-cats" Splinterpaw growled under his breath as he walked over to greet his mother and his siblings. Little fur balls who don't know where they belong, should not get the right to boss me around! Splinterpaw thought incredulously. He gave his mother a brisk lick on the head and lay down a respectable distance from her.. "Well hello Splinterpaw dear! What was that skirmish about in the clearing?" His mother asked, her eyes glistening.. "It was all a simple disagreement ." Splinterpaw growled unconvincingly, pulling at a spot on the back of his forepaw. "Oh interesting, what is her name?". Cindertail mewed brightly, unphased by his ambiguousness. "Bronzepaw." Splinterpaw grumbled remembering the Haughty she-cat clearly, a vivid picture painted in his mind. His mother clearly wasn't the brightest.

"Oh I remember her! She's Acorntufts kit! She's such a sweet kit, I can't wait for her naming ceremony!" Cindertail meowed excitedly. "Keep wishing". Splinterpaw grumbled sullenly. Acorntuft was a skinny tortoiseshell Queen who had a huge scar over her eye, she was obnoxious and annoying at the best of times.. However She cared deeply about all of the kits in the clan, although she had none of her own. Her mate had died of a fatal bout with greencough last leaf-bare, she still grieved for him deeply. What would it be like on the moon?Bright moonlight washed over the clearing and turned Splinterpaws black fur ashen, aspenleaf, one of the senior warriors, peeked inside the den and meowed softly. "It's almost time for your naming ceremony. I would eat now so you won't be hungry during it." Cindertail nodded and gestured for Splinterpaw to pick out something from the pile. He took a plump mouse
in his jaws and returned to the den. He dug into the mouse the warm flavors bathing his tongue.

Tonight he would become a warrior! His fur pricked with excitement. All previous resentment washing away as soon as it appeared. He had trained many countless moons for this moment. And tonight was finally the night! "Come on you three, we must eat quickly." Cindertail hurried, biting off a piece of her mouse, chewing quickly. Splinterpaw wolfed down his meal and cleaned his whiskers thoroughly to get any remaining pieces of mouse bits off them. "Alright let's go!" Cindertail meowed to her kits. Dawnpaw and Oakpaw rose to their paws along with Splinterpaw