CHAPTER ONE

Lightning lashed her tail, making her mother sigh. "you know you have to go to the meeting with CloudClan." Amber gave her daughter's tail a last lick and sat up. "being the most beautiful cat in the southern Clans doesn't matter to me!" Lightning protested. "i want to learn to hunt and fight, not attract an argumentative, bossy tomcat." she continued. "i know father wants to join with Dawn or CloudClan, but couldn't he have stayed in his original Clan? he brings me to EVERY SINGLE MEETING." she meowed dryly. Amber just laughed. "he's very proud of you, Lightning." Lightning flicked her tail again. "but why not Swift or Dandelion? Dandelion wants a mate as much as i want to hunt!" Amber sat next to her daughter. "you're still young, Lightning. remember that. you'll feel differently about toms when you meet the right one." Lightning looked skeptically up at her mother. "you really think that? huh. you do." Amber rested her tail on Lightning's shoulder. " i didn't want

*cont

"a mate either until i met your father." Lightning sighed and sunk to her belly. "and i know DawnClan has some new hunters..." Lightning gave her mother a disgusted look and stood up. she walked over to the prey-pile and picked up a small bird. Loyal called out from across the clearing. "Lightning! Come on!" Lightning licked the blood from her paws and moodily followed her father out of the clearing. a chilly breeze ruffled her fur. Her father finally stopped by the creek and crouched to take a drink. Lightning lapped at the water a few times and waited for Loyal to finish. Loyal hopped over the stream and Lightning followed silently, wincing as a shard of pebble stabbed her paw. the pair made their way up the rocky inclines and into the craggy cliffs. Loyal meowed loudly to announce their arrival, and a black she-cat with white paws and blue eyes greeted them at the entrance. "Cloud's waiting for you." Loyal nodded. "thank you." the she-cat let them into the camp.

*cont

Loyal nudged her. "go say hi to cats your age." Lightning ignored her father's words and kept walking. she could feel the eyes of all the young cats prickling over her pelt. she lifted her tail proudly and sat primly beside the entrance to Cloud.s den, entirely ignoring the other guard. She gazed calmly up at the sky, watching for eagles or falcons, and didn't notice the small black and white splotched kit that snuck up behind her. the kit pounced on her tail. Lightning spun around, spitting furiously and lashed her claws through the air just in front of the kit's face. "Stars above, Sky! Come here!" a dark silver dappled tom ran up and grabbed the kit by the scruff. ge glanced up at her and his eyes widened with skock. he took a step backward. "oh... it's you... uh- sorry about my sister." Lightning paused as the tom began to back off again. "wait." she said holding one paw out. "what's your name?" The dappled tom set down the kit and pushed her toward a silver and black queen.

*cont

he sat down uncomfortably. "Thunder. why?" Lightning sat down and curled her tail around her paws. "just wondering." Thunder tensed. "why do you want to talk to me?" Lightning rolled her eyes. "Father says i need to make friends, and you're the only yearling whose come even remotely close enough to yowl at." the dappled gray tom stifled a laugh. "that's because half of us are dead jealous, and the other half are scared you'd claw their ears off."
Lightning idly flicked her tail. "jealous? of me? i don't even have a rank." Thunder gestured to a group of She-cats grooming each other. Lightning looked them over and dismissively gave her chest a few licks. "oversized heads." Thunder looked at her in wonder. "that is exactly how i feel about them. well," he corected himself. "Honor's okay, but she already has a mate. her sister, Blackbird, is awful though." he paused when Lightning didn't speak. "so how big is LoyalClan?" Lightning shrugged. "just my family." he gave her a wry look.

*cont

"that's not very safe from FoxClan." Lightning smiled. "exactly. FoxClan doesn't know about us." he blinked. "Clever." lightning hesitated. "have you got a rank?" Thunder nodded and drew himself up proudly. "yes, i'm a hunter. i snuck out of camp and killed an eagle in it's sleep when i was six moons old." Lightning flicked her ears, astonished just as the entrance rustled and Loyal emerged. He glanced at Lightning, and then at Thunder. "it's time to go." Lightning stood up. "Bye, Thunder." Thunder nodded. "Bye... uh..."
"Lightning."
he smiled as she waved her tail.
"Bye, Lightning."

CHAPTER TWO

Lightning fliched her tail at at dead leaf, sending it flying. she sighed and jumped to her paws. "Swift!" her brown tortoiseshell brother looked up. "what?"
"tell mother i'm going to the border stream for a drink." Swift went back to his rabbit. "okay."
Lightning left the camp and trotted briskly through the brambles. the wind was sharper and colder today than it was yesterday. she quickly reached the border and bent down to take a drink. and then the frozen dirt beneath her paws gave way and dumped her into the freezing water. Lightning struggled against the current, coughing out water before going under again. Lightning clawed her way to the surface, then something strong gripped her scruff and pulled her to shore. "are you okay?" Lightning opened her ice incrusted eyes and nodded. she coughed. "i think so." Thunder shook out his coat and laid down next to her. he began to groom her fur as Lightning's shivers became more violent. as he licked her fur the wrong way,

*cont

she gradually began to warm up.
Lightning sat up and finally noticed that Thunder's fur was covered with particled of ice. "here, let me help." she licked at his fur, and Thunder too stopped shuddering. "you saved my life," Lightning said, standing up to ruffle her fur into a warmer position. "thank you." Thunder stood too. "That's what friends are for, right?" Lightning nodded and turned to leap across a shallow part of the stream. "hey, wait, Lightning?" She looked back. "yeah?" Thunder kneaded the ground nervously with his paws. "can you meet mehhere tomorrow? on that rock?" he pointed with his tail to a large rock in a wide part of the stream. Lightning hesitated. "Sure!"

*cont

Meeeting with a tomcat from CloudClan could make her father very happy if he ever found out. Lightning would make sure e didn't. Thunder smiled at her. "i'll see you tomorrow then." he paused. "oh, and Lightning?" she blinked at him. "cover up my scent, okay?" Lightning nodded and walked off into the brambles. she found a big pile if moldy leaves and rolled into it, covering her clean, dry fur with damp leaf musk. Lightning stood up and decided to hunt. she stood, all four paws planted into the leaves and pricked her ears. something scuffled not far away. Lightning opened her eyes and slipped down into a crouch. the scent of squirrel filled her nose. Lightning kept her focus until she was underneath a thorny bush. the squirrel had it's back to her, and was nibbling on an old acorn. she licked her lips. the squirrel was still fat from fall. Lightning pressed her weight forward onto her front paws and pounced. the squirrel jerked once and died beneath her. Lightning picked it up

*cont

with a stab of pride. her first kill. she had to be made a hunter now. Lightning held her head high as she trotted through the bushes. her ears pricked. someone was dashing through the brambles. Swift burst from a bush. Lightning dropped her prey. "Swift! what's wrong?" her brother's fur was sticking up in clumps and he was missing several scraps of fur. "F- FoxClan!" Lightning turned and bolted back through the brush toward the CloudClan border.

CHAPTER THREE

Lightning burst throught the entrance to CloudClan's camp and was promptly tackled by two identical black she-cats with white forepaws."CLOUD! PLEASE HELP!" her wail made every cat in the ravine stop and stare in wonder. Cloud launched himself from a rock. "Lightning, what's wrong?" the two she-cats let Lightning up to speak. "FoxClan is attacking our camp. please help us." Cloud threw back his head and yowled to his clan. "every able cat, follow me now!", then he raced from the clearing. Lightning dashed after the tailless leader, and was soon joined by Thunder. "they didn't hurt you, did they?" Lightning shook her head, and pushed herself faster, as soon as they crossed the creek, Lightning took the lead, nimbly dodging brambles and tree trunks. she could hear the CloudClan cats falling behind as they tried and failed to keep up with her in the thick undergrowth. Lightning charged into the camp and launnched herself at a huge FoxClan tom nearly twice her size. she

*cont

sunk her claws onto his neck and swiftly killed him with a bite under the jaw. Lightning stood up, covered in blood and raced to help her siblings with a ferocious she-cat. Something heavy and thick furred bowled her over. a humongeous she-cat tore into Lightning's shoulder with her fang-sharp claws. Lightning screeched in pain and fell. the humongeous she-cat leaned over Lightning, and then vanished. "Don't touch her, Blade!" Thunder reared onto his hind paws to give the huge she-cat a couple scratches. "I'll kill you both, then." Blade grunted as a farmiliar orange pelt leaped on her from behind. Loyal raked his claws down her shoulders and flank, and then Blade was gone, yowling curses as she fled through the trees. Loyal fixed his gaze onto Thunder. "get her somewhere safe." and then he was gone. Lightning felt sleep closing in on herself but fought to stay awake. Thunder padded over to her and examined her shoulder. "we have to get you to Birch." he looked over his

*cont

shoulder, where the battle had ended. somebody shreiked in grief and pain. Lightning flailed in a try to get up. Thunder pushed her back down firmy with one paw. "no. Stay down." Lightning ignored him and got shakily to her paws. her entire shoulder was ripped and torn, and blood ran down her leg and spattered the ground. Thhe CloudClan cats milled about, clearing the camp of dark pelted bodies. Lightning stumbled over to the cluster of cats and cried out in pain. two forms lay motionless on the dust, and one of them was painstakingly farmiliar. Amber lifted her head to the sky. "Loyal, my mate, find your place among the stars, watch over your kits, and protect them. may your spirit find rest among the ranks of our ancestors." Swift padded numbly forward to nuzzle Loyal's shoulder. "May your spirit find rest in the ranks of our ancestors, father." Lightning stumbled forward a pace. "M-may your s-spirit find rest among the r-ranks of our an-ancestors, father. goodbye." Lightning

watched numbly as Dandelion and even Cloud said their farewells, then Lightning finally ggave in to the sleep that was taking over her limbs. she fell to the ground and lay still.

CHAPTER FOUR

Lightning woke up in a nest that wasn't her own. she knew, because it was lined with feathers, and one was tickling her nose. "Feeling any better?" Lightning opened her eyes and tried to lift her head. a tall and handsome calico tom lay organizing leaves and berries by the entrance. he got up and rummaged around in his pile for a minute, then came out with a was of moss. "i'll be right back." His pawsteps faded, and Lightning flicked out her tongue, trying to wet it and taste the air to scent where she was. pawsteps thudded in the doorway and Thunder came in, a huge rabbit in his jaws. "You're awake!" Thunder bounded over the nests and dropped the rabbit at her paws. "i thought you'd be hungry." He laid gently next to Lightning and licked her ear affectionately. "you're my best friend. i don't know what i'd do without you." the calico tom came back in, moss dripping. he dropped it at her paws, and Lightning licked eagerly at the water. "T- thank you." she winced. "Thunder

*cont

help me carry these herbs over. we need to put more dressings on her shoulder. Thunder got up, nuzzling her cheek as he went. Lightning turned to look at her shoulder and winced. fur had been torn off in huge clumps and deep claw marks ran down her shoulder and foreleg. "Birch, i think it's a little infected, can i bring some honey over too?" the calico tom nodded at Thunder, who dabbed his paw into an old bees nest that lay on it's side in the den. Birch padded back over, sharp smelling herbs in his mouth. Lightning flattened her ears at a farmiliar smell. "no. peppermint makes me sick." her voice was slightly stronger. Birch frowned at her, then spat out his mouthful of leaves and pushed away the peppermint. "Thunder! bring me some juniper!" Thunder poked his head into the den. "How much?"
"Two should be fine." Birch bent over and began chewing up some marigold. Thunder reappeared and spat two little red berries out. he pushed forward a leaf covered with the honey from his

*cont

paw. "Can i go wash off my paw now?" Birch looked over at Thunder. "just lick it. Honey won't hurt you." Thunder began to lick the remainder of the golden sweetness from his paw. Birch pushed the rabbit towards Lightning. "Eat this while i put on your dressings." Lightning bent down and tried not to wince in pain as the healing juices sank into her scratches and stung as she ate. Thunder finished cleaning his paw and got up. " i've gotta go on a hunting patrol with mother. want anything special?" Birch shook his head and Lightning sighed. "no thanks, Thunder. i- i'm good." Thunder nodded, eyes sparkling, and left the den. "he's been very mopey the past couple of days." Birch said, gently laying the honey leaf onto her shoulder. "you might have actually starved to death if you hadn't woken up." Lightning pushed away the rabbit bones and sighed again. "he's my best friend. if he nearly died and slept for several days, i'd be bored too." Birch shrugged. "no, i think it was for

*cont

other reasons." Lightning twisted to look at him. "other reasons?" Birch shrugged. "well, i don't know, he's only my brother, but..." Lightning squinted at him. "but WHAT?" Birch stood up and rolled the juniper berries in front of her. "he's got a huge crush on you." Lightning sat up and clouted the healer cat's ear with a paw. "what? no, no, no. that can't be. i don't even have a rank!" Birch fell silent. Ligghtning hesitated. "Birch. where's my mother? whhere are my siblings?" the calico tom sighed. "your siblings are fine, they're in the queen's den. i-" he choked on his words. "i couldn't save your mother. she died of grief last night." Lightning felt hollow, the warm comfort Thunder's prescense had given her was gone, replaced by cold nothingness. Lightning looked down at the juniper berries, ate them, and laid back down into her nest to sleep.