WARRIORS: THE STORM AHEAD

Chapter 1

Mousepaw watched Stormkit chase Shrubkit under the Pinebranch when she felt a strong wave of wind come over her. She turned to see that it was ShadowClans new leader, Flightstar, and their medicine cat, Vinecurl.

"Flightstar!" Mousepaw cried. Another ShadowClan apprentice, Featherpaw, poked her head out of the apprentice den, looking curious. "Flightfoots here?"

As the cats padded into camp, warriors came pooling out of the warriors den to greet Flightstar. When there were at least ten cats crowding around him, Vinecurl slowly edged out of the way and into the medicine den.

Mousepaw felt a soft pelt beside her; she turned her head to see that it was her white denmate, Cloudpaw.
He was watching his mentor, Rockfoot, running toward the cat crowd, patently waiting to see ShadowClans new leader.

Flightstar trotted out of the group onto the Pinebranch, where he yowled a meeting call.
"Everyone old enough to catch their own prey come to Pinebranch for a Clan meeting!"

All the warriors ran to the clearing, Mousepaw and the other apprentices following behind.
Flightstar had already started speaking.

"Cats of ShadowClan, you now know me as Flightstar, your new leader. At the beginning of night, I will name ShadowClans new deputy. For now, I will take both roles." The tom cleared his throat as all the cats cheered.  "Flightstar! Flightstar!"

A dark tabby tom was sitting next to Mousepaw, his head dipped to the leader. Then the sand tom began organizing the patrols.
"Pinetail, Ravennight, Leafwhisker, and Mousepaw, you go on the dawn patrol."
A black warrior and a tabby warrior joined Leafwhisker and Mousepaw at the tunnel that lead out of camp. Together, the cats went out.

Behind a strong wall of pine, a mouse was nibbling a seed near a ditch. A brown paw crept toward the scent, and wrestled past the pine wall. The mouse, unknowing, kept nibbling on the seed. Then the brown paw swept upward,

Mousepaw cantered into camp with two mice in her jaws. Leafwhisker, Pinetail, and Ravennight followed with a thrush, two voles, and another mouse.
"I guess the hunting patrol went well." Rockfoot commented as him and Cloudpaw watched them pass.

The cats dropped their catches into the fresh-kill pile just in time for Cloudpaw to snatch the thrush. The white apprentice then began tearing chucks out of it and gulping it down in three bites. Mousepaw realized Flightstar was watching this, and he looked a bit uneasy.

What's he worried about? Cloudpaw ate a thrush, that's all. the she-cat thought. Well, he surely ate it differently from the normal apprentice, but what makes him worried about that?

.....

Mousepaw peered out of the apprentice den to see the warm light of the moon sweep over her. Flightstar was on Pinebranch, and all the ShadowClan warriors were gathering below him.
The deputy ceremony.

Featherpaw and Cloudpaw were already with their mentors. Mousepaw padded out to join them.
Flightstar meowed, "As you may know, cats of ShadowClan, this is the time where a new deputy will be chosen."
Mousepaw watched with wide eyes.
"ShadowClans new deputy will be,"
The warriors watched in anticipation.
"Bloodsight."

A mottled gray and black tom stepped out of the crowd to face Flightstar. The leader beckoned him to sit on Pinebranch with him.
"This is a great honor, Flightstar." ShadowClans new deputy said. "I promise I will do the best to serve my Clan."
The cats of ShadowClan started cheering again. "Bloodsight!" "Bloodsight!"

Bloodsight dipped his head and then started organizing the night patrol, as a deputy would do. Mousepaw grabbed a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile and started nibbling on it. Then she went back to the apprentice den, feeling drowsy.

What a day, she thought as she was pulled into sleep.