Your Guardian

Prologue
A silver and white tabby apprentice made her way swiftly through the long grass. Her pale yellow eyes were set ahead of her.

She reached the bank of the beautiful, rolling river, and gracefully leaped across it. She landed soundlessly and kept padding quickly through the beautiful, lushes, meadow. She stopped suddenly, infront of a beautiful raven-black she-cat.

The black cat was sitting, her back facing the apprentice. "Hello, Splashpaw." The black she-cat neowed, without turning to the apprentice.

"Hi, Rainshadow." The apprentice greeted and bowed her head at Rainshadow.

Rainshadow turned her head, her green eyes soft and gently. Splashpaw's eyes were filled of worry, and Rainshadow could sense her unease.

"Something wrong, young one? Rainshadow asked soflty, standing up and sitting back down in front of Splashpaw.

"Well, um... nothing, Rainshadow." The apprentice murmered and stared at her paws.

"Splashpaw, I may be dead, but I'm not stupid. It's clear you are worried about something." Rainshadow licked her paw and looked intently at Splashpaw.

"Now," said Rainshadow, "tell me."

Splashpaw hesitated; how could she lie to Rainshadow? After all, the she-cat was beloved kin.

"Well, it's just that..." Splashpaw took in a deep breathe, opened her mouth, but was too afraid.

"Spit it out, Splashpaw!" Rainshadow's sweet voice turned harsh.

"It's Morningpaw," Splashpaw began. "She's having a forbidden... affair."

"A what?" Rainshadow widened her eyes, and her mouth gaped open. "With who?"

"Rockpaw."

Chapter 1
''Morningpaw squinted her turquoise eyes. Dead'' ahead of her, eyes glinted in the dimming light. She was at the egde of the clearing, her clanmates all around her. Shapes moved on the other side of the clearing. Lithe shapes.

Cat shapes.

Morningpaw flexed her claws, and bared her teeth.

"Don't attack until I give my signal!" Stormstar hissed next to Morningpaw. Stormstar faced Morningpaw. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Morningpaw whispered back to Stormstar.

Stormstar. Morningpaw felt a pang of longing in her heart. It had not been two moons since Sandstar had died. It was a an adder that had gotten into camp. It had unexpectadly made it's way into Sandstar's den and bitten her in her sleep. When the Clan began to smell rot and decay, they went to where the smell was stornger. Then, they found Sandstar. The snake was gone, but Echoleaf quickly identified the bite and announced it was an adder's.

The clan mourned for days, especially Morningpaw. Stormface had become leader, making Wingfeather deputy. The light gray she-cat was promising, and made a lot of effort to help the Clan.

Seedshine had moved into the nursery a moon ago, expecting Thrushfeather's kits. Morningpaw's father was enlightened by the idea of more kits, but Morningpaw knew Thrushfeather missed Cloudwhisker.

Marshstep had joined Clovernose in the elders' den, and Frecklepaw became Freckleface.

Everything's changed, Morningpaw thought.

"Ready... set... GO!" Stormstar bolted into the clearing, followed by the patrol.

On the other side, the cats of PineClan as well blasted into the clearing. The cats clashed and blood splattered into the clearing. The blood, the agonized cries, painful shrieks, Morningpaw's worst memory came to mind.

Splashpaw, the eagle, this clearing...

A MeadowClan cat had found the nest, killing the eagle. They found cat remains, and reported seeing silver and white tabby fur.

A small, reddish-brown she-cat lashed her claws out at Morningpaw. Morningpaw knew this apprentice: Vixenpaw. Morningpaw met her at her first Gathering. She seemed like a sweet cat, and her size made her look like a kit.

But, size didn't really matter know. Morningpaw felt her mottled gray and white fur being ripped out, claw aganst flesh. Morningpaw tried in vain to claw Vixenpaw, but it was no use. I guess, Morningpaw thought, speed makes up for her size.

The small she-cat pinned Morningpaw down, but the SandClan apprentice pushed her off easily. Morningpaw took the time to pin the small cat to the ground. The mottled gray and white apprentice scratched Vixenpaw's exposed belly.

Vixenpaw shrieked in pain, blood pooling around her. Morningpaw lifted her paw in the air, but was knocked over by a heavy body. Morningpaw fell onto the ground and lifted her head. Bushytail, the PineClan deputy, was standing protectively over Vixenpaw.

"Not my daughter!" Bushytail dashed to Morningpaw and scratched her cheek. Morningpaw stood up and shook her head. Blood trickled down her face, but Morningpaw didn't care.

She reared up, and bolted towards Bushytail. The apprentice crashed into the auburn deputy's chest, making her fall. Bushytail was breathing hard, and Morningpaw jumped onto her flank, scratching it. Blood pooled around her, staining Morningpaw's paws.

Vixenpaw screeched in terror, flinging herself at Morningpaw. The mottled apprentice felt the impact, but didn't move. Vixenpaw was too small to knock Morningpaw off her feet. She bit into Bushytail's shoulder.

The deputy shrieked in pain.

"Help! Somebody, help!" But no one was available. All the other cats were fighting on another, and Vixenpaw wasn't much help, although she did make a few stinging scratches in Morningpaw's flank.

Morningpaw hissed and scratched Bushytail's cheek. Bushytail finally pushed Morningpaw off, licking her lips.

"You stupid fox-dung!" She cried and flung herself at Morningpaw. Morningpaw side-stepped and sent Busytail crashing into a bush.

"Aah!" Bushytail hissed and quickly escaped from the bush. A high droning came from inside the bush, and Morningpaw widened her eyes. Bees!

She quickly ran away from the bush as the colony of bees emerged. One stung Vixenpaw's haunch, sending her crying after her mother. Another bee stung Morningpaw's tail, but the apprentice escaped the others, making for a tree. She quickly climbed it, and watched as Bushytail was followed by the bees. The auburn she-cat hid in the crowd of PineClan cats. The bees stung everyone, and the cats cried in pain. The SandClan cats must have heard the droning, because they all fled up a tree.

The PineClan cats hollered and all fled away from the clearing, Pinestar in the lead.

Chapter 2
"Who's brilliant idea was it to throw Bushytail into that bush?" Thistlespike meowed excitedly, as the patrol made their way back to camp.

"Who knows, but whoever it was, is the brightest cat ever!" Birchtail squeaked.

Morningpaw felt her cheeks go hot with embarassment. Wingfeather, who was walking next to Morningpaw, turned and saw Morningpaw.

"Looks like I've found the brightest cat!" Wingfeather meowed and nudged Morningpaw with her fluffy head.

"Hurray for Morningpaw!" Quickstep cheered.

"Morningpaw! Morningpaw! Morninpaw!" The patrol cheered. Stormstar gazed proudly at his apprentice.

"Great job, Morningpaw. You did amazing today." Stormstar lowered his head and licked Morningpaw's head.

"I-it was nothing." said Morningpaw shyly. "Anyone could have thought of that."

"Yeah, but everyone was too preoccupied with fighting. You, thought of that quick!" exclaimed Keblepaw.

The cats reached camp and Stormstar asked Wingfeather and Echoleaf to join him in his den. Morningpaw wondered what the meeting was about, but quickly turned to the apprentice's den.

"Hey, Morningpaw!" a gentle voice called behind Morningpaw called. Morningpaw turned and smiled. Briarkit was happily bouncing up and down.

"How was the battle today? Did we win? Did you teach those fox-faces to never cross the border?" Briarkit asked excitedly. She danced around Morningpaw's feet, making her turquoise eyes glint with amusement. Out of the corner of her eye, Morningpaw saw Darkfrost.

The black tom that had caused her terribly nooked ear and her sister's lover glared at her. His icy blue eyes were filled with hatred.

Morningpaw ignored the black tom, when Stormstar called a meeting.

"All cats gather around!" He called. All cats came out from their dens. Seedshine came out from the nursery, her belly swollen with kits. Thrushfeather was right next to her. Graystorm and her kits, Ticklekit, Softkit, Mintkit, and Blossomkit, all excitedly squeezed away from their mother's paws.

"Maybe we're going to be apprentices!" Softkit announced.

"No you're not. You still have to wait two more moons." Graystorm mewed and pulled her kits back next to her. Blossomkit huffed and Mintkit pawed the ground angrily.

Briarkit squeaked and made her way next to Ticklekit. Ticklekit licked Briarkit's cheek and pressed his face into her light brown fur.

They're so cute! Morningpaw thought as she made her way to the High Rock where cats were already sitting. Wingfeather sat at the base of the rock, staring kindly at Morningpaw.

Morningpaw nodded her head and sat down next to Quickstep and Keblepaw.

"I wonder what the meeting's about?" Keblepaw whispered in Morningpaw's ear. Morningpaw nodded her head at the light gray tom. She noticed Echoleaf was smiling at her. Morningpaw smiled back.