Reedstar's Journey

Prologue
The leader looked at his clan, his claws unsheathed and covered in blood. His hazel eyes glaring intensly at the tom he had just killed. Kicking the body aside angrily, Reedstar hopped through the forest, hissing loudly as he encountered a Shadowclan she, her ash-black fur stained in blood and dirt. "You won't be getting past me." She hissed as she struck the tom with her thorn-sharp claws.

Dodging the attack, the brown tom swiped his paw at her. "Lay a claw on me and you won't be leaving Stoneclan alive." He growled back, his hazel eyes narrowed as he beared his sharp teeth. "It was foolish for you to come here, Shatter!" Reedstar shoved the she into a rock, the edge digging into her shoulder as she hissed in pain and fear; desperately trying to escape. "I will never forgive your cats, they took her life! When you could have taken mine!" He growled, pushing her into the rock harder so she began to cry loudly, he could hear the teeth in her collar begin to decay and fall off of the orange collar.

"Again, it was his orders!" She meowed, staring at him, panting. The blood ran from her mouth and onto the grey rock. "You wouldn't do this." She stared at her again.

He held up his paw, claws unsheathed and then he looked at her, those green eyes. Filled with fear. "Go." He looked at her, sheathing his claws and pushing her aside.

"Reedstar, I honestly expected more from you." She looked at him and ran into the forest. With a grumble, Reedstar curled his tail around his paws and stared at the lake. HIs hazel eyes reflected the water, and his auds were up. The forest was quiet as he looked back at all the Shadowclan cats, lying dead in pools of blood on his territory. Closing his eyes, he kicked a white cat, the body hitting a tree and remaining completley emotionless.

Chapter 1
Reedkit woke up, slowly opening his eyes. "He's so small." There was a tan-and-brown she-kit standing above him, pawing at Reedkit's fluffed tail.

"Stop!" Reedkit meowed angrily, looking at the she with his large hazel-amber eyes. "Who said you could touch my tail?" He rested his head back on his large front paws.

"Reedkit,Beechkit. Play nicely please." Lillyfoot scolded the kits, her auds flattened against her round head.

"Can we go outside?" Beechkit asked, scrambling to her paws. Lillyfoot looked at her daughter and nodded.

"Groom your whiskers, Beechkit. I want you to look the best you can when you meet the Clan." Lillyfoot looked at her kit's crooked whiskers. "Reedkit, groom your fur." Reedkit licked his brown-red fur with his tongue. "Alright, comeback before Moonrise!" She called. "Don't leave the camp!" She called.

"Reedkit, look!" Beechkit pointed at two apprentices fighting. "Hi Flamepaw! Morning Honeypaw!" She meowed as the two apprentices padded up to them.

Chapter 2
"First time out of the nursery?" Honeypaw's golden fur was bristled and covered in dirt.

Beechkit nodded, her brown eyes shone as she looked at the apprentices. "You're Lillyfoot's kits, right?" Flamepaw asked. Reedkit nodded shyly, his tail between his legs.

Flamepaw looked at Honeypaw and nodded. "C'mon, we have something to show you." The tom smirked and ran into the undergrowth. Reedkit followed, both nervous and curious. His sister was closely following beside Honeypaw, talking and laughing. "The Sacred Stones." Flamepaw breathed, looking up at the tall, jagged rocks; some smooth, others not. Raising his tail, there was a quick flash of red fur as he jumped onto a flat stone.

"A-Are you sure we shout do this?" Reedkit's auds flattened as he crouched lower to the ground. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea." He said shakily.

"C'mon Reedkit!" Beechkit pleaded. "Please? If we weren't supposed to do this, why are the doing it?" She looked up at Honeypaw and Flamepaw who were racing up the rocks.

"Beechkit, it's dangerous!" He hissed at his sister, claws unsheathed.

"Well. Seems like someone's too scared to go up there." She teased as she went after the apprentices, grabbing clumsily onto large rocks.

"Beechkit!" He scolded. "Get down!" He took a breath of air before he jumped onto a flat rock and followed his sister. He jumped onto another rock, his legs shook but he followed his sister and the apprentices."Honeypaw, Flamepaw, Beechkit; it's not safe to be up here." He meowed worridly. "What would Oakfrost say?"

Flamepaw rolled his eyes and kept leaping upwards. "I'm the leader of Stoneclan!" He called as he reached the highest rock.

"Ahem?" The was a grey tom standing behind the apprentice, his grey eyes piercing angrily at the young flame-pelted cat. "You are off your territory." He looked at all of them, his grey eyes filled with hatred as his auds flattened against his head.

"Who's that?" Beechkit whispered to Honeypaw.

"That's Chinook of the Wind, he's the leader of the Tribe of The Mountian Peaks." She whispered back as she lowered her head. "Sorry, Chinook; it was foolish of us to come onto your territory." She muttered as the tom looked at the strange guests. "We were playing, we didn't realize we were on your territory." Honeypaw continued and glanced at the others.

The leader took a look at them, still looking upset. "Fine. I will not tell Oakstar. But," He continued, glancing at Beechkit and Reedkit, then to Flamepaw and Honeypaw. "There will be consequences. For all of you." He continued, turning around and disappearing in the mountians.

Chapter 3
"Where were you?" Lillyfoot hissed as Beechkit and Reedkit. Looking worridly at his sister, Reedpaw shuffled his paws, not daring to make eye contact with the queen. "Where were you?" She repeated.

"We were playing with Honeypaw and Flamepaw!" Beechkit snapped back, her brown eyes staring angrily at the grey-and-white she.

"You do not talk to me like that, Beechkit!" She hissed back as the den went silent.

"We're sorry, Lillyfoot." Beechkit muttered, crouching lower to the ground and nervously glancing at her brother. "We were playing with Honeypaw and Flamepaw, and we accidently went on The Tribe of the Mountian Peaks' territory." She closed her eyes and waited for her mother's angry response.

"We're really sorry, Lillyfoot." Reedkit said quitely, shuffling his paws and lying down on his stomach. "W-We didn't m-m-mean to!" He cried before rushing out the den, his brown paws covered in mud as he sat behind a rock, and crying softly, hoping no one would find him.

"Reedkit!" Beechkit called out his name. "Reedkit?" His name was repeated several times in different meows and voices. Slowly peeking out, he saw his sister, walking slowly through the clan. "Have you seen my brother?" She asked. "Has anyone seen Reedkit?" She meowed.

"Over here." He sighed, walking over to her. "I'm here now." Reedkit looked down as Beechkit touched her nose to his forehead. "Sorry, I don't like to hear you hiss and growl back at Lillyfoot." He admitted as Beechkit gave him a strange look.

"What? Oh!" She meowed, guilt in her voice as she turned back. "I'm sorry if we scared you." She comforted the younger tom. Smiling softly, Reedkit purred agaisnt her sister.

"It's okay." He muttered, still a little sad and frightened.

Chapter 4
"Hey, Reedkit!" Beechpaw meowed, proud and excitied to tell her brother the news. "I'm an apprentice now!" She squealed and rolled on her back in the dirt, her tail flicked from side to side. "I start training in two sunrises!" She said, looking at her brother. "You're having your ceramony at moonrise, right?"

Reedkit nodded, his tail lashing behind him happily. "I'm so excitied, Reedpaw of Stoneclan." He imagined what it would be like for Oakfrost to announce his name, the cats chanting his name loudly as he walked up proudly to the Tip of the Sacred Stones.

"Hey," Flamefur and Honeypool walked up to them. "Congradulations!" They shoved Reedkit out of the way as they circled Beechpaw. "You're an apprentice!" Honeytail meowed, her strong, thick tail hit Reedkit and knocking him over.

"Uh, hey guys?" Reedkit meowed. "I'm gonna become an apprentice tonight!" He meowed excidedly.

Flamefur gave Honeypool a quick look and shrugged. "Great," He said. "But can you handle the hard core training?" He narrowed d his eyes and looked at the brown kit.

"Y-yes." He replied, pushing back at the larger tom. "I can!" He unsheathed his claws and tackled Flamefur. With a snicker, Flamefur kicked Reedkit off of his stomach and hissed, his red fur glinted in the sunlight.

"Then fight me." He hissed, a smirk grew on his face as he unsheathed his claws and pinned the kit to the ground, licking his white teeth.

Meowing with fear, Reedkit looked at the tom, scrambling to get free. "What is going on?" The tall brown and white tom looked at Flamefur. "What is happening here?"

"He started it," Honeypool glared at Flamefur. "He tackled Reedkit." She explained.

"Flamefur, this is very strange of you." He looked at the warrior angrily. "You know better." He picked up Reedkit by his scruff.

"Sorry, Oakfrost." He muttered angrily. "He was asking for it." He glared at Reedkit as he walked past.

"So, you excited for your apprentice ceremony?" Oakfrost asked, his grey eyes were kind and weren't glaring.

"Um.... Yes." Reedkit meowed. "I've been waiting my whole life for this!" His tail lashing happily.

Chapter 5
Reedkit followed his mother and sister to the Sacred Stones, nervously looking at the tall rocks. What if he encountered Chinook?

Oakfrost was smiling as he sat on a tall rock. "Come," he meowed to Reedkit as Beechpaw slowly nudged him up. He looked down, seeing the clan slowly move in. He scanned the area and saw Nightfur. Her midnight-black pelt was tinted dark grey in the moonlight. His ears went red; she was a apprentice, and it was her last moon before she became a Medicine Cat.

"That's Nightpaw." He saw the kit looking at the she.

"That's, nice." Reedkit meowed back softly, still staring at the she.

"Reedkit, you have been with us for six moons now. Tonight you will begin your training. Your mother is loyal to Stoneclan as a brave warrior. May you tread in his pawsteps." Oakfrost looked down at the clan and then to Reedkit. "Reedkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be Reedpaw. And mentor of Ravenfoot."

"Reedpaw! Reedpaw!" The clan chanted and cheered.

A black she with white feet and glowing amber eyes bowed at the new apprentice. "I'm Ravenfoot." She introduced herself. "We will start training at sunrise tommorow." She meowed as she walked away.

"Nice going Reedkit! I mean, Reedpaw." Beechkit touched her brother's nose with hers. "I'm so proud of you." She whispered as Lillyfoot looked at them.

"Congradulations, my son." Lillyfoot smiled. "Please, come." She looked at Reedpaw. "Beechkit, stay here please." The tan she frowned and walked away as her mother when to talk to Reedpaw.

"Yes?"

"Reedpaw, listen." She looked at him, her green eyes filled with sorrow. "You aren't my son." She sighed.

"Lillyfoot, but you care for me, you nursed me, you-*" He looked at her angrily.

"Reedpaw, calm down. You're acting like a kit!" Lillyfoot scoulded at Reedpaw. "We found you on the outskirts of the clan, you were alone. It was winter. No one was arround so I had to find and take care of you. I couldn't let you die; there were no queens, warriors, anyone around you. Just the snow." She looked at him, her eyes met his.

"All this time..." Reedpaw snapped. "You told me 'I was your favourite kit'. Because I  wasn't your son! And you could've told me!" His brown fur bristled as he growled at her.

"Reedpaw!" The black she from earlier looked at him and Lillyfoot. "What is going on?!" She hissed.

"None of your business, mousebrain!" Reedpaw looked up at her. "Stop getting into my fur and go away!" The she looked at the apprentice angrily and walked away.

Chapter 6
"Reedpaw!" Beechpaw meowed as Reedpaw walked past.

"Out of my way." He shoved Beechpaw into the undergrowth. "Or should I say, just another cat." He muttered.

"Excuse me?" She snapped back, her brown eyes burning like flames.

"You heard me." He snapped back, his claws unsheathed as he dug them into the ground.

"What are you talking about, Reedpaw?"

"I'm not your brother. I'm adopted." He hissed, his green eyes piercing with anger.

"I know, but why are you acting like a mousebrained foxheart?" She teased, her claws unsheathed as she jumped on Reedpaw.

Reedpaw looked at her and kicked her off with his strong back legs. "I just found that out." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Beechpaw." He said as the tan she walked past him.

Turning around, she glared at him. "Reedpaw, why did you do that though?" Her brown eyes were warmer, more forgiving now.

Reedpaw shrugged, and looked back at her. "I don't know." He walked away and hid in a large bush. He buried his face in his paws and sighed loudly. "I lost a sister, and..." He sighed again, looking at the ground.

"Uh, Reedpaw?" A voice came from nearby. "Reedpaw, it's Nightpaw." The quiet voice said.

Chapter 7
"Over here." The tom looked at Nightpaw. She was tall, lean and had violet-blue eyes. "Sorry, I was frustrated earlier." Reedpaw explained, avoiding eye contact with the she. "It was just I found out I was adopted, Lillyfoot isn't my mother, Beechpaw isn't my sister. It's strange and confusing. Some queen just left me in the snow, to die." He shuffled his paws and looked up at the she, her face frozen with a horrified and shocked expression.

"That's..." She said, her mouth hung open. "I'm sorry, I have no words." Nightpaw bowed her head at the younger apprentice. "That's horrible." She shook her head, as she walked to the medicine den.

"Where are you going?" Reedpaw meowed, looking at her.

"Training with Deerstripe. Learning about herbs and leaves today." She stuck out her tongue playfully as she walked away.

"Pretty, isn't she?" A brindle tom looked at Nightpaw as she walked into the den.

"Who are you?" Reedpaw unsheathed his claws. "Are you a Stoneclan member?" He asked, his auds pressed against his head.

"Runningpaw." He smiled, his green eyes focused on the medicine den. "Son of Silverdrop." He bowed, finally looking at the brown tom. "Hey, aren't you Reedpaw? You what your apprentice ceremony last moonrise." He gave a low purr. "Aren't you?" Reedpaw nodded, slowly. "Congratulations kit!" The tom winked as he walked away. "Who's your mentor again?"

"Ravenfoot." He replied softly. "She's the black she with white paws." He explained as Runningpaw nodded. "Who's your mentor?"

"Brindlecloud." He replied, looking around. "I better get going." He meowed, running off.

"Bye!" He meowed after him as the light-brown brindled tom ran away. "Hey, Ravenfoot!" He saw the she, her black fur looked ash-grey in the sun. "What will we be doing today? I'm so excitied!" His tail lashed behind him slowly.

"Well, most apprentices will be on border patrol tonight. Beechpaw, Cedarpaw, Ivorypaw, Icepaw." Ravenfoot listed the names. "Do you want to do it?" She looked at Reedpaw slyly. Nodding the apprentice bowed and walked away. "Oh yes, Nightpaw and Runningpaw will also be there." She muttered to herself.

"Nightpaw?" Reedpaw stopped. Nodding the she headed for the warriors den. "Nightpaw! Nightpaw!" He called, looking for the black cat.

The black she turned around and smiled at Reedpaw. "Hey!" She meowed. "Are you on patrol tonight?" Nodding, Reedpaw looked at her. "Alright, see you there."

Reedpaw looked in the river, smoothing his fur around his neck. "I don't want to look like a puffed up kit." He muttered and furiously untangled the knots in his brown fur.

Chapter 8
Reedpaw walked out slowly, watching as the apprentices lined up and bowed their heads at the tom who was talking. "Tonight is probably your first times on patrol." He said loudly. "You will not go onto other clans, you will not go onto Twoleg territory, you will not let anyone on Stoneclan territory! Have I made myself clear!"

"Crystal clear, Smokestep!" The apprentices said back in unisin.

"Repeat your rules!" Smokestep padded silently around them, his grey pelt was invisible against the unlit forest.

"Don't go onto other clans, no going on Twoleg terriotory, let no one in!" They repeated again.

"Now let's go!" Smokestep growled as the apprentices walked past him slowly. "He scares me." Reedpaw could hear the a apprentice whisper to another.

Nightpaw sat by the border, glancing over to the cats on her apposing sides; Umbrapaw and Reedpaw. Reedpaw looked to his other side and smiled at his sister, who was standing straight and tall, her claws unsheathed as she licked her jowls."Excitied?" Nightpaw called to Beechpaw. The she nodded back and stared at the border. "First time, isn't it?" Nightpaw meowed. Beechpaw looked at her and nodded again.

"I've wanted to be a warrior, ever so badly!" She meowed and looked at the twoleg house nearby. "Who do you think lives there? A kittypet?" She wondered aloud. "I want to go check it out!" She whispered and crept towards the house.

"Beechpaw! No!" Reedpaw hissed and ducked after his sister. "Beechpaw! We're going to be punished!" He shivered thinking of feeding all the queens, or grooming the elders.

"Smokestep won't figure out." She laughed, looking at the fence. Taking a gulp, she unsheathed her claws and tore a hole in the flimsy wooden fence. Slowly, she slinked through the hole, looking at the house strangely. "A twoleg den! It's so bright!" She meowed in awe, looking at the luminated house. She jumped into a bush, watching as a twoleg walked through the house, sitting at a table. "A twoleg!" She gasped, watching as a white she pounced on a table and nudged the twoleg's arm. "What is she-*?" She looked strangely at the she, walking closer to the twoleg place but a red beam appeared and began to buzz loudly. "Help!" She tried to get out but was surrounded by red beams and the awful sound.

"Beechpaw!" Reedpaw meowed loudly, jumping through the hole in the fence. Finding his sister, he lowered his auds and pasted them to his head, grabbing Beechpaw's scruff and dragging her out. "What were you thinking?" He growled at her, as she looked down at the ground. Umbrapaw looked at them nervously, and then looked at Nightpaw.

"What was that?" The smoke-grey tom was standing above them, his eyes full of anger. "What were you doing? Our second rule?" He growled at them, looking at the whole in the fence. "Did you make that hole?" Smokestep growled louder, his blue eyes full of anger as his fur bristled. Beechpaw nodded slowly, her tail between her legs. "And you, Reedpaw! You broke the rule as well." Smokestep hissed at the tom. "Our rule: Do not go on Twoleg territory! And what did you mousebrains do?" Beechpaw opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the angry warrior. "You went on Twoleg territory!" He hissed. "I told all of you not to, didn't I?" The grey tom turned to the other apprentices. They all nodded, looking at each other nervously. "What punishment if fitting?" He looked up, thinking.

"Search the elders for ticks!" Umbrapaw called out.

"Change all the moss in the warrior den!" Redpaw smirked.

"Make 'em feed the queens!" Larkpaw meowed.

"Silence!" He scolded the three apprentices. "I choose changing all the moss in the warriors den." He smirked. "You'll be lucky if it takes you until moonhigh tommorow." He smirked as he walked away.

Chapter 9
"Reedpaw,this is all your fault." Beechpaw hissed as she kicked the fluffy moss towards the dens entrance. "If you hadn't told me not to go there, it wouldn't have happened." She glared at him as she picked up fresh moss in her mouth and dropped it on the stone ground.

"Beechpaw, please." Reedpaw laughed scornfully. "You were the one who went venturing. You were the one who broke the hole in the fence. You were the one who set off the loud buzzing thing." He tried to control his anger. "I shouldn't be doing this. And I didn't have to tell you anything." He fluffed the moss in a small pile. "Wow." He looked at the walls of the cave, slowly brushing off the dirt with his fluffy tail. Coughing, he looked at the pawprints pressed on the wall. "Berrystar!" He looked at the blue pawprint, the scratch marks showed the sign of a leader. "Beechpaw, check this out!" He meowed excitedly, and showed her the print.

"Berrystar? She was the first leader, wasn't she?"

"The one who began Stoneclan. Officially."

"Wow. That was countless moons ago." She looked at the blue pawprint. "It's from the first generation of the clan." She remembered Lillyfoot telling her about it. "Come on, we better get back to work." She grumbled.

Chapter 10
The two left the den, covered in parts of moss and dirt. "Did you finish?" Smokestep growled as they walked out. Nodding the two continued walking. "Hmm, not bad for a first time." He muttered, continuing to glare at them.

The next day came and Ravenfoot was standing outsider their den, her tail lashing happily. "Wake up Reedpaw, we're starting training." Then she looked over at Beechpaw, who was sleeping in the corner. "Silverdrop will be here soon to wake her." He whispered as Reedpaw followed her sleepily.

"But, it's so early the sun isn't up." Reedpaw yawned.

"Warriors wake up this early." She replied with a slight shrug. Her mew interrupted his thought. Sitting down, she looked at the nine moon apprentice. "You are familiar with the warrior code, am I right?" She asked.

"A little, I don't know all of it."

"Alright. Do you know how to defend yourself?" The black she unsheathed her claws, smirking as she pounced up into the air. Reedpaw looked at her angrily and dodged the attack, swiping his paw at her muzzle. The she watched as a few drops of blood fell but she shook her head and continued to fight. "You ready to give up?"

"Never!" Reedpaw hissed, ramming her into a tree with his head. "I am going to win!" He laughed. Ravenfoot extended her hind legs and kicked Reedpaw in the stomach. Stumbling back, the apprentice circled his mentor. "But are you ready to give up?" He was so keen on winning his honest, sweet personality was buried inside of him. The she shook her head and sat down smiling. "That's it?" He grumbled, sitting down in front of her.

"Reedpaw, you are a skillful fighter but you lack sympathy." Ravenfoot explained. "I could have attacked you maybe because I needed to get something from off your clan border. You could have struck an innocent cat for nothing." She explained, her green eyes full of anger. "Do you understand?" She said quietly.

"Yes, learn to control my anger." He mumbled, staring at the wet mud under his paws. "Sorry." He blurted out. "I just haven't ever fought and I see Flamefur and Honeypool doing it all the time!" He argued. "I learn a lot from them, and they'd never let me fight! I don't know why, do they not like me?" He watched as Ravenfoot nodded slowly. "What do they see in me that's different?" He closed his eyes.

The she looked down, her paws shuffled in the dirt. "I don't know what the see in you, are you a skilled fighter?" He nodded nervously. "Are you younger?" He shook his head.

"Beechpaw is younger by a few moonrises. That's what Lillyfoot told me." He shrugged. "But I don't think it's a top priority to talk about right now." He muttered.

Nodding, Ravenfoot looked at him. "Have you ever hunted before?" She smirked. Reedpaw smiled and shook his head. "Then today will be the first time you have a freshly caught rabbit." She dove into the undergrowth.

"Wait!" Reedpaw mewed, following his mentor into the forest. Raising his nose, he sniffed for traces of animals. Crouching down he licked his jowls. "Vole." He smiled and watched it as it scampered around in a circle, squeaking softly and eating a large blueberry. He slowly crept up behind it, unsheathing his claws and pinning its head down, the vole scrambled from Reedpaw's grasp and hissed, running into the tall grass. "You aren't getting away from me!" He smirked, chasing the vole into the undergrowth, in determination. Stopping, he sniffed the air to pick up the rodent's scent. Catching it, he saw it on the Thunderpath. Looking at it angrily, he stared st the vole, who was sniffing the black road. "Wait!" He called as the vole stood up on its hind legs and ran to the other side of the Thunderpath. "You aren't getting away from me!" He mewed, looking at the rodent, it was tiny in the distance but still visible. He pushed off the the grass and stood on the Thunderpath. With his auds up, he heard a loud noise. "No!" He saw a red mechanical monster behind him. With his auds pressed against his head, he closed his eyes tightly.

In a flash, Ravenfoot grabbed his scruff and sprinted off the Thunderpath. The monster passed by them quickly, the air filled with a grey smoke. Reedpaw coughed and stared up at his mentor, her green eyes blazing with anger. "What were you thinking, mousebrain?!" Ravenfoot hissed, staring harshly at the apprentice. "Because of some puny vole you put your life at stake?" Her fur was bristled as she hissed in anger.

"Ravenfoot, you don't understand!" He replied in an equally angered tone. If Ravenfoot wasn't one of his clan members, or mentor, he wished he could tear her apart.

"I understand plenty." She hissed and padded into the undergrowth, leaving the brown apprentice alone at the Thunderpath's side. With a deep growl, he turned and stared at the vole, it was on the other side of the path and quickly scrambled into the grass.

"What is she so mad about?" He muttered and sat in the shade of a large oak. His auds pressed against his head as he scanned the forest. Quiet. Motionless. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes slowly, tired and hungry,training was hard and his muscules ached. "I was starving, yet she doesn't let me grab a small vole." He continued to mutter angrily. He yawned and rested his head on his paws, drifting into sleep.

Chapter 11
When Reedstar awoke, the moon was high. "How long have I been asleep?" He groaned and blinked a few times.