River (Book 1) A Warriors Fanfiction

Prologue

As ThunderClan crossed the bridge onto the Gathering island, a mottled brown and white she-cat looked eagerly for a dark gray warrior. As soon as she saw him, she bounded across the clearing towards him. "My love," she breathed. The gray tom purred in delight, and rubbed his muzzle against hers. "You're here," he meowed, softly. They walked along the edge of the island together, unaware that one small orange tom was watching them.

He watched how tenderly they treated each other and how they truly seemed to love each other. "I wish I knew who my parents were," he sighed, "No one will tell me, like it's a secret or something. Maybe nobody knows." He laid his bright orange head on his white paws, and tried to listen to the Clan leaders share their news. When the SkyClan leader, Duskstar began to speak, the orange tom listened because, after all, he was in SkyClan too, and that was a good Clan to be in.

I wish I were a Clan leader, he thought, Because then I could address all of the Clans! Me, Brackenpaw, an apprentice. But then I would be Brackenstar, chosen by StarClan! Suddenly he had a thought. My parents must look a little like me, right? Maybe my mother or father has a brown tip to their tail, like me! He looked around the clearing. No one, he wanted to yowl, No one! Wait! There's one! The mottled brown and white she-cat that he had seen earlier had a brown tip to her tail! Suddenly he knew who his parents were. The RiverClan medicine cat, and a ThunderClan tom.

Me and my brother Lightpaw, in ThunderClan are halfClan kits! I've got to tell him next time I see him! We're the only ones besides our parents who know that we're siblings...wait...that means Thrushpaw, the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice, is our younger brother! Brackenpaw got up and scanned the clearing for his brother, Lightpaw. There he is! I need to tell him! Brackenpaw rushed across the island towards his brother, "Lightpaw! Lightpaw," he hissed. His brother turned around, "What?" He mewed.

"Come here." Brackenpaw urged. He danced on his paws excitedly, "Come on!" Lightpaw came over, "What do you need? We're in the middle of a Gathering, you know."

"I know, I know! Listen to this. So you know how I have a brown tip to my tail? 'Well', I thought, 'One of our parents must have a brown tip like me.' So I looked around the clearing, and bam! I realized who our parents are!"

"Who? Who?!" Lightpaw cried, "Who are they?"

"Well, our father is in your Clan. He's dark gray. Do you know who that is?" Brackenpaw inquired.

"It could be Stormheart, our deputy. But he has a mate...S—Stoneclaw?! No, he would never be disloyal! But there's no one else."

"It has to be one of them!" Brackenpaw said, "Anyway our mother is in RiverClan. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's the medicine cat."

Lightpaw gave a confused look, "I don't know her name," he said, "But I'll tell you if I find out. Okay?"

"Okay!" Brackenpaw agreed readily, "I promise I will try to find out." They watched their parents for a few moments in silence.

I'll do whatever it takes to find out the truth. I promise I will find out my brother, I promise you this thing, if nothing else. I promise I will find our parents and protect our secret. I promise.