Warrior cats #1 these broken shadows

Chapter two: force to be reckoned with

Splinterpaw stepped out onto the high cliff. a cold breeze tugged violently at his fur trying to pull him off the rock. . Hickorystar sat on the ledge looking down at all of the clan, his long dark burgundy fur whipping wildly in the wind. The moonlight glinting off his hypnotic eyes.. He was confident everyone was here to see his kits get honored by Starclan by his posture and how his eyes glinted with smug certainty. Splinterpaw quickly ran up to sit in front of his father. Splinterpaw dug his claws into the rock, He was trying his best to contain his anger. "All of the clan has seen my kits train hard with their mentors
for many many moons." Hickorystar mewed warmly.. "May starclan look upon them, they have worked perilous moons for this moment may they honor their courage." "Oakpaw, and Limepelt please come forward." Hickorystar called. Oakpaw and his mentor Limepelt jumped quickly onto the rock. "Oakpaw you have trained hard and long to receive your warrior name, you have done very well." Hickorystar turned to Limepelt "Limepelt you have proved yourself a worthy mentor, you have taught Oakpaw the ways of our loyal code, and you have passed on your knowledge to him, so that one day he can pass it on too his apprentice, you have defied my expectations, may starclan always honor you." Hickorystar gazed warmly at Limepelt. And Limepelt dipped his head in acknowledgment. His grey and cream pelt radiating pride so strong splinterpaw almost had to shut his eyes. Hickorystar turned back to Oakpaw and called up to the sky. "Starclan I call upon my warrior ancestors to honor this apprentice. He has shown great courage and wit in the face of any danger. He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code" he leaned back to stare into oakpaws eyes. "Oakpaw you will now be known as Oakfall, for all you have accomplished. May Starclan honor that." Hickorystar bent down to rest his head briefly on Oakfalls head. And Oakfall Licked Hickorystar's shoulder respectfully. "Oakfall! Oakfall!" Splinterpaw was the first to call out. Many cats joined in soon after filling the clearing with happy calls of congratulations. I'm so proud of you brother!" Splinterpaw mewed cheerily, rubbing his cheek against his brothers. Trying to be there for his brother despite his uncertainty. Oakfall looked slightly abashed. "Thank you. It's a lot to take in really. We became warriors faster than I expected." "I still haven't become one yet but I'm ready as I have ever been." Splinterpaw mused puffing out his chest, trying to appear as if he was brave but in truth he couldn't possibly be.. Oakfall grinned sheepishly.. Splinterpaw returned it with the smallest bit of enthusiasm he could muster. Dawnpaw was next, she leaped up onto the rock delicately with her mentor quartzfeather sitting seriously silent beside her for the duration of the ceremony. He had ,had three other apprentices before, so he was quite experienced. Dawnpaw received her warrior name Dawnwhisper and the clan called out her new name enthusiastically. Waves of bright pride were coming off Dawnwhisper.

"Splinterpaw please come forward." Splinterpaw repressed a shiver at the sound of his name being called out to all of the clan, making him momentarily frightened. But also a quiet tinge of anger slowly bubbling up to the surface because is untrustworthy father was calling his new name. Mintleap nodded and Splinterpaw leaped up onto the rock trying to hold in his anger. "Splinterpaw you have trained long moons to receive your warrior name Starclan honors your courage and your determination, and gives you your new name. Splinterpaw you will now be known as Splintershade Starclan honors you for your fierce ferocity and loyalty, you have earned your warrior name well.." Hickorystar gazed warmly into his son's eyes. Hickorystar leaned down to rest his head on Splintershades for a long moment and Splintershade licked his shoulder respectfully.

Excitement and pride sparked all through his body like lightning. "Splintershade! Dawnwhisper! Oakfall!" The clan chanted the new warrior's names. Splintershade stood by his littermates elation and pride filling his heart. Ignoring his father momentarily to share this moment with his brother and sister. He met Bronzepaw's envious gaze, her Dark blue eyes pools of disdain. Splintershade grinned back at her Haughtily.. Bronzepaw snapped her head away with a clear look of decry and ushered her way out of the clearing of cats. Splintershade watched her pad away crossly.  "Why do she-cats always have to be in such a sour mood." He grumbled glaring after Bronzepaw. "She-cats will be she-cats." Mintpelt mewed incoherently, not bothered by his brash comment. Mintleap stared into the moon, her eyes distant pools of despondency. "However You also have to understand she has been an apprentice longer than you and has worked as hard as any cat to earn her warrior name and she is still an apprentice." Mintleap mewed Cooley, her green eyes glinting with faint contempt not for Splintershade but something past, something non-existent.
"We will celebrate with sharing tongues.." Hickorystar declared his yellow eyes shining with elation. There was always plenty of fresh-kill to share because Starclan has blessed the season of new-leaf upon Stemclan. It had come early that year. Bronzepaw had appeared again but she wasn't looking at him or anything in particular. She slipped out of the ivy barrier past everyone's eyes. Splintershade tilted his head questioningly. He jumped of the rock and threw a glance over his shoulder. "I'll be back, I need to go find someone." Splintershade grumbled, disappointed in himself for going after Bronzepaw. Mintleap only gave him a quick comprehensive glance before turning back tugging at h    er fresh-kill. Splintershade slipped silently out of camp, the wind tugging viciously at his noir fur. He shuddered at the cold. He lowered his head to the ground sniffing hoping to catch a whiff of Bronzepaws scent and his paws carried him along, as if he already knew where she was. He hurried on silently, the long pale grass that stretched endlessly across the plains was turned silver by the unusually bright moonlight. The stems were whipping wildly about in the wind. He spotted a glimpse of cream and yellow fur sifting cautiously through the grass. Gotcha.. Splintershade growled quietly in accomplishment, he was just about to pounce before he heard a voice call out. "Stellerpelt?" Splintershade froze. His heart speeding up, threatening to jump out of his chest. He could barely make out Bronzepaw's voice in the unrelenting wind however it was unmistakably hers. Splintershade crouched down into the cool grass ,the stems tickling his nose. Hoping it would hide him from view. Although his pelt was black as the sky at midnight, he could still be spotted with his bright green eyes. His dark pelt gave him the advantage of stealth. He could be stealthy when he really tried to. Splintershade let his heartbeat slow to a steady rhythm, until he could only hear the grass whipping around in the wind and the sounds of the wind blowing violently.. He pricked his ears, and parted his jaws trying to pick up any new smells or sounds.

"Bronzepaw?" A silvery smooth voice answered out of nowhere almost making splintershade jump but he pressed himself as far into the ground as he could go.
"What are you doing out so late? What do you want?" The silvery voice exclaimed softly. "I came here to see you of course, you want to see me right Stellerpelt?" Bronzepaw purred wounding around Stellerpelt, rubbing her muzzle across his light gray pelt. Stellerpelt licked the top of Bronzepaws head gently. "We shouldn't be doing this though, we may be caught." Stellerpelt explained gently his blue and green eyes glittering with fear, he whipped his head around a few times scanning for any eavesdroppers, his eyes rested on the clump of nettles where splintershade was hiding for a moment before turning back to Bronzepaw. Splintershade crouched lower into the grass. A growl begging to build in his throat.. "But I...I love you, why can't we be together whenever we wish to be?" Splintershades eyes widened. And he had to hold his paws to his throat to stop a choking noise from coming out. "You know we can't be like this, we can't have....we can't have kits, they'll know the father is from another clan, even if we do, they won't live a normal life." Stellerpelt bent his head down and pawed at the ground. "That's the thing.... I wanted to wait till later to tell you this...but I'm pregnant." Bronzepaws eyes glistened with tears, ready to spill over. "What?" Stellerpelt exclaimed, his bright eyes widening with surprise and grief. "What?when?how?" Stellerpelt spluttered, falling over his words. "I don't know.. I don't know what to do, my belly is getting so much bigger and cats are going to start noticing." Bronzepaws ears flicked back and she bowed her head, tears starting to fall slowly to the cracked earth. Stellerpelt padded forward a few paw-steps, until he was wound around Bronzepaw. " I'm so sorry Bronzepaw." Splintershade had heard enough. Bronzepaw had taken a cat from another clan as her mate! She had broken the warrior code! And kits?! This was the worst form of traitory. How could she?! That little fox-heart! Splintershades' ears flattened against the sides of his head, his lips curled into a snarl and a real growl ripped from his throat out into the night this time loud and clear. Bronzepaw and Stellerpelt stared in his direction, their eyes wide with terror. To think I had begun to like her! Splintershade whipped around, eyes narrowed maliciously, burning with hatred, and raced across the moor, back to camp. He couldn't believe he had begun to trust her. He couldn't control his anger; he was beyond fed up with himself. What was the point of trusting any cat?