Hailstorms Fury

Chapter 1 - Bitter Sweet

Hailpaw shook out her dove grey fur. She was the spitting image of her late mother, Riversong. A rush of sadness flashed through her. Hailpaw growled at herself. She needed to be strong. Especially now that the clan was going through some tough times. Silentwhisper had died before he could appoint a deputy, so the clan had been left leader less.

The other clans were all contemplating taking over Nightclan, she felt it. They were left weak. Fallenfeather was being stretched to her limits, especially after giving birth to her only kit, Roarkit, a loud, silver coloured tom kit that looked like his fierce but gentle mother, however, he resembles his father in everything but his looks.

The now middle aged she-cat was running the clan, trying her best to keep them strong. But still, Nightclan was growing weaker. So Hailpaw had to be strong and support the clan as best she could. Make her mother's sacrifice not in vain. Sighing, Hailpaw collected her skinny rabbit and padded back to camp, and took it to the nursery.

"Bloomfrost! I brought you and Featherbloom a rabbit" Hailpaw called as she ducked through the tough bramble den entrance," I know its not much... but I did my best"
Bloomfrosts sharp eyes softened at the sight of the weary apprentice and she collected the measly prey off Hailpaw.

" Fallenfeather! Come quick!" A loud yowl, recognised as Talonflame, summoned not only Fallenfeather, but the small amount of the clan who were not hunting or training.
Hailpaw, her intrest piqued, left her rabbit with the queens and raced to the fiesty russet coloured tom who was currently pinning a... shape to the ground.

Hailpaw growled as she recognised a cat beneath his claws. Rogue or loner, who cares, kill it. Hailpaw nearly snarled it aloud. Some cat did though.
"Kill it! I don't care who it is, Kill it!" Frostleaf yowled.
"You will not" Fallenfeather's stern meow silence the clan," Talonflame, let him stand"

Reluctantly, Talonflame let the imposter rise and Hailpaw pushed her way to the front of the crowd and studied the newcomer curiously. The tom had black fur and one gold eye and one silver eye.
" Who are you?" Hailpaw hissed, stepping forward so she was next to her frail leader.
Quite frankly, she was surprised that Fallenfeather could even stand.

"Dragon" The stranger, 'Dragon', replied, "I was looking for Riversong and a rogue told me to come to Nightclan, so here I am"
Hailpaw froze and met the eyes of her littermates, who had stepped out of their places from the shadows behind the tom.
"What is your business with Riversong?" Fallenfeather demanded softly as all the cats began to freeze up as one.

"She rescued me from eagles when I was only one moon old" Dragon meowed and Fallenfeather sighed, before Hailpaw stepped forward.
"You knew my mother?" She asked in disbelief, he didnt look it, but that would mean that this cat was about three moons older than her.
"Yes?..." He meowed before Duskpaw drew Dragons attention to him.

"Riversong is dead" Her brother meowed with a blank voice.
Idiot.
"What?" Dragons voice was menacingly quiet,"What?!" He screeched and one look from Fallenfeather had Hailpaw on him and, with a little difficulty, pinned him down.
"She was a brave warrior who sacrificed her life for her clan and her kits, she hunts with Starclan now" The leader meowed calmly and Dragon writhed beneath Hailpaw.

Pain lanced through Hailpaws shoulder as Dragon lashed out at her. With an annoyed hiss, Hailpaw unsheathed her claws and pressed th against his throat, their needle points drawing blood.
"Stay still if you value your life" She growled in an emotionless voice.
"Dragon, I have a proposition for you" Fallenfeather's meow cut through the following silence.

Dragon calmed beneath Hailpaws white paws.
"Become a Nightclan apprentice and train to become a warrior" Fallenfeather meowed and the whole clan gasped, Hailoaw and her siblings stiffened.
"Okay" Dragon's reply caused outrage.
Cats yowled out their protest but their leader silenced them with a forced hiss.

"Silence" The silver she-cat hissed and the clan fell into murmmered complaints.
"Silence!" Fallenfeather wobbled as she rose her voice and Hailpaw prepared to race to her leaders side should she collapse,"Please welcome Dragonpaw to our clan!"