Hallelujah-A Tigerfur story

## Prologue

The silver she cat waited on the Riverclan-Shadowclan border. "Oh hurry up Iceclaw!" She spat. "I'm here Riverwing." Iceclaw said padding up to his mater. "I have some exciting news!" "What is it?" Iceclaw tilted his head slightly. "I'm expecting kits!" The she-cat meowed happily. "That's great news!" Iceclaw flicked his fluffy white tail.

"Have you come up with names yet?" "Yes I have! How does Tigerkit, Rainkit, Frostkit, and Petalkit sound?" Riverwing asked. "They sound great." The two nuzzled each other. Iceclaw looked to the side, nodding as Darkshadow jumped into the tree. "I have to get going," Iceclaw said turning around. "Ok, well see you later." Riverwing said sadly, turning to walk back to Riverclan camp. Darkshadow narrowed his eyes as he looked from his hiding spot.

The dark tom jumped down landing beside the white tom. "I want you to kill them as soon as possible, understood?" "Yes, *brother.*" "Good." The two toms walked back to Shadowclan camp in complete silence.

## Chapter 1-Broken Dreams

Tigerkit raced around camp, chasing Rainkit. "Come on Petalkit! You need to learn how to swim!" Dampfur said, setting the kit in the water. The tiny she kit squeaked as she hit the cold water. "But I don't have webbed feet like the others!" Petalkit squeaked. "You can still swim, Petalkit. Rainkit did it and he doesn't have webbed paws!" Frostkit growled from behind Dampfur. Tigerkit walked over and jumped in beside the small she kit. "I'll help you."

Petalkit nodded as Tigerkit showed her the basics. "Tigerkit, you should be a leader!" Frostkit squeaked. Rainkit just stood there. Rainkit is blind and mute, Dampfur said he was weak at birth and that's why he is like that. "Wait were six moons!" Tigerkit yowled happily. "Oh yes! I forgot." Dampfur gasped as she grabbed Petalkit and set her on the ground.

"May all cats old enough to swim gather around highrock for a clan meeting!" Froststar yowled. "We have four new apprentices to make today!" Redoak stood beside Froststar, staring at the four kits. "Tigerkit, Frostkit, Petalkit, and Rainkit, please step forward!" The four kits raced over and stood, looking up at Froststar. "Do you four promise to up hold the warrior code, even with the cost of your life?" They all nodded. "Well then, you four, I now make you Tigerpaw, Frostpaw, Petalpaw, and Rainpaw." 'Wait before you give them mentors! I have some news." A cat named Riverwing raced over with Dampfur behind her, padding slowly with a sadden look on her face.

"What is it Riverwing?" "Those four kits aren't mine and Berrytail." Dampfur meowed, looking to the side. "Their mine and their father is in Shadowclan." Redoak's eyes widened and he leapt down. "Those kits are a disgrace to our pure-blood line!" The grown tom spat as Riverwing looked at us with a disgraceful look in her eyes. "I wish they were never born!" Riverwing cried. Tigerpaw stood in front of his siblings, counting off and then her realized Frostpaw was missing.

"Frostpaw's missing!" Petalpaw yelped. "Froststar exile those four apprentices!" Redoak growled, clawing Tigerpaw's cheek. "Redoak, I assure you will chase them out of camp." "Yes Froststar."

"Wait!" Tigerpaw growled, blood dribbling down his cheek. "What is it brat!" "Can we at least find Frostpaw!" Tigerpaw said, choking back tears. "No." Redoak chased the three out of camp till the were by the Riverclan-Shadowclan border.

"I can't believe that happened." Petalpaw sighed, crying slightly. "It's ok, Petalpaw." Tigerpaw patted the small apprentice on the back. "Are you three lost?" The three looked over to a midnight colored tom. "Yes we are." "Well, let me show you to Shadowclan, I'm sure my leader will let you stay. I'm Darkshadow by the way." Petalpaw looked at Tigerpaw worriedly. "O-Okay." Petalpaw gulped as she walked ahead of Darkshadow. "I'm good, I'm going to go find my brother." Tigerpaw said bounding away. *That cat was sketchy, I hope Petalpaw and Rainpaw will be ok.*

Tigerpaw stopped by a bush as he heard a yowl. "That was Petalpaw." Tigerpaw said as he ran back over in that direction. Dampfur's lullaby sang in my head as I ran. She heard a kittypet singing it one time and learned the whole thing. "Petalpaw!" Tigerpaw skidded to a halt as he saw the lifeless body of Rainpaw and the almost dead Petalpaw. "Tigerpaw-" Petalpaw spurted out.

"Shh, don't talk." "Before I die, sing me the lullaby Dampfur would sing to us." Tigerpaw's eyes widen at her request. "But I don't remember it." Tigerpaw said,laying down beside her. "Just sing what you remember." Tigerpaw nodded. "Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do you? Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, The minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing Hallelujah," Tigerpaw sang, his voice cracking with sadness.

Petalpaw smiled as her chest stopped rising. Tigerpaw laid his head onto Petalpaw's small body, crying, blood and tears mixing and dropping onto the she cats petite body. "You look lost." Meowed a deep voice. Tigerpaw looked up and saw two cats standing there. "I'm Stonestar, leader of Shadowclan and this is my deputy Firefoot, and you are?"

## Chapter 2-A new life in a different clan

"I'm Tigerpaw." The tom said bluntly. "Well, Tigerpaw, you never answered my question, are you lost?" "I guess. Some cat killed my sister and brother and I can't go back to my clan." Tigerpaw meowed as he got up. "Well then Tigerpaw, let me show you to our camp, and maybe you could be one of our warriors one day." Stonestar said with a friendly tone. "O-Okay." He followed close behind the leader and deputy warily. They reached the camp entrance and Stonestar ducked his head and passed through the thicket.

Tigerpaw stared in awe as he looked around the camp. "Stonestar." A russet she cat padded up to the leader and deputy. She glanced at Tigerpaw for a second. "Who is this?" "Willowtail this is Tigerpaw." Tigerpaw flicked his tail as he looked at Willowtail. "Hello there Tigerpaw!" Willowtail said with a smile. "Hello Willowtail." "Darkshadow, I want you to retrieve those bodies immediately." Stonestar called to the cat who killed his littermates. "We'll find out who killed them soon." Firefoot said, padding away.

Stonestar showed him around camp and led him to the apprentice den. "You can start training tomorrow." Stonestar said, walking away. Tigerpaw gulped as he looked at grey she cat. "I smell Riverclan." The she cat growled. She looked up at Tigerpaw with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here fishy?" "I am not a fish!" Tigerpaw growled. "Ravenpaw calm down." A white she cat meowed padding up to them. "Frostpaw go away." Ravenpaw growled. "I'll handle this kittypet." "'Ravenpaw enough." Growled a tom, dragging her out of the den.

"She's always like that." Frostpaw sighed. "I'm Frostpaw, by the way." "Tigerpaw." "Frostpaw stop mingling with a stranger." Meowed a cream and brown tom from the corner of the den. He had forest green eyes, one looked blind, and his face was half cream, half brown. "Oh shut up Tornpaw." Frostpaw frowned. "What? I'm just stating the obvious." Tornpaw retorted. "You shouldn't be friends with a goody-twoshoes like her." Tornpaw said, pushing Frostpaw aside. Tigerpaw stood there looking at the cream and brown tom. "Oh come on Tornpaw! Stop trying to get other apprentices into your evil cats group." Frostpaw growled. Some cat came bursting into Shadowclan camp yelling. "What is it Dusksong?" Stonestar meowed.

Tigerpaw watched with ears pricked. "There's two dead kits on the border!" She yelled, her eyes wide with horror. "We know." Firefoot said. Tigerpaw turned to look at the other cat behind Stonestar. "Darkshadow, go fetch those bodies and bury them please." "Will do, Stonestar."