Amberpath

## Blurb

AdderClan's leader, Snowstar, passes away. The she-cat did not have a deputy at the time of death, so the cats are fighting for the position of leader. The medicine cat, Dawnbird, receives a prophecy from StarClan that a fellow warrior, Leafwind, has all the qualifications to be the next leader.

## Allegiances

### **AdderClan**

Leader: Snowstar - White she-cat with darker ripples.

Deputy: N/A

Medicine Cat: Dawnbird - Long-haired gray tom with darker stripes.

Apprentice, Riverpaw

Warriors:

Blackfur - Black tom with folded ears.

Apprentice, Flowerpaw

Lakeshore - Blue-gray she-cat with a scar across the left eye.

Jaggedrock - Black tom with extremely long claws.

Leafwind - Fluffy white she-cat with one black ear.

Nightstorm - Dark gray tom with a cream underbelly.

Morningweb - Golden she-cat with one blind eye.

Apprentices:

Flowerpaw - Small ginger tom with a stumpy tail.

Riverpaw - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat.

Queens:

Fallenpuddle - Black she-cat with multiple scars. (Mother of Nightstorm's kits; Leafkit and Twinklekit)

Beechstream- Cream she-cat. (Expecting Blackfur's kits)

Kits:

Leafkit - Speckled dark gray she-kit.

Twinklekit - White tom with golden paws.

Elders:

Swallowsky - Pale brown she-cat.

## Prologue

Snowflakes landed in the cat's fur, as she stared deep into the forest. Something from afar was watching her, as if it were a rogue stalking her every movements. "Jaggedrock!" The cat mewled out, flinging her head behind her. Her tail twitched impatiently, as the creature stalked closer to the warrior.

After a few minutes of the figure creeping closer, a black tom with extremely long claws appeared beside the she-cat. His sky blue eyes immediately went over to the unknown creature. He was lost in thought for a couple moments, until he leaped onto it. The fluffy she-cat stumbled back in surprise, as her green eyes realized what it was;

A fox.

Jaggedrock had tackled a fox.

"Jaggedrock!" She yowled, "Get away!"

The tom's ears perked up as the hostile predator yelped and swung the warrior off. Jaggedrock hit the ground, roughly, as the fox ran over to bite him. The she-cat rushed over, managing to scratch one of it's back legs. The fox growled and kicked it's hind legs, shoving the warrior back into a tree.

Jaggedrock slipped away from the fox, heading over to his Clanmate. "Leafwind, we need to get back to camp!" He stated, the she-cat supposedly named Leafwind struggling to stand on her paws. The fox whipped it's body towards the two, growling at them. It look as if it were going to rush over and kill both of them easily.

Jaggedrock ran back to his clan's camp, Leafwind stumbling after him. Pain filled her back as the fox stalked them back to their camp, a white she-cat with darker ripples awaiting in front of the entrance.

"Sn-Snowstar!" Leafwind called out, catching the attention of the she-cat. Her ears flattened as she dashed over to her warrior, worry spilled all over her face.

"Go to Dawnbird, I'll take care of it." She meowed, unsheathing her claws as the fox stalked closer. Leafwind nodded, trotting over to the medicine cat's den.

The frozen waterfall in the den cracked beneath the warrior, alerting the medicine cat. "Hello, Leafwind... What seems to be the problem?" The tom stood, his apprentice continuing to sort some herbs.

Leafwind managed to take a few steps, before collapsing in front of Dawnbird. The medicine cat hummed and took some Coltsfoot and Dock from the piles, trotting over to the injured she-cat.

"What happened, young warrior?" He asks, searching through the fluffy she-cat's white fur for any bleeding or open wounds. Leafwind took a moment to reply to the tom's question,

"A fox... It- it attacked Jaggedrock and I..." She took a moment to catch her breath, Dawnbird gently pushing some Coltsfoot in front of her, "Take that if you're experiencing shortness of breath. Continue on." He meowed, Leafwind pawing at the herb.

"It's chewed into a pulp and eaten." The gray tom purred, drawing his paw back after finding no bleeding or wounds. "Well... Jaggedrock attacked it first, not knowing what it was..." Dawnbird hummed, "I thought it would be a rogue or something, if I was being honest..."

The medicine cat apprentice padded over, some Goldenrod dangling from her mouth. "Jaggedrock attacked a fox?" The lithe apprentice questions, shifting her gaze to her mentor. "Yes... We didn't know what it was..." The fluffy white she-cat clarified, the long-haired gray tom intervening,

"Jaggedrock needs to be more precise with his actions." Leafwind flattened her ears at the tom's words, "Your littermate's a leaf-brain, Dawnbird." The apprentice rested the golden herb onto the snowy flooring, "Now Riverpaw, let's not address Jaggedrock that way..." The tom sighs.

"Go on, Leafwind. Just ignore Riverpaw's behaviour. She hasn't had a good day today." The medicine cat picked up some dock, glancing over at Leafwind. "The fox shoved him onto the grass, and ran over to bite him.." The kind-hearted she-cat hissed at the thought of the creature harming her friend in anyway.

Dawnbird began chewing on the herb, flicking his tail to signify that he was still paying attention to the story. "I couldn't stand by and watch him die! So, I ran over and managed to scratch one of it's hind legs." Riverpaw sighs, heading over to the piles of herbs.

She picked out some cobwebs, until the gray medicine cat stopped her. "She is not bleeding, just some scratches." He meowed, his apprentice dropping the cobwebs. "What happened after that?" Riverpaw asks, Leafwind sighing.

"That fox-dung creature shoved me into a tree!" She hissed as Dawnbird drops the chewed Dock, beginning to apply it onto her scratches. The burning feeling of the herb made the warrior want to yowl out in pain.

"I see..." Dawnbird purred, "Where is Jaggedrock at this moment?" He asks Leafwind, her shaking her head somewhat violently. "I'm not exactly sure. My guess would be the warrior's den." She responds, Riverpaw nodding. "I shall go find him." She pads outside the den, leaving the warrior and her mentor alone together.

"Jaggedrock didn't come into this den immediately?" Leafwind asks after a few moments in silence, "I'm afraid that he did not." Dawnbird mewls, Leafwind sighing as she tolerates the pain that the Dock is gifting her.

## Chapter One

Snowstar was heavily injured, as well as the fox. Crimson red blood stained the driven snow, as Snowstar paused to catch her breath. The wind raced through the unofficial leader's pelt, the fox racing towards her.

The she-cat leaped to her left, dodging the predator's attack. The she-cat panted, her tail tucked between her legs. The fox stood there, it's eyes fixed on her. It was silence between the two, a golden she-cat noticing and running over.

Snowstar arched her back, the fox taking advantage of the situation. The creature leaped onto her, clawing her neck. Snowstar gurled out her blood, her heart slowing down on it's beats. "Snowstar!" The golden warrior called out.

Leafwind trotted out of the medicine cat's den, her fluffy fur shining as bright as the snow. Dawnbird followed, some cobwebs hanging from his mouth. He wanted to be sure that Leafwind was okay, after all.

It was his job to heal those who are injured.

"Snowstar?" Leafwind mewed, her tail hanging low as she stalked towards the entrance. There, they saw something that would change the clan.

Snowstar's limp body.

It laid there, blooding dripping from her opened neck as the soft, beautiful fur of hers got covered with small, gentle snowflakes. "Fox-dung!" Leafwind hissed, tears spilling from her eyes as rage filled her emotions.

Dawnbird stood there, his ears flattening. Sure, he never approved of Snowstar becoming the clan's leader, but he didn't believe that she deserved dying. It seemed like time stood still, the peaceful snowflakes landing onto the cats as the traumatic sight unfolded upon them.

"It was the fox," A golden she-cat swore, gripping their attention, "I promise. To StarClan." She flattened her ears. Her claws were covered in crimson red blood, and she was bleeding it as well. Leafwind barked out, "That's fox-dung!" Dawnbird took a few steps back, "The evidence is right on your claws! You killed our leader!" "Leafwind, let's not be so quick to assume..."

Leafwind snapped her head towards the medicine tom, her tail flicking violently. "Are you not seeing this, Dawnbird?" She hissed, "Morningweb killed Snowstar! She has to be punished for her actions!" Dawnbird sighs, glancing over at Morningweb.

The poor warrior looked traumatized, as Leafwind continued to accuse her of murdering Snowstar. Dawnbird glanced over back at camp, worried for his clan.

"Dawnbird, please..." The golden she-cat begged, her tail tucking between her hind legs. "Come on, you two. I'm sure we'll figure this out soon." The meowed, Morningweb sighing. The sticky liquid was caught in her claws, annoying the she-cat.

"Where's Snowstar?" Jaggedrock questions, concerned. Multiple cats rushing over, gasping at the blood on Morningweb's claws. "She killed Snowstar?" "We have to exile her!" "Leave our territory, Morningweb!" Multiple cats protested.

Dawnbird keeps his calm attitude as he replies, "Hush, everyone. We're not sure if Morningweb had killed Snowstar, or if it was the fox's blood. Although, there was no sign of the fox anywhere..." Leafwind flattens her ears,

Had she wrongfully accuse Morningweb of killing Snowstar? Or was it the fox?