( Snowehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 8D )

Snakepaw pricked his ears, a little noise catching his attention. It sounded like a pitiful mew. He followed it closely, small black body waeving through the forest quickly. When he stopped, he was astounded by what he saw. 

On the river that parted PoppyClan and OakClan, a small silver kit was stranded on a stray branch. It was soaked, mewling, and looked like it was about to drop into the torrents. Snakepaw quickly dove into the water, paws churning in an effort to swim against the current.

When he got close enough, he grabbed hold on the kit's scruff and pried it off of the branch. It squeaked a little bit. Then he paddled to s*censored*, tired and exhausted, shivering from the cold. The kit curled up  next to him and continued to mew into his ear.

(The kit's name is Wolf. /Wolfkit, Wolfpaw, Wolfheart/ )

(Sorry. My computer keeps dieing on me. T_T Don't worry. This'll be my last new-charriefor a long time. I inted to keep four characters onl for a while. ;D)

Looks:

     Eclipse wandered through the forest. Well, to her, it was just a forest. She could sense the little forest animals scurrying in the forest. The scents of cats were very strong here. The all smelt the same. "Ugh. Clan cats." she snarled. She burst through a bush, growling in annoyance as the branches got caught in her black pelt. She glared at the bush defiantly before turning around again. She took a step back almost immediatly, snarling like the true rogue she was, glaring at the small black cat with the golden-tipped tail.

     Nightpaw shook his head in annoyance. "I asked him what he was doing by the stream, and then I told him he shouldn't be out here without a mentor, because usually apprentices are out only with their mentors, and he growled at me. Then he said, 'Mind your own business' and he said he'd claw off my ears. So then I said something rude to him. But he deserved it." he growled.

     Echostar sat down beside Oakfeather. "Aren't apprentices a handfull?" she asked the warrior, tiredness clear in her voice.

     Elmclaw stared at Shadowpaw, waiting for an answer.

Oakfeather nodded, tongue rasping over the fur on his chest gently. "Poppypaw has more energy then I thought possible."

___________

Limefeather got to her paws, lime green eyes distant. "Let's go find him," she declared. "There are a lot of rogues in the forests these days." 

_________

Snakepaw dragged himself to his feet, looking down at the kit between his paws. His breathing was coming in rapid gasps, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. But the kit didn't seem to be moving.

He started to lick the kit's fur the wrong way to warm him up. Finally Wolf made a little choking sound, which made him certain he was alive. He nearly dropped the silver tom when Eclipse snarled at him.

He got to his feet shakily, and looked at her with boiling eyes.

     "And Snakepaw doesn't like kittypets at all." she sighed. "And Leafpaw hardly believes in StarClan. Or the warrior code." she sighed, looking up at the purple sky. "Why are apprentices so challenging?" she frowned.

~

     Nightpawsighed and followed Limefeather. Oh StarClan, what have I done? It's all my fault. he thought to himself. If I hadn't said those things to Snakepaw, maybe he wouldn't have left.

~

     Eclipse stopped snarling, noticing the kit in his paws. She stopped snarling, staring at the kit. "Is it dead?" she asked coldly, not really caring at all.

Oakfeather smirked a little. "I was a stubborn, pain-in-the-butt apprentice too. And look at the warrior I've become." He blinked, looking down at his paws. "Those difficulties will form them into healthy young warriors."

_____

Limefeather padded out of the camp, eyes distant and her mind wandering in random directions. Her tail tip twitched.

_____

Snakepaw snarled, lips drawing back over his teeth. "I don't know," he admitted frostily. "I just pulled it out of the river. What do you want." His nursery-soft fur was wet, and clung to his small body, making him look even smaller.

Echostar sighed. "I know. But it's all so troubling. Snakepaw doesn't seem like he wants to stay here. At all. Leafpaw doesn't seem to put too much effort on feeding the Clan. Elmclaw told me that he found her eating a piece of fresh-kill. Durring a hunting patrol."

~

Nightpaw fallowed behind his mentor, troubled thoughts going through his head.

~

Eclipse growled. "Food." she stared at him defiantly with her green eyes. "And before you ask, or try to chase me out of this Clan territory, I have to say that I don't care. At all. And it'll be hard to get me out of here."

Snakepaw looked at her defiantly. "The Clan cats can chase you out if they want to," he said in a cold voice. "I have no bone to pick with you." He scooped up Wolf, and glared at Eclipse. He said through a mouthful of fur, "I'm a loner now."

______

Limefeather skidded to a halt, signalling for Nightpaw to freeze. She hissed low under her breath, "He's with a rogue. And he's holding....a kit?" Her green eyes were puzzled.

______

Oakfeather shrugged. "We can't do anything but try and point them in the right direction. They have their own minds. Maybe they just weren't born for clan life. Not all Clan cats are." He twitched his ears. "I know my parents weren't. They left Limefeather and I here when we were apprentices, remember?"

     "Well, in that case, can I go with you?" she asked. "Wherever you are going. I'm kind of alone now." she started to padd close to Snakepaw. "The kit looks hungry." she noted, looking at the small-sih ribs that could be seen. "He looks as though he's only a pelt and bones." She flicked her ears toward the direction that Limefeather and Nightpaw were standing, acknowledging that they were there.

~

      Nightpaw stopped himself gracefully, trying not to make noises with his paws. Obviously he was unsuccessful, because he stepped on atree branch and it cracked. He frowned when the rogue noticed him.

~

     Echostar nodded. "Yea. That was strange. They just dissapeared and no one knew where they went." she shook her head. "We were all crying with you." she shook her head. "None of the warriors could get us to go back to train." she laughed. "We were all very stubborn apprentices."

Oakfeather nodded, and stared at the sky with a serious ex
pression on his face. He was lost in thought for a minute, eyes hollow and blank. Then he turned to Echostar. "I have a feeling something is wrong," he said.

____

Snakepaw bristled at first, every hair on his pelt against the idea of travelling with the bigger she-cat. but he relaxed, looking down at Wolf with a concerned ex
pression. His ears flicked and his whiskers twitched as his green eyes focused on the silver kit. He did look like flesh and bones.

But his attention was snapped instantly to Limefeather and Nightpaw. He put the kit down and unsheathed his claws, snarling angrily. "You followed me!" he accused, narrowing his eyes. "I'm going to shred you to bits!" 

Wolf mewed pitifully, stumbling on little legs towards Eclipse. His blue eyes were wide in confusion, and his damp fur was sticking up in random directions. His silver tail waved like a flag in the air.

Limefeather hissed, baring her teeth at her son. "Relax, Snakepaw. Just step away from the rogue and come with us, back to PoppyClan. You're wanted here. Nobody cares how small you are." Her voice was soft. "You're wanted here."

Snakepaw slashed at the air with unsheathed claws. "Shut up, you old flea-bag! You and that piece of foxdung-" he shot a glare at Nightpaw, "Mean nothing to me. You are worthless." His eyes flashed. "I don't need you, or that stupid group of kittypets you call a clan!"

Limefeather recoiled like he'd slapped her.

     Echostar tilted her head to the side. "Care to elaborate?"

     Eclipse crouched down beside the kit, standing over it, snarling at the CLan cats. "He has free-will you stupid mouse-brain. He can choose his own future, and he doesn't need his mother to tell him how to live." She grabbedthe kit by it's scruff gently. She felt different. Her mother always taught her to show no emotion. To be merciless. But with the kit and Snakepaw, she didn't feel like she had to hide anything.

(No one told her that Limefeather was the mom of Snakepaw, she just figured it out by looking at them. Just to be clear.)

     Nightpaw stared at the rogue she-cat, his mouth open wide. "Eclipse?" he gasped. "Is that you?"

Snakepaw narrowed his eyes at Eclipse, resisting the urge to rip Wolf out of her grip. "My mother is dead," he spat, nursery-soft fur bristling from head to toe. "A rogue kittypet kill my mother and father." His eyes blazed with fury, and he sunk his claws into the dirt.

Limefeather stayed silent, unsure of what to say or do. She was muted for a minute by fear.

________

Lionfur padded up to Echostar and Oakfeather, flicking each of their shoulders in turn, to show greeting. She sat down, flicking her ears to listen to what they were saying. Her blue eyes focused on Oakfeather.

Oakfeather nodded to Lionfur, and then mewed, "I just have a feeling something bad is happening somewhere..." His eyes darkened. "Maybe we should check up on the apprentices."

Poppypaw sprinted out of camp, looking around desperately for her brother. She skidded to a halt behind Nightpaw, accidently bumping into him. But she didn't apologize; she was staring at her brother in disbelief.

     Nightpaw tripped, being knocked into Limefeather by Poppypaw. "Poppypaw!" he cried. "What was that for?" he glared at the apprentice, his tail tip twitching in annoyance.

      "Nightpaw, what are you doing here?" she asked, tired suddenly. Nightpaw stared at his sister. "What are you doing here?" he asked her, a bit more friendly than the other cats. Eclipse shrugged and turned back to Snakepaw. "Why don't you just ask her." Eclipse's ears twitched toward Limefeather. "Then this can all be straightened out." she put the kit down infront of Snakepaw. "I'll leave if you want." she started to back away.

~

     "Hello Lionfur." shesmiled warmly, before turning back to Oakfeather. "If you think that'll help." she stood up and finished her mouse, scarfing it down.

(Nightpaw only knows that Eclipse is his sister. He doesn't know that Ghostpaw and Shadowpaw are his sisters too. And vise-versa with Eclipse. She only knows that Nightpaw is her brother.)

( I see. )

Lionfur nodded, standing up and stretching out her sore legs. She nodded her head, to tell them that she would help as well.

Oakfeather meowed as he stood, "I'll go check their den." He started to pad toward's the apprentice's den.

__________

Snakepaw shook his head. "Don't leave yet; I'm not done with you." He turned on Limefeather, and spat at her, "What is she talking about?"

Limefeather shook her head, automatically backpedalling. "I don't know. Honestly." She started to back away from him and Eclipse, unhappiness coming off of her in waves.

Poppypaw ignored Nightpaw. She glared at her brother. "What are you doing?!" she demanded angrily. "come back here!"

"I'm a loner now," Snakepaw said in a husky voice, a little confused by Limefeather's reaction. "I'm not coming back, Poppypaw." His green eyes met her gold eyes for only a second, and then she lunged at him. 

"No!" she yowled, leaping at him with unsheathed claws. "No! You can't leave me! I'll shred you to pieces first!" She raked her claws across his muzzle, blood splattering her fur. Then she jumped onto his back, causing him to crumple under her weight.

Limefeather darted out of the shadows, and pulled Poppypaw off of Snakepaw. "Keep your claws off of my son!" she yowled angrily, eyes blazing. And then she was struck by horror. Everyone was looking at her.

Snakepaw stared at Limefeather in disbelief. He couldn't grasp the facts. Her eyes met his; the bright green eyes they both shared. Instead of picking a fight, or saying anything, he picked Wolf up and started to walk away, bristling from head to toe. 

     Eclipse snarled at Poppypaw. She would've jumped at her, but she didn't want to let the kit be unprotected. When Snakepaw left with the kit, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to follow him, but she didn't want him to turn on her and tell her to leave him alone. Deciding that she didn't really care, she turned to follow Snakepaw. Then, Nightpaw called out "Wait." she turned to him. "Tell dad that I'm doing good on my own, brother." she turned her back on her brother and ran after Snakepaw.

~

     Echostar padded beside Oakfeather to the apprentice's den. "It smells as though it's vacent." she sniffed the air a bit more. "I don't think there's anyone in there." she concluded.

Oakfeather nodded, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "Where could they be..?"

Lionfur sprinted up to the leader adn Oakfeather, jumping up and down. She'd found the apprentice's scent trail. They all led into the forest. She nosed them both, then started to return back to the scent trail.

Oakfeather followed Lionfur, following the scent himself.

__________

Poppypaw look struck as she wriggled away from her mother. "You can't be... That's against the warrior code!" Her golden eyes were wide with shock as she backed away from Limefeather, and into Nightpaw by accident.

Limefeather couldn't help but feel flustered and grumpy. And a little bit unwanted. She spun around, and started to stalk back to camp. 

___________

Snakepaw didn't glance back at Eclipse, even though he was aware that she was there. She padded on in silence, gripping Wolf tightly in his jaws. His fur was starting to dry, revealing how it was still kitten-soft.

Woolf squealed, writhing around in Snakepaw's jaws. He was hungry and tired. He wailed again.