Ebonywind refused to let her head droop as she walked back to camp with the ThunderClan cats. Two or three of them, namely Pineleaf, Jayfeather and Poppyfrost, hissed at her, but the others all welcomed her warmly. Of course, it was because they knew who she was.

Ebonywind looked around the ThunderClan camp. It was different from her-no, ShadowClan's camp. While ShadowClan's camp was dark and dim, ThunderClan's camp was bright and leafy.

"I didn't think you would...come," Luckystar said diplomatically, approaching her.

"I would, mother," Ebonywind replied. "I think this is my new home."

Over the course of the next days, Ebonywind spent some time with her mother and made some new friends. Leafpaw and Whitepaw became interested in her very quickly and idolized her.

"I wish I could be as brave as you!" Whitepaw purred.

"I've never saved a Clan leader before!" Leafpaw agreed.

Ebonywind paused at the nursery entrance. She hadn't been in it before. She ducked into the nursery, greeting the only she-cat residing in it.

"Hello, Echoflight," Ebonywind sat down next to her.

"Hi," Echoflight panted back. "The kits are coming soon," she explained.

"Alright, I'll um leave you to it," she replied, feeling suddenly awkward.

"Ebonywind!"

She turned around to see Luckystar hurrying towards her.

"Leafpaw and Whitepaw want you to assist them in their warrior assessments," Luckystar told her.

"Really?" Ebonywind gasped.

"Really," Luckystar purred.

At sunhigh, Ebonywind left the camp with Whitepaw, Leafpaw, Skyheart and Stormcloud, their mentors.

"Alright," Skyheart addressed the apprentices. "Your first task is to go hunting. Once you've caught five pieces of prey, come back here. Ebonywind will be following you and so will Stormcloud and I."

Ebonywind nodded and decided to track Leafpaw first. The brown tabby she-cat glided through the bracken effortlessly. Leafpaw quickly tracked a squirrel and leapt onto its tree, killing it with a slice of her claws. Deciding Leafpaw was really excellent at hunting squirrels, she sniffed out Whitepaw and followed the white tom for a while.

Whitepaw had a little more trouble. He had scented a mouse, but let it get away.

Hesitated too long, she thought.

But he too, managed to show off his skills by catching a thrush mid air with a delicate twist of his back.

Impressive.

Once both apprentices had five pieces of fresh-kill, Ebonywind and their mentors met them at the clearing.

"Good," Stormcloud mewed. "Now, partner hunting. First, Whitepaw will lead, and once you catch one piece of prey, Leafpaw will lead for another catch."

Whitepaw and Leafpaw both chorused 'yes' and they set off. Ebonywind and the two mentors followed them, Stormcloud breaking off, saying he had scented something, until Whitepaw announced he had found a vole. Hidden, Ebonywind watched curiously as Leafpaw darted into the vole's sight. This could be a technique that ShadowClan had never taught her.

The vole scurried out of sight and into Whitepaw's paws. Whitepaw quickly slammed his paws down onto the vole and it was all over.

We've used that. Never mind.

Leafpaw sat up tall, her eyes bright, as she flicked her tail to Whitepaw, signalling they should both hide. They abandoned the vole and ducked into the thick undergrowth.

What are they doing? Take the vole!

Ebonywind was about to leap out to take the vole when a dark shadow blotted out the sun. She ducked down automatically as a small owl landed next to the vole.

Aha.

The owl fumbled with vole while Leafpaw slammed her tail down and both she and Whitepaw darted out of the bushes. Whitepaw clouted the owl over the head with his front paw while Leafpaw attacked its wings.

The owl tried to take flight, but Leafpaw had already injured it. It didn't have any hope.

"Good job," Skyheart mewed appreciatively, stepping out of her hiding spot. "That was a good tactic."

"I've never seen it before!" Ebonywind too, came out of hiding. "That was amazing!"

Stormcloud met them at the clearing with two mice at his paws.

"Alright, I'll go first," Stormcloud angled his ears towards the two nervous apprentices. "Whitepaw," he began. "You let a mouse run away but made up for it with that stunning kill of the thrush. Not every warrior can do that."

Whitepaw purred with happiness at his mentor's compliment.

"For your partner hunting, Whitepaw," Stormcloud continued. "When you led, you led Leafpaw very well. When Leafpaw scared the vole, you were in perfect position to kill it. The only mistake you made was when Leafpaw led. The owl could've injured you; you weren't defending when you tried to hit it."

"Did I pass?" Whitepaw asked eagerly.

Stormcloud twitched his ears. "Let Skyheart speak," he said, batting Whitepaw away with his tail playfully.

"Leafpaw, you excelled at your single hunting," Skyheart addressed her apprentice. "Your tracking was amazing and so was your movement. Your hunting crouch could be improved though. You managed to catch all five pieces of prey without any mistakes."

"Thanks!" Leafpaw purred.

"For your partner hunting, when Whitepaw led you, you followed his signals without any hesitation. That can be good and bad, but in this case, it worked very well. When you led, I saw that you scented the air and noticed the owl. I'm sure that the elders will appreciate the owl for a meal. Your attacks were aimed and purposeful and you kept your guard up." Skyheart informed her.

"Do we pass?" Leafpaw demanded, so nervous she couldn't sit still.

Skyheart gazed into Stormcloud's eyes and the littermates communicated silently. "Ebonywind, would you like to add anything?" Skyheart turned to her.

"Um well," Ebonywind stuttered. "It was amazing, really, basically what you guys just said, except the last tactic was epic. I've never seen anything like that!"

"Do we pass?!" Whitepaw's tail flicked back and forth eagerly.

"You pass," Skyheart purred.

"YES!" Leafpaw yowled so loudly that a magpie in a nearby tree flew away, startled.

"And you pass too," Stormcloud added.

"YAY!" Whitepaw cheered. "Thanks, Stormcloud!"

Leafpaw ran forward to nuzzle Skyheart respectfully before running off to the camp. Whitepaw followed her.

"We'll have the ceremony tonight!" Stormcloud called after them.

Ebonywind purred before following Stormcloud and Skyheart back to the camp.

"Do you promise to uphold the traditions of a warrior and serve the Clan for the rest of your live?" Luckystar asked Whitepaw and Leafpaw seriously.

"I do!" Whitepaw said immediately.

"I do." Leafpaw mewed, looking Luckystar straight in the eye.

"Then I name you Whitefur and Leafsong!" Luckystar touched her muzzle to both of the new warriors' heads gently. "Tonight, you will sit vigil for the Clan."

Whitefur and Leafsong shared a celebratory nuzzle before going to talk to their mother; Snowfall. The white she-cat licked them eagerly before helping them prepare for their vigil, her light blue eyes filled with joy.

The environment here is much better. Ravenflight thought with a pang of sadness. I wish that ShadowClan could've been like this.

---

Ebonywind followed Luckystar a little reluctantly as she attended her first Gathering since joining ThunderClan. She was worried what her old Clan would say.

Luckystar gracefully leapt onto a tree to perch on while they waited for ShadowClan to show up. RiverClan and WindClan were both here already, so Ebonywind moved around to try find Amberclaw or Ravenflight.

"Over here, Ebonywind!" Ravenflight called from where she and Amberclaw were sitting together.

Ebonywind thrust her way towards them and gazed at them. "I've missed you," she murmured.

"Yeah, same," Amberclaw agreed. "Anything exciting happen in ThunderClan?"

"I helped with Leafpaw and Whitepaw's warrior assessments!" Ebonywind exclaimed. "They're here today."

"ShadowClan's here," Ravenflight hissed before moving to join the other medicine cats. Ebonywind recognized Ravenflight's old apprentice, Wolflight, sitting next to her.

Meanwhile, Silverspots had sidled up to her. "Hey, Ebonywind," she mewed quietly.

"Is this one of the bad ones?" Amberclaw growled, her claws unsheathed.

"No, this is my friend, Silverspots," Ebonywind nuzzled the golden she-cat.

"I like your spots," Amberclaw said, trying to break the tension.

"ThunderClan!" Rowanstar yowled from his tree. "This is too much!"

"What've we done now?" Luckystar growled back. "You keep starting fights!"

Crowstar and Hailstar watched on nervously.

"You stole one of our warriors!" Rowanstar caterwauled.

"Thieves!" Slategaze called.

"Thief! Thief! Thief!" the ShadowClan cats yowled.

"How dare you!" Luckystar hissed.

"Personally, I agree with Luckystar," Hailstar said calmly. "We all heard you, Rowanstar. You didn't want Ebonywind."

"Well, I agree with Rowanstar," Crowstar chimed in, suddenly animated. "I believe that cats shouldn't switch Clans or even fall in love with a cat from a different Clan."

A shadow crossed Crowstar's face and numbly, Ebonywind wondered what had happened to him to make him so bitter.

"A war!" Rowanstar jeered at Luckystar.

"If you want a war, then I will give you a war!" Luckystar cried, losing control.

"RiverClan will take no part in this war," Hailstar interjected quickly.

"Neither will WindClan. This is your fight, ShadowClan," Crowstar agreed.

"ThunderClan! We're leaving!" Luckystar spat at Rowanstar before leading her Clan towards their camp.

"Bye, Amberclaw," Ebonywind said hastily before following her mother.