chapter one : memories

Ambertuft vaguely remembered the day Jackalstar became leader. After all, she was a tiny little kitten then. With a sigh, the black she-cat rested her head on the walls of the den, listening to the rain hitting the ground. The Bramble Den was made out of bracken and vine, so it wasn't very comfortable as she leaned on it.

She thought about her sister, Sorrelfire, who had already gotten four points in the five short moons they had been warriors. All the skill points must've gone to her, the problem with being in a three-kit litter. Ambertuft had thought she got her father's brains, but her brother seemed smarter. Her odd eyes were half-closed as she let memories over flood her brain.

"Ambertuft!" Poppysnap gasped as she ran over, quickly. She had jumped and yelped, nearly giving away her position. After recovering, the black she-cat rolled her eyes at her friend.

"What is it, Poppysnap?" Ambertuft had asked, annoyed, "We're supposed to be hunting."

"Rogue," was all the jumpy tortoiseshell whispered, suddenly alarmed as her ears perked up.

"So?" Ambertuft had snapped, a scowl forming on her face as she clearly was annoyed with Poppysnap.

"You could get a point."

Ambertuft froze. Points were the last thing on her mind. She wasn't ready, she hadn't wanted to kill. She remembered her sister, biting that cat's neck with no mercy, no regret.

"Why don't you kill them yourself?" Ambertuft hissed, trying to stumble her way out of this. If Jackalstar had figured out they left a rogue alone!

"I can't," Poppysnap replied simply, digging her paws in the dirt.

Ambertuft rolled her odd-colored eyes again, hiding her insecurities, and moved toward the bushes from which Poppysnap first emerged her. She heard the nervous she-cat pad away, and the black cat sighed again.

The rogue was a gray tabby she-cat. Her bright yellow eyes fixed on the mouse before her. The tabby seemed aout her age, 18 moons.

"Hey." Poppysnap meowed out of nowhere, causing Ambertuft to jump, "I got Smokecloud, in case Jackelstar needs another witness."

"You almost gave away my goddamn position," Ambertuft scowls again, looking over to her brother, who was staring at the rouge with a horrified look on his face.

The black cat closed her eyes, took a deep breath and jumped out of the bushes. Ambertuft had landed on the she-cat's back, rolled her over and pinned her down.

"Who are you?" she growled, remembering her training, "What are you doing on ThornClan territory?"

"M-my name is Acacia and I-I swear I d-didn't know I was trespassing!" the rogue had yelped, her voice shaking. The lie was easy to see through.

"Likely story." Ambertuft hissed, her mind running through what Rosedawn told her.

The black cat had sunk her teeth into Acacia's throat. Warm blood pouring into her mouth, her trying to shove away her thoughts of horror. Ambertuft shut her eyes, and kept her teeth there until the body went limp.

Ambertuft shivered as she remembered, snapping back into reality with a small yelp. A few cats stirred behind her, and she quickly decided to think about 'happier' things. Such as how she got her nickname, 'Bird'.

Ambertuft had leaped, catching the sparrow and bringing it down. Hunting, she loved hunting. It was different than just murdering, there was a reason.

"Great catch!" Sorrelfire applauded, making her sister look down, embarrassed. Ambertuft had felt her fur grow hot, and she shuffled her paws. She had never been praised by her sister before. The one with 2 points in 3 moons. The one she looked up to.

"Maybe we should start calling you Bird." Poppysnap mused, only half-joking. Her voice had been muffled by a mouse.

"Okay then." Ambertuft shrugged, gathering her catch.

"Okay, Bird." Sorrelfire mewed, amused, "Let's get back to camp."

The rain had stopped by now, and the sun was shining. The raindrops left on the earth glistened in the light. Ambertuft squinted and she saw the dawn patrol returning, their pelts wet. Bumblewhisker shook out his pelt, causing raindrops to spray all over the 3 other cats. Spottedflower, his mate, growled playfully and pawed at him. Quiet-throat rolled his eyes and stalked off into the Cave League den, while Sparrowpaw, his apprentice, padded off into the Trainee den.

Ambertuft stood up, as well as some other Brambles, she must've woken them up from her yelp. The cat walked out and grabbed a mouse, happy that she was awake early. She walked past Dropletleap and Nettlefur, the mates were sharing a robin. Ambertuft had remembered when Dropletleap had confessed to his mate, his voice had been shaky as no one had seen a tom and a tom before. It all had worked out, but she knew they were still uncomfortable.

"Share?" Ambertuft tilted her head at her brother once she reached him, sitting down.

Smokecloud shrugged, and sat down, taking a bite from the mouse. The she-cat sighed, she had tried to get him to speak more. Did insecurity run in the family? No, Sorrelfire wasn't insecure, right? Her mind then shifted over to Smokecloud's horrified look when she killed the rouge from moons ago, and she tilted her head again.

"Remember when I k-killed at rouge?" Ambertuft started, her curiosity taking over her common sense, "Why were you looking at her like that?"

Smokecloud's eyes went wide, and he quickly stood up. He shook his head frantically, his ears twitching and he padded away. Ambertuft stared, confused. After a moment, the cat shrugged and finished the mouse. The black cat then glanced up, suddenly guilty for finishing the prey. 

Poppysnap was dragging herself out of the den (she was on moonlight patrol), only to find that the prey pile was empty. Ambertuft watched her sigh, and go up to Branchstripe.

"Hunting! All cats who didn't get a piece of prey come!" the deputy yowled with an undertone of annoyance. Larkpine, Lilybloom and Yewface padded up. Snowtalon ran after them, trailed by Dewpaw. Ambertuft twitched her tail as she overheard their conversation.

"Do not return until you have caught four pieces each. No eating, only hunting," Branchstripe told the cats harshly, his eyes narrowed.

The patrol sulked out, Larkpine in the lead. Dewpaw looked worried, every cat knew that he was terrible at hunting. Ambertuft suspected that it was because he was worried that he'd hold the patrol back. Poppysnap was at the rear of the patrol, her tail dragging behind her.

Ambertuft sighed, looking back at the ground, as she mentally prepared herself for a day of training.

[ old ] A/N:
Yayy! I'm really proud of this!
Smokecloud isn't mute, he's just not much of a talker.

Fact of the day: The first leader of ThornClan was Spottedstar, Spottedflower was named after him.