"Cloudpaw, Ravenpaw, and Patchpaw, step forward."

Sharptalon was sitting with Echostrike and Needlepaw, watching as Gorsestar was about to make three apprentices into warriors. 

"WindClan hardly ever has apprentices," Needlepaw commented, licking her paw. 

Sharptalon twitched his whiskers. 

"I was Patchpaw's mentor, so I can inform that she is ready to become a warrior. She passed her assessment nicely," Gorsestar purred. "Eaglefeather, are you sure that Cloudpaw is ready to become a warrior?" He asked.

"Yes, he is ready," Eaglefeather meowed, dipping his head.

"Larkwing, is Ravenpaw ready to become a warrior?" Gorestar asked.

"Yes, he is very much ready," Larkwing answered, dipping her head.

Gorsestar turned to Patchpaw, Cloudpaw, and Ravenpaw, his eyes shimmering with pride. "I, Gorsestar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warriors in their turn."

Patchpaw's tail lifted in excitement. 

"Patchpaw, Cloudpaw, and Ravenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Gorsestar asked them.

"I do," Patchpaw purred.

"I do," Cloudpaw meowed, puffing out his chest.

"I do," Ravenpaw meowed, lifting his chin.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Patchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Patchshade. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan," Gorsestar meowed proudly. 

Patchshade leaned forward and licked his shoulder, purring.

As the new warrior stepped back, Gorsestar turned to Cloudpaw. "Cloudpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Clouddust. StarClan honors your quick-thinking and skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan," Gorsestar meowed.

Clouddust leaned forward proudly, licking his leader's shoulder.

Gorsestar finally turned to Ravenpaw. "Ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ravenstorm. StarClan honors your skill and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

Ravenstorm leaned forward to lick Gorsestar's shoulder, his fur rippling.

"Patchshade! Clouddust! Ravenstorm!" The Clan cheered. 

Sharptalon saw Windflower and Slightfoot rush forward, greeting their kits with excited purrs. 

Needlepaw sighed beside him. "I wonder when we get to go home," she puffed.

"I guess when Echostrike is feeling better," Sharptalon murmured. This morning, the she-cat had been complaining of a head-ache and had been claiming that she'd felt dizzy. 

"Don't forget to sit vigil tonight," Slightfoot reminded his kits.

Ravenstorm blinked at him. "But why? Sitting vigil isn't very important."

Sharptalon was surprised. This tom seemed to be against vigils.

Slightfoot bristled. "It's for guarding the Clan at night to protect your Clanmates. You're telling me that that isn't important to you?" He growled, lashing his tail.

"I'm sure he meant something else," Windflower soothed. "I can tell that you're tired, Ravenstorm. Get something to eat and then rest." She padded past him, brushing her tail along his flank.

Ravenstorm sighed, flattening his ears. He padded past his father, his tail-tip flicking.

Patchshade and Clouddust watched after him, their eyes rounding with concern.

"Pay no attention to him," Slightfoot meowed. He touched his nose to his son's and daughter's cheek. "I'm happy for all of you."

Sharptalon watched as the black tom walked away towards his mate. He felt slightly jealous, wishing his father had been like that. Sharptalon then shook his thoughts. No, I shouldn't be jealous. If my father had been nicer, I wouldn't been the way I am now. 

"Sharptalon, Echostrike, Needlepaw," Gorsestar called. 

Sharptalon was forced back into the present as he heard Gorsestar's call. 

"Sharptalon, would you mind joining a patrol?" Gorsestar asked, his blue eyes shimmering. 

"I don't mind," Sharptalon sighed.

"Breezepelt, Sunstrike, and Clouddust are waiting for you at the entrance."

Sharptalon stumbled into his nest beside Echostrike. He'd hunted all day long until nightfall. He curled up for sleep, closing his eyes. While on Breezepelt's patrol, he'd talked with the amber-eyed tom about the Dark Forest. Now Sharptalon finally felt himself falling into sleep. Darkness closed his vision.

Sharptalon blinked open his eyes. He was in the Dark Forest. The familiar scents of dead plants and mist swirled around him. 

"Sharptalon!" 

Sharptalon turned around, seeing Sparkpelt, Mistfang, Breezepelt, Scorchfur, Spikefur, Yarrowleaf, Owlnose, and Darkspots. He also spotted Needlepaw and Ravenstorm.

"Ravenstorm?" Sharptalon meowed in surprise. 

"I just now woke up here," Ravenstorm meowed. 

Mapleshade slid from the dark shadows. "You're here because you're tired of Clan rules, right?" She purred.

Ravenstorm flattened his ears. "Yes. The Clans are always trying to force these rules onto us: No eating prey for yourself after you've just caught it, no mates outside your Clan, medicine cats can't have mates, you can't kill another cat in battle unless you have no choice, and all this other stupid crap," Ravenstorm growled. "Why can't we just make our own rules?"

Brokenstar and Hawkfrost padded from the darkness suddenly.

"Join the rogues if you want to live a free life," Brokenstar insisted. 

Crowstar slid from the darkness, Silk at his side. "The rogues live by their own rules. They can eat prey whenever the want, sleep whenever and wherever they want, have whatever mate they want, and they can kill any time they want to," he meowed, lashing his black tail. "Once you join the rogues, they'll be more powerful than ever and they can take over the Clans. And once the Dark Forest breaks free, we will join the rogues and get rid of the Clans for once and for all," Crowstar finished, his dark blue eyes shimmering.

Silk nodded in agreement. "Ashstar started this stupid war. But since he isn't here anymore, we can freely kill off his kin."

Sharptalon flattened his ears. "I'm his kin."

"But you're different than his kin. You're a lot more fiercer, a lot more hungry for blood and revenge." Wolffang slid from the shadows, his tail flicking. "I was Ashstar's son and I'm a lot more different from him."

Mistfang blinked. "I'm his kin too."

"And me," Needlepaw meowed, her green eyes shimmering.

Wolffang looked around. "Falconflight is part of Ashstar's kin too. And look where he ended up."

 "But his father is here too," Brokenstar meowed. He looked around, his whiskers twitching. "Dark Forest cats, come out!" He yowled.

Silverhawk and Sparrowfeather stepped from the shadows, their eyes shimmering. 

Rowandust and Falconflight stepped from the shadows, claws unsheathed.

Russetstar, Kindle, and Starblaze padded from the shadows, stopping beside Silk and Crowstar. 

Maggottail and Houndleap padded from the shadows, their pelts looking see-through. Shredtail and Rushtooth came out after them.

Snowtuft, Clawface, and Darkstripe padded from the shadows.

Sharptalon looked around. There were twenty Dark Forest cats that surroundded him and the trainees. 

The last of the cats padded from the shadows.

Brokenstar lifted his chin. "If only Tigerstar and Thistleclaw were still here," he sighed. 

Hawkfrost glanced at him. "We need to decide on a leader and deputy."

"Hawkheart is our medicine cat. I will be the leader," Brokenstar meowed. His eyes blazed with fury. Turning to Hawkfrost, he meowed. "You will be my deputy." He then turned to Ripplestar. " And you will be the second leader."

Hawkheart padded from the shadows now, his ears flattened. Ripplestar was at his side. "We should take an oath of loyalty to make sure our trainees are loyal," he hissed.

"Let's out everyone into a group first," Ripplestar meowed. "We should have all our other leaders separate from our warriors."

"If you insist," Brokenstar meowed. "Leaders! Separate yourselves from our warriors."

Darkstar, a black she-cat, padded towards Crowstar and Russetstar, who were heading towards a tall rotten tree. Oakstar followed them.

"Before we take the oath," Brokenstar began. "We have something we'd like to try."