I woke up from a horrifying dream. I couldn't breath and I was pinned down by a dog thrashing at my throat. I blinked my eyes to try to wash the dream away, but it seemed as if Star Clan wanted me to remember this dream. Everyone was awake and out of the den. I better go and hunt in the morning patrol I thought. I walked out of the Warriors den and the leader came up to me and I walked over too her and said " can I go on the morning patrol?"

"No" she said sternly. I looked at her puzzled. I thought I was a warrior and I thought I could go on patrols. I asked her a different question this time " Then can I go and hunt?" She looked at me and stared into my eyes. I thought she was about to claw my eyes out, but instead she said "no" then walked away. I thought I could go and hunt too! My tail was ripping through the cold air and my paws kneading the ground. What now I thought. I suggested to myself that I'll just go and see if I can bring fresh kill to the elders. I went up too grab a mouse and a vole from the fresh kill pile and padded toward the elders den.

I stepped in and they looked at me. I set the mouse and the vole on the hard stone floor, then Gray whisker came up to grab the vole and Brown tail came up too grab the mouse. I felt pleased when they both nodded there heads with great-fullness and bent down to take a juicy bite out of there fat piece of prey. Another elder looked up at me and said "Why are you doing an apprentices job?" I answered politely "Leaf star wouldn't let me hunt or go on my first patrol this morning and she didn't let me sit vigil at the camp entrance last night either from becoming a warrior."

The elder looked puzzled then he shook his head and said "she probably just needs to get rest and restore her energy." I thought to myself I really don't think so. I nodded my head and padded out of the elders den looking worried. What do I do now?

My friends came back from the dawn patrol, their feet sagging with cold snow and their sides heaving for air. Fern tail had a fat juicy mouse and Mud claw had a skinny vole. My heart was pounding with frustration as the tired cats came in from hunting for fresh kill. Fresh kill was getting more scarce by the hour as the cold winds came in. The animals would be hibernating and we would be hungry and cold too.

I walked over the entrance of the camp. My nose was sniffing the air, my paws kneading the soft mossy grass. I could smell something different, something wrong. I walked out of the camp and into the forest. My paws lead me into the direction I have never been before. The smell was growing stronger. At last I saw a cat, the cat was black and brown. He as digging a hole to place his fresh kill down. I looked at him closer.

It was a shadow clan cat!