The sun began to rise over the camp giving it a soft orange tinge, Fallenstar lay asleep in her den. It had been only a Moon since the death of her greatest friend Flamestar, she missed him greatly as she did her mate. Her kits had grown into fine warriors, the clan had grown greatly and was now a bit crowded in the dens. Fallenstar began to stir her blue eyes growing ever so stunning as she got older, she groomed her fur slowly enjoying the warmth of green-leaf. After she finished grooming her long fur she padded out onto the ledge that granted access to her den, down below sat her deputy Flintleaf organising patrols for the day. With a stretch Fallenstar leapt down to join her deputy, the unusual coated she-cat gave her leader a respectful nod but kept organising her patrols.
"Flintleaf if it's alright with you I will lead the dawn patrol, I want to stretch my legs for a bit," Fallenstar meowed softly, the ageing deputy nodded.
"I don't mind Fallenstar I was just about to organise the dawn patrol before you asked so sure," Flintleaf croaked her voice cracking from age, Fallenstar nodded and padded off to find her kits to take on patrol with her. She entered the warriors den and her eyes filled with pride seeing her two kits whom were now warriors, she nudged them softly and they lifted their heads drowsily.
"Come now you two we are going on the dawn patrol," she purred softly, Shadowfeather quickly leapt to her paws shaking moss from her pelt while her younger brother took his time cleaning his fur. After they finished Fallenstar led the way through the tunnel out of camp, the sun warmed their fur as they padded through the territory. Suddenly a strange scent hit Fallenstars nose and she stopped to sniff it, her kits also smelled it. They followed the strange scent well into their territory before they came across what looked to be a rather fluffy kit of some sort, they sniffed at the strange kit before Shadowfeather nudged it and it let out a hungry whine.
"Oh my starclan! This kit hasn't eaten all night! Just look at its skinny ribs oh the poor thing! Who would be so heartless as to abandon this kit here!?" Shadowfeather wailed curling around the kit, it began to look for milk and Fallenstar sniffed it one last time.
"Well whatever left it here surely didn't care to hide it, let's take it back to camp for the queens to nurse," Fallenstar meowed before grabbing the oddly large kit, they hurried back to camp where their fellow warriors looked up in confusion. Fallenstar wasted no time hurrying to the nursery where she placed the large kit beside her sister, Echomist nudged the kit closer to her belly where it suckled by her other kits.
"Oh the poor thing, I will happily raise it as my own and no matter what he turns out to be I will love him like I would my other kits and if the clan says any different I will have their ears!" Echomist hissed, Fallenstar admired her sisters love for her little ones. Fallenstar left her sister alone with her new kit, the clan gathered around curious to see what had been brought into their clan. Fallenstar leapt up onto the high ledge where she sat, the clan hurried to gather around below anxious to know what had happened.
"Cats of treeclan I have found a strange scent at the edge of the territory, there we also found an odd looking cat that looks the age of only a moon old, we have decided we will raise it as one of our own, any who dare defy me speak now," Fallenstar called, the clearing was silent as they waited to see if anyone challenged their leader. When it seemed the silence wouldn't end Fallenstar leapt down from the ledge and padded off to grab some fresh-kill from the pile, the rest of the patrols left to do their jobs as sunhigh approached. Fallenstar lay down in the shade of the canyon, her blue eyes studying everything around the camp. A howl in the distance made the whole camp stop and listen, it sounded like a dog much larger. Gossip began to spread around camp like wildfire, Fallenstar began to pray for her clans safety. Surely enough the sunhigh patrol returned covered in scars and one cat short, Fallenstar was horrified by the size of the wounds.
"Fallenstar!" Rabbitleap gasped, he was bleeding heavily as Fallenstar rushed to his side with both medicine cats.
"What happened!?" Fallenstar wailed, Rabbitleap took a moment to breathe.
"We were attacked by strange dogs, they smell off and they are expert hunters, they ambushed us while we were patrolling and......." he was cut off as he collapsed, Fallenstar looked over the patrol in horror. Berrysong was missing from the patrol which struck fear into the clans hearts, Berrysong was one of the loyalist cats the clan could ever have. Snaketooth had a missing ear and Oakglaze was missing his tail, Heavystep and Windfur were hard at work trying to save Rabbitleaps life. The clan parted to hide in the dens for the day awaiting night when they could hopefully be at peace, Snaketooth caught the scent of something and began to limp towards the nursery. He got there and an angry yowl sounded, moments later a furious Snaketooth carried the new kit they had found and was followed by a protective Echomist who clawed at his face trying to get her adoptive kit back.
"WHY DID YOU BRING THIS HERE!?" Snaketooth spat dropping the kit, Fallenstar was confused. Echomist wasted no time grabbing her new kit back hissing at any who got close to her, Fallenstar eyed Snaketooth curiously before she realised the new kit had the exact smell he was drenched with.
"Don't call him a this!"  Echomist spat,  Fallenstar crouched protectively next to her sister.
"We found it abandoned in the forest, it is no harm to us and we will raise it as if it were clan born," Fallenstar meowed calmly, Snaketooth hissed again before limping away. Whatever had just taken one of her clan members lives would surely pay, Fallenstar would make sure of that.