When I was young, there was a shed, on the edge of the grassy field beside a forest. Not far away, a dark path made of a hard substance lay. The path was used by Pathrunners and Strangepaws alike. Father forbade me from ever going near the path, the Pathrunners, and especially the Strangepaws. I was little, and the Greenwarmth was drawing quickly to a close when Mother disappeared. Father never spoke of how she came to leave, but I thought I knew why.

"It was a Strangepaw wasn't it? A Strangepaw took her away in their Pathrunner." I asked Father one evening.

"You must never go near those creatures Little One." was all that Father told me. So I figured that I had been right. The next morning, Father wasn't there. He wasn't in the shed with me, and he wasn't in the field. I figured that he had gone to find some food and that he would come back, so I played in the field, stalking fallen leaves and old dandelions. That was when I met Zodiac. He came towards me. I had seen him before; Zodiac was Father's friend who lived in the field beside where the Strangepaw's kits went during the day. Seeing Zodiac was strange though; he only ever came to see Father, and he probably knew Father wasn't here. I didn't want Zodiac here while I was alone, so I called out to him.

"Father isn't here Zodiac."

"I know," Zodiac replied, his voice smooth and even like always. It made my skin prickle.

"What you here for then?" I asked daringly, "You've no right to be here. This is our land."

"I have come with news, I will leave once I have delivered my message." Zodiac's tone, smooth and dark, nonchalant and challenging. I hated it; my skin crawled as he spoke, as I knew what must have happened.

"Out with it then! I don't want you here." I mewed, my voice portraying only a portion of my hatred.

"Your father has been killed by a Pathrunner," Zodiac mewed evenly, no emotion in his eyes or voice, "I am so sorry." He turned to leave and padded away on silent black paws.

That was the last I ever saw of Zodiac, though that moment will forever be burned into my memory.

Two moons later, a great many leaves had fallen, a chill wind blew into the shed that I now had to myself. The ground was wet, as it had rained all night. It was getting to the point that it was too cold for my kitten fur. I had made my decision, I stood up and padded away from the only home I had ever known. Where to go? The question had been torturing me for weeks, but now the answer was right in front of me. The forest, deeper and thicker than it looked, had always enticed my kitten imagination. I felt as if in two moons I grew more than any cat should have to. No longer did I spend the days playing, as I now had to search for my own food, and defend the field from other cats. I did not know what I would find, but Cyclone, a cat that had come to be my friend soon after my father's death, had told me a great many stories about four groups of cats that lived in the forest. I figured that my best chance would be to find these cats. I knew that the stories were true because Cyclone's mate, Thundercloud, had left clanlife when she fell in love with Cyclone. Their kit, Tumbleweed, was younger than me by two moons, and beautiful. Tumbleweed was mostly black and white with orange tabby splotches. I shook my head; I had to pull my head out of the clouds. I wandered in the forest, following the scent of other cats. I knew I had to be close. I heard a voice.

"Hey! What's that smell?" it mewed, rather loudly. I almost ran away, but I knew that my life depended on being found.

"It smells like a rogue, a young one, scared too." Another voice replied. I could tell they were close. The black head of a cat appeared through the bushes.

"Ashtail, come here!" The black-headed cat called, stepping through the bushes. I could tell now that there were two cats, a black one and a silver one, the silver one's name was apparently Ashtail.

"Hey little one, what are you doing here?" The black cat asked in a soft, soothing voice.

"I am here because cold weather is approaching fast, I have lost both my mother and my father to Pathrunners and Strangepaws. I am alone and to young to survive it alone. I have heard many stories about four clans living in the forest and wish to join one." I replied, hating how my voice wavered in fear. The black cat looked uncertain.

"We could at least take her to camp, surely that would cause no harm Shadowpelt." Ashtail mewed. The black tom, named Shadowpelt, nodded and turned away, flicking his tail as a signal to follow him. We had only traveled a short way when we came upon a large cave, vines and roots from the trees above hung down from the entrance. Shadowpelt, Ashtail and I pushed through the vines and stepped into the cave. Many cats mingled in the fading light of the cave, a hole above us let light filter in from above. Shadowpelt moved towards a black and white tom that was sitting regally on a rock. The two cats whispered quietly before Ashtail moved away from my side, padding towards a fluffy gray kitten that looked about my age. The black and white tom padded towards me. "I am Nightstar, leader of Leafclan, if you wish you may join us, if not you can leave." he mewed.

"Thank you Nightstar," I mewed, dipping my head respectively, "I would like to stay here."

"Then you will need a name." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Do you have a name currently?"

"No," I replied shaking my head, "My parents merely referred to me as Little One."

"Then I shall give you one. But first, how old are you?" He mewed, I liked Nightstar, he was kind.

"I am six moons old." I replied.

"Then you will be an apprentice, I will gather the cats as we are due a ceremony tonight." He mewed, bounding towards a high ledge. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting," He yowled.

Many cats, big and small, came to meet around him; I was pushed to the front to sit with many other cats my age.

"Mosskit," he meowed, a little gray tabby with white paws and muzzle stood. "From now until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Mosspaw, and your mentor will be Ashtail."

"Mosspaw! Mosspaw!" the crowd of cats called. Mosspaw looked thoroughly embarrassed as she touched noses with the silver warrior I had met earlier.

"Nightkit," Nightstar continued, a jet black apprentice stood. "From now until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Nightpaw, and your mentor will be Silverpelt, as she will be returning to her warrior duties."

Once again cries of "Nightpaw!" Rang out through the camp.

"Icekit," he meowed, a white cat stood, she shot a warning glance at me. "From now until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Icepaw, and your mentor will be Gingerstripe."

"Icepaw!" echoed around camp, slightly less enthusiastically than the first two.

"Skykit," he meowed, a little gray she-cat with white paws and muzzle stood. "You have opted to become a Healer, therefore, you mentor will be Mapletongue, and from now until you reach your beginner Healer name you will be known as Skypaw."

"Skypaw!" came screeches and yowls; Skypaw must be an important cat.

The ceremony continued on, a ginger and white tabby tom was named Rockpaw, a fray tabby was named Duskpaw, a silver tom with black paws was named Jasperpaw, a tan and black speckled cat was named Specklepaw, the fluffy gray cat that Ashtail had been with earlier was named Fogpaw, an orange tabby she-cat was named Stonepaw, and finally it came down to me.

"We have a new cat joining our clan, this new cat will be known from now, until the day she earns her warrior name, as Cinnamonpaw, and her mentor will be Shadowpelt." Shadowpelt stepped towards me and I touched noses with him as I had seen the other newly named cats do. There were no cries of Cinnamonpaw, and I didn't expect any, these cats didn't know what to make of me. Maybe they had heard of my father or mother, I was sure that they were not popular among the clans, as Thundercloud has hissed when she heard their names.

Flashback

"You must never tell the clan cats about your parents, they would banish you!" Thundercloud hissed.

"Calm down, what did Walnut or Easter do to the clans?" Cyclone asked comfortingly.

"Easter did nothing, but a better question is what Walnut didn't do." Thundercloud growled.

End Flashback

I never questioned Thundercloud, and she never told me more. Now I could live in the clans, my past mostly unknown to the cats I was living among, I figured it best not to mention Father's close friend, Zodiac, either. Jasperpaw padded towards me shyly, Rockpaw, Duskpaw, and a sleek black and white cat I had not yet met flanking him.

"Your new here huh?" Jasperpaw mewed.

"Yea," I replied, "Your Jasperpaw?" I mewed uncertainly.

He nodded, "You know the others right?" Jasperpaw seemed to not know that I had only been here for a short time.

"I only know the cats that were named at the ceremony." I responded, feeling foolish.

"Oh!" He mewed, looking sheepish himself.

"I'm Ivypaw." The black-and-white she-cat mewed, stepping forward.

"Hello Ivypaw." I replied, "I'm…"

"I know who you are," Ivypaw mewed, "We all do. Mind if we go talk somewhere we can't be overheard by," She paused, flicking her ears towards Stonepaw, "Unwelcome ears." I nodded slowly, how did these cats know what I had never told anyone but Cyclone and Thundercloud.

They led me upwards, towards the hole in the top of the cave; there was a cave, only large enough for a young cat to walk into. They sat down in a circle, Ivypaw indicating a spot next to her for Cinnamonpaw to sit.

"Your father is Walnut isn't he?" Ivypaw mewed.

"H-How did know that?" I stuttered.

"We know what he's done." Jasperpaw mewed solemnly.

"How? Not even I know what he's done!" I mewed.

"The things he's done are legendary here." Duskpaw replied. His voice was calm and even, but nervousness mingled in the air.

"What kinds of things?" I asked, eager to learn what my father had done. All four other cats looked at their paws.

"Well," Jasperpaw began.

"He defied the leaders, he grew up in this clan, and this was his den." Duskpaw mewed, his matter-of-fact tone scared her. My ears flattened as I looked around. I saw clawmarks, increasing in size all over the cave walls. I imagined my father, as a young cat, throwing himself against the cave walls, scraping his claws along them. I had never thought of my father as a violent cat before, but I didn't find it hard now.

"Do the other cats know?" I asked, suddenly fearing for my safety within the clan.

"None of the other cats know that Walnut had a daughter, it's not in the legends, we only know because Ivypaw's parents have met Easter." Duskpaw mewed.

"Easter?" I echoed, "My mother?"

"Yes, she told them before she died, a Monster got her when she was crossing the Thunderpath." Jasperpaw explained.

"Thunderpath? Monster?" What were these things I wondered.

"You probably called a Thunderpath a Dark Path, and a Monster is a Pathrunner. Am I right?" Ivypaw explained, resulting in questioning looks from the toms.

"Heed the advice you give others, and a wiser cat you will be." I murmured sadly.