AN: So this is basically a new story I've come up with. Since my others aren't doing so well I thought I'd give this idea a go. Hope I get some reviews, though popularity is always an issue on this site :(

Prologue

Rustfeather

Silence filled the air as the forest settled in for the night. There was little movement aside from the occasional breeze picking up. It was in the middle of leafbare, and prey was becoming scarce for all of the Clans. Even RiverClan suffered during the coldest parts of the season. Most of the streams they fished at had frozen, and the lake itself was frozen. Any hope of warmth seemed far away for the Clans as they settled in for a long season.

A dark brown she-cat suddenly crept out of the snow-covered undergrowth. Her amber eyes were dark with worry as she crept along a well-trodden path. The pawsteps of her ancestors could be seen where she had stepped just heartbeats ago. Her tail twitched with anxiety as she reached her destination.

"Rustfeather, I hope you have called me out of my den for a reason." The she-cat stiffened when a mottled tabby she-cat emerged from the shadows. "It's too cold to be out at this hour."

"Pebblestar, there are many reasons I have asked you to meet me here," murmured the medicine cat with a dip of her head. "For too long ShadowClan has suffered because we lack territory or prey. But... I feel as though fighting will only bring disaster for the Clans."

"I don't need advice from my medicine cat," Pebblestar snapped. "Especially from someone who has broken the code." Rustfeather's ears flattened at Pebblestar's accusing tone. "You should consider yourself lucky I have not revoked your roll as my medicine cat."

The she-cat refused to argue with her leader. She knew that Pebblestar was right. Even though she had given birth to kits they didn't know who their real mother was. Pebblestar had ordered the kits to be taken where their father lived. Rustfeather closed her eyes any time she thought of them. What would have changed if they were in ShadowClan? Surely life would go on as usual.

"It's snowing again." Pebblestar's mew caught Rustfeather off guard. She looked up to see that her leader was right. White flakes of snow began to fall from the sky, covering the forest once more. "I wish I could do something to feed my hungry Clan," Pebblestar added in a softer voice.

"The snow will end, but the tension never leaves," Rustfeather sighed. "I believe there is a way to help our Clan though. StarClan has shown me signs that there is hope. I'm not sure what this means or whether or not I'm just... being hopeful again, but we can only pray that StarClan is with us." Pebblestar nodded at her words, though she looked irritated that her medicine cat would have received a sign from StarClan.

The two of them began to return to camp when a wail sounded in the distance. The noise was muffled by the snow, but Rustfeather heard it loud and clear. Her eyes widened in alarm and she bounded forward, unable to suppress the fear that wormed it's way into her belly. Pebblestar was at her heal, keeping up with each stride she took. When Rustfeather kept an eye on her destination she knew what she was about to meet before she came across it.

Her heartbeat pounded wildly when she saw a queen struggling to give birth. Pebblestar quickly stepped in front of her, eyes wide with disbelief. The scent of ThunderClan rolled heavily in the air despite the cold and wet snow that had begun to cover them. Blood began to pool out where the queen was laying, staining the white snow a dark red.

"What is Snowflower doing out here?" Pebblestar demanded as a tiny kit tumbled into the snow. Rustfeather was quick to break open the sac that had kept the kit alive. She licked it's fur the wrong way, but she could already tell that it was dead.

"There is another coming," she rasped. Her voice was filled with pain as a second kit arrived. This time it was mewling as she nipped open the sac. After licking it's fur the wrong way she could see that it had it's fathers fur. Pale silvery gray with darker black stripes. "It's alive." Her voice was barely a whisper. Snowflower was too weak to say anything. Her breathing had become shallow by the time the ordeal was over.

"ShadowClan cats... please take her," Snowflower whispered. Rustfeather hardly heard the words, though she knew there was a sense of urgency in Snowflower's voice. "She will be... killed if she is raised by her father." The last words became overrun by coughing as Snowflower's last breath was taken. Her flanks stopped rising and falling and her eyes clouded over.

Pebblestar's eyes were wide with panic when she realized the queen was dead. Rustfeather shook her head and picked the kit up by her scruff.

"You can't take that kit!" Pebblestar cried. "It is a ThunderClan kit, and—" Rustfeather cut her off with a glare.

"Snowflower's last wish was to take the kit away from her father." Her voice was muffled by the kit's fur. "I'm not about to turn down the offer."

The ShadowClan leader's eyes narrowed into tiny slits before she sighed in agreement. "Very well, but I know she will not be accepted amongst the Clan," she grumbled.

I have no doubt you will ensure that, Rustfeather thought bitterly.

It was close to dawn by the time they returned to camp. Rustfeather's eyes narrowed when she passed the leader's den to reach the nursery. Cats were peering out of their dens curiously to hear what the commotion was about.

All of this was ignored when Rustfeather poked her head into the nursery. She wasn't surprised to see Pinefur laying down in a bed of moss and feathers. At the queen's belly were two kits who were greedily suckling. The dark gray queen's eyes narrowed when she noticed the kit dangling limply from Rustfeather's jaws.

"Where did you get that?" Pinefur demanded.

"Snowflower died giving birth to her," Rustfeather explained. Pinefur's eyes widened in disbelief. "Her last wish was that the kit would be raised in ShadowClan... away from her father."

"Runningstorm has always been an arrogant furball," Pinefur spat. "I'm surprised he didn't kill her." She looked at her two tiny bundles before looking back at the kit. "I suppose I can take care of one more kit," she added. "Have you named her?"

"Silverkit," Rustfeather replied almost instantly. She thought of her former mentor, Silverclaw. He once had been a warrior before he became a medicine cat. She knew that he would want his memory to live on in the name of a kit. "Her name is Silverkit."

"Cats of ShadowClan, gather beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!" Rustfeather flinched when Pebblestar called for a Clan meeting. She mewed her goodbye to Pinefur before she emerged from the nursery.

Curious whispers began to spread like wildfire as warriors and apprentices gathered around the Tallbranch. Rustfeather's ears flattened as she felt all eyes look towards her. Every cat knew what she had done in the past—Pebblestar made certain that no cat forgot.

"I have called you here this morning because a queen was found dying while giving birth," Pebblestar began. Immediately silence fell upon the gathered Clan. "The queen was Snowflower of ThunderClan." Cats cried out in shock when Pebblestar mentioned the mother's name.

"But... isn't Snowflower's mate Runningstorm?" That was Gorsepelt, ShadowClan's deputy. "Won't he think we killed her?"

"Snowflower wanted her single kit to be raised by us," Rustfeather murmured. She wasn't surprised by the reaction she received. More cats cried out in protest than support.

"We can't start a pointless war over some kit," Hawkfire snarled. "What you have just done is a mousebrained action!"

"Enough!" Pebblestar's cry made every cat fall silent. "We must bury Snowflower's body and the dead kit before sunrise. I am sure that Runningstorm will use this against us at the next Gathering."

Rustfeather blinked when all eyes turned on her. She knew that sooner or later the blame would always fall on her. That was how her life had always been, and that was how it would likely end.

ShadowClan

LEADER: Pebblestar—mottled tabby she-cat with amber eyes

DEPUTY: Gorsepelt—gray and white tom with yellow eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Rustfeather—dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes

WARRIORS

Hawkfire—ginger and white tom with green eyes

Cedartail—light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Curlpaw

Reedfeather—dark gray she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Bluepaw

Mintwhisker—light gray tabby tom with blue eyes
Apprentice: Mosspaw

Birchnose—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Squirrelfang—small ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Wolfpaw

Mallowstalk—tawny colored tom with green eyes

Fernstripe—pale tabby she-cat with black stripes and green eyes

Palenose—pale tabby tom with white fur around his muzzle

APPRENTICES

Curlpaw—long-haired dark gray tom with amber eyes

Bluepaw—gray-blue tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Wolfpaw—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Mosspaw—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

QUEENS

Pinefur—dark gray she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Hailkit and Scorchkit; adopted mother of Silverkit

ELDERS

Marshwhisker—gray and white tom with amber eyes

Shadetail—gray tom with a darker gray tail

KITS

Hailkit—pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

Scorchkit—dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Silverkit—very pale gray, almost white she-cat with thick black stripes around her back

ThunderClan

LEADER: Stonestar—dark gray tom with yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Runningstorm—pale gray tom with darker gray stripes

MEDICINE CAT: Brackentail—brown tom with a darker brown tail
Apprentice: Dapplepaw

WARRIORS

Willowclaw—tawny colored she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice: Dustpaw

Bouncefoot—long-legged black tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice: Cloverpaw

Dewfur—gray she-cat with darker gray ears

Fallowstep—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Vinetail—dark brown tom with an unusually long tail

Ravenwing—black tom with amber eyes

Owlclaw—dark gray tom with broad, lighter gray face

APPRENTICES

Dapplepaw—speckled brown she-cat with amber eyes

Dustpaw—light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Cloverpaw—pale brown she-cat with green eyes

QUEENS

Grayfeather—long-haired blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Dovekit and Rainkit by Runningstorm

Poppyfoot—brown she-cat with ginger paws, expecting Stonestar's kits

ELDERS

Petaltail—tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

KITS

Dovekit—long-haired gray she-cat with amber eyes

Rainkit—pale gray-blue tom with amber eyes

WindClan

LEADER: Nettlestar—spiky-furred dark ginger tom with green eyes

DEPUTY: Lightsnow—creamy white she-cat with pale brown paws
Apprentice: Hollypaw

MEDICINE CAT: Nightclaw—black tom with yellow eyes

WARRIORS

Cottontail—white tom with a black-tipped tail
Apprentice: Heatherpaw

Breezefur—lithe gray tom with black ears and tail
Apprentice: Pricklepaw

Fallencloud—tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Lakestorm—mottled gray tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Eaglepaw

Kestrelwing—pale brown she-cat with a white underbelly

Lilytail—light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

APPRENTICES

Eaglepaw—black tom with white paws

Pricklepaw—black and white tom with amber eyes

Heatherpaw—pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Hollypaw—dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

QUEENS

Tinywing—very small gray she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Cloudkit, Talonkit and Tanglekit

Maplepelt—golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes, expecting

ELDERS

Timberpelt—light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

KITS

Cloudkit—pale gray tom with yellow eyes

Talonkit—small gray tom with amber eyes

Tanglekit—gray-black she-cat with yellow eyes

RiverClan

LEADER: Featherstar—dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Weaselstripe—creamy black tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Duskpetal—black and white she-cat with amber eyes

WARRIORS

Blazeflight—ginger she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice: Ripplepaw

Foxfang—dark ginger tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Icepaw

Seedtail—gray and white tom with amber eyes
Apprentice: Fishpaw

Greenclaw—black she-cat with piercing green eyes

Thunderstrike—dark tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICES

Ripplepaw—dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Icepaw—gray-blue she-cat with white paws

Fishpaw—ginger and white tom with amber eyes

QUEENS

Otterpool—tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Blossomkit and Waterkit

Tawnywing—light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Wavekit, Shellkit, Lichenkit and Boulderkit

ELDERS

Sweetmallow—pale gray she-cat with green eyes

Darkshadow—black and gray tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

KITS

Blossomkit—tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Waterkit—tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Wavekit—gray and white she-cat with amber eyes

Shellkit—gray-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Lichenkit—dusky brown she-cat with amber eyes

Boulderkit—dark gray tabby tom with green eyes

AN: So there's the prologue and allegiance. Not much going on here, but the alliance is mostly focused on ThunderClan and ShadowClan at the moment.