Meh. I'm bunching the first few chapters together since they're too short

Shadepaw's POV

Why aren't you good at hunting like your mother? Why aren't you good at fighting like your brother and father? Why aren't you pretty like your sister? You're useless, pathetic.

Every night, Shadepaw dreamed of voices saying these things. Her mother Graypool, her father Lionscar, her mentor Russetflame. Only her siblings cared for her.

It was true though. She was useless as a warrior. Russetflame had long since given up on her. Actually, she had never properly trained her. Maybe Russetflame was to blame. Of course, her siblings got excellent mentors, and were shaping up into fine warriors. But her? She was as helpless as a kit!

This went on for three moons.

Shadepaw stretched in the apprentice den, prepared to do yet another day of elder duty. Russetflame hardly ever bothered to take her out of camp, so she was always stuck with elder duty.

She knew she could be a powerful warrior with training. She had speed, strength, and stealth. She only lacked technique, which had to be taught. But there was no opportunity for that.

Sighing, she finished her stretching and padded towards the mouth of the den.

As she poked her head out of the den, she saw Greenstar padding towards her, her black tail flicking from side to side. Her heart sank. Was Greenstar going to reprimand her for her lack of performance?

But as the battle-scarred leader came closer, she realised that Greenstar's eyes held no anger, only… annoyance?

Finally, Greenstar reached her… and spoke, "Shadepaw, I understand you have had… inadequate training from Russetflame. I have spoken to her, and have decided to take over as your mentor. We will need to train quickly if you want to earn your warrior name together with your littermates."

Shadepaw's heart soared. I'm going to be the clan leader's apprentice!

And so started the most intense few moons of training the clan had ever known.

LINELINELINELINELINELINE

2 moons later

Lionscar's POV

Lionscar watched his kits training. Shadepaw had grown much stronger, he realised, over the past couple of moons. She had managed to beat Sunpaw easily, and had Silverpaw pinned down in a matter of heartbeats.

How did she become so strong? He wondered. Just because Greenstar started training her didn't mean she would automatically become a legend at fighting.

He decided to see for himself. He rose to his paws, and padded over to his kits. To avoid suspicion, he didn't single Shadepaw out. Instead, he invited all three to spar with him.

Silverpaw went first. He was upon her instantly.

Then Sunpaw. He was a strong fighter, but he forgot the limitations of his strength, and overestimated himself, which led to his defeat.

Finally. Shadepaw's turn.

He waited for her to make the first move, crouching down in a spring. To his surprise, she soared over him, while using her hind paws to kick him forward, unbalancing him.

As he regained his balance, he saw that Shadepaw was already waiting for him, dancing lightly on her paws, a spark of triumph in her eyes.

He shot a paw out to strike her on the muzzle, but she ducked, and slid under him to pummel his belly with her paws. He dropped on his belly, but Shadepaw didn't panic. She kicked him off easily, her muscles visibly rippling beneath her pelt, before scrambling to her paws and launching on him, clinging to his pelt with her claws. He tried rolling on his back to crush her, but she was already up and moving. She took advantage of the situation and leapt on him, placing a paw on his neck.

She had won. Her littermates were staring at her with wide eyes, as was Lionscar, but he purred. "You'll make a fine warrior. And soon, I should think."

And the gleam in her eyes was unmistakably joy.

LINELINELINELINELINELINE

Okay, just so you know, the four clans are Greenclan, of the forest, Blazeclan, of the moors, Lightclan, of the streams and rivers, and Hawkclan, of the marsh and shadows.

Shadepaw's POV

"No! Use your tail to unbalance your opponent, not dangle it in front of them so it can be chewed off! Try it again!" Greenstar hissed. Her tail flicked with annoyance before she stilled it, and crouched in front of her apprentice. Her eyes gentled. "Shadepaw, I know this is an advanced move that most warriors can't do, but I want you to be the best. You know that."

Shadepaw crouched in front of her leader and mentor. The best. The thought blazed in her mind. The very best.

She sprang, immediately starting to grapple with Greenstar. She had grown tremendously, and was now nearly as strong and large as her mentor.

Just as Greenstar was about to pin her down, she knew that what they had discussed, using her tail to distract her opponent, would no longer work. Instead, she slammed her tail into her leader's face.

Greenstar stumbled back in surprise, and Shadepaw leapt on her, pinning her down after a brief struggle. She leapt off and a wide grin split her muzzle. After all the training they had done, she was finally fast enough, strong enough, smart enough to beat Greenstar, who was renowned as one of the most fearsome cats in the forest. She had beat Greenstar.

The black and silver she-cat shook her fur out before springing in front of her apprentice, a purr breaking loose from her throat.

"I plan on invading Lightclan tomorrow. We need more territory, and their land is bountiful not only in fish, but also in forest prey. I want you to be on my patrol. And I have a special job for you. I want you to take one of Featherstar's lives."

"Yes, of course, Greenstar" Shadepaw mewed, her eyes glinting with pride. Any shock that she was to kill a cat had been trained out of her long ago.

LINELINELINELINELINELINE

Greenstar's POV

She watched eagerly as her Clanmates poured into the camp. Featherstar was a young leader, and she was the only one of the current four leaders who had yet to lose a life. That would change. In the name of revenge.

Greenstar had only ever lost a single life in the many moons she had been leader. True, not so many, as she could still be considered young, but many enough that she was experienced. Very experienced. She had benefited from her early life as a rouge, and she was a skilled hunter, and an impeccable fighter. But back to her lost life. It had been because of Lightstar, the previous leader of the Clan currently under assault. He had five cats target her at once, and it had been impossible to get away, even with her prowess. She had almost lost another life, but fortunately Leafblaze had come to her rescue.

She shook off her thoughts and leapt into the fray. She grappled with a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat for a while before overpowering her and sending her running. Before long, she faced TIgerstrike, the LightClan deputy. Within moments his life was over. With a satisfied grin, she bounded towards where she knew her apprentice would be fighting Featherstar.

To her delight, Featherstar was already down, and as she struggled to rise, Shadepaw struck at her once again, costing the young leader yet another life. Hopefully, Shadepaw had taken a few lives already.

However, she was not satisfied. Although her original plan was to only take one of the she-cat's lives, her clever apprentice had thought ahead. The loss of both leader and deputy would make LightClan extremely vulnerable to attacks. Sootstreak, the ambitious warrior, would probably take up the mantle, and make Snowfire her deputy, and their prowess in battle and natural cunning was remarkable. However plans to overtake LightClan seized her, and she was confident that with Shadepaw by her side, she would succeed.

By the time the battle was over, both Featherstar and Tigerstrike were dead. But LightClan's torment had only just begun.