"Please send a search party. Or let me find her." Thunderclaw pleaded to his leader, Berrystar. She shook her noble head again.

"I am sorry Thunderclaw, but war is coming. We need every warrior." The leader showed no signs to change her mind. "I agree that Blood deserves a second chance. But we must not risk our warriors for her. We will do once there is peace."

Will peace ever come? Thunderclaw wondered to himself. Twilightspeckle's appearance has kept the clans together for a very long time, but even her would not keep the peace forever. As she disappeared peace ended, as war began to rise. Clans were like that. They compete to survive, though they are clans as one.

"Very well." The tabby tom nodded forcefully shoving out his growl. Convincing Berrystar was not going to happen, there is only one way.

"Wait," The leader stopped his way out of the leader den. "Do not be blind young Thunderclaw. Place the clan loyalty above everything."

Berrystar must have realized he was going to sneak off! She was wise, Thunderclaw will not be able to trick her that easily. Than he must convince her, no matter what.

"We might be too late if we wait for peace." He kept his voice calm. "Peace will never last long even though the peace comes from sacrifices."

The she cat twitched her tail to let the tom go on. "If Blood decides to join, showing loyalty, respect, and knowing what she has done wrong, she will be a great help for the war. She is skilled, I can afford that."

Berrystar nodded. "Very well. But you must promise me two things." She meowed.

"Find her by moon high today. And if she is willing to join the clan, you must be with her at all times. And I mean all. Mentor her to become a MorningClan warrior."

"Thank you Berrystar." The tom nodded eagerly and stepped out of the den. He rushed towards the camp exit desired to find the she cat. He began to his long traveling aline.

The sun was already sun high, and it was beginning to be hot. Beginning of green leaf have come, sucking energy of the young tom. Thunderclaw could not find a trace of a Blood. He was already far outside of MorningClan territory walking along the thunder path. It was already past NoonClan's territory too, as moor stretched wide and endlessly. He has never known land can be this big like the ocean.

Maybe he should use his brain. Thunderclaw looked for a fellow loner that might know better. He soon found a light yellow tabby crouching.

"Hi!" Thunderclaw greeted. The yellow cat jumped as the mouse scrambled away. Her fur bristled and puffed out her pretty coat.

"You made my mouse go away!" The yellow she cat hissed lunging into battle position. Maybe that was not a smart move.

"Sorry. Can I ask you something?" He asked.

"What?"

Thunderclaw was delited to have a cat who was willing to help. "I'm looking for a fluffy red she cat. She has pointy ears too."

The yellow she cat looked shocked and relaxed her position. "Are you sure? I know where she is but I suggest you to turn back and leave instantly."

"I need to take her to my home. Do you know where she is?" The tom asked hopefully. The she cat nodded.

"She lives with me. Part of the Army. Are you sure you want to come? They might hold you as prisoners." She checked looking horrified. Was the Army crueler than he thought?

He nodded, and the she cat nodded back. "I'll take you to our present camp. My name is Lemon, yours?" Lemon asked and flicked her tail to follow.

"My name is Thunderclaw." Lemon nodded and padded across the moor. The camp was not that far and they soon found the entrance to it. The yellow she cat ordered,

"Think before you speak. Your life depends on it."

Lemon rustled from the bush as Thunderclaw followed. There were countless cats almost outnumbering the clan. Mostly toms in fact.

"What's this Lemon?" A grey tabby with white underbelly and face asked, unusually. He went to Lemon's side and made it brush their furs. He rubbed his coat to the yellow she cat, and she smiled politely.

"I found him in our territory Vulture. I'm sorry, I didn't catch any prey. I promise to go hunting again today." Lemon replied with a high pitched purr. She showed no sign of hesitate or anger, Thunderclaw thought about what Twilightspeckle described of the Army. She cat known as weak their job only to flirt with toms, as toms rule them and demand what to do.

"Oh Lemon dear," Vulture let out a bizarre murrow of laughter. "Make sure you add sweetheart."

"Of course." The she cat replied with a nod. She gave a silent signal with her gaze to Thunderclaw. This was how the Army works, she cats flittering with toms. He realized that Lemon was classified as pretty and beautiful in his opinion. Of course, not prettier and beautiful as Twilightspeckle his mate. Perhaps this was how Lemon was usually treated and he wondered how they treated Blood. His mate's explanation to Blood's past spiked his heart.

"Hello. My name is Vulture, and we are known as the Army. How can we help you?" Vulture asked . Thunderclaw remembered the tip the yellow tabby has given, think before you speak.

"Greetings. My name is Thunderclaw. I am a loner close to where your territories are." He greeted. He decided that telling he was here to retrieve Blood was unwise, and he would rescue her secretly later. The Army was big, and one warrior would be outmatched. "I heard about the Army, and I loved how they lived. I was hoping to join."

Vulture, the purplish black tom considered for a bit. "Very well. We would see your skills for couple of sunrises and see if you are eligible to be in the Army. Soldiers," He turned to the other cats. "I give all permission, as the leader of the Army, for this young tom Thunderclaw to become an fellow visitor. Treat him like your campmates, and let us see if he is fit enough to become an fellow Soldier!"

The Army cheered especially the toms. She cats mostly stayed in the back of the crowd except for the ones who was probably forcefully dragged out of the toms. They glanced with hostile eyes, if deciding he was going to be cruel like the rest.

"Zen," Vulture faced a silver grey tom with few black spots. "Please show our guest around camp and about us. Soldiers, dismissed." He waved his tail cats returning to their dens and prey. Few toms greeted Thunderclaw giving hearty welcomes. Zen appeared with a whole smile.

"Hello Thunderclaw. Let's show you our camp shall we?" He meowed. He would be ranked as a senior warrior in the clans respected by clan mates. The two toms started a tour around camp. Zen showed the Soldiers den, in other words Warriors Den, and the Novice Den, Apprentices Den, She Cats Den, first command den and so on. They had a den for retired Soldiers who they were cared with respect.

Zen explained about the Army. "In our Army, toms are responsible for fighting and hunting. She cats jobs is to mostly take care of the toms. We view them as weak and toms as strong fighters. They produce liters of kits for us for the Army to go on."

She cats viewed as weak. What Twilightspeckle has said.

"She cats have higher rank than Novices, though lower than full Soldiers." Zen explained. "We, the Army, takes ranks very seriously. Vulture is first in command, Hurricane if the second in command, Dune is the third in command, and I am in fourth command. Than goes the soldiers, she cats, and Novice. Kits are the treasure to us, and it is our duty to protect them at all cost. Once the first in command decides the kit is ready to take ranks, they become Novices. And once they have mastered the skills of the Army, they become full Soldiers."

Thunderclaw nodded understandingly. Toms ordering she cats, and she cats becoming their slaves. He was glad he was born in the clans. Than at the corner of his keen eyes, he saw a small unpatched den with two toms guarding the entrance. "What's that?"

He asked. Zen growled,

"That's our prisoners den. We normally don't have them but we found a traitor that must be captured." Blood, Thunderclaw thought. She was here, prisoned in the Army.

"Well!" Zen lightened up his tone. "Do you want to meet some few she cats? I know some best ones!"

Thunderclaw wished to turn down the offer, but if Zen was fourth in command it would be good to have his trust. He nodded padding after the silver tom.

"This is Sparks." Zen waved his tail to a russet orange she cat. Spark dipped her head politely and rubbed her cheeks to Zen. The orange she cat had a fluffy tail and perfect pair of amber eyes.

"I mostly keep her around. She had my kits last last season."

"Arn't you guys mates?" Thunderclaw asked puzzled. Zen replied with a puzzled expression.

"No. She's my maiden and her job is to produce my kits. She gave birth to three toms! They all grown well and strong and they were one of the fastest one to become an full Soldiers!" No mates. Thunderclaw echoed in his head. What would I do if Twilightspeckle was never my mate?

"Maybe if you become an full member, you should keep one of my daughter around. She's about the same age as you and she never kitted before. Dazzle!" A white she cat with grey face, foot and ears rushed to her father's side. She had big round blue eyes and let out a blink. Dazzle was a cat who would be a target to some toms he knew from his clan. Perhaps Bladeclaw, he once overheard about him easily falling for their looks. It was a amusing thing from the big grump, mean tom he had once purred about with Twilightspeckle.

"Nice to meet you Thunderclaw." Dazzle purred. He greeted back,

"Nice to meet you too Dazzle." The brown tom greeted back. Zen purred,

"See my daughter? Perhaps you should be considering some kits to produce." He nudged his daughter playfully. Dazzle blushed a little. Thunderclaw would not enjoy talking about his personal live with Quicksand either.

Dazzle flattened her ears. "I would when it's my time father." She answered. Zen grunted,

"Don't do that to the other Soldiers Dazzle. There might be coincidence." He warned. Perhaps Zen was actually thoughtful for his own daughter. It was probably true that angering the others would not be a good idea.

"I don't get it father. Why do she cats must be viewed below toms? I even fight better and catch more prey than some." Dazzle was a cat who had stood up for her opinion. Like Twilightspeckle would have done. Thunderclaw heart ached by the memory of his beloved mate.

"The tour is over. Perhaps share a prey or two with Dazzle? It is good to know the Army campmates." Zen suggested changing the topic. The young tom thought that was more of an order for Dazzle, she nodded and nudged Thunderclaw to what it seam like the fresh kill pile.

Instead of picking up a prey or two, she pushed her gently outside the camp. Thunderclaw was surprised a little, but mewed nothing. Dazzle finally stopped when they were out of hear from camp. "Okay, are you one of those toms?"

Thunderclaw blinked than asked back. "What is 'those toms'?"

"You know the ones who makes she cat filter and stuff." She growled.

"I guess I don't really flitter with random she cats. I, I had a mate once but she kind of disappeared. We were true mate's, hunted together, fought together, slept together and ate together."

Dazzle seemed shocked, and gave a sigh of relief. "Good. I might actually find to like you now."

"Now? But we just met!" The newcomer exclaimed. Dazzle shushed him than meowed.

"We she cats of the Army must produce kits. That's part of our biggest job. And to do so we have to have a tom and most of them order us to flitter which is gross and disgusting. Like Vulture? He makes Lemon brush fur and nuzzle him even if she hate's him. At least I feel like your not that kind of cat. I can tell."

"Tell?" Thunderclaw stoped back a little. "We only met a few moments ago!"

Dazzle rolled her eyes and meowed with pride in her tone. "I have a gift. Some Army blooded cats have these gifts. I can tell your not lying. My power is to see cats' memory, dig inside their past. Also I see you were not a former loner."

The yellow eyed tom froze. That was one strange and gifted power. He has never seen or heard any kind of superpower like this except for the elder tales. Dazzle chuckled seeing his eye wide.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Thunderclaw wailed as he covered her grey fur surrounded mouth with his tail.

"Okay okay. C'mon it's late. Let's get back."

They did and Dazzle even made a comfrey nest for him. He wondered if it was from a order, or her thoughtfulness. Thunderclaw circled a few times than made himself comfortable. He was in the Soldiers Den with some toms already snoring. He flattened his ears and began to snore loud like a badger, something that Twilightspeckle has always complained about...

Welcome to the Army! Lemon, Dazzle, Vulture, Zen, and so on...A place where Blood's past is slowly going to be known. Amazingly, this chapter has about 1.2K words. Highest perhaps? I dunno I normally don't check. Hope you enjoyed it!