Hello! This is a challenge that I have done for LeafClan, in order to receive a warrior name. This may be the first in a sereies of one-shots centered around Darkfoot. So, here it is!

Ember of Hope

"Darkfoot! Care to lead a hunting patrol?"

A pretty, pure white she-cat stood below the Highledge, her eyes shining. Another she-cat walked up to her. This was a small she-cat, with a sleek, glossy blue-gray coat, a paler underbelly, and dark gray paws. Her name was Darkfoot.

"I would love to, Frozenpelt!" Darkfoot mewed excitedly. You see, Darkfoot was one of the newest ThunderClan warriors. She was very energetic, yet she had a sharp tounge.

"Alright," Froenpelt mewed. "Take Icefeather, Lightningfur, Oakpaw, Sunpaw, and Tigertail."

Darkfoot nodded before turning around to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing," the deputy mewed. "Would you please check around the ShadowClan border? The dawn patrol found some scent on our side of the territory. You can combine it with your hunting."

"No problem." Darkfoot mewed, turning around to find the cats.

. . .

"I smell ShadowClan!" a dark red tom towards the front of the patrol raced ahead.

"That's because we're near the border, mouse-brain!" mewed a bright ginger she-cat. She poked her tounge out at the tom.

"Sunpaw, Oakpaw! Do you wish to scare away all the prey from here to the mountains? Why don't you just run ahead and tell them we're coming?" snapped a striking jet black she-cat.

Sunpaw put her head to one side. "But what's the point of that? We'd all starve if we go and tell them we're coming."

The she-cat let out a hiss of annoyance.

"Calm down, Lightningfur. But you're right. Will you two be more quiet?" Darkfoot hissed under her breath, before snapping her attention back to the clearing they were coming up to. Darkfoot took a deep breath. This was the clearing she had heard many kit's tales about. Apperently, a long time ago, there was a huge fight against ShadowClan over the patch of grass. Firestar, the ThunderClan leader at the time, had given the land to ShadowClan when the Clans first moved to the lake. Moons later, he had taken it back, but it resulted in the death of Russetfur, ShadowClan's deputy.

"But I smell fresh ShadowClan scent!" Oakpaw mewed quietly.

"The kit is correct." A deep voice rang out, and Darkfoot turned to see Scarfang, the deputy of ShadowClan. Before any cat could react, the dark gray tom's tail twitched, and a loud screeh rang out.

"ShadowClan, ATTACK!"

A mass of cats tor out of the undergrowth. Instantly, the patrol launched into action. Yet they were gravely out numbered.

"Oakpaw, go get help!" Darkfoot screeched. Oakpaw tore off.

"Get off me, you mangy furball!" Lightningfur hurtled a brown tom off of her, before turning to claw a ginger she-cats ears. Darkfoot launched herself at the tom. He put up quite a fight, but after a while, Darkfoot sent the brown tom fleeing back to his own territory.

"ThunderClan, retreat!" a voice rang out from the undergrowth, and Emberstar, ThunderClan's leader stood at the edge of the clearing. The small patrol fled into the trees, to find the strongest warriors hiding in the bushes. Triumphant yowls could be heard from the ShadowClan cats.

Darkfoot gave Emberstar a questioning look. Seeing this look, the leader purred. "We'll use the Lightning Strike tactic. When I give the signal, attack, the retreat. Attack, then retreat. Got it?" the cats in the patrol nodded.

"ThunderClan, ATTACK!" Emberstar yowled, and the warriors carried out their orders.

"Retreat!" the call came a few heartbeats later.

"ATTACK!"

"Retreat!"

ATTACK!"

"Retreat!"

"ATTACK!"

It went on until sunhigh, when Lightnigfur was pinned to the ground, and a pale brown ShadowClan warrior was about to bite her throat. Darkfoot saw them, and sent the black-and-white apprentice she had been fighting fleeing toward his own territory.

"LIGHTNINGFUR!" Darkfoot screeched, bounding toward the warriors. But before she could reach them, a flash of reddish-brown shot in front of her. Emberstar! Darkfoot thought, and she was correct.

The massive reddish-brown tom used his huge forepaw to knock the ShadowClan warrior off his paws. A huge gray tabby ran to help his Clanmate, lunging at Embersytar while the other tom scrambled unsteadily to his paws. It was two against one, and Darkfoot knew she had to help her leader.

"We'll teach you to mess with ThunderClan warriors!" Darkfoot screeched, slamming her dark gray paw against the tabby's muzzle.

"You hurt our cats, we hurt yours!" growled Emberstar, pinning the first cat. Darkfoot looked into the tabby's eyes, which were full of fear. She removed her paw. "You tried to kill Lightningfur. You disgrace the warrior code." Darkfoot heard her leader growl. The tabby had fled, but the pale brown tom was still pinned. Blood poured out of a wound over his flank, and he looked deep into Emberstar's eyes.

The leader let him go. "Go, you mange-pelt, and next time, respect the warrior code." He mewed coldly, and turned to Lightningfur. "Are you okay?" he asked his warrior.

"Emberstar," Lightningfur rasped, her eyes filled with sorrow. "You-you and Darkfoot saved my life. But, it's too late to save me."

"What do you mean?" you're still alive." Darkfoot turned to see Sunpaw, looking at her mentor.

"Sunpaw," Lightningfur's head turned to rest her gaze on the little ginger apprentice. "You will be a great warrior. Darkfoot, train her well."

"But Lightningfur-" Emberstar silenced Darkfoot with a flick of his tail. Darkfoot opened her mouth to protest, but the dying warrior's gaze had already shifted to Emberstar.

"My leader," she started. "No matter, how dark things get, no matter how strong the opponent, and no matter how desprate the times get, there is always an Ember of hope. You are that Ember." Lightningfur gave Emberstar a last, loving look, and let out a small sigh.

"Lightningfur. . ." Emberstar mewed, grief cracking his mew. "You were a great warrior."

"ShadowClan, retreat!" Scarfang's yowl rang out across the battlefield, and the fighting died down. Darkfoot watched silently as the invaders disappeared into their own territory. No bodies lay strewn across the clearing, just the blood that stained the grass. Just Lightningfur. "Emberstar, it's my fault, isn't it?"

"It's nobody's fault, Darkfoot. It was her time."

. . .