BrackenClan

Book one: The Promise

Chapter one The Journey

Bumblepaw padded on torn paws. He struggled to leap from a boulder to the one closer to the ground. Any cat could look at the mountains and say that they would be hard to cross, like Bumblepaw had once thought, but no cat could understand the journey it was to get through it. The dark pelt tabby tomcat had left his Clan about a quarter moon ago. His sister, Dippedpaw, had stayed behind with their mother Aspentail. Bumblepaw and his sister lost their father not long ago and left the nursery afterward. Bumblepaw had felt left out of Clan life after that. Then, one night, he was given a dream by StarClan. His father had come to him and had told him that he must leave his Clan. Bumblepaw wasn't sure about it at first, but soon found that this was what he had to do. When he woke he said goodbye to his sister and left before another cat to notice him. He had spent a week traveling through the chain of mountains that bordered the valley his Clan, and another known as ReedClan, lived.

Bumblepaw slipped suddenly, and his thoughts of MizuClan slipped with him as he left out a terrified yowl. He hit the moor ground hard although he could feel how springy and cool it felt to his flaming paws.

The young apprentice got up slowly and shook his pelt. How much farther did he have to go? Yet, if Bumblepaw was too lead a Clan, he would want it to be as far away from the valley as he could get. With Twoface and his "family" about, Bumblepaw didn't want to risk the safety of himself or the cats that would soon be joining him. However, the journey was far from over and Bumblepaw wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it.

What if I can't find the new land, and fail my father? What if Twoface finds me or the Clan that I will make? Does StarClan have the right cat?

Questions swirled in Bumblepaw's head, but none could be answered right now. The tomcat shook his head to clear his thoughts and moved on.

It was two days later and Bumblepaw was only half way through the moor land. It was huge! And worst of all he could see more mountains in the distance. He moaned at the thought of going over more. Luckily there was prey here. It was faster then Bumblepaw most of the time, but he managed to catch a rabbit and a bird that he had never seen before. His belly growled for more food, and so Bumblepaw opened his mouth to drink in the air. The strong scent of a mouse caught his attention and Bumblepaw crouched down to find the source. The small brown mouse never knew he was there, and Bumblepaw finished it off quickly before continuing on to the mountains.

By night fall, Bumblepaw had chosen a spot by a short hill. He made a rough nest but it was better then mountain rock. Bumblepaw slept without dreams that night. It started him, and in the morning Bumblepaw started out slow in case his father decided to give him a sign, but none came. Bumblepaw was restless most of the way. He did manage to get to the mountain base by moonhigh, and it was comforting to know that this mountain was nothing compared to the one that he had to climb before. Bumblepaw rested an extra day before starting to climb early the following morning.

As Bumblepaw used his sore paws and over used claws, he remembered the story that his mother had told him and his sister about when MizuClan journeyed to the place in the valley where they are now. They had to climb a mountain face after spending nearly a moon in a desert. Bumblepaw also remembered that a tomcat called Eaglewings had fallen to his death after making it half way up. Bumblepaw shivered and tried to concentrate on the climb. He was almost there, close so close, but his paws were slipping with moister from the mist that had settled on the mountain rock the farther Bumblepaw had climbed. His claws racked at the rock and in some places left marks of his struggle. Bumble could see the edge he would have to get to and with a massive effort, brought his paws over the side and heaved himself up. Throwing his body to the side, Bumblepaw panted heavily from the climb. His legs were aching and were hard to move. He wasn't sure if would be able to move them for the rest of the day. However he managed to stagger to his paws and lean slightly over the edge of the rock face he had just climbed. As he looked now, Bumblepaw wasn't even sure it was really possible to climb, whether he had made it or not. Bumblepaw stepped back and shook his head. He needed to keep going.

Bumblepaw spent two more days walking through the mountain. The whole time he could smell the fresh scent of air beyond the mountain, but still he had no yet seen it. Then, one early morning when the sun was just rising behind him, Bumblepaw stepped onto a ledge that over looked a huge place. However it was still too dark with the sun just creeping over the mountain to see much. Bumblepaw was able to make out a good amount of trees and a big body of slow moving water but that was it. Then his eyes were filled with awe. The sun towered over the rock formation Bumblepaw was standing on. Beyond him, Bumblepaw could see a huge forest like he had never seen. From where he was it didn't look like Twolegs had found the place yet. A huge river moved so slow didn't look like it was moving, and in the distance Bumblepaw could hear the sound of man animals welcoming the rays of the sun before the quickly approaching leaf-bare took it from them. Bumblepaw wasn't able to move.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bumblepaw turned to see his father sitting beside him. Inkbrush's fur was full of a glow that was like stars.

"I should have brought MizuClan here," Bumblepaw meowed. Inkbrush nodded.

"You will, one day you will invite MizuClan and ReedClan to join you here." Bumblepaw glanced sideways that his father.

"Why didn't I just bring them when I left?" Bumblepaw asked.

"None would have listened to you, for you are only an apprentice. But the valley is not safe for the Clans. More the Twoface are stalking the Clans. Hopefully you will be a leader with a fine Clan before then. That way you can save them," Inkbrush mewed, looking over the wonderful forest that was so big it could hold more then just three Clans.

"How will I start my Clan?" Bumblepaw then asked. "I'm only an apprentice and I didn't get the training on leading my own Clan." Inkbrush chuckled before answering.

"Find the best place for your Clan to live, and remember everything that a Clan needs to live. Find a well protected camp and then find others to join you," Bumblepaw's father responded. Bumblepaw looked hard at his father. For some reason, Bumblepaw felt like only his father had sent him here and none of the other StarClan cats. "The whole of StarClan is on your side," Inkbrush then meowed, as if reading his son's thoughts. He touched his tail tip to Bumblepaw's shoulder. "But StarClan don't walk these skies, so once you enter it, you will be alone until you bring the other two Clans." Bumblepaw nodded.

"I won't let you down father. Dippedpaw and Aspentail…..Hawkstar and Skywalker….. I'll bring them all." Inkbrush smiled and licked his son's head before vanishing into the cool mountain air.